Abbie gardner cabin dickinson county conservation board. What is unique about the spirit lake massacre is that the incident that put every thing into motion took place just north of boone, iowa on the des moines river. In july, 1856, a number of white people came to the shore of west okoboji lake. Dec 05, 2018 abbie then turned her cabin home into a museum for visitors to the iowa great lakes area to learn about the spirit lake massacre, and she even commissioned an unknown artist to paint four scenes of the massacre and her experiences in captivity as well as the war cap. Iowa great lakes, popular resort area in dickinson county, northwestern iowa, u. Spirit lake massacre monument and graves, arnolds park, iowa.
History of the spirit lake massacre and captivity of miss. Abbie gardner cabin opens for the season dickinson. This is how the spirit lake massacre was more or less described to me. History of the spirit lake massacre and captivity of miss abbie gardner by. The arnolds park historic site still has the gardner cabin intact along with a 55foottall granite memorial. We hope this website will help you get familiar with the museum and find all the information you need to plan your visit. Included are spirit or big spirit, west okoboji, east okoboji, and silver lakes, all of which are of glacial origin. They killed most of the people accepted for 4 women that were kidnapped.
Visitor tips and news about spirit lake massacre monument and graves. Iowa the monument to victims of the spirit lake massacre which stands on. May 18, 2018 abbie gardner was when she was kidnapped during the spirit lake massacre and lived with the american indian tribe for months before she was traded back for two horses, 12 blankets, two kegs of powder, 20 pounds of tobacco, 32 yards of cloth, ribbon and other articles. Open memorial thru labor day or by special request for groups tuesday thru saturday 12. The cabin that belonged to the gardner family can be visited at the site. Aug 25, 2019 the graves of the family and a monument built in honor of the lost pioneers is all located near the cabin.
Arnolds park, iowa the monument to victims of the spirit lake massacre which stands on pillsburys point on west lake okoboji is probably one of the most familiar landmarks. Mar 01, 2020 spirit lake massacre, march 812, 1857, incident in northwestern iowa, u. Top nasa images solar system collection ames research center. There is also a small but very informative museum on the site and i high recommend that stop in. Word reached fort dodge days later, and a relief expedition was formed. Spirit lake massacre monument is situated southwest of arnolds park, close to original gardner cabin historical marker. This resource is supported by the institute of museum and library services under the provisions of the library services and technology. It is located to the south of big spirit lake, the largest natural lake in iowa, and on part of the western shoreline of east okoboji lake.
Sadly, young abbies family was killed by native americans in whats now known as the spirit lake massacre. New exhibits on display at nature center the globe. Rowland gardner had led a group of settlers into the region in 1856, and he built this cabin in july of that year. Abbie gardner sharp cabin arnolds park, iowa travel iowa.
Suffering a shortage of food, the renegade chief inkpaduta scarlet point led 14 sioux against the settlements near okoboji and spirit lakes in. The whole watery spread is known as the spirit lake region, which is why the conflict is called the spirit lake massacre, even though only two of the people who died actually lived on spirit lake proper. Most lived in the area locally referred to these days as okoboji, as in west okoboji lake. Abbie, the only survivor, was taken hostage before her release 84 days later. Lott had killed so many red men was probably the cause of the spirit lake massacre, in which the indians tried to revenge themselves. To link to the entire object, paste this link in email, im or document to embed the entire object, paste this html in website to link to this page, paste this link in email, im or document to embed this page, paste this html in website. The only surviving structure from the attack stands at abbie gardner state historic site in nearby arnolds park. Spirit lake massacre united states history 1857 britannica. Sharps museum have been removed and the interior of the cabin has been restored with prel8 furnishings including a bedstead, trundle bed, spinning wheel, churn, implements, table, and chairs.
In 1857, amidst rising tensions between native americans and new settlers, yearold abbie gardner s family was killed by men of the dakota indian nation. There is a small visitors center and museum next to the gardner family cabin. The city of spirit lake is the largest city in dickinson county and the capstone of the iowa great lakes. Abbie gardner cabin opens for the season dickinson county. Iowa city, iowa, the state historical society of iowa. Spirit lake massacre cabin becomes famed landmark latest.
Arnolds park, ia spirit lake massacre monument and graves. Sometimes the oxen could hardly pull the wagons through the mud. Koppert estimates the museum welcomes 12,000 visitors each summer. In 1857, amidst rising tensions between native americans and new settlers, yearold abbie gardners family was killed by men of the dakota indian nation. The exhibits go back the earliest days of dickinson countys history, from the spirit lake massacre in 1857 thru ww2. The men faced physical hardships on the way to the scene and on the way home, and two men died in a blizzard while returning. Many american pioneers were unlucky, succumbing to the myriad hazards of the trail on their way to a better life. Mar 30, 2018 herb hake and mr hart discuss the spirit lake conflict from the settler perspective.
The site became one of the states first tourist attractions. Spirit lake massacre log cabin, arnolds park roadtrippers. Grave of the pilot who killed music, storm lake, ia 49 mi. This is the story of the spirit lake massacre of 1857, written by thomas teakle. The massacre came as the culminating episode of incidents intimately connected with. Spirit lake massacre monument spirit lake massacre monument is a park in iowa and has an elevation of 1421 feet. Located in arnolds park is the abbie gardner sharp cabin museum, a site of the 1857 spirit lake massacre, a violent conflict between european settlers and native americans. Spirit lake massacre monument arnolds park, iowa landmark. Adjacent to the cabin are the spirit lake massacre museum built in 19612 and a memorial monument commissioned by the state of.
For a quarter, or ten cents for children, visitors could see the displays in her log cabin museum and listen to her stories of the spirit lake massacre, her captivity, and rescue. Details page the biographical dictionary of iowa the. Returning to arnolds park in 1891, abbie purchased the cabin, operating it as one of iowas first tourist attractions until her death in 1921. First map sourced from a new look at the elusive inkpaduta by peggy rodina larson. Spirit lake, the largest4 miles 6 km long and 3 miles 5. The spirit lake massacre march 812, 1857 was an attack by a wahpekute band of santee sioux on scattered iowa frontier settlements during a severe winter. Fortytwo people thats my number were killed in the spirit lake.
The abbie gardnersharp cabin is a genuine 1850s log cabin built by the gardner family, along with an interpretive center with all the historic information regarding the spirit lake massacre. Below is a list of state park amenities offered around the spirit lake region. Next to the cabin is the small pillsbury point state park. The spirit lake massacre log cabin, also known as the gardner log cabin, is located in arnolds park, iowa, united states. Spirit lake massacre, march 812, 1857, incident in northwestern iowa, u. Abbie gardner sharp cabin history known first as one of the sites of the 1857 spirit lake massacre and later as one of iowas first tourist attractions, the gardner cabin survives as a reminder of one of iowas tragic frontier events. The spirit lake massacre log cabin, also known as the gardner log cabin, is located in. A larger general history of the background and course of the massacre, the relief expedition, the general outcome, and the decades of settlement and life in the spirit lake area that followed is in thomas teakle, the spirit lake massacre 1918. This tragedy became known as the spirit lake massacre. They had travelled very slowly across the prairie to their new home.
Sep 27, 2011 history of the spirit lake massacre and captivity of miss abbie gardner. On march 8, 1857, a band of renegade wahpekuta sioux who had been alienated from the tribal structure attacked the gardner family and other settlers in the. Decades after the massacre, in 1891, abbie returned to arnolds park and. When she later returned to pillsbury point as abbie gardner sharp, she opened a museum to tell her story. Spirit lake massacre iowa heritage digital collections. Herb hake and mr hart discuss the spirit lake conflict from the settler perspective. This is one of iowas most significant urban parks, marking the site where the spirit lake massacre began. History of the spirit lake massacre and captivity of miss abbie gardner. The event known as the spirit lake massacre of 1857 was not an isolated incident, but rather a deeply complicated issue that involved many conflicts and various parties. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The incident is commemorated by a monument 1895 marking the mass grave of the settlers and by the gardner log cabinmuseum in arnolds park. In 1857 more than 30 settlers were killed by a band of sioux indians in what became known as the spirit lake massacre. This is how the spirit lake massacre was more or less described to me, although i also heard, it would be like finding someone else in your summer home, an image intended to emphasize the wahpekute dakotas tradition of seasonal migration. Abbie gardner was when she was kidnapped during the spirit lake massacre and lived with the american indian tribe for months before she was traded back for two horses, 12 blankets, two kegs of powder, 20 pounds of tobacco, 32 yards of cloth, ribbon and other articles.
Remembering heroic actions in tragedy news, sports, jobs. In 1856 five cabins had been built and occupied by whites near okoboji lakes and spirit lake. In the small museum we met the guide who explained. Young abbie was taken hostage by the dakota band and released 84 days later.
Abbie gardnersharp published an account of the massacre, and was able to gain possession of the cabin that she ran as a museum. This resource is supported by the institute of museum and library. The massacre came as the culminating episode of incidents intimately connected with the settlement of northern and western iowa. To link to the entire object, paste this link in email, im or document to embed the entire object, paste this html in website to link to this page, paste this link in email, im or document. Fortytwo people thats my number were killed in the spirit lake massacre. View all attractions near abbie gardner cabin on tripadvisor. Mar 07, 2017 fortytwo people thats my number were killed in the spirit lake massacre. A museum and the whole story of the massacre is located next to the cabin. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading history of the spirit lake massacre and captivity of miss. They kidnapped his son, whom they allowed to freeze to death, and killed a great many white settlers, in the region of spirit lake. Spirit lake was the last whiteindian conflict in iowa.
Messenger photo by carol foltz a wreath was placed by the monument to the victims of the spirit lake massacre and the members of the spirit lake relief expedition. Shows some sioux native american artifacts and footage of the gardner cabin and the state monument dedicated to. Spirit lake massacre cabin becomes famed landmark news. A museum featuring historical items related to the massacre and the gardner. In 1862, only five years after the spirit lake massacre and one year after federal troops were pulled from the frontier to fight in the civil war, the santee sioux went on the warpath in southern minnesota, near the northern border of iowa.
Decades after the massacre, in 1891, abbie returned to arnolds park and purchased the cabin, operating it as one of iowas earliest tourist attractions. Notice of her passing also produced a laudatory editorial in the des moines register, 1241921. The obelisk monument erected in 1894 to honor the settlers and the rescuers. In 1856 a renegade sioux tribe attacked several groups of settlers around west and east okoboji and spirit lake, iowa.
Higgins museum of national bank notes, okoboji, ia 1 mi. Rumors reported that he was seen again, in the spirit lake area, that he later participated in the new ulm, minnesota, massacre that killed 600 white settlers, and later in 1876, participated in the battle of the little bighorn against gen. Abigail abbie gardner sharp 18431921 find a grave memorial. Abbie then turned her cabin home into a museum for visitors to the iowa great lakes area to learn about the spirit lake massacre, and she even commissioned an unknown artist to paint four scenes of the massacre and her experiences in captivity as well as the war cap.
The dickinson county museum preserves and shares the heritage of dickinson county through a variety of exhibitions. Here you can learn the dramatic stories of abbie gardner and the dakota leader, lnkpaduta. Second map sourced from the spirit lake massacre by thomas teakle. Decades after the massacre, in 1891, abbie returned to arnolds park and purchased the cabin, operating it. This site is on the location of a fascinating story of the massacre of 40 people and the abduction of a year old girl. Abbie eventually returned to the area to open a museum in her former home and tell her story. But of those countless unlucky pioneers, a few were fortunate enough for their story of doom to be enshrined in a monument or museum. The dickinson county musuem is located in spirit lake 4 miles north has items from the gardner cabin and a book written by abby gardner entitled the spirit lake massacre. Abbie gardner cabin arnolds park 2020 all you need to. Suffering a shortage of food, the renegade chief inkpaduta scarlet point led 14 sioux against the settlements near okoboji and spirit lakes in the northwestern territory of iowa near the minnesota border, in revenge of the murder of. Reports and tips from visitors and roadside america mobile tipsters. About spirit lake the states largest natural body of water, spirit lake attracted early pioneers on the iowaminnesota frontier. The graves of the family and a monument built in honor of the lost pioneers is all located near the cabin. Located throughout the lake okoboji and spirit lake area, several iowa parks offer travelers and residents a number of places to picnic, fish and camp, and include boat launch areas, beaches, playgrounds and other things that outdoor enthusiasts would want.