THE OHIO VALLEY-GREAT LAKES ETHNOHISTORY ARCHIVES: THE MIAMI COLLECTION
It is noted that the following work from the Miami Archives should be read and considered within the historical context in which it was composed and printed. The opinions expressed and the language used do not reflect the opinions or standards of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, but are, rather, indicative of thought in that historical moment during which the document was published.

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The Road from Detroit
to the Illinois

(Due to length divided here into two parts)

In: Dunn, Jacob Piatt, ed., Documents
relating to the French Settlements on
the Wabash, Indiana Historical
Society Publications, 1894,
vol. 2, pp. 403-442.

pp. 435, 436.

(page 435)

THE ROAD FROM DETROIT TO THE ILLINOIS
By way of the Forts Miamie, Ouiattanon and
St. Vincent with some remarks.¹

		Miles.	Miles.
From Detroit to Lake Erie		18
To the River Miamie^2		36
To the Foot of the Rapids		18
To the Top of the Rapids		18
	N. B. Part of the Ottawa & a few of the Hurons inhabit this part of the River. In the former when the water is low, Canoes cannot pass the Rapids, otherwise than by being dragged over the stones & frequently the Traders are obliged to carry their goods the whole eighteen miles.
To the end of the still water		24
To the Top of the next Rapids		9
To the Grand Glaze,^3 a river so called on the left going up		6
	.N. B. A few Ottawas live here.
To the little Glaze on the right		3
To the King's Glaze on the right (a few Ottawas live here)		12
To the Elm Meadow		15
To Sledge Id (so called from a large stone resembling a sledge)		12
To the Split Rock		6
To the Wolf Rapid		12
To the great Bend^4		12
To Fort Miamie^5		15	216
		_____
	N .B. The Miamie Nation live opposite the Fort and consist of about 250 men able to bear arms. The Fort is inhabited by Eight or Ten French families.
(page 436)
Brought over			216
From Fort Miamie to Cold Feet^6 where the old French Fort was		3
The carrying place to the little River		9
To the River Boite		6
To the Flats		21
To the little Rock^7		3
To the Ouabache^8		6
	N. B. Between the Miamie & the Ouabache there are Beaver Dams which when water is low Passengers break down to raise it, & by that means pass easier than they otherwise would, when they are gone the Beaver come & mend the Breach, for this reason they have been hitherto sacred as neither Indians or White People hunt them.
To the River Sallaminee^9 on left going down		15
	N. B. This River is navigable for canoes 150 miles.
To the Pipe River on the left		18
To the Great Rapid		3
To the Eel River on the right^10		3
To the Little Rock^11		9
To the Island of Garlic^12		15
To Richards Coal Mine^13 on the right close to the river		9
To the river Trippeccans^14 on the right		9
To Ouiattanon Fort^15		18
	This Fort is on the right about 70 yards from the River. The Ouattanon nation of Indians is on the opposite side, & the Kiccaposses are round the Fort, in both villages about 1000 men able to bear arms.	_____	183
		_____	399

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¹ This itinerary is not dated, but is deposited with papers of the year 1774, and was probably prepared in that year.

² River Miamie- the Maumee.

³ Grand Glaze- the Auglaize river; site of Defiance, Ohio.

⁴ The Great Bend- in Maumee township, Allen county, Ind. The river is very winding for a number of miles east of this place, so that the distances given appear large when compared with a direct line.

⁵ Fort Miamie- The British establishment.

⁶ (1, p. 436) Cold Feet- i.e., the Indian village of Coldfoot's band. Coldfoot (Pied Froid) was a prominent Miami chief of the middle of the last century. Vide Dunn's Indiana, pp. 65, 66.

⁷ (2, p. 436) Little Rock river- now known as Bull creek.

⁸ (3, p. 436) The Wabash- mouth of Little River, site of Huntington, Ind.

⁹ (4, p. 436) The Salominee- site of La Gro.

¹⁰ (5, p. 436) Eel river- site of Logansport.

¹¹ (6, p. 436) Little Rock river- So marked on ancient maps. Probably Crooked Creek, Cass county.

¹² (7, p. 436) Island of Garlic- Probably an island near Lockport. The distances from Eel river to the Tippecanoe are too great for accurate decision.

¹³ (8, p. 436) At Richards river, on old maps- Probably a small stream that empties opposite Delphi, or one two miles above.

¹⁴ (9, p. 436) The Tippecanoe.

¹⁵ (10, p. 436) Post Ouiatanon- After careful study of authorities and maps I located this fort "on the north bank of the Wabash," "a short distance above Indian creek, which the French called Rivire de Boisrouge." About five months after my "Indiana" was published, in February 1889, some workmen who were taking gravel from a bank near the river, about four miles above Indian creek, found the remains of a French officer, as appeared from parts of the uniform still existing. From this and other remains, silver crucifixes, utensils of various kinds, etc., many of which are now preserved at Purdue University, the site of the fort was identified. (Lafayette Call, Feb. 12 and Feb. 19, 1889.) The location was afterwards confirmed by Mrs. Berilla Smith, an aged lady, who came to that region in 1831, and had the site of the old fort pointed out to her by earlier settlers. (Lafayette Call, March 11, 1892.) It is nearly opposite- slightly below- the mouth of Wea creek, near Sand Ridge church.

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