Chief Bald Eagle: Lenni Lenape Tribe in Pa

I am looking for all or any info on the chief from Pa who lived in Milesburg named The Eagles Nest just off of the Susquhanna River. The part of tribe that he was a part of was the Munsee tribe part of the Wolf Tribe. The chief was also know as the Munsee Chief. I am willing to give out any info that I get to anyone who wants it.

Thanks,

Eric

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Darlina Shaw on April 25, 2010 at 5:49am

Here is a link to a story about him falling in love with a white woman: Chief Bald Eagle http://bit.ly/ckhr2h

Permalink Reply by Joseph Eric Hoffman on April 28, 2010 at 10:03pm

Thank you for the info on that story of him. I had part of that story but not all of it. Thank you Darlina, Do you know anything more on him? Does anyone have info on a Mordecai Wolford or a Mary Wolford in Pa around 1774 Mary was 14 or 16 years old. Any info would be great.

Permalink Reply by Joseph Eric Hoffman on January 16, 2011 at 6:23pm

I have found a break through to Chief Bald Eagle. I have info to believe that Chief Bald Eagle is related to ether William Young born 1826 in Pa and Died Feb 16 1908 in Centre County Pa. His wife was Dadiema Ann Watkins born 1826 and died 1881. I believe that both of these people are of Indian decendentants but not sure to which person is the son or daughter of the chief. If you have info on eather People please let me know I have tons of storys to go with Chief Bald Eagle from the familys notes.

Permalink Reply by Bob Kellner on September 19, 2011 at 5:29pm

Hello Eric,

My name is Bob Kellner and my grandmother Bess Alice Young (1890-1957) was born in Clinton County Pa and raised in Clearfield County Pa. She always told her family that she was part american indian but in 20+ years of research I've never been able to find a connection.

I believe that she is somehow related to your William Young, but so far I cannot figure out how. I believe that her great grandfather George Young (born 1798) is listed in the 1820 Centre County Census as George Young Jr. and that William's father George Young (born 1772) is listed in the Census as George Young Sr. However, it is documented that William Young had a brother name George Young that was born later. So unless George Young was like George Foreman and named more than one son George, then they don' connect.

I would be very interested in helping you any way I can. Best Regards, Bob Kellner bkellner@kellfire.com

Permalink Reply by Debbie Winchell (Loving Dove) on March 29, 2012 at 6:14pm

This is interesting. I believe I have a family of Native ancestry from Pennsylvania. However, the family name changed spelling. It was anglicized to Speaker (a real pain to search online). I've been searching variants. I've been trying to research the family of Carl Philip Spikert born November 1760 in York, PA, whose father was Henry. I keep finding Mary Magdalena Spikert who has a Young in her background. This is probably all coincidental, but if it wasn't for the Young name I wouldn't pay any attention at all.

It's a real pain being stuck in upstate New York trying to research Pennsylvania.

Permalink Reply by Savannah Teel on November 9, 2011 at 12:40am

Alright, I foung out some info about what I am looking for. My grandmothers maiden name is Yufer and her mothers is Overly. I do not know that anyone else is familiar with the name Overly, but she swears that it is a name descended from Bald Eagle. There is only one Bald eagle right? If so, then Im not sure where all these other names listed are coming from, but somehow she goes back to a Chief Bald Eagle. ( from the pennsylvania area)

Permalink Reply by Bob Kellner on November 9, 2011 at 7:57am

Thanks Savannah, I'm not sure either. Eric Hoffman seems to have alot of info that might shed light on the situation, but i can't seem to get in touch with him. Eric, please contact us if you can.

Thanks,

Bob Kellner

Permalink Reply by Savannah Teel on November 9, 2011 at 3:42pm

I do not come to this site often anymore, but i am so tired of trying to find the answers this way, so i will be updating my subscription on ancestry.com to have access to documents and also I will be searching the Dawes Rolls here in Texas, for my other side of my family, but seeing as I was adopted and not raised in pennsylvania with my biological mothers family, I doubt that I can get any real facts.

Permalink Reply by Joseph Eric Hoffman on November 10, 2011 at 3:15pm

Sorry I didn't get back to you guys sooner I am in the middle of renovation so things are a little crazy right now. To Bob: As far as Bess Alice Young goes I could almost say outright that a Young in that area of Pa is related to an american Indian. I have a historian who is a Young helping me with Chief Bald Eagle, that has done an indepth study to the Young people in and around that area. He has asked and douge into the Youngs and has asked plenty of them of their background, and they all say that they are related to American Indians for sure but they never have a name for the group of Indians. As for me I am looking for Chief Bald Eagle possibly connected to the Watkins that married William Young. I am going to see this historian in the begging of Dec when I go to Pa. I can ask more than. Do you have any more people related to this person so I can give him all the info so at leaste we can connect you to what we got and give you that.

To Savannah: To your question there were two Bald Eagle Indian chiefs close to the area but from different tribes. So if you have heard of the Lenni Leape tribe or the Delaware indians than that is the same person I am looking for. If he was an iraquoi indian than he would be the younger chief that was part of the scalping of the red haired Brady. I will look up those names and ask around to see what I can find. The cool thing about this sight is that you dont have to check it all the time you just have to check your e-mail and if you got someone post on it than they will let you know. Any and all help I can give you I will in your search for your history. I will try to keep intouch more good luck to all.

Permalink Reply by Bob Kellner on November 11, 2011 at 8:22pm

Hi Eric,

Thanks for getting back to me. I live in western Pa and would love to meet your historian in December also, if it would be possible. Please send me your email address to bkellner@kellfire.com and I will send you links to my Young Family Ancestry trees that have my 20+ years of research on.

Thanks and Best Regards,
Bob Kellner

Permalink Reply by Savannah Teel on November 13, 2011 at 5:26pm

Ok i am beginning to get this togather in my head better. The one I keep finding is a Lakota one, but I am looking for Lenape I think. That is where I got confused! Every time I looked for a Bald Eagle I only found a Lakota chief. Im not sure about the iraqoi part because iraquoi is usually down here in the south where I am, linked to the southern tribes one big one being the Cherokee. Lenape is the tribe that my family speaks of on a regular basis. They also mention Delaware alot I think. My problem is way back a long time ago my family hid their indian status because I come from a big military background. Being indian was as bad as being an african. They began to not record their history and background, but of course kept speaking of it through word of mouth. There is a Man named Jim Holy Eagle, he is passed away now, but he was my grandmothers cousin and she knew him. He somehow links us to our past, but the only one i find is the one from the Lakota indians. Perhaps i am looking for a lakota cheif and not Lenape. But I know that the family i come from has lenape. Let me make it clear that I have blood from several tribes in these veins of mine. The biggest is Cherokee, who I am also told I am decended from a indian princess, but who I dont know, because the only one who knew was my great great grandmother ( a full cherokee) and she is obviously passed away. The others are lenape and sasquahana. I am unsure of Lakota which is why the Jim Holy Eagle part confuses me. So I am actually on a hunt for answers about both sides of my family. I have a feeling if I ever get any breakthroughs that there will be some interesting things. Down here we have the Dawes act that forced just about every southern tribe into reservations and for a price I can access the Dawes Rolls that list everyone who has ever enrolled in the Dawes act, to find the original indian names that were replaced by "white people" names. Perhaps i should find a historian also.

Permalink Reply by Savannah Teel on November 21, 2011 at 8:12pm

Ok, talked to my grandmother. She said that he was the Delawares, but then confused me by saying that the Delawares/Lenapes eventually merged into the Lakota tribe However true or false that bit of information may be, she mentioned a book that is called "The History of Williamsburg" or something like that. She said that the chief is mentioned in that book. I am not from pennsylvania, so I have no access to it, other than finding it on Amazon (which i have not tried to do yet).