The river that gave its name to the city of Battle Creek is a tributary of the Kalamazoo River, which flows into Lake Michigan. It got its name from a minor encounter that took place in 1824 between a federal government land survey party and two Native Americans of the Potawatomi tribe. The Indians were hungry, because the Army was late in delivering supplies that they had been promised under the terms of a treaty dating from four years earlier; they had approached the survey camp asking for food. After a protracted discussion, the Native Americans allegedly tried to steal food. One of the surveyors grabbed his rifle and shot one of the Potawatomi, seriously wounding him.
The surveyors retreated to Detroit following the encounter, and didn't return until June 1825 – fifteen months later. Early settlers began referring to the river as Battle Creek, and the name was given to the permanent settlement that was established around 1831.
© Haydn Thompson 2021