| Background
History on St. Joseph County |
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| St.
Joseph County by John Marvin |
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| Sections |
Intro
Costly Victory
Changing Times
County Government Inaugurated
Historical Firsts
Early Background
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| Introduction |
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St.
Joseph County, named after a river, is a region of rivers.
Here, gather the many waters that give to the famed St.
Joseph its size, its power and its beauty. Entering the
county from the east, the historic stream is only an over-grown
creek. Flowing out of the county to the southwest it is
a rushing, picturesque river. On the way it gathers to
itself Swan Creek, Bear Creek, Portage River, Rocky River,
Prairie River, Fawn River and the White Pigeon River,
as well as minor tributaries. Lakes, themselves spring-fed
and creek-fed, are among the headwaters of these contributing
streams. Lakes in strings, connected by adventure-inviting
channels: lakes in clusters; lakes set solitaire; all
allure the fisherman, the nature reveler and the seeker
after cool quietude. Still and running waters combine
in furnishing outing pleasures.
 These
rivers and lakes of St. Joseph County lured the Red Man
in savage days, as they lure the weary palefaces of civilization
today.
Legends passed on by the Indians to the white pioneers,
and by the pioneers to their children tell of desperate
battles fought for the possession of these ancient Happy
Hunting Grounds.
The last battle was fought in 1801 - so the legends say
- just before the coming of the first Yankee settlers
from beyond the Alleghenies. At that time, St. Joseph
County was at the edge of the vast Michigan forest which
stretched from the Indiana plains to the shore of Lake
Superior. This borderland was broken with oak openings
and with woods-enclosed patches of prairie land. |
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The
combination of woods, lakes, rivers and rich open lands
made this an ideal place for game, fish, fowl and the
Red Man. Here the braves could hunt deer; fish; and go
adventuring in their canoes. Here they could idle amid
the luxuriousness of nature while their squaws planted
and harvested the crops of maize which grew generously
on the fertile soil.
The Pottawatomie long held possession. They lived in
peace with their neighbors, the Ottawa's of the Kalamazoo
Valley and with the most distant Ottawa's of the Grand
River Valley.
Then came the Shawnees from the Wabash Valley. They coveted
the pleasant and plentiful land. Under the leadership
of Chief Elkhart, they crept through the wilderness and
fell suddenly upon the unsuspecting Pottawatomie. In
the surprise battle that followed, the Pottawatomie were
defeated and driven from their homes. |
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| DATE
FOUNDED |
| Nov.
4, 1829 |
| FOUNDING
LOCATION |
| White
Pigeon |
| POPULATION |
| 62,422 |
| SIZE |
| 520
Sq. Miles |
| QUICK
FACT |
| St.
Joseph County is named after the St. Joseph River for
its size, power, and beauty. |
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