The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-02-21
0tD INDIAN
CAMP FOUND
BY WRIGHT
jamestown Resident Writes
of Recent Visit to Hawks
Nest Hill


chairman of the historical park
committee of the state Historical
Society, Major Dana Wright, of
Jamestown, recently described his ex-
plorations around Arrowhead Lake
and Hawks Nest Hill.
, The letter follows:
This past week l have spent in
the northern part Of Stutsman coun-
" and in the vicinity of Hawks Nest
Hill, in the corner Of Wells county
about eight miles southwest of Car
rington.
II first visited Arrowhead Lake,
which is widening of the James
river in northern Stutsman county.
This lake is five miles long and
about half a mile wide and has some
fine springs and groves on the east
side. 1t is proposed to make a his
torical state park at one of the
groves on the east side and near
the south end, to preserve the natur-
al beauty Of the place and also to
protect the remains of some of the
old Indian encampments in the v!cin-
ity.
"The lake was resorted to from
long distances by the plain Indians
as its timber and fresh water made
it desirable camping place and the
lake was an attraction. to the wild
game on which they subsisted. The
Indian mounds, graves and camp
sites in the vicinity are evidences
OF the attraction which this place
held for them. At one place on the
east bank Of the lake are the remains
O. what was evidently white trad
ing post of the old frontier days.
Here, unknown for generations,
have lain, grass covered and forgot
ten until recently turned up by
County Commissioner Hugo Rieble of
Kensal. When the sod was turned
over for a flax crop, the charred
wood and bone or the old camp fire
were discovered; stone implements
as we'll as bits of pottery are evil
dences of the visits of the wild peo-
pic of the plains, while the grass
grown dug outs and bone heaps told
of the visits of the white trader.
MANY indications have been found
that 60 to show that the lake was a
favorite resort of both the Red and
white people in the frontier days
but their history is lost and we can
only speculate as to who the indiv-
iduals were who spent SO much time
here and whose broken and discarded
weapons and utensils are all that are
left to tell Of their visits here.
"In addition to its historic interest,
the beauty of the timbered border
cf Arrowhead Lake is great attrac-
ton, and the state game and fish
hoard have under consideration a
project for the raising of the water
level of the lake SO that the game
fish will not freeze out in the severe
winters. The raising of the water
level by two or three feet would give
sufficient protection for the fish
the year round and would be one Of
the most favorable places for the in
crease of game fish that there is
found in the state. the warm shallow
wafer being especially favorable for
their development.
"Caroeing in summer and ice
sports in the winter would be en-
couraged by fixing higher water
level in the lake.
a"The people in the vicinity Of Ar
rowhead Lake are very much in ear
hest about having a state park on
its shore and also having the lake
level raised. They are forming local
committees in each of the adjoin-
Ing townships and towns to boost
the proposition and raise necessary
funds to make improvements.
"The Hawks Nest Hill, timbered
elevation in the extreme southeast
corner of Wells county, is we'll
known landmark, seen for many
miles in any direction but especially
from the north and east. Its steep
timbered ravipes stand out distinct
ly. Rising hundreds Of feet above
the valley of Pipestcm creek, its out
lines at distance make one think
of the foothills of some mountain
range.
"ln it's timbered. spring watered
ravines the oak, ash, elm, and box
elders have secured q hold in the
ages past and, in spite of the tramp
ling buffalo herd, the scorching
prairie fire and the ruthless AK Of
the whites it has persisted and one
of the prettiest groves in the state is
to be found on the slopes of the hill.
On it's bare, breeze swept summit one
gets a view Of the plains in all di-
fections-to the south and southeast,
the rolling tumbled glacial moraines
with their rounded hills and deep
lake beds; in all other directions
:he prairies lspread away for miles
tn, where the blue mists hide the
horizon where prairie and sky meet.
"Up on the top of the hills are
the remains of the Indian people who
lived here and whose legends and
traditions linger and seem to try to
speak from the grass grown mounds
ond tumuli. Here great heaps Of
earth were gathered together and
formed out works that were con-
nected by long road like grades or
ridges for some >mysterious purpose
that white people can only; guess at.
Mounds and graves, stone tipi
circles and sunken places in the sod
tell of the work Of the primitive peo-
pie who were here before Us. In q
sheltered place near the head of q
spring-watered ravine, level place
on little knoll is surrounded with
ia ring of stones as if some council
had been held here and the DEPART
ing visitors had left their stone seats
insnlace. This circle is about fifty
feet in diameter and it would not