Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-11-09
SOME EARLY HIS
TORY RECALLED
The E. E. Johnson Farm Southwest
of Homer Contains Indian
Mounds.

E. e. Johnson who resides foul
miles southwest Of Homer, was il
the city few days ago and in con
versation relating to his severa.
finds OF interesting Indian relics up.
on his farm, stated that year age
this fall he and his sons decided tc
do little excavating in mound
upon the farm.
This mound is about 20 feet
through and has always been regard
ed by the family as possible In
dian burying ground. The fact that
arrow heads have been frequently
turned up in the fields by the plow,
coupled with the find of the Indian
pipe fashioned of some smooth stone,
led Mr.. johnson and his sons to in
vestigate the mound through curios-
lily. When digging about three feet
from the surface they unearthed sew
eral skeletons which fell to pieces at
the touch of the spade; bones were
|upturned with every spade of earth
but little if any thing beside these
was unearthed, save a small earth
en- bowl of peculiar size and pattern
which was inadvertently struck with
a spade, broken into several pieces
and so rendered worthless.
There is no doubt that this
mound, and possibly others in the
vicinity, holds the bones of many In
dian warriors and perhaps relics of
value This farm was the scene of
the Lot family's encounters with the
Sioux Indians and concerning whom
the manuscript prepared by the late
F. @. Lee and published in the Ham
ilton County history gives an inter-
esting account:
''In the summer of 1s47, Henry
Lot with his family, consisting of a
wife and three children, moved up
from near Des Moines to the forks
of the Des Moines and Boone rivers
and built himself cabin. He
brought with him a couple of bar
rels Of whiskey, some cattle and a
horse and few articles intended to
be used in trading with the Indians.
The country was occupied by a
tribe Of Sioux Indians, Si-dom-in-a-
do-tah being their chief. Lot had
not been long at his new place of
residence when he was visited by ST.
dom-i-na-do-tah and few of his
warriors and informed that he was
an intruder and that he must leave
within a given time. Lot did not
leave and when the given time had
expired, the old chief and his band
came again, no doubt to drive him
away. While Lot evidently did not
believe the Indians would return to
interfere with him, he was neverthe-
less on the lookout for them. But 1t
happened that when they came, he
with two older sons, was at some
distance from his cabin, unarmed.
They saw the Indians enter the cab
in, heard the screams Of Mrs. Lot,
and saw the younger boy run from
the back door of the house westward
toward the Des Moines river. The
of Mrs. Lot soon ceased
and Lot, Judging that the Indians
had murdered her, took the two boys
he had with him and made his way
down the river to Peas Point in
Boone county, and reported that his
wife had been murdered by the In
lians. His arrival and the news he
brought alarmed the whole settle
nent, and fearing the Sioux might
follow Lot and fall upon the settle
nent, the settlers assembled at the
house Of John NJ. Crooks and took
measures for their defense in case
hey were attacked.
OOAA AS0 pAoPOoON al AAAAASAAoSSI
expedition to take vengeance upon
;i-dom-in-a-do-tah and his band, but
IS the force of settlers was small, 1t
vas thought best not to leave their
,wn families, but to procure assist
nee. Accordingly Lot was sent to
elk Rapids for aid. When he reach
ID Elks Rapids he found Chemisne,
Pattawottomie chief, with whom
e was acquainted, and several hun
red of his tribe there encamped.
he chief was known. among the set
lers as Johnnie Green. Lot appeal
d to Johnnie Green, who after hear
ng his story, called a council Of his [
raves together wherein it was de- h
ermined that the chief with twen-
y-six of his warriors should accom- ,
any Lot. Accordingly they painted 1
themselves in a most hideous man
er, their custom when going upon 8
he warpath, and mounting their I
onies, the whole party with several t