| 288 | HISTORY |
Long before the first white settlements in Iowa, the beautiful group of lakes near the head waters of the little Sioux and west fork of the Des Moines River had been a favorite resort of the Dakota or Sioux Indians. As early as 1680, Louis Hennepin in exploring the upper Mississippi Valley, was captured and held a prisoner by the Yanktons. In 1700, when Lesueur was exploring the region about Blue Earth and Minnesota River, he found one of the Sioux nations occupying all of that region, and these Indians gave the name of Minne-Waukon to Spirit Lake, which signifies “Spirit Water,” or as interpreted by Major Long, “Mysterious Medicine.” It was with great reluctance that the Sioux Indians consented to surrender this favorite hunting and camping ground to the whites, as they did by the treaty of 1851.
As early as 1848, when Mr. Marsh, a government surveyor, was running the correction line near Fort Dodge, the party encountered a band of Sioux Indians, under the chief, Si-dom-i-na-do-tah, and were ordered to turn back and leave the country. When they attempted to proceed, the Indians destroyed their wagons, instruments and other property, seized their horses and forced them to re- cross the river and leave the country .
In 1849 some adventurers settled on the Des Moines River, near the mouth of the Boone. The Indians soon discovered them, destroyed their cabins and drove them out of the country. These and other collisions led to the establishment of Fort Dodge. Si-dom-i-na-do-tah, signifying “Two Fingers,” was the chief of a roving band of Sisseton Sioux Indians, numbering about five hundred. He had led them in several battles with the Pottawattamies in northwestern Iowa. One was fought near Twin Lakes,
