| Summary: | City History THE LAND The land was here in the beginning. Shaped and formed over billions of years. Geologists study and name each era. The Cenozoic era placed an indelible mark on the landscape as glaciers moved across this region. The Wisconsin, the last, left the state about 13,000 years ago, leaving in it's aftermath, the sand and gravel deposits; creating lakes, potholes, and sloughs. This land, the drift prairie, wind swept, lowrolling plains, was a habitat for the animals; the birds. The plains Indian knew this. They hunted here. Artifacts of their presence still remain. THE SIBLEY EXPEDITION The Sibley Expedition touched these lands at Big Mound in Buckeye Township about 10 miles north of Tappen, July 24, 1863. Gen. Henry Hastings Sibley and his army had pursued hostile Sioux Indians from Fort Pope, Minnesota after an Indian uprising and the massacre of white settlers. Sibley's scouts held a parley with some of the Sioux warriors. The Indians seemed to want peace until Dr. Josiah S. Weiser, a surgeon with the cavalry rode up. The scouts wore regular civilian clothing, while the Dr. had on his full military regalia. This seemed to anger one of the young warriors and Dr. Weiser was shot. The battle of Big Mound followed. Three other cavalry men were killed. A private who was struck by lightning during the battle and two others. Lieut. Ambrose Freeman was cut off from his unit and shot while hunting. These three, Ambrose, Stark and Murphy were buried at Kunkle Lake. Their bodies were latter brought back to Minnesota. Dr. Weiser's body was taken three miles southeast to a campsite and buried. This is near Sweet Water Lake. John DeKrey gave a three acre tract of land were Dr. Weiser is buried to the State Historical Society. It was dedicated in August 1951. A pile of rock and a military ensigna mark the place. A monument also stands at the spot where Dr. Weiser was killed. The land is now owned by Rodney Bodvig. The day following the Battle of Big Mound the supplies which the Indians had abandoned were destroyed by the cavalry. Sibley then pushed on after the retreating Sioux. The Indian was again encountered though now a larger number, on July 26, 1863. The place was at Dead Buffalo Lake in Vernon township, 2-4 miles NE of Dawson. On July 28, Sibley again met up with the Indian at Stoney Lake, 6 miles NE of Driscoll. The Indians pushed towards the Missouri River and Sibley pursued them relentlessly. Men, women and children. The Indian women and children and many of the men crossed the Missouri on rafts or in bull boats which they had hastily constructed. In their flight they were obliged to abandon still more of their camp equipage which was collected by the soldiers and burned. These Indians were not a war party but a hunting party. Their large accumulations of hides, tallow and dried meat which they were preparing for the winter had to be abandoned and Sibley's men destroyed it, as well as from 120-150 wagons and carts which were concealed in the timber. Sibley estimated 150 Indians were killed. He camped at Apple Creek for two days waiting for Gen. Sully and then started the long trek back across the prairie to Minnesota. Sibley's Indian scout, Chaska died on the way back and was buried near Driscoll. A monument to his memory is on the Albert Schumaker place there. THE RAILROAD Many events have touched and changed the face of this land, but of all, the advent of the railroad was to be the most dramatic. In 1864 the United States Congress chartered the Northern Pacific Railroad and gave it a 50 million acre land grant. This was to be used to build a railroad from Duluth to Puget Sound. In North Dakota the land grant was for 40 alternate sections for each mile of track, plus 200 ft. on either side of the track. In 1870, Jay Cook, a Philadelphia banker who had been successful with financing the Northern cause in the Civil War, signed a contract to sell $100,000 worth of N.P. bonds. The track would cost an estimated $85,000,000. The only security for the -1 Scanned with a Zeutschel Zeta book scanner at 300 dpi. Edited with Multi-Page TIFF Editor.
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