Pigeon Roost State Historic Site facts for kids
The Pigeon Roost State Historic Site is a special place in Indiana, United States. It's located between the towns of Scottsburg and Henryville. A small road leads visitors to the spot where a village once stood. This village was the site of a sad event where many settlers lost their lives during the War of 1812.
Contents
The Pigeon Roost Village Story
The village of Pigeon Roost was started in 1809 by a man named William E. Collings. Most of the people who lived there came from Kentucky. The Collings family had originally received land in Kentucky from the Governor of Virginia, Patrick Henry. However, these land claims were later found to be invalid.
After a law called the Northwest Ordinance was passed, many families moved across the Ohio River. They settled on lands in southern Indiana that belonged to the Shawnee people. Today, many families in places like Scott, Clark, Jefferson, and Washington Counties can trace their family history back to these early settlers.
The village got its name, Pigeon Roost, because many passenger pigeons lived in the area. These birds were once very common. The settlement was made up of cabins lined up for about a mile. The closest Native American village was about 20 miles north, near the Muskatatuck River. It's believed that the people from that village were not involved in the attack on Pigeon Roost. The nearest safe places, called "blockhouses" (small forts), were in Vienna to the north and another built by Zebulon Collings to the south.
A Difficult Time: The Pigeon Roost Attack
Quick facts for kids Pigeon Roost Massacre |
|
|---|---|
 Indiana historical marker |
|
| Location | Between Scottsburg, Vienna Township, Scott County, Indiana and Henryville, Monroe Township, Clark County, Indiana, US |
| Coordinates | 38°37′02″N 85°46′25″W / 38.617181°N 85.773709°W |
| Attack type | Mass murder |
| Deaths | 24 christian settlers 4 Shawnee warriors |
| Perpetrator(s) | Mostly Shawnees possibly some Delawares and Potawatomis |
On September 3, 1812, a group of Native Americans, mainly Shawnee warriors, attacked the village of Pigeon Roost. This attack was led by a person named Missilimetaw. It happened around the same time as other attacks on forts in Indiana during the War of 1812.
During the attack, 24 settlers, including 15 children, lost their lives. Two children were also taken away. Four of the Native American attackers were killed.
The attackers first met two hunters near Pigeon Roost. They then moved to the village. Some settlers managed to escape to Zebulon Collings' blockhouse, a safer place. However, many members of the Collings family were among those who died.
There are different stories about what William Collings did during the attack. One story says he bravely fought off several attackers. Another says he and his youngest son hid in a cornfield and then escaped to the blockhouse.
A woman named Mrs. Biggs, who was William Collings' sister, heard the attackers coming. She quickly fled with her three children to hide in a thick bush. To keep her youngest child from making a sound, she put her shawl in the baby's mouth. After the attackers left, the Biggs family reached safety. Sadly, the baby had suffocated.
As news of the attack spread, other settlers from Pigeon Roost also fled to Zebulon Collings' blockhouse. The Native American group left before the local soldiers, called militia, could arrive. More than a hundred militiamen followed the attackers but lost their trail. Later, a group of Indiana Rangers caught up with the attackers, and there was another fight.
A year later, in 1813, the leader of the attack, Missilemotaw, was captured. He said that the British had been giving weapons and supplies to Native Americans since 1809 to prepare for war.
The Pigeon Roost attack was the first major Native American attack on U.S. settlers in Indiana during the War of 1812. Some historians believe it was part of a larger conflict. Others suggest that there might have been earlier disagreements between the Collings family and Native Americans that led to the attack. For example, one story mentions a dispute over a fawn.
After the attack, the Pigeon Roost settlement was rebuilt for a short time but was eventually abandoned. Most of the victims were buried together in a mass grave.
Remembering the Past
In 1904, the state of Indiana built a memorial to honor the victims of the Pigeon Roost attack. It is a tall, 44-foot (13-meter) stone monument called an obelisk. The area became a state historic site in 1929.
More recently, new historical markers have been placed at the entrance to the site. A picnic shelter was also built for visitors. The state has now given the site to Scott County to manage. A log cabin, like those built by early settlers, was constructed on the site. Every year, on the second Sunday in September, a picnic is held there to remember the history of Pigeon Roost.
Images for kids
-
This historical marker tells about the Pigeon Roost settlement on Indiana State Highway 31.
-
A 40-foot tall memorial made of Bedford limestone, built in 1903 and dedicated in 1904.
-
This memorial honors the families affected by the Pigeon Roost attack. It stands near a Sassafras tree.
-
A marker next to the memorial provides more details about the attack.
