Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-09-28
MAJESTIC MERCER COUNTY WILL
BECOME FAMOUS FOR ITS CORN

i No one knows when corn was first
raised in Mercer county, but history
records the fact that the Mandan In
dams cultivated it. years before the
famous explorers, Lewis and Clark,
visited their villages which were To-
Gated near Stanton.
y Samples of this Mandan Indian
corn reputed to be 100 years old or
over and found in a cache pit in one
of the Indian villages located in Mer-
Ger county may be seen at the Histor-
ical society's museum at the capitol
building.
1t is known fact that the Lewis
and Clark expedition was nearly desti-
tute 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 all hon
orable means to secure this corn.
Captain Lewis in the original journal
Feb. 6, 1905, says:
"The blacksmiths have proved a
happy resource to us in our present
situation as l believe it would have
been difficult to have; devised any
other method to have procured corn
from the natives. The Indians are
extravagantly fond of sheet iron of
which they form arrow points and
manufacture into instruments for
scraping and dressing buffalo robes.
permitted the blacksmith to dispose
Of a part of sheet iron stove which
had been nearly burned out on our
passage up river, and for each piece
about four inches square he obtained
from seven to eight gallons of corn
from the natives who appeared ex-
tremely pleased with the exchange"
Again we hear of corn raising in
Mercer county through Catlin, who
visited the Indian villages near STAN
ton In 1892. The following extract
is taken from his North American
Indians: II mentioned that I found
these people (Mandan 1ndians) raising
abundance Of corn; and have hap
pened to visit them in the season of
their festivities, which annually take
place when the ears of corn are of
the proper size for eating. The green
corn is considered great luxury. In
this green state OF the corn. it is
boiled and dealt out in great profu.
sion to the whole tribe. who feast
and surfeit upon 1t whilst it lasts;
thanks to the Great Spirit
for the return Of this joyful season,
which they do by making sacrifices
by dancing and singing songs of
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 Minntarees. It is
q specie Of corn that is very hardy
and Of quick growth. It is of all COL
ors. red. black. blue. yellow, purple
and white; sometimes single ear
presents combination of all these
hues. When boiled green. with rich
buffalo marrow spread on it (instead
Of butter). It is very sweet and truly
delicious" In speaking of the cultiva-
ton he says: I'm the spring, as soon
as the frost is out of the ground, the |
souaws break up their patches OF /
land. Every foot must be turned up |
and lo6sened with the hoe. a slow !
and laborous operation. After the |
corn is planted and begins to come
10. day after day. until it was gather
I'd in, the corn must be regularly |
loed. mora to counterfeit the effect of
lrought than to keep down weeds"
During the early '70's when the first
white settlers blazed the trails west
If thu Missouri river no one gave
thought to the raising Of corn Mercer