A number of rivers including the Wabash, Eel, St. Mary's and St. Joseph's flow through the county, making a travel way from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi.
As early as 1634 the Ottawa Indians were in the Allen County area, but by 1670 the Iroquois had gained control of the area, pushing out the Ottawa. In 1679 there was a Miami village, located at the site of the present county seat of Fort Wayne, known as Kekionga or Kiskakon, and later known as "Miamitown". Fort Wayne was used as a trading post by 1686 and was also a treaty site. The fort was established by Anthony Wayne who name it Fort Wayne.
Fort Wayne was the home of Michikinikwa (Little Turtle) who died there on July 14, 1812. On November 28, 1840, a treaty was made and concluded at the Forks of the Wabash for the removal of the Miami tribe from Indiana. By 1846 many of the tribe had left for the Kansas Territory.
Between 1822 and 1846, 468 miles of the Wabash and Erie Canal had been built, with the first section linking Fort Wayne and Huntington completed in 1835. The canal laborers were predominantly Irish. By the time of it's completion in 1853, the coming of the railroad numbered the canal's days.
