Kankakee Valley Historical Society, 1099 Baum's Bridge Road, Kouts, IN (2026)

05/29/2026

Most Native-Americans were relocated west of the Mississippi by 1840. However, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi avoided removal. I want to thank Dr. Mark Schurr for contributing to this column.
In Indiana, treaties between the Native-Americans and the U. S. government began with the Treaty of Greenville in 1795 and culminated with the Treaty of Chicago in 1833.The Indian Removal Act signed in 1830 authorized the federal government to negotiate treaties with the purpose of removing all Indians to lands west of the Mississippi.

Potawatomi Chief Leopold Pokagon came to the belief that if his tribe would convert to Catholicism it would be allowed to remain. In 1830 Leopold traveled to the Detroit Diocese and requested a "black robe" to be assigned to his tribe. Pokagon and his wife were then baptized by Vicar General Father Frederick Rese. In late 1830 Father Stephen Baden established the mission to serve Pokagon's tribe, afterwards the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi was officially recognized. Catholic Indians and those willing to convert joined Pokagon's tribe.

Pokagon's tribe had claim to around 1 million acres of land in Southeast Michigan, Northwest Indiana and the area in Illinois around present day Chicago. Pokagon was leveraged into selling all of his lands for a paltry 3 cents per acre— collecting the funds presented a problem.

With the initial annuity payments Pokagon purchased 874 acres in Cass County, Michigan. Father Badin then petitioned the government to amend the 1833 Chicago Treaty of Chicago to exempt Pokagon's his tribe from forced removal. In 1840 the Michigan Supreme Court decided that Pokagon's Catholic Potawatomi were protected from relocation. Leopold Pokagon's victory was short lived before his death in 1841. Pokagon’s successor—his son Simon— was required to secure his tribes rights and establish their new home in Michigan.

I believe Simon's mother's wisdom to have him educated in the ways of the white man in white schools is what gave Simon the foundation to deal with the roadblocks he faced completing his father's work. His first hurdle was to persuade the government to honor their payment obligations. He realized success eventually, but it was not until 1896 that the government finally made good on its debt—nearly 50 years after the sale! Although, Simon died in poverty his descendants, because of his efforts, was later to build the Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo, Michigan securing his tribe's financial security. In 1994 President Bill Clinton signed legislation affirming The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi sovereignty.

Pictured is Leopold Pokagon.

05/25/2026

Happy Memorial Day!

Today, wetlands are known for water purification, flood protection, shoreline stabilization, groundwater recharge, and streamflow maintenance. Wetlands also provide habitat for fish and wildlife, including many endangered species. However, in the past marshes were thought of by many as dark, dismal, disease ridden wastelands to be conquered and modified for man’s use. Benjamin Gifford took neither view, but simply saw the Kankakee Marsh as an economic opportunity.

Benjamin Joseph Gifford was born on April 5, 1840 to Freeman and Cornella Fielder Gifford in Little Rock, Illinois. Although born of humble beginnings Gifford was intelligent, ambitions and shrewd. Amazingly, at the early age of eleven Gifford negotiated the purchase of an 80 acre agricultural parcel. Because of the of 2 mile distance from home Gifford’s father overruled the purchase. While plowing a field the following year Gifford noticed the differing heights of corn at maturity and realized the impact of soil types on crop growth. This observation was to benefit him in later life ventures.

Within a month of the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter, Gifford volunteered in the 13th Illinois Infantry. Having been wounded at Vicksburg, Gifford ended his three year enlistment with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. Never the less after his return to Illinois, newly promoted Captain Gifford raised a company and continued to serve until the Confederate surrender.

After the war, Gifford continued in real estate investments. He applied the farming experience from his youth when purchasing swampland in Champaign County, Illinois. After draining the property Gifford sold it at great profit. His next investment was the purchase and draining of the Vermillion Swamps in Ford County, Illinois adding to his fortune after its sale.

In 1873 Gifford made his next career move when he organized the Havana, Rantoul and Eastern RR. This 75 mile line from LeRoy, Ill to West Lebanon, Ind was the beginning of Gifford’s railroad career. He sold this line to Jay Gould in 1880. Later Gifford became president of the Cleveland & Marietta Railroad. After its sale in 1882, seeing opportunity in the transportation of agricultural products from newly drained swampland in the Kankakee River Valley, he organized the Chicago & Wabash Valley Railroad— financing the line with his own personal money. Having been leveraged out by Jay Gould to selling his Havana, Rantoul and Eastern RR he would not make the mistake again of taking loans that could be bought by Gould.

In 1891 with his rail line in place he began purchasing swampland in the Kankakee River Valley. The Monon News stated: “His holdings embraced upwards of 33,000 acres in Lake and Jasper counties. With 75 miles of broad dredged ditches this country has been changed from feeding grounds for wild fowl to one of the choicest agricultural sections of Indiana. These lands are divided up into farms, having comfortable houses, good barns and rock wells, which today have become largely the property of thrifty parties, who realize what Mr. Gifford has done to help the man of little means.”

Gifford divided the land into 80 to 320 acre parcels. While drilling water wells for the farms he struck oil near his new town of Gifford, Ind. By 1900 the oil wells were producing 400 barrels per day.

Gifford’s railroad continued to grow and expand, transporting farm products from Gifford to Chicago long after his death in 1913. The Railroad was sold to the Monon RR in 1935.

05/22/2026

The Kankakee Marsh was justifiably reputed as a lawless land. Many an unsavory character plied his criminal trade along the Kankakee and justice was scarce. In response to this threat a group of men came together and formed the vigilantly group named the Jasper Rangers.

In 1852 John McIntyre and his family were scouting for suitable farm land to purchase. They left their camp and on their return found that their wagon and all of their possessions were gone. Later McIntyre wrote a paper titled "The Jasper Rangers." Many felt that McIntyre knew too much about the Rangers and was most likely a Ranger himself. At that time juries could be bought or intimidated into releasing captured criminals and the public needed to solve this lawlessness. The Rangers were made up of citizens from Porter, Jasper, Starke and LaPorte counties. They were a secretive group and actually lived near the scoundrels in the marshlands. Citizens from all walks of life made up the group. McIntyre wrote: "They supplied their own side arms and rifles. They shot from ambush or out in the open, from duck blinds, trappers' shanties, or from any place necessary to get their man." McIntyre wrote: "Courts in those days were sometimes corrupt. The Jasper Rangers soon dispensed with those agencies. All they needed to know was that "this was the man" and when sufficiently assured they coolly shot him, and buried him along the roadside."

One well-armed group of timber thieves from Momence mercilessly murdered anyone that interfered with their activities—including land owners. The gang would cut the trees below the waterline, so no stump was visible, and then raft it down river, selling it to a sawmill. An unnamed old river man told: "One day one of our neighbors on Lone Oak Island discovered a cross-cut saw, some wedges, an ax, and two peavies hidden under some brush beside the river." These were recognized as the tools of timber thieves. The Rangers set up a stake-out. Eventually the thieves returned. The Old Timer went on: "The watchers let them get going on a big oak tree — and three cracks from accurate rifles ended their career...Hyde's cemetery was on Lone Tree Island. So the vigilantes dragged the crooks over to the edge of Hyde's cemetery and dug a somewhat shallow grave and dumped all three in it. With them was buried that cache of lumbering tools."

Many of the criminals lived on secluded island up and down the river. On one well chosen night, when most of the villains were grouped together, the Rangers made simultaneous raids on many of the island hideouts. It turned into a mass ex*****on and an unknown number of criminals were buried on the spot. McIntyre wrote "There were a few arrests, but attorneys bewildered the witnesses so that some doubt existed as to his reliability and discharges were frequent." I'm sure many of the jury members were supportive of the Rangers' actions. Eventually peace and justice came to the Kankakee River and the Jasper Rangers disbanded.

Go here to read “Last of the Timber Thieves:” https://kankakeevalleyhistoricalsociety.org/?page_id=2572

05/15/2026

Major Samuel L. McFadin was a prolific writer of the Kankakee River. Much of the source material I have comes from his pen. One piece he wrote in 1883 was titled "The Duck Hunters." It is a short guide for hunting the Kankakee Marsh. He starts out: "To many the Kankakee is a place about which they have read of frequently and know as much as they do of the interior of China."

McFadin emphasizes the need for a Pusher. McFadin wrote: "This specimen of the human race considers himself just one grade higher than the trapper...The usual price for a Pusher is $1.50 per day, and he earns every cent of it...he is usually on the marsh at daylight and is not home until after dark. He is compelled to propel his boat all day long and at night clean the guns for his employer." A Pusher is hunting guide and his boat is designed to maneuver the Kankakee Marsh. McFadin describes the boat as 14 feet long and not over 22 inches wide and used a single long paddle. "Like the gondolier of Venice, he scorns the use of a pair of oars."

One very real danger of hunting the Kankakee marsh is getting lost. For those foolish novices this was a real threat. McFadin told the story of a stranger to the marsh who pushed his boat out of the marsh just as the sun was setting. He came upon an old time Kankakee Marsh hunter who asked him "Why are you leaving so early...the best shooting is between now and dark?" The stranger replied "Old man, do you take me for a fool? I don't know this marsh, and you bet your sweet life I just get right out onto the river before it gets dark." The old timer replied: "If I didn't know every inch of it by heart, I wouldn't stay in here a minute. The man who stays in the marsh overnight in this weather is a dead man."

Even the experienced McFadin told the story of getting lost. It was a cold November day in 1881. After wandering the marsh—cold and wet—he heard a distant shot. He fired off 8 rounds in hopes to be found. A trapper named Sherwood came along and took him back to his camp. Later McFadin told that he would have given Sherwood six years of his pay for his rescue if asked.

Another incident McFadin wrote about was the discovery a of the "body of a man. He was stuck in the mud up to his waist, and was lying face downward across his gun...He had $260 in his pockets, and nine mallard ducks were near him on a muskrat-house...He was evidently lost and had walked until he was exhausted."

To look at the Kankakee River today it is hard to picture what it looked like before the marsh was drained. McFadin describes it best. "Imagine thousands of acres of
marsh, composed of open water, grass, and muskrat-lodges. Each foot of the marsh is as like the next foot as two peas. Wo betide the man who lingers in that marsh till after dark, unless he knows it as he does the rooms of his house."

Many of you may wonder why the heck anyone would want to take up a sport that puts you in such potential danger? You will find the answer in the great outdoors on a crisp autumn morning in the woods.

05/08/2026

Like many young people Joseph Singler planned an adventure after graduation and before the demands of adulthood. He took this adventure to the mysterious Kankakee River and was eager to experience this fabulous land. Joseph was born in 1872 in Chicago, Illinois. In September of 1891 he and his chums: Charles Coventry, Charles Smith and Harry Van Horn boarded the Panhandle (Pennsylvania R. R.) at Washington Heights, Illinois for Kouts, Indiana. After arriving two hours later, the merry band engaged a team and set out for the Kankakee River.

"The country road was deep in sand and it was a tough haul for the two horses. Finally, about noon, we reached Baum’s Bridge and our first glimpse of the famous Kankakee, the river discovered and explored some centuries ago by the intrepid La Salle. The name of the gallant La Salle will be forever associated with the Kankakee," writes Singler in later life.

"As we reached the bridge we noticed Collier’s General Store on the east bank; we bought a few supplies here while we were camping out. Baum’s Bridge was an old wooden structure, erected before the Civil War, and which had replaced a ferry that was used by white travelers and Indian’s." Singler wrote in 1949. The Kankakee Valley Historical Society's historic Collier Lodge located at Baum's bridge was built in 1898. The exact location of the original Colliers Store is unknown, but it must had been close to where the later store is located.

They camped out on the west bank not far from the bridge for their one week stay. That first evening they listened to the sounds of laughter, strains of a fiddle, shuffling feet and calls for the various square dance figures at a dancehall near Baum's Bridge.

"Before starting out our exploration we met George Wilcox, who owned a farm near the river and who was custodian of Gen. Lew Wallace’s houseboat, and arranged with him for our daily supply of milk and bread. He informed us that Gen. Wallace spent all his summer vacations on the river, traveling up and down in his houseboat and devoting a good deal of his time to his writings. Almost all of “Ben Hur” was written on these river trips. In later years I had the pleasure and the privilege of meeting Gen. Wallace a number of times and he informed me he was very fond of the wild, picturesque Kankakee and spent all of his spare time here. I was told he started visiting the river in the seventies." wrote Singler.

During their adventure of 1891 they came to know the trappers of the Kankakee River. "These trappers, “river rats” made a good living trapping muskrats and beaver. They were picturesque figures, standing in their narrow pushboats, which they propelled with long push poles or paddles. I can’t recall of any of them using oars. Their devoted dogs generally trained retrievers, often occupied the bows of the little boars. They live in crude shacks in the river woods or on the edges of a swamp."

Every year after that, for quite a few years, Singler made the trip to Baum's Bridge and the historic Collier Lodge.

Joseph Singler passed away at Los Angles, California on June 7, 1960.
Pictured left-right: Joseph Singler, Harry Van Horn, Charles Smith, Jim Collier

05/01/2026

In my last posting I told you the story of the first steamboats on the Kankakee built by Del Kellogg and Sol Gordon. In this column I will tell you the tale of the rest of the life of the mighty steam engine that drove the second steamboat.

Adelbert "Del" Kellogg was born in 1856 in Valparaiso. He was the son of Denis and Lucelia (Norton) Kellogg. He operated the Kellogg Foundry in Valparaiso until the foundry was sold to McGill Manufacturing in 1905. The foundry built machinery for mowing machines, saw mills and the engine for the steamboat Kellogg and Gordon ran from Baum's Bridge to Momence.

After the steamboat was broken up, around 1880, it was sold to the Vidette newspaper in Valparaiso and used to run its press. In a few years a more powerful motor was installed and the former steamboat engine was sold to Lew Mandeville to power a tour boat on Flint lake. Later it was then sold to Aaron Lytle to run a sawmill located on Franklin Street in Valparaiso. Then it traveled to Chesterton where it powered the Chesterton Tribune press. And finally it went to Arkansas to run water pumps. I believe that is where the engine lived out the rest of its life. Now comes the remarkable and hilarious part of this story.

By 1883 Thomas Edison had invented the electric light and dynamo to produce the electricity. Only a few cities had power plants at the time. Valparaiso citizen George Conover wanted Valparaiso to be one.

Much of the rest of this story comes from a 1934 Siftings column in the Vidette-Messenger. Conover approached Charley Talcott of the Vidette for permission to hook up his dynamo to the former Kankakee River steamboat engine for a demonstration of the "new fangled light." The engine is described as an eight horsepower upright boiler and "it was considered dangerous to carry more than 60 pounds of steam." A wire had been strung from the Vidette office to the site of the demonstration at the corner of Washington and Lincolnway in downtown Valparaiso.

Finally the night of the exhibition came! A. J. Bowser later wrote: "Steam was raised to 60 pounds, the dynamo started––not a flicker. 100 pounds––nothing doing. Talcott called for kerosene barrel staves. In those days the grocers bought their kerosene in barrels, and the staves made a very hot fire. The gauge showed 120 pounds. The smokestack turned red, then white––140 pounds. Still nothing doing. The engine was dancing on its block. And still no light. As a last resort Taclott removed the governors and for probably a few seconds, but what seemed hours to us, the light showed. How we all escaped being blown to kingdom come that night, I do not know. The spectators ridiculed the contraption and vowed they would stick to their kerosene lamps yet awhile. But Conover was not licked. The next night he got Albert Zimmerman to put his 20 horsepower threshing steam engine in the Keene alley, and we got plenty of light."

So ends the story of the little former Kankakee River steamboat engine that could!

04/24/2026

Most early Kankakee River settlers trapped, hunted, farmed and logged. All of these activities required a means to get their product to market. The river met most of those needs. The problem was that the Kankakee was a rather slow and cantankerous waterway. Steamboats solved this predicament.

It is reported that the fist steamboat to ply the Kankakee was in around 1874. A sawmill in Willvale, LaPorte County had a contract to supply railroad ties for the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad. Getting the logs to the sawmill was not a problem, but transporting the ties to the railroad station in Davies, Indiana was difficult. Sol Gordon of Hebron came up with a solution. He built a flatboat and Del Kellogg of Valparaiso installed a paddlewheel steam engine to propel the boat. It worked and the ties were delivered but not without issues. A better vessel was needed to provide a more reliable means to move timber.

A few years later Kellogg and Gordon constructed an improved steamboat. They planned to transport cordwood— which had little value in the vicinity of their headquarters located at Baum's Bridge— to Momence where there was a market for the cordwood. At that time wood was the primary fuel for most steam engines used along the Kankakee River. Years later, coal would become the main fuel for steam engines. Momence was a center for sawmills and other steam-driven industries. Gordon built a 35 by 9 foot boat. Del Kellogg and his father Denis supplied and installed the engine, boiler and other necessary fittings to power the boat. The Kelloggs’ owned a iron foundry on W. Indiana Avenue in Valparaiso.

Gordon built two additional barges to carry the wood. Jerry Sherwood and Frank Ritt of Hebron cut the trees down and floated the logs to the dock where they were loaded on the barges. Sherwood with his vast knowledge of the river from trapping and hunting it was hired as the pilot. The maiden voyage consisted of a shipment of 75 cords of wood. The plan needed some tweaking—towing the barges was not working. The men cut poles and pushed the barges instead. A day and a half later they delivered the first load to Momence.

For much of the year the Kankakee River was too shallow to use as a dependable transportation means. Additionally, in order to get the logs to the barges the marshes needed to be high enough to float the timber to the loading dock. Being enterprising men, Kellogg, Gordon and Sherwood hired out their steamboat to hunters during the low-water season.

The business was very successful until the Monon Railroad built a low bridge across the Kankakee near Shelby which severely restricted river traffic.

The Kankakee was often felt to be an unreliable transportation system. The initial reason given to drain and channelize the marsh was for improved transportation. Kellogg proved that it could be profitability used as was!

In a future posting I will tell you the very interesting story of what happened to the steam engine after the steamboat was broken-up.

04/17/2026

The Childers family was one of the earliest families to settle the Kankakee Marsh in Lake County, Indiana. Thomas Childers was born in 1810 in Miami County, Ohio. In 1831 Thomas married Sarah Hopkins — they had six children that are known of. In 1834 Thomas and Sarah made the trek to Lake County, Ind. Thomas’s brother Joseph either traveled with them or followed soon after. Presumably they traveled the trail that followed Ridge Road in northern Lake County. It is believed that Sarah was pregnant with her second child during the journey to Indiana, but lost it soon after arriving in Lake County.

Thomas and Sarah originally settled in Cedar Creek; however Native American presence caused them to move further south. In October 1834, they built their cabin on a site about two miles north of the present day Town of Schneider. The area was first known as School Grove, later changed to Oak Grove. Solon Robinson, founder of Crown Point, arrived in Lake County on the last day of October of 1834,—soon after the Childers. Thomas became involved with the growing community of south Lake County. He was a member of the Squatters Union, Overseers of the Poor and later Road Commissioner in Porter County. Diseases were quite common at that time and struck down even the hardiest pioneers. Thomas died of scarlet fever in 1843 or 1844 at the age of 33.

Thomas's youngest sons, George W. and John, served in the Civil War. George later became a successful farmer in Porter County and was active in the G. A. R. John, Thomas's youngest son, became ill shortly after joining the 73rd Indiana. He succumbed to measles just outside of Nashville, Tenn.

George W. Childers was born in 1838. In 1850, records show him living in Porter County along with his mother and siblings. In 1857 George married Tryphena Ferguson. After returning from his service in the Civil War he and Tryphena settled on a 10 acre parcel one mile east of Baum’s Bridge. George and Tryphena had five children — three lived to adulthood. George passed away in 1920, three years after Tryphena’s passing.

George and Tryphena’s youngest son was William “Porter” Childers — born in 1860. Porter treasured the Kankakee River; his poems of the Kankakee earned him the name of “Poet of the Kankakee”. He spoke eloquently of the Kankakee drawing on his love of the river and gift of expression. In 1934 Porter was interviewed for the Vidette – Messenger.

Most of his life Porter knew the Kankakee before it was channelized. Sorrowfully, Porter told of the loss of “the old river when it was converted into a dirty ditch, which ended it for all time to come. I remember when nature had her own wild way, you didn’t have to have a rule cut on your fishing rod to measure the fish you caught; there was never any to throw back. But there's not much fishing now because, for one thing, the water's too swift.” William Porter passed in 1936. His poetry remains as a testament to the beauty of the Kankakee. Many Thomas and Joseph Childers family decedents remain in the area to this date.

Porter is seated on the far left in this posting image. Go here to read “The Old Kankakee” by Porter Childers: https://kankakeevalleyhistoricalsociety.org/?page_id=2928

04/10/2026

Kouts is in Pleasant Township, Porter County, Indiana. Pleasant Township is the largest of Porter County’s townships. So, how did Kouts come about?

France was the first European nation to claim present day Indiana. After France's defeat in the French and Indian War (1754-1763) England took possession of the area that would later become Porter County. After the end of the Revolutionary War the United States took possession, but not complete control of the area. This dispute was finally put to rest by England's defeat in the War of 1812. Indiana became America's 19th state on December 11, 1816.
Originally, Porter County was part of LaPorte County. In 1836 Porter County was split off from LaPorte. In 1837 Lake County was peeled off from Porter. Pleasant Township was formed by the general division of the county on April 12, 1836. Kouts is in Pleasant Township, as is Baum's bridge. There were some corrections to the boundary lines, but the Kankakee River was always the southern border.

Many area towns were founded as a result of railroad survey crew work. The crews would stay at homes along the proposed route and move their headquarters in 8 to 10-mile leaps. In 1865 the crew stopped at the Trinkle home, where Baum's Bridge Rd and SR 8 now intersect, and asked if the Trinkles would put them up. Mrs. Trinkle was occupied making apple butter, but suggested that they try the Kouts home a little further down the road. Sarah Kouts accepted and when the crew was finished, they marked the spot Kouts Station.

Barnhardt Kouts (originally spelled Koutz) was born in Arendtsville, Pennsylvania in 1796. In 1822 Barnhardt married Salome (Sarah) Berrier. The Kouts family moved to Pleasant Township, Porter County in around 1843. In 1845 Barnhardt passed leaving Salome widowed, with a farm in central Pleasant Township and a house filled with growing children.

Barnhardt (Barney) Jr. was born in 1835 and was the 9th or 13 children born to Barnhardt and Salome. In 1876 Barney married Henrietta Josephine Wright. Barney partnered with his brother-in-law, Hilary Wright, to form a dry goods business. Their business was the first in Kouts and was very successful.

Hilary Wright, born in 1840 to John and Elizabeth Shuey Wright, is another prominent figure in the history of Kouts. The Wright family moved to Porter County in 1838. John was elected county Sheriff the following year. He later practiced law in Tassinong, just north of Kouts, until his death in 1867. Hilary served in the Union army, upon his return, in 1864, he married Susan Maxwell. The following year he became the first postmaster of Kouts. The Kouts and Wright Dry Goods store was sold in 1880. Hilary went on to sell farm equipment and continued to operate his 200-acre farm.

So is the story of the birth of Kouts and its founding families.

Salome (Sarah) Berrier Kouts and the Kouts Main Street circa 1895 is pictured

04/03/2026

One very important aspect of historical research is taking down the memories of "old timers." I am always searching for family stories, general information and pictures of the old Kankakee River. Apparently, this is nothing new because in the course of researching old newspapers I found that on September 6, 1934 a group from
Valparaiso held a gathering of old river veterans for the purpose of taking down their stories before they pass on. The gathering was organized by editor of the Vidette-Messenger Englebert Zimmerman, reporter A J Bowser and former Valparaiso Mayor Perry Sission and was held at the Jesse Smith pavilion at Baum’s Bridge. The pavilion was where Baum's Bridge Inn is now located. 700 people attended the event!

Zimmerman described the scene as "a unique gathering on the banks of the old river bed, with boughs and greenery against the walls surrounding the spacious dance floor that gave a rustic touch that struck a pioneer note." It was such a success that "automobiles packed every nook in cranny of the parking space of the Smith resort....Every section of the county was represented at the party. Politicians, county and city officials, farm bureau leaders, businessmen and others made up the throng." I cannot imagine how 700 people squeezed in at Baum's Bridge.
Bowser "informed the audience that the purpose of the meeting was to gather unrecorded data and living memories of the Kankakee River as it was and is for future generations." A large portion of my Baum's Bridge research material is the direct result of this gathering and much of my future River Bits columns will be derived from material taken down at this event. Thank you, gentlemen!

This must have been an amazing event! Along with the storytelling there was other entertainment. The "party was opened with the singing of America, with music provided by August Bucci’s River Tooters Band of Valparaiso" and then Mrs. William Morehouse "read a poem on the Kankakee written by Porter Childers....Dancing was later enjoyed to music furnished by the Kouts Orchestra." News to me that Kouts had an orchestra in 1934!

Of course, the main event was stories of the old Kankakee River. John G. Benkie, Kouts druggist, told some old-time fishing and hunting stories that had the crowd agog and that the killing of 4 ducks or geese with one shot was only a minor happening. The Benkie story will be one of my future posts. He immigrated from Germany and in the 1890's built up his drug store business in Kouts. It was in the same building that the Koffee Kup restaurant is now located. Benkie owned the Collier Lodge site in 1900 and all of the bayou property south of the lodge. It is my belief that Benkie was working to develop a community on the bayou land at Baum's Bridge.

Many of the speakers talked of river islands and marshes that are long gone because of the ditching of the Kankakee in 1918. A "1900 Kankakee River" map and "Kankakee Marsh Historic Place Names" doc can be found at our KVHS website: https://kankakeevalleyhistoricalsociety.org/.

Kankakee Valley Historical Society

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