As early as 1795, the Potawatomi had a mile-long village on the Pike River near here called Kee-neau-sha-Kau-ning, meaning “the pickerel’s abiding place,” and it was noted for the abundance of fish. The Potawatomi rendezvoused there every spring during maple sugar time and put up their supply of fish for the summer. After the War of 1812, the U.S. government increased pressure on the Potawatomi to cede their lands. In 1833, the Potawatomi signed the Treaty of Chicago, ceding their land, and by 1838 many were forcibly removed west of the Mississippi. Others resisted removal and remained in Wisconsin, while the villages at Kenosha, Racine, and Waukegan moved to Canada. Kenosha takes its name from the Potawatomi village.