Frances A. Maconaquah "Little Bear Woman" Slocum

Read the story at the Frances Slocum State Park website:

Page 1:

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/news/resource/res2005/05-0524-francessl...

Page 2:

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/news/resource/res2005/05-0607-francessl...

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~scwhite/slocum/frances.html
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The Inscription on Frances Slocum's monument tells the story briefly:

SIDE 1: Frances Slocum. A child of English descent, was born in Warwick, Rhode Island, March 1773, was carried into captivity from her father's house at Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, November 2, 1778, by Delaware Indians soon after the Wyoming Massacre. Her brothers gave persistent search but did not find her until September 21, 1837.

SIDE 2: When inclined by a published letter describing an aged white woman in the Miami Indian village, her two brothers and a sister visited this place and identified her. She lived near here about 32 years with the Indian name "Ma-Con-A-Quah." She died on this ridge March 9, 1847, and was given a Christian burial.

SIDE 3: Frances Slocum became a stranger to her mother tongue. She became a stranger to her brethren and an alien to her mother's children, through her captivity. (See Psalms LXIX, 8) This monument was erected by Slocums and others who deemed it a pleasure to contribute, and was unveiled by them with public ceremonies May 17, 1900.

SIDE 4: She-Po-Con-Ah, A Miami Indian chief, husband of Francis Slocum (Ma-Con-A-Quah) died here in 1833 at an advanced age. Their adult children were: Ke-Ke-Nok-Esh-Wah, wife of Rev. Jean Baptiste Brouillett, died March 13, 1847, aged 47 years, leaving no children. O-Zah-Shin-Quah, or Jane, wife of Rev. Peter Bondy, died January 25, 1877, aged 62 years, leaving a husband and nine children."

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Isaac Tripp, Sr,, was killed by Indians after the Wyoming massacre, 16 December, 1778, while assisting his son-in-law, Jonathan Slocum, to feed stock from a stack in the field on the Slocum farm where now is the city of Wilkes-Barre. Slocum was also killed and a son William wounded. It would be interesting to many readers to find here an account of the capture of Isaac Tripp's granddaughter, Frances Slocum, by the Indians, and her long captivity and life as the wife of an Indian chief; but it would be too long for insertion in a family record of this character. It must suffice to say that when she was discovered by her brothers in 1837, she refused to leave her home with her children, near Peru, Indiana, and return to civilization. I must refer those who are interested in her history to the account found in Miner's History of Wyoming, Peck's History of Wyoming, and a more complete and later account in Maginnis' Life of Frances Slocum.

... there his daughter Frances was captured by the Indians 2 November, 1778, and carried into captivity. On the 16th of December, 1778, Jonathan Slocum and his father-in-law, Isaac Tripp, were killed by the Indians while they were feeding cattle from a stack in the meadow in sight of the fort. -=-=-=-=-=-=-==- Grandfather Isaac's massacre, and the capture of his granddaughter Frances Slocum by Deleware Indians, is the subject of Red Heart, by Alexander Thom, a wonderful historical novel of recent vintage.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Slocum

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Frances Slocum (Maconaquah, "The Little Bear") was an adopted member of the Miami tribe taken from her family home by the Lenape in Pennsylvania at the age of four and raised in what is now Indiana. Her burial site is a Miami Indian shrine near Peoria, Miami County, Indiana. Frances was part of a family of early Quaker settlers of the Wyoming and Lackawanna Valleys. Her parents, Jonathan Slocum and Ruth Tripp, settled from Portsmouth, Rhode Island. Frances had at least two brothers, Ebeneezer and Benjamin. The Slocum family remained in the settlement while many others had fled during the Battle of Wyoming of 1778.

Frances Slocum was taken captive by a group of Lenape on November 2, 1778 when she was just five years old. It is believed that she escaped captivity that first night but was soon recaptured and was held for the night under a rock ledge along Abraham Creek in what is now part of Frances Slocum State Park near Wyoming, Pennsylvania (named in her honor). Frances Slocum spent the rest of her life with the Native Americans.

Her brothers found her 59 years later living on an Indian Reservation near Peru, Indiana. Despite the pleadings of her brothers, Frances refused to leave her family. She had been married twice and was the mother of four children. Frances, now called "Maconaquah" (meaning "Young Bear"), lived for the rest of her life in Indiana. She died in 1847 when she was 74 years old.

Her name lives on in Indiana, where the Frances Slocum State Recreational Area and Lost Sister Trail in the Mississinewa Reservoir and State Forest are named in her memory. Her final resting place is marked with a monument along the banks of the Mississinewa River in Indiana. There is a high school named Maconaquah High School after her in Bunker Hill, Indiana. There is a Frances Slocum Elementary School in Marion, Indiana. There was a Frances Slocum Elementary School in Fort Wayne, Indiana named after her, closed about 1975. In addition, a Wabash, Indiana bank was named after her, although the bank is now known by another name. http://wapipedia.org/wikipedia/mobiletopic.php?s=Frances+Slocum ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Frances Slocum was the daughter of Jonathan and Ruth Tripp Slocum, a Quaker family. She was from Wilkes-Barre, Wyoming Valley, Luzerne Co., PA. when she was taken from her home by Delaware Indians at the age of five years old in 1778. They traded her to a childless Miami Indian couple for fur pelts.

She was given the Indian name 'Maconaquah' and raised in the Miami Indian culture. In 1790 Maconaquah married a young Delaware brave named Tuck Horse, but due to domestic abuse, she divorced him and moved back home with her parents. Before her father's death, she was given to Shepoconah for his wife.

He later became Chief of the Miami Indians in the Peru area. Maconaquah gave birth to two girls, Kekesequah and Osawshequah. She also had two boys who died at a young age. Maconaquah lived the rest of her life in this area. In Jan 1835 Col. George W. Ewing, a white man and visiting fur trader, happened upon her village and learned of her abduction as a child. Telling her story when he went back east her family was located and they went to visit her in May of 1838. They wanted her to return with them, but she refused, not wanting leave the people who had been her family for over 60 years.

Frances Slocum was a significant historical figure because of her life as a white woman living in an Indian culture and being accepted by them. A treaty made in 1840 with the United States Government stated that the Miami Indians had to leave their home along the Wabash River within five years. Frances's brothers helped her appeal to Congress asking to be exempted from the treaty so that she and her descendants be allowed to reside on the reservation in Indiana. A petition was drawn up and signed by 21 of her relatives on January 17, 1845. Frances was allowed to stay and not be subjected to what became known as the Trail of Tears that her fellow Miami Indians endured. She died of pneumonia two years after the petition. In memory of her life and the contributions she made, many things bear her name in the Indiana area. (researched and written by Laura J. Stewart) http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7457979

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Frances Slocum was the daughter of Jonathan and Ruth Tripp Slocum, a Quaker family. She was from Wilkes-Barre, Wyoming Valley, Luzerne Co., PA. when she was taken from her home by Delaware Indians at the age of five years old in 1778. She was given the Indian name 'Maconaquah' and raised in the Indian culture. In 1790 Maconaquah married a young Delaware brave named Little Turtle, (not to be confused with Little Turtle, Chief of the Miami's) but due to domestic abuse, she divorced him and moved back home with her foster parents. Please see: "Biography of Frances Slocum, the Lost Sister of Wyoming: A Complete Narrative of Her Captivity and Wanderings Among the Indians by John Franklin Meginness 1891". Proof on page 78: States that she was married to a Delaware Indian by name of Little Turtle & that he was NOT the great chief of that name. Before her father's death, she was given to Shepoconah for his wife. He later became Chief of the Miami Indians in the Peru area. Maconaquah gave birth to two girls, Kekesequah and Osawshequah. She also had two boys who died at a young age. Maconaquah lived the rest of her life in this area. In Jan 1835 Col. George W. Ewing, a white man and visiting fur trader, happened upon her village and learned of her abduction as a child. Telling her story when he went back east her family was located and they went to visit her in May of 1838. They wanted her to return with them, but she refused, not wanting leave the people who had been her family for over 60 years. Frances Slocum was a significant historical figure because of her life as a white woman living in an Indian culture and being accepted by them. A treaty made in 1840 with the United States Government stated that the Miami Indians had to leave their home along the Wabash River within five years. Frances's brothers helped her appeal to Congress asking to be exempted from the treaty so that she and her descendants be allowed to reside on the reservation in Indiana. A petition was drawn up and signed by 21 of her relatives on January 17, 1845. Frances was allowed to stay and not be subjected to what became known as the Trail of Tears that her fellow Miami Indians endured. She died of pneumonia two years after the petition. In memory of her life and the contributions she made, many things bear her name in the Indiana area.
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When she was grown to womanhood both her Indian parents died, and she soon afterward married a young chief of the nation Chief Ke-ke-se-quah " Cut Fnger", and removed to the Ohio country. *** Her husband died, and, her people having joined the Miamies, she went with them and married one of that tribe, Chief Me-she-kin-o-quah "Little Turtle". The last husband was dead, and she had been a widow many years* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Feb 16 2020, 1:01:59 UTC

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Feb 16 2020, 1:05:33 UTC

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• Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: Sep 16 2016, 16:47:19 UTC

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Frances' Miami Indian name was Maconaquah, which meant "Little Sister" or "Lost Sister".