The Great Smoke!

The Great Smoke
Landmark #369-1 Scotts Bluff County Visited: June 11, 2017 Plaque?  YES! 🙂
What is it? A horizontal sign by the side of the road!
What makes it historical? THE PLAQUE SAYS: From all directions they came in late summer 1851—Plains Indian tribes, summoned by government officials so their chiefs could smoke the peace pipe and sign a treaty with representatives of “The Great Father.” Never before had so many American Indians assembled to parley with the white man. (Estimates range from 8,000 to 12,000.) It was perhaps history’s most dramatic demonstration of the Plains tribes’ desire to live at peace with the whites.

The tribes had been invited to assemble at Fort Laramie, but a shortage of forage for their thousands of horses caused the parley to be moved downstream. Because some tribes had been at war for generations, most Indian camps were widely spaced to minimize contact. About 270 soldiers were present to help keep the peace. However, a spirit of friendliness prevailed.

Among those helping bring the tribes together were mountain man and trailblazer Jim Bridger and Jesuit Father Peter De Smet, the beloved “Blackrobe” who worked 50 years among the Indians.

OTHER TIDBITS: That pretty well sums it up!

How can I Help the Helpers? HERE’S HOW:

How do I find it? Listed Directions:
30624 U.S. 26
Morrill, NE 69358

Annotations:
Yup! That’s correct!

From Lincoln: ~423mi (681km) — 7.1hrs
From North Platte: ~199mi (321km) — 3.4hrs
From Omaha: ~472mi (760km) — 7.9hrs
From Scottsbluff: ~21mi (34km) — 0.4hrs

When should I go? Whenever the mood strikes you!

Click here to see more Nebraska historical landmarks!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.