Pete Smith was a Black pioneer who is thought to be the first non-Native American to live in the area that became . Through his efforts, the first white settlers survived once they arrived at the area. Smith did not leave personal records, but settlers’ reminiscences written down 60 or more years after the fact yield information about his life.
The Treaty of St. Mary’s (October 6, 1818) set the terms for land exchange west of the Mississippi River for Delaware Nation land in Central Indiana. It also called for the removal of the White River Delaware from Indiana, with the aim of accommodating white settlement on the newly acquired lands. Trader had lived in this area, which became , since 1802, and he began purchasing government land to resell to the new settlers.
In April 1819, a group of these settlers from southern Indiana staked a claim in the new territory to an area called Horseshoe Prairie. The settlers created a community by constructing cabins, clearing the land, and growing crops.
Some Delaware families did not leave the area after the signing of the Treaty of St. Mary’s. Pete Smith lived with one of these families and showed up one day at Horseshoe Prairie. Pioneer journal entries and later settler reminiscences described him as having a “good disposition,” “a kind heart,” “ready to assist,” “intelligent,” and “thoroughly honest.” He attracted attention because no one expected to see a Black man in this area. Smith offered to help the pioneers in any way possible.
Settlers’ memories recalled a day in June 1891 when a pioneer woman, a Mrs. Finch, left her muddy shoes outside her cabin. When they went missing, the settlers suspected someone from the remaining Delaware Nation stole the shoes. Smith counseled the settlers to avoid a confrontation and to allow him time to solve the problem. The next morning Mrs. Finch’s shoes appeared outside her cabin. Smith offered no explanation for the reappearance of the shoes, but, according to one account, “He was the hero of the little colony.”
Smith became a trusted friend of the settlers and repeatedly proved his worth to them. That summer, malaria ravaged the settlement. After George Shirts’ wife became the first casualty, Smith helped the widower to raise corn. Others died and many were too sick to work. Smith continued to offer his help to the labor-strapped settlers.
In 1820, William Conner hired Smith to raise a field of corn and trap independently, as Conner was occupied with political affairs, including the new state capital.
By 1821, speculators from Kentucky, seeking to purchase land for resale, saw Smith and returned with documents that stated Pete Smith was an enslaved individual who had escaped from his farm. Smith denied knowing the man. The settlers confronted the Kentuckian, with one settler recalling, “It created intense excitement and there might have been a lynching of the slave-hunters.” At this point, William Conner appeared.
The settlers appealed to Conner for help to free Smith. Instead, Conner examined the documents and announced their legality. He warned the settlers to not interfere, else they would break the law. The Kentuckian took Smith away.
Indiana Freedom Trails, a group dedicated to the study of the Underground Railroad in Indiana may have uncovered information about Pete Smith. They have found a story about an enslaved individual named Peter who escaped from a Kentucky enslaver in August of 1821.
Nearly recaptured in Wayne County, Indiana, in 1825, a local group of people broke into the jail where Peter was held and freed him. He escaped and was not heard from again.
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