198 KANSAS CITY PREHISTORIC REMAINS. 



Koch has been subsequently strengthened by the discoveries of Prof. Wor- 

 then in Illinois and by discoveries in California. This vegetable mould, no- 

 doubt, formed a part of the soil of the old forest bed. Did man then exist ? 

 The evidence seems to indicate that he did. If so, we must carry him back 

 of the recent Drift and the Bluff formation to beyond the glacier period, and 

 associate him with the mammoth and the mastodon. 



I must not leave a gap so wide as that between man at the beginning of 

 the Loess time and the first dawn of modern civilization at Kansas City, in- 

 troduced by our Louis', and Philiberts, and Chouteaus, and Johnsons, and 

 McGees, a little more than half a century ago. I have other evidences 

 which will afford you glimpses of Man's presence here during this long 

 intermediate interval of time. But how many, races appeared and passed 

 away from the scene is difiicult to say, with the evidence now before us. 

 Before the introduction of modern civilization, however, we have reason to 

 believe that at least two races, differing in their habits and modes of life, 

 were dwellers in our very fertile and picturesque hills and valleys. 



I am indebted to Judge Eanson, of this city, for the information which 

 led to the discovery of the specimens which I have the pleasure next to pres- 

 ent you. The Judge superintended the widening of Twelfth street near its 

 junction with Woodland avenue, in this city, several years ago, and in the 

 excavation made for the purpose large quantities of flint chippings, arrow 

 heads, stone axes and broken pottery were found at a depth varying from 

 six inches to eighteen inches beneath the present surface. 



The specimens taken out by him at the time, which amounted to the 

 fourth of a bushel, unfortunately have been lost. One of them is described, 

 as being the half of a small pot or cup, capable of holding about a pint.. 

 This specimen had the appearance of being very recently broken, and was 

 probably whole until the plow used in loosening up the earth for the excava- 

 tion came in contact with it. I visited the place indicated the past summer, 

 and was so fortunate as to find the specimens I have just presented you. 

 The Osage Indians, I am informed by Mr. Johnson, occupied this place as a 

 camping ground at the time of the first settlement of this country, and still 

 used flint implements at this very recent time, so that we find flint chippings. 

 and arrow heads from the surface to a depth of about eighteen inches beneath. 

 But we must not infer from this fact that they are all relics of the same race. 

 For while the Osages used stone implements of the same style of art as- 

 those of earlier times, they knew nothing of the manufacture or use of the 

 pottery we find lying in close proximity to them. It is difficult to say 

 at what time these various deposits were made, or the number of different 

 races associated with them. The flint implements seem to be of the same 

 style of workmanship, all belonging to the paleolithic type; but the ma- 

 terial used is widely different, while all of the specimens found at and near 

 the surface are made from the common chert found in this vicinity, those of 

 an earlier deposit, or many of them at least, have been fashioned from flint 

 not belonging to this locality, nor within several hundred miles of here,. 



