First families to arrive in Marion County

<p style="font-weight: 400;">First off, it should be noted that Native Americans lived in the dense forests and marshlands of the land that became <strong><a href= "https://www.indy.gov/">Marion County</a></strong> before any settlers of European heritage arrived. In particular, the <a href= "https://delawaretribe.org/blog/2014/05/24/the-lenape-on-the-wapahani-river/"><strong>Lenape</strong></a> tribe of Indians (called the Delaware by white settlers) had established villages in the central Indiana region.</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Then other people began to filter into the wilderness of Marion County circa 1820. At some point in early 1819, a basket maker named Ute Perkins wandered through and built a cabin. He didn’t stay too long; historians say he felt lonely and isolated in the dark woods and left to settle in </span><a style="font-weight: 400;" href= "https://rushcounty.in.gov/"><strong>Rush County</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>