Notable people · Native Leader · Diplomat
White Eyes (Koquethagechton)
Lenape (Delaware) leader who established White Eyes' Town near the Lenape capital of Coshocton and made the 1778 Treaty of Fort Pitt with the Americans. He died during the 1778 expedition.
At a glance
- Born
- 1730
- Died
- 1778-11-05
- Known as
- Native Leader, Diplomat
Life story
White Eyes, Koquethagechton, was a Lenape leader born around 1730 near Somerset, Pennsylvania. In the early 1770s he set up White Eyes' Town near Coshocton in Ohio.
He became speaker of the Delaware council in 1773 and principal chief in 1774, and he worked to keep his people out of Dunmore's War. In 1776 he spoke before the Continental Congress in Philadelphia.
In 1778 he signed the Treaty of Fort Pitt, which promised the Lenape a possible state with a seat in Congress. It was never carried out.
He died in November 1778 while with General McIntosh's expedition. The Americans said smallpox; the Indian agent George Morgan alleged he was murdered by militia. His son George Morgan White Eyes went to Princeton, and White Eyes Township in Coshocton County is named for him.
Timeline
- 1730: Born (about) (near Somerset, PA) source
- 1770: Settles near Coshocton (early 1770s) (Coshocton, OH) source
- 1773: Becomes speaker of the Delaware council (Goschachgunk, OH) source
- 1774: Named principal chief (Ohio Country) source
- 1776-04: Addresses the Continental Congress (Philadelphia, PA) source
- 1778: Signs the Treaty of Fort Pitt (Pittsburgh, PA) source
- 1778-11-05: Dies on McIntosh's expedition (Ohio Country) source
What White is known for
- Signed the 1778 Treaty of Fort Pitt
Honors and things named for them
- White Eyes Township, Coshocton County, OH
- Historical marker in Ohio
Family
- wife: Rachel Doddridge
- son: George Morgan White Eyes
Ohio places
Where White Eyes (Koquethagechton) was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Lived: Coshocton, Coshocton County (White Eyes' Town near Goschachgunk (stand-in)) ZIP 43812 (approximate) · Coshocton · Coshocton County
Myths and corrections
- The 1778 Fort Pitt treaty's promise of a Lenape state is described as written in the treaty; it was never carried out.
- Disputed: American officials said White Eyes died of smallpox in 1778. Indian agent George Morgan alleged that he was murdered by militiamen.
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.
- Wikipedia: White Eyes born c.1730, died Nov 5 1778, White Eyes' Town near Coshocton, Fort Pitt treaty