The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-05-26
SAUK.E.NUK,
Or City Of the Sauks-..Its Location,
Size, Form, Antiquity and
Scenery.


Size, Form, Antiquity and
Scenery.
Extract from the forthcoming history of the
Black Hawk War of 1914, by P, A. Armstrong.
"Who has not heard of the vale OF Cashmere
With its roses the brightest that earth ever gave
Its temples and grottoes and fountains as clear
AS the love-lighted eyes that hung over their
wave" Moore.
Saukcnuk,* the ancient city of the
Saukie, Indians nestled upon the left
bank of the beautiful Rock river, at the
foot of its rapids, some two miles above
its junction with the Mississippi Rock
river being chiefly fed by springs, its water
is very pure and bright, and comes laugh
ing, jumping and bounding over the
smooth washed rocks from the east, wind
ing its course like silver thread through
a groundwork of embossed green, shelf
cred and shaded by the leafy boughs of
giant old walnut, oak and other forest
trees. Its shores lined with lilies and ten
thousand varieties of CANDY colored wild
flowers, whose fragrance perfumed each
passing breeze and zephyr
From the north came the majestic
Mississippi or Father of Waters" with
its immense volume of swiftly flowing
pellucid water from the frozen regions of
the north, fringed on either side by tower,
ing forest trees, flanked by mountainous
cliffs, upon whose brows hung frowningly
rocks and boulders as if ready and threat
ening to topple over at any moment and
come tumbling down like thunderbolt
upon the place beneath. Grand old rocks
that witnessed the birth of Adam and his
marriage with Eve; rocks whose size.
grandeur and position show that NO hand
save that of Omnipotence could have
made them and an honor to him who
created them. In every respect this is a
wonderland. lis diversity of soil, topog
raphy, vegetation, minerals, rocks and
water courses render it thrice wonderful
and then above all whooping."
Here in this valley, rivaling in beauty
the vale of Cashmere or the lake of Como,
stood the ancient city of the Sauks. An
Gent because here it had stood for a centu-
ry or more, teeming with its thousands of
Inhabitants. Containing in 1915 fully IL,
600 people. 1t was doubtless then the
most populous city west OF the Allegheny
mountains) and had been the permanent
summer home of the once powerful Saukie
nation for generation after generation
preceding its destruction.
| In every essential it was city; laid off
| into lots, blocks, streets and alleys. with
public square or esplanade and surroun-
ded by palisades. 1t was not mere
aggregation of huts, tepees and wigwams,
but permanent abode composed and
| built up of the Indian, Long Houses, OF
HodeaosOtes. ranging in width from twenty
to forty feet, in length, thirty to one hun
dred and fifty feet Some of them were
of sufficient size to accommodate twenty
| to thirty families. Their construction was
similar to our arbors. Long saplings
were procured and placed in the ground
in two straight lines at e9ui distant points,
| their tops inclined inwards so as to form
| a course of uniform height, their tops
tapping and being wrapped firmly by
| strong pieces of elm bark or hickory
wiIhes. Similar sapliugs were then split
| in equal halves and dashed over the II ]
rights transversely with the fiat side under
and securely fastened at each intersection
which completed the frame work. Upor
this frame work were laid large pieces Of
elm bark and secured by strips on the
outside of split poles poles, which were
fastened by running withes or strips OF
bark through and fastening them to the
frame work. This completed the poden-
esotes and rendered it impervious to rail
and fair barrier against wind, They
however, seldom if ever, wintered here, bn
went to their hunting grounds in what il
now known as the state OF Missouri
These hodenosotes, or long houses, wert
generally constructed upon the plan shown
in figure II, as TO internal arrangements
The hall. running through the center be
| ing wide, and the family rooms cores
pondingly small and divided from the hal
Iby dark partitions with apertures TO
ingress and egress, with but one outsid
ldoor or entrance. Each compartment wa
the home of a family although only larg
enough for a sleeping apartment. TIL
hall, however, was kind of family room
where they may be said to have lived
The rear department constituted thei
store room or warehouse for their provis
ions which was the common property o
all the inhabitants of the hodenosotes
Their front and only outside door wa
constructed of tie tanned skin of tn
buffalo or elk.
| Their beds were constructed of elasti
poles placed side by side, supported a
either end on a cross piece, upon whicl
were spread the soft fur skins of the par
Their, catamountain, lynx, wolf, otter
bear or coon. Here they slept on down
| ey beds of ease" and luxury-the env.
of king. The tenantry of the hodensot
was by kindred families or gems. TIL
gems always running in the female lin
to the extent that in case of the marriag
of Sank squaw to an Indian of snothe
tribe or nation her husband thereby ex
patriated himself from his tribe and be
came Sank Father, son and grandsO
with their respective families occupie
the same hondenosote. Their provision
whether derived from the field or CHASE
twere taken into the long house and bel
as common property, subject to the us
l of any who were hungry, They were 8
held for use but not for sale or barter. l
8 practice, as well as theory they wer
thoroughly communistic; but communist
was strictly confined to the inhabitant
. of the respective hodenosotes. The hoe
: ensote is the distinguishing characteristic
of the principal village, town or city
: the tribe. While the wigwam or tepee
equally characteristic of Temporal
abode as of hunting, fishing or VIZ
party. The holdenosote means settle
ment; the wigwam, migration
!, Saukenuk was an oblong in shape. runnin
quite distance along the north bank
The Rock river. A broad esplanade
avenue ran through its center. On eiths
side of which, in straight lines, their hoo
ensotes were built, like Miss Willard
1900 inhabitants of TROY, with their CAB