I REMEMBER "ASHLAND" BY WILLIAM L. VASS PART #3

IOWAYS, THORPE, NICKLIN, BLACK HAWK, JORDON, HARDING, THORPE, VASS

Posted By: Mary Ellen Lanigan (email)
Date: 4/12/2005 at 12:02:37

In This Gentle Bend Of The River Ioways Made Their Last Stand.

Wapello County was part of the original home of the Ioways (a sub-tribe) of the Sioux Nation. The Sox-Fox Tribe, under the leadership of Blackhawk had been driven out of Illinois, and Wisconsin in the BLACK HAWK WAR (1831-1832), across the Mississippi River in to Iowa.

Note}Abraham Lincoln was an officer in the Illinois Militia in this war. The Sac-Fox Tribe, on being pushed in to the Ioway's country were forced to fight the Ioway's, and the battle in part of Iowa, and could well have taken place in Wapello County.

Somewhere between Eldon, and Selma, the four counties, Wapello,Jefferson, Davis, and VanBuren, came together. I often heard my mother mention the Big Four Fair, held in the Fairgrounds at Eldon. They would load up the wagons with food and bedding, ect., and go to Eldon, and camp out at the Fairgrounds for the duration of the Fair.

Down the river road, below the Fairgrounds at Eldon, is the site of Trader Jordon House. Near it was the grave of Chief Black Hawk. Note: Mr. Harding, who lives across the river from Eldon a couple of years ago was working on a project of restoring the house, and probably placing a historical marker, telliing the story of Black Hawk. I imagine this site is in Wapello County.

Jim Thorpe, probably the world's greatest athlete (Olypics), a Sac-Fox Indian, born in Oklahoma; his ancestors were the same people who were moved there by the government from Iowa in the 1800's. A little far-fetched, but possible that they came from this area of Wapello County.

In the "Winning of the West", the white man found the "going easier", if he followed the Indian Trail, first on foot then horseback, and finally by wagons. One of these trails started down in the Keokuk area, and came by the Des Moines River- more or less followed the top of the bluffs, as travel was easier there in the somtimes flooded river bottom lands or the swampie tall grass prairies behind the bluffs. It passed near the Indian Village on and up Eldon Hill out past Ashland on to Agency and Ottumwa. My Aunt Mrs. J.D. Nicklin, who lived at the top of Eldon hill, near the city water tank, found many Indian articles-arrowheads, ect., in her orchard, indicating there might have been an Indian Village there one time. Ashland, on the same trail, later became an important stage stop. I would not be surprised if the Old Right of Way name used for the highway route between Agency and Ottumwa many years ago formerly traveled by the C B & Q Railroad was part of the Indian Trail.