FRIENDS AND THE SHAWNEE INDIANS AT
WAPAKONETA
By HARLOW LINDLEY
About the beginning of the last century
two bands of
Shawnee Indians are known to have been
settled on lands in the
vicinity of the present town of
Wapakoneta, Ohio. In the year
1809, these Indians began to receive
attention from the Friends
of Ohio Yearly Meeting. In order to
assist them in adopting
civilized modes of living they built for
them a saw and grist mill
on their lands; and some of the Friends
seem to have resided,
a part of the time at least, with them,
helping them in the man-
agement of these mills, and instructing
them in the construction
of houses, the cultivation of the soil
and other operations leading
to a settled mode of life.
In the year 1817, the United States
Government, in a treaty
with the Shawnee Indians, "in
consideration of their faithful
services in the late war agreed to grant
[these Indians and a few
Senecas further east in Logan County] by
patent, in fee-simple,"1
165 square miles, or 105,600 acres of
land. By the same treaty
an annuity of $2000 was to be paid to
the Shawnees at Wapa-
koneta.
Upon the organization of Indiana Yearly
Meeting of Friends
in 1821, a Committee of Men and Women
Friends on Indian Con-
cerns, was appointed "to cooperate
with Friends of Ohio and
Baltimore Yearly Meetings in carrying
the plan into effect" which
had been received from Ohio Yearly
Meeting, but it was pointed
out that the committee thus appointed,
had "no power to make
requisitions of a pecuniary nature on
the members of this Yearly
Meeting."
The report of this Committee to the
Yearly Meeting in 1822
mentions the purchase from the federal
government of a tract of
1 All quotations are from the annual
Yearly Meeting Minutes.
(33)
34
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL
QUARTERLY
land adjoining the Indian Reservation,
on which 20 acres of
ground had been cleared, the timber on
about 40 acres more
deadened, a double cabin for dwelling
and a cabin school house
had been erected and other improvements
made. This farm land
was five miles south of the village of
Wapakoneta and adjoined
the Reservation. Jesse Baldwin and his
wife had undertaken to
superintend the establishment and a
young man and young woman
were employed to assist with the farm
and help in the home. A
school of about nine scholars was
established and progressed to
the satisfaction of the Indians and the
Committee. The Indians
were opening farms and had more
generally refrained from the
use of spirituous liquors than they had
in the past. This was
greatly encouraging. Ample funds for the
necessary expenses
of the establishment were furnished by
the Committee of Ohio
Yearly Meeting. Until 1829, all the
funds for this work con-
tinued to be furnished by Ohio and
Baltimore Friends and the
work seems to have been principally
under the care of the unaided
Committee.
In 1823, the Committee reported that the
work had "con-
tinued with a reasonable prospect of
success." About thirty chil-
dren had been taught and clothed that
year, though the number
in school at any one time was not more
than eighteen, and did not
average more than ten or twelve. The
farm was expected to
prove a healthy situation, the land was
fertile and the crops were
good.
The Report of 1824 says the school
has not been regularly attended during
the last year, and the children have
made but little improvement in learning;
yet the prospect in other respects,
is more encouraging. The Indians appear
to be settled in their minds; most
of their families have removed from
their towns and located themselves on
different parts of their Reserve; and
they have been more sober and temper-
ate than usual, and manifest a more
steady disposition to engage in agricul-
ture, in which they have made as much
progress as could reasonably be ex-
pected.
The Committee was of the opinion that it
would "be best for
the school to be discontinued for a
time--hoping that it may, in
future, be resumed under more favorable
circumstances."
FRIENDS AND THE SHAWNEE 35
The Report to the Yearly Meeting in 1825
says,
the Acting part of our Committee has
been diligent in its exertions to
promote the civilization of the Indians
under our care; and though we have
had many difficulties to encountre in
our endeavors, . . . yet we are encour-
aged in believing that our labors for
their improvement have not been
unavailing. Many of them are acquiring
habits of industry. Their morals,
also, have been much improved; and their
progress in agriculture has been
as great as could have been reasonably
expected. They have been advised
and assisted in keeping their mills in
repair, and supplied with some imple-
ments of husbandry, of which they stood
in need.
Apprehending that "the time had
arrived, when the school
for the education of the children may be
profitably resumed"
"Isaac Harvey and his wife, in
whose qualifications" the Com-
mittee had "entire
confidence," in compliance with the wishes of
the Committee undertook to superintend
the establishment.
The Committee reported in 1826 that the
school had been
resumed and continued about two months,
to the satisfaction, both
of the Indians and the Committee.
"But towards the latter part
of winter the Indians became unsettled
in their minds and it was
found impracticable to continue the
school to advantage." "It
was therefore dismissed, and soon after,
Isaac Harvey and his
wife, in consequence of her
indisposition, returned from the estab-
lishment to their former residence.
About two hundred of the
Indians had left the Reservation, and
were then on their way to
join those of their nation who have
settled in the country west of
the Mississippi." It was yet uncertain whether those that re-
mained would shortly be in a situation
to receive instruction or not.
At this time Asa Pound and his wife had
the care of the farm
and property belonging to Friends.
At the request of the Indians the school
was resumed about
the first of December, 1826, under the
inspection of Isaac Harvey
and Simon Harvey as teachers "and
continued till the latter part
of the next 4th mo." after which
time it was under the immediate
care of Asa Pound and wife as
superintendents. About 15 or 16
children attended, and their conduct was
reported as "orderly both
in the school and families." The
boys had willingly assisted on
the farm and the girls in the house.
Instructions were given to the
girls in spinning and four Indian boys,
at the request of their
36
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL
QUARTERLY
parents, had been taken into the
neighborhood of Springfield, Ohio,
and placed in school there.
It appears from the report of the
Committee made in 1828,
that due to the fact that the funds
"originally designed for the
support of the work being in the hands
of certain Friends at Bal-
timore, and that Yearly Meeting"
having become identified with
the separatists2 there was an
interruption in access to those funds.
The Committee therefore found themselves
in a very embarrassed
condition. "The Committee from Ohio
Yearly Meeting proposed
that the school be suspended, and that
all expense be stopped if
practicable." After "solid deliberation" the
Committee deemed
such drastic action as impracticable,
"at that season of the year,
and in the present state of the concern,
without making a greater
sacrifice than prudence would
justify." The subject was referred
to a Committee appointed for its
consideration, and this group
were "united in believing that it
would not be right to abandon the
concern at this time." Accordingly
the work was continued under
a revised committee and "the
subordinate meetings were directed
to open free subscriptions for raising
funds to aid them therein."
The Committee now employed Robert and
Mahalah Green,
who proceeded to the farm in December,
1828, to open the school
in the spring. Owing to confusions among
the Indians, due to
some government measures, the school was
not opened until about
June 20. From that date on, about ten to
fourteen children con-
tinued in attendance till Yearly Meeting
time. The Committee
reported to the Yearly Meeting in 1829 that the farm
was now in
condition to defray a considerable part
of the expense of the
establishment, and that "the
Indians are mostly settled on farms,
and that many of them raise grain and
stock sufficient for their
own consumption." Ohio Friends had
forwarded $300 to assist
in the work. The amount received from
the subordinate Meetings
of Indiana Yearly Meeting is not
mentioned, but it is stated that
after defraying the expenses of that
year which ended December
22 "there will remain in the name
of the Treasurer the sum of
$237.37 1/2."
2 The Hicksite Separation of 1828.
FRIENDS AND THE SHAWNEE 37
The Committee was continued in the work
and "the Quarterly
meetings and Monthly meetings were
directed to open voluntary
subscriptions for the support of this
interesting cause." A com-
mittee was also appointed to receive
subscriptions during the
Yearly Meeting, which subsequently
reported that the sum of
$39.52 1/2 had been subscribed.
From the report of the Committee in
1830, it is learned that
the school had
continued under the same Superintendents
and that the Committee had laid
down rules and regulations for the
government of the School, a part of
which was to read a portion of the
Scriptures at stated periods. These
rules were now made known to the
Indians, with which they were well
pleased, and desired that the school
might be continued until their children
were taught to read, write and work, and
then they thought, when their
children had learned to read the
Scriptures, they might know the Com-
mandments, and what was right to do and
make them better.
The school was suspended about the first
of August in con-
sequence of the death of Mahalah Green,
the Superintendent's
wife. The Committee then contracted with
Henry Harvey and
Ann, his wife, to superintend the
establishment for the ensuing
year. A favorable report was given of
the condition of the farm
and the produce on hand.
A communication from the Committee of
Ohio Yearly Meet-
ing expressed disappointment and regret
at not receiving any
information in regard to their joint
work amongst the Indians at
this critical period. They had, however, brought the concern
before their own Yearly Meeting and
"the sum of $255 was
raised for that purpose" which was
to be transmitted by two of
their members, who were appointed to
unite with them in deliber-
ating on this interesting concern.
The report also contains the information
that the funds which
were placed in Baltimore for Indian
Civilization and which were
originally received from Friends in
England, for that benevolent
purpose, had been withheld by Philip E.
Thomas, the surviving
trustee, contrary to the compact entered
into by the three Yearly
Meetings, Baltimore, Ohio and Indiana.
Ohio Yearly Meeting
had directed its Committee to take such
legal measures as "may
in their judgment be necessary, to
recover these funds for the
purpose for which they were originally
provided." Similar in-
38
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
structions were given to the Indian
Committee of Indiana Yearly
Meeting. A committee was appointed to
receive, during the sit-
tings of the Yearly Meeting, voluntary
contributions for the bene-
fit of the concerns, which reported, at
the last session, $92.76 1/2
received; and "the subordinate
meetings were directed to raise
the sum of $200 for the benefit of the
concern and forward to the
Treasurer of the Committee."
The Report to the Yearly Meeting in 1831
stated that the
school had been resumed about the middle
of the previous No-
vember, since which time it had been
attended, with little inter-
mission, by about ten or eleven
children. Their literary progress
was equal to the Friends' anticipations.
The girls had woven a
web the past year, and were able to make
up their clothes when
they were cut out, and could knit and
spin very well. The boys
"manifest a disposition to industry
and obedience, equal to what
is common among children." The
Report continued, "There is a
good crop of corn, oats and hay, perhaps
considerably more than
will be necessary to keep the stock the
ensuing winter; there is
also, some wheat, and there will be a
sufficiency of pork for the
ensuing year."
The Indians agreed with the General
Government to exchange
their lands at Wapakoneta for lands west
of the Mississippi, but
the Chiefs expressed to a deputation
from the Committee a hope
that Friends would not be discouraged
but would continue the
school until they saw them take their
children to start over the
Mississippi. They declared that they
were and ever had been
well satisfied with Friends, and wished
Friends not to forsake
them, for, as they phrased it, "we
were their friends, and they
wished their children to learn with us,
as long as they could, for
they were as desirous now as they ever
had been for their educa-
tion."
Friends of Ohio Yearly Meeting expressed
the desire to
continue their exertions for the
improvement and advancement of
these Indians while an opportunity of
being useful to them was
within their power, and they forwarded
$100 for the work. The
Committee was continued to further labor
in the concern, and the
FRIENDS AND THE SHAWNEE 39
subordinate Meetings were directed to
raise the sum of $300
and forward their respective quotas to
the Treasurer of the
Committee.
Owing to the unsettled condition of the
Indians, in conse-
quence of their having sold their
Reservation, the school was in
operation but a part of the time for the
year ending in 1832.
The Indians being dissatisfied with the
terms of the treaty
they had made and claiming additional
compensation for their
lands, it was thought best to encourage
them to make their case
known to Congress. Accordingly a
deputation of four of the
Shawnee Chiefs accompanied by two of the
Committee, David
Baily and Henry Harvey, visited
Washington in the winter of
1831-1832. The expense of the deputation
was paid by the Sec-
retary of War and the result was that
Congress made an appro-
priation of $30,000 in fifteen annual
payments as additional com-
pensation to the Shawnees for their
Reservation at Wapakoneta.
The claim was made for $100,000 but the
entire sum had not been
demanded at that time.
The Committee was authorized to dispose
of the property
at Wapakoneta, and hold the proceeds in
trust, and the Trustees
requested to make such transfer of the
real estate as the Com-
mittee might order.
The Wapakoneta Band of the Shawnee
Indians numbering
about 700, or about four-fifths of the
whole, left for the West
near the middle of September, 1832. They
reached their destina-
tion on the western border of the state
of Missouri, in the present
state of Kansas just south of the Kansas
River, the following
December. The remainder, the Hog Creek
Band, did not go till
the summer of 1833.