44 BUREAU OF AJVIERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Boll. 176 



obviate the necessity of a wood or stone wall lining. There was some, 

 but not definite, evidence of a fallen dirt roof. Artifacts were few, 

 consisting of an earthenware crock, miscellaneous iron, and a charred 

 cask lid. Two L-shaped hinge spikes found near the center of 

 the north wall on the cellar floor may indicate a door in that area. 

 There was no indication of wooden flooring in the cellar. 



ARTIFACTS 



The four .r)0-70-caliber, center-fire cartridges with inside fuses 

 (pi. 9, o-r) were of the type used by the United States Army in the 

 1860's and 1870's. They were probably fired in an Allen alteration 

 rifle. Another item related to army life was a hat emblem (pi. 9, /) or 

 insigne of brass. The words "E Pluribus Unum" are inscribed above 

 the head of an eagle with outstretched vvings on this piece. A toothed 

 hide scraper of iron was recovered that is similar in shape and notch- 

 ing on the working edge to the toothed bone fleshers of Indian manu- 

 facture. It was probably made in the blacksmith shop and may have 

 been a trade item. 



The octagonal gun barrel from the well was part of a percussion- 

 type sporting rifle that shot a .50-caliber rifle shell and used a special 

 percussion cap to ignite the charge. A 5-inch piece cut off the end 

 of the barrel (pi. 8, i) was also in the well, and an iron butt plate 

 (pi, 8, h) that was fou]id near this piece may have been a part of the 

 same gun. 



The boot soles fomid in the well are the square-toed variety of the 

 period. The heavy hoe blade had an iron collar at the top for insertion 

 of the handle. A frying pan located in one of tlie building structures 

 was similar to modern types except for the long handle with a hand- 

 made loop at the end. 



The follovving information on the stoneware crock was supplied by 

 G. Hubert Smith, Smithsonian archeologist : 



The stoneware crock or jar marked "Dakota City, N.T." was probably made 

 at the Dakota City Pottery, operated by John B. Ziegler and Charles F. Eckhart 

 as early as 1859. (The State of Nebraska was admitted in 1867.) As early as 

 1857, Samuel Whitehorn, previously a resident of Vermont and New York State, 

 had opened a brick yard at Dakota City, which is said to have been the first 

 "industrial enterprise" of the community. (A. T. Andreas, publ., History of the 

 State of Nehraska, Chicago, 1882, pp. 612-613.) Whitehorn appears to have made 

 brick for only one season, and there seems to be no mention of the manufacture 

 of pottery in connection with the brick business. Elsewhere, potteries were in 

 many instances developed independent of brick manufacture, sometimes by 

 farmers who had acquired the skill. 



The date of the establishment of the Dakota City Pottery by the firm of 

 Ziegler and Eckhart, which also operated a general store, is not known. Files 

 of the Dakota City Herald preserved at the Nebraska State Historical Society 

 begin with the year 1859, and the earliest advertisement of the firm foxmd begins 

 with August 13. Queensware is specially mentioned in this advertisement, but 



