Hoosier Dusty Files - September 01, 1827 – US Built Mill for Potawatomi Indians

A Year of Indiana History - 2016

September 01, 1827 – US Built Mill for Potawatomi Indians
To comply with the 1826 Treaty with the Potawatomi, the United State government constructed a gristmill for the Potawatami Indian tribe on Mill Creek in current Rochester, Indiana, Fulton County. Workers constructed a dam across the lake to provide power for the mill. This lake flooded five smaller lakes, forming Lake Manitou. The name derives from the Potawatami word "Manitau" which means either a good or an evil spirit. The Potatwatami believed that the lake held a monster fish that had supernatural powers. Early settlers in the area called the lake "Devil's Lake." The treaty's terms also called for the establishment of a blacksmith for the tribe. The first white settlement in the area formed when a home for the miller, blacksmith and a trading post were built. The mill opened on September 1, 1827. After the Potawatami were forced from the area in 1838, the mill was largely abandoned.

Indiana possesses a rich history that is fun to read and learn. This Hoosier Dusty Files is in an easy to read “this day in history format” and includes articles from the author's A Year in Indiana History series. Visitors may read the articles as they appear or purchase the book:
A Year of Indiana History - 2016
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