mjmoechnig
Mortimers cabin in March
This is a replicated cabin on the same site as the original cabin of Ol' Spot Mortimer. Mortimer was a shoemaker in New York, but eventually moved west to trap furs along the Missouri River in what is currently the Yankton SD area. While there, he heard stories of the fur rich Big Sioux Valley. However, the apprehension and terror of the Minnesota Uprising of 1862 had made the Big Sioux Valley virtually a no-man's land. The state of Minnesota offered a bounty for scalps of renegade Indians, and prospective white settlers feared another uprising. For 8 years, settlers and Indians alike shunned the area to avoid another conflict. Nevertheless, in 1869, Sam Mortimer arrived at Oakwood Lakes and found a trapper's paradise. Otter, mink, muskrat, and fox could be taken in great numbers. Mortimer, called 'Ol Spot, built a cabin at this site and lived here for the next 5 years. After 1869, white settlers began to arrive in ever increasing numbers. Trapping was of great value to these settlers as the furs could provide income until the first crops could be harvested. 1871 proved to be a peak year for trappers in this area. In 1874, Mortimer found that he could no longer depend on a profitable harvest from his trap lines. He sold 100 acres of timber from his land for $100 per acre to new settlers who were hard pressed to find logs for fuel and buildings. A pioneer reported that some of the oak trees were over 3 ft in diameter. In September of '74, Mortimer sold his claim, abandoned his Indian women, and returned to Vermillion, Dakota Territory, where he married a white widow with several children. In 1877, Sam and his new family returned to this site at Oakwood Lakes. Sam tried farming, but soon discovered he was more adept at trapping. Another pioneer wrote of the growing population in the Oakwood vicinity. He noted that in 1876, at the first 4th of July celebration, about 20 people attended, but 2 years later, about 400 attended. The population explosion may not have been agreeable to 'Ol Spot Mortimer, as he sold his 1,200 acres of land for $1,800 in 1886. Some claim he moved west with his family where the frontier was still unsettled. (Story taken from a sign at the cabin)
Mortimers cabin in March
This is a replicated cabin on the same site as the original cabin of Ol' Spot Mortimer. Mortimer was a shoemaker in New York, but eventually moved west to trap furs along the Missouri River in what is currently the Yankton SD area. While there, he heard stories of the fur rich Big Sioux Valley. However, the apprehension and terror of the Minnesota Uprising of 1862 had made the Big Sioux Valley virtually a no-man's land. The state of Minnesota offered a bounty for scalps of renegade Indians, and prospective white settlers feared another uprising. For 8 years, settlers and Indians alike shunned the area to avoid another conflict. Nevertheless, in 1869, Sam Mortimer arrived at Oakwood Lakes and found a trapper's paradise. Otter, mink, muskrat, and fox could be taken in great numbers. Mortimer, called 'Ol Spot, built a cabin at this site and lived here for the next 5 years. After 1869, white settlers began to arrive in ever increasing numbers. Trapping was of great value to these settlers as the furs could provide income until the first crops could be harvested. 1871 proved to be a peak year for trappers in this area. In 1874, Mortimer found that he could no longer depend on a profitable harvest from his trap lines. He sold 100 acres of timber from his land for $100 per acre to new settlers who were hard pressed to find logs for fuel and buildings. A pioneer reported that some of the oak trees were over 3 ft in diameter. In September of '74, Mortimer sold his claim, abandoned his Indian women, and returned to Vermillion, Dakota Territory, where he married a white widow with several children. In 1877, Sam and his new family returned to this site at Oakwood Lakes. Sam tried farming, but soon discovered he was more adept at trapping. Another pioneer wrote of the growing population in the Oakwood vicinity. He noted that in 1876, at the first 4th of July celebration, about 20 people attended, but 2 years later, about 400 attended. The population explosion may not have been agreeable to 'Ol Spot Mortimer, as he sold his 1,200 acres of land for $1,800 in 1886. Some claim he moved west with his family where the frontier was still unsettled. (Story taken from a sign at the cabin)