USA > Iowa > Fayette County > Oelwein > The Telegraph-herald's abridged history of the state of Iowa and directory of Fayette County, including the city of Oelwein, with a complete classified business directory; > Part 3
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The ownership of the Territory of Louisiana was not definitely settled until 1763. In 1762 a preliminary treaty, known as the act of Fontainbleau, was signed between England, France and Spain, by which it was agreed that the boundary between the Provinces of England and France should be irrevocably fixed by a line drawn in the middle of the Mississippi River; the French pos- sessions lying West and the English possessions East of said line. By this treaty Iowa was definitely placed in the Louisiana Province, and all rights of claimants through charters and grants made by the Kings of England in the Seventeenth Century were terminated. The treaty of Paris, which was signed by the three countries in the following year, confirmed the boundaries agreed upon in the preliminary treaty.
Louis XV., King of France, secretly ceded to Spain in 1762, all the French
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Possessions lying beyond the Mississippi River. Spain took formal possession of the Province of Louisiana in 1769, and retained control of this vast territory until 1800, when the treaty of St. Idlefonso was concluded, Spain agreeing to recede the Province of Louisiana to France upon the fulfillment of certain con- siderations to be performed by the French Republic. This treaty was suc- ceeded in the following year by the treaty of Madrid, which provided that the retrocession of Louisiana, as agreed upon in the treaty of St. Idlefonso, should be carried out.
In 1803, for a consideration of $15,000,000, France relinquished to the United States all her right and title to the territory lying West of the Mississ- ippi River and North and East of the Spanish possessions. This transaction is known as the "Louisiana Purchase." The United States thus acquired pos- session of a vast domain, out of which there have been formed the states of Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, all of Indian Territory, the major parts of the states of Louisiana, Kansas, Montana, and Wyoming, nearly all of the Oklahoma Territory, and a large portion of the State of Colorado.
CHAPTER III.
In 1538 Narvaez was appointed by Charles V. of Spain, Governor of Florida. He fitted out an expedition of five ships and four hundred men. After endur- ing hardships not easily described, all perished but one, Alavrd Nunez, the sole survivor, who reached a Spanish settlement after ten years of wandering. De Soto was the next freebooter to try his hand. He organized a fleet of ten ships, manned by over 1,000 men. Like his predecessor, Narvaez, his purpose was to get gold. They had no respect or consideration for the natives. Plunder, mur- der and rapine were resorted to. They proved to be a band of freebooters in quest of fortune and plunder. An army, rendered cruel and ferocious by ava- rice, ready to march to any point where they might plunder Indian villages supposed to be stored with gold or other riches.
The natives soon discovered that they must fight; either fight and exter- minate the invaders or be exterminated by them. And De Soto, before he had proceeded far into the trackless woods, had reason to believe he had taken the wrong course. The natives hounded his army day and night, and after a disas- trous siege about 250 returned to the Spanish settlement. Both of these expe- ditions spent some time in the Mississippi River Valley. De Soto found a grave in the Great River.
England and Portugal sent out exploring parties, who were equally cruel and unjust to the Indians. In fact, for the first century after the discovery of America, the Indians were treated like wild animals, having no rights that the white men were obliged to respect. But a new era was introduced by the Brotherhood of Jesus, or, as they are better known, the Jesuits. This society was organized about the year 1540. Ignatius, its founder, who held a high rank in the Spanish army, was wounded at the siege of Pampeluna, and while con- valescing, in the hospital, he read the lives of the Saints, and on reflection con- cluded he was fighting on the wrong side. That he was fighting against hu- manity when he ought to be battling for God and humanity. He conferred with a few friends, and the result was that nine men of the rank pledged them- selves to devote their lives to the cause of God and humanity. After studying Theology for about three years, they went to Rome and made an offer of their services to Pope Paul III. He applauded their zeal, and after another three
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years' course of study, they were erected into a religious body, under the name of the Society of Jesus. Others soon joined and the society became in a short time numerically strong. The New World was their objective point and they penetrated nearly every part of it. Bancroft says of the Jesuits: "The history of their labor is connected with nearly every celebrated town in the annals of French America. Not a river was entered, not a cape turned, but a Jesuit led the way. Although certain privations and suffering was their lot, and martyr- dom might be the crown of their labors, they ventured into the remotest re- gions and among the most warlike tribes." The Jesuit revelation, given by Father Claude Dablon in 1670, in his account of the Illinois Indians, says: "These people were the first to come to Green Bay to trade with the French. They are settled in the midst of a beautiful country away southward towards th great river named 'Missipo.' It takes its rise in the North, flowing towards the South, discharging its waters into the Sea. All the vast country through which it flows is of prairie without trees. It is beyond this river that the Illin- ois live, and from which are detached the Muscatines, which signifies a land bare of trees." None of the early French explorers seem to have suspected that this Great River so often told of by the Indians was the same river discov- ered by De Soto one hundred and thirty years before.
CHAPTER IV.
The French Jesuit, Father Marquette, was the first white man to set foot on Iowa soil. He had spent many years with the Indians in the vicinity of Green Bay building churches and teaching and preaching to them. The Indians held him in high esteem. They had a warm affection for the good Missionary who had devoted the best years of his life to their welfare. He had resolved to go farther west and see the Great River, which he had heard of so often. The Indians besought him with tears not to undertake so perilous a journey, but he had resolved to go. Louis Joliet, with five experienced voyagers, em- barked with him May 13th, 1673, in two birch bark canoes. Arriving at the Western extremity of the French explorations, they engaged two Miami guides to pilot them to the Wisconsin River. They floated down that river to where it (mpties into the Mississippi River, when they were delighted at beholding the magnificent river so often heard of. The largest on the continent. This was on June 17th 1673. They felt the inspiration of their great discovery. All about them was an unknown region, not a human being was to be seen. They landed from time to time, made camps, killed game and caught fish. They as- cended the bluffs and saw in the distance boundless prairies, upon which were herds of buffalo and elk. The explorers passed between shores of unsurpassed beauty, where Dubuque, Clinton, Davenport, Rock Island, Muscatine, Burling- ton and other flourishing towns and cities now stand. On June 28th they landed on the West shore and discovered human foot prints in the sand. They traced them to a path which led up the bluff. Leaving their companions in charge of the boats, Marquette and Joliet followed the trail Westward for sev- eral miles, till nearing a fringe of timber a column of smoke was seen and soon after a tent was discovered erected in a grove. It proved to be part of an In- dian village. It was built on the bank of a small river, the shores of which were shaded by a beautiful fringe of timber. The natives were astonished to see white men, but no hostile demonstrations were made. It is likely that few if any of these Indians had ever seen a European before. The Indians made
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signs of friendship and offered the pipe of peace. They proved to be a band of the Illinois tribe, and had two other villages a few miles distant. The river on which they were living, was called by them, the Mon-in-go-na. Marquette was well enough acquainted with the language of the Illinois tribe of Indians to converse with the villagers. When he had explained who they were, the object. of their visit and the pleasure it afforded them to meet some of the inhabitants of that delightful country, the Indians gave the explorers a very cordial wel- come. One of the chiefs delivered the following address: I thank the black gown chief, and his friend, for taking so much pains to come and see us. Never before has the earth been so beautiful nor the sun so bright as now. Never has the river been so calm and free from rock, which your canoes have removed as they passed down. Never has the tobacco had so fine a flavor, nor our corn appeared so beautiful as we behold it now. Ask the Great Spirit to give us life and health, and come ye and live with us."
At the conclusion of the chief's address they were invited to a feast which the squaws had prepared, and which Marquette describes as follows: "It con- sisted of four courses. First, there was a large bowl filled with a preparation of corn meal boiled in water and seasoned with oil. The Indian conducting the ceremonies had a large wooden spoon which he dipped in the mixture, called by them Tagamety, and passed it in turn into the mouths of the different mem- bers of the party. The second course was fish, nicely cooked and separated from the bones and placed in the mouths of the guests. The third course was a roasted dog, which our explorers declined with thanks, when it was at once removed from sight. The last course was roast buffalo, the fattest pieces of which were passed to the visitors. It was excellent meat and nicely cooked." Marquette and Joliet were delighted with the beautiful country. The fish and game were plentiful, and the friendly reception by the Indians, all conspired to give the explorers a lofty conception of both the country and its inhabitants. This was Iowa as seen by the first white man. For six days they remained with their Indian friends, hunting and fishing and living on the best the land could produce. The natives exerted themselves to provide every entertainment for them, and urged them to prolong their stay. When Marquette and his party could not be induced to remain longer, more than six hundred Indians escorted theni back to the river, where their canoes were moored, and regret- fully bade them good-bye. The Indians watched the white men, waving them farewell, until they disappeared in a bend in the river. The place where they landed is supposed to be where Montrose now stands. A complete record of their trip and a description and chart of the country were kept by Joliet, but unfortunately were lost. Father Marquette's chief interest in all his daring expeditions into unknown regions was the conversion of the Indians to Chris- tianity. He made but few notes or records of his travels. Fierce feuds and savage warfare have prevailed among the tribes of Indians; but the first white man that came among them was met with warm welcome and substantial tokens of friendship. The French, doubtless under the influence of the Jesuits, who led them in nearly all their explorations treated the Indians with kindness and respected their rights. The people of nearly all other nations regarded and treated them as savages having no rights that white men were bound to re- spect. The French lived with peace and security among them, while the En- glish, Spanish and Portuguese made war upon them which brought retaliation and massacre of men, women and children. Father Marquette won the con- fidence and esteem of the Indians, and when he and his party bade farewell to
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the Illinois chief, the latter presented him with the pipe of peace. The sacred calumet, ornamented with brilliant feathers. This suspended from the neck, was a safeguard among all the savage tribes that he might encounter in his journey.
CHAPTER V.
In latitude 33 degrees they met a fierce tribe of Indians of the Michigamie nation. These natives had heard, no doubt, by tradition, of the invasions of De Soto, one hundred and thirty years before, and the atrocities perpetrated on their ancestors. At first sight of the canoes manned by white men, the alarm was sounded. A large band of warriors assembled, and, armed with bows and arrows, tomahawks and war clubs, embarked in their canoes and advanced with yells of defiance upon the seven Frenchmen. The fearless Marquette, unawed by the impending danger, held aloft the sacred calumet. Seeing the token of peace, the Indian chief restrained his men, and in turn made signs of peace. He invited Marquette and his party to the village, where for several days they were entertained with hospitality. They descended nearly to the mouth of the Arkansas River, a distance of more than 1,100 miles. They had learned that the Great River they had discovered emptied into the Gulf of Mexico, at a distance of about 600 miles from where they were encamped. The object of the expedition was accomplished, the party had entered a region where the language learned by Marquette was unknown, and it was difficult to communi- cate or procure information from the natives. The Indians were hostile and might at any time attack the little company. Should these men be killed all their valuable discoveries would be lost to France. Moreover, they were liable to come upon Spanish settlements or freebooters, of which they were as much in dread as the Indians. Hence they concluded it was their duty to return to Canada and report the result of their long and interesting voyage. Propelling the canoes up stream in hot weather was not such an easy task, but energy and perseverance accomplished it. Arriving at the mouth of the Illinois River, they heard from the Indians that this river afforded a much shorter route to the Great Lakes than the Wisconsin River. They therefore ascended it for two weeks and then crossed the Illinois prairie from its head to the Chicago River, and followed that stream to the shore of Lake Michigan. Father Marquette died in 1675 at the age of 38 years. His country was mankind. The following lines written by a traveler, who was not a member of his church, gives an idea of his peaceful death:
"His solitary grave was made Beside thy water, Michigan; In the forest shade the bones were laid Of a world wandering man. Discoverer of a world; he sleeps By all the world unknown;
No mausaleum marks the spot, Nor mnoumental stone. He died alone; no pious hand Smoothed down the pillows for his head:
No watching follower reared the tent Or strewed the green leaves for his bed. His followers left the holy man
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Beside a rustic altar kneeling,
The slanting sunbeams' sitting rays Through the thick forest branches stealing.
An hour had passed and they returned; They found him lying where he knelt,
But Oh! how changed; the calm of death Upon his marble features dwelt, Even while he prayed, his living soul Had to His native Heaven fled;
While the last twilight's holiest beam Fell like a glory on his head."
CHAPTER VI.
In 1710 the first African Negroes were taken into the new French Colony and slavery established in Louisiana. In 1717 the entire trade of the Mississ- ippi River was granted by a charter from the French King to a Western Com- pany for twenty-five years. The company under its charter was obligated to introduce 6,000 white settlers and 3,000 slaves. War was waged between En- gland and France from 1756 to 1762, for the conquest of Canada, and in 1763 France ceded to England all her territory East of the Mississippi River, except a region East of New Orleans. The King of France about the same time, by a secret treaty, ceded to Spain the entire country West of the Mississippi River known as Louisiana. Thus, after nearly one hundred years' possession, the entire interests of France were turned over and the French inhabitants became unwilling subjects of Spain and England. When Spain secured possession of Louisiana she puts an embargo on the Mississippi River, which made it very inconvenient for the Americans, and after making several unsuccessful attempts to induce her to raise it, Congress in 1788 declared "that the navigation of the Mississippi River is a clear and essential right of the United States and that it ought to be enforced." This developed a war cloud above the horizon, and al- though Spain realized her danger, she procrastinated hoping to win the people of the Mississippi Valley to her side. But they were too firmly wedded to the Union. Finally the American minister at Madrid proposed that if Spain would cede to the United States, her possessions East of the Mississippi River, in- cluding the islands and City of New Orleans, the United States would make no claim to the vast territory West of the river, as her real interests would then require that Spain retain her possessions West of it. Since the free navi- gation of the river was of such prime necessity to the United States, it must sooner or later be conceded. The minister said: "This is the decree of Prov- idence written on every map of the Continent, and it cannot be perverted by any human agency. Would it not be the part of wisdom to anticipate an irre- pressible event peacefully, and cement a lasting friendship with the United States on this basis of mutual benefit and interest." In 1795 the matter was settled by treaty, making the middle of the Mississippi River the Western boundary of the United States from the 31st degree of North Latitude to its source, and navigation made free to its mouth. Under the brilliant young counsel, Napoleon Bonaparte, France became the most powerful nation of Eu- rope. and as her people had not become reconciled to the manner in which Louisiana was taken from them, Napoleon resolved to restore it to France,
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and in 1801 a treaty was made, by which Spain ceded to France all the Province of Louisiana, but before Napoleon could take possession of it, England and her allies were pressing the French armies so hard that Napoleon feared the power- ful British navy would secure and blockade the ports of Louisiana; thus cutting France off from her possessions so recently acquired. The French and Amer- icans were traditional friends, and in order to save Louisiana from England, Napoleon determined to transfer it to a friendly power able to defend it, and in 1803 sold it to the United States for $15,000,000.
The almost unexplored country comprising Louisiana, had been discovered by Spanish adventurers in 1542, but they abandoned it for one hundred and thirty years, when French explorers took possession fo it, in the name of their King. It was held by France from 1681 to 1763, when it was ceded to Spain. Up to the close of the Revolutionary War, Virginia claimed the territory lying west of the Ohio River, as well as Kentucky. This claim was ceded to the United States in 1784. In the same year a treaty was made with the Sioux In- dians, who claimed a portion of the territory, by which they relinquished their claim to all lands west of the State of New York. In 1785 Congress passed an act providing for the survey of public lands. These lands were divided into Townships six miles square. The ranges to be numbered from the boundary of Pennsylvania west, and the Townships north from a point on the Ohio River due north or the western terminus of the southern boundary of Pennsylvania. These townships were divided into thirty-six sections one mile square. This was the origin of our excellent system of surveying, dividing and describing public lands. Afterwards the law was amended to the extent of laying off the land in checks twenty-four miles north and south, and forty-two miles east and west. This was divided into townships and sections, and the fractions thrown on the west side of the check, and township. In 1786 Congress adopted a joint resolution providing that not less than three nor more than five States should be organized out of the new territory.
CHAPTER VII.
In 1787 Congress passed an act by which all the country lying North and West of the Ohio River, and East of the Mississippi River, was organized into the Northwest Territory. This embraced what has since become the States of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. Seventeen million acres of land had been acquired by treaty with the various tribes of Indians, and the ordinance provided for its organization, forever prohibitng the introduction of slavery within its limits. This prohibition was introduced by Thomas Jefferson. author of the Declaration of Independence, and afterwards President of the United States. The wresting of Iowa from the Indians was attended with but little of the cruelties of war which followed the advent of the English, Spanish and Portuguese invaders of other parts of America. Three hundred years of sturdy but unrewarded resistance to the advance of the European races, had exhausted the original fire and unyielding courage of the Indians, and impressed them with the gloomy conviction that further resistance must be futile. Nation after nation of their ancestors had been vanquished in the unequal contest. Slowly but surely they had been dispossessed of their hunting grounds and home. The most powerful tribes had disappeared in the warfare. Their lands had been peopled by the white man, who forced the savage step by step West- ward. Their conquerors must be their historian, and justice demands that we
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shall record their virtues as well as their vices. If they were cruel, treacher- ous, revengeful and merciless as enemies, it is no less true that they were brave, warm, hospitable, devoted and loyal friends. They were as ready to risk life in defense of a friend as they were to tomahawk, scalp and burn their enemies and prisoners. They resisted the invasion of their country with a stern and relentless ferocity, born of ages of barbarism, torturing and extermi- nating the despoilers of their homes.
When Iowa was first explored by the whites, the Dakota Indians were found in possesion of Minnesota and Northern Iowa. This family consisted of the following tribes: The Iowa's, Omahas, Osages, Winnebagos, Muscatines, Otoes, and Sissetons. The Algonquin family consisted of the Illinois, Foxes, Chippe- was, Attouays, Pottawattamies, and Sioux, occupied North Missouri and South Iowa. Fierce wars were waged between those tribes and frequently until the weaker tribe was exterminated. The last battle fought between the Iowas on one side and the Sacs and Foxes on the other, was near the town of Iowaville. Here in the year 1824 the Iowans had assembled in great numbers to witness a horse race on the river bottoms about two miles from their village. Most of their warriors were present, unarmed and unconscious of the impending danger. The Sacs and Foxes were led by their Chief Pashepaho, assisted by Black Hawk, who was then a young man unknown to fame. Their spies had watched the assembling of the Iowas and reported their number. The Sacs and Fox braves were in ambush in a forest near by. The old chief had two divisions, in the stealthy attack, while young Black Hawk was sent with a third division to capture and burn the village. At a moment when all eyes were bent on an exciting race, the terrible warwhoop burst upon their ears and the fierce Sac and Fox warriors rushed like an avalanche upon the unarmed and panic- stricken crowd. The Iowa warriors made a dash for their village, where their arms had been left, only to find it in flames. The agonizing shrieks from their wives and children, mingled with the vells of young Black Hawk's band, as the tomahawks fell upon the defenseless villagers, nerved the Iowa braves to su- perhuman exertions. But few of their arms could be found in the confusion and the men, women and children were massacred by hundreds. In their hope- less efforts to protect their families, they fought with clubs and stones, and, seeing the utter futility of their resistance, the remnant of the band finally sur- rendered. Their power was broken, their proud spirit crushed by this disaster, and the survivors never recovered from the blow. They lingered in despair about the ruins of their village and the graves of their dead, gloomy and hope- less.
The renown of this once powerful tribe had departed. They moved from place to place through Southern Iowa and Northern Missouri. They ceased as an individual tribe to hold any portion of the State to which their name had been given. In 1820 they sold their undivided interests in their Iowa lands to the United States. At this time their number were estimated at 1.000, and their principal villages in the Valley of the Little Platte River. In 1838 they ceded their entire interests in Iowa to the Unted States for $157,500, whch was kept in trust; the interest at 5 per cent is paid annually to the tribes. The remnant of the tribe accepted lands West of the Missouri River, with the Sacs and Foxes their conquerors. They soon after outnumbered the tribes that sub- dued them and are partially civilized. During the Civil War they were loyal to the Union and many of them enlisted in the army, making good soldiers. In October, 1901, they finally surrendered their tribal organization and accepted
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