Places: the Richardville House, Fort Wayne, Indiana

Not all Native tribes used tipis.  Natives lived in a variety of homes including longhouses, wigwams, chickees and even cabins.  Some tribal leaders built homes that were the equal of those of their White neighbors.  While most of these homes reflected the individual's status as a prosperous trader or planter, others were 'treaty homes'.  I.e., part of the funding for the home came from kickbacks received for signing away tribal land to the United States government.  Today, that would likely be considered a form of unethical self-dealing.  However, different eras often have a different take on what constitutes ethics, so the individual reader will have to judge.

Jean-Baptiste Richardville of the Miami came from a prominent Native family.  He was the son of Tacumwah, sister of the Miami leader Pacanne, and a Canadian fur trapper Joseph Drouet de Richerville.  The Richerville name was Anglicized to Richardville.  Jean-Baptiste inherited wealth from both sides of his family.  Tacumwah's family had control of a portage connecting the Little River with the Maumee River.  She also took over her husband's trading business when he decided to return to Canada.  Tacumwah built a successful business, which she eventually turned over to her son.  In addition to profits as a trader, Jean-Baptiste dealt in real estate and made another fortune there.  He inherited his uncle's position within the Miami tribe and did sign a number of treaties ceding land to the United States.  However, he used the land and subsidies he received to settle as many Miami families as he could, to prevent them from facing removal.  The revenues from his own businesses as well as U.S. subsidies went into the building of his home in Fort Wayne, a combination of two popular styles of the period, Federal and Greek Revival. 

The Fort Wayne County Historical Society acquired the home in 1991, restored it and opens it to the public for tours.  Richardville had another home near Huntington, Indiana.  That home is also a historic site, as part of the Forks of the Wabash State Park.