Kankakee Township in Kankakee County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Last Camping Ground of the Potawatomie Indians

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 30, 2026

1. Last Camping Ground of the Potawatomie Indians Marker

Inscription. This marks the spot of the last camping ground of the Potawatomie Indians, 1853

Erected 1905 by Kankakee Woman's Club.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1853.

Location. 41° 7.156′ N, 87° 51.603′ W. Marker is in Kankakee, Illinois, in Kankakee County. It is in Kankakee Township. It is on Harrison Avenue (Illinois Route 50) south of Court Street, on the right when traveling south. The marker is on the grounds of the Kankakee County Courthouse, to the east of the building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 450 East Court Street, Kankakee IL 60901, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Central Illinois.

It is also in the American Midwest,

on the Great Lakes,

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Memorial Day Order (within shouting distance of this marker); Gettysburg Address (within shouting distance of this marker); Kankakee County Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Kankakee County Civil War Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Veterans Memorial Flag (within shouting distance of this marker); George Ryan (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Lennington Small (about 300 feet away); Samuel Shapiro (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Kankakee.

Regarding Last Camping Ground of the Potawatomie Indians.

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The Potawatomie (there are many alternate spellings, including Potawatomi and Pottawatomie) are believed to have originally settled in this area of Illinois in the early 1700s, generally making seasonal encampments over the next century or so. Throughout the first three decades of the 19th century, a series of treaties led to the gradual ceding of lands from the Potawatomie and other Native American tribes in the region to the U.S. government. In 1833, after U.S. troops successfully quelled Native American opposition in the Black Hawk War, the Treaty of Chicago led to the expulsion of Native Americans from Northern Illinois to lands west of the Mississippi River. As the treaty accelerated the white settlement, the Potawatomie began their exit west. Most had left by 1840.

It is not known what encampment is denoted by this stone, nor, for that matter, whether this was the original location of this marker. Kankakee's most prominent Indian village was about 10 northwest of here and is known as Shawanassee, after the chief who died there in 1834; his fellow tribespeople had left for the West by 1836. (The gravesite of "Chief Shaw" is marked by a large boulder inside Kankakee River State Park.) That said, what is now the City of Kankakee had limited white settlement until a train line was built here around 1853, the year referenced on the marker.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 30, 2026

2. Last Camping Ground of the Potawatomie Indians Marker

Potawatomie Indians Marker at the Kankakee County Courthouse image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, May 30, 2026

3. Potawatomie Indians Marker at the Kankakee County Courthouse

Credits. This page was last revised on June 4, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 3, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 9 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 3, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.