Watseka facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Watseka
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Photograph of Watseka Bergeron (also known as Watchekee)
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| Born |
Watch-e-kee
Wa-che-ke Waatchki c. 1810 Buncombe, Illinois
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| Died | 1878 Council Bluffs
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| Nationality | Potawatomi, Native American |
| Other names | Watseka Hubbard, Watseka LaVasseur, Watseka Bergeron, Josette Bergeron |
Watseka, also known as Watchekee, was a brave and important Potawatomi Native American woman. She was born around 1810 in Illinois and lived until 1878. Her name comes from a famous Potawatomi story. Watseka's uncle, Tamin, was a chief of the Kankakee Potawatomi people. She was also sometimes called Josette Bergeron.
Watseka's Early Life
Watseka was born around 1810 in a place called Buncombe. This was an old Native American village in Illinois. Her uncle, Chief Tamin, was in charge of this village. Later, by 1880, this same spot was known as Concord. Watseka's father was Shabbona, who was a friend and helper to Tecumseh during the War of 1812. Her mother's name was Monashki.
Her Family and Marriages
When Watseka was about 10 or 11 years old, she became engaged to Gurdon Saltonstall Hubbard. They got married in 1826 when she was 14 or 15. Watseka and Hubbard had a baby girl who sadly passed away very young. They decided to end their marriage in the same year, 1826.
Later, when Watseka was 18, she married Noel Le Vasseur. People described her as "beautiful, intelligent, and petite." She had three children with Le Vasseur. He learned to speak the Potawatomi language to better connect with her and her people.
In 1836, Watseka moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa. Her tribe had been moved there in 1832 after a special agreement called the Treaty of Camp Tippecanoe. In 1840, Watseka married Francis Xavier Bergeron, who was French-Canadian.
According to the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center, Francis Xavier Bergeron met Watseka when she visited the Great Lakes area. Around 1840, she was given the Christian name Josette or Zozetta when she was baptized. She and Francis got married around that time. Watseka had four children in total: Jean Batiste, Catherine (Kate), Matilda, and Charlie.
Watseka was very important in the areas of Kankakee and Iroquois counties in Illinois. She played a key role, especially in a place called Bourbonnaise Grove. She passed away in Council Bluffs in 1878.
Watseka's Legacy
Many things are named in honor of Watseka, so her memory lives on.
- A city in East Central Illinois is named Watseka because of her.
- A local group called the Daughters of the American Revolution, Iroquois County Chapter, was also named after her.
- Watseka and Francis Bergeron's daughter, Catherine (Kate), married a Frenchman named Joseph L. Melott. They were the main people who started the community of Mission Hill, which is now known as Wanette, Oklahoma.
