Pawnee Indian Museum State Historic Site facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Pawnee Indian Village Site
|
|
_from_SE_2.JPG)
Museum and restored 1901 monument
|
|
 Location in Kansas
Location in the United States
|
|
| Nearest city | Republic, Kansas |
|---|---|
| Area | 11.2 acres (4.5 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000325 |
| Added to NRHP | May 14, 1971 |
The Pawnee Indian Museum State Historic Site is a special place near Republic, Kansas. It's an archaeological site and a museum. Here, you can learn about the history of the Pawnee tribe. This site is so important that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Exploring Pawnee History
This site holds the remains of an old village. It was once home to the Kitkehahki band of the Pawnee tribe. The Pawnee are a group of Native Americans. This village is one of four known Kitkehahki sites in the Republican River valley. We don't know the exact years this village was used. However, the Kitkehahki lived in the Republican valley from the 1770s to the 1820s.
The Pike Expedition and the Flag
After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, both Spain and the United States wanted control of the Louisiana Territory. They both tried to make friends with Native American tribes, including the Pawnee. In 1806, Lieutenant Zebulon Pike led an expedition for the United States. He visited a Pawnee village. A Spanish group had just left that village. Pike convinced the Pawnee to take down a Spanish flag. He then had them raise the flag of the United States.
Protecting and Studying the Site
In the 1870s, a woman named Elizabeth A. Johnson became very interested in Pike's flag story. She found this site in 1875. After studying Pike's journals, she thought this was the village Pike had visited. To keep the land from being plowed, she and her husband bought it. In 1901, the Johnsons gave the site to the state of Kansas. They wanted it to be preserved as a historic place.
Building a Monument
The state of Kansas spent $3,000 to fence the land. They also built a 26-foot (7.9 m) granite monument. This monument was built to remember the 1806 flag event. At the dedication ceremony in 1901, speakers talked about Pike's victory. They compared it to America's recent win in the Spanish–American War. In 1906, a four-day celebration was held. This marked 100 years since Pike's visit.
A Fortunate Mistake
Later research showed that Pike's expedition did not visit this exact village. He actually visited a different Kitkehahki village. That village is now called the Pike-Pawnee Village Site. It is located in Webster County, Nebraska. Even though it was a mistake, it was a lucky one! This error led to the preservation of the Kansas site. The Nebraska site, however, was damaged by years of farming.
Digging Up History
Archaeologists have studied this site many times. Some early investigations happened in 1933, 1949, and 1957. More detailed work took place from 1965 to 1968. In 1967, a museum was built around one of the ancient earth lodges. This was done before the lodge was even dug up! The excavated lodge is still open for visitors to see. Many artifacts are left right where they were found. The Kansas Historical Society now runs the museum.
In 1971, the site was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Restoring the Monument
A tornado damaged the 1901 monument in 2004. Because it is a very important historical structure, it has been repaired. However, it does not look exactly like it did originally.
