Omaha page 3

 Omaha page 3 by ric gustafson

In the early 1700's, Modern Iowa and Nebraska were on the edge of the French and Spanish empires. In the 1750's, a dispute over who controlled the Ohio River valley led to a conflict called the Seven Years War. As part of a peace settlement, Spain took over the mouth of the Mississippi. Spain also became the ruler of northerly areas west of the river. Omaha and the Missouri Valley became part of that.

A settlement called St Louis was founded in 1764. For the upper Missouri fur trade, St Louis had to deal with native leaders including Black Bird. 

Three disasters hit the Omaha tribe. First in 1800-1801, a smallpox epidemic decimated the tribe by half. Second, war altered the future of the region. In 1800, Spain ceded the Louisiana region to France. Thomas Jefferson heard about this and signed in 1803, the Louisiana Purchase This purchase included Iowa and Nebraska. The third disaster for the Omaha tribe was when it was attacked by the Brule Dakota tribe. The Omaha tribe suffered from the Plains Sioux, the Otoes and the Pawnees. These three tribes depleted game animals for the Omaha tribe. By 1845, the Omaha tribe was residing in a village on the lower Papillion Creek. After Lewis and Clark visited the area in 1804, a name was given to the area. The name ' Council Bluffs'. The name stuck. The area became popular for visitors to the north of the Platte and the Missouri River.

research help: ' Upstream Metropolis' by Lawrence Larsen Barbara Cottrell Harl Dalstrom Kay Dalstrom

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric