XV. HISTORICAL DATA. 



BEFORE bringing to a close this treatise on tlie 

 wolves in Pennsylvania, it might be well to men- 

 tion some evidences of their historical antiquity 

 and connection with the early Indians. After the Erie 

 Indians had been vanquished and departed from the 

 region south of Lake Erie it was not occupied by any 

 Indians for a number of years. As a consequence the 

 entire country south of the lake became infested with 

 great packs of wolves. When the distinguishhed ex- 

 plorer, Rene La Salle, passed along the southern shore 

 of Lake Erie, in 1680, the wolves had increased to 

 such numbers as to endanger travel through the entire 

 region. The present Crawford, Mercer arid other 

 Northwestern Counties were swarming with wolves 

 when the first travelers passed through that region. 

 Wolf Creek (or Tummeink, "Place of Wolves"), in 

 Mercer and Butler Counties, is a name which no doubt 

 belongs to this period of wolves. The early French 

 pioneers called the Lenni-Lenape Indians "wolves," 

 because they were first brought into contact with the 

 Munsee, the "Wolf" tribe of the Lenni-Lenape. The 

 name of this clan was "To"ok-seat," meaning "Round 

 Paw," and having reference to the wolf. The Minsi 

 (often confused with the Munsee) was the "Wolf" 

 clan of the Munsee tribe. A Minsi, or Minisink, was a 

 member of the Wolf clan of the Wolf tribe of the 



127 



