Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-07-28
CANTON TO oKoBoJI.
Otto Rudolph and Party Visit the
Famous Resort in His Big
Velie Car.

Mr.. and Mrs. Arthur Linn packed a
few tourist articles In grips and suit
cases and departed for Lake Okoboji
in Mr.. Rudolph's big Velie car. The
weather was fine and the sunshine
strong enough for tanning purposes.
The roads were in fine condition and
the ride was delightfully."- pleasant
with Miss Rudolph at the wheel, who
drove the entire distance going and
returning home, and no driver we
ever rode with had SO much regard
for the tender feelings of the rough
edge of bridges than Miss Rudolph.
Onr route was through Inwood and
Lester to Rock Rapids, thence to
Sibley where we had dinner and rest
ed for an hour or more. AT 2 O'Clock
we departed for the lakes arriving at
Okoboji at 4:30 O'Clock. We meander-
ed the east side of the lake and found
"The Inn," an imposing structure on
the edge of the bluff, where colored
gentlemen did the honors for guests
and tips. The Inn was jammed full
at night, but when we arrived every
body was boating or bathing. After
looking the field over We decided to
put up for the night at The Orleans,
a famous resort on the narrow neck OF
land that separates Spirit LAX from
| Okoboji, but found only two vacant
rooms in the imposing structure and
as we needed three, we returned to
the town of Spirit Lake and there
found pleasant accommodations at the
Antlers, a fine well kept house re-
sembling somewhat in design our own
we'll managed Rudolph Hotel at Can
ton. During the day, including our
meandering of the lake, We had
travelled about $50 miles, and rs be-
fore noted, the air and sunshine was
in proper condition for tanning tender
faces, the LEADER part of the party
was tanned to a turn and used up
more If Madame Recramiers face
balm than any Boston belle ever
dreamed of, but the face cream was
no match for Iowa tan and we
brought the best part of the tan home
with us.
Friday morning the auto was used
in a trip down to Okoboji again where
we spent an hour or two hunting for
quarters, but finally started for
Arnold's Park and after crossing the
draw bridge we were discovered by
Mrs. M. E. Rudolph as we drove past
her cottage. The discovery was a
mutual pleasure, and very welcome
to the auto party as they had given
up hope of finding her or anyone else
from Canton. After dinner with Mrs.
Rudolph and her sons, Herbert, Roy
and Mark, we rode over to the Arnold
Park Hotel where we found quarters
and remained until Sunday after
noon.
Saturday afternoon the Canton
party visited Massacre Hill where the
Indians killed all the settlers in 1857
with the exception of two little girls,
one of them being drowned by the
Indians in the Sioux River on their
retreat into Dakota, the other, Miss
Gardner, being ransomed by the state
of Minnesota and is now living on the
historic hill alongside the old log
cabin built by her father In 1857. In
talking with Mrs. Sharp of that
tragedy she said:
1T was IS years last Sunday, July
16, since 1 first cast eyes across Lake
Okoboji from this bluff, my father,
NJ . n orl,,1r hairr tho fret Whitn
man with a family to locate here.
There were four white men living in
a tent across the lake, three of them
meeting the fate of my father. The
fourth man escaped by being absent
after his family, and SO the early
history of northwest Iowa was written
in blood by Inkpaduta and his fendish
cutthroats.
The Gardner log cabin stands to-
day practically as it was erected by
the martyr to western progress. Mrs.
Sharp has it flied with historic
pictures and curios Of frontier life and
the cabin is neatly enclosed with
lattice work to protect 1t from the
elements. A beautiful monument
erected by the state of Iowa stands
close to the cabin and just across the
road is a monument erected ove the
grave of Mrs. Sharp's husband. Back
of the historic little cabin stands a
neat cottage wherein Mrs. Sharp lives
and meets the tourists as they come
to see the historic spot and learn Of
the tragedy enacted there in 1857.
Mrs. Sharp is a bright, intelligent
little who has devoted many
years to secure a monument by the
state to mark the place where the
pioneer life of northwest Iowa began,
the nearest towns in 1857 being Fort
Dodge and Sioux City. The beautiful
monument erected by the state re-
presents history and tragedy and this
noble little M is the only living
representative of both in that period
when the country west of the
Missouri river was a wilderness.
Mrs. Sharp's history Is a pathetic
tragedy mingled with a life Of de-
votion to the memory of her dear ones
and those who persisted during the
Indian RI in |