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| 232 | NEBRASKA HISTORY MAGAZINE |
ing landowners will assume ownership of that part without the inclosure.
When the six acres were fenced, only half enough iron posts were used, and the gas pipe railing was of a poor iron quality, and in places it has split, rusted and fallen away. The best of galvanized piping should have been used. The heavy iron posts are strong enough, but, as stated, fully twice as many should be set to make a good job. The monument is fairly good and well constructed. It cost $1,750, but when $1,150 was paid for the iron fencing job, the state was imposed upon.
Now that the Johnsons have passed away, some one interested in such things, and who lives reasonably close, should have charge of the property and have a care that no digging or trespassing should occur. Substantial notices should also be on the railing or near the monument, that it is state property and all digging and trespassing is forbidden. Now that some are questioning its being the correct historic spot, our Society should take more care of the place, and also conduct some exploring excavation in a proper and methodical way.
It is a most beautiful and entrancing spot, the monument can be seen for miles and the place has the halo of patriotic sentiment and majesty possessed by few of our Kansas historic shrines. It should be carefully preserved.
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE P. MOREHOUSE,
Chairman of Archaeological and Indian Committee.
OUR SOCIETY INVESTIGATES THE CLAIM OF NEBRASKA
From report of Kansas committee. 25th bieminal report of Kansas Historical Society
A year or two ago some Nebraska historians renewed their former claim that the Pawnee Republic Indian village, visited by Pike in 1806, was in their state near Guide Rock, Webster county, and not the well-known and generally- accepted site near Republic City, Republic county, Kansas.
While the matter of the correct location of the place was considered settled at the time the state of Kansas accepted the deed to eleven acres of the site in 1901, erecting a monument
George P. Morehouse, Chairman, Mark E. Zimmerman, Edward Park.
Committee appointed by William E. Connelley, Secretary Kansas State Historical Society, to investigate the Pike--Republican Pawnee Village controversy.
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thereon and inclosing some five acres with an iron fence--yet our Society thought best to conduct some first-hand exploration and historical investigation by having a committee examine both sites and to report more fully and formally than was done twenty-five years ago, when the monument was erected. At that time the Kansas site was not so seriously questioned, and at the dedication of the monument in 1901, the centennial in 1906, and at other subsequent historical functions at that place, the addresses, papers and poems dwelt upon "the hero Pike," the "lowering of the Spanish flag," "Anglo-Saxon Conquests," 'Footsteps of Liberty," and historical talks--all very entertaining but very little proof as to its being the actual place where Lieut. Zebulon Montgomery Pike first exercised military and civil authority within the borders of what is now the state of Kansas.
Another reason for our Historical Society acting in this matter is the fact, recently ascertained, that, under the law, the Kansas State Historical Society is the official custodian of the premises for and on behalf of the state. Thus it is our duty to protect the place from all sorts of depredation, historical or otherwise.
To make an investigation and report thereon, a committee of three members of the archaeological section were selected, Dr. Mark E. Zimmerman and Edward Park of White Cloud, Kan., and George P. Morehouse, chairman of the archaeological and Indian committee of this Society. Doctor Zimmerman and Mr. Park are skilled explorers of ancient Indian habitations and have made numerous noted explorations in Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri. The fine collection of artifacts given to our Society by Doctor Zimmerman is evidence of his experience.
The committee met at Courtland, Republic county, within ten miles of the Pawnee site, and through the kindness of our member, E. D. Haney, who was added to the committee, and his son-in-law, Rex Brownlee, were assisted for three days, September 28-30, in their work. With their autos and their knowledge of the surrounding country, we were enabled to cover much territory and fully examine both Kansas and Nebraska sites and their environments.
In general we find that both of these sites were the homes of the Pawnee Republic Indians, but occupied at different times and with far different experiences. The Nebraska site is much more recent than the Kansas site, and everything shows that it was the place to which this tribe fled when their Kansas home was burned by the Delaware Indians.
234 The Kansas site, where the monument stands, from an archaeological and topographical standpoint and from distances and dates, is beyond doubt the place visited by Lieutenant Pike and his party in 1806. This was the last permanent residence of the Republican Pawnees in Kansas, and here they resided until driven north and occupied the Nebraska site mentioned and where they lived till again scattered by the ravages of smallpox when they fled still farther north to a home on the Loup or Wolf river fork of the Platte. To substantiate the above, we submit the following evidences.
THE NEBRASKA VILLAGE
The Nebraska site is on the De Witt-Hill farm, on the south side of the Republican river, about half way between Guide Rock and Red Cloud. The farm is now owned by A. T. Hill, of Hastings, Neb. Mr. Hill is a member of our Society and a former Kansan and has made very extensive diggings and explorations all over the place. Some months ago he found, in one of the graves in the large cemetery on the top of the bluff above the site, several interesting silver medals and other rare relics. These medals and the position of the site of the old town, and the evidence of numerous large ground houses and other things found, have been presented by some as evidence of their contention that it was the home of the Pawnee Republic Indians when visited by Lieutenant Pike in 1806.
We spent quite a part of September 29, 1926, at the Guide Rock, Neb., site. Mr. Hill, the owner, could not be there, as he expected, but had kindly prepared the way for our investigations by instructing Mr. De Witt, the caretaker of the farm, to show us around. He had even dug up the site of a large Indian ground house, down to the original floor, and which showed the decayed stumps of the outside circle of large posts and the fireplace in the center. An exposed cache (an Indian cellar) had also been dug out near the doorway, and in it we found buffalo and deer bones and quantities of pumpkin seeds, a Spanish bridle bit, an old knife and an Indian hoe of iron, all of which showed that the contents of that cache had been suddenly left and never used. The occupants of that house had died of the smallpox, and no one cared to use the supplies left behind.
The Nebraska Indian village site, and its contents are being carefully preserved by Mr. A. T. Hill. Occasionally outsiders slip in and dig without leave, but the entire management is designed for the preservation of the site. Mr. Hill has spent many thousands of dollars in buying the land with the chief motive of preserving the site--Editor.
Click on map for large viewLieut. Z. M. Pike's original map. (Photo stat copy) of Nebraska-Kansas region.
Dotted line shows Pike's route in I806.234
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