Tazewell County
April 1999
Photo of the Month

"The White Man's Friend"

"On the arrival of the first white settlers in "townsite", later to be called Pekin, there was quite a large Indian Village along the ridge of what is Pekin Lake today. The Pottawatomies were predominate.

Among the friendly Indians residing here during the Black Hawk War was the noted Pottawatomies' Chief Shabbona and his family. They erected wigwams at the foot of Broadway close to Jonathan Tharp's Cabin -- near what is Franklin School today.

He was a true friend of the white settlers as in 1832, during the Black Hawk War, he refused to take part in the extermination of the "Palefaces" and was responsible for saving scores of lives.

Shabbona was threatened and his son and a nephew were killed by Black Hawk's savages due to his helping of the white man."