Wapello (1787 – March 15, 1842) was a
Native American chief of the
Meskwaki
The Meskwaki (sometimes spelled Mesquaki), also known by the European exonyms Fox Indians or the Fox, are a Native American people. They have been closely linked to the Sauk people of the same language family. In the Meskwaki language, th ...
tribe.
Early life
Wapello was born in 1787 at
Prairie du Chien
Prairie du Chien () is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,506 at the 2020 census. Its ZIP Code is 53821.
Often referred to as Wisconsin's second oldest city, Prairie du Chien was esta ...
,
Northwest Territory. Short and stout in physical stature, with a kindly visage, Wapello entertained friendly relations with white settlers throughout his life. Under pressure to cede territory to the United States, he signed peace treaties with them at
Fort Armstrong
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
at Rock Island, Illinois, on September 3, 1822; at Prairie du Chien on July 15, 1830; at Fort Armstrong on September 21, 1832; at
Dubuque
Dubuque (, ) is the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. At the time of the 2020 census, the population of Dubuque was 59,667. The city lies at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a r ...
,
Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...
, on September 28, 1836; and at
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, on October 21, 1837. During the
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis (Fox), and Kickapoos, known as the " British Band", cros ...
, Wapello supported chief
Keokuk. In the 1840s, many Fox were forced west to Kansas.
Settling in Iowa
In 1829, he led his tribe to
Muscatine Slough on the west bank of the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...
and later settled in Iowa. The frontier town of
Wapello later developed near here. In 1837, he accompanied the renowned chief
Keokuk and United States Indian agent
General
A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...
Joseph M. Street on a tour of northeastern and mid-Atlantic states. During this trip, Wapello made an eloquent speech at
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
,
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
, wherein he expressed friendly sentiments towards white settlers and reaffirmed his desire to continue harmonious relations with them.
Death and legacy
While on a hunting trip near the Skunk River east of
Ottumwa, Iowa, Wapello died on March 15, 1842. He was later buried in accordance with his oft-expressed wish that he be laid to rest alongside his good friend General Street, at the site of the government agency in what is now a small park named
Chief Wapello's Memorial Park located southeast of
Agency, Iowa
Agency is a city in Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 620 at the 2020 census. It is the historic site of an Indian trading post and the grave of Chief Wapello.
History
An Indian agency was established here in 1838 and oper ...
.
*Chief Wapello's portrait was painted by
Charles Bird King
Charles Bird King (September 26, 1785 – March 18, 1862) was an American portrait artist, best known for his portrayals of significant Native American leaders and tribesmen. His style incorporated Dutch influences, which can be seen most promi ...
and a lithograph included with the chief's biography in
Thomas McKenney
Thomas Loraine McKenney (21 March 1785 – 19 February 1859) was a United States official who served as Superintendent of Indian Affairs from 1824–1830.
McKenny was born on March 21, 1785, in Hopewell, Maryland. He was the oldest of fi ...
and James Hall's ''
History of the Indian Tribes of North America
The ''History of the Indian Tribes of North America'' is a three-volume collection of Native American biographies and accompanying lithograph portraits, originally published in the United States from 1836 to 1844 by Thomas McKenney and James Hal ...
'' (1836–1844, three volumes).
*Chief Wapello is currently the official corporate identity of
Mid-Continent Airlines.
*In Iowa, the city of
Wapello and
Wapello County
Wapello County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 35,437. The county seat is Ottumwa. The county was formed on February 17, 1843, and named for Wapello, a Meskwaki chief.
Wapello County ...
are named for him. West of
Drakesville, in
Davis County Davis County is or was the name of the following counties in the United States:
*Davis County, Iowa, named in honor of Garrett Davis, a Congressman from Kentucky
*Davis County, Utah, named for Daniel C. Davis, captain in the Mormon Battalion
*Cass ...
, rests
Lake Wapello, the enclosing
Lake Wapello State Park, and the adjacent former
Boy Scout Camp Wapello.
*An annual event called Chief Wapello Days is held in Wapello, Iowa.
*In Illinois, the town of
Hanover
Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
, was once named for Wapello
and contains the
Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation's Wapello Land and Water Reserve.
*The
USS ''Wapello'' (YN-56), a
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
net tender
A net laying ship, also known as a net layer, net tender, gate ship or boom defence vessel was a type of naval auxiliary ship.
A net layer's primary function was to lay and maintain steel anti-torpedo or anti-submarine nets. Nets could be laid ...
in commission from 1941 to 1946, was named for him.
*A large, statue of Chief Wapello was installed in his honor atop the
Wapello County Courthouse in Ottumwa, Iowa since the building was constructed in 1894. The statue and its mounting base received severe damage during a thunderstorm in June 2012, causing it to fall. After repair, restoration, and upgrade of the base with stainless steel, the statue was returned to the rooftop on March 13, 2014.
See also
Mid-Continent Airlines
References
External links
* (Ship namesake paragraph)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wapello (Chief)
1787 births
1842 deaths
Native American leaders
Native Americans of the Black Hawk War
People from Wapello County, Iowa
People from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
People of the Northwest Territory
18th-century Native Americans