DeSoto's Midwestern Trail
by Donald E. SheppardThe King's Agent with a scouting party for Hernando de Soto's illfated Conquest of 1541 reported that, "...we traveled eight days (northward from Terre Haute, Indiana) through an uninhabited land (Indians fled with news of Spain's arrival)... through many great swampy lakes where we did not even find trees but rather some great plains where the grass was so tall and so strong that even with the horses we could not force our way through it (guides could not be found to lead DeSoto's scouts to better trails). At the end of this time, we arrived at some Indian houses (at Chicago, having followed the route of Illinois Highway 1 camping near Paris, Ridge Farm, Danville, Hoopston, Watseka, Kankakee and Beecher each of seven nights on the road - while headed to the Great Northern Sea, their destination)... houses were covered with sewn reeds. When the Indians wish to carry them away they roll up the reeds of the covering and an Indian man carries it and the woman carries the framework of poles over which it is placed, and it is set up and taken down so easily that even if they moved every hour they could carry their houses with them." ©University of Alabama Press
The next day, having spent the night of July 8th, 1541, under a Full Moon on the lakeshore at Chicago... "we found out from these Indians (when asked if there was an ocean or village beyond Chicago) that there were (only) some little settlements of that sort across the land, and all they did was set up their house where there were many deer, or on a swamp where there were many fish, and when they had frightened away the game and could not catch fish as easily as at first, they moved from there with their homes and all that they owned and went away to another place where they could find fresh game. This province was called Caluci (lands north of Kankakee River; the Provincial boundary); they were people that paid little attention to sowing (planting), because they maintained themselves on fish and meat. We returned to the town of Pacaha (Terre Haute)... Having seen that there was no road to traverse to the other sea... (the Pacific Ocean...)"
Spanish Galleons cruised the World's Oceans on "roads," but no road to the World's Oceans could exist across Lake Michigan because it is landlocked. There are no Ocean tides or salt in it. The King's Agent had perceived that at once at Chicago. Spanish Conquest of North America, and Hernando de Soto's career, ended then and there. Spain never returned for a second look; Portugal would continue to control European shipping to and from the Orient by sailing around Africa, their half of the New World according to the Pope's decree. France and England, oblivious to what the Spaniards learned at Lake Michigan, would continue the search for a northern passage for the rest of that century. DeSoto, likewise oblivious to the news for the next week, continued to amuse himself with his power over the natives while waiting BACK IN INDIANA.