Local Native American history includes multiple tribes, burial mounds, artifacts, and potential dig sites

 

[August 23, 2023] 

At the August meeting of the Logan County Genealogical and Historical Society, there was a full house with almost 40 people in attendance. LCGHS member Gary Dodson presented some of his research on the Native Americans in Illinois. One focus was on the Kickapoo Tribe.

As Dodson began his presentation, he quizzed everyone about their knowledge of related Illinois history.

The first question Dodson asked was what the original name of Springfield, Illinois was and where the name came from.

A person from Springfield was able to tell Dodson it was once called Calhoun. Dodson said the name came from John Calhoun, a U.S. Senator and Vice President.

Next, Dodson asked how many people in attendance read the Elkhart newsletter and have heard of Edwards Trace. The recent Elkhart newsletter shared information about Edwards Trace, which was once the original highway from Kaskaskia all the way to Peoria.

Elkhart said they are the only place in the state of Illinois that still has part of the Trace in their area, but Dodson said that is not the case. One place in Elkhart where Edwards Trace was located is near the old cemetery.

When Dodson asked where parts of Edwards Trace can be found in Springfield, the Springfield resident said she has seen signs near Lake Springfield. Dodson said it was the main highway that went across the area before Lake Springfield was even there. There is an Edwards Trace sign in the park area before you get to the zoo in Springfield.

Because parts of the Edwards Trace were in Logan County, Dodson would like to get signs to point out some of the roadways in the county.

Litchfield is another area the Edwards Trace went through. Dodson said a farmer near the trace was smart enough to know what it was since it has been in the family for many generations, and he has kept it up. This part follows Interstate 55 down to Kaskaskia near Cahokia mounds.

The Edwards Trace once went through Lincoln where Memorial Park is. Dodson said you can follow a route up to Leroy. Leroy is where the grand village was located. The Kickapoo were there from the early 1700s. Dodson said by the 1800s, many of the tribe were leaving.

Following the trail from Leroy towards Courier Lakes eventually leads to the Galena Trail. The Galena trail is marked all the way up to the state line.

Another question Dodson asked was the original name of Lawndale and what it was known for. He said the original name was Kickapoo. It was known for its grain elevators and Dodson said it was the reason trains came through.

Dodson then asked how big the original lake near Lake Fork was. He asked if 14 miles long, 3 to 4 miles wide and 4 inches deep meant anything to anyone. Dodson said that was the size of the lake.

At some point, Dodson said the lake became a swamp and a dredge had to be brought in. To get it to Lake Fork, lumber was brought in, and the dredge was built by hand.

The hill out in Lake Fork is an Indian mound. Dodson said Illinois has over 100 different mounds. Many mounds have been plowed down because they take up so much space. All kinds of artifacts and bodies can be found in the mounds.

The first place Dodson said mounds were discovered was in Georgia. More mounds can be found in Oklahoma. However, Dodson said the largest, most populate Indian mound is found in Cahokia, Illinois.

Large tribes broke off into many smaller tribes. Dodson said it was because people were chasing the tribes. The Kickapoo Tribe appears to have originated in the Northwest corner of Ohio.
Dodson said there are suspicions the tribe came from farther east where some artifacts have been found.

The Algonquin Nation represents a group of five tribes who came down out of the east towards the Kickapoo. Dodson said the Kickapoo came down from Ohio and was not fighting people back then. The Kickapoo were subtle people who did not want to be bothered.

The Kickapoo crossed over into Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois. Dodson said Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin were called the Northwest Territory.

Originally, the territory was the state of Virginia. After that, Dodson said it became part of Kentucky. Later, Dodson said Kentucky was broken down into other states.

The Kickapoo were farmers like many still are in this area. Dodson said the women had the duties of planting and fixing. The men did the hunting and preparation.

Once the Kickapoo were pushed, they fought back. Dodson said it was like “guerilla warfare” once the Kickapoo were pushed.

Something Dodson said he hates to say is that he had distant relatives in Galena who trucked Kickapoo Indians out of Illinois into Missouri. Dodson said these relatives got government contracts to do that. Those that did not get trucked out of the area were killed.

In the 1800s, Illinois Governor Ninian Edwards and President Abraham Lincoln hated Indians. Both pursued the removal and elimination of Indians. Even now, Dodson said Illinois is one of five states who prohibit Indian Reservations.

The American Rangers, formed by Edwards, went up Edwards Trace. As the Rangers came through, they slaughtered many Indians and destroyed their village.

The Indians were not saints either. Dodson said there were Indians who went into Kentucky and brought back a female with a couple kids.

These Indians then ransomed them off to her husband to get more supplies. Still, Dodson said the Indians should have been taken better care of instead of being slaughtered.

Many artifacts have been found in an area near I-55. Dodson said people are still doing studies of Indian artifacts there. He said anyone can contact the University of Illinois and ask to take part in doing the study.

When Dodson met a barge captain from Kentucky a couple months ago, the captain hired Dodson to help with the excavation of the Edwards Trace. This excavation will be done next year.

Looking at the problems we are going through in our country now, Dodson said some of it is a race problem. He said that should not be the case.

Had we been stricter about immigration during the period of time the Indians were here, Dodson said some problems then may not have happened.

The Indians let in the British and French, and both groups got more Indians killed. The French killed the fur bearing animals. Dodson said what “plays” at one time will eventually “come around and bite us again.”

Once Dodson was done with his presentation, he asked if there were any questions.

One person asked about a hill in Lake Fork near the cemetery and whether it is a mound.

Dodson said there were 71 major Indian sites around Lake Fork. There are still mounds in Lake Fork, but Dodson said they are not visible from the highway.

Another person asked if there are laws related to checking the ground for artifacts. Dodson said the only people who have the power to stop construction are those working with the highways.

In answer to a question about the location of nearby archaeological sites, Dodson said there is one near Nicholson Road. It could be a while before that area is dug up.

At a recent presentation in Tazwell County, a couple talked about a dig they were doing near Dekalb last spring. The dig was near a house. One of the people at the presentation said the group dug for a month and spent the rest of the year going through what they found in the dig. Digging will continue next spring.

If digs are done on private property, Dodson said people must contact the landowner and file papers with both the state and county.

Someone asked whether the Sax and Fox Tribes were part of the Kickapoo Tribe.

These tribes were closely related to the Kickapoo. Dodson said these tribes spoke the same language, ate the same food and travelled together, but they considered themselves separate tribes.

The Kickapoo Tribe never surrendered their land. They traded land from Illinois to Missouri to Kansas.

If the courts were to tell people they have to go to court [over land rights], Dodson said the people could lose their land. Dodson said much of what was done was illegal.

Someone who had found a lot of points and axes in farm ground around Lake Fork and the east for a while asked if those would be from the Kickapoo Tribe.

Dodson said no. Illinois had seven active Indian tribes at one time, including the Sioux Tribe. Dodson said each tribe had its own design for arrows and other artifacts.

The spear points on these artifacts can be worth money. Dodson said there are shows for the Indian [spear] points.

There was a question about the time frame the Indians were in this area.

Around 1819, Dodson said many tribes started to move out of the area. By 1832, there was a law in effect. By then, Dodson said most Indians left on their own accord or were taken away by wagon.

The Kickapoo are part of the civilized tribes and the Kansas Federation. Dodson said many have said they will never come back to white man’s territory.

For those who want to know whether they have Indian ancestry, Dodson said there are rolls in Tazwell and Logan County showing that information. Most tribes require someone to have at least fifty percent Indian blood to get help paying for education.

When Dodson has more research put together, he will provide handouts to anyone who provides their name address to Diane Osborn at the Logan County Genealogical and Historical Society.

Next month, the Logan County Genealogical Society meeting will be Monday, September 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Heritage Museum on 115 Nicholson Road. Ron Keller will give a presentation about Abraham Lincoln.

[Angela Reiners]