The Native Americans at the Mines of Spain

The Native Americans at the Mines of Spain (HM2GL1)

Location:
Buy flags at Flagstore.com!

N 42° 28.131', W 90° 38.84'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 343 views
Inscription
Mines of Spain Recreation Area


There is evidence of prehistoric Native American cultures, some dating back as many as 8,000 years. Mounds, village sites, rock shelters, trading post sites, and campsites dot the landscape of this region. The Mesquakie (Sac & Fox) were the earliest known historic inhabitants of the Mines of Spain. The "Red Earth" people are believed to have originated on the east coast and are Algonquian by language. They were later forced out of the Great Lakes region by the French and finally settled in this area. Their village was located at the mouth of Catfish Creek. From this site, the Mesquakie carried on a fur trade with French voyagers. They also worked the lead mines for may decades before the Revolutionary War.





10,000 BC - 8,000 BC The Paleo-Indian Period. The first humans arrive in the Upper Mississippi Valley



8,000 BC - 500 BC The Archaic Period. Hunters and gatherers



500 BC - 1,000 AD The Woodland Period. Mound Builders and pottery makers



1,000 AD - 1,500 AD Oneota Culture. Farming villages established along the Upper Mississippi Valley



1700's The Sauk and Mesquakie arrive in the Dubuque area



1764 Beginning of Mesquakie lead mining and log furnace smelting at the Mines of Spain



1780's Mesquakie "Kettle Chief" village established at or near the mouth of Catfish Creek



1788 Mesquakie give permission to Julien Dubuque to begin mining leadon the Mines of Spain



1830 - 1832 Maequakie abandon village on Catfish Creek, but return periodically to mine lead and hunt

1832 - 1833 Black Hawk War in progress

1833 Black Hawk Treaty opens Mines of Spain to "official" white settlement as the Mesquakie are forced out

1842 The Mesquakie and Sauk sell their Iowa land to the United States government and are re-settled in Kansas and Oklahoma



1856 Many of the Mesquakie return to Iowa and settle in Tama County where today they operate a successful casino



Fox called themselves the Mesquakie meaning "red earth" people. Early French explorers mistook a clan name (Wagosh meaning fox) for that of the entire tribe and began referring to them as the "Renard" (French for Fox), and the English and Americans continued to error in their own language.



Picture Caption

A 19th Century version of a Native American "wickiup".
Photo contributed by Center of Dubuque History, Loras College
Details
HM NumberHM2GL1
Tags
Placed ByFriends of the mines of Spain and City of Dubuque
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Sunday, May 5th, 2019 at 8:01pm PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)15T E 693410 N 4704516
Decimal Degrees42.46885000, -90.64733333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 42° 28.131', W 90° 38.84'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds42° 28' 7.86" N, 90° 38' 50.4" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Closest Postal AddressAt or near , ,
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Nearby Markersshow on map
Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. What country is the marker located in?
  2. Is this marker part of a series?
  3. What historical period does the marker represent?
  4. What historical place does the marker represent?
  5. What type of marker is it?
  6. What class is the marker?
  7. What style is the marker?
  8. Does the marker have a number?
  9. What year was the marker erected?
  10. This marker needs at least one picture.
  11. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  12. Is the marker in the median?