Dakota County, Nebraska - Chapter 2, 1893

Chapter 2

By an act of congress, passed March 8, 1805, the District of Louisiana became the "Territory of Louisiana;" what is now Dakota county being included in the new territory. St. Louis was made the capital and President Jefferson appointed James Wilkinson governor and Frederick Bates secretary. On the 4tli of June. 1812, the "Territory of Missouri" was organized, within the bounds of which was the present area of Dakota county. The legislature of this territory adopted the common law of England for the regulation of its affairs.

Prior to this, however, in 1808, the Missouri Fur (V^mpany was established with Pierre Choteau, William Clarke, Sylvester Labodie, Manuel Lista, Auguste Choteau and Pierre Menard as principal managers. Their first expedition, under Maj. A. Henry, passed up the Missouri along the boundary of what is now Dakota county and established a trading post on the headwaters of the river. There is no record of what they saw in (Mir county or what was their opinion of it.

The Western Engineer, a government steanier. started from Pittsburg on the 8rd of May, 1811), iiaving on board an exploring expedition sent out by ordei- of the president to explore the Missuuri river and the country west of it to the Rockj Mountains. The expedition wati under the coininaiid of Maj. Stephen H. Long, and arrived at St. Louis on the 20th of June and reached a point live miles below Council Bluffs September lOth, where they remained that winter. The followingp.pring they received orders from John C. Calhoun, secretary of war, to proceed overland to the headwater.- of the i\rkansas and Red rivers. The Western Engineer then received anew commander and was used foi' the traxisportation of government supplies to the forts and trading posts along the Missouri which was the first steamer that ever passed along the borders of Dakota county.

The second steamer to find her way up the Missouri was the Yellowstone, belonging to the American Fur Company, landing here in the summer of 1881 and commanded by Capt. Bennett. The men who man. aged the boat ofttimes commented upon the beauty of tin's land and wondered if it would ever be peopled by white men.

Othek Advektdkees

Fr«m time to time other adventurers and traders are known to have crossed over the beautiful land that forms our county, but as they have left no traee of their sojourn here we pass them by.

In 1822 William H. Ashley, in the interest of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, of St. Louis, equipped two boats to ascend the Missouri to the mouth of the Yellowstone, and thus again white men gazed up<:»n the land of Dakota county.

In 184:7 the Mormons, on their way to Salt Lake, erossed the Missouri at Bellevue and traveled along the divide between the Logan and Missouri rivers, which brought them across the south-western portion of Dakota county, and to tJiis day can be seen the oid '^Mormon

Another large expedition of the Mormons crossed the plains to Salt Lake dnring the summer of 1853, and a portion of them, who were late in the fall getting started were overtaken l»y cold weather, M-ent into winteiquarters near the site of old St. Johns, where they remained until spring.

In 1848 William Thompson built a log cabin on the east side of the Missouri, at Floyd's Bluff, about three miles below Mdiere Sioux City was afterwards located, and the following year Theophili Brughier, a Canadian Frenchman, settled at the mouth of the Big Sioux river, who is now living near Salix, Iowa. The same year, (1849) liobert Perry located on Peri-y creek and in 1850 Paul Pacquette made his home near the mouth of the Big Sioux. In 1851 Josepli Lionias, who had previously been employed on the upper river by a fur company, settled within the present limits of Sioux City, Iowa. These facts concerning Sioux City and vicinity are given so as to form a more perfect history of Dakota county from the eai'liest times, and in this connection might be mentioned Dr. John K. Cook, the founder of Sioux City, who surveyed that town in 1854.

Treaty With The Omahas

By a treaty made with the Omaha Indians and proclaimed J\me 21, 1854, all their land west of the Missouri river except the "Omaha Keservation," containing 310,000 acres, was ceded to the United States. and tlius the land that constitutes Dakota county was opened for settlement. Prior to this, altliough it w;is an ''Indian country," several of our pioneers crossed over here to get a glimpse of this country, among whom were: John B. Arteaux, June 6, 1851; Thos. L Griffey, in the fall of 1851; Gustave Pecaut, in 1852; Wm. H. James, Leonard I^)atcs and Wm. L. Madden, in 1853.