Shawnee Indians
“Black Bob” article from the Olathe Mirror, February 1, 1877 - available as a JPEG image
Packet #1: James Abbott: Land Speculator
This packet includes:
- “The Shawnee Black Bob and James Abbott” from Johnson County, Kansas: A Pictorial History, 1825-2005
- “Major James B. Abbott” from 1874 Atlas of Johnson County
- Link to 1874 Atlas maps
- Olathe Mirror article, February 1, 1877
The Shawnee Black Bob and James Abbott
The Black Bob Band of the Shawnee resisted the changes brought by the missionaries and allotment treaties. Refusing to accept individual parcels of land offered in the 1854 treaty, the Black Bob jointly held 33,000 acres in the southeastern part of the county. The Black Bob did not adopt the settled farming lifestyle; they preferred instead to leave the land uncultivated and move from place to place as needed. The border conflicts and the Civil War forced many members of the band to leave the area, and white settles, seeing the land “unused,” illegally purchased or claimed portions of the Black Bob tract. After the war, some of the Black Bob returned to find speculators and settlers illegally claiming ownership to their land.
Government land agents appointed to protect the Native Americans’ rights often overlooked questionable sales and illegal land claims made by white settlers. Among those land agents was James Abbott, who supervised the selection of the 200-acre allotments outlined in the 1854 treaty. Following his term as Indian Agent, Abbott teamed with land speculator H.L. Taylor to acquire some of the Black Bob land holdings. The two then illegally sold portions of their land to new settlers.
In 1879, after years of struggle, the federal government broke the 1854 treaty and removed the Black Bob to Oklahoma. The settlers were forced to pay for the illegally acquired land, but the Black Bob band received little of the money.
From 1874 Atlas Map of Johnson County, Kansas by E.F. Heisler and D. M. Smith/History of Johnson County, Kansas by Oliver H. Gregg
Maj. Jas. B. Abbott
Was born in 1818, in-Connecticut. In ’48 he went to Cincinnati and engaged in manufacturing gold pens. In ’49 he went to South America; returning in ’50, he went to Hartford and engaged as foreman with Rogers Brothers, manufacturers of silver plated ware. In ’54 he came to Kansas, arriving at Lawrence Oct. 10th, and in ’55 took a claim four miles south of Lawrence. He assisted in the rescue of Branon from Sheriff Jones. Was elected a member of the legislature under the Topeka constitution. In ’55 he went to Boston and in half a day collected $26,000; purchased 100 Sharp’s rifles, took them apart, packed them in wine casks and shipped them as hardware up the Missouri River to Kansas City. He was made a captain of the Coal Creek company of the free state forces, and afterwards was made major of the 3rd Kansas regiment and had command of the same. He had command of all forces at Lawrence when Col. Clarkson came with 2,800 Missourians. In ’59 he organized the party and rescued Dr. Day from the St. Joseph jail; and afterwards $5,000 was offered to anyone bringing Abbott to Missouri. In ’59 he was elected a member of the first state legislature under the Wyandott constitution. In ’60 he was appointed agent of the Shawnee Indians, and held the position until ’66, when he was elected a member of the state senate from Johnson county. Since that time he has been engaged as conveyancer of the Shawnee Indian lands, and now is engaged in farming near DeSoto. He was in Lawrence when Quantrel burned the town in ’63, and saved his life by dodging about and secreting himself in a blacksmith shop. In ’38 he married Miss Amanda Atwood; she died in ’50. In ’52 he married Miss Elizabeth Watrous of Hartford. They have two children living.
Key to italicized terms:
Maj. Jas: abbreviation for "Major James"
Dr. Day: Dr. Day is a misprint of Dr. John Doy's name. Abbott was part of a group that rescued Dr. Doy from jail.
Conveyancer: a person who transfers title of property from one person to another
Quantrel: William Quantrill, a Missourian famous for his raid on Lawrence in 1863.
1874 Atlas Map - map of Johnson County is on page 8; map of Lexington Township is on page 94.
“Black Bob” article from the Olathe Mirror, February 1, 1877 - available as a JPEG image
