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History of Jean Baptiste Point de Sable
Jean Baptiste Point de Sable was the founder of modern Chicago. His house was about where Tribune Tower is now, and he was living, farming and trading there by December, 1782. He was buried under this name in the cemetery of the Catholic church in St. Charles, Missouri, which he had attended since moving there in 1800 after selling his Chicago place to William Burnett All of the surviving documents give his name as Point de Sable or Point Sable; he was only misnamed Du Sable long after his death. He traded European goods to the native people for their furs around the southern end of Lake Michigan, and the recently discovered accounts of Burnett show that he was a major fur trader. In a five-year period there are dozens of entries for him, John Kinzie and Jean Lalime, whom Kinzie killed in June, 1812. He was probably born near Montreal.
His parents have not been identified, but he might have had a Haitian ancestor. His mother was a free woman, and he was born a free British subject, a requirement for entering the Indian trade under government licenses issued by the military authorities of Quebec.He probably entered the trade in 1768, and spent some time in the Cahokia area until he went to the area of present Michigan City about 1775. He probably took the surname Point de Sable, meaning Sand Point, from the huge dunes at the mouth of the Riviere du Chemin (Trail Creek) there. He was arrested at this post in August 1779 by British troops in the area to intercept a rumored attack on Detroit by George Rogers Clark. Goods belonging to him and his partner, Pierre Durand of Kaskaskia, were confiscated by these troops. In August 1780, after working at Mackinac for the British commander there, he moved to a sawmill near Detroit that produced timbers for the British fort. He must have become alienated from the British about this time, since his business had been destroyed by the acts of this army group, which confiscated a canoe, food and 82gallons of liquor. By 1796 he was a major trader and also helping the United States deal with the Indians in the area. He sold his Chicago property in 1800 for $1,000 cash which Burnett raised by mortgaging it.
He moved to Spanish Louisiana, attracted by cheap land. His wife, daughter and granddaughter had probably died by this time, as there is no record of them after 1799. His son was kille in 1813 while trading on the Missouri River. His old ties to the area around St. Louis are shown by the solemnization of his marriage to Catherine at Cahokia in 1788, the marriage of their daughter there in 1790, and the baptism of their granddaughter in St.Louis in 1799 Tragically, by 1813 this proud, honorable trader was impoverished and in debt,and he gave all his property to his young neighbor Eulalie Barada on her promise to care for him and his property until his death, and to have him buried in the parish cemetery of St. Charles Borromeo. His burial as Jean Baptiste Point de Sable was recorded on August 29, 1818, but his unmarked grave has not been found. He richly deserves to be honored as the founder (but not the first non-native settler) of Chicago. He must be remembered by his true name, Point de Sable and the real story of his life, traced in many obscure documents, should be published far and wide.
History of Jean Baptiste Point de SableJean Baptiste Point de Sable was the founder of modern Chicago. His house was about where Tribune Tower is now, and he was living, farming and trading there by December, 1782. He was buried under this name in the cemetery of the Catholic church in St. Charles, Missouri, which he had attended since moving there in 1800 after selling his Chicago place to William Burnett All of the surviving documents give his name as Point de Sable or Point Sable; he was only misnamed Du Sable long after his death. He traded European goods to the native people for their furs around the southern end of Lake Michigan, and the recently discovered accounts of Burnett show that he was a major fur trader. In a five-year period there are dozens of entries for him, John Kinzie and Jean Lalime, whom Kinzie killed in June, 1812. He was probably born near Montreal.
His parents have not been identified, but he might have had a Haitian ancestor. His mother was a free woman, and he was born a free British subject, a requirement for entering the Indian trade under government licenses issued by the military authorities of Quebec.He probably entered the trade in 1768, and spent some time in the Cahokia area until he went to the area of present Michigan City about 1775. He probably took the surname Point de Sable, meaning Sand Point, from the huge dunes at the mouth of the Riviere du Chemin (Trail Creek) there. He was arrested at this post in August 1779 by British troops in the area to intercept a rumored attack on Detroit by George Rogers Clark. Goods belonging to him and his partner, Pierre Durand of Kaskaskia, were confiscated by these troops. In August 1780, after working at Mackinac for the British commander there, he moved to a sawmill near Detroit that produced timbers for the British fort. He must have become alienated from the British about this time, since his business had been destroyed by the acts of this army group, which confiscated a canoe, food and 82gallons of liquor. By 1796 he was a major trader and also helping the United States deal with the Indians in the area. He sold his Chicago property in 1800 for $1,000 cash which Burnett raised by mortgaging it.
He moved to Spanish Louisiana, attracted by cheap land. His wife, daughter and granddaughter had probably died by this time, as there is no record of them after 1799. His son was kille in 1813 while trading on the Missouri River. His old ties to the area around St. Louis are shown by the solemnization of his marriage to Catherine at Cahokia in 1788, the marriage of their daughter there in 1790, and the baptism of their granddaughter in St.Louis in 1799 Tragically, by 1813 this proud, honorable trader was impoverished and in debt,and he gave all his property to his young neighbor Eulalie Barada on her promise to care for him and his property until his death, and to have him buried in the parish cemetery of St. Charles Borromeo. His burial as Jean Baptiste Point de Sable was recorded on August 29, 1818, but his unmarked grave has not been found. He richly deserves to be honored as the founder (but not the first non-native settler) of Chicago. He must be remembered by his true name, Point de Sable and the real story of his life, traced in many obscure documents, should be published far and wide.
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