Story of county’s namesake part of Kekionga book series
By MARK MILLER
Wells County residents will have an opportunity during the upcoming Bluffton Free Street Fair to get better acquainted with the county’s namesake, William Wells.
Fort Wayne resident Jim Pickett, who has written a series of four books about the village of Kekionga and the battles and struggles of northeast Indiana’s first settlers, will be setting up shop in the Industrial Tent. William Wells and his complicated legacy played an important role in those events. Pickett’s other local connection is that his books were published by Buffton-based Oak Creek Media, one of Ed Schwartz’ initiatives.
“I think it is safe to say that William Wells struggled with who he was and where his loyalties were,” Pickett says.
Briefly, Wells was kidnapped by Miami Indians at the age of 13 and was raised as an Indian. He would eventually become a son-in-law of Chief Little Turtle. At first he fought on their side, but through a series of events became a spy for General Mad Anthony Wayne (Spy Run in Fort Wayne is named after Wells County’s namesake). He then served as an Indian agent for the U.S. government. Wells appears in three of Pickett’s books “until he met his Waterloo in 1812,” Pickett explains.
Pickett’s books are “historical fiction,” he emphasizes.
“My intention was not to make this a history book or a history series,” he says. “It’s an adventure story, a fun way to learn our history.”
He estimates that about 80 percent of the characters and events are factual, but he invented characters on both sides — settlers and Indians — through whom the stories are told. For example, he created a chaplain serving the American forces through which he weaves his Christian faith into the narrative.
Pickett retired in 2011 from a middle-school teaching career in the DeKalb County schools. Raised in New Haven, he has since been a life-long resident of Fort Wayne and “was always intrigued by the local history,” he says. An avid runner into his retirement years, an injury caused him to reevaluate what his focus might be. He was also doing some drivers-ed teaching in retirement and his encounters with young people convinced him that there was a need for more education on local history.
“So why not write a book?” he asked himself.
By 2017 he had completed what he thought would be his only book — “The Bones of Kekionga” — and was looking around for publishing options. None appealed to him until he came across Oak Creek Media, “right here in nearby Bluffton, Indiana,” he says.
“I reached out to Ed, sent him my manuscript, we met and talked,” Pickett continues. “It’s been a perfect match.”
Schwartz, who also founded Loving Shepherd Ministries, launched Oak Creek Media in 2004 when he identified a need for a small publishing house to “assist authors in getting their passion into the hands of others,” he says.
“Jim has a deep passion for history, especially the Fort Wayne region which includes Bluffton,” Schwartz continues. “It was an honor to see his goal accomplished with his first book. He didn’t know there would be three more after that, but God did.”
Reactions to his first book led to encouragement for more. “The March to Kekionga” was published in 2019 and “The Siege at Kekionga” in 2021. His latest edition and, he believes, his last, “The Taming of Kekionga” was recently released.
Kekionga was a village at the confluence of the three rivers in Fort Wayne, and accommodated more trade volume than Detroit, Mich. at the time.
Pickett is looking forward to coming back to Bluffton. He played basketball and baseball in high school for New Haven and remembers playing at the old Tiger Den.
“I always learn more about local history from the people I talk to,” he says. His research into William Wells includes a “complicated and interesting life,” he continues, that he’d be happy to share.
Pickett has also gained enough appreciation of Schwartz’ efforts to donate a portion of all of his books’ sales to Loving Shepherd Ministries.
He plans to “set up shop” in the Industrial Tent Wednesday, Friday and Saturday during the fair to offer his books and discuss the history behind their stories. Exact times each day will vary but his plans are to be there Wednesday and Friday from at least mid-afternoon until early evening and Saturday beginning at noon.
Pickett’s books are also available at www.jimpickettbooks.com.
miller@news-banner.com
