Parties on the Prairie (part two...)

•February 18, 2026•

Janet Roney

On Sunday afternoons, from the fall of 1826 through about 1833, some very unusual events occurred on the high dry prairie in the southern part of the county (near the present Ash Grove Christian Church). A large winter camp of Kickapoo Indians was located there on the moraine at the south edge of the county. The 1881 county history described the events.

“This (Indian) camp was a lively place, particularly on Sunday, made more so by the presence of a great many white people, who would come from the settlements for miles around to spend the day. The camp was kept lively by horse-racing, shooting, foot-racing, jumping, and trying their muscle in various ways...These Indians were very friendly and considered honest by the early settlers.”

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