Shawnee Indians
Article in the Olathe Mirror, February 21, 1867 - available as a JPEG image
Article in the Olathe Mirror, December 29, 1881 - available as a JPEG image
Packet #2: Black Bob Band
This packet includes:
- “The Shawnee Black Bob and James Abbott” from Johnson County, Kansas: A Pictorial History, 1825-2005
- Excerpt from History of Johnson County, Kansas, 1915
- “Black Bob” from 1874 Atlas of Johnson County
- Link to 1874 Atlas maps
- Olathe Mirror articles: February 21, 1867 and December 29, 1881
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.
Excerpt from History of Johnson County, Kansas by Ed. Blair. Lawrence, Kansas: Standard Publishing Co, 1915.
Stanley, Kan., is located in the Black Bob district, and the settlers, after years of suspense in getting titles to their land, at last were permitted to buy their homes at an average price of $10 per acre. If Black Bob, a real Indian in name and nature, could come back and to the place of his wanderings and see the beautiful fields of waving grain under the soft rays of the June sun he might be convinced that agriculture is better than loafing, but he was not an agriculturalist and didn’t like any one very much that was. Fishing and hunting suited Black Bob and his followers, and they were also great visitors, oftentimes going down to the Indian Territory or visiting with the more civilized around Shawnee.
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
Black Bob
The Black Bob reservation embracing a part of Oxford, Aubry and Olathe townships and containing 33,400 acres, is that part of Shawnee lands, “assigned and set apart in a compact body to be held in common” by the Shawnee treaty of 1854. The treaty recognized that part of the lands could be held in common and part in severalty. If held in common they were to be assigned in a compact body; if in severalty the privilege was conceded of selecting anywhere in the tract outside of the common lands. The Indians holding separate lands were to have patents issued to them, under such guards and restrictions as congress might deem advisable for their protections. The Indians who did not chose to hold separate lands were to signify to the United States agent their election to join Black Bob’s settlement, and live with that branch of the tribe in common. A census was ordered to be taken of all those electing to live common, and of the minor orphan children of their kindred, in order that a quantity of land equal to two hundred acres for each individual might “be assigned and set apart to them in a compact body to hold in common.”
From the above statement it will be seen that that the treaty organized and established two distinct communities of people. The individuals of one community – embracing the more enlightened and intelligent members of the tribe, others living upon separate estates of their own selection; and the others living according to old tribal custom in a body together upon a compact tract, under the chieftainship of Black Bob. This latter community was organized with the greatest particularity of detail; the exact number of its population ascertained by a census; the limits, quantity and character of its territorial possessions definitely described, and Black Bob recognized as chief.
These Indians were the least civilized members of the tribe and were opposed to all innovations; clinging in a great measure to old time habits and superstitions. Some few opened good farms and built comfortable houses, but the majority were content with rough cabins or huts, and spent their time in rambles down to the Indian Nation, or in visiting acquaintances and friends from the tribe.
Article in the Olathe Mirror, February 21, 1867 - available as a JPEG image
Article in the Olathe Mirror, December 29, 1881 - available as a JPEG image
1874 Atlas Map - map of Johnson County on page 8; map of Oxford Township on page 88.
