The Town of Wanatah
Early in the 1800's there was an American Indian of the Potowatomi tribe named "Wanatah" who maintained a village near the present day location of the Town of Wanatah. The name Wanatah, according to the book "Indiana Place Names", means "He Who Charges His Enemies" or "The Charger". Wanatah was the son of "Red Thunder" and the brother-in-law of the British Colonel Robert Dixon. Wanatah may have earned his name during the War of 1812 Battle of Fort Stevenson, where he was wounded. Other interpretations of the name Wanatah have been in the history and lore of the people of the area. One such interpretation has the name of Wanatah meaning "Knee-Deep-In-Mud". One can only imagine two farmers standing in their fields of the marsh prairie of the 1800's after several heavy rains and asking " I wonder what the word Wanatah means?" The Town of Wanatah, Indiana was platted in the year 1865. More information can be be found by reading the many history books about he area and by joining the Wanatah Historical Society.
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