DNR
Home Page |
At a glance... East of Nevada |
417-682-2279 |
| Contact: Harry S Truman Birthplace State Historic Site Acreage: 100 Year Acquired: 1984 |
||
The Osage Indians were first recorded in 1673 by explorers Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette. The territory claimed by the Osage at its greatest influence was vast and consisted of what is now southern Missouri, Arkansas, eastern Kansas and Oklahoma. Between 1700 and 1775, a group of the Osage lived on a high, open hilltop near the Osage River valley that today has been preserved as Osage Village State Historic Site.
At its height, the village contained 2,000 to 3,000 people and about 200 lodges. Pottery, weapons and tools excavated from the site have provided information about the daily lives of the villagers, who hunted, planted crops, processed hides and were very successful traders with the Europeans. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the Osage Indians accounted for more than half of the total trade in furs along the Missouri River.
After the United States government took control of the Louisiana Purchase territory in 1804, the Osage Indians were gradually forced to retreat to Oklahoma.
Today, Osage Village State Historic Site features a walking trail and outdoor exhibits that help visitors visualize the village and the everyday bustle of this once powerful Indian tribe.
