When the increasing number of white citizens, in the new state of Kansas and the Indian tribes located there began bickering at the close of the Civil war they didn't realize they were beginning the history of Pottawatomie County. But that grumbling led to the transfer of a number of tribes to Indian Territory, and to the beginning of what became known as the Pott country.

            Most of the tribes owning Indian Territory had favored the Confederacy and so were agreeable to any terms the victorious United States could offer. Result was the government paid the Seminoles 15 cents an acre for the part of this county between the Canadians, and gave the Creeks 30 cents an acre for the area north of the North Canadian.

            For the Sac and Fox tribe the government set aside a reservation, includ­ing' the portion of this county east of Kickapoo street in Shawnee and north of the river and established an agency in what is now Lincoln county. The Kickapoo reservation, which was not opened for white settlement until 1895, included the area west of Kickapoo street and north of the river.

            In Kansas the Pottawatomie tribe had become divided into the Prairie band and the Citizen band. The Prairie held land in common and lived under tribal rules, while the Citizen intermarried with the whites and divided land. In 1867 the tribe contracted to sell a part of its Kansas land to the Santa Fe railway. The Prairie band was to get its share in individual allotments, and a part of what was due the Citizen band was to be used to buy Pott country. ¹

            Shortly after 1870 the Pottawatomies began moving into the new home they had bought, only to find a band of Absentee Shawnees living in and claim­ing the land. The Shawnees contended they had made a treaty with the gov­ernment for the Pott country area. The agreement was never ratified by con­gress. This difference caused a great deal of strife and still is a bone of con­tention between the two tribes. Ultimately the Pottawatomies agreed to let the Shawnees live undisturbed in their homes, and the Shawnees were given allotments along with the Pottawatomies when the country was opened.

            Even before the Pottawatomies arrived the spearhead of white civilization had forced itself into the country. A Mr. McDonald became Pottawatomie County's first businessman when he opened a trading post at an Indian settle­ment on Little River. Later he moved north to trade at what became Shawnee­town.

            Colorful Texas trail drivers figured in Pottawatomie history for a few years in the '70s when they used the West Shawnee cattle trail that crossed this county from south to north. At the spot now occupied by the Santa Fe shops the cattle trail crossed an east-west trail from Muskogee to the Chisholm Trail. It was here that Louis C. Tyner, a half breed Cherokee, opened his trading post in 1870. ²

            The year 1871 found the Indians all abuzz with the excitement of building the first permanent institution. Joseph Newsom, a Quaker missionary, came with his family to the present site of the Indian sanatorium and directed In­dian helpers in building the crude cabin that was the first mission house. Newsom opened a school in 1872 that was later taken over by the government. Then in 1876 the settlement became firmly entrenched with establishment of a post office, called Shawneetown, a quarter of a mile west of the mission, and the arrival of the firm of Blossom and Clay to take over the trading post.

            Meantime the south end of Pott country had not been without its activity. Jacob Johnson, the English husband of a Pottawatomie woman, brought his family down the West Shawnee cattle trail in 1872, threw up a log house on the present site of the Wanette cemetery, and called the place Pleasant Prai­rie. In the rear of the store Johnson arranged chairs and desks acquired some McGuffy readers and opened a school which he operated until 1883 when he moved to the North Canadian. The first post office in Pottawatomie County, Clardyville, was established here in 1874 with Mrs. Isabell A. Clardy post­mistress. ³  That same year the settlement built a non-denominational church.

            A few months later Pottawatomie leaders entertained a visitor, one Isidore Robot, who wanted to establish a Catholic mission in southeastern Pott coun­try. The tribe voted to donate a section of land and to help with construction work. In 1876 the Benedictine order established Sacred Heart mission and opened a day school for Indian children. Then in 1879 the priests opened a boarding school for boys, following with a school for girls in 1880.

            The Catholic fathers continued their work among the Pottawatomie, Semi­nole and white children until 1901 when a fire destroyed practically every building at the mission, causing a loss of $75,000. An effort was made to build on the ashes a first rate college for boys. But soon it became apparent that such a school should be more accessible. And so the boys' school was moved to Shawnee and the girls' school continued at Sacred Heart. Old timers who have seen most of the years of Sacred Heart and who are actively carry­ing forward the work, though more secluded, are Father Leo, Brother John Larasy, Father Jerome and Father Williams, the parish priest.

            Mission work at Shawneetown continued and in 1885, Dr. Charles W. Kirk, who was then head of the Friends' group, built a meeting house and started the Shawneetown monthly meetings with both Indians and whites attending. Soon after 1904 interest in the mission work began to drop, until in 1924 the work was abandoned.

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By John Fortson Published, 1936, Under Auspices Pottawatomie County Historical Society

1. Oklahoma Red Book, Vol. 1, p. 380.

2. “Growth of Shawnee,” by Exie Campbell. University of Oklahoma.

3. Paper by Ben Clardy. 1929.