Chief Pau-koo-Shuck  

The above is a painting done by George Winter of Pau-koo-shuck; which he labeled " Old Aub-bee-new-bee's Son'. NOTE from Shirley Willard: In the first George Winter book of 1948, it had “A Miami Indian.” Then a Potawatomi researcher was looking at the original paintings and saw that it had a cardboard border. He lifted the border and saw below the cardboard, the words Winter himself had written: Old Aub-bee-new-bee’s Son

The son, whose name was Pau-koo-shuck, succeed his father as chief of the tribe, and the same year disposed of the lands belonging to the reservation by treaty to the government, and with his band in September, 1838, started for the reservation west of the Missouri River according to the account of one who accompanied the Indians on that expedition. Pau-koo-shuck, when near the Missouri river, refused to go any further and finally escaped and returned to the old hunting grounds. He spent the remainder of his days, which were few, hunting and fishing along the rivers and lakes in the neighborhood where he had formerly lived.

His life, however, had been proven failure; his kindred and friends had been dragged from him, and he grew restless and discontented, drank whiskey to excess and went from place to place, getting into frequent quarrels and fights. In one of these disturbances which occurred at or near Winamac, he was so badly hurt that disease set in and he died. The writer of this was informed by one who said he was one of the pallbearers, that the body of Pau-koo-shuck was carried from Winamac and buried on Long Point on the west bank of Maxinkuckee Lake. Whether this story is true or not in not of much consequences. Human bones were found many years ago, and many of the early settlers had implicit confidence that Pau-koo-shuck was buried there as stated

Many who were about the lake in the early days believed that his ghost came forth on almost every favorable night and skipped about on the water, and floated around among the trees and bushes that grew on Long Point where he had been buried, like a thing of life, "cutting such fantastic tricks before high heaven as make the angels weep".

Sometimes he would be seen in his canoe, apparently paddling with all his might for the south east shore where his father, Au-be-nau-be had formerly owned a reservation, and while the spectator was gazing the ghost would instantly disappear in the rippling waves and would be lost to sight. Turning to shore again, he would be observed floating about as if in search of something, and then all at once would disappear and would not be seen again for several nights

With the coming of civilization his ghostship has permanently disappeared, and the places that knew him so well in the primitive days will know him no more forever

An Early History of Lake Maxinkuckee (1905, Levey Bros. & Co. Indianapolis) Daniel Mc Donald, Maxinkuckee Lake Assoc. pg. 17

PAU-KOO-SHUCK-A GHOST STORY A friend of the writer, who then lived in the vicinity of Au-be-nau-be village, south of Maxinkuckee lake, knew most of the Indians well and spoke the Pottawattomie language fluently, said that he was familiar with the facts in relation to the tragic end of Aubenaube, and was also, at the burial of his son at Long point, on the west side of Maxinkuckee lake, not a very long time afterwards. The name of this son was Pau-koo-shuck.

After having killed his father, being the oldest son he inherited his father's estate, some thirty-two sections of land, and became the chief of the band of Pottawattomies over which his father had for many years presided.

Pau-koo-shuck entered into a treaty with the government in April, 1836, by which all the lands in Au-be-nau-be's reservation was transferred to the government, and he and his band agreed to go to the lands reserved for the Pottawattomies west of the Mississippi river within two years.

As the story goes, when the time came he was very much opposed to leaving the land of his birth and early exploits. With a great many others who had determined that they would not go, he was taken by force by the government soldiers.

During that fatiguing and cruel march he made several, attempts to escape. Just before reaching the Mississippi river he made another heroic attempt, and in the fight with the officer he was struck in the neck with a knife and left on the roadside, all supposing him to be dead.

He was not fatally injured, however, and finally recovered sufficient strength to enable him to make his way back after a long and dangerous journey through an unbroken wilderness infested with ravenous wild beasts, afoot and alone.

He spent the remainder of his days, which were few, hunting and fishing along the rivers and lakes in the neighborhood where he had formerly lived.

His life had proven a failure; his kindred and friends had been dragged from him, and he grew reckless and discontented, drank whisky to excess, and went from place to place, getting into frequent quarrels and fights.

In one of these disturbances, which occurred at or near Winamac, he was so badly hurt that disease set in and he died.

Our informant says he was one of the pallbearers, or one of those who assisted in bringing him from Winamac to Maxinkuckee lake, where he was buried on Long point along side of an Indian named Whip-poor-will, who had got fast in a hollow of a coon tree and was dead when found there! He says they fastened Pau-koo-shuck with hickory bark between two Indian ponies that were tied together so they couldn't "spread apart," and, with a number on foot and on ponies, the solemn procession wended its weary length along the Indian trail, reaching its destination the second day, having camped over night at the Indian village at Bruce's lake.

But if this son of Au-be-nau-be was buried on Long point, as stated, of which there seems to be no doubt, the lapse of time and the march of civilization during almost sixty years has completely obliterated almost every trace of it.

Many who were about the lake seventy years ago were firmly of the opinion that the ghost of the Indian came forth on almost every favorable night arid skipped about on the water, and floated around among the trees and bushes that grew on Long point where he had been buried, like a thing - - HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY 1908 BY Daniel McDonald pg. 41

NOTE of 21 Feb 2015 per Shirley Willard - It is not known if Pau-koo-shuck went west in 1837 but his name is on the muster roll for the 1838 removal.