The Eel River Indians were a part of the Miami, formerly living in Indiana. Their village was at Thorntown, Boone County, where they had a reservation, which was sold in 1828, the band removing to the Miami Reservation between the Wabash and Eel rivers, in Miami County. They afterward shared the general fortunes of the tribe.
The Miami reservation lies northwest from the agency, and is embraced within the area of the Peoria reservation. It is mostly prairie, fine agricultural and grass land. The Miamis have good farms, some quite large. They have their lands by allotment. Some of the fencing was done by the whites for grazing purposes. These Indians receive an annuity, which they use for improving their farms and stock; in fact, they are prosperous people, contented and happy. Some indications of coal are found on the north half of this reservation. There are but 67 Indians in this tribe; 50 speak good … Read more