It was a time in history when news and rumors could travel no faster than a trotting horse, yet Americans were keenly aware of the progress being made in the west. By the time the Erie Canal was open for business, wagons were ready to roll. With babies and belongings in hand, these soon-to-be pioneers bid a forever sort of goodbye to their homes and their loved ones. If what they'd heard was true, good things awaited them in the newly rebranded Michigan Territory. Particularly desirable was the White Pigeon Prairie, known for its breath-taking beauty and its plentiful resources of fresh water, fertile soil, and wild game. This book outlines the development of a community and follows the lives of some of the most interesting families to pass through the area. Whether they stayed for three years or for thirty, they left footprints that should not be swept away. The prairie that became the village was a vital part of Michigan's history that is little remembered today. As much as I hope the reader is entertained, I also hope to bring a renewed enthusiasm for exploring and preserving history, wherever you may be.

A supplemental textbook for middle and high school students, Hoosiers and the American Story provides intimate views of individuals and places in Indiana set within themes from American history. During the frontier days when Americans battled with and exiled native peoples from the East, Indiana was on the leading edge of America’s westward expansion. As waves of immigrants swept across the Appalachians and eastern waterways, Indiana became established as both a crossroads and as a vital part of Middle America. Indiana’s stories illuminate the history of American agriculture, wars, industrialization, ethnic conflicts, technological improvements, political battles, transportation networks, economic shifts, social welfare initiatives, and more. In so doing, they elucidate large national issues so that students can relate personally to the ideas and events that comprise American history. At the same time, the stories shed light on what it means to be a Hoosier, today and in the past.

Contains a history of Braddock's Campaign in 1755 against Fort Duquesne.