The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-01-20
ROCK ISLAND.
"reminiscences Of Eariy Days.--Ne. 2.

strong in which to store provisions. These
cabins were built on the high bank OF the
south side of the Island. just west of where
the present causeway from theSylvan Wa
ter Bridge strikes the Island, and near tie
site of the old grave yard. The next cab
ins were built on the north side of the ISL
and on the bank just north of the Arsenal
building. One was for bake house
and the other for Geo. Davenport, the
the contractor, to live in.
The c. ntractor, having to supply the
troops with bread, employed an old French
baker, by the pane of Baptiste LaMott, to
build two large bake ovens, and the man
ner in which he built them was as follows
He placed twelve blocks of wood endwise
in the ground leaving the tops of the blocks
about two feet above ground, aud then
1laced small hewn logs upon the blocks
for bed for the ovens. Upon this bed
be put about sixteen inches of eaten clay,
made by mixing cut grass with the clay.
smoothing the surface over with clay
alone. While the clay was drying. he
went into the woods and cut hickory poles
with which he formed the arch for the
ovens, placing the poles close together,
with each end set firmly in the bed of clay
He then spread over the poles, evenly, wet
grass, and then put on layer after layer OF
eaten clay, giving time for each layer to
dry, pursuing this until the walls of his
ovens were about twelve inches in thick
ness, and leaving an opening in one end for
door. After the walls were thoroughly
dry. he built slow fire in the ovens and
burnt out the grass and poles. Then the
| ovens were ready for use, This mode oil
building bake ovens, without lime, stone,
or brick, was something new to most of
those present.
Later in the season, the Indians brought
over to the encampment green corn, beans,
and squashes to trade for -four, SALT and
tobacco. The Indian corn fields extended
along the foot, top and sides OF the bluffs,
from about where the new c, r. l. & Z.
Il. Il. round house is now situated, to the
Sears mill on the Rock river at South Rock
Island. These cornfelds were scattered
along the brow of the bluffs, and were
fenced with poles,
To the cornfelds; the Indians had a large
number of summer lodges, These sum
4
mer lodges wele from Is to Is feet wide
and from 20 to 50 feet long. They were
built by setting posts in the ground and
siding up with bark from elm trees the
bark being tied on with hickory bark.
They had rafters, aud on these were laid
poles Upon the poles was placed bark,
which made a roof that turned rain.
A Sac chief by the hame of Ta-o NAH,
had his summer lodge on the bluff, south
OF our Chippiannock cemetery. The corn
hills are plainly to be seen there at this
time.
The noted Sac chief, Black Hawk, had
his lodge just south of where John Goode'
house, On the Milan road, is situated.
| Wappello, chief Of the Foxes, had his
lodge about where the Harper House nov
stands.
| Hundreds Of Indian canoes were passin,
to and fro on the river.
The Kickapoos had small village OF
the bank of the branch Of the Rock river
just below Milan and near the site of Fry
singers distillery.
The prairie then extended from thi
point on the Mississippi to the Rock river
The country west of the Indian corn
helds was used for their ponies They ha,
) over thousand ponies on this prairie.
Upon the prairie, about where the fai
grounds now are, the Indians played thei
: games of ball and had their horse races, an
: dances. At their ball plays there would b
from three hundred to FIVE hundred on
: side. The stakes played for were horses
buffalo robes. blankets, etc. They WEI
: divided into two parties. according to the
custom of painting themselves One part
I was called the Oshkosh, and the other tt
i kish-ko gay. The standards or stats
. tie Osh- koshes were painted led, and tt
r. men painted themselves white, with re
e stripes across the white. the standard
j. or stats Of the kish- ko-gays were blu
and the men painted themselves blu
with red stripes across the blue. The
J. manner of playing ball was to draw a lor
/ line across the prairie, anG then toss u
). in order to decide upon which side of ii
IS hne the ball should be placed, and at
n distance from the line previously agree
Y on. The bali was always large on
made OF hair and covered with hide. III
bail was placed upon the ground. TT
players were some on horseback and son
'e on foot. They carried nets hung ups
IS the end of poles, similar to the minnu
!. nets used by our fishermen. the poles f
K those on horseback being longer than f
k those on foot. Each man used his ov
K discretion as to the length of pole At
IN given signal the whole crowd rushed
le the ball. the efforts of the side OH which
,ot was first placed being t. keep it on th
re side and to throw it as far away from Il
II line as possible, while the efforts of t
to other side were directed towards catchil
q it and throwing it across she line. 1t D
t captured and thrown across the line with
- | n fh