Jean La Lime

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Jean La Lime (died June 17, 1812 in Chicago, Illinois). La Lime first arrived in the Chicago area on August 17, 1792 as an agent for William Burnett. In 1803, he worked to purchase the homestead of Jean Baptiste Point du Sable for Burnett, although within a year it was owned by Burnett's partner, John Kinzie. From 1804 until his death, he worked as an Indian interpreter at Fort Dearborn. An improperly set broken leg during the winter of 1809 left La Lime lame.

On June 17, 1812, La Lime got into a quarrel with Kinzie who killed him. Kinzie was eventually exonerated of the murder when Nathan Heald, the captain of Fort Dearborn determined he had acted in self-defense. There is speculation that La Lime was acting as an informant on the corrupt activities within the fort and Kinzie killed him to silence him. Death threats had been made to La Lime as early as April of that year. La Lime was originally buried within sight of Kinzie's house, Kinzie made sure to maintain the site properly. After Kinzie's death, his son, John H. Kinzie, exhumed La Lime's bones and buried within the churchyard of St. James Church.

In 1891, a coffin was washed discovered at Wabash Avenue and Illinois Street. The bones inside were believed to be La Lime's and are currently in the possession of the Chicago Historical Society.