Kinzie, Mrs. John H. [Juliette Augusta Magill] (1806–1870)

Wau-Bun, the 'Early Day' in the North-West Wau-Bun, the 'Early Day' in the North-West [Chicago & Frontier History]

A foundational narrative of the American frontier, 'Wau-Bun' (the Potawatomi word for 'dawn') provides a first-hand account of the early days of Chicago and the Northwest Territory. 

This 1856 first edition is a cornerstone of Great Lakes literature, blending Juliette Kinzie’s personal memoirs of the 1830s with critical historical records of the region's transition from a fur-trading outpost to a burgeoning settlement.

KEY FEATURES
+++ Visuals: Features 5 steel-engraved plates, including views of early Chicago (Fort Dearborn), the Agency House at Fort Winnebago, and portraits. 
+++ Binding: Publisher's original blind-stamped decorative cloth; spine retains distinct gilt decoration, though sun-faded as is typical for this mid-century brown cloth. 
+++ Content: A vital primary source detailing the Fort Dearborn Massacre, the lives of the Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) and Potawatomi peoples, and the social dynamics of the fur trade. 
+++ Note: Retains early pencil bookseller notes on the front endpages, providing a glimpse into the item's previous commercial history. 
+++ Rarity: While the 1857 and 1873 reprints are common, the 1856 Derby & Jackson first edition is increasingly scarce in the original cloth. 

CONDITION: Good -- Binding remains firm and structurally sound despite external wear. The spine tips and corners are rubbed; the top spine band is pulled with a one-inch split along the front joint. The cloth is sun-faded. Internally, pages are moderately toned with foxing to the preliminaries and the steel plates. A light marginal tidemark is present at the lower gutter and outer edge affecting the text through page 52, not interfering with legibility. 
+++ Specs: 9 inches tall / xii, 13-498 pages. Unrestored First Edition.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE - 
Juliette Kinzie was the wife of John Harris Kinzie, a high-ranking agent for the American Fur Company and a central figure in the development of Chicago. 'Wau-Bun' is far more than a pioneer memoir; it is a sophisticated literary work that captures the specific cultural intersection of the Great Lakes before the arrival of the railroad. Kinzie’s perspective is unique for her era, offering a nuanced, if colonial, look at the Native American tribes she lived among at Fort Winnebago.

The book’s enduring value lies in its documentation of the 'Old Northwest' at the moment of its disappearance. Kinzie preserved oral histories of the 1812 Fort Dearborn Massacre and detailed the daily operations of the fur trade that might otherwise have been lost.

This book remains one of the most cited and celebrated accounts of 19th-century Illinois and Wisconsin history.

SUBJECTS: Chicago History, Fort Dearborn, Northwest Territory, Fur Trade, Native American History, Wisconsin History, Pioneer Women, Great Lakes, Memoir, Americana, Frontier Literature, First Edition.

Item #21539

Price: $295.00