The Indians of the Vermilion River

Noam Roth
University High School, Urbana

Imagine a populous village occupied by a tribe of Indians living contentedly. They are strategically located in a forest with an abundance of wild animals, on the banks of a beautiful river with plenty of fish and mussels to eat. Many different tribes of Indians lived throughout the years along the Vermilion River in what is now Vermilion County. Why did they come? And how did they live?

The first people to settle Vermilion County were what archaeologists identify as Paleo-Indians. They traveled from Asia across the Bering Strait down to the area we now call the Midwest. There were many ponds, rivers, and lakes as a result of the melting ice in the era after the last glaciers. It was a good area for settlement because of the trees, the water, the cool moist climate, and the mammoth herds. These Indians were hunters, mammoth meat being their main staple. The distinctive artifact found from this period is the stone spear point, used for hunting. Mastodon (mammoth) teeth have also been found near areas in which the Indians were thought to have wandered. These were nomadic peoples, following the herds.

Later, about 250 A.D., a more advanced civilization began to flourish. Long-term villages were established along rivers and lakes, and these were very successful. Four different tribes settled here: the Kickapoo, the Piankeshaw, the Potowatomie, and the Vermilion Salines. The tribes used flood-plain resources, and had burial mounds on the many bluffs, Archaeologically, this area is known for finely crafted stone blades, elaborately decorated pottery, figurines, and ornaments. Hoes were used for gardening, as much of the food was garden-grown as opposed to farmed in a field. These tribes had a rich variety of foods. They used the river to fish and harvest waterfowl, hunted deer, and besides their garden, they cultivated squash, gourds, nuts, and weedy plants.

Their sophistication is evident in their housing and religious structures, and the ranking of privilege and wealth is displayed through dress, responsibility, and burial. The summerhouses were large square buildings with four poles and animal skin roofing. Most of the year was spent in these houses, but in the harsh winters, people built individual houses for more heat. The tribes built religious structures for the priests and for congregations at religious times. These were just a bit bigger than the summerhouses, with a ceremonial fire in the center. An entire tribe could assemble there for religious ceremonies or important tribe meetings.

Depending on one's wealth, clothing would be more intricately decorated with beads and fine-woven cloths made of cotton or wool. Beads of the Vermilion River Indians were the small stem sections of fossilized sea animals called crinoids. The colors of these fossils range from white to a very dark brown, and can easily be mistaken for pebbles.

Among the Indian tribes who settled along the Vermilion River were the Potowatomie, depicted here at a tribal council.

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The settlers called them Indian beads, and these can still be found today in many places around this area of Illinois.

Burial and responsibility in the tribes were also two very important things. The chief bore much responsibility to take care of the tribe and organize village life. Everyone respected him as a leader. His burial would be very honorable, fancy, and something for everyone to remember.

One significant geologic feature of this area was the salt springs. The Vermilion Saline tribe lived at this site just west of Danville, between Stony Creek (where an ax head was found) and the Salt Fork of the Vermilion River. From 1800 to 1818, the salt springs were only known to the Indians and the early French fur traders. But by 1819 the American settlers came. There was great demand for the salt, and as many as eight huge iron kettles stood over the fire at a time, filled with salty water to evaporate and yield salt. Two of these kettles remain, and one can be seen at the Vermilion County Museum.

When the Americans came, the culture of many tribes changed and added Euro-American customs. Many decorations and tools were adapted from the settlers, such as cigars, tools, and cooking implements. For special occasions, the Indians also wore American clothing, and a lot of their traditional clothing was made from European cloths brought by the settlers to trade for goods.

The Vermilion River and the whole of Vermilion County has had a long past. From the Paleo-Indians to the later American settlers, this land has always been cherished for the water, the rich wildlife, and the salt. It is only sad that the almost complete assimilation of a great culture, the Indians, was carried out over this land, because of its resources.— [From John Henry, Vermilion County Pre-history; Helen Cox Tregillis, The Indians of Illinois; Vermilion County Museum Exhibits, Danville, Illinois.]

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