Gomo - Leader Of The Potawatomi
CITY:
Chillicothe
COUNTY:
Peoria
DEDICATED BY:
The French Heritage Corridor Association and the Illinois State Historical Society
DEDICATION DATE:
October 26, 2013 at 12:00:00 AM
Shore Acres Park, 100 Park Blvd., Chillicothe, Illinois
Gomo or Masemo (Resting Fish) (B. CA. 1750 – D. 1815), a Potawatomi leader, respected by members of many tribes, the residents of French Peoria, governor of the Illinois Territory Ninian Edwards, and William Clark, then U.S. agent for Indian Affairs. Gomo advocated neutrality in the conflict between tribes and the United States, sought peace for the Potawatomi of the Illinois Valley, and demanded equal justice for Indians and Americans. He could not stem the tide of American settlement. His nearby village was destroyed in the winter of 1813, but he returned here to live out his days, passing in 1815.