Pierre Jerome Wasamimet was born about March of 1809, probably at the Abenaki village of Odanak in Quebec. He was known at Odanak by the name Jerome Wasamimet. He was the son of Francois Pierre Wasamimet and Marie Josephte Annance, both Abenaki of that village. The family also had a grant of land at Durham PQ received in 1805. Francois Pierre Wasamimet served the position of Chief at Odanak and was a British soldier during the War of 1812.
On 12-Feb-1828 Jerome married Marie Cecile Portneuf in the Catholic Church at St. Francois du-Lac (Odanak) in Quebec. Together they had at least 5 children, only one, Jean Jerome b. 8-Oct-1835, appears to have survived to adulthood.
Jerome, his brother Elijah (aka Lazare & Eleazar) Wasamimet, and their cousin, Louis Annance were all well known in the Rangeley Lakes region of Maine in the 1830s and 1840s. Louis Annance moved his family further east to Moosehead Lake while Jerome & Elijah went to Sharon Springs NY. At Sharon Springs they joined with their sister's family, that of Francois Lagrave aka Frank Brazil.
While living in the Rangeley area, Jerome and other Abenaki of the region frequented the home of Rev. Richard Lombard, who had moved up to Wilson's Mills from Gorham about 1825. Here Jerome met and fell in love with the Reverend's daughter, Catherine. Also while here he was converted to and baptized in the Methodist Religion by his future father-in-law.
Jerome & Catherine arrive at Sharon Springs about 1851. At Sharon Springs we find Jerome along with brother Elijah and sister Lucy's family all working as basket makers in an 1855 Census of that town. At Sharon Springs all of the Wasamimets are found using the surname Emmett and Jerome is now called Peter. They have not been located in the 1850 or 1860 Federal Census. In the 1870 Federal Census, we find Peter J. Emmett and family at Herkimer NY still making baskets. In the 1880 Federal Census, we find Peter Emmett as a farm laborer at Orleans NY.
Jean Jerome Wasamimet, a son by Jerome's first wife, remained with family at Odanak and married there on 4-Jul-1859 to Angelique Dauphine in the Catholic Church at Pierreville, Quebec.
With Catherine, Peter had 1 daughter and 2 sons. Their first child, Eunice A. Emmett, was born about 1847 somewhere in Otsego County, NY according to some records. She married Henry Williams and they were living in Richfield Springs, NY in 1870. She was still living in Oct. of 1912.
Their second child was a son, Gordon Z. Emmett, born about 1858 also in Otsego County, NY according to some records. He married before 1870 to a woman named Helen and they are found living next to his father in the 1870 & 1880 Census. In the 1900 Census, he was found at Thousand Island Park, NY.
The youngest child was Henry Huntington Emmett, born 31-Jan-1852 probably at Sharon Springs, NY. He became a much beloved Baptist minister and was a well known lecturer on the subject of North American Indians in his later years.
Peter Jerome Emmett died 8-Feb-1900 at Warsaw NY. His widow, Catherine, died at the age of 98, on 12-Oct-1912 also at Warsaw. She was survived by their Daughter, Eunice.
- Biography by Canyon Wolf for Ne-Do-Ba
