On a ride with Kathryn Grace, my granddaughter, she asked why I enjoyed history. I paused, then said, “History shows how we are all connected. That’s why I tell stories that happen all over the world, but all lead back to the Rochelle area.” She seemed slightly unimpressed, so I related the story of Chief Shabbona.

Shabbona was born into the Ottawa tribe in 1775. Where he was born is under question. Records were not kept and much of his early history is known only through word of mouth.

Was he born in Ohio, on the banks of the Maumee River, or on the banks of the Kankakee River in Illinois? We may never know for sure.

Some things we do know. His name, Shabbona, meant “Built like a bear” and he grew into a 5-foot, 9-inch 200-pound warrior. The title warrior is not simply a term applied to Shabbona because he was a male or Native American; he was a warrior because he fought for many years against white settlers. This was before President William Harrison declared Chief Shabbona was “the best Redman of the west.”

Shabbona began joining hunting parties at an early age. These hunts could cover hundreds of miles. It was on one of these hunting adventures, around 1800, that Shabbona met and married Pokanoka, the daughter of Chief Spotka.

Spotka was a chief of the Potawatomie tribe near Ottawa, Illinois. Shabbona lived with the Potawatomie people for a few years before moving with his family to Shabbona Grove in DeKalb County. Upon the death of Chief Spotka, Shabbona became chief of both the Ottawa Tribe and the Potawatomie Tribe.

The early 1800s saw the early days of white settlers moving into and across central Illinois. These days saw much conflict and violence. In 1810 the Shawnee Chief, Tecumseh, visited Chief Shabbona. Tecumseh convinced Shabbona to join the effort to resist the wave of settlers and drive the “white man” off native lands.

It was Chief Tecumseh that convinced Chief Shabbona to enter the War of 1812 on the side of the British. Tecumseh was killed at the “Battle of Thames” during the War of 1812 and Chief Shabbona was at his side. By the end of the War of 1812 Chief Shabbona had seen enough violence. He swore that he would never again fight the “white man.”

Chief Shabbona lived in peace with the white settlers at Shabbona Grove. Young Elizabeth Challand remembered seeing Chief Shabbona chatting with her father, Henry Challand. She would tell how the chief’s children would play with her and made a game of pulling her long braids.

Once she remembered being frightened when braves peered in the window one day. “They spied new bread on the table and pointed for some, whereon grandmother took out the batch of bread, placed it on a paper on the ground with a pat of butter on a cabbage leaf. Helping themselves to onions from the garden they had a feast, waving tomahawks as a thank you.”

Then I explained to my granddaughter that the Challands were her great-great-great-great-grandfather and aunt. Her family had been friends with Chief Shabbona.

The “Second Treaty of Prairie Du Chein” was signed in 1829 and Chief Shabbona was deeded 1,200 acres of land in Shabbona Grove. The future looked bright for the leader of the Ottawa and Potawatomie tribes; they now officially owned property. Shabbona worked with the settlers to learn better farming techniques and taught these new methods to members of his tribe. The tribe shared natural medical remedies with the settlers.

Not all Native Americans were happy. Blackhawk, Chief of the Sauk tribe, still wanted war with the settlers. In 1832 Chief Blackhawk called for a meeting of all tribes in the region and asked each to join in the fight against the “white man.” Chief Shabbona not only boycotted “Blackhawk’s War” but set out to warn the settlers of the impending danger.

At the age of 57, Chief Shabbona rode from Princeton, Illinois to Fort Dearborn (Chicago) warning that Blackhawk was coming. The ride lasted three days and saved many settlers. Once again Chief Shabbona was known as “the white man’s friend.”

This time the title was awarded by members of the warring tribes. To show their appreciation, in 1837, the federal government moved Chief Shabbona’s tribe to a reservation in Missouri next to the Sauk and Fox tribes. Over the next few years there were attempts on Shabbona’s life. His son, Pypeogee, and nephew Pyps were both killed as acts of revenge against Chief Shabbona.

The Potawatomi were next moved to rocky, infertile land in Kansas. Shabbona, Illinois was named in honor of the Chief in 1909, but by then Chief Shabbona’s 1,200 acres had been sold without his knowledge. He had gone to visit his tribe members in Kansas and while he was gone developers had the land declared “abandoned.”

When Chief Shabbona returned to his land he was cursed and run off by the new owner. He pointed to the heavens and said “No big white man, no damn Indian up there. All like, all like.”

He had lost his tribes and his land. Friends bought him a few acres of land and built him a house. But his final years were spent on the edge of poverty. He used the house for storage and slept in a teepee until he passed.

Chief Shabbona died July 17, 1859.

Upon his passing, he was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery near Morris, Illinois. His first wife and children were buried on his old lands of Shabbona Grove.

The land which had been sold in 1849 was returned to the Potawatomi tribe in 2024. Chief Shabbona can rest easy knowing that his people can once again enjoy lands which he helped secure for his tribe.

Tom McDermott is a Flagg Township Museum historian and Rochelle city councilman.