Native Americans

On October 15, 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed legislation establishing the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on the shore of Lake Superior. It was the first national lakeshore in the United States.

On October 5, 1877, Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce surrendered to American forces just 40 miles from the safety of the Canadian border. Chief Joseph was famous for his war strategy, as well as his courage, honor, and the consideration he showed his enemies.

Frederic Sackrider Remington was born on October 4, 1861, in Canton, New York. He went on to become the most successful artist of Western scenes during his lifetime.

On June 29, 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt established Mesa Verde National Park, the first American park created to “preserve the works of man.”  It’s since been called “the best cultural attraction” in the Western United States.

Hollow Horn Bear died on March 15, 1913. A Brulé Lakota chief, he fought during the Sioux Wars, including the Battle of Little Big Horn, and became a spokesman for his tribe.

Timothy H. O’Sullivan died from tuberculosis on January 14, 1882.  He was a well-known photographer who captured the brutality of the Civil War and the untamed beauty of the Western United States.

On January 12, 1953, Cape Hatteras became America’s first national seashore. Stretched over 70 miles of barrier islands, this seashore is a fascinating combination of natural and cultural resources.

On December 29, 1890, one of the last major American Indian battles occurred at Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota. The Wounded Knee Massacre saw the deaths of over 200 Lakota men, women, and children.

Stand Watie was born on December 12, 1806, in Oothcaloga, Cherokee Nation (present-day Calhoun, Georgia).  Watie was the only Native American to achieve the rank of general during the Civil War and was the last Confederate general to surrender.