Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Internationally known Potawatomi artist Mary Masters will make an appearance at the Old Jail Museum Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This is the fifth annual appearance for the sculptor and story-teller, according to Jeanie Jones, museum director.
Masters has created lifelike figures from clay for the last 12 years, with a focus on legendary Indian personalities. She also has crafted prized collections of Santa Clauses from various countries.
Following the Native American tradition, the great-great-great-granddaughter of Chief Pierre Moran and a descendant of Chief Shipshewana embellishes each foot-tall figure with finely crafted detail. She relates all the stories in glorious detail, too.
A few years ago Masters tracked down the legend of Chief Pierre Moran.
"I knew he was tall and handsome and deformed, but I didn't know why. So I went to my local museum and asked them to help me find out why.
"They didn't know what happened to him, but they let me go through the filing cabinets and see what I could find.
"Pierre Moran was the last chief in Elkhart and there had to be something written about him.
"I was about to give up, until I came across an old yellow Elkhart Truth newspaper article, written by a Dr. Beardley in the 1800s. It was about my grandmother's marrying time.
"Men came from all over and laid down their gifts. She was supposed to pick out one man to marry and could not make up her mind between two individuals.
"So they had a hand-to-hand battle and Chief Moran won.
"That night, when the Chief was asleep, the loser entered the wig-wom and bit off the Chief's nose.
"The other man fled. Moran knew he must kill the other man or he could never show his face again. He had enough time to grab his knife and a blanket and was fast on the heels of the man who bit off his nose.
"The next morning grandmother got up and went to the Chief's hut. He was not there. All that remained was blood. The men said he was killed and dragged away. They urged her to choose another man to marry. She decided to wait. Two moons passed and the chief did not return.
"My grandmother reluctantly chose another man to marry. On the day of the wedding, Chief Pierre Moran showed up just in time and gave his new bride the scalp of the man who bit off his nose.
"Chief Pierre Moran and my grandmother were married and lived in Elkhart.
"Not having a nose bothered the Chief, so Dr. Beardley made him one out of wax. Every time he met someone new, he would put his wax nose on.
"Chief Pierre Moran and the doctor became friends and the Doctor settled down in Elkhart, eventually starting Miles Laboratory."
There is no admission charge at the Old Jail Museum, 121 N. Indiana, Warsaw. For more information call 269-1078.
On the Net: members.aol.com/masterspc
