Quaker Agriculture missions to the Miami facts for kids

In 1802, a leader of the Miami tribe named Little Turtle visited Washington, DC. He invited a group called the Quakers from Baltimore to come to Fort Wayne. Little Turtle wanted the Quakers to teach his people about American ways of living and farming.

The Quakers sent farm tools in 1803. Little Turtle, with help from William Wells, sent a letter back. He thanked them for the tools but said his people weren't sure how to use them.

Teaching New Farming Methods

In the spring of 1804, the Quakers sent more people. They sent two teachers, a farmer, and a blacksmith. The teachers, Gerard T. Hopkins and George Ellicott, stayed for two weeks. They helped set up a farm for Philip Dennis, who was a farmer from Baltimore.

Philip Dennis stayed until the fall to show the Miami people how Americans farmed. Little Turtle explained that not many people came to greet them at first. This was because many Miami were busy making maple sugar for the season.

However, the Quakers got a tour of the Miami lands. They saw the place where a battle called Harmar's Defeat happened. They also saw lake sturgeon fish swimming up the Maumee River.

Dennis's Farm Location

The Miami tribes set up Dennis's farm in a quiet area. This spot is now near the border of Wabash and Huntington counties in Indiana. It was close to Little Turtle's village at the time, but not near any big towns. Dennis started his farm on a stream now called Dennis' Creek, which flows into the Wabash River.

Learning from Philip Dennis

During the summer, people from the Miami, Potawatami, and Wea tribes visited Dennis's farm. They watched him work. But only a few men showed enough interest to help him with the farm.

After harvesting the crops, Dennis stored them for the winter for his hosts. Then he went back to his family in Baltimore. He later passed away on his farm in Montgomery County, Maryland. Dennis reported that his crops grew well and the land was very good for farming.

Why New Farming Didn't Catch On

Even though people watched Dennis farm, the Miami tribe did not start using his methods. Stories from Dennis's report to the Baltimore Quakers suggest that the Miami already farmed well enough. They were also very skilled hunters. They might have found their traditional hunting methods more effective than the Quaker farming style.

The "Civilization Project"

Dennis's farm became known as Dennis' Station or Little Turtle's Farm School. It became an important place for what was called the "civilization project." This project aimed to teach Native Americans American ways of life.

The government gave money for this project. But William Wells argued that the project needed a permanent manager to succeed.

Challenges and Changes

Unfortunately, when Quakers William and Mahlon Kirk arrived in 1806, they did not get along well with the Miami leaders. Because of this, the project failed.

William Kirk then moved his mission to the Shawnee people in Wapakoneta, Ohio. William Wells was very critical of Kirk. He accused Kirk of not being truthful with the Quakers and misusing government money. However, the government decided that Wells had interfered with Kirk's mission. This caused problems in the relationship between the United States and the Miami tribe.