The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-07-27
OF Interest to Women
BY wInona Evans Reeves,

ago OH Iue NUN lblhia. tNo" AXS 49,
who could choose her mode of travel
or was In a hurry would choose
local train as means Of transport.
But as the engine blew the long
whistle for the union station, on our
return that evening we thought OF
Mrs. Wigs experience when she
started to a picnic driving morse
which had once belonged to the are
department. You remember she SAID,
you never know when good times
coming to you. Here we only started
to the cemetery to a picnic and MT
up at a good fire." ..a
Well, on the train returning we nad
the good fortune to meet Edgar dar-
Ian, curator of the historical depart
ment of Iowa, and Miss Laura Hlnkle
of Selma, whose grandfather was
James Hueston Jordan, pioneer 1ur
trader with the Indians. Miss
uinkle's home is on the land which
her grandfather owned before Iowa
was territory.
These are some of the things they
made us see along the Rock Island
right Of way. Between Eldon and
Selma is a cornfield in which at in
tervals there are parallel rows or
corn which seem to grow higher than
in the rest Of the field. These ridges
were the race tracks of the Indians
of the Iowa tribe. The Indians lived
nearby in a village, Iowaville, OF
which there now remains no trace,
One day years ago these Iowa In
dams came down to their race course
unarmed, riding ponies for day OF
sport. Their enemies, the Sioux, came
upon them suddenly and being un-
armed, the Iowas were killed almost
to a man. Indian fashion, they were
buried right on the field. A few years
ago Mr.. Hinkle tile drained that
piece of ground and came upon many
bones Of the unfortunate tribe from
which this state has taken it's name.
Beyond this field there can be seen
in the distance long two story
building which was one OF the nrst
taverns in that section of Iowa and
was on the stage route from Des
Moines to Keokuk 1t looks today
Just as it did then and Miss Hinkle
said shortly before her grandfather
died he said, II want you children
to the last generation to remember
that when that house needs repair
you are not to change its outward
appearance" and the children have
been true to the trust.
Iowaville, as everyone knows, was
Black Hawks home after he was
driven out of the Rock river district
and there it was he died. He was
buried nearby on spot which ne
chose himself. His bones were later
exhumed and placed in a museum in
Burlington which burned soon after
and with it Black Hawks bones. An
old cemetery is to be seen near
Selma where many pioneers are
buried and at any corner Of the GENE
/ terry can be seen the old Indian trail
which ran from Iowaville to Black
Hawks village on Rock river near
Rock Island In many places the
trail is very distinct. This whole
region is full of Indian history.
Pointing to the spot where their
cabin stood Miss Hipkle told the
story of the cOurtship OF ner grand
father and grandmother Jordan. one
day her grandfather James Jordan,
was starting to New Orleans with
lot of furs, and stopped on his way
to the river to say good-by to MS
neighbors, Mr.. and Mrs. Coin. When
he entered the cabin he saw beau
tiful young girl who had come from
Ohio the day before to visit her Sis.
ter, Mrs. Coin. He decided that after
all there was no great hurry about
starting to New Orleans. While the
| older people were talking he called
the girl to one corner of the room
and said to her, Il need wife to
keep house for me and l believe you
are the girl l want" She had not
yet gotten the pioneer viewpoint and
said, Il can't marry you; l never
saw YOU until today" He insisted
that the Coins knew him and that
ought to be sufficient. She said,
what is the great hurry of an en-
pagement." He explained that he'd
have to bring some darktes from
/ New Orleans to help her keep house
| and he'o have to buy dishes while
he was there. She didn't give him
very definite answer, but acting on
Ibis hope in the case, Mr.. Jordan
brought back with him two colored
women, a colored man, a set of dishes
and some handsome Jewels. Upon the
Coins recommendation of his being
splendid young fellow and "the
richest man in the valley" they were
married. He built two cabins. one
for their use and one for the colored
folks. Later the cabins were re-
placed by a beautiful home and that
great tract Of land is still owned by
their descendants.
The day following our trip to OF
tumwa Mr.. Harlan and a Mr.. Fulton
from Fairfield, who is an enthusiastic
sympathizer in the work which Mr.
Harlan does to mark historic sites
and to keep alive an interest In Iowa
history, followed that old Indian trail
from a point near the Rock Island
track between 5ldon and Selma, as
far as they could trace it across the
state toward Rock Island 1t is
amazing how many years road OF
a trail can be seen, after it has
ceased to be used for that purpose
The Indian trails are about two fee