Internet Sources

for

Local History's

Some in areas of Eastern Kansas and Eastern Nebraska and the World

and

near areas where

Owen or Dianne Picton

Lived

by

Owen Picton

Please click Under-Lined items to select:

The Journey of Coronado 1540-1542- As Told by Himself and His Followers - Translated by George Parker Winship in 1904. Reports about Land of Quivera on about page 113. I believe an original Spanish translation was published by the Smithsonian in the 1890's and a copy may be located at a library in Norfolk, Nebraska. The Nebraska and Kansas state line on the fortieth parallel between White Cloud, Kansas and Rulo, Nebraska by the Missouri River is believed by some to be the location and how far North Coronado traveled.

William G. Cutler's History of the State of Kansas - published in 1883- Coronado Exploration in 1541 and the search for the Land of Quivera (Mythical Cities of Gold)

Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska - published in 1882- Coronado Exploration in 1541 and the search for Quivera.

'Hail and Wind Storm'

Here is a description of such a 'Hail and Wind Storm' in 1541 by Coronado which could just as easily have happen today: 'One evening, there came up a terrible storm of wind and hail, which left in the camp hailstones so large as porringers and even larger. They fell thick as rain-drops, and in some spots the ground was covered with them to the depth of eight or ten inches. The storm caused, says one, many tears, weakness and vows. The horses broke their reins, some were even blown down the banks of the ravine, the tents were torn, and every dish in camp broken.' In this case, our environment has not changed much in almost 500 years.

Could the White Cloud, Kansas area be located within a few miles of where Coronado visited in 1541 searching for the Land of Quivera? The description of the vegetation and land match, but no one knows where it was? The Kansas Nebraska state line is on the fortieth parallel of latitude. Coronado used a sextant and sailed the prairies to what he says was the fortieth parallel of latitude (which where the Nebraska and Kansas state line is located). At another place in Coronado's writeup, he said that he stood on a high hill top and looked down on a very very very great river (Maybe this was looking down from a high bluff on the Missouri River near White Cloud, and where our Nebraska Kansas state line starts). Each person pushes for there own favored location for the Land of Quivera. This search for such a mythical land has been the inspiration for a number of movies and comic books.

Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, sailed the Missouri River with a Sextant just as one would sail the ocean. Clark has two writeup's for each day. The first are his notes and the second is his writeup for the book that was published. You can put in other dates by going to the web site above. July 10, 1804 brings up the a writeup for the day they arrived at what is now the Nebraska - Kansas state line. Other members of the Expedition also have notes. Floyd was the only member of the Expedition to die. He died at what is now Sioux City, Iowa of what is believed was appendicitis.

"The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition on July 12, 1804"- as they explored the mouth of the Nemaha River at what is now the Nebraska and Kansas state line.

This is maybe 10 or 12 miles from where my Great GrandfatherStephen Picton settled when he came to America a little over 65 years later. I would guess that all the elk and buffalo had been killed off before Stephen Picton arrived. Roys Creek is a small creek on the lower (South) side referred to and where my Dad, Samuel Picton used to play when he grew up and where he learned to swim. The Padonia to White Cloud Road ran over Roys Creek at the time of Stephen Picton. There are still descendants of Stephen Picton farming near Roys Creek. Notice how Clark describes the land and vegetation in 1804. That describes the vegetation when Stephen Picton arrived and it is still the same now. At the mouth of the Nemaha River, there is Sand Stone cliff and that is the place where Clark says he carved his name and date (his name and date are not known to exist today). At that location on the Missouri River in 1804 the Lewis and Clark Expedition held a court martial for a soldier sleeping on sentry duty and sentenced him to one hundred lashes on his bare back at four different times starting in the evening for four evenings. How punishment has changed.

"The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition on July 30, 1804" at the place they called Council Bluff at what is now Fort Calhoun, Washington County, Nebraska. They would hold council at this spot with the Indians. They prepared the pipe for peace on August 1, 1804. On August 3, 1804 Clark listed the known Indians Tribes in the area, which ones had similar languages and left on that afternoon. The Indians said they were 25 days travel from Santa Fe.

"The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition on August 4, 1804" is where they passed the location where Blair, Nebraska is now located. Floyd (who died at what is now Sioux City, Iowa) wrote in his notes that they passed a stream called Fish Creek Council or Pond which must be the place we now call Fish Creek at Blair, Nebraska. A man went back for his knife and by August 7, 1804 and then they realized that the man had deserted. Clark then sent four men to bring him back and gave orders that if he did not give up peaceably, to put him to death. Now Nicholas Biddle (editor of the Lewis and Clark Journals) left out of the journal, the command "to put him to death" and someone, most likely Nicholas Biddle drew a red line through the command "to put him to death". Nicholas Biddle at the age of 18 went to France to work on financial details of the Louisiana Purchase and became friends with Lafayette. Nicholas Biddle, Major John Biddle and Major Thomas Biddle were brothers.

Example of how to search in the Lewis and Clark Journals at University of Nebraska in Lincoln:

Google Search:

"UNL and Lewis and Clark Journals"

Then select: Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Then enter: August 4, 1804 into search field, for the date they past Blair.

Then page down to: Floyd

Floyd writes about Fish Creek Council just before he dies.

Note: Spelling was not good

[Floyd]

Satturday august 4th 1804 Set out erly this morning after the Rain was over it Rained Last night with wind and thunder from the N. W. it Lasted about an ouer prossed on the morning Clear passed a Creek on the South Side 〈Colled〉 as it has no name and the Council was Held below it about 7 miles we Call it Fish Creek Council or Pond [13] this Creek Comes out of a

Large Pond which Lays under the High prarie Hills the wood Land is not plenty hear ondley along the River Banks in places, passed Som bad Sand bares en[c]amt on the South Side a Large prarie that on the N. is prarie Land

Book on General James Wilkinson - He was the husband of Ann Biddle, the niece of my ancestor Joseph Biddle. General James Wilkinson was in charge of all United States exploration in the late 1700's and early 1800's. The book is also about Meriwether Lewis and the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

PIKE-WILKINSON EXPEDITION - Time period 1806-1807. General James Wilkinson ordered this expedition and the James Wilkinson on this expedition was his son James Biddle Wilkinson. The Mother of James Biddle Wilkinson was Ann Biddle the niece of my ancestor Joseph Biddle.

J. C. Calhoun, Secretary of War ordered an Expedition lying West of the Allegheny and East of the Rocky Mountains by going up the Missouri River to the Rocky Mountains for the Years 1819, 1820 under the Command of Maj. S. H. Long. The expedition went up the Missouri River and setup a winter camp called "Engineer Cantonment" at a place a few miles South of a town we now call Fort Calhoun, Nebraska (town named after J. C. Calhoun, Secretary of War). Major John Biddle was the official journalist of this expedition of 1819, but he withdrew from this assignment before the end of the year because of a situation that had happen to him. On the way up the Missouri River with the expedition, he and his party had gone ashore and were captured by the Indians. The steamboat "Western Engineer" (page down to the article on Western Engineer on that website) of the expedition did not wait for them and continued on up the river to where they setup the winter camp at "Engineer Cantonment". The Indians robbed Major John Biddle and his party of their horses and equipment and then released them. The steamboat went on without them when they disappeared. Major John Biddle and his party had to then find their own way up the Missouri River until they caught up with the steamboat. The steamboat then continued on up to the expedition winter camp but Major John Biddle was not a happy camper and wrote a letter of complaint back to the command in Washington.. Major John Biddle was discharged from the service in 1821. The steamboat "Western Engineer", had construction which was calculated to cause astonishment to the Indians. The bow of the boat was in the form of a giant sized serpent, having a carved head reared as high as the boat's deck. Smoke was forced out of the mouth of the monster causing a great roar heard for miles, and the craft was setup to appear as a huge serpent carrying the boat on its back with guns and canon pointing out the portholes. This was the first steamboat to go up the Missouri River. The expedition changed its plans after Major John Biddle left and went up the Platte River to explore to the Rocky Mountains then down the Arkansas River. This became known as Long's Expedition.

Colonel Henry Atkinson came up the Missouri River in 1819 with an army force of 1120 solders and established a camp called Camp Missouri at what was called Council Bluffs. The camp was moved the next year to higher ground and renamed Fort Atkinson at what is now Fort Atkinson at Ft. Calhoun, Nebraska.

Major Thomas Biddle in 1820 was the paymaster at Fort Atkinson along the Missouri River located in the town now called Fort Calhoun, Nebraska (a few miles North of Omaha) at a place formally called Council Bluffs where Lewis and Clark had held council with the Indians. After leaving Fort Atkinson a few years later, he loaned his two white horses to help pull a carriage around St. Louis, Missouri for Lafayette when Lafayette visited St. Louis. He died in a duel fought at St. Louis, Missouri, in which he killed Spencer Pettis (a Missouri U.S. Congressman) in a duel on August 29,1831 over an argument about "The Bank" of his brother Nicholas Biddle who had "The Bank" of the United States of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Go to the webpage for Spencer Pettis and read the "an affair of honor" story about the duel. The duel (which was against the law in both Missouri and Illinois) was fought on Bloody Island in the middle of the Mississippi River with hundreds looking on. As a result of Major Biddle's poor eyesight, they decided to fight the duel at a paced off distance of only five feet. The two killed each other on the first shot.

Lane's Road used for the Underground Railroad for smuggling slaves in "Bleeding Kansas" from 1857 to 1861. The trail (marked with rock piles known as Lane's chimneys) was built by Gereral James H. Lane. Lane's Road followed several paths with one passing through Hiawatha to Padonia to Falls City and another passing through Albany, Kansas to Salem, Nebraska. Lane's Road ran from Lawrence, Kansas through Brown County, Kansas, then through Falls City, Richardson County, Nebraska to Nebraska City. The name of the street that the highway takes through Falls City is now called Lane Street. "Bleeding Kansas" was a dangerous place. John Brown personally used this Underground Railroad to smuggle slaves to freedom by taking them through the Brown County area to Falls City, Nebraska (Slavery in Nebraska) where he hid slaves on the Underground Railroad. John Brown sparked the American Civil War by his actions in other parts of the United States and was hung for this. He is considered by some to be a heroic martyr and one of the more important people in American history because he give his life for freedom of the slaves by actions which he intentionally took to free the slaves. Others consider John Brown a terrorist. Abraham Lincoln gave a two hour campaign speech for president in 1859 at Troy, Kansas (about 20 miles away from White Cloud, Kansas) when he was running for President of the United States. At this time, John Brown was executed while Abraham Lincoln was visiting Kansas.

Rulo, Nebraska- History of the town of Rulo, Nebraska located on the Missouri River just North of White Cloud, Kansas.

Chief White Cloud (1840-1940) - was the Chief of the "Sac and Fox" and " Iowa" Indian Tribe reservations at White Cloud, Kansas.

White Cloud, Kansas- History of the town of White Cloud, Kansas located on the Missouri River South of Rulo.

Notes on the Genealogy of the Biddle Family by Henry D. Biddle in 1895 Printed Philadelphia: W S Fortescue & Co., (Successors to E. C. & J. Biddle & Co.); (To page forward - click on left or right bottom side of page)

Story of the Biddle Family starting on pages 9 and 10

My Grandmother Martha Biddle #218 on top Page 39 - Information not shown about her, she was also known as Mattie Picton, married to Owen Picton, her nearest town growing up was White Cloud, Kansas

The following how people descend from above Martha Biddle #218 in this book

My Great Grandfather Henry Biddle #116 on bottom Page 38 (Not Henry D. Biddle)

Great Grandfather Robert Biddle #45 on Page 32

Great Great Grandfather Jonathan Biddle #22 on Page 28

Great Great Great Grandfather Arney Biddle #5 on Page 26

Great Great Great Great Grandfather Joseph Biddle #1 on Page 24 -Nicholas,Thomas and John were sons of his nephew Charles Biddle

Great Great Great Great Great Grandfather William Biddle 2nd #1 on Page 24

Great Great Great Great Great Great Grandfather William Biddle 1st on Page 9

William and Sarah Biddle 1633-1711 Planting a Seed of Democracy in America - By C. Miller Biddle - copyright 2012 - ISBN 978-0-9848616-0-6 This is a detailed history of William and Sarah as they faced the struggles of this world and shaped America.

Copies of this book may be obtained from: Biddle Biography, P.O. Box 714, Moorestown, NJ 08057. William and Sarah Biddle were the ancestors of my Grandmother Martha Biddle.

Battle of Padonia. During the Civil War, Confederate Soldiers were captured at the Padonia , Kansas area near the Nebraska state line and Confederate Soldiers were active in the Rulo, Falls City and Salem Nebraska area.

Stephen Picton Family Immigration from Wales to Kansas in 1870- by Mrs. Lewis Morgan, 1957 (revised by Owen Picton) The Stephen Picton farm was located just east of Padonia a few miles.

Antoine Barada, Nebraska’s Paul Bunyan- By JIM MCKEE / For the Lincoln Journal Star Oct 31, 2010

A history of Town of Barada, Richardson County, Nebraska- Barada is located North of Rulo, Nebraska and near what is now the Indian Cave State Park in Nebraska. I have Great Grandparents buried at the St. Peters Lutheran Church cemetery near Barada.

A history of Richardson County, Nebraska- Do a search by clicking on the 3 lines on above each other at the top right then go to "Find in This Page"

A history of Washington County, Nebraska- Next, after on next webpage, click on right side of that page to go where you want to go.

News paper article about Anton Barada- Anton Barada Story from Lincoln Sunday Journal and Star dated March 25, 1931.

1880 US Census for Anton Barada- Says he was born in Nebraska and his father born in Missouri. His wife was born in Missouri and her father was born in France. The 1860 and 1870 US census also show Anton Barada born in Nebraska.

Anton Barada genealogy listing- Do not know how valid it is.

Book about the Barada local history story in Washington and Richardson Counties in Nebraska is listed below

Ballad of the Baradas

A Nebraska Legend:

by Lucia Ahern

copyright 1985

A copy of this book is now located at the Washington County Museum, Fort Calhoun, Nebraska. The book is written in poetry form.

My Dad Samuel Picton purchased the book and I gave the book to the Washington County Museum.

This is a history poetry love story about Mickel Barada and his Indian maiden wife in Washington County, Nebraska plus there son Anton Barada who lived and founded Barada, Nebraska in Richardson County, Nebraska during the early 1800's.

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Last Modified June 2019

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