Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-09-29
T|[ BY Edward Black 9

man we met if he had ever heard
of Manuel de Lisa. He appeared
rather puzzled, scratched his head
as if to accelerate his memory, look
ed at the sky. which was giving
benediction of much-needed mois-
ture, and he replied:
"He isn't the new fuel admins
traitor, is he?"
We told him that Lisa was an
intrepid explorer and fur trader,
who was the life of that community
more than 100 years ago, and had
been credited by historians as hav-
ing been the first real white settler
in Nebraska, although other pale
faces had visited this terrain before
Lisa brought his lares and penatcs
up the river.
Ever hear Of Colonel w. H,
Woods" we asked the man at the
depot.
Now you are saying something"
he replied. Just travel along a
spell to the next road, turn south
for two blocks and then go west one
block and you will come to his
house. Guess you'll find him at
home, although he was down at the
creek this morning, digging for
remnants of folks and critters, which
they say lived around here about
100000 years ago"
Woods, the Human Encyclopedia.
We soon learned that Colonel
Woods was the human encyclopedia
of Fort Calhoun; that he was a gen
eral information bureau on every
thing that has happened in and
around Calhoun for more than a
century, and that he knows the topo-
graphy, the legends and all about
everything upon the earth and un-
der the earth in Washington county
since Lewis and Clark slipped tea
with the Indians about 4 o'clock on
the afternoon of August a, 1904
Our little journey this morning
takes us over some of the most
interesting and picturesque part OF
Nebraska. Old Fort Calhoun, today
prosperous little agricultural cen
ter. offers a wealth of historical lore
which teens with stories of the ven
turesome pioneers. the predatory
redmen and of the steamboats, which
pushed their way up the Missouri
to the outposts of civilization.
Manuel de Lisa is credited with
having made his first trip up the
Missouri river in 1907 to a point
a few miles south of Calhoun. at a
place which he named Fort Lisa. He
was Spaniard of unusual PERSONAL.
ty. He had manner of walking If
anywhere, hanging up his hat, ant
asking the folks when they were go.
ing to have dinner.
He made the upriver trip from
St. Louis and was successful witt
the Indians right from the start. He
tied his boat to the bank, jumped
ashore, handed his card to one of the
chiefs and offered to share his to-
bacco. He was business-getter o
the l2-cylinder type, being Zip here
primarily in the interests Of ful
trading companies with which he
was identified. He was received into
the exclusive social set of the Oma
has with eclat.
Makes Love to Belle of the Tribe
Under a large cottonwood tree
one moonlight night Lisa peered into
the eyes of an Indian maiden whos'
name was Mitain. Like a chevalie
of old, he made love to this belf'
of the tribe. and that little hear
affair ingratiated him into the goot
graces of big business within tn
Omaha tribe. He gave Mttain
new spring hat OF the latest ST
Louis pattern and he gave her ia
Their bottle of stomach bitters.i II
her mother he presented pair o
opera glasses. He made river trip
to and from St. Louis until 1919, al
ways remembering Mitain with to
kens of his affection. The othe
maidens of the tribe were jealou
OF Mitain, who frequently re
marked i'll Indian language that sh
should worry over what the neigh
bors said or thought.
Mary Manuel Lisa. to whom tn
explorer was married at St. LOU.
in 1878. made an upriver trip wit
, her husband, remained at Fort Lis
/ during the winter of 1920. and wa
= said to have been the first whit
woman who did light Housekeeping
in Nebraska. She was one Of eigh
charter members of the First Pres
{ byterian church OF St. Louis, tn
first church of that denomination j
the Missouri city and the secon
church west of the Mississippi rivel
Historic Indian Council
/. Lisa's ambitions to travel up tn
t Missouri river to this territory an
to trade with the Indians, were III
spired by the Lewis and Clark OK
t petition, and it is interesting t
: note that Lisa's camp was estat
| lished within a few miles OF tn
site where Lewis and Clark he'll
their historic council with the Mi:
souris and Otoes in 1904 Durin
r that year the present site OF Fot
S Calhoun was known as "Counc
bluff" and the scene of the Levi
and Clark peace treaty conferenc
was one and a half miles north {
r the present Calhoun townsite.
= THE most important camp groun
Iof the Lewis and Clark expeditio