The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-09-30
HISTORY OF
MERCER CORN

Stanton. N. D., Sept. so..-Nc one
knows when corn was first raised in
Mercer county, but history records the
fact that the MAndan Indians cuIti-
waited 1t years before the famous ex-
plorers, Lewis and Clark, visited their
villages which were located near stan
ton.
Samples Of this Mandan Indian corn
reputed to be over 100 years old, and
found in cache pit In one Of the In
dian villages located IN Mercer county
may be seen at the historical society's
museum at the capitol building.
1t IL known fact that the Lewis
and Clark expedition was nearly des-
titute for food when they reached the
territory which now comprises Mercer
county, and unless they obtained food
would have been compelled to return
to ST. Louis. From the Mandan In
dams they obtained enough corn to
enable them to continue their Jour-
ney. Lewis and Clark used honorable
means to secure this corn. Captain
Lewis in the original journal Feb. 6,
1905, says;
THE biaclrsmiths have proved a
happy resource to us In our present
situation as believe It would have
been difficult to have devised any other
method to have procured corn from
the natives. The Indians are extrav-
agantly fond Of sheet iron OF which
they form arrow points and manufac-
ture into instruments for scraping and
dressing buffalo robes I permitted
the blacksmith to dispose OF a part OF
q sheet iron stove which had nearly
burned out on our passage up river,
and for each piece about four inches
square ne obtained from seven to
eight gallons OF corn from the natives
who appeared extremely pleased with
the exchange"
Again we hear OF corn raising in
Mercer county through Catlin, who
visited the Indian villages near STAN
ton in 1882. The following extract ID
taken from his North American IN
dians: II mentioned that I found
these people tMandan Indians) raising
abundance Of corn; and I have hap
pened to visit them in their season of
their festivities, which annually take
place when the ears Of corn are OF
the proper size for grating. The green
corn Is considered great luxury. In
this green state of the corn. ii is
boiled and dealt out In great profusion
to the whole tribe, who feast and sur
felt upon 1t while it lasts: rendering
thanks to the Great Spirit for the re-
turn Of the joyful season, which they
do by making sacrifices, by dancing
and singing songs Of thanksgiving
In 1858 Henry A. Boiler visited the
Indians In the Mercer county country
In his book, Among the Indians, he
mentions the following: ''The only
Indians that raise corn are the Man
dan, Riccarees and Mintarees 1t is
a specie of corn that is very hardy
and quick Of growth. IT Is or ell eolofs.
red, black, blue, yellow. purple and
white; sometimes q single ear presents
4 combination OF all these hues. When
boiled green with rich buffalo marrow
spread on II instead Of butter, 1t IS
very sweet and truly delicious" In
speaking of the cultivation he says:
Tn the spring as soon as the frost is
out OF the ground. the squaws broke up
their patches Of land. Every foot
must be turned up and loosened with
the hoe, a slow and laborious opera
ton. After the corn Is planted and
begins to come up day by day, until
it was gathered in, the corn must be
regularly hoed, more to counterfeit the
effect Of drought than to keep down
the weeds
During the early '70's when the first
white settlers blazed the trails west
Of the Missouri river no one gave
thought to raising corn. Mercer coun-
ty was then Inhabited by a peculiar
set Of men known as wood hawks"
who chopped wood in the river bot
toms which was used by the steam
boats These men never tried TO raise
any farm products until they married
the Indian women or daughters OF the
early white settlers. 1t was not until
1880 that the first white families came
to Mercer county; among whom was
Edward Heinemeyer, the oldest set
tier, who still resides at Stanton. Mr.,
Heinemeyer made a special effort TO
raise corn the first year, but did not
succeed until he had secured seed from
the Mandan Indians at the Fort Ber-