John Kinzie silversmith (1763-1828)
his early career as Shawneeawkee "The Silver Man"

a "work in progress" by Robert Derome with the close collaboration of John Forbes Swenson and the help of other collaboration

"There is no picture of John Kinzie. His family said that he looked so much like George Canning, British Prime Minister around 1800 that after Kinzie's death they kept a picture of Canning around, to remind them of their late relative." (Collaboration from Ulrich Danckers, January 25, 2002.) Thomas Stewardson (1781-1859), Portrait of George Canning (1770-1827), 1830-1834, engraving. (Source: The National Portrait Gallery of Illustrious and Eminent Personages of the Nineteenth Century, with Memoirs by William Jerdan, Esquire, London, Fisher, Son & Jackson, 1830-1834, 5 volumes.)

John Kinzie was born in Quebec City in 1763 according to several publications. We would need to get copy of his birth certificate from the Archives in Quebec City to give his exact birthday date.

His biography is well know after 1800 when he played a major role in founding the town of Chicago. But his carrer as a youth when he was trained as a silversmith is still obscure.

"He was born Kenzie but changed spelling to Kinzie. His father, John Kenzie or MacKenzie, was a Scottish surgeon in the British army and died about 1763. His mother, Emily or Anne Tyne, had been first married to British army chaplain William Halliburton and then, in 1761, to Kenzie; was widowed twice; about 1764 she married William Forsyth, member of a prominent trading family. Forsyth became Kinzie's stepfather, and his five sons, from this and a previous marriage, became John's stepbrothers." (Danckers 2000, p. 220.)

"John Kinzie [...] was born in Quebec, in 1763, and was the only offspring of his mother's second marriage. His father died while he was an infant, and his mother married a third time [...]" (Lossing 1869 web, chapter XV, note 23.)

Silversmiths' historians do not give much information on his training as a silversmith.

"KENZIE, JOHN (-1800-1820-) Montreal, Que. Received his training as a silversmith in Montreal. Made Indian trade silver." (Langdon 1966, p. 90)

Archeological digs by Historic Archeological Research at Prophetstown Greene Ville Ohio revealed on November 23, 1993, the findings of a silver brooch with a mark ascribed to John Kinzie. The makers punch mark is worn on the right side of the "K"; its initials "JK" show similarities and differences with others ascribed to Kinzie; the square cartouche is quite different from other marks. Are all these marks by the same silversmith? Brooch, and its punch mark, found in Prophetstown Greene Ville Ohio by Historic Archeological Research. See also Green 1994, p. 24.

Three punch marks ascribed to John Kinzie by Langdon 1966, p. 90. Verifications and discussions would need to be made to check out these attributions.

"Marks of siversmiths stamped on silver ornaments made for the fur trade in the Late Historic Period, 1760-1820. Courtesy of Chicago Natural History Museum. [...] O, John Kinzie [...] (Not all identifications are positive.)" (Quimby 1966, p. 98-99, fig. 21, letter "O".)

Another silversmith of the same period, active in Montreal, shared the same "JK" initials. Some of these punch marks have to be his. Especially the scripted ones that were used among collaborators of the great silversmith Robert Cruickshank like Narsise Roy to which Kennedy was closely related (Derome 1996a). Was the above brooch found at Prophetstown made by John Kinzie or by Joseph Kennedy? Joseph Kennedy was active about 1793-1834! He also was acquainted with the Pierre Huguet dit Latour workshop, which punch mark letters were rather square. All these Montreal silversmiths were very active making trade silver for "les Pays d'en haut", the region around the Great Lakes especially from Detroit to Saint-Louis. Here is an unpublished french study we made about Joseph Kennedy's career from our archives.

Historic Archeological Research gives further information about Kinzie's apprenticeship as a silversmith:

"Born on December 27, 1763, John Mackenzie later shortened his name to Kinzie. At age 10, Kinzie indentured himself as apprentice with Quebec silversmith George Farnham, Ltd. In 1777, he moved to Detroit and worked for William Burnett's business in the Indian trade. Kinzie worked both in Detroit, as well as at a trading post in the Potawatomi village of Chief Topenebe on the St. Joseph of the Lake river. Apparently, Kinzie was respected by the Indians as a fair trader and accomplished silversmith. His given Indian name was Shawneeawkee 'The Silver Man'." (Green 1994, p. 24-25.)

"Much of the information regarding Kinzie's background was gathered from a book by Allan Eckert Gateway to Empire [Eckert 1983 to be checked] that utilized and cited the Draper Manuscripts [Harper 1983 to be checked] at the University of Wisconsin [State Historical Society of Wisconsin]. While this is an historical narrative, we did attempt to verify the Draper citings for all the material we used in the book. I believe you'll find George Farnham in the Draper papers. The touchmark was identified in a book by George Ira Quimby entitled: Indian Culture and European Trade Goods [Quimby 1966]. I personally excavated this piece and if my memory serves me correctly it was between 25-30 cm deep near the base of the subsoil. I can unequivocally state that this one is indeed authentic; that is unless someone was counterfeiting these during the turn of the 18th and 19th century." (Collaboration from Rich Green, January 23, 2002.)

"Eckert's book Gateway to Empire... [Eckert 1983 to be checked] may disappoint you, much of it is fiction. John Forbes Swenson uses the word mendacious to describe it." (Collaboration from Ulrich Danckers and John Forbes Swenson, January 25, 2002.)

If this information is authentic, why then did Langdon stated that Kinzie was trained as a silversmith in Montreal? Our long experience with Langdon's books (Langdon 1966, p. 90) and archives at the University of Toronto (Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library to be checked on Kinzie), reveals that he very often made educated guesses that proved to be false...! And sometimes he had sources that cannot be found elsewhere...! A double check of these archives would thus be needed to determine the source of this information on the issue of the hypothetical training of Kinzie as a silversmith in Montreal!

Green 1994 does not refer to an original apprenticeship contract signed in Quebec City and that we may find at the Archives nationales du Québec (it would be worth checking if such a contract exists). This publication refers to several authors we need to check. (Green 1994, refering to Eckert 1983, Griswold 1917 and Howe 1888.) If Kinzie was placed as an apprentice silversmith at the age of 10, it very probably was in the last days of December 1773, or from January to December of 1774, since he was born somewhere in December. When giving a date deduced from John Kinzie's age in our study, whe will then forget about the last days of the year when he got that age in December and consider only the following year. From this information, it means that his family was still living in Quebec City at this period.

Statistics from 77 apprenticeship indentures in the English Regime in the Province of Quebec, from 1760 to 1840, reveal that only two apprentices began at such an early age, that is between 7 and 11 years old; 5 began at the age of 12, and 52% at the age of 13 to 15. The average age to begin a silversmith apprenticeship in the Province of Quebec was 14.8 years old, and the average age of completion was at 20.8 years old. Most terminated their apprenticeship at the age of 21 (55%) and only 29% before that age. (Derome 1993, tableau 7 here reproduced)

Active Silversmiths in Quebec Province between 1773 and 1777 that might have trained John Kinzie as an apprentice sorted by their "beginning of activity" date compiled from Robert Derome archives and databases Name Birth Death Beginning of apprenticeship End of apprenticeship Beginning of activity End of activity Palin dit Dabonville, L.C. 1709 1774     1727 1774 Lefebvre, François 1705   1725 1727 1727 1781 Delezenne, Ignace-François 1718 1790     1740 1790 Gaudin dit Lapoterie, L.N. 1725 1809     1747 1809 Sedilot dit Montreuil, Charles 1711 1785     1750 1785 Chappuis dit Comtois, Jean Joram 1718 1775     1755 1775 Picard, Louis-Alexandre 1727 1799     1755 1799 Delique, Charles-François 1723       1756 1788 Mentor, Dominique-François 1723 1773 1749 1757 1757 1773 Legu dit La Noue, Jean-Baptiste 1737   1748 1758 1758 1773 Varin dit Lapistole, Jacques 1736 1791     1762 1791 Hoxie, Samuel 1741 1800     1762 1800 Hanna, James 1737 1807     1763 1807 Maillou, Amable 1739 1808 1756 1762 1763 1808 Decousse, Bernard 1761       1766 1783 Belanger, Philippe 1746   1764 1766 1766 1784 Schindler, Joseph -1763 1792     1766 1792 Cruickshank, Robert 1745 1809 1759 1766 1766 1807 Amiot, Jean-Nicolas 1750 1821     1767 1821 Lucas, Joseph 1748   1766 1771 1771 1791 Ranvoyzé, François 1739 1819     1771 1819 Huguet dit Latour, L.A. 1754 1792 1766 1772 1772 1792 Sinclair, James         1774 1774 Larivée, Eustache 1754   1769 1774 1774 1781 Wood, John   1782     1775 1782 Dubreuil, Joachim 1749       1775 1797 Forton, Michel 1754 1817     1775 1817 Rousseau, Dominique 1755 1825   1776 1776 1825 Roberts, Isaac         1777 1777

The name of George Farnham as a silversmith is unknown in canadian (Langdon 1966, Traquair 1940) and american publications we have consulted, as well as in our own extended archives on Quebec Province silversmiths. But in Boston one may find several Farnam silversmiths as well as their marks. Wyler 1937 (p. 288), gives marks by Farnam silversmiths in Boston Massachusetts: R & H, 1807; Rufus, 1796; Thomas, 1836; Farnam & Ward, 1810; Farnam & Owen, 1810. Buhler 1970 (p. 325, no. 321 and 303) gives a mark "FARNAM" and another one "R. FARNAM" for Rufus. Buhler 1972 (vol. 2, p. 533) gives Rufus (born 1769) and Henry (born 1773) Farnam, sometimes spelt "Farnham". Since they were active only after 1796 they cannot have trained John Kinzie. Could they have had a relative named George that was active by 1773-1777 when John Kinzie was trained as a silversmith? On other hand, Jackson 1964 gives several references to "GF" marks from English Goldsmiths, but none refers to a "George Farnham"! This George Farnham seems to be a very elusive person. Further research is needed to document his career. Or could we right now discredit this information as non valid? Especially if John Kinzie might never have returned to Quebec City as we will see below?

Was John Kinzie in Detroit by 1777 (at 13 years old) as stated by Historic Archeological Research, or by 1779 (15 years old)? If John Kinzie began his apprenticeship at the age of 10 in 1774, it means that he quit his alledged master of Quebec City only after a few years of training.

"The Forsyth family, and John Kinzie, moved to Detroit by 1779, and were enumerated in that year's census. The tradition that the five Forsyth sons were born in Detroit is inconsistent with the censuses of 1762, 1765, and 1768, in which no Forsyths are recorded." (Danckers 2000, p. 220.)

These verifications with Detroit censuses discredit the information recorded in Gérard Morisset's Inventaire des Oeuvres d'art later named Inventaire des Biens Culturels du Québec (John Kinzie's file 04010, notes of Louis Carrier acquired from Milo Milton Quaife, curator, Burton Historical collection, Detroit Public Library), according to the fact the William Forsyth had moved with his family, and thus with John Kinzie, to Detroit around 1765.

Lossing's 1869 testimonies gives a different story on Kinzie's biography as a youth. It seems that Kinzie would have travelled abroad in the United States before coming back to Quebec City where he became an apprentice at the age of 10 years old in 1774.

"[John Kinzie's mother] with her husband (Mr. Forsythe) removed to the city of New York. At the age of ten years young Kinzie was placed in a school in Williamsburg, near Long Island. One day he made his way to the North River, got on board of an Albany sloop, and started for Quebec. Fortunately for him, he found a passenger who was on his way to that city, who took charge of him. At Quebec the boy apprenticed himself to a silversmith. Three years afterward, his family, having returned to Canada for the purpose of moving to Detroit, discovered him. They had supposed him lost forever." (Lossing 1869 web, chapter XV, note 23.)

KINZIE MANSION AND FORT DEARBORN. (Lossing 1869 web, chapter XV)

Such a long journey, as New York - Quebec, is almost unbelievable for a 10 years old lonely child! Especially in such a troubled period as the one preceeding the Independance of the United States of America and their attack upon the British Colonies of Quebec...! But the events are not impossible since Kinzie's step father William Forsyth seems to have come from New York City. (Collaboration from John Forbes Swenson, telephone call on January 26, 2002.) A witted young man of this age, strong willed and minded, may have had a strong need of independance. Did he have imperative reasons to quit his family? Was he unconfortable with his step family, forcing him to flee from his mother and step-father? Or may he have had strong links with some people in Quebec City? Was this story made up and arranged, by him and/or his family, and later used by Lossing as a mythical act of bravado? If everything is true, do we have other means of corroboration? (Collaboration from John Forbes Swenson, telephone call on January 26, 2002, with references to Forsyth family traditions related in Kinzie 1856, see also Kinzie 1998 second edition published on the web, excerpt from chapter XVII.)

John Kinzie youth and career narrated from a family tradition reported by "Mrs. John H. Kinzie", Juliette Augusta Kinzie born Magill (1806-1870) Source: Kinzie 1856, see also Kinzie 1998 second edition published on the web, excerpt from chapter XVII. [our comments added in red between brackets] RESIDENCE OF JOHN KINZIE ESQ. (THE FIRST HOUSE BUILT IN CHICAGO) [The signatures, under the image, are illlegible on this jpg picture: the one of the designer on the left side, and the one of the engraver on the right side.] He [John Kinzie] was born in Quebec (L. C.) [The term "Lower Canada" was used from the 1791 Constitutionnal Act dividing the territory in Lower and Upper Canada, and only until the Union of Canada in 1840] in 1763. His mother had been previously married to a gentleman of the name of Haliburton. The only daughter of this marriage was the mother of Gen. Fleming and Nicholas Low, Esq., of New York. She is described as a lady of remarkable beauty and accomplishments. Mr. Kinzie was the only child of the second marriage. His father died in his infancy, and his mother married a third time a Mr. Forsyth [about 1764], after which they removed to the city of New York. [Would that be in 1764? Or soon after? Or later?] At the age of ten or eleven years [that would be either in 1774 or 1775] he was placed at school with two of his half-brothers at Williamsburg, L. I. [Long Island]. A negro servant was sent from the city every Saturday, to bring the children home, to remain until the following Monday morning. Upon one occasion, when the messenger arrived at the school he found all things in commotion. Johnny Kinzie was missing! Search was made in all directions; every place was ransacked. It was all in vain; no Johnny Kinzie could be found. [Would it be possible that John Kinzie did not like the school, or the teacher? And that he prefered to learn a trade instead of studying at school?] The heavy tidings were carried home to his mother. By some it was supposed the lad was drowned; by others that he had strayed away, and would return. Weeks passed by, and months, and he was at length given up and mourned as lost. In the meantime the boy was fulfilling a determination he had long formed, to visit his native city of Quebec, and make his way in life for himself. [According to previous information John Kinzie might have left Quebec City in 1764, or soon after, or later! Did he have any memory of this city? According to this text, he had been dreaming since a while to visit Quebec City where he was born.] He had by some means succeeded in crossing from Williamsburg to the city of New York, and finding at one of the docks on the North River a sloop bound for Albany, he took passage on board of her. [Albany was an obligatory stop since it was the terminal of the sloop. Kinzie thus went by on Albany streets where he might have met with silversmith Gerritt Graverat as we will see below.] While on his way up the river, he was noticed by a gentleman, who, taking an interest in the little lonely passenger, questioned him about his business. "He was going to Quebec, where he had some friends." [If Kinzie remembered friends from Quebec, it means that he might have left Quebec City at a later age and not right after his mother marriage with William Forsyth in 1764! The text says that "he was going" to Quebec city, it does not say that "he went" to Quebec City. So, it might be possible that he never went to Quebec City and that he stopped in Albany.] "Had he the means to carry him there?" "Not much, but he thought he could get along." It happened, fortunately, that the gentleman himself was going to Quebec. He took the boy under his care, paid his expenses the whole distance, and finally parted with him in the streets of the city, where he was, in truth, a stranger. [This part of the text states "Quebec" and not "Quebec city"! Might it be remembered that at this period Detroit was in the Province of Quebec according to the new Act of Quebec of 1774! This passage inclines us to think that Kinzie might have wanted to go to Quebec City, but that "en route", he found opportunities to go to the town of Detroit in the Province of Quebec! In which of theses cities did he went on the streets? Albany, Quebec or Detroit?] He wandered about for a time, looking into various "stores" and workshops. At length, on entering the shop of a silversmith [no name of silversmith is mentionned], he was satisfied with the expression he read in the countenance of the master, and he inquired if he wanted an apprentice. "What, you, my little fellow! What can you do?" "Anything you can teach me." "Well, we will make a trial and see." The trial was satisfactory. He remained in the family of his kind friend for more than three years [that would be until either 1777 or 1778], when his parents, who, in removing to Detroit, had necessarily returned to Canada, discovered his place of abode, and he was restored to them. [Might it be remembered that at this period Detroit was in Canada and not in the United States of America! This passage inclines us to think that Kinzie was found, after his flee, in Detroit (part of the Province of Quebec) and not in Quebec City! And what was that "necessity" that forced the family to return to Canada? And to go to Detroit? Was it related to the American Revolution? Were they Loyalists? Or was this "necessity" related with the fact that they knew that John was now residing in Detroit and they wanted to join him?] There were five younger half-brothers of the name of Forsyth. In the old family Bible, we find the following touching record of an event that occurred after the family had removed to Detroit. "George Forsyth was lost in the woods 6th August, 1775, when Henry Hays and Mark Stirling ran away and left him. The remains of George Forsyth were found by an Indian the 2d of October, 1776, close by the Prairie Ronde." [We think that this information is believable and authentic: the text is in between quotation marks and has been closely copied directly from the family Bible; the original text is hand written in the family Bible, thus not far from faith in the afterdeath to console from the sorrows of a lost child; it is very precise in its details, dates and names of the two boys that accompanied George; it was probably written in this Bible as a record of this important event to be remembered within the family history. I would bet that this Bible printing date was well before George's death in 1775! Would it still be preserved somewhere to check on which page and context this inscription was placed? From this authentic and precise document we may conclude that the Forsyth family was thus living in Detroit before August 1775! Would there be somewhere an original record of George Forsyth's death (register or tombstone) that could corroborate this dating and story? This historic information is thus to be confronted with some incoherence in dating within the story, stated above, about the trip of the family to Detroit in 1777 or 1778 when they found John.] It seems a singular fatality that the unhappy mother should have been twice called to suffer a similar affliction -- the loss of a child in a manner worse than death, inasmuch as it left room for all the horrors that imagination can suggest. The particulars of the loss of this little brother were these. As he came from school one evening, he met the colored servant boy on horseback, going to the common for the cows. The school-house stood quite near the old fort, and all beyond that, all that now lies west of Fort street, was a wild, uncultivated tract called "The Common." Bellin, La Rivière du Détroit..., 1764, detail of the area called by Kinzie 1998 "The Common" or "Prairie Ronde" west to the Fort of Detroit. The child begged of the servant to take him up and give him a ride, but the other refused, bidding him return home at once. He was accompanied by two other boys, somewhat older, and together they followed the negro for some distance, hoping to prevail upon him to give them a ride. As it grew dark, the two older boys turned back, but the other kept on. When the negro returned he had not again seen the child, nor were any tidings ever received of him, notwithstanding the diligent search made by the whole little community, until, as related in the record, his remains were found the following year by an Indian. There was nothing to identify them, except the auburn curls of his hair, and the little boots he had worn. He must have perished very shortly after having lost his way, for the Prairie Ronde was too near the settlement to have prevented his hearing the calls and sounding horns of those in search of him. Mr. Kinzie's enterprising and adventurous disposition led him, as he grew older, to live much on the frontier. He early entered into The Indian trade, and had establishments at Sandusky and Maumee, and afterwards pushed further west, about the year 1800, to St. Joseph's. In this year he married Mrs. McKillip, the widow of a British officer, and in 1804 came to make his home at Chicago. It was in this year that the first fort was built. By degrees more remote trading-posts were established by him, all contributing to the parent one at Chicago; at Milwaukie with the Meenomonees; at Rock River with the Winnebagoes and the Pottowattamies; on the Illinois River and Kankakee with the Pottowattamies of the Prairies, and with the Kickapoos in what was called "Le Large," being the widely extended district afterwards erected into Sangamon County. Each trading-post had its superintendent, and its complement of engagés -- its train of pack-horses and its equipment of boats and canoes. From most of the stations the "furs and peltries" were brought to Chicago on pack-horses, and the goods necessary for the trade were transported in return by the same method. The vessels which came in the spring and fall (seldom more than two or three annually), to bring the supplies and goods for the trade, took the furs that were already collected to Mackinac, the depôt of the South-West and American Fur Companies. At other seasons they were sent to that place in boats, coasting around the lake.

This family tradition states that Kinsey became an apprentice at the age of 10 or 11 as a silversmith in Quebec. One must not confuse the Province of Quebec with the City of Quebec. We must note that this story does not give any silversmith name! It futher gives a delay of 3 years between his apprenticeship indenture and the family move to Detroit. We have seen that the Forsyth family was living in Detroit either by 1777 or by 1779. But it must now be considered, according to George Forsyth's death in Detroit in 1775, that the whole family lived there at this early date! If John Kinzie fled from New York three years earlier, it would then be in 1772 that he came to Detroit. According to his birth he would have been 8 years old in 1772 and not "10 or 11" as said in the family story. Would he then have been born three years earlier, in December of 1760? Probably not, since several sources points to December 1763. We must then conclude that the family story might be distorting one or the other of these informations: the three years period between his flee from New York and his retrival by his family in Detroit; or his approximate age of "10 or 11" when he fled from New York!

Silversmiths active in early Detroit, before, and at the time of John Kinzie's arrival Bellin, Plan du Fort du Détroit, 1764, detail from map titled La Rivière du Détroit... "By the middle years of the eighteenth cenrury we have our first mention of silversmiths in Detroit. Such were Jean Baptiste Baudry dit des Buttes dit St. Martin of Three Rivers, Quebec, trader, interpreter and silversmith in Detroit where he died in 1755, and Charles Barthe whom Major Henry Gladwin paid for services as armorer and silversmith." (Robinson 1952.10, p. 5-6.) Guillaume Baudry dit Des Buttes was born in Quebec City in 1656. In 1679 he lives in Three-Rivers when his father gives him a land. Several sources document his life in Three Rivers where he marries in 1682 and dies in 1732. He is said "arquebusier" from 1689 and "orfevre" in 1712. (Derome 1974b, p. 17-20.) Therefore Guillaume Baudry cannot be considered as an early Detroit silversmith in 1755 thirtheen years after his death! But Charle Barthe seems more likely to have been active in Detroit according to Robinson 1952.10. Barthe came from France to Quebec City with his associate Ignace-François Delezenne in 1740. They both failed to establish their trade in that city. Delezenne moved to Montreal and Barthe presumably to Detroit. (Derome 1980b.) "Jacob Harsen, born in Albany of Dutch descent, who appeared in Detroit in the 1760's and later settled as a trader on Harsen's Island in Lake St. Clair, was a gun-smith by trade but has been called a silversmith. His son-in-law, Gerrit Graverat [see also Graveraet], also of a Dutch family, came from Albany to Detroit by 1772 when Israel Ruland from Long Island was apprenticed to him to learn the trade of silversmith. It is probable that the chief output of these men was Indian trade silver which from the middle of the eighteenth century until well into the nineteenth century was in increasing demand." (Robinson 1952.10, p. 6.) Joseph (Jonas) Schindler and his apprentice Michel Forton both left Quebec City for Michillimakinac (Mackinaw City, Michigan) at the end of April 1775 in association with a "marchand-voyageur" of Montreal called Monforton. In 1776 Schindler was trialed in Detroit for having made lesser quality silver goods. "Drummed out" of the city, Schindler is in Montreal by 1777 but he continues to work with several of Detroit's merchants. (Derome 1980d.) Could John Kinzie have been an apprentice to Schindler in Detroit?

Kinzie was living in Detroit either by 1772 (8 years old) or by 1775 (11 years old), as discussed from the family tradition above seen. It is then very highly probable that the young man was placed as an apprentice in a silversmith workshop of Albany and Detroit. Gerrit Graverat [or Graveraet] silversmith workshop seems a very appropiate place.

Graverat's workshop was associated in trade with his father-in-law Jacob Harsen established at Detroit. Graverat, according to Robinson 1952.10, came to Detroit by 1772 from Albany with an apprentice named Israel Ruland from Long Island. According to Mick Isaacs Graveraet came to Detroit in 1773. This date seems an approximative information! May John Kinzie have travelled from New York to Albany with Israel Ruland? And then the two apprentices might have travelled with Graverat from Albany to Detroit! Ruland later worked for the Indian Department and became an interpreter. Kinzie's further career will also have a lot to do with the Indians.

If Graverat came to Detroit in 1772 or 1773 with Kinzie it confirms Robinson's and Isaacs' date of his coming to Detroit and the family story that the Forsyth found him in Detroit three years later in 1775 when their son George deceased there. But we have to change Kinzie's age in the family story: he was not "10 or 11", but only 8 or 9 years old! Which is a very young age to flee from home!

But if Graverat came to Detroit only in 1774 when Kinzie was 10 years old, it confirms the age of the beginning of his apprenticeship according to the family story. But we then have to revise the date when Graverat came to Detroit! And the information that the Forsyth family found him three years later, since they were living in Detroit in 1775, one year later!

We are in need to confirm one or the other of these hypothesis with some other more precise historical documents and references...

The 1779 census of Detroit shows that William Forsyth is living in Detroit with his family. In this census, is John Kinzie to be included as one of the numbered children of the Forsyth family or with the "engagés" of the silversmith Graverat household? Forsyth lives inside the Fort on "rue Saint Louis", corner of Madras street. Furthermore, in 1781 existed a trading firm by the name of "Graverat & Forsyth". Kinzie's stepfather William Forsyth was thus in business with the silversmith Gerrit Graverat, a very good reason to think that John Kinzie was placed with Graverat as an apprentice silversmith. Graverat owned a prosperous silversmith business since in 1779 he had 2 "engagés" and in 1782 he had 6. (Collaboration from John Forbes Swenson, telephone call on January 26, 2002, with references to Haldimand Papers, Roger Clarks Papers, Thomas Dalton's correspondance.)

"Kinzie started in the Indian fur trade about 1780 under William Burnett and was long associated with this wealthy merchant, who had been financing his operations as late as 1801. As a trader and silversmith, Kinzie did business at the Miamis Town (Fort Wayne, IN) in 1789 [...]." (Danckers 2000, p. 220.)

"By age 17, in 1780, John Kinzie was an Indian Trader on his own. Two posts were established on the Maumee river. The first was near the principal village of the Miami tribe, Kekionga, also called Miamitown, encompassed by present Ft. Wayne, Indiana. (Griswold 1917) At this post, he traded primarily with Miamis, Potawatomis, Shawnees and Ottawas. The second maumee river post was located at the mouth of the Auglaize river near current Defiance, Ohio. (Howe 1888) Most trading at this post was with Shawnees and Ottawas." (Green 1994, p. 25.)

Born in December 1763, Kinzie was only about 16 in 1780, which seems very young to be in such business! This story sounds more like romance and myth (or hypothetical educated guesses) than reality! His trading with Indians seems to be real, but probably needs to be dated a little later in his life, more likely after 1784 when we have solid documented proof that he is a newly established silvermith in Detroit City.

A document found at the Archives nationales du Québec à Montréal, testifies that John Kinzie is now a new and well established silversmith in Detroit by April 5, 1784.

"April 5, 1784. Deposit of a sale of a messuage [alteration of old french word "mesnage"; means "premise", that is a building or part of a building usually with its appurtenances as grounds] situated in the town of Detroit, on St Ann Street, by William Groesbeck, merchant, of Detroit, to John Kinzie, silversmith, of Detroit. Witnessed by notary Thomas Williams." (Montréal, Archives nationales du Québec, base de données Parchemin, reference to Fonds Drouin, microfilm 3316, registre anglais n° 2, folio 430.)

We now know that in 1784 John Kinzie is buying a house in Detroit on St. Ann Street and that he records himself as a silversmith. It might be valuable documenting his new neighbours: William Groesbeck, Thomas McCrais and Catharine Grills. William Groesbeck was also a neighbour of the silversmith Gerrit Graverat, where John Kinzie might have been working as an apprentice since 1772! (Collaboration from John Forbes Swenson, telephone call on January 26, 2002.)

On April 5, 1784, Kinzie is now 20 years old since December 1783. This is almost the average age of 20.8 old for an apprentice to become a master and to establish a business. (Derome 1993.) Nevertheless, he is still a minor and this is probably why he does not sign at the bottom of the sale document. The cosignee and witness is not his mother, Emily or Anne Tyne, nor his stepfather William Forsyth, but "John Casety".

"By 1785 Kinzie was practicing his art in Détroit - I have his invoice to James Casety, a wealthy habitant, for sale of various items of trade silver. By 1787 he was active in Anglican Church at Detroit, subscribing to the support of a clergyman there with many prominent men". (Collaboration from John Forbes Swenson, January 2002, references to Burton Historical Collection, genealogy files on Kinzie and Forsyth, as well as papers of notary Thomas Williams.)

John Casety thus seems to have played an important role in the early career of John Kinzie, since he witnessed the acquisition of his house in Detroit. May he have helped financing it? It might be possible since they are in business by 1785. We need to futher document this John Casety who happens to have an homonym in Virgina at the same period. (Source 1: Virginia Cassidy Lines. Source 2: Augusta County, VA - Will Book 6, Abstracts from "Chalkley's Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish in Virginia".)

John Kinzie's early career hypothesis of chronology proposal Sources: see discussions and documents upwards. 1761 (not yet born). His mother, Emily or Anne Tyne, widow of British army chaplain William Halliburton, marries John Kenzie or MacKenzie. 1763 (not yet born). His father John Kenzie or MacKenzie, a Scottish surgeon in the British army, dies about 1763. 1763, December (birth). John Kinzie is born in Quebec City. 1764 (less than 1 year old). His mother marries William Forsyth in Quebec City. ??? "After which they removed to the city of New York." 1772 (about 8 years old) or 1774 (about 10 years old). John Kinsey studies in a school at Williamsburg Long Island. He might have fled from New York to Albany with Israel Rutland. In Albany, they both might have become apprentices to silversmith Gerrit Graverat [or Graveraet] who soon moves to Detroit to take on the silversmith business of his father-in-law Jacob Harsen. Might Rutland and Kinzie, as appentices, have accompanied Graverat in his trip from Albany to Detroit? 1775 (about 11 years old). John Kinzie's step-family, the Forsyth family, is living in Detroit. John Kinzie's half-brother George Forsyth is lost in the woods on August 6 and dies in "The Common" or "Prairie Ronde" west of the Fort. 1776 (about 12 years old). The remains of George Forsyth are found by an Indian close by the Prairie Ronde on October 2. 1779 (about 15 years old). The William Forsyth family is registered in Detroit census. Gerrit Graverat's silversmith worshop shows that he has 2 "engagés", one of which might be John Kinzie. 1781 (about 17 years old). Activities of the trading firm by the name of "Graverat & Forsyth" in Detroit: silversmith Gerrit Graverat and John Kinzie's step-father William Forsyth. 1782 (about 18 years old). Gerrit Graverat's silversmith worshop prospers with 6 "engagés", one of which might be John Kinzie. 1784, April 5 (about 20 years old). John Kinzie buys a house on Saint Ann Street in Detroit from William Groesbeck. This house is located close to the one of silversmith Gerrit Graverat. There is thus enough work for silversmiths in Detroit to establish this new workshop of John Kinzie. John Casety witnesses this sale and signs at the bottom of the document. John Casety thus seems to have played an important role in the early career of John Kinzie. May he have helped financing the buying of his house? 1785 (about 21 years old). John Kinzie sends an invoice to James Casety, a wealthy habitant, for sale of various items of trade silver. He is now well established as a silversmith in Detroit.

As for the remaining part of John Kinzie's career, please refer to the excellent extended study made by John F. Sweenson in Danckers 2000 (p. 220-225). Donald Schlickan architect, The second fort Dearborn in 1832, aquarelle. (Jacket cover from Danckers 2000.)

Other references on John Kinzie may also be found on the web Christmas in Early America, Forest Preserve District of Cook County (Illinois): refers to silver goblets made by John Kinzie. Historic Sauder Village: refers to a cross made by John Kinzie. Trade silver artifacts (necklaces and cross) at the University of British Columbia from Artefacts Canada database. John Kinzie tombstone in Graceland Cemetery External Studies Program - History of Chicago, Roosevelt University , History of Chicago from Trading Post to Metropolis, Module 1 Chapter 1, Early Exploration and Settlement: refers to John Kinzie's career. Google: for futher research on John Kinzie silversmith.

COLLABORATION

Your collaboration is welcome.

DANCKERS Ulrich, author of a major book on the history of Chicago (Danckers 2000) and his role in relaying our numerous emails to John F. Swenson.

GREEN Rich, 4338 Hadley Court, West Lafayette, IN 47906. Tel. 765-464-8735.

SWENSON John Forbes, 1339 Swainwood Drive, Glenview Illinois, 60025-2841 USA. Fax 847-729-5113. Tel. 847-729-4823. My deepest thanks to Mr. Swenson who promted the research process for this study by the generous gift of his book on Early Chicago (Danckers 2000).

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