John Dunbar (missionary) facts for kids

The Pawnee Mission was located here, near Council Creek. Nothing stands there today.

John Dunbar (1804-1857) was a missionary. He worked to share Christian beliefs with the Pawnee people. This happened in Nebraska during the 1830s and 1840s.

John Dunbar's Early Life

John Dunbar was born in Palmer, Massachusetts. This was soon after the American Revolution. He grew up in western New England. This area was full of strong Christian beliefs. People there also wanted to make society better.

Dunbar attended Williams College. This college was important for missionaries. It was where the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions began. This group helped start many missions.

Heading West for Missions

Dunbar continued his studies at Andover Theological Seminary. He thought about becoming a missionary. In 1834, he became a Presbyterian minister. He then left for the western frontier.

He traveled with Samuel Parker and Samuel Allis. They first planned to work with the Flathead people. But in St. Louis, they changed their minds. Parker went back to New England. Dunbar and Allis stayed to work closer to St. Louis.

The Pawnee Mission

Dunbar and Allis decided to focus on the Pawnee. They set up a base camp in Bellevue, Nebraska. Another missionary, Moses Merrill, was already there. He worked with the Otoe–Missouria people.

For two years, Dunbar and Allis joined the Pawnee. They went on their twice-yearly buffalo hunts. These hunts took place across the Great Plains of Nebraska.

Dunbar returned to Massachusetts to marry Esther Smith. Her sister had been a missionary in India. After marrying, the Dunbars and Allis continued their work. They worked with the Pawnees from Bellevue until 1841.

Building a Mission Home

In 1841, the missionaries built their own homes. These were near the main Pawnee village. This area is now Fullerton, Nebraska, in Nance County. Other white settlers also came to live near the mission. These included blacksmiths, teachers, and farmers. They were sent by the government to help the Pawnee.

However, disagreements soon arose among the settlers. They argued about how to solve problems between the Pawnee and white people. Dunbar and Allis often supported the Pawnees' side. This made the arguments worse among the settlers. But it helped the missionaries stay friends with the Pawnee.

Despite their efforts, the Pawnee people did not become Christian. Dunbar's mission work did not succeed in this goal. Also, Lakota raids became a big threat. These raids forced the missionaries to leave in 1846.

John Dunbar's Later Life

After their mission work ended, the Dunbars moved. They first went to Andrew County, Missouri. Then they moved to Holt County, Missouri. In 1856, they moved again to Brown County, Kansas. John Dunbar died there the next year, in 1857.

John Dunbar in Movies

You might know a character named John Dunbar from a movie. The famous 1990 film Dances with Wolves had a main character named Lt. John Dunbar. Kevin Costner played this role.

This movie character was fictional, meaning he was made up. He supported Native Americans against white settlers. He also saw wars between the Pawnee and Lakota. This was similar to what the real John Dunbar experienced.

The real John Dunbar's son, John Brown Dunbar, fought in the Civil War. But the movie's name was not chosen for history. The writer, Michael Blake, said he picked the name from a list of Civil War soldiers. Blake was happy to find out later that a real John Dunbar existed. He felt it was a special coincidence.