We are a DAR chapter of the National Society
Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR or
DAR), which is a non-profit, non-political,
volunteer women's service organization. It is
our pleasure to welcome you to our website.
The Spirit Lake, Iowa, area has an old and
interesting history. To help keep these
memories alive, the Ladies of the Lake Chapter
has marked these historical areas.
Site of the Granger Cabin
Location: 1200 U.S. Highway 71S,
Okoboji, Iowa (on the Okoboji Town Hall lawn)
History: Four young bachelors
from Red Wing, Minnesota, were massacred by
Indians at this cabin in 1857. They were Carl
Granger, Dr. I. H. Harriott, Bertell A.
Snyder, and Joseph Harshman. The site is
marked in commemoration of the Bicentennial of
the United States by a bronze plaque on a
native boulder. The marker was placed by the
Ladies of the Lake Chapter in 1928.
Site of the Howe Cabin
Location: 1769 - 260th Ave
(Highway M56), Spirit Lake, Iowa
History: The family of Joel Howe
and his wife and six children were murdered by
the marauders. The cabin was located on the
east shore of East Okoboji Lake, about four
miles distance from the Gardner site. The
marker is placed on the roadside, just north
of the YMCA (Camp Foster) turn off, directly
in front of a farm site.
Original Gardner Cabin
Location: 74 Monument Drive,
Arnolds Park, Iowa (In Dickinson county at
Pillsbury Point on West Okoboji Lake.) U.S.
Highway 71 is well marked for finding the
Gardner Cabin.
History: The Rowland Gardners,
nine members in all, came to the Spirit Lake
region by covered wagon in 1856. Originally
from Seneca, New York, they came as far as
Ohio, stayed a few years, then moved on to
Iowa. The entire family, except Abbie, 13, and
her sister Eliza, died outside the cabin at
Okoboji during the March 8, 1857, massacre by
renegade Indians, led by Inkpaduta of the
Sioux tribe. In 1891, Abbie returned to the
area, purchased the cabin, and preserved it
until her death in 1921. The marker for the
cabin was placed by the Ladies of the Lake
Chapter in 1928.
Site of Luce Cabin
Location: 74 Monument Drive,
Arnolds Park, Iowa (About a quarter mile east
of the Gardner cabin on Pillsbury Point of
West Lake Okoboji.)
History: Luce was a son-in-law
of Gardners, husband of their daughter, Mary.
He and Mary and their two children were living
with the Gardners as Luce was starting to
build their cabin, just east of the Gardner
cabin. Mary and the two children were killed
with the rest of the Gardner family and Luce
was killed on his way to warn other settlers
living on East Lake Okoboji. The marker was
placed by Ladies of the Lake Chapter in 1928.
Site of Mattock Cabin
Location: 351 N Highway 71,
Arnolds Park, Iowa (This site is on Highway 71
at the extreme north edge of the city of
Arnolds Park, two blocks south of the Okoboji
Bridge at the entrance of the City of
Okoboji.)
History: The cabin, where James
Mattock, his wife, five children, and Mr.
Robert Bruce Mathieson lived, was destroyed
and the people within burned by Inkpadutah of
the Sioux tribe. After the attack at the
Gardner cabin, and taking Abbie as prisoner,
the Indians retraced their path past the
Mattock cabin, which was still burning, with
the screaming victims inside.
Site of Thatcher and Noble Markers
Location: 1687 260th Ave
(Highway M56), Spirit Lake, Iowa (The Thatcher
and Noble markers are located near the Joel
Howe Cabin marker. They are a mile north of
the Howe site on the east side of East Lake
Okoboji.)
History: The Thatcher family was
sharing their cabin with the Noble family
while they were in the process of building
their cabin home. Mrs. Noble was a daughter of
the Howes and a cousin of Mrs. Thatcher. Mr.
Noble, the Nobles' child, Mr. Ryan (a
brother-in-law), and the Thatcher baby were
murdered. Mrs. Noble and Mrs. Thatcher were
taken captive and Mrs. Noble was killed when
she refused the advances of an Indian. Mrs.
Thatcher was drowned in an icy stream near
Flandreau, Minnesota, when she fell from a log
in crossing and the Indians held her under.
Mr. Thatcher had been delayed on his return
from Waterloo, Iowa, for provisions, and so
escaped.
Site of Marble Cabin Marker
Location: 3200 Hwy 276, Spirit
Lake, Iowa (The Marble Cabin marker is located
mid-way on the west shore of Spirit Lake.)
History: On March 10, 1857,
Inkpadutah and his Sioux warriors and their
captives crossed West Okoboji Lake on the ice
and went up the west side of Big Spirit Lake
to the William Marble home. Their arrival was
totally unexpected. Mr. Marble was shot and
his wife was taken hostage. Then on May 6,
1857, two Yellow Medicine Reservation Indians
traded blankets, ammunition, and guns for her.
The Indians were later paid a thousand
dollars.
Site of Stockade -- Protection from
Indians
Location: 1802 Hill Ave, Spirit
Lake, Iowa (The site of the Old Stockade is in
storage while the new courthouse is being
built. When it is done, we will be
re-installing it and re-dedicating it.)
History: On August 23, 1916, a
granite boulder was placed on the front lawn
of the Dickinson County Court House at 1802
Hill Avenue, Spirit Lake, Iowa and
re-dedicated in 2009 by the Ladies of the Lake
Chapter when a new courthouse was built and
the marker moved to the corner with flowers
around it. The bronze tablet dedicates this
site to the "Pioneers of 1862." This was the
location of the old stockade where upwards of
forty families sought shelter from the
Indians. Many who were taken to this stockade
as children were present for the dedication in
1916. Living elderly members were also in
attendance. We revere these hardy pioneers and
the contributions each would have made. Their
martyrdom, however, has given each of them,
and this area, a prominent place in history.
Several of the Ladies of the Lake members are
related to these pioneers.
First Settlement in O'Brien County
Location: Five miles east of
Sutherland, Iowa, in O'Brien County, the
Waterman home and family was attacked by the
Sioux Indians led by Inkpaduta on their way to
the Spirit Lake Massacre. Anna Waterman was
the first pioneer child born in O'Brien
County. Members of the Ladies of the Lake
Chapter are related to the Waterman family and
share this history with the chapter. The site
was marked with a bronze plaque by five DAR
chapters.
First Pioneer Child Born in Dickinson
County
Location: Lakeview Cemetery,
Spirit Lake, Iowa
History: Mrs. Dena Borkman Funk
was the first pioneer child born in Dickinson
county. Her grave at Lakeview Cemetery was
marked by the Ladies of the Lake Chapter DAR
with a bronze plaque September 11, 1937.
Original Site of Fort Defiance
Location: 1005 Hill Ave,
Spirit Lake, Iowa
History: Built in 1863 to
protect settlers of the northwest Iowa border
from attack by Indians, Captain William H.
Ingham of the Iowa Northern Border Brigade,
authorized by Governor Samuel J. Kirkwood,
mustered a Company from the area and erected a
fort on the site. The stockade enclosure was
132 feet square. The fort, no longer needed,
was dismantled and timber purchased by farmers
can still be seen in barns in the area. Fort
Defiance and the pioneers it protected have
passed into history. The marker was placed by
Okomanpado Chapter DAR in 1977. The Okamanpado
DAR Chapter of Estherville, Iowa, merged with
the Ladies of the Lake DAR Chapter in the
1990s.
The Estherville Meteorite
History: The meterorite fell 482
feet due west of "this spot," a few miles
north of Estherville, on May 10, 1879. It was
one of the three greatest "falls" on record.
Parts of the meteorite can now be found in
important museums of the world. The original
spot was marked in 1929 by the Okamanpado
Chapter DAR of Estherville, Iowa. The monument
is located along Highway 4 North.
Okamanpadu Lake
History: Discovered
by Jean Nicollet in 1838, and a camp site of
General Fremont and later of Major T. W.
Sherman on Government Road. It was surveyed in
1860. Okamanpadu Park was donated by E. L. and
J.C. Williams. The marker was placed by
Okamanpado Chapter DAR of Estherville, Iowa,
July 4, 1926. |
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