With the announced demise by GM of the Pontiac division, many people have wondered just how Pontiac got its name. If you haven’t heard it before, It’s a pretty nice story.

Pontiac is named after a great Ottawa Indian chief who fought the British during the colonial days some 250 years ago.

This chief became the leader of three combined tribes in battling the British. Those would be the Chippewa, Potawatomie and Ottawa Indian tribes.

It is thought that Pontiac was there on the day that British General Edward Braddock was killed close to modern day Pittsburgh, PA. George Washington would have been there since he was an aide to Braddock at the time.

Pontiac was eventually killed in a visit to Cahokia, IL by a young Peoria Indian. His body was then buried in St. Louis, close to the current downtown area of the city.

Amazingly, the current city of Pontiac, MI was named in his honor and founded in 1819.

In 1926, GM bought the Oakland Motor Co in Pontiac, MI and renamed the cars Pontiac, after this great Indian chief.