2023 Spring Newsletter

To: Miami County Hist. Museum From: Lloyd L. Peckman

dians and Military Road people and both Union and Confederate Troops. Mrs. Dough Papst showed us the very nice spring 500 feet east of her house. An old Am munition building is there. These first 5 Wea sites were shown to 3 people from the museum, namely President Jana Barcus, members Lee Ann Shields and Nina Gerken on 4-8-23. The re maining sites are all about the Miami Indian sites all south of 351st. Street going down to La Cygne. #6 Near Rockville, Ks. and West Point, Mo. 4 miles south of Drexel, Mo. is where 383 Miami Indians were dropped off in December 5th of 1846. It occurred at the high point at 389th and Coldwater Road where the Big Barn once stood. Another 61 came the next Sep tember. Other may have come as later report in the 1878 Atlas states that from 600 to 1100 were here and 500 return to Indiana. The 1878 Atlas reports that 150 Indians died of Small Pox and Alcoholism before mov ing to MiamiVillage in 1849. Their first Trading Post was located One and a half miles south of Rockville. #7 Lewis Geboe Sr. and Jr. homes are just South of the Black Ranch at the corner of Bever Creek and 307th Street. Artifact was found there that We have in our collection. #8 Big Turtle Hill Trading Post was located at the top of the hill just North of La Cygne at 18325 E., 2300 Lane Rd. An Indian Cemetery s located about one forth mile Northwest of there is where Eli Geboe’s second Wife and children were buried. The first Grave Stone is at John Grother’s home. See my Indian Book page 60-62. #9 Artifact was found at 391st and Somerset and at the top of the hill north of the Black Ranch. Chief Big Legs is reported buried along Middle Creek east of here. This is where the Indians had there Pow-wows. #10 Three Miles South of Block is located the very large Miamiville Mission Trading Post, Church-School and Cemetery. See my Book Report page 16 about the Indian crowd at Richardville Adulterer trial. Tom Rich ardville’s home and the 20 Dollar gold piece was found about a mile north of the Mission Church. You will be greatly disappointed by seeing much grass, trees and farm ground, except for Jack’s display and maybe the Geboe and Bierdau Gravestones at J. Grothers. And We are still investigating the ROCKS in the well? Lloyd L. Peckman 4-30-23

SUBJECT: IMPORTANT INDIAN PEOPLE AND PLACES: This is a short summary of what you need to know about the 50 miles of trail around Miami and Linn Counties that covers the Indian hot spots. Important references, include the Emberlin Amazon Bing maps, my Indian Book and newspaper clips dated back to 1865 from W. Alex Lowe, Joe Evert and Ethyl Hunt. #1 the Paola-Louisburg area; most likely Christmas Da genet came here in about late 1820s as the first over land trip with a group of mostly Wea Indians and many settled south of where Wea Creek joins Bull Creek. There was located a Trading Post and 9 homes (see Em berlin’s Bing map). Many had land all the way to Louis burg along Wea Creek. Baptiste Peoria brought 60 Peoria and others from Branson-Forsyth, Mo. to the Paola area in the early 1830s. He established his first Fur Trading Post at the top of 312 Pearl Street and later moved the Post to Bever Creek 4 to 6 mile east of Paola. His son Yellow Beaver lived nearby. #2 site is the Wea Cave just north east of Somerset about a quarter Mile. Six Indian homes were located around this cave as shown by a Bing map. #3 Jack York’s North of Louisburg has a large and exten sive Detection Artifact Collection. His secure collection came from all over eastern Kansas and western Mis souri over a period of 50 years. #4 Wea Dagenet Cemetery is located in center of Sec tion 8 about two miles southeast of Louisburg. It is iso lated and in bad shape with many stones lying on the ground. It can be entered from the southeast corner of the quarter section with the permission of the owner Dr. John Mozier. His present phone number is 913-707 1245. Christmas’s home site was located in the section south of the Cemetery and west of ColdWater Grove Spring. See my Book page 36 and 70. #5 Cold Water Grove Spring is located about 3 miles southeast of Louisburg or about Two and one half miles east of the Dagenet Cemetery. There are several very good springs located here that were used by In

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