The Biography of Potawatomi Chief Senachwine (Difficult Current). 1744-1831

In April 1812, Chief Senachwine and other Potawatomi chieftains met with Governor Ninian Edwards at Cahokia to discuss relations between the Potawatomi and the United States. Although opposed to offensive war, Senachwine sided with Black Partridge during the Peoria War and commanded a sizable force during the conflict. Senachwine later accompanied the Potawatomi peace delegation, who were escorted by Colonel George Davenport to sign the 1816 Treaty of St. Louis.

Around 1814, a mysterious Baptist preacher and missionary known by Wigby lived in his village. Wigby was allowed to baptize him and later converted Senachwine to Christianity. However, despite Wigby's attempts to dissuade him, Senachwine refused to give up polygamy and retained his several wives. After Wigby's death, he was buried on a high bluff overlooking Senachwine's village.

Senachwine succeeded his brother Gomo as head chieftain of the Illinois River band and was a signatory of several treaties between the Potawatomi and the United States during the 1810s and 1820s. He and Black Partridge would remain the leading chieftains of the Potawatomi for over a decade before their positions of authority and influence were assumed by Shabbona. A year before his death, Senachwine believed that the Potawatomi nation, and eventually all Indians, would eventually become extinct. His son, Kaltoo (or Young Senachwine), succeeded him as chieftain after his death in the summer of 1831.

Monument to Potawatomi Chief Senachwine near Putnam (an unincorporated village) in Putnam County, Illinois.

He was buried on a high bluff overlooking the village, like the missionary Wigby years before, and a wooden monument was placed on his grave. A black flag was also flown from a high pole next to the monument and could be seen from the gravesite for several years afterward. Two years later, his band was removed to the Indian Territory and eventually settled in western Kansas.

In the summer of 1835, twenty-three Potawatomi warriors traveled over 500 miles to visit the gravesite of Senachwine. Their faces blackened, and their heads wrapped in blankets, they performed a ritual invoking the Great Spirit to protect the gravesite and remains of the chieftain. According to a local resident observing the ceremony, the warriors spent several hours knelt around the gravesite as "their wails and lamentations were heard far away." The following morning they performed the "dance of the dead," which continued for several days before departing.

A short time after, Senachwine's grave was robbed of its valuables, including his tomahawk, rifle, several medals, and other personal effects. The chieftain's bones had also been scattered around the site. Members of his band returned to the site to rebury his remains and again placed a wooden monument over his grave. James R. Taliaferro, who had been present at the reburial, later built a cabin near the gravesite and claimed that "Indians from the west at different times made a pilgrimage to the grave."

Gary Wiskigeamatyuk (from left), his son Senachwine, his wife Rosewita, and daughter Kayla visit Chief Senachwine's grave overlooking Senachwine Valley near Putnam. Wiskigeamatyuk is the fifth great-grandson of the legendary Potawatomi chief.

The Sons of the American Revolution chapter in Peoria, Illinois, placed a bronze memorial plaque engraved with his speech to Black Hawk pleading for peace before the Black Hawk War at the supposed burial spot of Senachwine north of present-day Putnam County, Illinois, on June 13, 1937. During the ceremony, an address was given by author P.G. Rennick. Five tribal members of the Potawatomi from Kansas were also in attendance during the ceremony.

Senachwine Indian Mounds. Burial stone monument circled in yellow.

The Putnam village is located west of Senachwine Lake along Route 29, north of Henry, Illinois. The village of some 100 people was originally called Senachwine.

Putnam is the only village in Putnam County on the west side of the Illinois River.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D. 

The History of Baer's Treasure Chest Downtown Chicago's Arcade and Magic Shop.

In November of 1949, Bobby Baer opened his magic store, "Baer's Treasure Chest," at 19 West Randolph Street, across the street from the Oriental Theater in downtown Chicago.

A two-story-high, chase-lighted marquee out front heralded the arrival of Baer's "Treasure Chest" and home of "Chicago's Magic Center." The Treasure Chest front entrance circa 1950.

Inside were rows of skee-ball games, a shooting gallery, many flashing pinball games and coin-consuming mechanical arcade machines. 

In the 1960s & '70s, the Treasure Chest was a hang-out for Navy Cadets on a pass from Fort Sheridan, just north of Highland Park, about an hour's train ride away.

The Illinois General Assembly made "mechanical gambling devices" illegal in 1895. It wasn't until 1942 that the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that pinball machines that awarded free replays would fall under this same category. Because of a bit of political gamesmanship known only to Bobby Baer and certain city councilmen, the new amusement palace was the only arcade licensed within Chicago's Loop, thus allowing pinball machines. The Illinois pinball machine ban was finally overturned in Chicago in early 1977.

Magician Marshall Brodien demonstrating at the Treasure Chest's Magic Center, the upstairs shop that catered to the pros.

Brodien began making semi-regular guest appearances on Bozo's Circus, in which he frequently interacted with the clowns, he began appearing as a wizard character in an Arabian Nights-inspired costume in 1968, and by the early 1970s he evolved into "Wizzo the Wizard."

Marshall Brodien played Wizzo the Wizard on 'The Bozo Show.'

Brodien's TV Magic Cards were first released in November of 1969. TV Magic Show was released in 1972.

The Marshall Brodien Magic Shop in Old Chicago Shopping Mall and Amusement Park in Bolingbrook, Illinois.

Brodien was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2007. Brodien died on March 8, 2019, in Geneva, Illinois, at 84.

When you entered the front door and walked past the counter on the right side, there were stairs leading to an upstairs shop on the right. The entrance had a velvet rope across it and a small sign saying "Abbott's Pro Shop." The rope barrier was to keep out the idly curious. You needed permission from an employee to go upstairs. 

Although the upstairs Pro Shop had professional, high-quality, and expensive magic, the downstairs area had a magic area that sold some professional tricks. 

Further down on the right side were the gag gifts; fake vomit, doggie poop, itching powder, plastic ice cube with a fly inside (my favorite prank), Pepper or Garlic Gum, hand buzzer shockers, and tons more cheap but fun gags.

On the left side, as you entered, were counters and shelving full of jewelry, watches, transistor radios, tape recorders, switchblade combs, and other kinds of "general merchandise." You could get your headline printed on the front page of a faux newspaper, i.e., "Dr. Smith Survives a Flood, Asteroid Strike, and Airplane Crash."

1974 Midway Chopper helicopter coin-operated flying arcade game. It was touchy business making a toy helicopter to fly in slow circles and brush electric contacts with spring feelers before the timer ran out. My personal favorite mechanical game.

Skee-Ball Machines... Win tickets and turn them in at the counter for a cheesy toy.

Examples of the type of pinball games. Not a Treasure Chest photo.

In the back half of the store were all the amusement games, taking up every inch of available floor space: Pinball, mechanical games, and a row of skee-ball machines. Later, they added coin-operated video games but kept some of the money-making vintage games. Lunchtime, 11 AM-1 PM, was also hectic with 'suits' playing games.

In the 1960s, they were open 7 days a week until midnight. A 1960s Tribune Ad shows a second location at 9252 Milwaukee Avenue in Niles.

By 1980, the hours were changed to 9 AM-10 PM Monday through Thursday, 9 AM-midnight on Friday & Saturday, and 12 PM-10 PM on Sunday.

In the 1970s, some people thought the name of the Treasure Chest was "Fun City" because the sign over the door read: "Entrance to FUN CITY." Note that the length of the front windows was at some point elongated from about 5' to the door in the 1950s photo above to approximately 15' to get in the door. All the merchandise in the windows drew you in like a magnet.

Baer's Treasure Chest closed sometime in 1985 after a fire in the 17-19 W. Randolph building.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.