Otoe Reservation facts for kids

The Otoe Reservation was a special area of land set aside for the Oto people. It was about 24 square miles (62 square kilometers) and was located on both sides of the border between Kansas and Nebraska. Most of this land was in what is now southeastern Jefferson County, Nebraska.

Early Land and Location

The Oto people originally lived in many parts of southeastern Nebraska. Their main village was once along the Platte River, near a place called Plattsmouth today. An important place called the Moses Merrill Mission was also in this area.

Over time, the Oto made agreements with the United States government. As early as 1834, they agreed to give up some of their land. When the Nebraska Territory was officially created in 1854, the Oto gave up even more land. They kept only a special section near the Big Blue River. This remaining area became known as the Otoe Reservation.

This reservation stretched into parts of Kansas, including Washington and Marshall counties. In Nebraska, it included parts of Jefferson County and Gage County. The reservation was quite large, covering about 160,000 acres (647 square kilometers). Several towns and areas today, like Barneston and Diller, are within the historic boundaries of the reservation.

Life on the Reservation

The town of Barneston was settled where one of the largest Oto villages used to be. This village was important throughout the 1800s. There was also an Indian agency and a trading post there. An Indian agency was like an office where government officials worked with the Native American tribes. A French fur trapper who married an Oto woman helped found Barneston.

In 1886, the Oto tribe shared a government agent with other tribes, like the Ponca and Pawnee. This agent worked from an office located on the Otoe Reservation.

Moving On: The Reservation Ends

In 1879, the Oto people made a new agreement with the government. This agreement allowed the Oto to sell their reservation land. In return, they would receive payments from the government. They would then move to a new area known as "Indian country," which is now the state of Oklahoma.

In the fall of 1882, most of the Oto tribe moved to Red Rock, Oklahoma. The Otoe Reservation was then officially closed. The land that was not being used was put up for sale. A few Oto people who had mixed backgrounds stayed behind. They soon became part of the new communities that grew in the area.

On May 31, 1883, a large part of the Oto and Missouri Indian Reservation, about 50,000 acres (202 square kilometers), was opened for new settlers to buy. When the Oto people moved, the southeastern part of Jefferson County became open for settlement, and that's when the community of Diller was formed.