The culture of the Kickapoo was essentially that of the Eastern
Woodlands area, but they also hunted buffalo, one of the few traits
that the Kickapoo adopted from their neighbors in the Plains area.
After the allied Kickapoo, Ojibwa, Ottawa, Potawatomi, and Sac and
Fox tribes massacred (c.1769) the Illinois, they partitioned the
Illinois territory. The Kickapoo, numbering about 3,000, moved
south to central Illinois. Later they split in two; the Vermilion
group settled on the Vermilion River, a tributary of the Wabash,
and the Prairie group on the Sangamon River. The Kickapoo, a power
in the region, sided with the British in the American Revolution
and in the War of 1812, when they aided the Shawnee chief Tecumseh.
By the Treaty of Edwardsville (1819) the Kickapoo ceded all their
lands in Illinois to the United States. They were prevented from
entering Missouri, which had been set aside for them, because that
region was occupied by the hostile Osage. Kanakuk, a prophet,
exhorted the Kickapoo to remain where they were, promising that if
they avoided liquor and infractions of the white man's law, they
would inherit a land of plenty. His pleas were futile, and the
Kickapoo, after aiding the Sac and Fox in the Black Hawk War, were
forced to leave Illinois. The Kickapoo moved first to Missouri and
then to Kansas. A large group, dissatisfied with conditions on the
reservation, went (c.1852) first to Texas and then to Mexico, where
they became known as the Mexican Kickapoo. After the U.S. Civil
War, the Mexican Kickapoo proved so constant an annoyance to border
settlements that the United States made efforts to induce them to
return. The negotiations were successful, and a number returned to
settle (1873–74) on reservations in Texas and Oklahoma. The
remaining Mexican Kickapoo are settled on a reservation in
Chihuahua, Mexico. There is also a Kickapoo reservation in Kansas.
In 1990 there were 3,500 Kickapoo in the United States.
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.
