By BARBARA
BARBIERI
A recent Saturday was the perfect fall day to check out some early area history at the Rendezvous on the Reserve in Blackford County near Montpelier.
The living history encampment was hosted by the Montpelier Historical Society on the Godfroy Reserve, which is one of the reservations set apart for the use of the natives who still occupied portions of Indiana at the time of the treaty of St. Mary’s in October 1818.
The encampment depicted the fur trade-era in the Indiana wilderness spanning the years of 1760-1840.
Armed with a map visitors could stop and chat with enactors at:
*Mississinewa Confederation Native Village which was an example of the Eastern Woodlands culture.
*River Rogues were the pirates that were known to plunder the main shipping routes of the time.
*Longhunters, Voyagers and Trappers came taking advantage of the many types of fur available in the area.
*Settlers, Traders and Sutlers who where brought to the area as folks settled the Indiana wilderness.
*Storytellers and Musicians provided demonstrations throughout the weekend as presented by StoneHunter, Black Fox, Scalded Head, The Mississinewa Confederation, Fiddlsix, Janel Franks, Linda Fite and other.
Information
Francois Godfroy was the son of fur trader Jacques Godfroy and a Miami women and in addition to being an Indian leader was also a successful fur trader. He did business with early settlers and troops traveling from forts in Ohio to Kekionga (Fort Wayne) via a nearby military road.
The reserve was a tract of six sections lying along the Salamonie River, contained six sections, Harrison Twp. and 344 acres in Jay County, sections 17-20. At one time the reserve contained a blacksmith shop, Indian Agent quarters, outbuildings, an apple orchard, a beach for swimming and baptisms, a natural spring, an eagle tree and other features.
Myaamia under the rule of Francois Godfroy lived here until around 1835.
