Woapalanne facts for kids

Chief Woapalanne (died June 1779) was a Native American leader. He was also known as Chief Bald Eagle, which is the English meaning of his name. He was a tribal leader of the Lenape (also called Delaware) people in the mid-1700s. He lived in central and western Pennsylvania. Later in his life, he often traveled to hunt in the lands near the Monongahela River. He was part of the Munsee (Wolf) group, which is a subtribe of the Lenape.

The Life of Chief Woapalanne

During the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783), Chief Woapalanne led groups of warriors. They came from a place called Bald Eagle's Nest. This place is now Milesburg, Pennsylvania. They fought against white settlements in the West Branch Susquehanna Valley. It is said that he killed James Brady near Williamsport, Pennsylvania in 1778.

Different Stories of His Death

Chief Woapalanne himself was killed in June 1779. One story says he was killed by James Brady's older brother, Sam. This happened near a place called Brandy's Bend in what is now Clarion County, Pennsylvania.

However, there is another very different story about how Chief Woapalanne died. This story is written in a book called Chronicles of Border Warfare (1831) by Alexander Scott Withers.

In this other story, Bald Eagle was a well-known Native American. He was known by his own people and also by settlers on the frontier. He often spent time with them and hunted with them. During one of his visits, he was found alone by three men: Jacob Scott, William Hacker, and Elijah Runner. These men killed him. After they killed him, they placed his body in a canoe. They then set the canoe adrift in the Monongahela River.

Several people saw the canoe floating down the river. They thought he was just returning from a friendly hunting trip. They were surprised he did not stop to see them. The canoe floated close to the shore near the mouth of George's Creek. A woman named Mrs. Province saw it. She had the canoe brought to the bank. The friendly, but unlucky, old Native American was then respectfully buried.

Legacy

Chief Woapalanne is remembered in several ways:

• A wooden monument to Woapalanne stands at the entrance of Brandon Park in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. It was carved in 1990 by sculptor Peter Wolf Toth.
• Many places are named after him or his English name, Bald Eagle:
  • Bald Eagle's Nest (now Milesburg, Pennsylvania)
  • Bald Eagle Creeks:
    • Bald Eagle Creek (Little Juniata River), in Blair County, Pennsylvania
    • Bald Eagle Creek (West Branch Susquehanna River), in Centre County, Pennsylvania
  • Bald Eagle Mountain
  • Bald Eagle State Park, in Centre County, Pennsylvania
  • Bald Eagle Township, Clinton County, Pennsylvania
  • Bald Eagle Valley, in Centre and Clinton Counties, Pennsylvania
  • Nittany and Bald Eagle Railroad

See also

• Woapalanne Lodge