Farther to the north, a small plot just up from the des moines river is the final resting place of a young boy whose death, along with the death of his mother, led to the murder of some 35 pioneer settlers at the spirit lake massacre. In the spring of 1857, the renegade wahpekute dakota chief inkpaduta and his band of warriors descended on the homesteads near spirit lake in northwestern iowa and committed murder and mayhem. History of the spirit lake massacre and captivity of miss abbie gardner. Mackinlay kantor based his novel spirit lake 1961 on the historic events. Lott was settled near the mouth of the boone river in 1846. It contains details on the spirit lake massacre where a band of santee sioux attacked a white settlement in iowa. The site became one of the states first tourist attractions, where visitors could pay a quarter for adults or a dime for kids. Alongside a back road a few miles west of boone, iowa we found the lonely grave of a young pioneer boy who met a tragic death, only the first in a violent series of atrocities that stretched over five years and resulted in the infamous spirit lake massacre.
Nearly 30 years later in 1885, abbie gardnersharp, by then married, published her short memoir of the 1856 attack and her captivity, entitled history of the spirit lake massacre and captivity of miss abbie gardner. History of the spirit lake massacre and captivity of miss. The spirit lake massacre march 812, 1857 was an attack by a wahpekute band of santee sioux on scattered iowa frontier settlements during a. Bus trip teaches group about spirit lake massacre local news. Spirit lake massacre cabin becomes famed landmark news. John henry lott came to iowa territory from pennsylvania, by way of ohio, about 1840. Abbie gardnersharp history of the spirit lake massacre and. They kidnapped his son, whom they allowed to freeze to death, and killed a great many white settlers, in the region of spirit lake. Suffering a shortage of food, the renegade chief inkpaduta scarlet point led 14 sioux against the settlements near okoboji and spirit lakes in the northwestern territory of. Th is small band was a disaff ected group of tribal.
Before the spirit lake massacre a man named henry lott, cited as an unscrupulous character by an article in 1886 in the sibley gazette, had an encounter with sintominaduta, inkpadutas brother, and blamed the wahpekuti tribe for burning his cabin and killing his family, although that didnt actually occur. The spirit lake massacre march 812, 1857 was an attack by a wahpekute band of santee sioux on scattered iowa frontier settlements during a severe winter. The spirit lake massacre by thomas teakle free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Abbie gardner sharp cabin history known first as one of the sites of the 1857 spirit lake massacre and later as one of iowas first tourist attractions, the gardner cabin survives as a reminder of one of iowas tragic frontier events.
Suffering a shortage of food, the renegade chief inkpaduta scarlet point led 14 sioux against the settlements near okoboji and spirit lakes in the northwestern. In 1856 five cabins had been built and occupied by whites near okoboji lakes and spirit lake. Abbie gardnersharp history of the spirit lake massacre. Bristow this article first appeared in the iowan, januaryfebruary 1999. A man named henry lott, cited as an unscrupulous character by an article in 1886 in the sibley gazette, had an encounter with sintominaduta, inkpadutas brother, and blamed the wahpekuti tribe for burning his cabin and killing his family, although that didnt actually occur. Abbie gardner sharp cabin goal students will understand the conflict, known as the spirit lake massacre in the context of the relationships between the dakota nation and the newly arrived europeanamerican settlers.
Spirit lake massacre monument and graves, arnolds park, iowa. The pioneer family on the western prairie could endure with fortitude the life on a lonely claim, but one danger continually menaced its peace of mind. The gardiner family had moved from seneca, new york, to the lovely little settlement of spirit lake on the iowa frontier. In 1848, a band of wapekutahs, led by sidominadotah two fingers, traced some stolen horses to the cabin of henry lott, who was living at the confluence of the des moines and boone rivers. But lotts wife and their son, milton, were but innocent bystanders who lost their lives as the result of an indian raid at. It was in the winter of 1857 that the conflict that had been simmering between settlers and inkpadutas band of sioux erupted into the famous massacre at spirit lake. Lotts motive for the killing is not clear, but it did give the dead indians brother, inkpaduta, a reason to seek revenge against the white people.
In 1862, only five years after the spirit lake massacre and one year after federal troops were pulled from the frontier to fight in the civil war, the santee sioux went on the warpath in southern minnesota, near the northern border of iowa. Understand the conflict, known as the spirit lake massacre, in the context of the relationships between the dakota nation and the newly arrived europeanamerican settlers. The true story of the spirit lake massacre by david l. The milton lott tragedy gypsy journal rv travel newspaper.
A little bit of iowa history posted by mindymoe under book treatments, collections. Suffering a shortage of food, the renegade chief inkpaduta scarlet point led 14 sioux against the settlements near okoboji and spirit lakes in the northwestern territory of iowa near the minnesota border, in. The project gutenberg ebook of the spirit lake massacre, by thomas teakle. A sioux uprising leads to bloody massacre at spirit lake.
The digital images were cleaned and prepared for printing through automated processes. Henry lott historical records and family trees myheritage. Gardnersharp sold the book at the tourist site she operated at her cabin for 30. Mar 11, 2014 however, when i decided to do my blog post on this book, i didnt mean it to be about frank mason and the spirit lake massacre, as you can read more about that on your own, but about milton lott, a 12 year old boy who was the first death among the settlers of boone county, iowa, and whose death was one of the key starting factors of the spirit lake massacre. Many american pioneers were unlucky, succumbing to the myriad hazards of the trail on their way to a better life.
At the time of the raid, henry lott and his stepson were on the other side of the boone. The massacre of the white settlers in the region of lake okoboji and spirit lake in 1857 by a band of indians under the leadership of inkpaduta has come to be known as the spirit lake massacre, although the tragedy was for the most part enacted on the borders of lake okoboji. Th e spirit lake massacre inkpaduta 18151882, a wahpekute santee sioux, was the leader of the renegade band of about fi ft een individuals involved in the spirit lake massacre of 1857. Shot in the back, rowland gardner fell and died without a struggle. She restored it as a historical site and opened it to the public, charging admission25 cents for adults and 10 cents for children. Spirit lake massacre photograph postcard and collectibles. This book was digitized and reprinted from the collections of the university of california libraries. This is a fascinating work and thoroughly recommended for anyone interested in american history.
However, when i decided to do my blog post on this book, i didnt mean it to be about frank mason and the spirit lake massacre, as you can read more about that on your own, but about milton lott, a 12 year old boy who was the first death among the settlers of boone county, iowa, and whose death was one of the key starting factors of the. Henry lott and his stepson, several years later, moved north into humboldt county where lott struck back at the indians in january of 1854. Sep 27, 2011 history of the spirit lake massacre and captivity of miss abbie gardner. Arnolds park, iowa, spirit lake massacre, monument flickr. International regional magazine association inside the small cabin, the rifle blast must have been deafening. Lotts past had been a varied one and much of it was obscure. Henry lott, as some historians have noted, was a horse thief who had his share of trouble with certain bands of indians when he settled near the confluence of the boone and des moines rivers.
Also buried in vegors cemetery was major benjamin bell, whose grave marker states that he died at the age of 102 in 1853. Chapter iv the indians and the spirit lake massacre. The spirit lake massacre march 812, 1857 was an attack by a wahpetuke band of santee sioux on scattered iowa frontier settlements during a severe winter. The three are descended from henry lott and abbie gardner. Settlers went to the ransacked cabin to find lotts family safe, except for his 12. The tale of howards head, a campfire ghost story of chance encounter, rage and death, comes from the spirit lake massacre in northwest iowa. Among others who had received indignities from this band was one henry lott who in 1846 settled near the mouth of boone river in webster county. The spirit lake massacre, by thomas teaklea project. Mar 01, 2020 spirit lake massacre, march 812, 1857, incident in northwestern iowa, u. It was produced from digital images created through the libraries mass digitization efforts. A little bit of iowa history parks library preservation. It was in the winter of 1857 that the conflict that had been simmering between settlers and inkpadutas band of sioux.
Remembering heroic actions in tragedy news, sports, jobs. Henry lott, as some historians have noted, was a horse thief who had his share of trouble with certain bands of. The men faced physical hardships on the way to the scene and on the way home, and two men died in a blizzard while returning. Here you can learn the dramatic stories of abbie gardner and the dakota leader, lnkpaduta. Jan 09, 2011 the tale of howards head, a campfire ghost story of chance encounter, rage and death, comes from the spirit lake massacre in northwest iowa. The archaeological guide to iowa whittaker, william e. Arnolds park, iowa the monument to victims of the spirit lake massacre which stands on pillsburys point on west lake okoboji is probably one of the most familiar landmarks in the iowa great.
This early work on american history is both expensive and hard to find in its first edition. The henry lott family from the 1880 boone co history book paragraph spacing has been used here that is not in the original text. The origins of the indian massacre between the okobojis march 8. Suffering a shortage of food, the renegade chief inkpaduta scarlet point led 14 sioux against the settlements near okoboji and spirit lakes in the northwestern territory of iowa near. For many, the story of the spirit lake massacre begins about 10 years earlier, with henry lott.
The grindstone war and the death of sidominadota the strained relations between the whites and the indians resulted in unfortunate incidents which served to intensify the bad feeling already engendered. The massacre came as the culminating episode of incidents intimately connected with. The spirit lake massacre, by thomas teaklea project gutenberg. One of the settlers, henry lott, killed several members of inkpadutas band, according to the state historical society of iowa. The spirit lake massacre, though a minor incident in the overall. This letter talking about lott killing the sioux indians, which started the spirit lake massacre. The spirit lake massacre march 812, 1857 was an attack by a wahpekute band of santee. This is the story of the spirit lake massacre of 1857, written by thomas teakle. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now. A cool albeit fictional narrative of those involved in the spirit lake massacre, a subject ive been fascinated by since i was a kid. This series of events became known as the spirit lake massacre. The spirit lake massacre march 812, 1857 was an attack by a wahpekute band of. She started leading tours of her familys cabin on the banks of lake okoboji in 1891, more than 30 years after her family was killed in the infamous spirit lake massacre of 1857. In 1854 a trader by the name of henry lott had killed a sioux by the name of sintomnaduta and his family.
Word reached fort dodge days later, and a relief expedition was formed. Spirit lake by mackinlay kantor goodreads share book. Image 1 of causes and results of the inkpaduta massacre library of. But of those countless unlucky pioneers, a few were fortunate enough for their story of doom to be enshrined in a monument or museum. The indian chief was also known as old chief three finger. Full text of the spirit lake massacre internet archive.
Read about the socalled massacre and discuss why this was an unusual event in iowa history and not. The lott cabin where the indian raid took place has long since disappeared, the blood of two fingers and his family no longer runs in lotts creek, and most people have forgotten all about the terrible deeds that took place here. Henry lott, was gone, and young milton ran down by the river in. Nesbitt, of altoona, who bc red in gettysburg about 45 years ago. Nesbitt is a prominent aud representative colored republican, well known throughout the state. As indicated by the title, this event caused quite a sensation. Spirit lake massacre, march 812, 1857, incident in northwestern iowa, u.
Quoted witli permission from the indknis book hy natalie curtis. The killing of settlers by native americans in northwest iowa was cruel and mindless, but the native people were often ostracized. The spirit lake massacre and the northern and southern border brigades. Finding sidominadotah and his band camped on the des moines river about 30 miles north of fort dodge, lott and his stepson attacked the camp, killing the chief, his mother, his wife, and their four children. He became the leader when his father, wamdesapa, died in 1848.
Spirit lake massacre military wiki fandom powered by wikia. But of those countless unlucky pioneers, a few were fortunate enough for their story of doom. Spirit lake massacre united states history 1857 britannica. Lott had killed so many red men was probably the cause of the spirit lake massacre, in which the indians tried to revenge themselves. In the family of this honored pioneer were the following children. During the winter of 189394, abbie lobbied the iowa legislature for money to construct a monument to the victims about 40 people were killed of the spirit lake massacre. It will take awhile to warm to this book but its worth it.
One reason can be traced to an 1854 episode when a whiskey trader and horse thief, henry lott, and his son. Henry lott, was notorious in his time, accused of being a horse thief and. Perhaps because the indian wars were over, the book was very popular and had several editions. He is one of the very few revolutionary war veterans buried in iowa. Mar 10, 2017 one of the settlers, henry lott, killed several members of inkpadutas band, according to the state historical society of iowa. Suffering a shortage of food, the renegade chief inkpaduta scarlet point led 14 sioux against the settlements near okoboji and spirit lakes in the northwestern territory of iowa near the minnesota border, in revenge of the murder of. Arnolds park, iowa, spirit lake massacre, monument from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. A man named henry lott, cited as an unscrupulous character by an article in 1886 in the sibley gazette, had.
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