University of Virginia Library

12. Geboe, Dave

May 4, 1937

By, Nannie Lee Burns, Field Worker,

Indian-Pioneer History Project S-149

Interview with Dave Geboe-1/2 Ottawa, 1/4 Miami

Miami, Oklahoma

My father, Frank Geboe, was Eel River Miami Indian, disbanded at Peru, Ind. He was Indian and French and spoke both languages. He died in 1871 and was 35 years old then and he is buried at Ottawa Cemetery in this county.

My mother, Pa-tes-noquah Geboe, was a full blood Ottawa. They lived near Ottawa, Franklin Co., Kansas, where they were married and my sister and myself were born. I was born November 24, 1861, and my sister, Emma, was born in 1865.

My parents came in the fall of 1866 and located 2 miles north, one mile east and three-fourths mile back south of Ottawa. The place is now Clay Stevens' place. They came in two wagons and brought with them, cattle and all the furniture, stoves and things that they could load in the two wagons. My mother's nephew, Joe Holmes, came with them and drove one of the wagons.

They were thirty days on the road. Whenever they wanted to, they would stop and let the stock graze and rest, they camped at night, wagons all drawn up close together. Built fires and sat round them after supper, the men talking.

When they reached the land bought for the Ottawas, they went around over it and each selected the place where he wanted to settle. We had a big spring and were not far from Spring River, though not in the woods. Our home was a double low house with clapboards for a roof. The men helped each other and went to the timber and cut and prepared the logs and when they had enough, then they were hauled to the place where the building was to be, and the men all came and had a log-rolling. Our house and stable were both built this was so by the cold days we had a home for the winter. We had a fireplace in one room for heat but cooked on a stove. We had coal-oil lights and sometimes used tallow candles. The Indians of our tribes in this county have had plenty of money and so have not had to live like some. They are all from the northeast, and lived like white folks even before they came to Kansas and there we had nice farms, nice homes, good furniture and lots of good stock.

There was a fort here then. Where was it? You know where Sunnyside School is, Yes. It was on the first hill north of there on right hand side of the road. It is about six miles south of Baxter Springs. What was it called? I don't know the name but the name of the hill was Hunt Hill. Now it is called the Abrams Hill, as they took the land. The old earth works may still be there. There were stationed at the fort then one company of Calvary and a company of Infantry. Col. Toe, I think was in command. Several buildings, two commissaries, soldiers quarters, etc.

Why was this fort established? It was to keep the white settlers out of Indian lands. There was a strip 2 1/2 miles wide from the Missouri Line on the east, west along the Kansas Line to the Neosho River. Sometimes referred to as the Neutral Strip-along the north end of the Quapaws. White settlers kept coming over the line and trying to settle here. When these soldiers looked after the Nez Perces while they were camped near the fort. They gave them rations and kept them together. They were northern Indians, I think, anyway they did not stay long. They were soon moved.

In 1873, I think the Modocs were brought to Baxter from Oregon on troop trains in charge of soldiers. I remember seeing them. They were hideous. They wore rings in their noses and ears, had flat heads. They bound boards to the children's heads over forehead, and shaved the hair high over the ears leaving the hair through the center of the head. This was placed and hung down the back. They wore feather headdress. They wore blankets, the men wore moccasins, leggins and breechclout. They were not friendly and gave the soldiers lots of trouble. They were settled on a tract 2 1/2 mile square in the northeast corner of the Shawnee Reservation just west of Seneca, Mo.

They came from a different climate and they died like sheep. It did not agree with them here and then they were not satisfied. I remember Steamboat Frank. He was a fine looking young man about a half-breed I should think. He wore citizen's clothes and nice ones, acted as interpreter and talked English well. He died here and is buried in the Modoc Cemetery. So is Scar-Face Charlie.