Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-08-16
LOST MISSOURI ISLAND,
~I1e de vache"-How It Got Its Name
Its Disappearance.

Its Disappearance.
One of the most noted localities on
the Missouri River in the palmy days
of steamboating on that stream was
Cow Island, an island located in the
river about seven miles above Weston
and opposite the old town of Iatan.
1t then contained about 1000 acres,
and was densely covered with pri-
meval forest of cottonwood. 1t ac-
quired its peculiar name from the fact
that at an early day-some time In the
last century-a French trader, in as
cending the river, found here a soli-
tary COW, the first ever seen so high
up and the only one then within hun
dreds of miles, She had been stolen,
doubtless, by the Indians from the
white settlement on the Mississippi
near st. Charles, driven up the river
and placed on the island to prevent
her escape. The French gave to the
island the name ''Ile de Vache," the
English meaning of which was "Cow
Island"
The island was in former days a
place of historic interest, and was a
noted landmark, not only among the
early voyagers and steamboatmen, but
tthe early explorers as WELL Lewis and
Clark landed here and replenished
their larder with several deer on July
3. 1904. They found at the head of
the island a large lake, now called
Bean Lake, containing beaver and
many water fowl. 1t was the first
beaver they had seen. Captain Mar
tin, another explorer, wintered here
with n detachment Of troops in 1878
10. And here Major Long, on his IA
nous expedition to the Yellowstone.
held a council with the Kansas In
dams on August "a, 1910. In fact, the
principal village of that tribe was To-
Gated OF the Island, and they had been
seated there from time immemorial.
They had their councils there with the
Pawnees, Iowas, Sacs and Foxes and
other tribes from the north side of
the river.
The island was first owned by Major
John Dougherty, Of Liberty. Mo-, the
father of the present Congressman
from that district, who in his day was
famous trapper and member of
the American Fur Company, and spent
many years among the Indians The
fur company had n number Of trading
posts on the upper Missouri, where
they kept merchandise which they eX-
changed with the Indians for furs.
Major Dougherty laid off the town of
Iatan, named for an Indian chief. 1t
then had bright prospects, and was To-
Gated on the banks of the river, but is
not as large now as it was forty years
ago. 1t died with the navigation of
the Missouri. Cow Island, too, is gone.
Like many smaller islands in the river,
1t has been swept away by the rapa-
cious current of that stream, until now
not an acre is left, and the fact that
such an island ever existed is un-
known to the present generation. The
old Missouri has cut some high ca
pers within the last half century, and
the channel is not where it once was.
At the foot of the bluff at Weston.
where stood Warmers warehouse
from which the bales of hemp were
rolled directly on to the bows of the
boats, is now an immense willow sand
bar. and the river IL half mile away.
Iatan, the once promising city, is now
an inland village two miles from the
river bank. Such have been the
changes in this part of the river in the
last fifty years that should one of the
old river pilots return to-day he would
not recognize single landmark
sas City Journal.