L42 THE AMERICAN BISONS. 



Massern and Vache Grasse Creeks, in Western Arkansas in 1820, showing 

 that they had existed at that point at a not very remote period.* 



Gregg, writing about 1844, says: -Even within thirty years they were 

 abundant over much of the present States of Missouri and Arkansas," or as 

 late as lSlo.f In 1820 settlements had extended up the Arkansas nearly 

 to the western border of the State, and probably soon after this date the 

 buffaloes were wholly extirpated throughout the present State of Ar- 

 kansas. 



Beck states that in Missouri, as late as 1823, '• immense herds" of buffaloes 

 were "frequently seen covering the extensive plains which stretch along 

 the west part of the State. During the dry seasons." lie says. " they remain 

 in the neighborhood of rivers, but they uniformly migrate to the south at the 

 .approach of winter." t 



It thus appears that the buffalo also lingered in Western Missouri till about 

 1820 to 1825. They probably disappeared from Southern Iowa at about the 

 same period, but they existed for a much longer time in the northern half 

 of the State. In earlier times Charlevoix found "magnificent meadows" in 

 Southeastern Iowa, on the Des Moines River, a quite covered with buffalo, 

 and other wild creatures." § Major Long, in a trip eastward from Council 

 Bluffs in 1819 found " their skulls and other remains on the plains of the 

 Nishnabatona, and in one instance discovered the tracks of a bull; but." he 

 adds. •• all the herds of these animals appear to have deserted the country 

 east of Council Bluffs." jj According to Assistant Surgeon Charles C. Keeney, 

 the buffalo was sometime- met with on the open prairies a few miles west of 

 Foit Dodge, on the Des Moines River, as late as 1852.^ 



M. Belon, an old French VOyageur, whom 1 met in 1873 on the Yellow- 

 stone, acting as interpreter for the expedition of that year, and who moved 

 to Minnesota in ls:;7. informed me that buffaloes were abundant within fifty 

 miles of St. Paul as late as L836, and were common on the head-waters of the 

 Cedar and he- Moines Rivers, on both Bides of the i*owa and Minnesota boun- 

 dary, ae late a- L845. They ha \ e. ' how e\ it. been for many years extinct 



throughout the present State of Iowa, with the exception <>f the occurrence 



* Long 1 Expedition from Pittsburg t< I itains, Vol. II. p. 



t Gregg, Commerce "i tl ! 2, p 1 18. 



: ft | 1. .1 i. i. ./. tt< 1 1 of the Statu ol Illinois and MlMOuri, p, 187, 



,,IU'- English <■■! . i 

 | Expedition to the Rock) (fountains, Vol. 1, p. 181, 



• \l | 1889 1854, p 



