The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1904-04-07
An Old Indian Planting Ground
M Hale Smiths ReCOllectlOns OF
rlishlcot In The Fifties.

NJ Hale Smiths RecolIectlons OF
l1ishicot In The Fifties.
In the spring of 1853 my father moved
! 10 Wisconsin from Chicago, with his
family consisting Of himself, our mother
and six children going to Two Rivers,
in Manitowoc county, by steamboat.
Here the household goods were loaded
into u wagon and the family started for
the new home, in the central part OF the
town Of Gibson, and lying along the
Neshoto river, one Of the most pic
turesque spots in Wisconsin.
1t took all day to reach the village o.
Mishicot, distance Of eight miles from
Two Rivers, and, darkness having over
taken us, we camped for the night be
side the first Catholic church built there,
and, placing bedding in the unfinished
building we partook Of pioneers rest
The next morning we proceeded five
miles further to the home our father
had already purchased from Il squatter,
who claimed the eighty acres Of govern
ment land on which he was located
The home consisted Of good.sized
log house with roof Of clapboards and
cedar bark and woods all around, the
indian trail passing the door The farm
part consisted Of some six acres being
part Of the planting ground from which
he had driven the Indians some time
before.
Only Fifteen Acres Cultivated
The entire area Of land cultivated Mt
any time by the Indians was about fif
teen acres lying on both sides Of the
NcshOto River. AT the time we made
our home there this area had dwindled
down to five or six acres. The part on
the opposite side Of the river was not
cultivated after our arrival but the corn
hills were plainly discernible for many
years.
Some one of the white settlers plowed
the ground, and the sQuaws planted the
corn and potatoes. They always made
the hills first and then planted the corn
The men never did any Of this work
The crops raised were not very album
dant owing to poor cultivation, though
the soil was very rich.
The corn was prepared for use by
pounding II into meal, in holes cut into
white oak logs which had been felled
OF these ! remember two. The pestle Of
wood resembled a posing stick used by
some people for pounding clothes while
washing They also used white -four to
some extent the dough being baked in u
Dutch oven, in y hole in the ground,
with Goals under and above it,
Their Funerals
Their funerals remember quite well
more so ~ they served M occasions
when we children came in for goodly
share Of corn and bean soup, which was
l''lhliN 0'i N'i WI Ni'h '''tNIOIlS.
remember going with my mother tn offer
help on the death of n pagoose, and their
asking ny to partake of some roast dog
one of which had been roasted entire
4 white neighbor made the coffin Of
rough lumber, hut on no occasion did |
see any of their personal effects placed in
the coffin.
On one occasion saw small baby
buried its coffin being formed of two
strips IT bark This WAS in the winter,
and they had brought the body on n
pony some eight or ten miles from their
they had planting ground remember
! the party remained ut our house all
night, sleeping on the floor with their
feet toward the large fireplace, which
was one of the chief comforts Of our
pioneer home.
Were Good Ncighbors Generally"
To their credit be it said, they were
generally good neighbors, except when
they obtained whiskey Then they be.
came qua, relsome among themselves
and chase each other through the
woods with knives or brands OF fire
remember very fine Indian, called
Sam, who lty for months suffering from
burns received on one such occasion.
The squaws were kindly and woull
sometimes come and help mother w she
worked in the field remember they
were very strict in the government OF
their children, and as their playmate for
years, ! do not remember any word or
net which would show u tendency to a
lesser degree Of morality than that found
in their more fortunate white brothers
Tho Wigwams
The wlRwama were usually OF bark
peeled from cedar trees The best one
| remember VIA about l2xls feet, with
side walls sjx feet high and hole in a
ridge Of roof by which the smoke on.
capped. Around three sides Of tho room
was built sort Of divan about fon,
feet wide. and about one-half foot from
} the ground In the center was the Are