2020 Winter Spring Newsletter

To; MIAMI CO. MUSEUM;

work that day, it was my job to give them the tour. We first went to the Big Barn area at 387 and Coldwater Road and met Bill Earnst who showed them the area. Due to disrepair, the barn was torn down several years ago. I last photographed it in 2015. Picture from both directions show that is the high point on the Military Road. Next, we traveled around Section 10 to about two miles southwest to 395th and Rockville Road. That is about 1 and a half miles south of the old Rockville town site and behind a steep hill. The Kansas Park Service has a barricade across this entry. Just inside here is where Jack and Jerry found much artifact and believe it is the first Village site. Just east of here in the bend of sugar Creek they found silver and valuable artifact indicating the Chief may have lived there. The picture of the Guys’ was taken just in front of the vil lage site. They spent a lot of time at this site. Next stop was just above LaCygne, Kansas where the Big Turtle Hill Trading Post was located. The exact spot for the Post is known by Jack as artifact was found there. Another home site was located northwest and the Geboe Cemetery is about one forth mile north west. Our last stop was up over Pidgeon Ridge and on to the Old Miami Village and Church-school and Cem etery area. I introduced them to John Grother at his home just east of the second Cemetery. We discussed the wet ness of the area as we had some rain recently, but John thought we could get back there. We talked about the wells and the possibility of digging off the dirt and ex ploring the rock contents. John’s Son, Steve owns the well sites and both He and his Dad would like to really find out what is in them. That is a future hope? We were able to drive back to north edge of the Cemetery area to explore the wells. Guys’ spent a great deal of time back there. My feet and legs wouldn’t allow me to do that. Next, we drove west toward the River and around this large bare field where the large two- story Church and School once stood. Raymond Rodewald owns this area all the way south to the Old Mission Vil lage about a quarter mile plus south. The Church and School area is under the KC Power Lines very near the center highest point. Jack York found a Catholic Cross and bullet encased around a coin there. On our way out south through a wet ditch we nearly got stuck .

From: Lloyd L. Peckman: TITLE: TRIBAL VISIT DOUG AND JONATHAN:

Last May 10th, 2019. Two Official Miami Tribal mem bers came here from Indiana and Ohio. They were Doug Peconge and Jonathan Fox. I believe Doug is now the Director of the Ft. Wayne office. He had visited our Museum before. Jonathan was from Oxford, Ohio and has an office, next to Dr. George Ironstrack at Mi ami University. They came in an officially marked Mi ami University Truck. See picture attached this report showing Doug on the left and Jonathan on the right standing in front of what has been described as the first Miami Village two miles southwest of the landing point or the Big Barn site. This visit resulted from a meeting that Jack York and I had with Officers’ of the Tribe at their last Pow- wow held at Louisburg in September of 2018. We met there with Doug and Tribal Officers Donya Williams and Scott Willard. We told them about the four research reports indicating that the first cemetery was most likely lo cated just southwest of 399th and Coldwater road. That location is stated in our 1878 Atlas as being locat ed two miles southeast of Rockville, Kansas and might include 150 Miami Indian burials there in 1846- 49. Stanley Gunnels, a descendant of Carrol Gunnels, a family handed down reports it a quarter mile south of the barn site. Also, Bill Earnst, caretaker of Section 3 claims the only dirt deep enough for burial is just southwest of 399th and Coldwater road where the land slope toward Southwest Sugar creek. Lastly, Jack York recently told me that about in the ear ly 1970’s when he first started metal detection at the Big Barn area, a much older man told him this; that on his way to the school about 3/4th mile south, he walked down the military road and past the Indian Cemetery. This may have been a Gunnel’s ancestor as they lived just east of the Big Barn. Dough contacted me early in 2019 and told me about coming here to tour the Miami area and set the date as May 10th. He and Jonathan arrived here on that date in a new Miami University truck with camera equipment in the covered rear. Because Jack had to

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