History of Dakota Territory, volume I, Part 22

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1198

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Strike the Ree, or "Okdl Strike," as he was called by the pioneers, the head chief of the Yanktons at the time this local history begins, was a very able In- dian and chieftain, endowed by nature with many of the qualities of leadership, a consistent and lifelong friend of the white people, and a model ruler of his tribe. He had distinguished himself on the warpath when his tribe was engaged in conflict with the red men of other nations, but was esteemed more for his

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peaceful victories than as a warrior. He was regarded by the braves of his own and other tribes as a wise chieftain with a good, kind heart, who sought at all times to promote the welfare and best interests of his people. He seemed to realize that fate had decreed the subordination of the Indians to the civilization of the paleface, and was therefore a friend of the whites from motives of self- interest, or the interest of his people, as well as influenced by a nature genial and peaceful and an ambition to improve the condition of the Indians by emu- lating the virtues of civilization. He was the "Grand Old Man" of the aborig- inal inhabitants of Dakota and possessed in a remarkable degree their confidence. He was inflexible in pursuing a policy of peace with the whites and cultivating ilre friendship of the "Great Father" at Washington, and was therefore not dis- posed to resist unreasonably the encroachments which the whites were making upon the Indian domain. Ile felt that this was inevitable, and if he did not invite it, he was too wise to oppose it by force, and was wise enough to make the best of it.

The Yanktons had other villages or camps under the rule of subordinate chiefs. One of these was situated in the immediate valley of the Missouri, about three miles west of the Western Portland Cement plant and was known as "Smutty Bear's" camp, the chief of that band being a celebrated warrior named Ma-to-sa-be-che-a, or, translated into the English, the "Smutty Bear." There was also a camp of the Yanktons on the east side of the James River near the present wagon bridge. This was the band under the command of "Feather-in-the- Ear," a redoubtable Yankton brave.

Another band, under "Mad Bull," had a permanent camp on the Vermillion. and there were two bands whose local habitations were on the Big Sioux and in the valley of Brule Creek. "Rain-in-the-Face" was located at Emanuel Creek. now in Bon Homme County, and there were others farther up the river, even as far away as Fort Pierre and above, who seldom visited this section and who took little part in the councils of the tribes.

On the 12th day of May, 1857, William P. Lyman, who had been connected with the military expedition of General Harney through Nebraska Territory in 1855, came down from Fort Randall and established a ferry on James River, near the site of the present wagon bridge, and near the military trail from Sioux City to Fort Randall. The ferryboat used by Lyman was built at Randall and by him floated down the Misssouri and up the James to the crossing, where it formed a very useful link in the Government military highway between Sioux City and the fort. Before the Lyman ferry was put in, the Government road crossed the James at a fording place a few miles north of the ferry site, following an okt trail made by Lieutenant Warren in 1855, along the high land and passing three or four miles north of Yankton. After the establishment of the ferry, that road was abandoned, and travel patronized the road by way of Yankton. Up to this time, May 12. 1857, there was not a "pale face" known to be living in what is now Yankton County, or west of the Vermillion River. Lyman must therefore be credited with the title of first white settler, because he continued to reside here with his Indian family until he was carried farther west by the Black Hills wave of emigration in 1876. He was in the employ of Frost, Todd & Com- pany, composed of D. M. Frost, of St. Louis : J. B. S. Todd, of Fort Randall, and Lewis H. Kennedy and Edward Atkinson, of Sioux City, a mercantile asso- ciation that held a permit from the Government to engage in traffic with the Indians at various points in the territory, and under the authority of this license Lyman superintended the construction of a ferry house and trading post on the cast bank of the James River at the ferry crossing.

The firm of Frost. Todd & Company also kept a general store in Sioux City, and was evidently preparing to become more deeply interested in the fur traffic. A little later, during 1857 and early in 1858, the firm constructed other trading posts along the Missouri Valley between the Big Sioux and Fort Pierre, osten- sibly at least, for the purpose of carrying on a traffic with the Indians, though

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A. C. VAN METER-WILLIAM P. LYMAN-CHARLES WAMBOLE

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11 the light of subsequent events it would appear that these improvements were also designed to secure certain preferred privileges which were made to such parties under the treaty then in contemplation, under the leadership of Todd, Picotte, Strike the Ree, Brughier, Rencontre, and others-a treaty that was con- summated two years later and which effectually and forever did away with the special license feature of trade in this country where these trading posts were being erected. Captain Todd, as he was then called, was the active representa- tive and manager of the affairs of D. M. Frost & Company and Frost. Todd & Company, in Dakota.

The work of constructing the trading post on the James was completed during the month of June, Lyman being assisted by Samuel Mortimer (known among the pioneers as "Spot"), Samuel Jerou, A. B. Smith and Arthur C. Van Meter, a French-Canadian, whose residence a portion of the time was on the Vermillion River, and who later made a permanent settlement in Clay County, and who about 1880 removed to Fort Pierre, near which place he died many years later. V'an Meter was connected with the Yankton tribe by marriage, his wife being a very intelligent half-breed; and about this time he was engaged in carrying the United States mail and express from Sioux City to Fort Randall, making a round trip once a week and using two horses in his journeys, one of which he rode, while the other was the pack animal.

The James River settlement, of which Lyman was the pioneer and patriarch, was the sum total of "civilized encroachment" in what is known as the Missouri Slope counties west of the Big Sioux at the close of the year 1857, and this set- tlement was made up of the persons above named. This little colony of fron- tiersmen spent the winter at the ferry house and trading post, and its members employed their time hunting, trapping, fishing and getting out cabin timber. An occasional trip to Sioux City relieved the monotony of pioneering in their bache- lor quarters and enabled them to replenish their slender store with such viands as were almost indispensable to the social enjoyment of pioneers situated as they were. Many of the Yankton Indians had erected winter quarters in the shelter of the heavy timber along the river, preferring a wigwam in the forest to a dirt lodge on the prairie. About a thousand Indians of all sexes and ages were esti- mated to be in camp in that vicinity during the winter of 1857-58, and a more orderly and peaceful community could hardly be found in any part of the world, however civilized. Muskrat were abundant and thousands were taken. Beaver were quite plentiful and their furs this winter were uniformly of superior quality. The beaver had constructed an excellent dam across the river about three miles below the ferry house, exhibiting an intelligence almost human in the character of the work, which was formed by trees nearly a foot in diameter, through which the animals had gnawed and felled in such a manner as to support the wall of mud which they had applied in great abundance. This dam was on exhibition for many years after the whites occupied the country, and belonged to the preemption claim of Dr. Van Osdel.

In February, 1858, the Upper Missouri Land Company was organized at Sioux City, made up of J. B. S. Todd. D. M. Frost. Lewis H. Kennerly, Edward Atkinson. A. W. Hubbard (afterwards a member of Congress from lowa), Dr. J. K. Cook, Dr. S. P. Yeomans and Enos Stutsman, who was the secretary and executive officer. Under the direction and with the support of this company a movement was set on foot having for its purpose the making of a treaty with the Yankton Indians for the cession of a large tract of their Dakota domain. A treaty delegation was selected, composed of Captain Todd, Charles F. Picotte (an educated Yankton half-breed). W. P. Lyman, Zephyr Rencontre. Theo- philis Brughier, the last named a French-Canadian who had married a half-breed Sioux wife, whose home just below the mouth of the Big Sioux had been a land- mark for a quarter of a century, and continued to be occupied by himself and his quarter-breed descendants up to the beginning of the present century. These, with twelve or fifteen of the most influential warriors of the Yankton tribe, in-

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cluding "Old Strike," were sent to Washington for the purpose of effecting a treaty of cession, the details of which had been already practically agreed upon. This delegation set out at once for the national capital. The facilities for travel were very limited at that time, even through the great State of Jowa, and the party was obliged to make the trip to fowa City, the nearest railroad point, or if not the nearest, the most convenient to reach, in three lumber wagons, and although all of them were accustomed to the privations that frequently beset the pioneer and inured to all sorts of weather, they all suffered intensely crossing the lowa plains. It was a cold month and there had been considerable snow piled up in drifts along the road, which at times was no road at all. At one place on the route they encountered a big snowdrift near an open slough, and in their efforts to cross. Picotte's wagon upset and he found himself in the snow and mud at the bottom of the entire load and three or four stalwart Indians on top of him. Nearly a week was consumed when the delegation reached lowa City and the cars, and from there to Washington the trip was without unusual incident. A long delay was met with at Washington, caused by the stubbornness of some of the Indian delegates, who had made up their minds that they did not want to sell their land. However, Picotte and "Old Strike" had made up their minds that they did want to sell it, and that they had come to Washington for that ex- press purpose. Two months were consumed in wearisome negotiations, in feast- ing and in consultation, and one by one the obstinate were brought over. About the middle of April the last recalcitrant surrendered and the treaty was formally agreed upon and signed, on the part of the United States by the commissioner of Indian affairs, Hon. Charles E. Mix, and on the part of the Indians by the leading chiefs of the party. Before it became binding upon either party, however, it was required to be ratified by the United States Senate. In this case, however, all parties felt sanguine that the Senate would speedily approve it as soon as prac- ticable after Congress assembled the coming winter, and the delegation returned to Dakota exultant over their success, and were received by the settlers at Sioux City and squatters along the upper river with a true frontier welcome. The Sioux City people realized fully the benefits to flow to them when Dakota should be peopled with a producing population.

The first settlement, or attempt at settlement, made on the Townsite of Yank- ton was that of C. J. Hfolman, of Sergeants Bluff, lowa, who, with his father, W. P. Holman, and Johnson Burritt. Gilbert Bowe, Harry Narveas, Stephen Saunders, and a Mr. Tudor and Mr. Smith, came up from Sioux City on the Nebraska side, in March, 1858, and halted at a point six miles below Yankton at a place called Laneer, so-called by Mr. Holman, where the party, with the excep- tion of W. P. Ifofman, crossed in canoes to the Dakota side. This band of young adventurers were supported by an organization at Sioux City, composed of Billis Roberts, a Mr. Lamb, who was proprietor of the Sioux City House, Ben Stafford, Judge Campbell, with Charles P. Booge, John H. Charles and others as silent partners, or members. This company, aware of the purpose of the Upper Missouri Land Company, also a Sioux City organization, to locate towns in Dakota, had resolved to be first on the ground at Yankton and locate the site for the coming metropolis and also secure a share of the surrounding country. Spring floods were heavy in 1858 and the bottom lands between the Missouri and James rivers below Yankton were partially covered with water and ice, in places four and five feet in depth. Holman and his men waded through the flood about five miles, carrying their provisions and equipment on their backs, and finally reached dry land on the first bench west of the James river. The party came on to the present townsite of Yankton the same day and found it vacant-not a vestige of human habitation, Indian or white-and Holman pitched his tent near the foot of Pine street. This date was about the 20th of March. 1858. Shortly after, as Hol- man claims, or about the 10th of April. George D. Fiske and Samuel Mortimer, representing Frost. Todd & Co., who had been living at the Ferry cabin on the James river, came over and pitched their tent near Holman's. Holman was then

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waited upon by a delegation of Indians and informed that his party were tres- passers and would not be permitted to remain on this side of the Missouri. The Holman party thereupon withdrew to the Nebraska side. The delegation of Yankton Indians was in Washington at this time, with General Todd, Charles F. Pieotte and others, arranging a treaty by which the lands of the southern por- tion of the territory would be ceded to the United States, and Ilolman's purpose was to make a settlement under which he could hold the land when the treaty was effected. Frost, Todd & Co., the licensed traders, were anxious to secure the same tract, and their employes were permitted to reside on the Indian lands. All other whites were debarred as trespassers. Early in May, Holman received word that the treaty had been made and, being joined by a reinforcement con- sisting of Ben Stafford of Sioux City and a man named Bonsell, who claimed to have a trader's license, Holman made a raft of logs he had been cutting on the Nebraska side, crossed them in the night to the Dakota shore and began the con- struction of a cabin near the foot of Pine street. Before completing his domicile he was set upon by a band of Yankton Indians under the direction of Mortimer. who partially wrecked the cabin, Holman and his men in the meantime trying to prevent the destruction. A fist to fist seufHe was indulged in, neither party being armed (the Indians had been instructed to use no weapons unless they were resisted with firearms, and the Holman party had left their guns in their Nebraska cabin ). Holman claimed to have subdued the attacking force, and then by use of soft phrases and a liberal feast to have won over "Dog's Claw," the Indian chief, and despite Mortimer's protest, he or his representative was per- mitted to complete his cabin, which he did, and resided in it during the summer free from further molestation.

In March, 1858, George D. Fiske, an employe of Frost. Todd & Co., reached Yankton and pitched his tent near the river bank at the foot of the present Wal- nut Street. Mr. Fiske had charge of the mercantile affairs of that firm at Yank- ton, and was the first white man to take up his permanent abode within the present corporate limits of the city, though Holman was doubtless the first who made improvements. At that time there was not a structure of any kind except the tepees of the Indians west of James River within the boundaries of the present Yankton County. Holman must have reached Yankton shortly after Fiske's arrival at James River, as he speaks of meeting both Fiske and "Spot" and of having some trouble with them. In July following Fiske's arrival a trad- ing post was built under Lyman's supervision, on the river bank just cast of Walnut Street. This structure was composed of two log buildings, joined to- gether by an open shed, one part intended to be used as a store and the other for living purposes. It was learned from the treaty making party on its return from Washington in May that the treaty agreed upon and signed at Washington ceded a tract of 14,000,000 acres, about twenty-five thousand square miles, of South Dakota land to the United States in consideration of $1,600,066, or a trifle over twelve cents an acre. In the tract so ceded the Yankton Indians reserved 400,000 acres ( known as the Yankton Reservation in Charles Mix County ), and were by the terms of the treaty allowed one year from the ratification thereof by the United States Senate to remove from their various villages and camps to their new homes. The treaty further provided that Charles F. Picotte should be entitled to select a tract of 640 acres of land at any point in the ceded portion he might elect ; also that Zephyr Rencontre should have the same privilege ; and that the traders ( Frost, Todd & Co.) should have the privilege of purchasing. for $1.25 an acre. 160 acres at every point where they had trading posts.

lu June, 1858, the treaty grants to Picotte, and also the selection made by Frost, Todd & Co., were surveyed out by Mr. George M. Ryall, of Sioux City. l'icotte had selected his grant of one section soon after returning from his treaty making trip to Washington: it embraced the fractional section lying between Douglass Avenue and the line running south to the river from the Stone farm on the old State Fair road. It took in all of College Hill, and east to the west line

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of the Stone farm. Frost, Todd & Co. selected a quester section adjoining Picotte on the west and fronting on the river as the townsite of Yankton, and made other selections on the James, Vermillion and Big Sioux rivers. This selection of Picotte's covered all the land staked off by the Holman party, including their cabin, and as Picotte does not appear to have made any protest against the im- provements made by Holman, it was presumed that he knew his title would be amply protected by the treaty and he was not therefore inclined to protest against a gratuitous improvement of his property, for he was in need of a cabin and would have unquestionably appropriated Holman's if the Indians and soldiers had permitted it to remain.

There are some very plausible reasons for believing that the firm of Frost, Todd & Co. had in view the location of townsites in Dakota when they formed that business association. It appears that the formation of this company was immediately followed by the active efforts of the firm to affect a treaty of cession with the Yankton Indians. The erection of the trading posts at certain points be- tween the Big Sioux and Choteau Creek was being actively pushed at the same time that Captain Todd, Picotte and the Yankton chiefs were in Washington negotiating the treaty, and it is clear that the trading monopoly would be utterly destroyed as soon as this treaty was perfected and ratified. There seems to be no other inference than that the trading posts were built to secure the privilege of purchasing the land at $1.25 an acre, and not for the purpose of traffic with the Indians, for there could no longer be any trade monopoly nor a great deal of Indian traffic after the country was thrown open to settlers and the Indians re- moved to their reservation.

The formation of the Upper Missouri Land Company in February, 1858, com- posed of a portion, if not all, of the members of the trading firm, together with a number of prominent Sioux City men, is another movement corroborating this view of the matter. As all these movements were publicly known at Sioux City, Holman was well acquainted with them and this will explain his resolute per- sistency in clinging to his Dakota holdings, and might justify in a measure his determination to secure a foothold at this point. The treaty fully discloses that a few parties obtained valuable concessions and as this became known, especially to the body of Indians, it created a great deal of indignation among the Indians and was made the pretext for considerable complaint, as will appear from time to time.

In June, 1858, an enumeration of the white people in Yankton County would have revealed the presence of George D. Fiske, William P. Lyman, Samuel Mor- timer (Spot), Samuel Jerou, A. B. Smith, Lytle M. Griffith, the first carpenter. Frank Chapel, James M. Stone, who had come in during the spring and was operating the ferry on James River which he had probably purchased from the trading firm or had built another boat, and Francis Dupuis. Mr. Dupuis was a skillful raftsman, and had convoyed a small raft of sixteen red cedar logs from Fort Pierre to Yankton, which were employed in the construction of the trading post. Dupuis was an Indian trader of wide experience but we cannot find that he remained except for a short visit, when he probably went on to Sioux City to purchase supplies. He has been seen by the reader once before at the demo- lition of Fort Pierre. The Holman party may also be counted, though it would appear that they kept aloof from the trading firm's attaches and usually spent their days on the Nebraska side cutting house logs and making canoes, lodging and cooking in their Dakota cabin. All the others named were in the employ of Frost, Todd & Co., the licensed traders, and hence were lawful residents. After completing the building of the trading post at the foot of Walnut Street, Lyman, with Mortimer, Jerou and Smith, removed to Smutty Bear's camp, about nine miles above, where they erected another log cabin for the traders. It is very doubtful, however, about its having been occupied as a trading post. According to the statement of an early settler who had occasion to pass through the terri- tory on Government business in 1860, and who must have taken some pains to

LAKE KAMPESKA, AT WATERTOWN One source of the Big Sioux River

ON THE BANKS OF THE MISSOURE NEAR YANKTON

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investigate, these trading posts for Frost, Todd & Co. were located as follows : One at Sioux Point on the Missouri, nearly west of the wagon bridge which crosses the Big Sioux; one near the future Town of Elk Point; one at Miles Hall's Point, about half way between Elk Point and Vermillion ; one at the Ver- million crossing ; one at the Government ferry on the James River, where the bridge over the "Jim" is located ; one at Yankton at the foot of Walnut Street ; and one twenty miles west of Yankton at Bon Homme. This statement omits the one at Smutty Bear's camp. The firm of D. M. Frost & Co. which was en- gaged in the trade prior 10 1857 had a post, and probably two, on the upper river.

While these events were transpiring in the Lower James River Valley other portions of the Missouri slope country below Fort Randall were invaded by the intrepid pioneers. Bon Homme Island, with its ancient ruins of a stockade and citadel, and it was directly opposite the island on the north side that Lewis and Clark observed the wonderful growth of vegetation on the highlands, the plains being covered with native grasses which grew so tall that a man standing was nearly concealed by them.

BON HOMME AND BEYOND

Bon Homme County is carved out of that portion of Dakota famed for its natural riches. It was opposite Bon Homme Island, on the Dakota side, that Lewis and Clark observed the wonderful growth of vegetation on the highlands, the plains being covered by the native grasses that grew so high that a man stand- ing was nearly concealed by them. It was Bon Homme that attracted the admira- tion of the colony from Mantorville, Minnesota, in May, 1858, while on its way to Pike's Peak, and influenced a change in their plans which made them the first settlers of that section. The settlement and development of the county has fully justified these early impressions. It is now one of the richest agricultural coun- ties in the Northwest and owes its prosperity and substantial position altogether to its soil, for it contains no large towns and has no manufactories or industries of more than local importance, but its lands are sought for their fertility, and some of the most complete farm homes and ranches within the Dakotas are found within its borders. It embraces nearly seventeen congressional townships, nearly four hundred thousand acres. It is well watered by numerous streams and as a consequence its surface is more broken than the average prairie country in neigh- boring counties, and has always possessed an abundant supply of native timber.

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History of Dakota Territory, volume I, Part 22

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920 Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1198

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1198