Mary Harris

• General Notes
  • Harris. Mary Harris. Taken prisoner by Munsee Delaware between 1730 and 1740 and taken to the Muskingum River Valley (OH). She married "Eagle Feather" and became a prominent squaw. The Indian village at the forks of the Muskingum became known as "white woman's town" in honor of Harris. It was here she conferred with Christopher Gist, George Grogham, William Trent, Andrew Montour, Barnaby Curran and other traders and employees of the Ohio Company. She had no children and Eagle Feather showed up one day with a new White woman he had captured during one of his forays. Harris was unhappy with the "new comer." Eagle Feather and the "new comer" went to the woods one day and returned to the wigwam late that evening. Harris was asleep. Later that same night, Eagle Feather's head was split open and the "new comer" was gone. The warriors of the village chased-down "new comer" and killed her—leaving her body on the ground. Barnaby Curran and a few of his Indian friends buried the body later that same night and the site of the village became known as "Newcomer's Town" around 1751. When the Delaware chief-Netawatwees lived there around 1760, he kept the name—as it replicated his own name when spoken in English.
    
    Compiler's note: The above story may or may not be true. Christopher Gist and others did mention Harris and Eagle Feather was killed. Harris remarried, had children, and moved away. The fact that Netawatwees name translates as "newcomer" seems almost too much of a coincidence. But, don't tell the people of Newcomer's Town, OH that the story seems a little phony. They swear it's true, and besides it's a more interesting name than Cleveland.