Kinzie Mansion Plaque

This plaque is inscribed as follows: "Kinzie Mansion. Near this site stood Kinzie Mansion, 1784-1832, Home of Pointe Du Saible, Le Mai, and John Kinzie. Chicago's "First Civilian" here was born, in 1805, the city's first white child, Ellen Marion Kinzie.- Erected by Chicago's Charter Jubilee - Authenticated by Chicago Historical Society - 1937."
Photo ©: Jyoti Srivastava

Title

Kinzie Mansion Plaque

Date

1937

Artist

Vernacular

Location

Storage

Context

The establishment of “whiteness” as a key component in the founding history of Chicago is expressed explicitly in the inscription of this plaque, commemorating one of the city’s early non-native settlers, John Kinzie: "Kinzie Mansion. Near this site stood Kinzie Mansion, 1784-1832, Home of Pointe Du Saible, Le Mai, and John Kinzie. Chicago's "First Civilian" here was born, in 1805, the city's first white child, Ellen Marion Kinzie.- Erected by Chicago's Charter Jubilee - Authenticated by Chicago Historical Society - 1937."