The French In My Back Yard

[fossis]

This area of AR & OK was explored, & trapped for beaver for many years, thus leaving many 'French Names'.
In Ar there is 'Petit Jean mt, Sugarloaf mt, Fourche Lafave river, Poteau river, (both states), Cossatot river, (bone crusher)', & in OK 'Cavanal Hill, San Bois mts, Fourche Maline river, Kiamichi mts,' (French for water bird), Chalbeatte crossing, etc.....
Fourche means (Fork), Poteau is supposed to mean 'Post', so must have been a trading post originally, Chouteau OK was named for Auguste Pierre Chouteau, explorer who established the first white settlement at 'Salina OK'.
My uncles found a 'flintlock pistol' while swimming below a rapids in the 30's on the Poteau.
Pic's are Sugarloaf mt, & Cavanal Hill in my area.

Fossis..............

 

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[Woodland Detectors]

Nice!

 

[fossis]

Nice!

Thanks

Fossis..............

 

[RGINN]

Cool again, Fossis. Cavanal Hill is probably the highest hill in the world, at 1999 or so feet, as it takes over 2000 feet to be called a mountain. Many Choctaw families have French last names. That's cool about the flintlock pistol, and did they pass that info onto Dr. Lee Woodard? I don't know about his theories, but I bought his books some time back and he sent me a nice letter and gave me an extra book for free. Petit Jean. I'm around a lot of French speaking folks now, and they pronounce it something like 'Puh-too Zhahn' Most of the folks on T-net will say 'Puh-teet Jeen'. We called it 'Petty Jane'. And nobody outside of SE Oklahoma has a clue as to what I'm talkin about. Cool pics.

 

[fossis]

Cool again, Fossis. Cavanal Hill is probably the highest hill in the world, at 1999 or so feet, as it takes over 2000 feet to be called a mountain. Many Choctaw families have French last names. That's cool about the flintlock pistol, and did they pass that info onto Dr. Lee Woodard? I don't know about his theories, but I bought his books some time back and he sent me a nice letter and gave me an extra book for free. Petit Jean. I'm around a lot of French speaking folks now, and they pronounce it something like 'Puh-too Zhahn' Most of the folks on T-net will say 'Puh-teet Jeen'. We called it 'Petty Jane'. And nobody outside of SE Oklahoma has a clue as to what I'm talkin about. Cool pics.

Thanks, we were just talking about Woodward the other day, I always thought he was 'way out in left field'.
Peter Conser, a prominant Choctaw & French lawman, was actually named 'Coinson', but the locals couldn't pronounce it so called him Conser.
Fossis............

 

[mikeofaustin]

There's a story around texas about an enchanted rock that is haunted. It started in the olden days when indians used to worship the hill thinking that the ancestors/ghosts lived there. it's called "enchanted rock". It's a giant bulge of granite that forms a big hill, and when the temperatures during the day changes, the whole hill makes "noises" (the spirits).

Quite a story if you feel like googling it. It also finds its way into many treasure hunting stories from the pre-1900's.

 

[seger98]

Wow, a history lesson & great photos all in one post, nice job Fossis.


Chris

 

[Justice70]

Nice post

 

[fossis]

There's a story around texas about an enchanted rock that is haunted. It started in the olden days when indians used to worship the hill thinking that the ancestors/ghosts lived there. it's called "enchanted rock". It's a giant bulge of granite that forms a big hill, and when the temperatures during the day changes, the whole hill makes "noises" (the spirits).

Quite a story if you feel like googling it. It also finds its way into many treasure hunting stories from the pre-1900's.

I've read about that, intresting.

Fossis.............

 

[fossis]

Wow, a history lesson & great photos all in one post, nice job Fossis.


Chris

I do what I can.

Thanks, Fossis.............

 

[fossis]

Nice post

Thanks Rookie2

Fossis................

 

[Charmin]

Beautiful scenery, Fossis. You mentioned Auguste Pierre Chouteau--I think he had ties to the Osages, too-----I believe the Frenchman Chouteau married into the Osage tribe.
My husband works with a man who's last name is Chouteau and he's an Osage Indian.
Love all your pics and the wonderful history they represent!
sandcreek

 

[fossis]

Beautiful scenery, Fossis. You mentioned Auguste Pierre Chouteau--I think he had ties to the Osages, too-----I believe the Frenchman Chouteau married into the Osage tribe.
My husband works with a man who's last name is Chouteau and he's an Osage Indian.
Love all your pics and the wonderful history they represent!
sandcreek

Thanks, the Osage roamed from S Mo to La on hunting trips, coming through this part of the country, Ft. Smith was established in 1811 to try to keep the 'peace' between them & the Western Cherokees, the ones who moved west before the forced removal of the 'Five Civilized Tribes', (they lived in Ar).
The Osage were 'big people', averaging over 6' to 7' tall, I read when they were on trips each warrior would place a stone in a pile as they walked by, (marking their territory), one old timer told me he remembered seeing such piles in his youth, but with 'clear-cutting' & road building these things are lost.
I went to a cave once with the late Gloria Farley, author of the book ,(In Plain Sight), she was told a large flat stone (with symbols) was covering the entrance to a burial where a tall Indian skeleton was found with a pottery jar, but we didn't find the stone, just chips of flint & dark 'midden' soil, (I went into the small cave) the bones were 'long gone', he must have died on one of their hunting trips.

Fossis.............

 

[Charmin]

Beautiful scenery, Fossis. You mentioned Auguste Pierre Chouteau--I think he had ties to the Osages, too-----I believe the Frenchman Chouteau married into the Osage tribe.
My husband works with a man who's last name is Chouteau and he's an Osage Indian.
Love all your pics and the wonderful history they represent!
sandcreek

Thanks, the Osage roamed from S Mo to La on hunting trips, coming through this part of the country, Ft. Smith was established in 1811 to try to keep the 'peace' between them & the Western Cherokees, the ones who moved west before the forced removal of the 'Five Civilized Tribes', (they lived in Ar).
The Osage were 'big people', averaging over 6' to 7' tall, I read when they were on trips each warrior would place a stone in a pile as they walked by, (marking their territory), one old timer told me he remembered seeing such piles in his youth, but with 'clear-cutting' & road building these things are lost.
I went to a cave once with the late Gloria Farley, author of the book ,(In Plain Sight), she was told a large flat stone (with symbols) was covering the entrance to a burial where a tall Indian skeleton was found with a pottery jar, but we didn't find the stone, just chips of flint & dark 'midden' soil, (I went into the small cave) the bones were 'long gone', he must have died on one of their hunting trips.

Fossis.............

Have you read "A Tour on the Prairies" by Washington Irving, Fossis? I just finished it and I love this quote from the book:
"The conversation this evening, among the old huntsmen, turned upon the Delaware tribe, one of whose encampments we had passed in the course of the day; and anecdotes were given of their prowess in war and dexterity in hunting. They used to be deadly foes of the Osages, who stood in great awe of their desperate valor, though they were apt to attribute it to a whimsical cause. "Look at the Delawares," would they say, " dey got short leg -- no can run -- must stand and fight a great heap." In fact the Delawares are rather short legged, while the Osages are remarkable for length of limb." end quote (from chapter 14)
This book can be read online at http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/IrvTour.html
My husbands step-dad is an Osage and I can attest to the fact that they are 'big people'---he's over 6' and very barrel chested.
sandcreek

 

[RGINN]

Osages would roam far into western Oklahoma. In the early 1830's they attacked a group of Kiowa in the Wichita Mts. and pretty much destroyed them. They cut off the heads of their victims and left them in brass buckets around the camp site. Hence the name 'Cutthroat Gap'. Also an area known for treasure tales of buried silver dollars. The Kiowas did have a bunch at the time, but whether they left any there I can't say. I went there once, but you can't get in there now.

 

[fossis]

Beautiful scenery, Fossis. You mentioned Auguste Pierre Chouteau--I think he had ties to the Osages, too-----I believe the Frenchman Chouteau married into the Osage tribe.
My husband works with a man who's last name is Chouteau and he's an Osage Indian.
Love all your pics and the wonderful history they represent!
sandcreek

Thanks, the Osage roamed from S Mo to La on hunting trips, coming through this part of the country, Ft. Smith was established in 1811 to try to keep the 'peace' between them & the Western Cherokees, the ones who moved west before the forced removal of the 'Five Civilized Tribes', (they lived in Ar).
The Osage were 'big people', averaging over 6' to 7' tall, I read when they were on trips each warrior would place a stone in a pile as they walked by, (marking their territory), one old timer told me he remembered seeing such piles in his youth, but with 'clear-cutting' & road building these things are lost.
I went to a cave once with the late Gloria Farley, author of the book ,(In Plain Sight), she was told a large flat stone (with symbols) was covering the entrance to a burial where a tall Indian skeleton was found with a pottery jar, but we didn't find the stone, just chips of flint & dark 'midden' soil, (I went into the small cave) the bones were 'long gone', he must have died on one of their hunting trips.

Fossis.............

Have you read "A Tour on the Prairies" by Washington Irving, Fossis? I just finished it and I love this quote from the book:
"The conversation this evening, among the old huntsmen, turned upon the Delaware tribe, one of whose encampments we had passed in the course of the day; and anecdotes were given of their prowess in war and dexterity in hunting. They used to be deadly foes of the Osages, who stood in great awe of their desperate valor, though they were apt to attribute it to a whimsical cause. "Look at the Delawares," would they say, " dey got short leg -- no can run -- must stand and fight a great heap." In fact the Delawares are rather short legged, while the Osages are remarkable for length of limb." end quote (from chapter 14)
This book can be read online at http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/IrvTour.html
My husbands step-dad is an Osage and I can attest to the fact that they are 'big people'---he's over 6' and very barrel chested.
sandcreek

I haven't read that one, but I've read almost everything that I could about the Indians & the old west.
They used to make fun of the 'Comanches looks', but when they were on horseback they were some of the best fighters of all the tribes, they seemed to be 'one with the horse'.

fossis.............

 

[fossis]

Osages would roam far into western Oklahoma. In the early 1830's they attacked a group of Kiowa in the Wichita Mts. and pretty much destroyed them. They cut off the heads of their victims and left them in brass buckets around the camp site. Hence the name 'Cutthroat Gap'. Also an area known for treasure tales of buried silver dollars. The Kiowas did have a bunch at the time, but whether they left any there I can't say. I went there once, but you can't get in there now.

Good story, that's a familiar topic, (can't get in there anymore).
I have never read how the Osage got along with the Caddo in this area, they hunted right through their territory all the way down to La.

Fossis.............

 

[Okie Hillbillies]

those are real nice pictures fossis but what happened to the trip with Okie

 

[phantomfinder]

Sweet photos , WTG

 

[fossis]

Sweet photos , WTG

Thanks

Fossis..............