ChatterBank3 mins ago
Mm Links March 2014 Week 2
39 Answers
Good King John II here again for Week two.
I wanted to share a little more history this week about the Rockford area of upstate Illinois where I lived for nearly 25 years. This was the fertile area of the Rock and Fox rivers, the Rock particularly which flows generally south west into the mighty Mississippi river. It was home for centuries to the Sauk and Fox Indian tribes and their legendary leader “Chief” Blackhawk. Blackhawk was not in fact a hereditary Indian chief but rather the son of a medicine man, so he had some status but earned his title chief through his skill and bravery in battle. He was born in 1767 and naturally rose to be leader of his tribe. Interestingly he provides a link with Great Britain in this area because in the War of 1812 he chose to side with the British against America.
He and his warriors were thereafter known as the British Band which name he preserved for many years, travelling up into Ontario Province once a year to accept gifts from the British military in Canada (did you know that Mr O?). He fought to preserve his tribes customs and location in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin but in the end could not resist the western push of the European settlers rolling west in their Conestogas. In his last major battle, the Blackhawk war of 1832 ,he was defeated, captured by his American opponents, paraded along the east coast, was the subject of the first Autobiography by a native American and eventually retired across the Mississippi in Iowa where he died in 1838 – 120 years before I first arrived in Illinois! He is not forgotten and his name is still preserved in “Blackhawk State Park”, The Chicago Blackhawks and there is the magnificent statue of him standing with his arms folded serenely on a secluded and wooded area on the southern bank of the Rock river a few miles south of Rockford. I believe that this statue by Taft is the second largest of its kind being some 70 feet high and it does look awesome.
Next week a word about the more recent Scandinavian influence in the Midwest.
I wanted to share a little more history this week about the Rockford area of upstate Illinois where I lived for nearly 25 years. This was the fertile area of the Rock and Fox rivers, the Rock particularly which flows generally south west into the mighty Mississippi river. It was home for centuries to the Sauk and Fox Indian tribes and their legendary leader “Chief” Blackhawk. Blackhawk was not in fact a hereditary Indian chief but rather the son of a medicine man, so he had some status but earned his title chief through his skill and bravery in battle. He was born in 1767 and naturally rose to be leader of his tribe. Interestingly he provides a link with Great Britain in this area because in the War of 1812 he chose to side with the British against America.
He and his warriors were thereafter known as the British Band which name he preserved for many years, travelling up into Ontario Province once a year to accept gifts from the British military in Canada (did you know that Mr O?). He fought to preserve his tribes customs and location in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin but in the end could not resist the western push of the European settlers rolling west in their Conestogas. In his last major battle, the Blackhawk war of 1832 ,he was defeated, captured by his American opponents, paraded along the east coast, was the subject of the first Autobiography by a native American and eventually retired across the Mississippi in Iowa where he died in 1838 – 120 years before I first arrived in Illinois! He is not forgotten and his name is still preserved in “Blackhawk State Park”, The Chicago Blackhawks and there is the magnificent statue of him standing with his arms folded serenely on a secluded and wooded area on the southern bank of the Rock river a few miles south of Rockford. I believe that this statue by Taft is the second largest of its kind being some 70 feet high and it does look awesome.
Next week a word about the more recent Scandinavian influence in the Midwest.
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Good Afternoon, all. Late off the blocks today.
Mr. O
Prairie Schooner
River Barge
Down Time
Urban Renewal
Mrs. O
Prairie Schooner
River Basin
Down Trodden
Urban Sprawl
Good luck everyone.
PS. To king John. Mr. O. Didn't study Canadian history at school. Mrs. O. says that the hero in these parts is Tecumseh and great celebrations went on for months in 2012. He died in the Battle of the Thames, but prior to his death helped the Brits take back Detroit.
Mr. O
Prairie Schooner
River Barge
Down Time
Urban Renewal
Mrs. O
Prairie Schooner
River Basin
Down Trodden
Urban Sprawl
Good luck everyone.
PS. To king John. Mr. O. Didn't study Canadian history at school. Mrs. O. says that the hero in these parts is Tecumseh and great celebrations went on for months in 2012. He died in the Battle of the Thames, but prior to his death helped the Brits take back Detroit.
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