LOAN AGREEMENTS OPEN THE DOOR TO THOUSANDS OF ALLAMAKEE COUNTY AMERICAN INDIAN ARTIFACTS

After three years of hard work, the Allamakee County Historical Society has successfully negotiated several loan agreements that permit the display of American Indian artifacts and regalia found in Allamakee County.
These agreements, in cooperation with Iowa State Archaeologist's Office, Luther College and Effigy Mounds National Monument, permit the Allamakee County Historical Society to borrow and display the loaned artifacts in the American Indian Room in the Old Courthouse Museum.
American Indian Room co-coordinators, Kathy Ryan-Hogendorn and Bob Palmer, say the artifacts represent some of the most outstanding archaeological discoveries made over the years in Allamakee County.
Palmer adds, "Thanks to these new agreements, local residents now have the opportunity to view artifacts that were collected during the hay days of archeological research here in the county. Most of these artifacts were collected during the very late-1800s through to the mid-1900s and have not been seen by most local people since they were collected, if ever."
When Ryan-Hogendorn began making inquiries about establishing loan agreements, she was aware that a significant number of artifacts were held at federal, state and private institutions. However, it was not until she began reviewing their collection records that she became aware of the scale of the Allamakee County collections.
"These institutions hold huge collections of artifacts found in Allamakee County. Literally, the artifacts number in the thousands. What the historical society has now succeeded in doing is bringing a few of these items 'home' through the loan agreements," explains Ryan-Hogendorn.
To make the display possible, Ryan-Hogendorn and Palmer contacted Dr. Lori Stanley, associate professor of anthropology at Luther College, Dr. Bill Green, Iowa state archeologist, and Phyllis Ewing, superintendent of Effigy Mounds National Monument.
"All the organizations have been eager to develop loan agreements with the society, and what is great is the agreements will be ongoing from year to year, which gives us access to thousands of artifacts from the county," says Ryan-Hogendorn.
An important part of the loan agreements, says Palmer, was the opportunity to diversify the museum's American Indian Display.
"The goal was to have a variety of Indian artifacts and regalia that enhance what the museum already has on display. Artifacts tell a story about the people who made and used them and changes their culture experienced as explorers, traders and settlers arrived. By studying these items, we learn something of our own past and that of the historic tribes that were in this area," says Palmer.
Ryan-Hogendorn reinforces this, saying "Another of our goals is to show that our American Indian heritage is not a dead culture and that the historic tribes from the area are still living." She points to an object in a display case, then around the walls in the room. "With this new display, we can take you from a spear point that is 11,000 years old, to paintings of the Effigy Mounds, a photograph of Emma Big Bear and Rose White Rabbit in the early 1900s, to a present day photograph of the great-great-great-great-grandson of Chief Waukon Decorah, who is now 14 years old."
Associate professor of anthropology at Luther College, Dr Lori Stanley, was pleased to have the opportunity to see some of Luther's Allamakee County artifacts go on display in the museum. Items on loan from Luther College come primarily from the Sampson Collection, which was donated to the college in 1969 by the late Gavin Sampson of Decorah. According to Dr. Stanley, "This collection is considered one of the premier research collections, not only from Allamakee County, but from the state of Iowa."
Items on display include a Winnebago woman's beaded felt shirt, Woodland Indian moccasins, as well as arrowheads and spear points dating back 11,000 years.
"This display is a milestone," says Stanley. "It is extremely significant in that it is the first time many of the artifacts have ever been on display, outside of the college. Luther College was very pleased to have the chance to work with the Allamakee County Historical Society in seeing these items come home."
While it is well known that part of Ellison Orr's collection is on display at Effigy Mounds National Monument, Superintendent Phyllis Ewing was delighted to be able to offer for display some additional items.
"The Orr Collection is a true national treasure," she says. "Not only did Mr. Orr take the time to record where, when and how his collection was assembled, he also had the foresight to see to it that it would always be available locally for research and display, and I am sure that if he was alive today, he would be very pleased to see it on display at the museum in Waukon."
Items lent by Effigy Mounds primarily relate to the late-prehistoric or early-historic period in Allamakee County, and probably date between 1600 and 1850.
The monument's cultural resources manager, Jacquelin St. Clair, says, "The small tomahawk, the axe heads and the arrow with a metal projectile are great examples of historic items that were probably traded with French, Spanish or British trappers and traders hundreds of years ago, replacing traditional stone arrowheads."
St. Clair also mentions that the large scapula buffalo bone excavated by Ellison Orr was probably used as a digging implement for cultivating plants. To most of us, it is just a bone, but to St Clair's archeological eyes, it also tells us more about the history of Allamakee County. She explains that one can tell the bone is very old because buffalo have not been seen in these parts for some time. Also, the bone is very large; over the years, buffalo as a species have become smaller in size.
Artifacts excavated by Ellison Orr also feature in the collection on loan from the Office of the State Archeologist. Dr. Bill Green, state archeologist, says he is "very happy to get these artifacts out of storage and into an area where people can appreciate them." Green hopes that the loan agreement with the society develops further, where artifacts can be supplied on particular themes, such as the Oneota culture or the ice-age hunters.
Items on loan from the State Archaeologist's Office include a petroglyph of a bear, estimated to be several hundred years old, which was removed from a rock art site in the 1930s; copies of 22 charcoal rubbings of Allamakee County American Indian rock art; and several casts of rock art, which the state has never before lent.
"These items are very special," adds Palmer. "Like so much of Allamakee County's American Indian history, which has disappeared, most of these petroglyphs represented here no longer exist, having long since succumbed to either vandals or natural wear and erosion."
Also back on display for the summer is the Curtis Webster Collection, which was inherited by John May when Webster died. The late Rev. Webster is well remembered for his great love of Indian history and spent his life collecting artifacts from throughout Allamakee County.
While only on loan for the summer, the return of these items is a significant step forward for the Allamakee County Historical Society and for the people of Allamakee County.
"The hope is that when the people of Allamakee County realize how important our Indian history is, those that hold artifact collections will realize the importance of keeping them in Allamakee County, either by passing them down to members of their family or donating them to the museum so that they can be preserved," says Ryan-Hogendorn.
The collections can be seen in the American Indian Heritage Room at the Old Courthouse Museum, located at 107 Allamakee Street, in Waukon. The museum is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.