USA > Iowa > Winneshiek County > Past and present of Winneshiek county, Iowa; a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 3
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22 "Red Men of Iowa," pg. 160.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY
at the Turkey river, says that he saw him while he was at school, and Decorah was then an old man. Big Canoe disliked to leave their Iowa reservation.
Geo. W. Kingsley says: "One-eyed Decorah or Big Canoe, after being driven around by the United States Government from the Turkey river reserva- tion, lowa, to Long Prairie in northern Minnesota, then back to Blue Earth, southern Minnesota, his family brought the old chief back to his native home and stamping grounds in Wisconsin. * He requested his children not to bury him, but instead, to place him on top of the ground in a sitting position, and so it was done."
He lived for a number of years with his tribe on Decora's Prairie, Wisconsin, which is named after him ; there is also a bluff called Decora's Peak back from the Prairie which was also named after him. George Gale states: "The One- eyed De Carry, who is now [ about 1864] about ninety years old, had his cheedah (or wigwam) and family during the summer of 1862 two miles west of Gales- ville, Wisconsin, and a part of the summer of 1863 he was near New Lisbon." On both of these occasions Gale interviewed him on the traditions of his tribe and family. One-eyed Decorah (also written One-Eyed Decorah) died near the Tunnel, in Monroe county, not far from Tomah, Wisconsin, in August. 1864. A. R. Fulton says : 23 "While young he [One-eyed Decorah] had the mis- fortune to lose his right eye."
Some histories 2+ contain the statement that, "One-eyed Decorah, a son of Waukon Decorah, was a drunkard and unworthy of his father;" there is no evidence, however, to show that he was more debauched than other chiefs, for nearly all Indians were more or less addicted to firewater. That he was a son of Waukon Decorah is an error, as One-eyed Decorah himself testifies that Wankon was his brother.
W'akun-ha-ga, or Snake Skin, a son of Chahpost-kaw-kah, was commonly known as Waukon Decorah, or Washington Decorah because in 1828 he went to Washington with the chiefs; he also visited Washington later. Waukon Decorah was a great council chief and orator of his tribe.
The following treaties were signed by him: August 19, 1825, Prairie des Chiens, Michigan Territory, as "Wan-ca-ha-ga, or snake's skin;" August 25, 1828, Green Bay, Michigan Territory, as "Wau-kaun-haw-kaw, or snake skin;" August 1. 1820, Prairie Du Chien. Michigan Territory, as "Wan-kaun-hah-kaw, snake skin;" among those representing the Prairie du Chien deputation at Fort Armstrong, Rock Island, Illinois, September 15, 1832, as "Wau-kaun-hah-kaw, or snake skin, (Day-kau-ray ) ;" November 1, 1837, Washington, D. C., as "Wa- kann-ha-kah. (Snake Skin)." In 1832, Mr. Burnett found him, with the prin- cipal part of his band from the Wisconsin and Kickapoo rivers, about sixty miles up the Mississippi from Prairie du Chien. This was during the Black Hawk war, at which time Waukon Decorah aided the whites. This chief belonged to the Mississippi river bands.
Mr. Saunders says, "Wakun-ha-ga had one son named 'Ma-he-ska-ga, or White Cloud;' he is buried here on this reservation [ Nebraska.] This man was known around Prairie du Chien and Lansing as John Waukon (there is a
23 "Red Men of Iowa," A. R. Fulton ; "The Making of Iowa," Sabin.
24 Same reference as above.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF WINNESHIER COUNTY
Charley Waukon who is now living at Lansing, Iowa, but he is no relation to the Waukon Decorah family). John Waukon has one daughter, Mrs. Henry Big Fire, and two sons, Henry Smith ('Hunting Man') and John Smith (Che- wy-scha-ka') still living. John Waukon was my father-in-law ; my wife's name, by birth and number of female children, was Oc-see-ah-ho-no-nien-kaw. She died February 21, 1913."
Waukon Decorah's portrait ( recently identified). painted by J. O. Lewis 25 at the Treaty of Prairie du Chien in 1825, is shown in Lewis' AAboriginal Port- folio. He is there called "Waa-kaun-see-kaa, or the Rattle Snake." Its chief distinction is a turban composed of a stuffed rattlesnake, wound around the head, on which are some feathers: a blanket is draped around the lower part of his form, while a bunch of hair ( evidently horschair ) is thrown over his arm.
Waukon Decorah evidently had adopted for his badge a stuffed snake skin, so that by some he was called "snake skin," by others, "rattlesnake," the former term, according to historical data, being more commonly used. Thomas Mc- Kenney, later United States Indian Commissioner, gives a portrait of this chief in MeKenney and Hall's "Indian Tribes," with a biography. Here he is called "Wa-kaun-ha-ka, a Winnebago Chief." In his biographic note MeKenney speaks of "Wa-kaun-ha-ka" as a Decorah. moreover, he says that the subject was part French. The Wa-kaun-ha-ka of MeKenney and the Waa-kaun-see-kaa of Lewis are portraits of the same person, and both coincide in the rattlesnake turban.
The variation in Indian names is not a formidable matter in identification. Mr. Lamere states that, "The literal translation of 'Wa-kaun-see-kaa' is 'the Yellow Snake.'" Mr. Saunders says: "At times of feasts or medicine dances Wa-kun-ha-ga wore on his head a cap [ turban ] made of yellow rattlesnake skins; the feathers denote bravery in battle." 1. 11. Bunnell mentions that the yellow rattlesnakes of the Mississippi bluffs were held as sacred by the Winnebagoes and Dakotas, who killed them only when a skin was required for a religious ceremony or dance.26
Miss Kellogg, research assistant to Reuben G. Thwaites,27 reports as follows: "We can unhesitatingly affirm, that there is every probability that this is the well Inown Winnebago known as Waukon Decorah. * I think there can be no doubt that Lewis's portrait is a genuine one, and correctly identified."
Several historians 25 of Iowa, it seems, have taken their accounts of Waukon Decorah from a statement originally made in the "Annals of lowa." 1866, by
28 Mr. J. O. Lewis was employed by the Indian Department from 1823 to 1834 to make portraits of the Indians, which was in furtherance of the plan of Hon. J. A. Barbour, Secretary of War. He accompanied Governor Lewis Cass and Colonel 11. 1. MeKenney in their west- ern tours, 1810 and 1820, and was present at the several treaties made by these gentlemen with the Chippewas, Winnebagoes, Sioux, Pottawattamies, and others. One of the folios contained a letter from General Cass in September, 1835. to Mr. Lewis, confirming the correctness of his pictures and commending him to the public. The sketches made by Mr. Lewis were depos- ited in the Indian Office, War Department, at Washington, and many of them were afterwards copied, at two different times, for the work of MeKenney and Hall .- Part 2, Smiths mian Report, 1885
20 Wisconsin Archeologist, Vol. 6. No. 3. pg. 1.34.
ET Superintendent of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.
24 A. R Fulton, "The Red Men of lowa:" B. F. Gue, "History of Iowa," Vol. 1; Sabin in "The Making of Iowa" also gives the same account.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF WINNESIIIEK COUNTY
Eliphalet Price of Elkader, Clayton county. This contains numerous errors. The Waukon Decorah described as a very small Indian is not the person of that name known to Wisconsin history. Price says,29 "He was usually called 'the Blind Decorah,' having lost his right eye;" he further states that the meaning of Waukon Decorah is "White Snake." In this he is also mistaken, as the previously given treaty signatures testify. Decorah is a corruption of the French surname De Carrie.
George W. Kingsley makes the following statement: "There was a I'hite Snake also, but he was not a chief, although a very prominent Indian. He died in Houston county, Minnesota, about the time the Decorahs lived in Iowa. His remains were left in a sitting position on the point of a hill about one mile north of the village of Houston. White Snake lost a part of his family in a massacre on the Wapsipinicon river, Iowa, a few years after the Black Hawk war while on an elk hunt, by a band of Sauk and Fox Indians by mistake. White Snake was part Sauk."
The speech referred to and party quoted in W. E. Alexander's History of Winneshiek and Allamakee counties, 1882, and credited to Waukon Decorah, is obviously connected with this incident. Evidently the speech was made by White Snake. He complained that his tribe had been firm friends of the whites, had aided them in the Black Hawk war, and because of this had incurred the enmity of the Sauks and Foxes, who first struck at his own family. He desired some token of remembrance for his services.
It is claimed by Alexander 30 that. "The name 'Wachon Decorah' is found translated in some places as the 'White Crow'; this is an error. There was a White Crow whose Indian name was Wa-haw-ska-kaw. also given as Kau-kich- ka-ka. lle was a prominent Winnebago civil chief and orator and died about the year 1834 in Wisconsin, and was buried there. Spoon Decorah, a son of Old Gray-headed Decorah, stated that White Crow was a one-eyed chief."
Eliphalet Price took the census of 1850 and is credited by the Day family (who were some of the first white settlers in Winneshiek county) with suggest- ing Decorah as a very proper name for the town site that they had in mind to plat.31 In the act of organizing the county ( 1851) Decorah is herein first named, two and a half years before the town plat was recorded. The district represented by Hon. Eliphalet Price consisted of Clayton, Fayette, Allamakee, and Winne- shiek counties. John Day made the remark 32 that Decorah "was a small Indian about five feet in height."
Mr. Price and Mr. Day were probably mislead in their identification of this chief, as there were other Winnebagoes whose names began with Waukon. Ap- parently, they were familiar with the name Waukon Decorah and had this in mind when it came to selecting a name for the new town. Mr. Price in his article relates that, "Soon after the removal of the Winnebagoes from the Wisconsin to the Neutral Ground in Iowa, Decorah and his band took up their residence on the lowa river near the present site of the town that bears his name, in the county
29 In his article entitled "Wakon Decorah," Annals of Iowa, 1866.
30 In his History of Winneshiek and Allamakee counties.
31 From a paper prepared by A. K. Bailey for deposit in the corner stone of the new Court House.
32 In Alexander's History of Winneshiek and Allamakce counties.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF WINNESHIER COUNTY
of Winneshick." Antoine Grignon states: "Wakun-ha-ga | Waukon Decorah] was camped on the lowa river [ Upper lowa] when I knew him. * *
* lle did not remain in that section long." Mr. Saunders says, "Wakun-ha-ga, and his band, also had a village at or near Waukon, lowa, where they went in the sum- mer, and raised corn and squash, and picked berries for winter use."
In a statement made by Col. C. A. Clark in "Annals of Iowa," 1903, he remarks that, "The name of the city of Decorah evidently comes from Little Decorah." This is very improbable, as there is nothing which corroborates it. Old Waukon lived a generation or two before Little Decorah, and was a distin- guished chief, while it appears that the latter was of lesser note.
It is evident, therefore, that our county seat is named in honor of the vener- able Waukon Decorah. Alexander states, "Our neighboring town of Waukon gained its name from the first half." Oliver Lamere confirms this in the follow- ing account : "Waukon and Waukon Junction have derived their names from Waukon Decorah. * * .A very prominent chief lived at the time the Win- nebagoes were there [ Iowa] called '.Vh-la-me-ga." It is thought that the name Allamakee is taken from him, and therefore it is a Winnebago name."
Waukon Decorah was noted for his large and imposing stature and is said to have been a fine-looking man. Colonel Brisbois of Prairie du Chien, who knew him well, speaks particularly of his stature. Antoine Grignon states that, "he was a large man over six feet tall and very powerful;" he further states, "Mr. Price is mistaken,-Waukon Decorah was not blind." He is said to have had a family of several children while here in Iowa, but the number is not known. Wakun- ha-ga was a member of the Snake clan and belonged to the Lower phratry. It is said that his sons had eagle clan names and claimed to be of the eagle clan.
What are said to be the remains of Waukon Decorah, which have been twice re-intered, now repose in the Court House Square, near the northeast corner. These are, however, the bones of some other Indian. The first grave supposed to be that of Decorah was on ground now occupied by Winnebago street, just below Main, almost at their intersection. The opening of the street to travel made it desirable that the remains be removed to another spot. This was done by a formal meeting of prominent citizens Angust 4. 1850. When the grave was opened the remains were found to consist of human bones, a blanket. a toma- hawk, a pipe, and a great number of beads. These were taken out and buried under Ellsworth and Landers' store, the place now occupied by John C. Hexom & Son, where they remained for about six months. When the stone wall in front of the Court House was completed, the remains were re-intered. They were placed in the Court House Square, where they lay undisturbed for about seventeen years. But the grading and terracing of these grounds and the build- ing of the new stone wall compelled another re-interment in the summer of 1876. The bones were taken out and placed in a box to be buried again inside the new stone wall.
When the remains were first exhumed in 1859. the skull had black hair ; this assertion is corroborated in a statement made by R. F. Gibson, January 27. 1913. to the writer of this article. Mr. Gibson was one of a committee of three ap- pionted to take charge of the remains.
Waukon Decorah was at this time living in Minnesota with his people : this fact has been established beyond question. It is stated in Alexander's history
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PAST AND PRESENT OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY
that even prominent participants in the first exhumation of the alleged remains of Decorah were confused with doubts, by rumors, current at the time, to the effect that Decorah was still living. He died at the Blue Earth agency, southern Minnesota, in 1868, and was buried there. Mr. Lamere says, "He was about ninety-three years old when he died, and it is said that his hair was as white as it could be." This is practically conclusive proof that the death of Waukon Decorah did not occur here, and that his remains are not buried in the Court House Square.
Little Decorah was the oldest son of Old Gray-headed Decorah. His Win- nebago name is given as "Maw-hee-coo-shay-naw-zhe-kaw," which Mr. Kingsley interprets as "The pillar that reaches the clouds." The following treaties were signed by Little Decorah: November 1, 1837, Washington, D. C., as "Ma-hee- koo-shay-nuz-he-kah, (Young Decori) ;" October 13, 1846, Washington, as "Maw-hee-ko-shay-naw-zhee-kaw :" February 27, 1855, Washington, as "Maw- he-coo-shaw-naw-zhe-kaw," one that Stands and Reaches the Skies, or Little De- corie :" April 15, 1859, Washington, as "Little De Corrie ;" March 1, 1865, Wash- ington, as "Little Decoria." It is probable that "Little Decorah" is simply another term for Decorah, Junior.
This chief established a village on the lowa river ( Upper lowa) in 1840, and it is thought that he was about forty years old while here. Antoine Grig- non, who was acquainted with him, says, "Little Decorah spent very little time in Iowa-but lived mostly in the region of Portage, Wis." He belonged to the Mississippi river bands of Indians. Waukon Decorah and Little Decorah had separate camps on the Upper lowa river.
Little Decorah was of medium height, five feet eight or ten inches, and was chunky and fleshy. It is said that he was slow of action and speech, but pos- sessed of a mild and kind disposition and was very sensible. He belonged to the Cloud clan. Little Decorah died near Tomah, Wisconsin, April 1, 1887, about 100 years old.
Spoon Decorah was a son of Old Gray-headed Decorah. (It will be remem- bered that Old Decorah had a brother Choukeka, also called Spoon Decorah). Spoon Decorah was born at his father's village near the mouth of the Baraboo river, Wisconsin. In March, 1887, Dr. Reuben G. Thwaites had an interview with him. He was then "living with his aged squaw," whose name, it is said, was Gray Eagle-eye. "His progeny, reaching to the fourth generation, were clustered about the patriarchal lodge in family wigwams." He could only con- verse in his native tongue. He related. "In 1840, we were all moved to the Turkey river [lowa] ; but in the spring our party went to Iowa [ Upper] river, where Little Decorah had a village. We went down soon afterwards to the Turkey river to get our ammunition, but for some reason-perhaps because we had moved to Iowa river without the consent of the agent-we couldn't get any." 33 He then went back to Wisconsin, where he died October 13, 1889, in a cranberry marsh, near Necedah. It is said that he was about eighty-four years old when he died. 3+
33 Wisconsin Historical Collections.
34 Same reference as above.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF WINNESHIER COUNTY
Spoon Decorah, a cousin of the Spoon Decorah interviewed by Doctor Thwaites in 1887, was a son of One-eyed Decorah. In regard to him we have no further information.
Angel De Cora-known in private life as Mrs. William Deitz-is the daugh- ter of a descendant of the hereditary chief of the Winnebagoes. The name "Angel" came about through an accident ; its bearer was carried, while a baby, to a young kinswoman, who, being asked to choose a "Christian name," opened a Bible at random, and the first word which caught her eye was "angel." ller Indian name, which means "Queen of the Clouds," identifies her with the Thunder-bird clan. Angel De Cora Deitz states: "Wakan [ Waukon De- corah] was a generation or two before Maw-he-coo-shaw-naw-zhe-ka | Little Decorah ]. The latter was my grandfather."
Her education began, while very young, when she was carried off to Ilamp- ton, Virginia. A strange white man appeared on the reservation and asked her, through an interpreter, if she would like to ride on a steam car; with six other children she decided to try it, and when the ride was ended she found herself in Hampton. "Three years later, when I returned to my mother," says AAngel De Cora,35 "she told me that for months she wept and mourned for me. My father and the old chief and his wife had died, and with them the old Indian life was gone." She then returned to Hampton, where, through the efforts of a kind family who gave her employment, she was enabled to work her way through a local preparatory school for girls, and later the art department of Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts.36
Her husband's name is Wicarhpi Isnala, or Lone Star ; he is one-quarter Sioux and the rest German. Both are now teaching art at the Carlisle Indian School, her husband having also studied art and become an artist of some note. AAngel De Cora has been under the art instruction of such men as Howard Pyle. Frank Brown, Joseph De Camp, and Edmund Tarbell. She has won distinction in her work. In 1904 her husband, Lone Star, supervised the interior and mural decorations of the Indian exhibit at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis. It was while in St. Louis that he became acquainted with Angel De Cora. 37
Roger C. Mackenstadt, whose boyhood was spent in the city of Decorah, where his parents still reside, says, "Our best policeman, and one of my intimate friends, was Peter Decora, a grandson of Chief Wakan Decorah. * In the whole tribe I would say that fifty are named Decora. They drop the 11. There are several Waukons, about ten, and twenty Winneshicks. The Winneshicks and Waukons are all Wisconsin Winnebagoes and about half of the Decoras are Wisconsin." Mr. Mackenstadt having received a promotion, is now stationed at the Uintah and Ouray Agency, Utah.
CHIEF WINNESIJEK
And though the warrior's sun has set. lis light shall linger round us yet -
Iranslation from the Spanish by II. W. Longfellow.
The Literary Digest, January 27, 1012, pg. 161.
" Same reference as above.
. I rom an article in The Literary Digest, January 27, 1912, 15. 101.
CHAS. PHIL HEXOM - 13' (after photo)
LITTLE WINNESIHIER
Whose Indian name is No-gin-kah (meaning, Striking Tree) ; also known as Younger Wineshick.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY
Il'inneshick, who seems to be a somewhat shadowy character, was a notable chief of the Winnebagoes. It appears that there was a family, like the De- coral family, that took that name. The name Winneshiek is evidently not a Winnebago name, but an Algonquian (that is, Fox) name, and is properly Win- nishig, and signifies "a dirty person who is lying down." He was commonly known by his Fox name. In his own language he was called "Wa-kon-ja-goo- gah," meaning "Coming Thunder ;" he was also called "We-lou-shi-ga," mean- ing "ties them up," or "has them tied up." It is also said that his name in his own language was "Maun-wau-kon-kaw;" #" regarding the last two names Little Winneshiek says, "I understand that this name [We-lou-shi-ga] is a Sioux word for Wa-kon-ja-goo-gah, or Coming Thunder. The name, Maun-wau- kon-kaw, is unknown to us." The following treaty signatures show the name to be variously written: August 25, 1828, Green Bay, Michigan Territory, "Wee-no-shee-kaw;" February 27, 1855, Washington, D. C., "Wau-kon-chaw- koo-haw, the Coming Thunder, or Win-no-shik" (the first Indian to sign the treaty. )
From A. R. Fulton, in "Red Men of Iowa," we learn that, "He was pro- moted to the rank of a chief when quite young, and always maintained popu- larity among his people. *
* * * Both physically and intellectually he was a remarkably fine specimen of his race. * * As a man he was modest, kind, and courteous; as a chief, dignified, firm and just in the exercise of his authority. * * * Winneshiek was made head chief of the tribe in 1845 [at the Turkey river, lowa], an appointment that did not affect his position as chief of his own particular band." Alexander states: 39 "Ile was made chief by order of the United States War Department, on account of his ability and fitness for the position. Under him as head chief, there were several chiefs of respective bands into which the tribe was divided." When the tribe was re- moved to Long Prairie, Minnesota, Winneshiek was the head chief, and in 1857, when they were at Blue Earth, he was called a worthy chief and ruler of his tribe. 40
Old chief Winneshiek was an intelligent and very kind man, and had perfect control over his people. He belonged to the Thunder clan, and was a member of the Upper phratry. Mr. Lamere says: "Ile is said to have been of medium size, had black mustache and chin whiskers. He was very handsome, and it is said that he always wore goggles, or dark glasses. He always carried a pipe, which was made out of a round stick about a foot and a half long with the stem hole bored through it, and the bowl bored into the other end; he carried this most all the time, and especially at council meetings would he have it with him."
Mr. Kinsley says: "We-no-shee-kah was strictly a pagan; he did not be- lieve in the white man's way, therefore his band of followers, which consisted of about one-half or two-thirds of the tribe, were known as blanket Indians. He was a very shrewd, wise, and stubborn man, but free-hearted to everybody ; no person ever left or entered the chief's great lodge without receiving some- thing to eat. These were his teachings ; he regarded all the Winnebagoes as his
38 Wisconsin Historical Collections.
39 In his History of Winneshiek and Allamakee Counties. There is no further authentic mention regarding this statement.
40 Wisconsin Archeologist, Vol. 6, No. 3, pg. 156.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF WINNESHHIER COUNTY
children and treated them as such. We-no-shee-kah was no orator, therefore in council with the government, or otherwise, he always had a speaker. He was no traveler, although he made a trip or two to see his Great Father at Washing- ton. President Polk, who, as a token of friendship, gave We-no-shee-kah a medal: struck on the reverse side were two hands clasped, an Indian's in that of a white man's [ regarding this medal see statement by Little Winneshick]. Chief We-no-shee-kah was a great father as well as a head chief. Ile had four wives, who, with himself and family, lived in one lodge. His principal home was about seven miles west of the village of Houston, on the Root river. Hous- ton county, Minnesota: here he lived, during the winter, in a dirt wigwam." Fulton states #1 : "Ile had four wives, one of whom was the reputed daughter of Colonel Morgan, a former officer in the United States army;" there is no further authentic mention which corroborates this statement by Fulton.
That Winneshiek also had a camp on the Upper lowa river is evident, as Antoine Grignon says, "While he [ Winneshick ] was camped on the Iowa river my brother Paul and one James Reed visited his band to find out about some cattle the young Winnebagoes had stolen from the Sioux. They were given in compensation an equal amount of cattle, or a number corresponding to the num- ber that has been stolen, and Wineshick warned his band not to molest the cattle as they were being driven out. as the young men were making prepara- tions to stampede the herd by waving red blankets in front of them."
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