pike village site pike village site designated archaeologists site near village south central portion state nebraska great plains region united_states location village band people region valley occupied intermittently 1820s village visited spanish expedition led lieutenant soon american expedition led village pike persuaded leaders haul spanish flag received raise flag united_states location village visited pike known years early 20th century sites proposed nebraska northern kansas dispute historical societies states ensued titled war nebraska kansas dispute eventually resolved favor nebraska site investigations conducted site instrumental development particular site listed national_register_of_historic_places description site lies terrace south near village terrace north edge near vertical foot bank river extends fourth mile half kilometer bank base present channel remains earth lie terrace bank hills south rise feet site hills village complex includes council site open courts game played village extended feet east west east west sides creeks dry ran northward republican time village occupation springs western creek flowed year round provided convenient source water river access hampered steep bank springs ceased flow time land came cultivation 1870s far downstream site hill known hill points way traditional religion spirit animals supernatural healing powers history southern north ancestors modern people single unified tribe middle 18th century consisted major groups migrated northward probably nebraska earlier beginning 18th century established flows central nebraska north second major division ancestral southern migration history documented related allied established secure territory security southern bands depended french trade arms disrupted french indian war france surrendered terms treaty great_britain obtained portion territory east mississippi_river spain received territory west mississippi including new_orleans claim city effective governor reilly suppressed rebellion control new_orleans spanish imposed severe restrictions trade mississippi cutting supply arms neighboring affected access arms smuggled french traders british territory present day illinois superior weaponry drove pushing group southward moved northward nebraska possibly news modern weapons available traders dates moves known exactly arkansas red occurred time occupied hunting grounds arkansas indicating left spanish report indicated nebraska southern divided bands regarded nominal leaders traditional account led migration nebraska followed declined follow chiefs new settlements instead established near nebraska kansas border occupation history debate historians archaeologists concerning dates occupation village village sites republican known large near republic kansas kilometres downstream band inhabited republican valley intermittently 1820s unfortunately little information villages occupied times strong consensus village visited pike following account describe known occupation abandonment republican valley history particular village live villages year round spring planted crops near villages mid june left summer buffalo hunt september returned harvest crops hold harvest festival portion food villages left winter buffalo hunt return planting time spring villages deserted months year moved small groups republican lived time arrival nebraska divided wanted live independently republican wanted live near bands frequently moved summer winter buffalo hunts regular contact common people household especially returning buffalo hunt facilitated moves village village times entire band abandoned republican moved generally took place times war bands sought protection numbers movement republican probably occurred continually war southern arrived nebraska pleased lands regarded willing accept neighbors long kept south leaders demanded recognized heads entire people chiefs defied sending large hunting party north sight villages responded attacking hunters driving resolved war summoned fighters join unwilling leave people unprotected raids left republican moved near bands conflict probably took place concluded defeat nominally conquered remained continued hunt separately bands moved republican time abandoned occupied republican valley spanish account describes village south far modern town nebraska village occupied returned republican war war came republican leadership powerful group nebraska located junction french trade route overland route northern iowa sac fox brought british arms goods westward allowed levy tribute exercise control trade missouri height power late bands warriors frequently visited perform ceremony traditional ritual degenerated called smoking horses obliged presents horses guests group little went purpose republican feeling imposed frequency visits stripped beat drove village learned ordered attack descended band village burned plundered killed cost men remaining withdrawn occupying position strong reach massacre unacceptable losses republican valley abandoned attack recorded invading camped way indicate bands bad terms time power broken soon smallpox epidemic spread killing half tribe lewis reached found mistakenly called living told band returned republican years conflict recently moved pressure peace living republican pike treaty spain returned france connection transfer france agreed sell territory party french foreign minister indicated strong french louisiana halt expansion britain united_states new world napoleon quickly agreement france sold territory united_states led conflict nation spain spanish contended sale louisiana united_states invalid territory reverted unable prevent american occupation new_orleans sought check american activity west mississippi_river spain united_states sought allies native americans disputed territory june lieutenant men dispatched spanish provincial capital northward present day nebraska spanish records expedition known exist believed purpose find arrest lewis clark party establish alliances native americans region including month later left american party men orders negotiate peace contact high plains explore red arkansas rivers guides pike turned guides led northwest present day kansas village republican arrive village journey north easy mutiny broken suppressed new mexican militia horses gone lame stolen raiders left men arkansas southern kansas turning northward half force republican village met leaders presented gifts including spanish flags agreed expel americans territory opposed expedition continuing face opposition supply lines force large live country returned arkansas pike village pike party reached village september shortly departure arrival greeted ranking chief invited eat lodge told recent visit presented horses accompanying pike members tribes smoked pipes pike party established camp fortified rifle pits hill north bank republican opposite village following day delegation arrived village september held council pipes smoked token peace tribes september pike held grand council council spanish flags displayed chief lodge pike urged haul replace united_states chiefs reiterated demand flag adding impossible nation fathers children acknowledge american father silence time old man rose went door took spanish flag brought laid feet received american flag elevated staff borne standard favorably received apparently caused distress pike returned spanish flag asking fly party stay village general shout applause pike planned guide arrival village informed tribes war pike expressed intention continuing inland arkansas urged turn prevented spanish going american territory likewise resist american movement spanish land pike refused intimidated told chief young warriors great american father women turned words proceed thought proper stop attempt men armed sell lives dear rate nation knew great father send young warriors gather bones revenge deaths people relented dissent pike obtained horses set october ordered party stay compact body guns ready estimated cost men guides forced abandon mission instead returned south kansas attempted follow trail arkansas time involved struggle leadership band course struggle brought clan village republican deposed hereditary chief exact situation known thought trying bring support faction village spanish continued efforts win friendship messages dispatched chiefs urging come messages went fact received head chief ignored fed self importance ill judged attempt impress led war defeated forced abandon republican firm documentary evidence occupation village analysis pottery glass suggests site occupied second decade 19th century letters suggest living republican village abandoned band living year bands treated single tribe government signed treaty gave lands south village opened village site placed cultivation discovered remains kansas thought site pike flag incident hearing village nebraska dispatched husband man investigate site surface altered cultivation found little evidence johnson persuaded site pike village prevented occasions eventually purchased land johnson claim supported edited pike journal endorsement accepted johnson donated land state kansas built foot granite monument commemorating pike symbolic triumph spain dedication monument speakers drew parallels pike episode recent american victory spanish american war day festival held celebrate centennial flag incident attending ceremonies kansas monument resident logan kansas hill formal training archaeologist formal education ended fourth grade developed strong interest history great plains reading pike journal hill convinced kansas site correct local topography appear match described pike attempted pike route concluded actual village site distance northwest kansas monument hill moved hastings nebraska went work automobile job traveled central nebraska course spoke collectors investigated possible pike sites reached managerial position recruited bring reports archaeological sites collections hill learned remains spanish saddle obtained farm visited farm learned son original land covered native american relics hill opened grave found spanish bit spur river land found traces camp including rifle pits topography site closely matched pike description hill attempted follow pike route site recognized number landmarks pike account hill called attention site joined representatives society conducting excavations showing village considerable size existed ensure archaeological access site protect hunting bought farms land lay excavated graves nebraska versus kansas hill persuaded site scene pike flag incident year challenged kansas claim issue society journal devoted matter issue titled war nebraska kansas included articles representatives nebraska society claiming pike site state historical accuracy stake address delivered site declared seeking antiquity kansas felt state new interesting regarded pike site focus state pride unwilling issue wrote strange nebraska friends enthusiastic trying pike halo glory articles champions state argued pike account route supported site entirely ruled sides argued pike description local topography matched site differed significantly proponents nebraska site cited artifacts recovered village included spanish peace medal dated bearing image american peace medal type issued soldier buttons brass bearing stars bore number pike infantry regiment artifacts argued nebraska village pike episode kansas village stated visited pike occupied driven north early 1830s fleeing established village republican devastated smallpox account epidemic long explained number graves found hill medals buried original owners band decades time blamed evil gifts whites cast away work sites strengthened case nebraska kansas supporters gave ground reluctantly major celebration held site late article spoke issue ground today site generally acknowledged true exhibit site states kansas historical marker near monument states village long believed visited mistaken pike village site mistake held fortunate site subjected decades cultivation hunting site entirely surface collecting possibly amateur excavation far better preserved today operates museum site built excavated earth investigation history hill continued work site year joined previous year named professor strong research assistant collaboration crucial new science studies particular time conventional wisdom useful archaeological work plains published master thesis seminal introduction summer crew excavated number pits graves site testing surface collecting conducted recently magnetic survey conducted portion village testing carried hill plotted remains pike reported finding village difference probably abandonment destruction building new ones different sites graves investigated archaeologists estimated additional graves thought opened hunters preservation site listed added national_register_of_historic_places boundaries historic site expanded nearly acres time later site owned preserved museum visitor center site open public
Pike-Pawnee Village Site