An interesting story about Hancock County can be found on the United Shawnee website.
“After Tecumseh’s death in 1818, about 40 percent of his warriors and their families decided to remain together as a Shawnee group. By 1840 there were 34 Shawnee communities existing in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and a few other states. Thick Water, who was Tecumseh’s first cousin, best friend and bodyguard, became the ‘leader’ of the remnant Shawnee group. The Remnant Shawnee leadership continues through Thick Water’s line for seven generations to today’s date. The name Thick Water in Shawnee is Poughp, which eventually became Pope.”
The spring 2000 edition of “Midwest Folklore” goes on to tell us, “The current Chief Hawk Pope comes from Blue River Township. According to Chief Pope the community was formed several decades ago when a man one-quarter Indian owned a general store in Greenfield. This man also homestead some land in the county; and when he acquired official ownership of it, he sold parcels for use for one dollar apiece to families ‘too Indian’ to be allowed to homestead land themselves. The families lived on this tract semi-communally; one farmed hay; another raised chickens; another husband cows. Neighbors outside the community knew of the group’s existence but didn’t care; community members didn’t bother anyone, and they often did things the other farmers want farm out.”
I was once told they would have meetings in the old Brandywine School and the janitor was a member of the Shawnee community in Blue River. Hawk Pope was elected chief in 1971 and currently is a sign painter around the Indianapolis area. Today there are 600 members of the Remanent Shawnee band around the country.
Enough. I have told you everything that I know and somethings I don’t. Talk to me.
