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Spirit Lake MassacreWild West | Single Page | 11 comments | Print This Post | Email This Post
Next stop was the Noble and Thatcher cabin. Lydia Howe Noble was the daughter of Joel and Rheumilla Howe. She was born in Ohio in 1836. When she married Alvin Noble, they moved to the east shore of East Okoboji Lake. The Indians burst into the cabin and shot Alvin and visitor Enoch Ryan. They then took a 2-year-old child from Lydia Noble and a 7-month-old infant from Elizabeth Thatcher, and bashed their brains out on a nearby oak tree. The raiders killed all the livestock, plundered the house and took Lydia Noble and Elizabeth Thatcher prisoner. Retracing their path to Howe's cabin, they stopped to gather more treasures. Lydia discovered her mother, Rheumilla, under the bed with her skull crushed by a flat iron and her red eyes peering out of their sockets 'like balls of fire.' The Indians found Jacob Howe sitting in the yard, still alive; they quickly killed him, and then continued on to their camp. They placed the three female captives in one tepee for a short time, allowing them to compare experiences. Abbie, Lydia and Elizabeth were then put in separate tepees and ordered to braid their hair and grease their faces so they took on an Indian appearance. Subscribe Today
On March 9, Morris Markham, who was living at the Noble-Thatcher household for the winter, passed by the Gardner home after having been gone two days rounding up livestock. After discovering the bodies, he continued to Howe's home and found more corpses; the same ghastly scene greeted him at the Noble-Thatcher home. Realizing this had been the work of marauding Indians, Markham thought it best to alert the settlement of Springfield (now Jackson, Minn.), about 18 miles north. There, he found Eliza Gardner, who had been visiting in Springfield with Dr. and Mrs. Strong, and reported that her entire family had been murdered except possibly for Abbie, whose body he did not find.
The next day, Inkpaduta moved the encampment three miles west. Abbie was enlisted to drive one of the sleds pulled by a team of stolen horses. On March 11, they moved to Marble's Grove on the west side of Spirit Lake. On the 13th, the Indians stumbled upon the Marble homestead. William Marble was unaware that marauding Indians had been in the area for several days. The Marbles welcomed the braves into their home and fed them. Then the native visitors traded for Mr. Marble's rifle and challenged him to a target shoot. After several shots, the target fell over. As William Marble turned to replace it, warriors shot him in the back and stole his money belt containing $1,000 in gold. Margaret Ann Marble viewed the contest from the cabin. She saw her husband murdered and attempted to escape, but the Indians nabbed her and had her join the other captives — Lydia Noble, Elizabeth Thatcher and Abbie Gardner. The warriors concluded another bloody day with a festive war dance.
On March 26, 1857, Inkpaduta's band was camped at Heron Lake, about 15 miles from Springfield. Abbie Gardner noted that the warriors were all regaled for battle, with scalping knives in their belts and rifles loaded; they told the captives they were headed for Springfield. Abbie was in agony over what might happen to her sister. She figured Eliza 'would either be killed, or share with me what I felt to be a worse fate — that of a captive.' Had it not been for Morris Markham's warning, the entire town might have been destroyed. As it was, the warriors still achieved a partial surprise. They stole 12 horses, various dry goods, food, powder, lead, clothing and quilts; then they killed Willie Thomas (8), William Wood, George Wood, Mr. Stewart, his wife and two small children.
The Indians packed up their camp the next morning and headed northwest. Abbie Gardner and Lydia Noble carried packs that weighed about 70 pounds. Margaret Marble toted a pack and a pudgy Indian baby about 2 years old. The child was cumbersome, so at every opportunity Marble would reach around, poke him in the face and make him cry. The Indian women decided that the child disliked the white woman for some unknown reason, so they took him away from her. The Indians had snowshoes to make their trek easier, but the captives had none. Elizabeth Thatcher was in great physical distress, suffering from phlebitis, what Abbie called a 'broken breast,' and a combination of other maladies. She had to trudge through deep snow, cross frigid rivers, chop and carry firewood, cut poles for tents and perform other drudgery, yet she displayed great perseverance throughout her suffering. The medicine man did find a way to relieve her pain for a short time. Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Help HistoryNet by bookmarking to
            Tags: Native American History, The Wild West, Wild West, Women's History
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11 Comments to “Spirit Lake Massacre”
I have a pamphlet that may be of interest to someone in the Spirit Lake or Okobojois area. This pamphlet appears to be over 100 years old and speaks of the cottages in the area and about the New Inn that would open in 1903. At the time of this book or pamphlet's publishing, Abbie was still alive and receiving visitors. per the book, she would tell an absorbingly interesting story of her life among the savages and experiences.
Even as old as this appears to be, it has still compelled me to someday visit your fine area.
If you would like to discuss this book, please feel free to contact me at the email address supplied.
By Penny Bumpus on Feb 16, 2009 at 1:50 am
HistoryNetStaff, I greatly enjoyed your article about the Spirit Lake Massacre. The facts of this incident have long been among our "family stories". However, my research only uncovered one mention of my great great Grandma, Emma Mead Hushaw and her sister, Hattie. I'm glad to see someone has fully researched the incident and reported all the facts. I can add two more: Emma was told she was taken to show the indians how to make "white man's bread" (?) and she was released because she hollered and carried on so much. Keep up the good work. Sincerely yours, Judith Mandernack
By Judith J. Mandernack on Mar 27, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Hi Penny,
I hope someone took you up on this, but if not, I'd love to buy it from you. I'm going back home to Iowa in October and can donate it to the Iowa State Historical Society or the county chapter inyour name.
Kat in NJ
pettycrewkd@yahoo.com
856-728-9546
By Kat Pettycrew on Aug 5, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Kat -
The cabin and a small historical interpretive center are still on Abie Gardner's cabin site. I am sure they would have a great intrest in the brochure / book. Contact info is below..
Mike Koppert
Box 74,
Arnolds Park, IA 51331.
Telephone: 712- 332-7248
Email: gardner@iowaone.net
By Brad from Iowa on Sep 8, 2009 at 1:36 am
I do not really understand the term "renegade" assigned by the HISTORYNET.com assign to Inkpaduta.
Does this mean that you will assign the same term on the brave patriots in European countries – among these my own – who fought bravely against the German invaders during the Second World War?
Inkpaduta was a great patriot and freedomfighter who saw no other way than to kill so many of the intruders as possible. Intruders who had stolen the land of his people and broken up their way of life.
Niels Jurgensen
Denmark
By Niels Jurgensen on Sep 19, 2009 at 2:31 pm
I've lived in Okoboji all my life 40 years and now that the big Corporations have moved in buying up all the property around the lakes and taking over all our local governments and law enforcement. OMG this place is now a hell hole of prudeism and bureaucracy pushing for a new world order & one world government. The level of corruption is unprecedented. I can fully sympathize with the Indian uprising.
Good news is the crimanals tyrony is being exposed and they are on their way out. Google search "The act of 1871" & "AMERICA The Corporaton".
By Kevin Black on Nov 5, 2009 at 1:55 pm
I thoroughly enjoyed this article. Thank you for exposing the atrocities committed by both sides. I fully agree that the Native American’s had their contentions, but we are now faced with revisionist history that paints (no pun intended) the Native Americans as peace loving nature lovers. How far is this from the truth! The disregard for human life and the brutality displayed to captives is not that of a peaceful people. The “white man” is not responsible for all the ills in the world; quite to the contrary, without Europeans coming to the New World this land would be in the sad shape that faces Mexico and many other Third World countries. We need to keep up on our history, but not rewrite it for guilt ridden liberals who want to appease those who seek to destroy us.
By B Hicks on Nov 27, 2009 at 12:56 pm
For B Hicks:
Your white approbation is showing. Not that you would understand if your rhetoric is any judge.
You are quick to point out that Native Americans weren't "nature lovers". Fine. And yet you are loathe to even admit White Americans were known for any atrocities whatsoever. The fact you even gloss over this is telling. Either you are ignorant and don't understand your own nation's history and the involvement of your own race, or you do understand and want to pretend it didn't happen. Either way is unconscionable.
Instead, you live in your own little half-baked conservative worldview where "this land would be in sad shape" if weren't for the White Man.
YOU are the one who is engaged in revisionist history. Just like most narrow minded and racially intolerant conservatives you let your own racial prejudices cloud your judgment.
Let me put it in simple terms so you can understand: You are entitled to your own opinion. You are NOT entitled to your own facts.
Yeah. Deal with it.
By Kenneth Mark Hoover on Dec 18, 2009 at 3:42 pm
According to local newspapers of the time Inkpaduta was in Dakota Territory during the Minnesota killings. Little Crow was considered the chief leader.In Minnesota, if Inkpaduta had been there Little Crow would have deferred to the first great Sioux hero. Inkpaduta was the chief leader in the later Dakota Territory battles against Sibley and Sully. And Inkpaduta was at the Little Big Horn and was said to be 79 plus years old and blind (birth date 1797-Little Big Horn 1876 look it up on the net) so it is very unlikely Inkpaduta led any warriors that day. Old newspapers, records & books of the day continue to be the best source of information…so look things up yourself for answers too.
By Matthew Max on Jan 1, 2010 at 2:25 pm
Please spare me of the bleeding hearts for noble red men and accusations of opportunistic white men.
The majority of people wanted to get along with day to day living regardless of the skin or customs. Every race has its vicious and its kind people. Once racial savage hatred begins, it starts roaring like an out of control fire that destroys everything in its path. The Spirit Lake events started out as tit for tat on both sides that brutally escalated. Unfortunately the victims (red and white) were not the people who began the retaliations in the Spirit Lake Settlement. Nothing was noble about the red or white men who had blood on their hands and revenge in their hearts.
Lets keep events in perspective.
By Carolyn Van Doren on Jan 19, 2010 at 11:06 am
Well put Carolyn. It is the innocents that usually suffer…as was the case there too!
By Matthew Max on Jan 21, 2010 at 10:40 pm