Isaac McCoy and the Treaty of 1821 by Lela Barnes. May 1936 (vol. 5, no. 2, pages 122 to 142
Transcribed by lhn; additional HTML by Susan Stafford. Fort Wayne is mentioned under BARNES: THE TREATY OF 1821 [page] 127 at the Kansas Historical Society.
the year 1820 brought marked advancement in the development of the village. The year brings to the pages of history the names of Rev. and Mrs. Isaac McCoy, the first Protestant missionaries to the Indians and the founders of the first school of the settlement. The McCoys, sent by the Baptist missionary convention, after a severe experience in the vicinity of the present city of Terre Haute, were induced to settle at Fort Wayne through the advice of Colonel John Johnston and of Dr. William Turner. With their family of seven children, and accompanied by an Indian boy, a hired attendant and Mr. Lykins, a teacher, they rode on horseback from Fort Harrison (near Terre Haute) to Fort Wayne. At one point in the wilderness a party of drink-crazed Indians attacked the missionary while he was separated from the other members of the party, but his life was saved by a half-breed, Louis Godfrey. Chief Richardville then met and conveyed the party to Fort Wayne in safety. The missionaries drove a herd of fifteen head of cattle and forty-three hogs the entire distance from Terre Haute to Fort Wayne.The goods of the family were brought on flatboats on the Wabash, and portaged across to the St. Mary's.
The interesting story of the experiences of the McCoys is given in the "History of Baptist Indian Missions," by Rev. Isaac McCoy. Unfortunately," the work is out of print and the only copy in Fort Wayne, as far as the, author is aware, is owned by Mrs. Laura G. Detzer, through whose kindness the references here given are made possible. [See ebook above]
