Exploration and Settlement of the Shenandoah Valley

Farrer 1650 map of the colonies of Virginia and Maryland

The Shenandoah Valley, first explored by Johann Lederer and his associates in 1670, holds a rich history shaped by early exploration, settlement, and conflict. Following Lederer’s journey, which reached as far west as present-day Strasburg, VA, the region saw further exploration by Colonel Cadwallader Jones in 1673 and George Ritter in 1705. In 1719, Thomas Fairfax inherited the Northern Neck proprietary estate, managing it as a feudal manor and significantly influencing the area’s development. Germanic and other European settlers, recruited by Fairfax’s agents, began shaping the valley’s landscape with intensive farming practices. Native American presence in the valley persisted until the mid-18th century, with peaceful coexistence giving way to displacement during the French and Indian War. The departure of Native Americans by 1754 marked a pivotal shift in the valley’s demographic and cultural composition.

Treaty of July 20, 1831

Articles of agreement and convention, made and concluded at Lewistown, in the county of Logan, and State of Ohio, on the twentieth day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-one, by and between James B. Gardiner, specially appointed commissioner on the part of the United States, and John McElvain, Indian agent for the Wyandots, Senecas and Shawnees, on the one part, and the undersigned principal chiefs and warriors of the mixed band of Senecas and Shawnee Indians residing at and around the said Lewistown, of the other part; for the cession of the … Read more

Treaty of February 23, 1867

Articles of agreement, concluded at Washington, D. C., the twenty-third day of February, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, between the United States, represented by Lewis V. Bogy, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, W. H. Watson, special commissioner, Thomas Murphy, superintendent of Indian Affairs, George C. Snow, and G. A. Colton, U. S. Indian agents, duly authorized, and the Senecas, represented by George Spicer and John Mush; the Mixed Senecas and Shawnees, by John Whitetree, John Young, and Lewis Davis; the Quapaws, by S. G. Vallier and Ka-zhe-cah; the Confederated Peorias, Kaskaskias, Weas, and Piankeshaws, by Baptiste Peoria, John Mitchell, and … Read more

Wyandot Indians

Wyandot Tribe: Meaning perhaps “islanders,” or “dwellers on a peninsula.” Occasionally spelled Guyandot. At an earlier date usually known as Huron, a name given by the French from huré, “rough,” and the depreciating suffix -on. Also called: Hatindiaβointen, Huron name of Huron of Lorette. Nadowa, a name given to them and many other Iroquoian tribes by Algonquians. Telamatenon, Delaware name, meaning “coming out of a mountain or cave.” Thastchetci’, Onondaga name. Connection. The Wyandot belonged to the Iroquoian linguistic family. Wyandot Location. The earliest known location of the Huron proper was the St. Lawrence Valley and the territory of the … Read more

Treaty of September 17, 1818

Articles of a treaty made and concluded, at St. Mary’s, in the state of Ohio, between Lewis Cass and Duncan McArthur, commissioners of the United States, with full power and authority to hold conferences, and conclude and sign a treaty or treaties, with all or any of the tribes or nations of Indians within the boundaries of the state of Ohio, of and concerning all matters interesting to the United States and the said nations of Indians, and the sachems, chiefs, and warriors, of the Wyandot, Seneca, Shawnese, and Ottawas, tribes of Indians; being supplementary to the treaty made and … Read more

Treaty of November 17, 1807

Articles of a treaty made at Detroit, this seventeenth day of November, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and seven, by William Hull, governor of the territory of Michigan, and superintendent of Indian affairs, and sole commissioner of the United States, to conclude and sign a treaty or treaties, with the several nations of Indians, north west of the river Ohio, on the one part, and the sachems, chiefs, and warriors of the Ottoway, Chippeway, Wyandotte, and Pottawatamie nations of Indians, on the other part. To confirm and perpetuate the friendship, which happily subsists between the … Read more

Treaty of November 25, 1808

Articles of a treaty made and concluded at Brownstown, in the territory of Michigan, between William Hull, governor of said territory,superintendant of Indian affairs, and commissioner plenipotentiary of the United States of America, for concluding any treaty or treaties,which may be found necessary, with any of the Indian tribes, North West of the river Ohio, of the one part, and the Sachems, Chiefs, and Warriors of the Chippewa, Ottawa, Pottawatamie, Wyandot, and Shawanoese nations of Indians, of the other part. Article 1. Whereas by a treaty concluded at Detroit, on the seventeenth day of November, in the year of our … Read more

Treaty of September 29, 1817

Articles of a treaty made and concluded, at the foot of the Rapids of the Miami of Lake Erie, between Lewis Cass and Duncan McArthur, commissioners of the United States, with full power and authority to hold conferences, and conclude and sign a treaty or treaties with all or any of the tribes or nations of Indians within the boundaries of the state of Ohio, of and concerning all matters interesting to the United States and the said nations of Indians on the one part; and the sachems, chiefs, and warriors, of the Wyandot, Seneca, Delaware, Shawanese, Potawatomees, Ottawas, and … Read more

Treaty of January 21, 1785

Articles of a treaty concluded at Fort M’Intosh, the twenty-first day of January, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-five, between the Commissioners Plenipotentiary of the United States of America, of the one Part, and the Sachems and Warriors of the Wyandot, Delaware, Chippawa and Ottawa Nations of the other. The Commissioners Plenipotentiary of the United States in Congress assembled, give peace to the Wyandot, Delaware, Chippewa and Ottawa nations of Indians, on the following conditions: Article 1. Three chiefs, one from among the Wyandot, and two from among the Delaware nations, shall be delivered up to the Commissioners of the … Read more

Treaty of January 9, 1789

Articles of a Treaty Made at Fort Harmar, between Arthur St. Clair, Governor of the Territory of the United States North- West of the River Ohio, and Commissioner Plenipotentiary of the United States of America, for removing all Causes of Controversy, regulating Trade, and settling Boundaries, with the Indian Nations in the Northern Department, of the one Part; and the Sachems and Warriors of the Wiandot, Delaware, Ottawa, Chippewa, Pattawatima and Sac Nations, on the other Part. Article 1. Whereas the United States in Congress assembled, did, by their Commissioners George Rogers Clark, Richard Butler, and Arthur Lee, Esquires, duly … Read more

Treaty of August 3, 1795

Treaty of Greenville 1795

Treaty of August 3, 1795, also known as the Treaty of Greenville. The Treaty of Greenville set a precedent for objectives in future treaties with Native Americans — that is, obtaining cessions of land, advancing the frontier through white settlement, and obtaining more cessions through treaties. With the tribes’ surrender of most of Ohio, settlers began entering in Northwest Territory in greater numbers. In the near future, more treaties would further diminish Indians’ territory. A treaty of peace between the United States of America and the Tribes of Indians, called the Wyandot, Delaware, Shawanoe, Ottawa, Chipewa, Putawatime, Miami, Eel River, Weea, Kickapoo, Piankashaw, and Kaskaskia.

Treaty with The Wyandot, Jan. 19, 1832

Articles of agreement and convention made and concluded at McCutcheonsville, Crawford county, Ohio, on the nineteenth day of January, 1832, by and between James B. Gardiner, specially appointed commissioner on the part of the United States, and the Chiefs, Headmen and Warriors of the band of Wyandots, residing at the Big Spring in said county of Crawford, and owning a reservation of 16,000 acres at that place. Whereas the said band of Wyandots have become fully convinced that, whilst they remain in their present situation in the State of Ohio, in the vicinity of a white population, which is continually … Read more

Treaty with the Wyandot, Apr. 23, 1836

Articles of a treaty made and concluded between John A. Bryan, commissioner on the part of the United States, and William Walker, John Barnett, and Peacock, chiefs and principal men of the Wyandot tribe of Indians in Ohio, acting for and on behalf of the said tribe. Article I. The Wyandot tribe of Indians in Ohio cede to the United States a strip of land five miles in extent, on the east end of their reservation in Crawford county in said State-also, one section of land lying in Cranberry Swamp, on Broken Sword Creek, being the one mile square specified … Read more

Treaty of September 8, 1815

A Treaty between the United States of America and the Wyandot, Delaware, Seneca, Shawanoe, Miami, Chippewa, Ottawa, and Potawatimie Tribes of Indians, residing within the limits of the State of Ohio, and the Territories of Indiana and Michigan. Whereas the Chippewa, Ottawa, and Potawatimie, tribes of Indians, together with certain bands of the Wyandot, Delaware, Seneca, Shawanoe, and Miami tribes, were associated with Great Britain in the late war between the United States and that power, and have manifested a disposition to be restored to the relations of peace and amity with the said States; and the President of the … Read more

Treaty of July 4, 1805

A treaty between the United States of America, and the sachems, chiefs, and warriers of the Wyandot, Ottawa, Chipawa, Munsee and Delaware, Shawanee, and Pottawatami nations, holden at Fort Industry, on the Miami of the lake, on the fourth day of July, Anno Domini, one thousand eight hundred and five. ARTICLE I. The said Indian nations do again acknowledge themselves and all their tribes, to be in friendship with, and under the protection of the United States. ARTICLE II. The boundary line between the United States, and the nations aforesaid, shall in future be a meridian line drawn north and … Read more

Wyandot Indian Tribe, Photo Descriptions

The Wyandot, or Huron, a western Iroquois tribe, lived originally on the shores of Lake Huron, where they raised tobacco to such an extent that they were called Petem, or Tobacco Indians. Were driven west to Wisconsin and to the shores of Lake Superior, and by the Sioux back again to the neighbor hood of Detroit, where they remained up to the close of the wars between the United States and England. In 1832 ceded all their lands in Ohio to the Government, and 687 were re moved to Kansas, where they have since resided, at the junction of the … Read more

Tionontati Tribe

Tionontati Indians – Tionontati First Nation (‘there the mountain stands.’ – Hewitt). A tribe formerly living in the mountains south of Nottawasaga bay, in Grey and Simcoe Counties, Ontario.

Huron Tribe

Encampment among the Islands of Lake Huron

Commonly known as the Huron Tribe, Huron Indians, Huron People, Huron First Nation, Wyandot Tribe, and Wyandot Indians (Huron – lexically from French huré, bristly,’ ‘bristled,’ from hure, rough hair’ (of the head), head of man or beast, wild boar’s head; old French, ‘muzzle of the wolf, lion,’ etc., ‘the scalp,’ ‘a wig’; Norman French, huré, ‘rugged’; Roumanian, hurée, ‘rough earth,’ and the suffix –on, expressive of depreciation and employed to form nouns referring to persons). The name Huron, frequently with an added epithet, like vilain, ‘base,’ was in use in France as early as 1358 as a name expressive … Read more