Person:Simon Pokagon (1)

APA Citation
Buechner, C. Bain. (1933). The Pokagons. Indianapolis: The Society.
MLA Citation
Buechner, Cecilia Bain. The Pokagons. Indianapolis: The Society, 1933.
https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001655535/Home

Chief Simon Pokagon
Birth: 1830 Bertrand, Berrien County, Michigan, USA
Death: 26 Jan 1899 (aged 68–69) Lee, Allegan County, Michigan, USA
Burial: Rush Lake Indian Cemetery, Hartford, Van Buren County, Michigan, USA
Memorial #: 14687929
Bio: Potawatomi Indian Chief.
Simon Pokagon, son of Leopold, was born in an old Potawatomi village. When Simon was eleven years old, his father died and area settlers took the task of educating him. He eventually attended four years at Notre Dame, one year at Oberlin, and two years at Twinsburg College in Ohio.

During his college career, Simon met and married a Potawatomi Indian girl name Lonidaw. They built a wigwam home of bark and poles in a stately wood near a crystal lake somewhere in Northern Indiana.

He and his wife, Princess Lodinaw-Angeline Pokagon had four children. A pauper at the time of his death, he was 69 years old. Chief Pokagon (son of Chief Leopold Pokagon) of the Pottawatomie tribe in the late 1800's lived in slab
shanties around 60th and 109th Avenue, near Pullman, Lee township Allegan County Michigan.

In the later part of the nineteenth century there arose in the Potawatomi Nation a literary genius named Simon Pokagon. He was the Chief of the Potawatomis of southwestern Michigan. During his lifetime he became known as the best-educated full-blooded Indian in North America and was called "the Redskin Bard," "the Longfellow of his Race."
He visited President Lincoln on two occasions and smoked a pipe-of-peace with President Grant. Pokagon wrote one book, "Queen of the Woods," a story of his early courtship with Lodinaw, his wife. This book, published originally on birchbark, is full of native imagery and love of nature in the forest woodlands of Michigan. Pokagon used nature itself to express ideas and abstract thought. The underlying theme was a plea to rid mankind, white and red, of the menace of "firewater."

In addition to "The Red Man's Greeting", Chief Simon Pokagon wrote several other birchbark booklets entitled "Algonquin Legends of South Haven", "Lord's Prayer in Algonquin", "Potawatomi Book of Genesis", and "Algonquin Legends of Paw Paw Lake".

A marker in the old Indian burial ground at Rush Lake Cemetery, in Van Buren County, marks the spot where Angeline Pokagon, wife of Chief Simon Pokagon sleeps the last long sleep. Between the monument and tree is the grave of Chief Simon Pokagon, but no marker attests the fact that here lies one of the great Potawatomi chieftains.
Family Members
Parents
Leopold Pokagon 1775-1841
Elizabeth Topinabee Pokagon
Spouse
Princess Lonidaw Pokagon 1836-1871
Children
Mary Jane Pokagon 1855-1858
Charles Pokagon 1864-1909
Created by: Graven (46783487)
Added: 23 Jun 2006
URL: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14687929/simon-pokagon
Citation: Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 02 February 2021), memorial page for Chief Simon Pokagon (1830–26 Jan 1899), Find a Grave Memorial no. 14687929, citing Rush Lake Indian Cemetery, Hartford, Van Buren County, Michigan, USA ; Maintained by Graven (contributor 46783487) .

Herald-Press (Saint Joseph, Michigan)31 Dec 1936, ThuPage 86

Michigan, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1822-1940No Image
Text-only collection
Name: Leopold Pokagon
Gender: Male
Spouse: Elizabeth Pokagon
Child: Simon Pokagon
Film Number: 002240531
Source Information
Ancestry.com. Michigan, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1822-1940 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.

Original data: Marriage Records. Michigan Marriages. Various Michigan County marriage collections.

Michigan, U.S., Death Records, 1867-1952
Purchase Certificate
Name: Selopole Pokagon
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Mich
Child: Simon Pokagon
Source Citation
Michigan Department of Community Health, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics; Lansing, Michigan; Death Records

Source Information
Ancestry.com. Michigan, U.S., Death Records, 1867-1952 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.

1870 United States Federal Census

View1870 United States Federal Census
Name: Simon Pakagon
Age in 1870: 40
Birth Year: abt 1830
Birthplace: Michigan
Dwelling Number: 136
Home in 1870: Hartford, Van Buren, Michigan
Race: White
Gender: Male
Post Office: South Haven
Occupation: Farm Laborer
Male Citizen Over 21: Y
Personal Estate Value: 250
Inferred Spouse:
Angeline Pakagon
Inferred Children:
William Pakagon
Simon Pakagon
Sarah Pakagon
Charles Pakagon
Joseph Pakagon
Household Members Age
Simon Pakagon 40
Angeline Pakagon
32
William Pakagon
13
Simon Pakagon
10
Sarah Pakagon
8
Charles Pakagon
2
Joseph Pakagon
5/12
Source Citation
Year: 1870; Census Place: Hartford, Van Buren, Michigan; Roll: M593_706; Page: 389B; Family History Library Film: 552205

Source Information
Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.

1860 United States Federal Census

View1860 United States Federal Census
Name: Simon Pokagon
Age: 31
Birth Year: abt 1829
Gender: Male
Race: Indian (Native American)
Birth Place: Michigan
Home in 1860: Silver Creek, Cass, Michigan
Post Office: Dowagiac
Dwelling Number: 673
Family Number: 690
Occupation: Farm *
Real Estate Value: 400
Personal Estate Value: 200
Cannot Read, Write: Y
Household Members Age
Simon Pokagon 31
Angeline Pokagon
23
William Pokagon
4
Tenaga Pokagon
1
Mary Otsckygan
61