Shabbona's ride

[Paul]

I have been asked to speak to the DeKalb County Historical Society's meeting about the events surrounding Shabbona's warning ride prior to the Indian Creek Massacre. The meeting is at the Oak Crest Retirement center at 7:30 PM on the 10th of March. More info can be found in tonight's Daily Chronicle on page C7. Encouragement and criticism is invited!
R,
Paul Bruchman

[Robert Braun]

Mr. Paul... I regret I was unable to attend your talk. How did it go? What questions did you get from the audiance?

Thank you very much for informing our board participants of this opportunity.

Bob.

[Paul]

Mr. Braun,
It went great! Professors Chown and Krmenec from NIU attended with their families, my parents and in-laws were also there - they had to bring in extra chairs from another room. We were told that it was the highest turnout that they've had in a long time. Questions ranged from current mapmaking practices to Shabbona's age at the time of his death, his gravesite location, and the location of some of the early settler's homesteads. I had some positive feedback on the manner in which I compared today's urban sprawl, rapid development, and paving over of farmland to the Indian's resentment of white settler's intrusion and how it fueled bitter feelings among the Indians. I read several passages from N. Matson's "Memories of Shaubena" and C. Eby's "That Disgraceful Affair" as well as a few newspaper articles and descriptions of the Sauk trail. It probably was too much info to pack into a 45-60 minute time slot, but everyone seemed to have enjoyed it.
Thanks for your support,
R,
Paul B

[Robert Braun]

Paul said:

Mr. Braun,
It went great! Professors Chown and Krmenec from NIU attended with their families, my parents and in-laws were also there - they had to bring in extra chairs from another room. We were told that it was the highest turnout that they've had in a long time. Questions ranged from current mapmaking practices to Shabbona's age at the time of his death, his gravesite location, and the location of some of the early settler's homesteads. I had some positive feedback on the manner in which I compared today's urban sprawl, rapid development, and paving over of farmland to the Indian's resentment of white settler's intrusion and how it fueled bitter feelings among the Indians. I read several passages from N. Matson's "Memories of Shaubena" and C. Eby's "That Disgraceful Affair" as well as a few newspaper articles and descriptions of the Sauk trail. It probably was too much info to pack into a 45-60 minute time slot, but everyone seemed to have enjoyed it.
Thanks for your support,
R,
Paul B

Outstanding! Glad everything went so well!

Hope you are able to do similar talks in the future... such that I might be able to attend!

Congrats! Bob.

[Jeffrey]

Paul did a really nice job and I'll keep after him to do some more presentations, particularly after he gets the map done! One part of the talk I really liked was his description of the great Sauk trail across Northern Illinois into Michigan. I was wondering if anyone on the board knows if there is any relation between the original trail and the path of I-88?
While I'm at it, another question I'm wondering about is if anyone knows definitively whether Iowa's state nickname of the "Hawkeye" has anything to do with Black Hawk. Eby quotes a second-hand source that says it does, but I've seen a letter challenging it.
--Jeffrey Chown

[Greg Carter]

I would have liked to have made that presentation myself. Hopefully next time!

GMC