Historical Parks |
Fort Ouiatenon Historical Park Tippecanoe County Indiana |
Fort Ouiatenon 1717 - 1791 Tippecanoe County Historical Association Tippecanoe County Parks and Recreation Department |
Fort Ouiatenon First post in Indiana area built nearby in 1717 by French Canada to counter British expansion in valleys of Wabash and Ohio Rivers. Served as trade and communication post. French Surrendered fort to British in 1761 during the French and Indian War. Fort was occupied by Native Americans after 1763 and destroyed by American soldiers in 1791. |
Post Ouiatenom Site French and Indian Trade was significant in this area prior to 1700. To protect it Post Ouiatenon was established. One mile west. |
Every year in early October reenactors come from all over
America and Canada to Fort Ouiatenon to recreate early fronter life in Indiana,
in an event called The Feast of the Hunters Moon. Demonstrators include Indians,
French trappers, traders, Fife and Drum Corps and just plain every day people
living life on a day to day basis. The recreators dress in period costume,
cook as the people then did and show how our ancestors lived. Crafters demonstrate
music, weaving, wood carving, spinning, cooking, candle making and there is
of course always a blacksmith with his anvil working the iron into tools for everyones
use. These pictures are of an event called "The Mini Feast" a smaller version of the actual Feast, which was held in August and my family and I were lucky enough to be able to attend. We stepped back into time as we watched trappers and traders doing business and people living life in the 1700's. My little ones had fun dressing up in hats and dresses that represented the early style of dress, my older daughter decided that she really likes jeans and t-shirts :) We met some really wonderful people, one nice lady even offered to share her stew with us that she had been cooking over an open fire most of the day. There were hands on crafts, like candle making that we all had fun trying, and in case anyone ever wonders, it takes a long, long time to make a decent sized candle! We saw a gentleman carving bowls and dishes from wood, people weaving seats for chairs, making hooks for fishing, spinning and carding wool and well as children showing off games and toys from the 1700s. We ate a lot of Fry Bread and sat around camp fires listening to the musicians singing old songs and playing dulcimers, they even let us try and play a song or two. Even if you don't have the chance to go to "The Feast", the Fort grounds are beautiful with fields of green grass and huge trees and since it's situated next to the Wabash river, you can usually go down to the riverbank and watch people canoeing up and down the river. |
Fife and Drum Corps |
Trappers |
The Feathered Hook |
Making Fish Hooks |
High Society |
French Soldiers |
Blacksmith |
Local Lady |
Rush Weaving |
More Rush Weaving |
Wood Carving |
Le Garden des Herbes The herb garden was an essential part of 18th century life. The plants were traditionally used in cooking, in medicinal ways and for coloring and dyeing other materials. |
Candle Making |
The Piper |
Spinning wool |
The Cooks |
The Seamstress's |
Fun and Games |
Playing the Dulcimers |
Quiatenon Across the Wabash extending fully six miles to the southwest lies the Great Wea (Ouia) Plan, ancient home of the Indians who were related to the Miamis. Inhabiting the region since the 17th century, the fertile plain they cultivated abounded in buffalo and othe wild game. Beloved for its temperate climate and rich provision for food, it was described by one of their chiefs in 1795 as the "sepulchre of our ancestors". |
The Wabash River |
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ |