Hononegah had a strong influence on the Roscoe-Rockton area; the high school of the four towns and the main thoroughfare connecting the towns are both named after her.
15 Facts About Hononegah
1.
2.
Hononegah is first seen as living in a village along the Rock River in what is Ogle County, Illinois, and at the time of her birth, there is no evidence of the Winnebago living in this area until 1824 when Thomas Forsyth reports the existence of twelve to fourteen Winnebago villages located on the Rock River and its tributaries south of Lake Koshkonong.
3.
Hononegah was portrayed by Carr as a Pottawatomie princess and a daughter of a chief.
4.
Hononegah's father, known only by his English name "Blacksmith", was at least half Winnebago and part Pottawatomie.
5.
How and when Hononegah met Mack has not survived, only a vague tradition that Mack had become sick from fever and that Hononegah nursed him back to health.
6.
One story indicates that on one occasion Hononegah hid Mack in a barrel, and in another story, Hononegah met Mack in the woods to warn him of a plot to murder him.
7.
Mack would have been about 31, while Hononegah was just 15.
8.
Eight additional children were born to Stephen Mack and Hononegah: Mary born July 15,1832; William H born On September 14,1834; Louisa born May 6,1836; Thomas H born Feb 9,1838; Henry C born Dec 1,1839; Edward born Dec 3,1841; Matilda born Nov 26,1843 and Caroline born Oct 16,1845.
9.
In 1840 Mack and Hononegah were married in Winnebago County, Illinois by William Hulin, Justice of the Peace.
10.
On May 9,1832, Mack and Hononegah were run out of their trading post by Black Hawk's warriors who were sent there to confiscate Mack's supply of gunpowder.
11.
At this juncture, there is another romance about how Mack hid out on Webber's Island and that Hononegah brought Mack food and fresh water until Black Hawk's warriors had left, but this story is doubtful.
12.
Hononegah was highly knowledgeable in herbal medicine and was often called upon by everyone when they became sick.
13.
Hononegah liked designing her own clothes and decorating them with beadwork.
14.
Hononegah's health had been failing for several months but was not so as to prevent her from taking the ordinary care of her family until she was attacked by what the doctor called a bilious fever but what I called a lung fever - of this she was sick eight or nine days and died.
15.
Hononegah was sensible to the last moment and took leave of her children and friends a few hours before she died.