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The Great Plains

Garnet, Montana, part 6
Stringham’s General Grocery Store in Garnet, Montana, was a keen rival of the general store owned by Frank Davey. Stringham also delivered goods to miners at their claims.
Garnet, Montana, part 5
Garnet, Montana’s blacksmith sometime between 1896 and 1900. Billy Liberty was the blacksmith and made just about everything from horseshoes to ore wagons.
Garnet, Montana, part 4
Frank A. Davey built Davey’s Store in Garnet, Montana in 1898. The store had an icehouse for storing perishables and contained secret compartments for storing gold that awaited shipment.
Garnet, Montana, part 3
Robert Moore builds the ‘Bob Moore Saloon,’ in Garnet, Montana, then sells it to L. P. Kelly who sells a part-interest to Thomas Fraser. The saloon changes hands two more times but Kelly continues to run it.
Garnet, Montana, part 2
Due to the Sherman Silver Purchase Act both gold and silver mines began shutting down. Now there were thousands of miners out of work, tramping across the land, looking for employment and something to eat.
Garnet, Montana, part 1
The more profitable years in the gold-boom town of Garnet, Montana began in 1895, by gold miners who were more concerned with the riches that lay below ground than constructing an aboveground metropolis. However, like other mining towns, it did flourish, at least for a time.
Stormy Petrel and the Blizzard of 1871: part 5
Throughout the long cold day Stormy waits alone inside the wagon. At the close of day the wind increases and gradually grows colder. She can only wonder if her husband and brothers have perished in the storm.
Stormy Petrel and the Blizzard of 1871: part 4
After spending a frigid night camping the Stormy and the three men awake to a blowing gale and the fact that they are nearly buried in snow. The three men leave Stormy in the wagon and head through the blizzard for a small town near by.
Stormy Petrel and the Blizzard of 1871: part 3
In the warm balmy November weather in Kansas Stormy and the three men prepare for an extended camping trip to hunt buffalo. They give no consideration that the plains weather could make a dire turn for the worse.
Stormy Petrel and the Blizzard of 1871: part 2
Stormy attempts Kansas frontier housekeeping while her brothers scratch the prairie ground and plant their seeds, then lounge upon the porch waiting for their crops to grow and for the rain that never comes.
Stormy Petrel and the Blizzard of 1871: part 1
A young woman of high-born but penniless English birth migrates to America and settles on the Kansas Plains with two of her brothers. They stake a claim and plan to farm, though none of them have the slightest idea of how to go about it.
Abilene, Kansas, part 6
Hickok’s term as Abilene’s marshal ends and the town decided not to invite the Texans and their cows back. The booming time of the cattle drives to the Kansas railheads forcibly and legally comes to a close due to a tick.
Abilene, Kansas, part 5
James “Wild Bill” Hickok, was hired on April 15, 1871, as marshal of Abilene, Kansas. He served one year. The town was somewhat calmer when Hickok took over, compared to its wilder past, even with gunslingers Ben and Billy Thompson and John Wesley Hardin hanging around.
Putting Food By, part 8
Back in another century a lot of folks thought tomatoes, referred to as love apples, were pure deadly poison. Fortunately, President Thomas Jefferson did not believe this and proved it.
Putting Food By, part 7
Grits are made after you’ve made hominy and dried some of it for grinding. This will be ‘true grits’ rather than that scion of grainy wallpaper paste that cooks in three minutes and comes, today, in a box from the grocery store.
Putting Food By, part 6
There are two methods for making hominy. One calls for using baking soda, while the other uses lye created from wood ashes.
Putting Food By: part 5
Processing vegetables in a pressure cooker is a bit trickier than doing it in a water bath. You should have the instructions for your cooker handy. Here are some basic instructions and helpful hints.
Putting Food By: part 4
In preparing corn for canning, first you need to blanch the ears and it’s easier to do with the corn still on the cob. You can blanch 3 or 4 ears in boiling water in about 6 to 8 minutes.
Putting Food By: part 3
Corn is a low-acid vegetable, meaning just that. There is very little acid in it, unlike tomatoes and fruits. Because of the low acid it is necessary to use a pressure cooker to can corn.
Putting Food By: part 2
By fall you’ve probably had so much corn on the cob that you don’t figure you’ll ever want to see another one ever again. But now it’s time to can the last of those golden kernels. Come a cold January you’ll be glad that you did.
Putting Food By: part 1
Fall is quickly creeping upon us out here on the plains. It’s harvest time. Now is the time to gather in what garden stuff is left to be picked before that first frost sneaks up on you.
Abilene, Kansas, part 4
In spite of the fact that the origin of its name is biblical, Abilene, Kansas was about as unbiblical as any hell-raising and gun-shooting town on the plains could be. IT was a cow town and each season its wild reputation expanded as hundreds of cowboys arrived.
Abilene, Kansas, part 3
Around the stove at the General Store was placed a circle of chairs, ready and waiting for customers and gossipers alike to take a rest.
Abilene, Kansas, part 2
Early on, in the late 1860s, one of the most important businesses in Abilene was the Frontier Store, ran by William S. “Doc” Moon.
Abilene, Kansas, part 1
Timothy F. Hersey, a migrant from Illinois, was the first settler to claim land near the site of the future Abilene. In July of 1857, he staked a claim on the bare west bank of Mud Creek just north of the Smoky Hill.
Towns on the Plains: An Introduction, part 4
Towns in the west drew all types of folks. Right along side preachers, teachers, doctors, and lawyers were the bad guys—and gals. These rambling kind of citizens came in the form of gamblers, gunfighters, bank robbers and other outlaws, as well as madams and her girls who were often referred to as ‘Soiled Doves.’ To keep these folks in line you hired a sheriff.
Towns on the Plains: An Introduction, part 3
Not everyone who moved onto the Plains became a homesteader. Some folks saw the wide-open Plains as a place to start towns. So the first big question might be, why start a town? It might be because the railroad was coming through, or gold had been discovered nearby, or any of a dozen different reasons. But once that was known the next question was, how do you start a town?
Towns on the Plains: An Introduction, part 2
On April 22, 1889, at noon, present-day Oklahoma was opened to white settlers. Long before that date folks started arriving ready to stake their claims. For what was called the Oklahoma Land Rush homesteaders and a lot of other kinds of folks, including Indians, gathered by the thousands.
Towns on the Plains: An Introduction, part 1
Towns on the Great Plains were started for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it would be because of a railroad coming through, or because gold had been discovered near by. Some towns lasted through the years and are still there today. Some just dwindled away and became ghost towns.
Old Fort Benton
The building of the original Fort Benton by the newly reconstructed Missouri Fur Company under the direction of Joshua Pilcher was due to Mexico’s 1821 independence from Spain as well as the continued interest in trapping in the Mexican mountains. The aim of the fort’s owners was to establish trade with the Blackfeet Indians.
The Battle at Beecher’s Island, 1868, part 4
Although Cheyenne Chief Roman Nose has been killed the Indians continue to assault the men on Beecher’s Island for several days. Forsyth and his men are without food and wait several days before help arrive.
The Battle at Beecher’s Island, 1868, part 3
Cheyenne Chief Roman Nose, in spite of a taboo he has broken, leads his warriors against Major George Alexander Forsyth’s men who are presenting a defense on what will later be called Beecher’s Island.
The Battle at Beecher’s Island, 1868, part 2
The Indians begin to attack Major George Alexander Forsyth and his men. There is only one route of escape open to them but Forsyth rejects this, believing it is a trap. Instead, he takes his men to an island located in the middle of the river. There, they dig in, preparing for the assult.
The Battle at Beecher’s Island, 1868, part 1
Major George Alexander Forsyth of the Ninth Cavalry and aides-de-camps, in 1868, to General Sheridan is authorized to raise a company of scouts from Forts Harker and Hayes, Kansas for a campaign against some Cheyenne, who had been raiding and killing across Kansas. Forsyth’s second in command is Lieutenant Frederick H. Beecher of the Third Infantry, a nephew of the famed Henry Ward Beecher.
Cheyenne Uprising
In July of 1868, the Cheyenne gathered at Fort Larned, Kansas to receive annuities as directed by the Medicine Lodge Treaty. A part of those annuities were guns and ammunition for hunting because some Cheyenne had gone on a raid Superintendent Murphy decided not to give these Indians the arms. He later relented but it was too late. An Indian War was already in progress.
Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851
Due to the 1848 discovery of gold in California traffic along the Oregon and California Trails experienced a tremendous increase. The United States government now saw fit to attempt to move the Native Americans out of the way of white progress by means of a treaty.
The Boy Sitting Bull
Sitting Bull’s was born sometime around March of 1831 near the Ree River, now called Grand River on the Northern Plains of America. As a Lakota Sioux, he was born into the Hunkpapa clan. But as an infant he was not called Sitting Bull. At the time, that named belonged to his father.
Parker’s Fort, Texas, part 2
Parker’s Fort was established in 1834, by John Parker, a staunch Baptist preacher from Virginia. He was the grandfather of the famed Cynthia Ann Parker who was captured by the Comanches.
Parker’s Fort, Texas, part 1
Parker’s Fort was established in 1834, by John Parker, a staunch Baptist preacher from Virginia. He was the grandfather of the famed Cynthia Ann Parker who was captured by the Comanches.
The Osage and the Spider
An Osage chief, while looking for a great animal to use as a symbol for his clan, becomes entangled in a spider’s web.
Bent’s Fort, Colorado, part 3
Bent had a partner in his fort and trading concern, Ceran St. Vrain. Ceran was also of a family well known in the history of St. Louis. The partnership of Bent and St. Vrain was the name of one of the most important of the fur trading firms. It ranked next to the American Fur Company in the amount of business that it transacted in the period about 1840.
Bent’s Fort, Colorado, part 2
The construction of Bent’s Fort took the form of a parallelogram, with the northern and southern sides being about 150 feet long. The eastern and western sides measured about 100 feet in length. The walls of this adobe fort were six or seven feet thick at the base and rose to between seventeen and eighteen feet high.
Bents Fort, Colorado, part 1
Bent’s Fort, established in 1833, by William Bent was located on the north side of the Arkansas River in present-day Colorado along the Santa Fe Trail. This branch of the Trail crossed the river near where present-day La Junta, Colorado is located.
Zane Grey, part 2
In 1902 Grey’s article on fishing, “A Day on the Delaware,” was published. The following year he self-published Betty Zane. The book, being part fiction and part actual history, concerned his grandfather, Colonel Zane, and the colonel’s sister, Betty. The success of the book meant the blessed end of Zane’s dentistry career.
Zane Grey, part 1
Zane Grey was an avid reader as a youngster, devouring such chronicles as Robinson Crusoe, Last of the Mohicans, and Our Western Border. As he was coming of age Dime Novels were experiencing a great success. Zane read these western stories as well. Both sources of reading seem to have had a lasting effect on Zane Grey’s later writings.
Mrs. Dalton’s Boys, part 8
Following the attempted robbery of two banks in Coffeyville, Kansas, Emmett Dalton, though seriously wounded, was the only surviving member of the immediate group. Some months later he was sentenced to life imprisonment in the Kansas Penitentiary. After fifteen years imprisonment, he was released.
Mrs. Dalton’s Boys, part 7
On the morning of October 5, 1892, the Dalton Gang rode into Coffeyville, Kansas. Their intention was to rob to banks at the same time. Angry, and armed, citizens turn on the gang and a blood bath follows.
Mrs. Dalton’s Boys, part 6
With Bob Dalton leading the gang, plans are made to pull off the grandest robbery of all times—hitting two banks at one time, both in Coffeyville, Kansas.
Mrs. Dalton’s Boys, part 5
The Daltons now have a $5,000 wanted price—dead or alive, each, on their heads. They pull off more train robberies with the law hot on their heels.
Mrs. Dalton’s Boys, part 4
The law decides that the discription of the train robbers resembles the Dalton boys. The law also decides that Emmett went across the bay to Oakland and got information on when valuable shipments were leaving by train. Grattan is arrested but gets away.
Mrs. Dalton’s Boys, part 3
Late one February night a gang of robbers attempt to rob a train in Central California. Although there is no actual evidence that the Daltons were the outlaws involved the law, after several blunders, concludes it must have been the Dalton Gang.
Down Home Remedies, part 3
The author offers some of her own sworn-by home remedies. One remedy is for diarrhea and is safe for animals as well as people. She’s given it to kitten, puppies, and a goose.
Down Home Remedies, part 2
Homesteaders isolated out on the plains often had to dose their own illnesses. A lot of their remedies were successful, or at least the patient didn’t die anyway. As in Here some interesting old time remedies for jaundice, barber’s itch, urinary obstructions and drunkenness.
Down Home Remedies, part 1
In the early days of homesteading on the Great Plains often a doctor was not available. A lot of the home remedies that were used did wonders but others make one wonder which was worse, the illness or the medicine. Here’s a fun look at some old time remedies for deafness, diarrhea and headache.
Mrs. Dalton’s Boys, part 2
The Dalton boys turn from being lawmen to becoming outlaws. Finally after becoming wanted for murder, horse theft and selling liquor to the Indians, Bob and Grattan head for California where Bill and Littleton already live.
Mrs. Dalton’s Boys, part 1
Adeline Younger, at age sixteen, married Louis Dalton in Cass County, Missouri. Adeline raises her seven boys: Ben, Frank, Grattan, William, Littleton, Robert and Emmett. In time they become known as the Dalton Gang.
Fort Bonneville
In 1832, Fort Bonneville is established Captain Benjamin L. E. Bonneville on the Green River near the mouth of Horse Creek. Here, with many objections from Mountain Man Joseph Walker, he erects Fort Bonneville. Because of the objectionable location, the fort is soon dubbed, by fur trappers, as Fort Nonsense and Bonneville’s Folly.
Early Established Forts
In the 1820s, the race was on to establish fur-trading locations in the western reaches. As a result, Forts Cedar, Vanderburgh, Kiowa, and Benton were established. During this time, and a little earlier in other locations, Forts Bellefontaine, Clark, Kaskasia, and Osage were established.
Fort Union
Fort Union is established, in 1827, by Kenneth McKenzie builds a fur trading empire and is relieved of his position because a whiskey still he builds. In 1865 the fort is sold to the military and later is torn down to provide building material for Fort Buford.
Wise Red Prairie Woman, part 2
Wise Red Prairie Woman gathers roots and raises a garden to help feed her family. Often she serves, along with her dogs, as the families’ pack animal. To relieve her of some of her burdens her husband may decide to take a second wife, or more.
Wise Red Prairie Woman, part 1
Wise Red Prairie Woman butchers buffalo and tans hides, then makes clothes and tipi covers from them. She gathers wild seeds and grains and grinds it into meal. She makes pemmican and does all of the never-ending chores a woman of the plains must do.
How Women Came to be on the Prairie
The Great Creator of All Things rolls out the Prairie. Upon it and above it Creator places a variety of creatures. When this is completed, Creator places Red Men and Women upon the prairie, then White Men and Women. At the last, Creator places upon the Prairie Black Men and Women. Because Creator has no mate to urge him on the more success, Creator rests.
Wise White Prairie Woman, part 1
The plains were sparsely populated until the Homestead Act was passed in the early 1860s. Free land was a strong westward draw for men. Their women, wives, daughter, mothers and grandmothers were compelled to leave comfortable civilization behind and occupy their men to the plains.
Wise White Prairie Woman, part 2
The plains were sparsely populated until the Homestead Act was passed in the early 1860s. Free land was a strong westward draw for men. Their women, wives, daughter, mothers and grandmothers were compelled to leave comfortable civilization behind and occupy their men to the plains.
Wise White Prairie Woman, part 3
The plains were sparsely populated until the Homestead Act was passed in the early 1860s. Free land was a strong westward draw for men. Their women, wives, daughter, mothers and grandmothers were compelled to leave comfortable civilization behind and occupy their men to the plains.
Wise Black Prairie Woman, part 1
Wise Black Prairie Woman was born a slave, though she married a free Black. The Civil War comes and her husband marches off to war northward. Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation and Black Prairie Woman, with her children, head north to find her husband.
Wise Black Prairie Woman, part 2
Wise Black Prairie Woman finds her husband. They buy a wagon and provisions and head west to homestead on the plains.
Fort Vancouver
Fort Vancouver, Washington was established in 1824, by traders of the Hudson’s Bay Company. It was eventually moved closer to the Columbia River in 1829 to better accommodate the fur trade. It was the headquarters of the Pacific Northwest fur-trading empire. Christened with a bottle of rum by Governor Simpson on March 19, 1825, it got a grand start under the helm of Chief Factor John McLoughlin who commanded the fort for 20 years.
Fort Mandan
Fort Mandan, in present-day North Dakota, was begun on November 3, 1804 by Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, co-leaders of the newly formed Corps of Discovery. Here they paused, through the winter of 1804-05, in their travels westward to the Pacific Ocean.
Nate Love
Nate Love was born a slave in Tennessee. When freedom came he left home and became a noted black cowboy in the west.
Mary Fields
Once a slave, Fields takes on the west. Though she’s a gun toting, cigar-smoking lady she lands a job working for some nuns in Montana. A shoot-out she has with another hired hand ends her present employment.
A Slave Crosses A Nation
York, the slave of William Clark, goes west the Corps of Discovery. York amazes and is much admired by the Indians. Sometime later Clark frees him and set him up in business.
Blacks in the West
One of the earliest know Blacks to venture west was William Clark's slave, York, who accompanied the Lewis and Clark expedition across the continent and back. Another is Jim Beckwourth, a member of William Ashley's 1823 expedition into the upper Missouri river country. The Army, fur trapping, riding the range as a cowboy, as well as homesteading were all factors that drew Blacks to the west.
Fort Raymond
Fort Raymond, constructed in 1807 at the mouth of the Bighorn River was constructed by St. Louis Merchant and fur trader Manual Lisa. Lisa was also involved in real estate, trade with the Osage Indians, as well as the buying and selling of slaves. Ft. Raymond was named after Lisa’s son.
Forts of the West, An Introduction
In time, numerous forts stretched across the west. Many of them are noted in the history of the American west because of battles involving them or that they were the location important treaties being signed. The names of some of these forts have become well known through out annuls of American Western history while today the names of so many of them are not now familiar to other than the most devoted historian. This series will attempts to bring to life many of these locations, both noted and obscure.
A Montana Lady Called Chicago Joe
When gold is discovered in Montana Josephine Hensley leaves Chicago for the new gold fields. In Helena she opens a saloon which features an attractive bevy of beauties who have a variety of means for making money.
The Sagers Go West, part 17
The Indians hold the white prisoners captive on the Whitman Mission grounds for some thirty days until they are ransomed by Peter Skene Ogden of the Hudson’s Bay Company.
The Sagers Go West, part 16
The Whitman Mission is attack by Indians. The Whitmans are killed as well as the two Sager boys. Many white children and adults are held captive on the mission grounds for a month. Both Louise Sager and Helen Mar Meek die due to measles.
The Sagers Go West, part 15
The measles continues to plague both whites and Indians. The whites are recovering but the Indians are dying at the rate of five or six a day, both children and adults. Nearly half of the tribe was now gone. The Indians begin plotting Dr. Whitmans’ death. Soon the attack begins.
The Sagers Go West, part 14
In the fall of 1847 some five thousand people were expected to cross the plains. As the wagons begin to arrive at the mission it is discovered that many of them contain children who are sick with measles. Soon the illness is running ramped amongst the Indians who have no means to fight off the disease.
The Sagers Go West, part 13
The Cayuse Indians wants the missionaries to move away. The Whitmans consider moving, then Oregon country is made a part of the United States. Artist Paul Kane visits the mission. He sketches the Indians who become very angry at him for doing so. One Indian woman thinks Kane has stolen her soul. Some five thousand people are now headed for Oregon, bringing many new wonders with them--and some that was anything but wonderful.
When Billy Was A Kid, part 2
In Silver City, Billy the Kid’s mother dies and The Kid makes friends with Sombrero Jack who talks him in to robbing a Chinese laundry. Billy is caught but escapes and heads for Arizona. Later, he kills his first man and returns to New Mexico along with the notorious outlaw Jesse Evans.
When Billy Was A Kid, part 1
It is uncertain whether Billy the Kid was born in New York or Indiana, but the year is guessed to be about 1859. His mother was a widow and in time met William Antrim. The combined group moved to Wichita, Kansas. Then on another move to New Mexico Antrim and the Widow McCarty married. Settling in Silver City young Billy came under the influence of a variety of rough types.
The Sagers Go West, part 12
Dr. Whitman has his grist mill running until the Indian Chief Tomahas becomes angry because he can not have his grain milled first and stuffs the hopper with sticks. Elizabeth Sager goes fishing and an Indian boy takes her fish away from her. A half-breed, Tom Hill, makes the boy return the fish. Hill, an educated and English-speaking Indian begins to cause unrest among the Cayuse. Though the Indians seem peaceful, Tomahas is heard saying that the Indians want the whites to leave.
FALL FUN ON THE FAMILY FARM
Having fun on the farm back in the good ole days may have involved hayrides, ice skating, corn-husking parties, and various activities held at the local one-roomed-school house or at home.
The Sagers Go West, part 11
Frank Sager continues his battle with the school teacher. Mrs. Whitman declares there will be no Christmas because it is a pagan holiday. By spring Frank has had enough and runs away. The son of a Walla Walla chief is killed by white men and the Indians declare they will kill Doctor Whitman and one of Hudson’s Bay chief factors.
The Sagers Go West, part 10
Doctor and Mrs. Whitman decide to keep all of the Sager children. The infant Rosanna is returned to her family. The school at the mission is opened and Frank Sager causes considerable distraction with his antics. He often stays with the Indians, learning their language. From his Indian friends he learns that most of the Cayuse do not like Doctor and Mrs. Whitman.
Autumn on the Plains, part 2
Homesteaders on the Great Plains had ample reasons for praying, such as for good crops, good harvest, and the health of their families and domestic animals.
Autumn on the Plains, part 1
Autumn, for the homesteader on the plains is a time of putting food by for human consumption as well as for their livestock. A well constructed cellar is the means of storage for both home-canned produce as well as fresh-kept roots such as potatoes and squash.
The Sagers Go West, part 8
Captain Shaw leads the wagon train over the treacherous Blue Mountains. After traveling another some three hundred miles they arrive at the Whitman Mission. Mrs. Whitman agrees to take the girls in but refuses the boys until Dr. Whitman declares that he wants them.
The Sagers Go West, part 9
Captain Shaw leads the wagon train over the treacherous Blue Mountains. After traveling another some three hundred miles they arrive at the Whitman Mission. Mrs. Whitman agrees to take the girls in but refuses the boys until Dr. Whitman declares that he wants them.
The Railroad, part 15
On May 10, 1869, the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific Railroads are connected at Promontory, Utah, completing the Transcontinental Railroad across America.
Texas Billy Thompson
William “Texas Billy” Thompson came to Texas with his family at an early age from Knottingley, England. During his violent and unlucky life he managed to kill two good friends, in separate incidents. He was shot in a gun battle in Kansas and nursed back to health by Bat Masterson only to be killed eight years later in another gunfight in Laredo, Texas.
The Railroad, part 14
In May of 1869 the Union and Central Pacific Railroads reach Promontory City, Utah where they are to connect. Delays occur when heavy rain washes out so of the tracks and an angry unpaid mob of railroad workers take some railroad officials prisoner until they are paid.
The Sagers Go West, part 7
The wagon train the Sager children are traveling with reaches the Three Island crossing on the treacherous Snake River. After the dangerous crossing the train strikes out across the desert towards Fort Boise.
Elinore Rupert Stewart
Elinore Rupert, a young widow with a little daughter, travels west to become the housekeeper and cook for Wyoming rancher Clyde Stewart.
The Sagers Go West, part 6
The Sager family continues westward but Mrs. Sager dies and is buried along the trail. The large wagon is reduced to a two-wheeled cart, leaving many precious items behind, in order to make it over the terrible Blue Mountains in Oregon Country.
Deadly Daring Deadwood Dick
Deadwood Dick of Deadwood, South Dakota did not really exist except in the printed imagination of Edward L. Wheeler. Not until 1927 was Dick Clarke, stable hand, asked to impersonate the fictitious character, and then came to believe that he was the real Deadwood Dick.
The Railroad, part 13
The Central Pacific advances down the eastern slope of the Sierras and prepares to cross Nevada. The Union Pacific reaches Utah Territory, but bypasses the Mormon city of Salt Lake. Brigham Young invests in the UP Railroad and provides Mormon railroad workers.
The Sagers Go West, part 5
Naomi Sager develops the same coughing illness that killed her husband. Food is running short until they reach Fort Bridger where fish are caught and smoked. Following the trail along the Snake River after leaving Fort Hall, Naomi becomes to weak to nurse her baby.
Jim Bridger, part 2
Fort Bridger becomes an important stopping place on the Oregon Trail until the Mormons run him out. The Mormons destroy the fort but the Army takes it over and rebuilds it. It is finally abanded by the Army in 1890. Bridger retires from the fur trade and settles on a farm in Missouri until his death in 1881.
Jim Bridger, part 1
At age 18, Jim Bridger joins Gen. William Ashley's fur-trapping expedition to the headwaters of the Missouri. Later he takes a bull-boad down the Bear River and discovers the Great Salt Lake in Utah. He becomes a partner of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company.
The Sagers Go West, part 4
Just a few hours from Fort Laramie Catherine Sager jumps from the moving covered wagon and breaks her leg. Henry Sager and his two sons fall sick with camp fever. The two boys recover but Mr. Sager, after asking Captain Shaw to take his family one to the Whitman Mission in Oregon, dies and is buried beside Green River, leaving his family alone to find a way to make it to Oregon Country.
The Railroad, part 12
In 1844 Asa Whitney envisioned a railroad, stretching across the United States from ocean to ocean and began seeking possible routes that would reach from Lake Michigan to the Pacific Coast. Before Congress he proposes such a railroad, asked for a vast land grant, and assures Congress that the Indians will be of no concern. In the next ten years many Indian tribes are forced to concede thousands of acres with some tribes being removed to Indian Territory. The Union Pacific is given until July 1, 1876, to reach the western boundary of Nevada Territory, and God help anyone, white or red, who stands in its way.
The Railroad, part 11
The Kansas Pacific reaches Fort Riley, Kansas in 1866 where Custer is forming the Seventh Cavalry. The following year the track extend to Abilene and Ellsworth. William Cody is supply the construction crews with meat. Soon, the cattle drives begin and the cow town is born.
The Sagers Go West, part 3
Brother Frank Sager invents a dangerous game for himself and his two oldest sisters to play. The wagon train crosses the South Fork of the Platte River and disaster strikes again. They reach Fort Laramie and rest for a few hours before continuing on but a deeper tragedy befalls the Sager family.
The Sagers Go West, part 2
Indians make off, one night, with some of the Oregon travelers’ cattle. A guard is set. Then one night a guard shoots at what he thought were Indians. Mrs. Sager gives birth along the trail to a new daughter. Spring rains come and nearly everyone is sick with colds and worse.
The Railroad, part 10
Strobridge and Crocker are so pleased with his Chinese workers that they continue to hire them until the Chinatowns of Sacramento and San Francisco are nearly empty. A shale wall some 2,000 feet high is blasted out by the Chinese.
The Sagers Go West, part 1
In the fall of 1843, the Sager family leave Platte County, Missouri, heading on their westward journey to Oregon Country. It is late in the season and they spend the winter in St. Joseph. In spring of 1844, with many others, they resume their journey. Their first river to cross is the wide Missouri River. With it comes their first disaster.
The Railroad, part 9
The Central Pacific Railroad is nearing the Sierra Mountains and they are having trouble finding and hiring enough workers, and many of those hired leave the railroad and head for the Nevada gold fields. Charles Crocker convinces his chief of staff, James Harvey Strobridge, to hire Chinese workers when the Irish go on strike.
Medicine Wheels
High in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming lies a pattern constructed entirely of stones. It, and others like it, are known as Medicine Wheels. It is believed that they were constructed by the ancient ancestors of the Plains Indian Tribes.
Mandan
This is a history of the Mandan Indians, dating back some eight hundred years ago as they migrated westward, following the Missouri River. In time, they met white men. Then, in 1838, the deadly small pox nearly destroyed them.
The Railroad, part 8
The Big 4 and the Central Pacific railroad determine that the Sierra Mountains start 23 miles further out on the flat lands in order to get additional funding from the government. The Civil War causes an incredible inflation on railroad supplies.
Americas Black West, part 2
In 1866 Congress organizes four regiments of African-American soldiers to help fight the Native Americans. These soldiers participate in a bicycle experiment across the Plains. Black Cowboys are explored such as Bose Ikard, Bill Pickett and Nat Love.
Americas Black West, part 1
Esteban Dorantes, around 1527, looks for the Seven Cities of Gold in Arizona and New Mexico. In the late 1700s Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable establishes a fur trading business on the Chicago River. In 1804, York as the slave of William Clark travels westward with the Corps of Discovery. James Beckwourth, fur trapper and mountain man, becomes a member of a Crow Indian band. Benjamin Singleton, following the Civil War, endorses movement of freed blacks to Kansas.
Jessie and Her Pathfinder, part 3
Fremont is elected senator from California. The Fremonts lose money on their ranch and a railroad investment. Jessie gives birth to two more children, and one son and daughter die. Fremont is a presidential candidate for the Republican Party. The Civil War begins.
Jessie and Her Pathfinder, part 2
Jessie Fremont spends Christmas at home alone with her and John’s baby daughter, Lily. Fremont makes another exploration. Jessie has a second child, a son who does not live long. Fremont is dubbed The Pathfinder. Gold is discovered in California and Jessie and Lily travel west.
Jessie and Her Pathfinder, part 1
Jessie Benton, daughter of Senator Thomas Hart Benton, grew up in Virginia, Missouri, and Washington D. C. At the age of 15 she meets and falls in love with John Charles Fremont. Her parents extract a promise from the young couple to wait one year before marrying.
The Railroad, part 7
In Sacramento, California, Colin Huntington, Charles Crocker, California governor Leland Stanford, and Mark Hopkins, four California merchants, pool their funds and start construction on the Central Pacific Railroad in spite of numerous oppositions.
The Railroad, part 6
The American Civil War has ended. Even before its end Durant is plotting money schemes to line his and his associates pockets with the public and the government’s money. One such scheme is the Credit Mobilier.
The Railroad, part 5
The Kansas-Nebraska Act heats up the slave question. The Mississippi and Missouri Railroad nearly goes bankrupt while the Chicago and Northerwestern Railroad takes prominence. The American Civil War starts, halting much of the railroad construction across the plains.
Ghost Town
Just at the stroke of midnight a ghostly Ghost Town appears on the plains. The town is populated with the ghosts of the Earps, Doc. Holiday, Jesse and Frank James, Wild Bill Hickok, Billy the Kid, and many other western notables.
The Indians at Little Bighorn
On June 25, 1876 Custer clashed with Sioux and other Indians at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. This article deals with some of the Indians, on both sides, who were involved in this historic battle.
The Railroad, part 4
The Mississippi and Missouri Railroad is established to cross the Iowa plains between Davenport, Iowa and Council Bluffs, Iowa. Winning a fifty thousand dollar prize, it reaches Iowa City moments before church bells ring in New Year’s Day, 1856.
The Railroad, part 3
Farnam complete the building of his railroad bridge across the Mississippi River but a river packet crashes into it, resulting in a disaster and a law suit. Lawyer Abraham Lincoln represents the Farnam interest in court.
In Memory of Two Men
This article presents the parallel lives of two men who had a strong influence on the author, her father Wesley Trotter and country singer Johnny Cash.
The Railroad, part 2
On February 22, 1854 the railroad reached the Mississippi River in the vicinity of Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport, Iowa. A grand celebration was made honoring promoter Henry Farnam as well as many others.
The Railroad, part 1
On February 22, 1854 the railroad reached the Mississippi River in the vicinity of Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport, Iowa. A grand celebration was made honoring promoter Henry Farnam as well as many others.
Historical July, part 2
Although the American Independents Day is the primary event celebrated in July many other historical events also occurred in July such as the Donner Party deciding to split off from their main group and the Whitman-Spalding party of missionaries reaching Independents Rock.
Historical July, part 1
Although the American Independents Day is the primary event celebrated in July many other historical events also occurred in July such as the Donner Party deciding to split off from their main group and the Whitman-Spalding party of missionaries reaching Independents Rock.
Tombstone, Arizona
Tombstone, Arizona claims many famous and infamous persons such as Wyatt Earp and his brothers, Virgil and Morgan, as well as Doc John Holliday, John Behan, Ike Clanton, Tom and Frank McLaury, John Ringo, and Curly Bill Brocius.
Longhorns and Abilene
The Longhorn, not native to the United States, were brought to America by the Spanish. From this humble beginning great herds developed in Mexico and Spanish Texas which evolved into Texas ranches and great cattle drives to such cow towns as Abilene, Kansas.
The Fight Where the Girl Saved Her Brother, part 2
When gold was discovered in the Black Hills the Sioux refused to give up the Hills. To force them to comply, the government declared all Indians not on the reservation to be hostile and subject to attack. This led to the Battle of the Rosebud.
The Fight Where the Girl Saved Her Brother, part 1
When gold was discovered in the Black Hills the Sioux refused to give up the Hills. To force them to comply, the government declared all Indians not on the reservation to be hostile and subject to attack. This led to the Battle of the Rosebud.
Songs of the Plains
Many song, as well as musical plays such as Oklahoma have been written about the west and the Great Plains. This article takes you on a musical journey from Oklahoma, across the Plains, into Oregon, then down to the California gold fields, south to Texas, then back to Oklahoma.
A Sioux Love Story, part 6
Crazy Horse had known Black Buffalo Woman ever since they had been children. Now grown up, he falls in love with her and proceeds to woo her. While he is away on a war party another steals her away from him.
A Sioux Love Story, part 5
Crazy Horse had known Black Buffalo Woman ever since they had been children. Now grown up, he falls in love with her and proceeds to woo her. While he is away on a war party another steals her away from him.
A Sioux Love Story, part 4
Crazy Horse had known Black Buffalo Woman ever since they had been children. Now grown up, he falls in love with her and proceeds to woo her. While he is away on a war party another steals her away from him.
A Sioux Love Story, part 3
Crazy Horse had known Black Buffalo Woman ever since they had been children. Now grown up, he falls in love with her and proceeds to woo her. While he is away on a war party another steals her away from him.
A Sioux Love Story, part 2
Crazy Horse had known Black Buffalo Woman ever since they had been children. Now grown up, he falls in love with her and proceeds to woo her. While he is away on a war party another steals her away from him.
A Sioux Love Story, part 1
Crazy Horse had known Black Buffalo Woman ever since they had been children. Now grown up, he falls in love with her and proceeds to woo her. While he is away on a war party another steals her away from him.
Libbie and George, A Love Story, part 3
George Custer and Libbie Bacon first meet as children. Custer has several love encounters between that time, during his years as a cadet at West Point, and while serving during the Civil War. During the war he again meets Libbie Custer. Though their road is rocky, they fall in love and marry.
Libbie and George, A Love Story, part 2
George Custer and Libbie Bacon first meet as children. Custer has several love encounters between that time, during his years as a cadet at West Point, and while serving during the Civil War. During the war he again meets Libbie Custer. Though their road is rocky, they fall in love and marry.
Libbie and George, A Love Story, part 1
George Custer and Libbie Bacon first meet as children. Custer has several love encounters between that time, during his years as a cadet at West Point, and while serving during the Civil War. During the war he again meets Libbie Custer. Though their road is rocky, they fall in love and marry.
How Real Men Catch Fish
In June of 1876 General George Crook led his troop in their defeat of the Battle of the Rosebud. After burying their dead Crook’s men had a grand time of trout fishing.
Applesauce Footprints, part 7
Annie Tucker’s family was having a hard time of making ends meet this Christmas in the 1950s. This story, a combination of two of the author’s childhood Christmases, takes place in a small town in northwestern Missouri.
Applesauce Footprints, part 6
Annie Tucker’s family was having a hard time of making ends meet this Christmas in the 1950s. This story, a combination of two of the author’s childhood Christmases, takes place in a small town in northwestern Missouri.
Applesauce Footprints, part 5
Annie Tucker’s family was having a hard time of making ends meet this Christmas in the 1950s. This story, a combination of two of the author’s childhood Christmases, takes place in a small town in northwestern Missouri.
Applesauce Footprints, part 4
Annie Tucker’s family was having a hard time of making ends meet this Christmas in the 1950s. This story, a combination of two of the author’s childhood Christmases, takes place in a small town in northwestern Missouri.
Applesauce Footprints, part 3
Annie Tucker’s family was having a hard time of making ends meet this Christmas in the 1950s. This story, a combination of two of the author’s childhood Christmases, takes place in a small town in northwestern Missouri.
Applesauce Footprints, part 2
Annie Tucker’s family was having a hard time of making ends meet this Christmas in the 1950s. This story, a combination of two of the author’s childhood Christmases, takes place in a small town in northwestern Missouri.
Applesauce Footprints, part 1
Annie Tucker’s family was having a hard time of making ends meet this Christmas in the 1950s. This story, a combination of two of the author’s childhood Christmases, takes place in a small town in northwestern Missouri.
What Time is it?
Prior to 1883 there were no time zones. It created an extreme problem after the railroad had crossed the United States because people had a habit of setting clocks by the sun. To correct this situation the American and Canadian railroads instilled the institution of time zones
Happy Birthday To Me
The author of The Great American Plains at Suite 101 would like to celebrate her birthday with her readers. Here, she gives a small peep into her past.
Mrs. Custer's Merry Mister
When George Armstrong Custer and his wife, Elizabeth receive new military orders to the Dakotas the merry and boyish side of the General emerges. Despite Elizabeth’s anxieties about the move to a new and strange place, she hides her fears and joins her husband in his mirth.
GUNFIGHT ON TOMBSTONE'S FREMONT STREET
In 1881 a furious feud flared to a fatal finish in a brief but deadly shootout in Tombstone, Arizona. This bloody fight on Fremont Street near the OK Coral between the Earp Brother and Doc Holliday, opposed by the Clantons and the McLaurys, left three men dead and three wounded.
A Chippewa Moon Legend
A Chippewa maiden will not accept any human brave for a husband. In lonely desperation, she wishes she could love the beautiful moon and is transported to the sky. She becomes the bride of the moon.
Buffalo Chips, Cow Patties, and the Moon
The moon may have been created when another heavenly body collided with earth, causing debris to fly out into space, creating the moon. The occurrence is similar to stepping in the middle of a not quite dry buffalo patty.
Narcissa Prentiss Whitman, part 11
The Whitmans build their mission to the Cayuse Indians at Waiilatpu, known as the Place of the Rye Grass. Their daughter is born and drowns in the river. After an epidemic of black measles the Cayuse attack the mission and kill the Whitmans and others.
Narcissa Prentiss Whitman, part 10.
The Whitmans and Spaldings leave rendezvous in the company of Mr. John McLeod of Hudson’s Bay Company to travel to their final destination. They cross the difficult Blue Mountains into Oregon Country.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESSE ON YOUR 34th YEAR!
This article commemorates Jesse James’ birthday and gives a brief history of his life and exploits.
Narcissa Prentiss Whitman, part 9
The Whitman and Spalding missionary party, with the fur caravan, reach the mountain man rendezvous on Green River. They are received with a wild uproarious greeting by such as Joe Meek and hundreds of Indians from various tribes but find that Reverend Samuel Parker, who was to lead them the rest of the way, is missing.
ST. LOUIS: A WESTERN LADY
St. Louis, Missouri, the early 1820s, was the open door to the west. It was a growing and busy place, its population a variety of persons, both rich and poor, savage and civilized.
Narcissa Prentiss Whitman, part 8
The Whitmans and the Spaldings, along with the fur company, reach Fort Laramie. Here the women are able to wash clothing for the first time since leaving Missouri and all are delighted to enjoy a brief respite from travel and a semblance of civilization.
Narcissa Prentiss Whitman, part 7
The missionaries, on the edge of Pawnee country, split up. One half of the group hurries on to catch up with Fitzpatrick’s fur caravan and encounters considerable trouble. After reaching the fur company Narcissa has her first taste of buffalo and writes home, describing their dining arrangements.
THOMAS FITZPATRICK AND SOUTH PASS
Thomas Fitzpatrick arrives in St. Louis, Missouri and joins William Ashley’s fur trapping party. They start up the Missouri River but are forced to go overland. Fitzpatrick with Jed Smith and others discover South Pass.
GOOD-BYE BILL
James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok was murdered by Jack McCall while playing cards in a saloon on August 2, 1876. His death was mourned by many including Martha “Calamity Jane” Canary.
Narcissa Prentiss Whitman, part 6
The Whitmans and Spaldings travel up the Missouri River to the town of Liberty. On the way they are joined by other missionaries. There is a death, a funeral, and a wedding before they leave Liberty. Spalding is kicked by a mule, dunked in the river by a cow, and has his tent and bedding blown away.
LITTLE ANNIE OAKLEY
Annie Oakley came from a very poor family who lived in Ohio. Her father died when Annie was very young. As a child, with her younger brother, she set traps to catch birds and small animals to help feed her family.
Narcissa Prentiss Whitman, part 5
The Whitmans meet the Spaldings in Cincinnati, Ohio. From there they travel by boat to St. Louis, Missouri. Eliza Spalding is still ill after miscarrying. Spalding proceeds to correct what he considers Narcissa’s bad character.
Narcissa Prentiss Whitman, part 4.
Eliza and Henry Spalding get married. Eliza has a stillborn child. Narcissa Prentiss and Doctor Whitman meet and become engaged. Whitman make a second trip west to select a location for a mission. The Spaldings decide to go west with the Whitmans before Henry finds out that Narcissa is to be Whitman’s bride.
Narcissa Prentiss Whitman, part 3
Miss Linsley breaks her engagement with Henry Spalding who then meets and marries Eliza Hart. Narcissa Prentiss still has not found a husband to take her to the Far West as a missionary.
Narcissa Prentiss Whitman, part 2
Henry Spalding and Narcissa Prentiss learn that missionaries are needed to administer to the Indians. Both need a mate before they can become missionaries. Henry needs more education and becomes engaged.
Narcissa Prentiss Whitman, part 1
Narcissa Prentiss desires to go to the Far West to start a mission for the western Indians. Henry Spalding, also, aspires to this aim. Narcissa must have a husband who also desires to become a missionary to the Indians. Spalding needs a wife to take with him. He sets his attentions on Narcissa.
WESTWARD HO! The Cats
A cat is taken along on Manuel Lisa’s 1812 fur trapping voyage up the Missouri River. The cat’s duty was to keep mice from destroying the food provisions.
Custer's Wild Ride, part 2
General Custer shoots and kills the horse he is riding at top speed while chasing a buffalo.
Custer's Wild Ride, part 1
General George Custer meets with various Sioux and Cheyenne leaders in an attempt to bring peace to the plains.
The Outlaw Who Got Away--Or Did He? part 3
Did the outlaw Robert LeRoy Parker, better know as Butch Cassidy, die by the gun in South America? Or did he return to the United States and live out his life as William Phillips in Spokane, Washington?
The Outlaw Who Got Away--Or Did He? part 2
Did the outlaw Robert LeRoy Parker, better know as Butch Cassidy, die by the gun in South America? Or did he return to the United States and live out his life as William Phillips in Spokane, Washington?
The Outlaw Who Got Away--Or Did He? part 1
Did the outlaw Robert LeRoy Parker, better know as Butch Cassidy, die by the gun in South America? Or did he return to the United States and live out his life as William Phillips in Spokane, Washington?
When Kansas Wasn't Flat
After Paul Bunyon discovered Kansas, which was covered with mountains and trees, he logged all the trees and caused Kansas to be flattened. Then he brought in the first horses to America and gave them to the Indians.
Springtime on a Colorado Homestead
During the early 1900s Colorado homesteader Walter Attebery found himself with more eggs than he had hens to hatch them. This inventive pioneer managed to have his rooster sit on the eggs, and hatch them.
An Open Letter Dated December 31, 1821
In 1818 G. A. Plains (Great American Plains) received a letter from his friend B. E. Settlements (Back East Settlements). G. A. Plains replies with the latest new of the happenings on the Great American Plains in a letter dated 1821.
Getting What They Prayed For and More: part 2
In 1833 the Christian Advocate and Journal reported on the visit of four Indians from the Far West to William Clark in St. Louis, Missouri. This Indian delegation was seeking a Christian religious leader to bring the word of God to their tribes beyond the Rocky Mountains.
Getting What They Prayed For and More: part I
In 1833 the Christian Advocate and Journal reported on the visit of four Indians from the Far West to William Clark in St. Louis, Missouri. This Indian delegation was seeking a Christian religious leader to bring the word of God to their tribes beyond the Rocky Mountains.
GRANDMA'S SCISSORS
Viola Butler was born in Missouri in 1881. In 1900 she married John Trotter at Hutchinson, Kansas. For the rest of life she was a farm woman. Her scissors became a handy tool. Viola was able to throw them and kill jackrabbits. Once she saved her own life when she stabbed a rattlesnake.
IN MEMORY OF A SINGING OUTLAW: Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings was a country music legend. His career included not only award-winning albums and singles, but also movies for television. Jennings died February 13, 2002.
BLACKFOOT SNOW TIPI: Part 2
A Blackfeet child asks Old Grandfather why there are storms and blizzards in winter. Old Grandfather tells the story of the Snow Tipi and how the Blackfeet got it.
BLACKFOOT SNOW TIPI: Part 1
A Blackfeet child asks Old Grandfather why there are storms and blizzards in winter. Old Grandfather tells the story of the Snow Tipi and how the Blackfeet got it.
JIM BECKWOURTH: An African American Becomes Chief of the Crow Indians
Jim Beckwourth, a young mulatto from Virginia, arrives in St. Louis and goes west as a fur trapper and mountain man. Due to a tall tail told by another man Beckwourth becomes a member of the Crow Indian nation.
WHEN HARRY MET BESS: An American Love Story
Harry and Bess met as children. For Harry it was instant love. He pursued their courtship for thirty years. At last they were engaged but the wedding had to wait until World War I ended. Harry became a senator, then Vice President, and at last President Harry Truman of the United States of America.
REBECCA'S APRON part 4 of 4
Rebecca and Daniel Boone receive a Spanish land grant of several thousands of acres in Missouri but find themselves destitute again. Their land grants were granted before the signing of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. The United States government did not honor this grant. Rebecca Boone died and was buried on March 18, 1813 in Warren County, Missouri.
REBECCA'S APRON part 3 of 4
About 1782 John Filson, wrote a book about Kentucky that included a section on Daniel Boon. After publication of the book folks started asking Daniel to locate, survey and stake out tracks of Kentucky land for them. Boone’s price for this service was one half of the land surveyed. Often he surveyed land that had a prior claim, or delayed on registering the new claims, causing his customers and himself to lose vast tracks of land. To avoid creditors, Daniel moved his family to Missouri.
REBECCA'S APRON part 2 of 4
In September of 1773 Daniel Boone led six families from North Carolina to Kentucky. During this trip Rebecca and Daniel Boone’s son James was ambushed, tortured, and killed by Shawnees. The wife of Rebecca’s uncle dies, leaving six children who the Boones take into their home. Rebecca’s ninth child is born. Israel Boone is killed during the Battle of Blue Lick. Shawnees carry off Jemima Boone.
REBECCA'S APRON part 1 of 4
Rebecca Bryan married Daniel Boone on August 14, 1756, after Daniel returned from serving as a volunteer under Major General Braddock and his British regulars. By 1773 Daniel Boone had concluded that Kentucky would be a fine place to settle his and Rebecca's growing family of eight children.
AN OPEN LETTER: December 1818
This is an open letter from Back East Settlements (B. E. Settlements) to Great American Plains (G. A. Plains), dated December 1818. This letter concerns the births, 1800-1818, of several men whose later lives had major effects on the development of the Great American Plains.
IMMIGRANTS: NATIVE and NEW
Beginning with the Mound Builders in South Dakota, even the Native Americans were immigrants to the New World. Their arrival was followed by other Indian tribes who were, in turn, followed by European explorers and fur trappers.
A MISSOURI CHRISTMAS
A war had just ended and it was Christmas on a farm in Missouri. The family was poor but shared abundant love. Each of the three daughters would receive one gift. They chose sleds. The youngest daughter wavered between a sled and a teddy bear. Hers would be the best Missouri Christmas ever.
THE HORSE AND BUGGY KNEW THE WAY
As a child living on a farm in Missouri in the 1940s traveling the dirt road to my grandparent’s farm by horse and buggy for any holiday celebration was always an interesting and special occasion.
WE ARE THE GOD DOGS
Before Hernando Cortes' arrival in Mexico the Spaniard's progression northward towards the Great American Plains the Indians had no knowledge of horses. After the Indian's possession of horses their lives were changes, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse.
JOE MEEK BECOMES A MOUNTAIN MAN
Joe Meek was a very young man when he left his Virginia home for the west. In St. Louis he saw many wonderful sites but what caught his eye most were the mountain men. After sighing on with Bill Sublette's fur company Joe learned just what kind of a man it took to become a mountain man.
MOTHER, WHERE DID I COME FROM?
Native Americans have many stories explaining their beliefs of creation. Each individual tribe has a different, though sometimes similar, variation of where they and everything in their world came from.
THE TURKEY WAS AN IMMIGRANT
Had the Pilgrims landed at Independence Rock instead of Plymouth Rock they might have had buffalo instead of turkey for Thanksgiving. The turkey is a native of Mexico where the Aztec and Zuni Indians domesticated them.
THANK YOU, MR. BONAPARTE
Depending on the state you were born in, as well as the year, you might not have been born where you thought you were. This article involves the Louisiana Purchase, as well as Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado Territories and the dates these occurrences happened.
EARTHQUAKE in the Year 1811
On December 16, 1811 an earthquake, centered at New Madrid, Missouri, occurred. By modern methods this quake is estimated to have registered well over 9.5. It was followed by three additional quakes with the final one happening on February 13, 1812. This final quake lasted nearly one hour and caused as much damage as the previous three together. Shawnee Chief Tecumseh prophesied this upheaval that for a time caused the Mississippi to run backwards, thus creating a vast lake in Tennessee.
GHOST ON THE PLAINS
When winter comes on the Great American Plains the Indians gather around the fires in their lodges and tell stories. Here is a ghost story told by the Cheyenne about the Double-Faced Ghost.
KIT CARSON: The Runaway Boy
In 1826, when Kit Carson was sixteen years old, he ran away from his home and job as a saddle maker in Franklin, Missouri. Kit was small for his age but he knew he wanted to be a Mountain Man. He had become acquainted with Charles Bent and Ceran St. Vrain who were fitting out an enormous wagon train filled with trade goods to take to Santa Fe. After Kit talked Bent into hiring him he was on his way to Santa Fe, and would later become one of the noted Mountain Men in the fur trade.
HEART OF THE PLAINS
When Coronado explored that part of the Great American Plains known today as Kansas this wild and rugged land was inhabited by the Wichita, Pawnee, Kansa, and the Osage people. In the years after the 1803 signing of the Louisiana Purchase these Native Americans were joined by missionaries, pioneers, buffalo hunters. Then came the wild days of the cattle drives, outlaws and lawmen.
MANUEL LISA: A Scoundrel Among Scoundrels
Spaniard Manuel Lisa was known for his sly and underhanded business dealings in Saint Louis, Missouri. But Lisa was not the only scoundrel of the day. Some of his opposition, back in the early 1800's, included Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, and the Chouteaus of the founding French family of Saint Louis. The contention between Lisa and the Chouteaus concerned the fur trade with the Osage Indians.
THE LONE PRAIRIE
The portion of the Great Plains that is present-day Nebraska was not really a "Lone Prairie" back in the late 1600's. At that time the prairie contained thousands of Buffalo. The herds stretched as far as you could see. Across the plains the Buffalo experienced a full circle of life, from birth to often dying of old age.
ZEBULON PIKE TO SANTA FE
In 1806 Zebulon Pike, with 75 men, undertook a venture to Santa Fe to explore trade in that area. When he built a fort on Spanish soil the Mexican Army escorted Pike and his men on a 600-mile voyage to Chihuahua, Mexico to meet General Nemesio Salcedo, Commandant General of all Spanish forces in Northern Mexico. On Pike's return to the states he brought back a glowing report of the gold to be made by trading with the Spaniards.
AMAZING GRACE AND COURAGE
After the tragic events of September 11, 2001 in New York City, Washington, D.C., and the Pennsylvania countryside we must strive to move forward into the future with the strength of our pioneer forefathers who traveled west and settled the Great American Plains.
PRAIRIE DOG TOWN
When Lewis and Clark crossed the plains in 1804 they discovered many towns. These towns were occupied by thousands of les petits chiens, as the French called the "Little Dogs." After extreme, and somewhat comical, efforts the men of the expedition captured a prairie dog to send home to President Thomas Jefferson.
SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI: Where the American West Began
In 1763 Pierre Laclede, with the help of Auguste Chouteau the son of Laclede's mistress Marie Chouteau, established a fur trading post in the wilderness along the west bank of the Mississippi River. Today, that location is the site of Saint Louis, Missouri. This was the beginning of the fur trade in the west, as well as the settlement of the Great American Plains.