The Wichita formerly occupied central Kansas and ranged into
Oklahoma and Texas. They were the people of Quivira, which
Francisco Coronado visited in 1541. Juan de Padilla, left by the
expedition to undertake the Christianization of the Native
Americans, was the earliest missionary among the Plains Indians.
Padilla, however, was killed by Native Americans three years later.
In 1662 the Wichita were defeated by Diego Dionisio de Peñalosa. By
1765, forced southward by hostile northern and eastern tribes, they
had a village on the north fork of the Red River in Oklahoma.
Following a severe smallpox epidemic, they abandoned the village,
moving to the present site of Fort Sill; later they moved again,
and in the Civil War they fled for a time to Kansas; the site
became Wichita, Kans. In 1872 they ceded all their lands to the
United States. Later they were settled on a reservation, now
dissolved, in W Oklahoma. In 1990 there were over 1,200 Wichita in
the United States. Culturally the Wichita were similar to their
Plains relatives the Pawnee. The French called the Wichita Panis
piqués, or Pawnee Picts, because they practiced tattooing.
Distinctive to the Wichita was the conical grass house, which
resembled a haystack. They practiced a dance for agricultural
fertility, and in the late 19th cent. they adopted the Ghost
Dance.
MOGA MMIX (2009)
Welcome to Mark Twain Lake
and Mark Twain State Park.
In striving to make each MOGA competition
different and better than the last, The MOGA staff have hidden over
100 permanent caches around the Mark Twain Lake each with a western
theme. This cache will fall into 1 of the 4 different groups of
caches hidden around the lake.
- Ghost Towns - 30 caches named after
old towns from the wild west, all with their own special story.
They will range from a terrain of 1.5 to 3.5.
- Western Movies - 30 caches named
after some of the top 100 western movies shown in theaters. They
will range from a terrain of 1.5 to 3.5.
- Indian Tribes - 20 caches named after
the numerous tribes of the old west, with a brief history included.
They will range from a terrain of 2 to 4.
- Gunslingers - 20 caches named after
some of the famous lawmen and outlaws of the old west. They will
range from a terrain of 1 to 1.5.
Mark Twain Lake is accessible year round with
the exception of a special Handicap Hunt. During off season, you
must check in at the district office and let them know you are
hunting caches. A special window geocaching card may be issued.
Some areas of the recreation area can be gated so you would have to
park and walk in. Letting the office know will prevent a meeting
with a ranger and having to explain why you were back there in the
first place. During regular season, usually from April - October,
the area is wide open. Check the following websites for more
information.
US
Army Corps of Engineers - Mark Twain Lake.
Clarence
Cannon Dam website.
Federal Recreation Reservations.
This cache is placed on property
managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District,
Mark Twain Lake. A special thanks to Allen Mehrer, USACOE Forester,
who provided the Ammo Cans and recommended where to hide
them.
