Quapaw Indian Agency

The only Indian agency with reservations in, Indian Territory proper is the Quapaw, situated northeast of the Cherokee nation. It contains many fragmentary tribes.

The Quapaw agency, Indian Territory, had its inception in a treaty made with the Quapaws of Arkansas, May 13, 1833. Numerous remnants of tribes were in the state of Arkansas or in the territory now the state of Kansas. Many of the tribes were removed from Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and New York in 1832-1833, and were located on lands west of the western boundary of the slates of Missouri and Arkansas, and north of the northern boundary of the present Indian Territory and lying in the east and southeast part of the present state of Kansas. (See map of "United States Indian frontier in 1840" for their several locations.) The various small tribes so located have almost all been removed to Indian Territory. Some of them are now in Oklahoma; a few, entirely civilized, are residing on their own lands in Kansas, and many are extinct or merged into the tribes with whom they are noted.

Offenses at Quapaw agency, Indian Territory, are tried in the United States court in the southern district of Kansas.

This agency is located on the Shawnee reservation, and embraces 160 acres of land located 4 miles west of Seneca, Missouri, and 20 miles south of Baxter Springs, Kansas, The tribes under this agency are the Eastern Shawnee, Miami, Modoc, Ottawa, Peoria, Quapaw, Seneca and Cayuga, and Wyandotte, and some small remants of other tribes.

The improvements consist of agent's, physician's, carpenter's, and blacksmith's residences, a hardware store, carpenter and blacksmith shops combined, jail, commissary building, and agent's and physician's offices combined, all in good repair and worth at least $6,000. There is a barn, with wagon sheds; there is also a farm connected with the agency, with good fences and about 70 acres of land in cultivation, mostly planted in corn. The employees consist of agent, clerk, physician, carpenter, fanner, blacksmith, and interpreter.

Names of Indian tribes or parts of tribes occupying the reservations: (a) Eastern Shawnee, Miami, Modoc, Ottawa, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Piankaskaw and Wea, Kwapaw, Seneca, and Wyandotte.

The reservations and unallotted areas are:

Eastern Shawnee: 13,048 acres, or 20.50 square miles; established, altered, or changed by treaties of July 20, 1831, 7 U. S. Stats., p. 351; of December 29, 1882, 7 U. S. State., p. 111; of February 23, 1867, 15 U. S. Stats,, p. 513,end agreement with Modocs, made June., 23, 1874 (see annual report, 1882, page 271), confirmed by Congress in Indian appropriation act approved March 3, 1875, 18 U. S.: Stats,, p. 447.

Peoria: 6,851 acres, or 10.75 square miles; established, altered, or changed by treaty of February 23, 1867, 15 U. S. State,, p. 514 the residue, 43,150 acres, allotted.

Modoc: 4,040 acres, or 6.25 square miles; established, altered, or changed by agreement with Eastern Shawnees made June 23, 1874 (see annual report, 1882, pages 271), and confirmed in Indian appropriation act approved March 3, 1875,18 U. S. Stats., p. 447.

Ottawa (of Blanchards Fork and Roche do Brea); 14,860 acres, or 23,25 square miles; established, altered, or changed by treaty of February 23, 1867, 15 U. S. Stats., p. 513.

Quapaw: 56,685 acres, or 88.5 square miles; established, altered, or changed by treaties of May 13, 1833, 7 U. S. February 23, 1867, 15 U. S. Stats., p. 513.

Seneca; 51,958 acres, or 81 square miles; established, altered, or changed by treaties of February 28, 1831, 7 U. S. Stats., p348; of December 29, 1832, 7 U. S. Stats., p., 411 and February 23, 1857, 15 U. S. Stats,, p. 513.

Wyandotte: 21,406 acres, or 33.50 square miles; established, altered, or changed February 23, 1860, 15 U. S. Stats., p. 513.

Reservations all surveyed.

Indian population 1890; Eastern Shawnees, 79; Miamis, 67; Modocs, 84; Ottawas, 187; Peorias, 160; Quapaw 154; Senecas and Cayugas, 255; Wyandots, 288; total, 1,224.

Quapaw Reservation

The Quapaw Indian reservation is situated in the extreme northeast corner of the agency, and is 6.5 miles wide north and south, 14 miles long east and west, and contains 56,685 acres of land. The land is mostly prairie and well watered. Indications of mineral are found on this reservation in almost all the land east of Spring River mid along the Missouri state line.

The tribe numbers 154 in all, 75 males and 79 females, of whom 100 speak English and 55 read it.

The farms of the Quapaws are small and not well cultivated; the fencing and improvements are mostly done by the whites. A very few of the young men have good farms and are quite industrious, but are retarded by the indolence of the older ones, who teach that none but the white man should work.

The appearance of the Quapaws, especially the older ones, shows fewer indications of civilization than that of other Indians at this agency. While they dress like white men, some still wear paint on their faces and feathers in their hats. The women dress in citizens' clothes, but with very few exceptions wear nothing but handkerchiefs on their heads. They are not very neat or tidy and are not good housekeepers. Many of the older Indians show signs of-scrofula, and some are inclined to consumption. The women have a more healthy appearance than the men. During the year there were 5 births and 4 deaths. Their houses are built of logs; are small, poorly ventilated, and badly kept. They have 44 on the reservation, and none of them are overcrowded. There were 8 new houses built this year, the work being mostly done by the young men. Their employment is entirely farming and stock raising. There are no churches on the reservation. The Quapaws are Catholics, and a priest visits them once a month for spiritual instruction, which is mostly given at their residences.

The reservation has a boarding school, situated 12 miles north of the agency. The buildings are 6 in number: 1 is used for schoolroom and dormitory; 1 a carpenter shop and storeroom combined; 1 building is used as dining room, with sleeping room up stairs; 1 building for girls' dormitory and dining room for employees, and 1 for laundry and priests' house: In this school are 'taught, besides the usual elementary lessons, sewing, cooking, and laundry and house work of all kinds. Boys are taught farming in all its branches. The average attendance during the past year was 39, which is about its full capacity.

The crimes of this tribe are few and mostly minor offenses which are adjusted by the agent. They have an Indian police, and good order is maintained.

The older Indians still keep up many of the old dances, such as the stomp dance and dog dance. The war dance has been abandoned.

They nearly all speak the Indian language, and many who can speak English will riot do so unless to their advantage. In their councils with the whites they all talk through an interpreter, although some of them may be able to speak good English. Their chiefs are hereditary, and the medicine man is still in existence. Polygamy has been entirely abandoned, and the marriage relation is sacredly kept.

Indian Territory

Condition of the Indian by State, 1890

Notes About the Book:

Source:  Report on Indians Taxed and Indians not Taxed in the United States, Except Alaska at the Eleventh Census: 1890, Department of the Interior, Government Printing Office, Washington DC., 1894

A Report to the Secretary of War of the United States on Indian Affairs, by Rev. Jedidiah Morse, 1822, Printed by S. Converse

Online Publication: The manuscript was scanned and then ocr'd. Minimal editing has been done, and readers can and should expect some errors in the textual output. Several spellings have been used for the same tribe of Indians.

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