Description: This image is an engraved portrait of Major Ebenezer Denny (1761-1882), Revolutionary War soldier and first mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In this portrait, Denny is wearing a ruffled shirt and a high-collared waistcoat and coat. This engraving appears opposite the title page of his book "Military Journal of Major Ebenezer Denny, An Officer in the Revolutionary and Indian Wars" (1859), published in Philadelphia. Denny was born March 11, 1761, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and joined the Continental Army in 1778. He witnessed the British surrender at the 1781 Siege of Yorktown (Yorktown, Virginia) and wrote a description of that event in his war journal. It is one of the most frequently quoted accounts of the event. After the Revolutionary War, Denny also witnessed two of the worst military defeats of U.S. military forces by American Indians: Harmar’s Campaign and St. Clair’s Defeat. Both events occurred in the Northwest Territory, in present-day Ohio. In fall 1790, Josiah Harmar, commander of the U.S. army in the Northwest Territory, was stationed at Fort Washington (present-day Cincinnati). He received orders from Secretary of War Henry Knox to end the threat of American Indian attack in western Ohio. Harmar marched from Fort Washington with 320 regular soldiers and roughly 1,100 militiamen, primarily from Pennsylvania and Kentucky. The militiamen were poorly trained and badly equipped, and the U.S. forces were soundly defeated in a series of battles with the American Indian forces led by Miami chief Mishikinakwa (Little Turtle). Following Harmar's defeat, native attacks against settlers increased. In 1791, Major-General Arthur St. Clair, governor of the Northwest Territory, led another campaign against the American Indian tribes in western Ohio, hoping to succeed where Harmar had failed. Lieutenant Ebenezer Denny was St. Clair’s aide-de-camp. St. Clair ordered the construction of forts in what is now western Ohio. He and his men left Fort Washington in September 1791. After a two-day journey, the troops stopped and built Fort Hamilton. Then they advanced forty-five miles northward and built Fort Jefferson. From the beginning of his campaign, St. Clair had trouble with his poorly trained and demoralized troops. Although it was still early fall, his men faced cold temperatures, rain, snowfall, and insufficient food. Despite these problems, St. Clair continued to advance against the Miami natives. By November 3, his men had arrived on the banks of the Wabash River, near some of the Miami villages. The next day Little Turtle, along with Shawnee chief Weyapiersenwah (Blue Jacket), led a large alliance of seasoned volunteer warriors from nine different American Indian tribes against the U.S. troops and soundly defeated them. In his account of the day’s events, Denny wrote, “The ground was literally covered with the dead.” The battle known as “St. Clair’s Defeat” remains the worst defeat of the U.S. Army at the hands of American Indians. On November 19, Denny left for Philadelphia, where he had the unenviable task of informing President George Washington and Secretary of War Knox of the defeat. Washington demanded that St. Clair resign from the army. St. Clair did so on April 7, 1792, but remained governor of the Northwest Territory. In 1794, Washington dispatched General Anthony Wayne to succeed where St. Clair had failed. Wayne defeated the Native Americans at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in August 1794. In 1795, most natives in modern-day Ohio signed the Treaty of Greeneville, relinquishing all of their land holdings in Ohio except what is now the northwestern corner of the state. Denny continued his military service until 1794, when he resigned his commission and settled near Pittsburgh. He entered local politics and held several offices before being elected the city’s first mayor in 1816. He resigned the office in 1817 because of ill health. He died in July 1822. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL07028
Subjects: American Revolutionary War, 1775-1783; Kekionga, Battle of, Ohio, 1791; American Indians--Warfare; Northwest Territory--History; Veterans; Mayors
Places: Carlisle (Pennsylvania); Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania);
 

Description: This photograph shows Olympic athlete and professional football player Jim Thorpe, ca. 1920-1929. Jim (James Francis) Thorpe was born in 1888 in Oklahoma to Hiram P. and Charlotte Thorpe. Both Hiram and Charlotte were of European and American Indian heritage and Jim was raised in the Sac and Fox tribes. In 1904 he was sent to a boarding school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania for American Indian children. While at Carlisle he played multiple sports, including football, lacrosse, baseball, basketball, and track. He left Carlisle in 1909 and 1910 to play professional baseball with teams in Eastern Carolina League in North Carolina. He returned to Carlisle in 1911 for two successful football seasons. In both 1911 and 1912 he was an All-American halfback for football. In 1912 he became the only person to win gold medals in both the pentathlon and decathlon at the Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden. His Olympic celebrity propelled him a three year contract playing professional baseball for the New York Giants. He also played baseball with the Boston Braves and Cincinnati Reds. However, it was as a professional football player that Thorpe was more successful and strongly tied to Ohio. He was associated with four professional or semi-professional football teams in Ohio as a player and coach: the Canton Bulldogs, the Cleveland Tigers, the Oorang Indians based in LaRue, and the Portsmouth Shoe-Steels. His greatest success was with the Canton Bulldogs, which he led to win national championships in 1915, 1916, 1917 and 1919. From 1922-1923 he was a player and coach for the Oorang Indians, a National Football League team comprised of all native players. The majority of the Oorang Indians team members, like Thorpe, had played at Carlisle. The team owner, Robert Lingo, used the team and Thorpes celebrity to advertise his Oorang Kennels Company, particularly his Airedale terriers. Thorpe played another season with the Bulldogs in 1926 and then went to Portsmouth as a player-coach for the semi-professional Portsmouth Shoe-Steels in 1927. This was Thorpes last athletic job. During the 1930s and 1940s he worked a variety of jobs until he died of a heart attack in 1953. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL02916
Subjects: Thorpe, Jim, 1887-1953; Football--Ohio--History; American Indian athletes--United States--History
 

Description: This is a team photograph of the Oorang Tribe football team with Jim Thorpe in the second row center, October 27, 1922. The team, a National Football League franchise, was sponsored and managed by Airedale terrier breeder Walter Lingo. All of the players were Native American. They were based in LaRue, Ohio, the location of Lingo's kennels. Thorpe served as the team coach and a celebrity spokesperson for Oorang Airedales, and played a few games. The team played two disappointing seasons in the NFL during the years 1922 and 1923. In 1922 their record was 5 wins and 8 losses; in 1923, 2 wins and 10 losses. Jim (James Francis) Thorpe was born in 1888 in Oklahoma to Hiram P. and Charlotte Thorpe. Both Hiram and Charlotte were of European and American Indian heritage and Jim was raised in the Sac and Fox tribes. In 1904 he was sent to a boarding school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania for American Indian children. While at Carlisle he played multiple sports, including football, lacrosse, baseball, basketball, and track. He left Carlisle in 1909 and 1910 to play professional baseball with teams in Eastern Carolina League in North Carolina. He returned to Carlisle in 1911 for two successful football seasons. In both 1911 and 1912 he was an All-American halfback for football. In 1912 he became the only person to win gold medals in both the pentathlon and decathlon at the Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden. His Olympic celebrity propelled him a three year contract playing professional baseball for the New York Giants. He also played baseball with the Boston Braves and Cincinnati Reds. However, it was as a professional football player that Thorpe was more successful and strongly tied to Ohio. He was associated with four professional or semi-professional football teams in Ohio as a player and coach: the Canton Bulldogs, the Cleveland Tigers, the Oorang Indians based in LaRue, and the Portsmouth Shoe-Steels. His greatest success was with the Canton Bulldogs, which he led to win national championships in 1915, 1916, 1917 and 1919. From 1922-1923 he was a player and coach for the Oorang Indians, a National Football League team comprised of all native players. The majority of the Oorang Indians team members, like Thorpe, had played at Carlisle. The team owner, Robert Lingo, used the team and Thorpes celebrity to advertise his Oorang Kennels Company, particularly his Airedale terriers. Thorpe played another season with the Bulldogs in 1926 and then went to Portsmouth as a player-coach for the semi-professional Portsmouth Shoe-Steels in 1927. This was Thorpes last athletic job. During the 1930s and 1940s he worked a variety of jobs until he died of a heart attack in 1953. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL07881
Subjects: Thorpe, Jim, 1887-1953; Cultural Ohio--Ohio Sports; Football players; Football--Ohio--History; Sports teams
Places: LaRue (Ohio); Marion County (Ohio)
 

Description: Jim Thorpe avoiding would-be tackler during a football game. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV235_1_12
Subjects: Jim Thorpe (Pa.)--History--20th century--Pictoral works
Places: Carlisle (Pennsylvania); Cumberland County (Pennsylvania)
 

Description: Dated ca. 1907-1912, this photograph shows the Carlisle Indian Industrial School football team, possibly in pregame warmup. One of the players pictured here is Jim Thorpe, a Sac and Fox Native, who was an American athlete, playing professional football and baseball, and an Olympic track gold medalist. Founded by the United States government in 1879, the Carlisle Indian Industrial School was a boarding school for American Indian peoples. Students were taught common school subjects, such as English, history, and math, and also learned professional trade skills for their careers after school. Many American Indians criticized the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, and other boarding schools for native youths, because the schools forced children to leave their families and abandon their native language and culture. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV235_1_23
Subjects: Carlisle Indian Industrial School; Thorpe, Jim 1887-1953; American Indian athletes--United States--History; American Indian history; Education
Places: Carlisle (Pennsylvania); Cumberland County (Pennsylvania)
 

Description: A bronze bust of King of Sweden was presented to Jim Thorpe by the King as winner of the Pentathlon event at the Olympic games in Stockholm, July 1912 View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV235_1_26
Subjects: Jim Thorpe (Pa.)--History--20th century--Pictoral works; Jim Thorpe (Pa.)--Social Life and customs--Pictorial works; Carlisle Indian Industrial School; School sports
Places: Carlisle (Pennsylvania); Cumberland County (Pennsylvania)
 

Description: Dated ca. 1907-1912, this photograph shows the barracks at Carlisle Indian Industrial School. Founded by the United States government in 1879, the Carlisle Indian Industrial School was a boarding school for American Indian peoples. Students were taught common school subjects, such as English, history, and math, and also learned professional trade skills for their careers after school. Many American Indians criticized the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, and other boarding schools for native youths, because the schools forced children to leave their families and abandon their native language and culture. Jim Thorpe attended the Carlisle Indian Industrial School as a young man. Jim Thorpe, a Sac and Fox Native, was an American athlete, playing professional football and baseball, and an Olympic track gold medalist. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV235_1_9
Subjects: Carlisle Indian Industrial School; Thorpe, Jim 1887-1953; American Indian athletes--United States--History; American Indian history; Education
Places: Carlisle (Pennsylvania); Cumberland County (Pennsylvania)