This Day in Indiana History - September 16, 1822 - William Conner purchased 80 acres in Marion County

A Day in Indiana History - September
A Day in Indiana History - September
September 16, 1822 - William Conner purchased 80 acres in Marion County
William Conner purchased an eighty-acre tract of land, adding to his already considerable land holdings. This tract he used to establish a trading post for local Amerindians and the French fur traders that still passed through the area. This tract is the probable location for “Trader’s Point."
William Conner (December 10, 1777 – August 28, 1855)
The son of Richard and Margaret Boyer Conner, William was a native of Lichtenau, Ohio. The British moved the family to Fort Detroit for protection during the Revolutionary War. He and his brother James moved into the central Indiana area in 1800. While small, he and his brother had lived in close association with the native tribes, so they were familiar with their customs. During this early period, William served in the Indiana militia, and acted as interpreter to the Amerindians for Governor William Henry Harrison. He also had six children with a Delaware woman named Mekingis, who was the daughter of a native chief, William Anderson. When the Delaware left Indiana for an area west of the Mississippi River in 1820, Mekingis took her six children along. There is disagreement among historians whether she and William were legally married. After his family departed, he married Elizabeth Chapman. The two had ten children together. Conner had built a trading post just south of present day Noblesville and built several trading routes from central Indiana to the Ohio River. The council that chose the site for Indianapolis met at his trading post, as did the Hamilton County commissioners during their first meetings.
A portion of this article excerpted from the author's book:
Exploring Indiana's Historic Sites, Markers & Museums - Central Edition

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