THE ENDIAN CHIEF SH ABBONA B y Q L"THE R A 3 ATCH erintenden of Sch ools Late S u p t , l i i 39d I l no s . 1 . 19 15 P blis M x H atch D e Ka lb Illinois . u h r . e db s" L A . y , , THE INDIAN CHIEF SHABBONA di a s HE In n have gone from Illinois, but there are m a ny people liv ing today who re mem ber h a v ing seen the last of this du s k y race as it disappeare d . With the m have m gone , never to re t urn , any of the primitive cond itions th a t once existed . It is with difficulty that the present generation reconstruct s in image form and scenes a nd cond itions t h at met t hose who first ca me to this landas explorers or founders of ho mes . Fortunately we have with us a few of the e arly pioneers fro m whose lips we may gather a few of the frag m ents of our early history . These should be collected a nd retain ed as a part of our n a tiona l heritage It will give us strength to loo k bac k upon thos e early d ays a nd t o recount the strug gles through which we h a ve co me . The con"icts which too k place betwee n 2 THE IND IA N C HIE F SHABBON A the red m a n a nd t he early whit e se t tl ers would m a ke a long s tory were a ll to l d . Were we to write this story the name o f Shabbona would appear i n many pl aces . Were you t o re a d it you would come t o lov e the man and to respect him for the true m a nhood that he displayed on so many occasions . Were you to go to th e early settlers who knew Shabbona you would find the m a ll agreed as to the nobili ty of his character . He was known by t he m ” all as The Friend of the White Man . The writ er will te l l the story a s he gat here d it from those who knew him , and fro m other sources that will b e indicated at t he close of this article . SHAB B O N A G "O V E " H O ME O F C HIE F In the southern part of D eKa lb County in I llinois is found a sm a ll village that ha s been na med after S hab bona . Not far from this V illage is to b e found a grove known a s Shabbona Grove . It was at this grove th at Shabbona and his p eople made their home for many years . Those who live at the grove ‘ ta ke pleas ure in pointing ou t the spot where h h W e pitc ed his igwam . It was a beautiful place in those early days nestled on the banks of a lit t le stream . It was a s ma l l clearing in the wood well protected from the storms that raged during the winter . THE IND IA N C HIE F SHABBONA 3 In the ea rly years of his stay at this grove it was the ho me of his whole tribe , which by the w a y never num bere d more tha n one hu ndred thirty souls . After the govern me nt move d the Indians from Illinois, Shabbon e and his fa mily lived here for a A number of years . h o llow in the ground m arks th e place wh ere he had a sh a llow A well from which he o bt ained water . few mound s mark the resting place of a num ber of his fa mily . "ou are to ld th a t a hous e wa s built for the ol d chief by the white se ttlers w h o ” thought they w o uld show their ap preciation ho e e for him in this wa y . This us was mad n s e of l ogs . He ever live d in it , so om ' k n him a 1n stea ds d t a who . ew s y , but u e i s a shel t er for his p o nies a nd a storehouse for v n A his p r o 15 1o s. t times some of the of r d younger India n s the t ibe use this cabin a s a pl ace of shel ter but o ld S h abbona a nd C o c o o ko f a a e e d t l e n , his wi e , lw ys pr f rre o iv v ndrin i n the tent e e u g the cold est we a ther A i i h i n winter . s he vis te d h s w i te friends i t was a lmost i mpossible to get hi m to sleep over night in a heu s e . H e preferre d to rol l r d. up in his bl an k et andsleep out of oo s By his a sso cia tion with t he w h ites he a c quired m uch from the m but t h ere were m any I ndi a n trai ts a nd customs t ha t he i d re t aine d as long a s he l v e . 4 THE IND IA N C HIE F SHABBONA A t one tim e the grove a t which he m a de his h o me was one of the finest in t he state of Illinois . It covered a n a re a of acres h a In it were found large w ite , bur , nd red oak . No better bl a c k walnut t rees were to be found anywh ere than were foun d here . O u t side of this grove ex tended great tracts of prairie land noted for their fertility S h a bo a t a urrounded by this , S b n , he Indi n chief, liv ed a nd rule d his little kingdom . Plenty surround ed h im o n a ll sides . He a nd t t I a t his people visi ed o her ndi n settle me n s , of which there were many in northern Illi nois . O ther chiefs and their people visite d him and lived off his subst ance . His word had much weight in the councils with o ther chiefs . He was o ne of the great chiefs among t he chiefs . WH O W AS SHA B B O N A ‘? ? Bu t you as k, Who w as this S h a bbo na He was a me m ber of t he O ttawa tri be of n Indians , born a s the b es t authorities thi k , i n O hio so m e where on t he Maumee River . He was the grand ne phew of the gre a t Indian chief, Pontiac . He lived at the time of Tecumseh and the Prophet . He knew t hem both and took severa l long j ourneys with the former . For a time he was a friend of Blac k k K . H haw e knew eokuk , Big Foot , Sauganash , B S nac hw ine Wa ba nsee a lack Partridge , , , nd Red J a c k e t . He probably kn ew Big Thun o tka P ot a w a tto m i der . S p , the t e chief, a a t d t a a a t ppreci e his wor h , nd s n indica ion of his apprecia tio n gave his d augh ter in m arriage . T h e n a me of this chief w a s no t alw ays e l l d t t a a sp e by wri ers in he s me w y . The o il owin s a d" S a n a g pellings re foun h bbo , C a S h a u ben e S h a bone S h a u be n a h mblee , , , y h a ndS h abeh n e . S a to t y bbona see ms be he spel ling preferred . The o ldchief l i k e d to have his n a me pronouncedd as if there were but two syl l a bles t o it , an to pronounce it a o as if it were spel led S h ab ney , with the cent o u the first sylla ble . In appe arance he was a very stri kin g a char cter . He would be singled out from a m o ng a bo dy of Indians because of the i n a v d o h . a ti e gnity f t e man He w s five feet , n n n t a d i e i ches in heigh , bro d should ere , with a large head s u pported by a he avy neck .