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Peace To All
Do you know of any Eastern Sioux Buffalo artifacts that are still around?
I notice that a lot of places are called “Buffalo Ridge” and “Buffalo Creek” and “Buffalo Trace” (all the way in Granville?) so, I’m wondering how long they roamed the east. I also saw an article that said the Buffalo runs were the forerunners of the main trading paths that we hear so much about. I don’t know if I should by that, since people would know where they wanted to go trade, and much of that could have been to sell the buffalo (and other) products and to visit other settlements.
Can somone help put this in perspective? I read about the longhunters too, and I notice that Boone and Byrd are both mentioned in the article:
http://www.dickshovel.com/coree12.html. How far east did they go? When did the Europeans bring the domestic cattle over-
Still learning,
akhasa
You might want to check out a book called “Native Roots,” the author’s names escapes me at the moment (it happens sometimes), but I think it is John Weather… Anyway, it speaks of a time when the buffalo lived east of the Mississippi, and is filled with a lot of other wonderful information.
Shirley
Yes, that’s Jack Weatherford’s book. He also wrote the better known “Indian Givers” which may rock your world with his interpretation of history. He reinstates Native America’s proper place in the formation of modern world culture.
Buffalo were able to live in the eastern woodlands because humans had so significantly managed the forestlands, clearing undergrowth via controlled burns, and encouraging old growth. A smaller variation of bison lived in these forests. Normally they would not have done so.
William Byrd wrote a journal on the expedition which drew the NC/VA border line. Saponi Ned Bearskin was their guide and hunter, without whom they likely would have starved. He shot a buffalo, I believe it was near what’s now known as Buffalo Springs, outside Clarksville VA where I live. They did camp there, I know, and drank the spring water which our people knew to have healing qualities. In the 20th century there was a well-known resort there, where rich folks went to “take the waters.” Buddy Ebsen had one of his first gigs there entertaining the guests.
There’s a nice little park there now. We go often and stock up on drinking water, and leave a little tobacco in gratitude. I’ve run into other people who’ve been coming there for generations, told by their parents that the water was good for their health.
Thanks Linda for jogging my memory on Jack Weaterford; I am in northern Minnesota and my library is far out of reach. I will check out the other book you mentioned by him; He is a wonderfully knowledgeable and informed writer.
Shirley
William Byrd wrote a journal on the expedition which drew the NC/VA border line. Saponi Ned Bearskin was their guide and hunter, without whom they likely would have starved. He shot a buffalo, I believe it was near what’s now known as Buffalo Springs, outside Clarksville VA where I live. They did camp there, I know, and drank the spring water which our people knew to have healing qualities.
I remember going down to Buffalo Springs and swimming as a child. I think we even got drinking water from there but I never knew that it has healing qualities. That’s amazing….right there at home.
Akhasa wrote: Peace To All
Do you know of any Eastern Sioux Buffalo artifacts that are still around?
I notice that a lot of places are called “Buffalo Ridge” and “Buffalo Creek” and “Buffalo Trace” (all the way in Granville?) so, I’m wondering how long they roamed the east. I also saw an article that said the Buffalo runs were the forerunners of the main trading paths that we hear so much about. I don’t know if I should by that, since people would know where they wanted to go trade, and much of that could have been to sell the buffalo (and other) products and to visit other settlements.
Can somone help put this in perspective? I read about the longhunters too, and I notice that Boone and Byrd are both mentioned in the article:
http://www.dickshovel.com/coree12.html. How far east did they go? When did the Europeans bring the domestic cattle over-
Still learning,
akhasa
Found some links on Eastern buffalo:
http://www.stampinggroundky.org/hist.html
http://kentucky.gov/kyhs/hmdb/MarkerSearch.aspx?mode=Subject&subject=179
Alanant-O-Wamiowee
(Marker Number: 83)
County: Fayette
Location: Approx. 1 1/2 mi. NE of New Circle Rd. & Paris Pike, US 27
Description: Ancient buffalo trace carved in the wilderness by prehistoric animals seeking salt. Trace was later used by buffaloes, mound builders, Indians and pioneer settlers. Also known as Warrior’s Trace.
http://www.lbl.org/EBFAQs.html
Exerpt:
For one thing, the historic record indicates around 2.4 million acres of Central and Western Kentucky were a grassland. In 1766, English trader George Croghan reported seeing thousands of deer, elk and buffalo at Big Bone Lick, Kentucky. In 1783, Daniel Boone described the Kentucky landscape as “extensive plains” and the buffalo so abundant, “…we saw hundreds in a drove, and the numbers about the salt springs were amazing.”
http://www.dickensoncounty.net/countyhist.html
I remembered seeing something about buffalo in VA, right next to the present WV border, more recently than I thought, and found it here: http://www.kinyon.com/westvirginia/midnewriver/chapter5b.htm
“where the waters flowed over a very high rock, now called Falls Mills, where he would strike a Buffalo path, following which would lead him into the Valley. (Note: Shortly after Captain Moore’s settlement in the Valley a buffalo bull came up to his home with the milch cows, and the Captain killed the animal.)”
From what I could gather, that was in 1786.
As a side note, Jennie Wiley was mentioned on the same page. (She is supposed to have been some kind of relative by marriage, but I haven’t turned up exactly how yet. It seems like everybody else was, even Capt. Cresap of Logan’s Lament infamy!) It’s kind of interesting how the route the Shawnee/Cherokee party followed with those captives was such a popular one for migration. A lot of my folks who wound up in KY went that way on their own, some from up Wolf Creek. I keep meaning to have a look around the reconstructed village at Bastian (http://www.indianvillage.org/), but haven’t gotten up that way since my Nana died a few years back.
There was an interesting article in Southern Indian Studies Journal back in the 90’s about buffalo in North Carolina, by Trawick Ward. He notes that there is very little archaeological evidence in NC that buffalo were utilized by native peoples, and what does exist comes from the Cherokee regions of western NC. A search for Research Laboratories of Archaeology at UNC Chapel Hill should direct you to the Journal.
There were no buffalo remains discovered at any of the Orange or Alamance sites in central NC, nor at either of the Sauratown sites along the Dan River area.
Does that mean they weren’t here? No, but I think it means they were not common, at least by contact times, in the NC/Va piedmont. Ned Bearskin’s buffalo, assuming Byrd was not spinning a yarn, may have been one of the last to exist east of the mountains.
Bear in mind, I’m not talking about Kentucky, Ohio, or areas west of the Blue Ridge here.
Hey there, awhile back we had talked about books on the eastern buffalo, I did a quick search on the web and there are several really good choices, but that still does not answer the question of buffalo related artefacts that are still in the NC areas.
What I would suggest is that you call some of the local museums like the Va state Historical soc. etc and ask. I am sure that there will be something but like Forest said they may not have been that plentiful.
1_optimistic wrote: I remember going down to Buffalo Springs and swimming as a child. I think we even got drinking water from there but I never knew that it has healing qualities. That’s amazing….right there at home.
When I went home for Thanksgiving, my Aunt had some water from Buffalo Springs (being it is free for the taking still :-)) The water was so clean and refreshing!!!
Hi folks,
I hope everyone had a great Christmas with family and friends. I just wanted to add my two cents to the discussion on buffalo in the eastern woodlands. In West Virginia no buffalo remains have been found at any of the late pre-contact villages. We did find buffalo remains from later times and the town of Buffalo was named for one of the last buffalo killed supposedly by one of George Washington’s men. Ironically, the Buffalo village was occupied the last time in the 1600s and is thought to be the Moneton village visited by Gabriel Arthur in 1673. No bufflao were found there either.
A branch of the Great Indian Warpath followed the Kanawha River to the Ohio and there were many villages along the way. We don’t know much about the people who lived there, but there is growing evidence that many were Siouan speakers that migrated from the Ohio Valley into Virgina early on. This is something I’ve been working on – to compile evidence for the Siouan occupation of the Kanawha Valley.
The Buffalo village was excavated in the 1960s and close to 600 burials were removed and remain stored in boxes at the Ohio State University. The native community in WV has been trying for years to geta federal tribe to claim them and bring them home. So far, no one has. If we can prove who the Buffalo people were, it might make things easier.
This link might list some references that will help
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~trotter/brunswickearlyhistory.htm
From experience with our own buffalo I do know that they are at home in woodland areas. I think that the east coast in early times had more savannah type woodlands, which grows very good grass. It also had river bottom grasslands. I burn our forests in the spring and this does promote some grass also. They do have to have grass but do thrive on the fall acorn crop. They put on weight for the winter this way. Unlike domestic cattle buffalo will not overeat and founder in nature and do not eat as much grass as cattle do. They also form small herds that stay to them selves and may gather with other herds for migration like you see in movies. Being in the open plains might cause the animals to stay in larger herds too. Buffalo in rough terrain will make paths of least resistance just like cattle. Buffalo have been found trapped high in the mountain rocks of the west. They are very adventurous, smart and dangerous. I have read volumes on buffalo and find it amusing that fire attracts them! It really does! It has always been assumed they were attracted because of the new vegetation that will soon be growing. At the end of last winter I burned a large prairie area near where the buffalo were. The wind was blowing the smoke and fire their direction so the oldest bull brought the herd over to watch. When he spotted a thin fire line they all ran through it inside the burn area. Safe! I don’t think that it was ever about a food source but survival!
Hi Greywolf! Interesting post abt buffalo. Yea, I heard that when a storm is brewing, they don’t run from it but to it, head on, cause they know they probably can’t outrun it and they sence it is better to get to the back side of it. Cattle will try to run from it also, but not the buffalo. Amazing. Take care and Happy New Year!! Peace, Greydove ~~^~~
Rachel,
I sure hope you are around. It looks like I maybe related to Jennie Wiley too. I found you through a “Wiley” search on Saponitown.
Would you please get a hold of me? I would like to exchange information with you. Linda
Rachel McCraw;23835 wrote: I remembered seeing something about buffalo in VA, right next to the present WV border, more recently than I thought, and found it here: http://www.kinyon.com/westvirginia/midnewriver/chapter5b.htm
“where the waters flowed over a very high rock, now called Falls Mills, where he would strike a Buffalo path, following which would lead him into the Valley. (Note: Shortly after Captain Moore’s settlement in the Valley a buffalo bull came up to his home with the milch cows, and the Captain killed the animal.)”
From what I could gather, that was in 1786.
As a side note, Jennie Wiley was mentioned on the same page. (She is supposed to have been some kind of relative by marriage, but I haven’t turned up exactly how yet. It seems like everybody else was, even Capt. Cresap of Logan’s Lament infamy!) It’s kind of interesting how the route the Shawnee/Cherokee party followed with those captives was such a popular one for migration. A lot of my folks who wound up in KY went that way on their own, some from up Wolf Creek. I keep meaning to have a look around the reconstructed village at Bastian (http://www.indianvillage.org/), but haven’t gotten up that way since my Nana died a few years back.
Rachel,
I thought I might have been related to Jennie Wiley, but I can not find anything conecting more to her.
Rachel McCraw;23835 wrote: I remembered seeing something about buffalo in VA, right next to the present WV border, more recently than I thought, and found it here: http://www.kinyon.com/westvirginia/midnewriver/chapter5b.htm
“where the waters flowed over a very high rock, now called Falls Mills, where he would strike a Buffalo path, following which would lead him into the Valley. (Note: Shortly after Captain Moore’s settlement in the Valley a buffalo bull came up to his home with the milch cows, and the Captain killed the animal.)”
From what I could gather, that was in 1786.
As a side note, Jennie Wiley was mentioned on the same page. (She is supposed to have been some kind of relative by marriage, but I haven’t turned up exactly how yet. It seems like everybody else was, even Capt. Cresap of Logan’s Lament infamy!) It’s kind of interesting how the route the Shawnee/Cherokee party followed with those captives was such a popular one for migration. A lot of my folks who wound up in KY went that way on their own, some from up Wolf Creek. I keep meaning to have a look around the reconstructed village at Bastian (http://www.indianvillage.org/), but haven’t gotten up that way since my Nana died a few years back.
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