the earliest known photograph of the Navarre cabin, ca. 1900 (The Navarre cabin Homestead Project, 2020)
Cabin history
Upon moving to South Bend, Indiana in 1820 (Ray, 2019), Pierre Navarre built his one-room log cabin on the north bank of the St Joseph River, with the assistance of one or two Native Americans (2019; Swintz, 1915). Navarre used this cabin as his fur trader office and his home, making it the first permanent home in St Joseph County (The History Museum, n.d.). After marrying Kechoueckquay, they continued living in the cabin and raising their children there (Swintz, 1915).
The Navarres went west in the late 1830s or early 1840s to join the Potawatomi who had been forcibly relocated during or shortly after the Trail of Death (Ray, 2019; Renshaw, 1998; South Bend Tribune, 2012; The Navarre Cabin Homestead Project, 2020; Willard, 1997). But upon Kechoueckquay's death, Pierre return to living in the cabin in South Bend (Ray, 2019; The History Museum, n.d.), being recorded as living there in an 1850 parish census (The Navarre Cabin Homestead Project, 2020).
After Pierre's death in 1864, Samuel Leeper became owner of the Navarre cabin and land (The Navarre Cabin Homestead Project, 2020). The cabin came to be used as a livestock barn for cows (Ray, 2019) and/or mules (Swintz, 1915). The Navarre land was eventually sold for residential development, and the cabin was donated to the Northern Indiana Historical Society (The History Museum's parent organization) in May 1895, with plans to move it to Howard Park (Swintz, 1915; The Navarre Cabin Homestead Project, 2020).
The Navarres went west in the late 1830s or early 1840s to join the Potawatomi who had been forcibly relocated during or shortly after the Trail of Death (Ray, 2019; Renshaw, 1998; South Bend Tribune, 2012; The Navarre Cabin Homestead Project, 2020; Willard, 1997). But upon Kechoueckquay's death, Pierre return to living in the cabin in South Bend (Ray, 2019; The History Museum, n.d.), being recorded as living there in an 1850 parish census (The Navarre Cabin Homestead Project, 2020).
After Pierre's death in 1864, Samuel Leeper became owner of the Navarre cabin and land (The Navarre Cabin Homestead Project, 2020). The cabin came to be used as a livestock barn for cows (Ray, 2019) and/or mules (Swintz, 1915). The Navarre land was eventually sold for residential development, and the cabin was donated to the Northern Indiana Historical Society (The History Museum's parent organization) in May 1895, with plans to move it to Howard Park (Swintz, 1915; The Navarre Cabin Homestead Project, 2020).
Cabin on the move
MOVE #1:
In 1901, the South Bend Board of Public Work agreed to allow the cabin to be moved to the west side of the St Joseph River (The Navarre Cabin Homestead Project, 2020), rather than to Howard Park. The cabin was moved in 1904 to a site at the confluence of Bartlett and Marion Streets (2020) in Leeper Park West on the south side of the St Joseph River. MOVE #2: In 1916, the cabin was moved to the north/northwest end of the North Pumping Station reservoir in Leeper Park East on the south side of the St Joseph River (The Navarre Cabin Homestead Project, 2020), to make room for expansion of the city's North Pumping Station (2020). In 1918, a historically inaccurate brick chimney, fireplace, and structural addition were added (2020). The cabin was used as a meeting place by local Boy Scouts from 1924 through World War II (2020). MOVE #3: In 1954, the cabin was moved to its current location in Leeper Park East (The History Museum, n.d.; The Navarre Cabin Homestead Project, 2020) to create distance between the cabin and the reservoir. At the time, a historically inaccurate stone chimney and fireplace were added, along with landscaping (2020; Ray, 2019). The cabin was used as a historical education site for the public to visit and for school field trips (The History Museum, n.d.). |
the Navarre cabin, between 1905 and 1910 (The Navarre Cabin Homestead Project, 2020)
the Navarre cabin abutting the reservoir (The Navarre Cabin Homestead Project, 2020)
the Navarre cabin in its current location, ca. 1954 (The Navarre Cabin Homestead Project, 2020)
|
New life for the cabin
By 2000, massive restoration was needed to save the cabin (Ray, 2019; The Navarre Cabin Homestead Project, 2020). The Northern Indiana Historical Society, the Historic Preservation Commission, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and local foundations worked together to raise over $150,000.00 to completely disassemble, rebuild, and restore the cabin to its original appearance (Ray, 2019). The cabin continues to be used as a historical educational site for the public to visit and for school field trips (The History Museum, n.d.).
|
the Navarre cabin in the late 1980s (The Navarre Cabin Homestead Project, 2020)
|
the Navarre cabin post-restoration, 2006 (The Navarre Cabin Homestead project, 2020)
created by Erin Gaul for LIS-623 Genealogy and Local History class, IUPUI MLIS program, DLIS Dept
last updated: June 30, 2021
last updated: June 30, 2021