Traveling West in South Dakota

 

Getting off the Interstate is a bit of "Memory Lane"

This sight was familiar to Lou's summer work farming with his uncles in Utah.

This one is a bit unusual - We had to wait for the house to pass us 😲

On August 25, 1804 Lewis, Clark, and several others walked 9 miles to see

Spirit Mound.

The legend says that there are "Deavels" with remarkable large heads and 18 inches high---that kill all persons who attempted to approach the hill.

They did see large herds of bison and elk.

It's not much of a hill/mound as far as we are used to, but it is a 

State Historic Prarie 

and

it is one of the documented places that they had come.

So, we felt that we just had to climb the 700 ft high mound. 

and get to the top!

Fortunately the weather was nice and when the expedition did it, the weather was awfully hot, and Lewis' dog Seaman had to be sent back to the river to cool off.

The Atka Lakota Museum

                   

Bright colors are the hallmark of their art.

The quilts are about $500.00

(some of our group do a lot of quilting and say they would never sell for that small amount of money)

The 8 point star design used in Sioux ceremonies symbolizing immortality.

The other distinctive feature is vivid colors.

This warrior show here is modeled after "Wind in the hair" in the movie Dances with Wolves.

White dots on his face are the number of his enemies.  Lines and tracks on his leggings indicate the number of horses captured in battle.

The horse wears decorated bridle, martingale, saddle blanket that signifies his honor and value.

     

How would. you like this saddle (circa 1800)??

The split in the middle is to protect the horses backbone.

What about the riders 'sit' bones?

But this is beautiful.

DIGNITY

The 50 foot sculpture of a graceful Native woman

wearing a quilt of 128 stainless steel blue diamond shapes 

designed to flutter in the wind.

The star quilt is a representation of respect, honor and admiration.

     

 

Ft Atkinson

Greetings to the Fort 

Fort Atkinson

The first army fort west of the Missouri River that was established to protect the fur trade and combat the influence of the British forces.

The location was recommended by Lewis and Clark.

Clark wrote that "The Situation of this place whch we call Council Bluff is a handsom ellevated Spot well Calculated for a fort to

Command the Countrey and river above the high water

and situated to trade with the natives"

A huge fort (200 yards square)

"situated well above the high water"

The Missouri River at this location would have been anywhere from

 3 to 10 miles wide and very shallow.

Today the river is 3 miles away.

1804

Today, this is a replica of the blacksmith shop.

The Powder Magazine is in the middle of the complex.

A huge setup to protect the fur trade.  

Too bad it only lasted 9 years.

(perhaps the fur trade had lost importance by then.

Both time lines had to deal with the 'bad guys'

Anywhere from Deserter to Salt Fish Thief to Whiskey Thief to falling asleep on guard duty.

Lewis and Clark were particularly rough on these crimes.

Often the punishment would be 100 "well laid on lashes"

and then have to continue on hauling (by hand) the keelboat upstream.

OUCH!

The Cat-O-Nine-Tails

looks particularly bad.

Inside the Visitor Center is a familiar looking large orange and white cat-

I have no idea if they populate this area of tall grass plains.

Only a few flowers are starting to bloom now.

I think this is a Prairie Rose.