While we know our northern friends may not feel it, in the South, Spring is
here. So we thought we'd share a few of our gardening sites appropriate
for this time of the year. Along with gardening, there's grilling, and getting
ready to diet so that you can fit back into that bathing suit this summer!
It was away back in the dim and indefinite
past, in the territorial days of Illinois, that this noted and itinerant
tribe occupied the county of McLean, in Illinois. Then there came the time
that fate decreed that they must move on. The lands were rich, the country
beautiful to behold, and the climate salubrious, hence the white man's eyes
looked upon it with admiration mingled with envy.
The star of empire was moving westward, at this time, at
rapid strides, civilization and development encroaching, so that the Indians
must go. Farther west was good enough for them. Good hunting grounds,
good fishing, roaming and carousing grounds, where even there were more hark
and skins with which to cover their little huts which they preferred to
comfortable houses and where
there was no lack of white whiskey traders. So they went west, under the
guidance of their grand old prophet, Kennekuk, who later on died in Kansas
and was buried somewhere near the old town of Kickapoo, Atchison county. In
their Kansas home, the Kickapoos first occupied the lands adjacent to the
present location of Wathena and a subsequent treaty removed them to a
reservation in Brown county, composed of about one-fourth of the county in
the southwest part. The north line of this reserve, commencing near the west
line of the county, ran along the south line of the present town of
Fairview, on east by the old Billy Meisenheimer farm and on east, north of
the Wm. Hauber home place, to its east line, and then south to Horton.
Under a treaty made with this tribe June 28, 1862, and
signed by President Lincoln May 28, 1863, the Central Branch, Union Pacific
Railroad Company became the possessor of this barge tract of the choice
lands of the county, except a tract of 30 sections, 5 by 6 miles square, on
the south line and three miles from the west line of the county, forming the
little home far the present
members of the tribe, who like the Iowa, Sac and Fox tribes in the north
portion of the county, have now, layed aside their red blankets, feathers,
war whoop and paint and donned the dress of the whites and are engaged, in
the peaceful pursuit of farming, some of them riding in their own
automobiles.. All these tribes have been reduced to a very few, by the "move
on" process and not by the waning of the race, for a late report from the
Indian commissioner says they are holding their own. There are says, the
report, 350,000 of them today in 24 states, settled on 80 reservations.
This is a very brief account of the coming of the first
human settlers to the county. It was these Indians that broke the silence of
multiplied ages, occupied a spot of the bleak and untenanted domain west of
the Missouri river, and proclaimed themselves monarchs of all they
surveyed. The Iowa had about 12,000 acres, the Kickapoos five times that
amount, and the whole of these reservations were of the best lands in the
county. In reducing the Kickapoo reservation from more than 12 miles square
to the present five by six mile reservation, the Indians received $1.25 an
acre for these rich prairie lands. These few remaining Kickapoos each have a
comfortable cabin and a wagon and team.
They try to imitate the white man in dress and mode of
farming as near as they can. A number of years ago arrangements were made to
allot these lands to these Indians in severalty. So many acre's to each, but
they were to be held in trust by government for 25 years, at the end of
which time patents will be issued. However, patents are issued now in cases
where the Indian has proven himself capable of taking care of his
possessions and not likely to be cheated by some white man as has been the
case in many instances. Even when an Indian dies his land is sold and the
proceeds thereof are. held in trust by the government for the benefit of the
heirs. It is seen, therefore, that the government
protects this Ignorant class from being defrauded by the unscrupulous white
land shark and makes sure to them their lands, monies and rights as wards of
this nation.
Ruley Andrew Newton
A. N. Ruley's history of Brown County
Hiawatha, Kansas
This site
includes some historical materials that may imply negative stereotypes
reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. These
items are presented as part of the historical record and should not be
interpreted to mean that the WebMasters in any way endorse the stereotypes
implied .
