[199] Liberty, the county seat of Clay, was settled in 1822, but up to 1826 had only about a dozen houses; it was incorporated in 1829. During the Mormon troubles of the fourth decade of the nineteenth century, Liberty rose into prominence. The town is set back about six miles from the river, on the high, salubrious uplands. Liberty Landing, on the river, was in the days of the Santa Fé trade of some commercial importance.—Ed.
[200] Maximilian's remarks are misleading in regard to the operations of these traders. Ashley began his fur-trading ventures in 1822; four years later he sold out to Smith, Jackson, and Sublette; they in turn relinquished their business to younger traders in 1830. So the Rocky Mountain Fur Company had for about eleven years been an efficient rival to the American.
For a brief sketch of Sublette see our volume xix, p. 221, note 55 (Gregg).
General William Henry Ashley was born in Virginia in 1778. Soon after the beginning of the nineteenth century he went to Missouri, settling first at Ste. Geneviève, later in St. Louis, and embarking in various mercantile enterprises. In 1816-17 he surveyed in the state, and the knowledge thus obtained permitted him to make heavy investments for some English capitalists, which laid the foundation of his fortune. In 1820 he was elected lieutenant-governor, and during his term (1820-24) began his fur-trading exploits, from which he derived profit and fame. His title came as leader of the state militia, in whose development he was much interested. In 1831 he was appointed to a vacant seat in Congress, being re-elected thereto two successive terms. He died at St. Louis in 1838.—Ed.
[201] The Big Blue rises in Johnson County, Kansas, and flows northeast and north through Jackson County, Missouri, until it joins the Missouri six miles below Kansas City.—Ed.
[202] This trading post was on the south side of the Kansas, opposite Muncie, in what is now Wyandotte County, built about 1828. It was for many years in charge of Cyprian Chouteau (1802-79), half brother of Pierre, jr. Frémont set out thence on his journey (1842).—Ed.
[203] See our volume xiv, pp. 183-198.—Ed.
[204] These villages of the Iowa, on the Little Platte, appear to have been temporary. Probably the tribe had fled in this direction after the troubles of the Black Hawk War (1832). In 1836 they ceded this strip—which was added to Missouri as the "Platte Purchase"—and removed to Kansas. The author cannot intend that the language of the Iowa resembled that of the Ottawa; the former is of Dakota stock, the latter of Algonquian. The Sauk and Foxes, at this time intimately commingled with the Iowa, spoke Algonquian.—Ed.
[205] For these islands, see our volume xiv, p. 174, note 141.—Ed.
[206] Fort Leavenworth was founded to supersede two smaller posts—Forts Osage and Atkinson—the latter near Council Bluffs. The site was chosen because of the increasing interest in the Santa Fé trade, and because of the removal of large tribes of Indians west of the Missouri border. On March 7, 1827, Colonel Henry Leavenworth was ordered to proceed from Jefferson Barracks and choose the site for an establishment on the left bank of the Missouri, within twenty miles of the mouth of Little Platte. He selected instead Rattlesnake Hills on the right bank, a site later approved by the government. Fort Leavenworth has been an important military post throughout the history of the West. It was called Leavenworth Cantonment until the name was officially changed to "Fort," about 1832.