348
Auk
W•.nT,EarlyRecords
oftheWildTurkey.
[July
15. SCH•FF, R. F. Distribution and Origin of Life in America, New
York, 1912, pp. 385, 386.
16. SCOTT,R. F. The Voyage of the "Discovery." I, London, 1905,
pp. 94, 95.
17. SH•P•, R. B. Report on the Birds obtained by the National
AntarcticExpeditionat the Island of SouthTrinidad. Ibis, 1904,
pp. 214-217.
18. The SouthAtlantic Pilot, Pt. 1, 4th ed. (1893), p. 43.
19. WILso•, E.A.
The Birds of the Island of South Trinidad.
Ibis,
1904, pp. 208-213.
EARLY
RECORDS
BY
OF THE
ALBERT
HAZEN
WILD
TURKEY.
V.
•VRIGYIT.
(Concludedfrom p. 224.)
Michigan, lFisconsin,Indga•a, and I1Knois.
IN this area the wild turkey held its own againsttwo centuriesof
civilization's
advances.
The first note comes in 1658-1660 when
PeterEspritRadisson(1.c. pp. 152,212)findsin the countryof the
"Pontonatelnicks"(Lake Superiorregion) "there are so many
Tourkeys that the boysthrow stonesat them •or their recreation."
Of this sameregion, he again says "many have Turkeys." The
Jesuit Relations speak of the turkey in this region in several
accounts. In 1661 and 1662 they assertthat in the Mississippi
valley • "Turkeys and fowlsfly in flocksasStarlingsdo in France."
In 1669-70,Marquette, whenin the Illinois country,finds• "There
is finehuntingof.... Turkeys,...." Alongthe Mississippi
River,
the Relationso• 1672-74 says "Turkeys strut about, on all sides,"
and o• Illinois River they hold that "Turkeys are •ound there in
greater numbers than elsewhere." On Marquette's Voyage,
The Jesuit l•elations ....
¾ol. XL¾II,
ibid., ¾ol. LIV, p. 189.
ibid., ¾0L L¾III,
pp. 99, 107.
p. 143.
Vol. XXXII]
lO15 j WmGu%
EarlyRecords
oftheWildTurkey.
349
1673-77, we find that they, on the upper Mississippireached•
"the parallel of 41 degrees28 minutes,.... Turkeys had taken the
place of game." In the Illinois country, "There was more snow
therethen elsewhereaswell asmoretracksof animalsand Turkeys"
and they here find themselves"in a fine place for hunting cattle,
deer and turkeys,which are excellent.... " Accordingto Allouez,2
"they hunt .... Turkey" in Illinois, and, for the same region,
Binnetau in 1699 records,"Game is plentiful suchas ducks....
Turkeys." In 1698, Hennepin mentionsTurkey-Cocksfor the
head of the Illinois River. When alongthe Mississippi,he says•
"I observed
theyhkvetamePoultry,
asHens,
Turkey-Cocks,
and
Bustards,whichare as tame as our Geese." "The countryaffords
all sortsof GameasTurkey-Cocks
.... ," And"in ourwaywekill'd
sevenor eight Bustardsor Wild Turkeys, which in theseCountries
encrease
mightily." In general,"There are to be had.... Turkies,
which are of an extraordinary bigness."
In 1703, La Hontan holds4 ,, The River of the Illinese is intitled
to Riches,by vertueof the benignClimate,andof the greatquantities of .... Turkeys that feed on its })rinks." In 1712, Marest
recordsthat alongthe Illinois River,5 "Turkeys are likewisefound
here in abundanceand they are as goodas thoseof France." In
1750, a letter from Vivier findsin the Illinois country that 6 ,, Wild
turkeys abound everywhere,in all seasons,except near the inhabited portions." In the same year the mission at Detroit
purchasedturkeys from the natives at several different times.?
Twenty-eightyearslater (1778)Hutchinsrecordsin Illinoisthat s
"Sava?ynahs
or natural meadows,are both numerousand extensive;
.yieldingexcellentgrass,and feedinggreat herdsof Buffaloe.....
Turkies.... " Lastly in 1791, J. Long, the Indian interpreter
givesthe Chippeway
,namefor Turkeyas0 ,,Weeneeobbo."The
followingyear (1792) Jolm Heekeweldermade a journey to the
ibid., LIX, pp. 111, 171, 173, 177.
ibid., LX, p. 163: LXV, p. 73.
liennepin, L. 1. c., pp. 93, 94, 123, 137, 149; continuation, p. 137.
La liontan, 1. c., pp. 134, 112.
The Jesuit l•elations, Vol. LXVI, p. 225.
ibid., Vol LXIX, pp. 143, 145, 257.
ibid., LXX, pp. 59, 63, 43.
liutchins, 1. c., 19.44.
Early Western Travels, Vol. II, p. 263 (orig. p. 223).
350
w•.n•, EarlyRecords
of theWildTurkey.
FAuk
[July
Wabash.• "Wild turkeys and deer were seen in great numbers
on the banks of the Ohio." Below Vineinnes on one October day
they took five turkeys. OppositeLouisvilleat anothertime they
shot four more and the stone successwas experiencedat several
other places.
At the beginning(1801)of the nextcenturyMatthew Careysays
that in the Northwestern and Indiana Territories, 2 "Turkies ....
are in greaterplenty here, than the tame poultry are in any part
of the old settlements in America."
Not until 1816, do we discover
the next pertinent note. David Thmnasin the Wabashcountry
at first writes that a ,,We had beentaught to expectthat turkies
were very numerous,but we have beendisappointed,for certainly
we have not seenhalf a dozenfull grownin all the Western Country." I,ater, he holdsthat "at that (above)time it appearsthat
thesefowlswere hatchingor secretedwith their young." "Wild
Turkiesaboundin this country." The next year 1817, SamuelR.
Brown recordsthat 4 ,, Wild turkies abound in the hilly districts"
of Illinois. "The woods (of Indiana) abound with deer, bears,
wolvesand wild turkies." "In travellingsevenmilesthroughthe
xvoodsof Dearborn county I counted two bears, three deer and
upwardsof one hundredturkies; more than half of the latter
however
areyoungones,just beginning
to fly." ' In Michiganhe
also notes this species.
In the early days of Illinois, Morris Birkbeek5 tellsus that when
the stock of provisionsfailed, the wild turkey was one of the last
resorts. Its pursuit alsoservedthe pioneerwith plenty of strong
exercise.
The same author in his "Letters"
writes • "We are now
feastingon wild turkeys. We have not sat down to dinner for the
last month, I believe, without a fine roast turkey. They weigh
about twelve pounds,and are sold five for a dollar. Someweigh
• Penn. Mag. Hist. •nd Biog., XII, pp. 166, 173, 176.
• C•rey, Matthew.
American Pocket Atlas.
2nd edit. Phila., 1801. p. 76.
• Thomas, David. Travels through the Western Country in the Summer of
1816 ....
Auburn, 1819, pp. 161, 162, 210.
4 Brown, S.R.
The Western Gazetteer; Auburn, N.Y., 1817, pp. 30, 48, 78,.
169.
• Birkbeck, Morris.
Notes on a Journey in America .....
1818, pp. 123, 149.
• Birkbeck, M.
Letters from Illinois.
Phila., 1818, p. 63.
3rd edit., London•
Vol. XXXII]
1015 j WRIGHT,
EarlyRecords
of theWildTurkey.
351
twenty-five pounds- I have heard of thirty. They are fat and
tender: better I fancy, than Norfolk turkeys; but I must not be
too positive on this nice point." In 1S17, Fordham when in
Illinois and Indiana, narrateshow "game is as plentiful as in other
parts of the U.S. eastof the Mississippi,"• turkeysbeingamong
the forms he mentions. Two years later, 1819, Faeron finds2
turkeys in tolerablequantitiesin Illinois, and in Michigan Dana
reportss them in plenty. Huhne in a "Journal of a Tour in the
Western CountriesSeptember30, 1SiS-AugustS, 1819" remarks
that 4 ,, On our way to Princeton (Ind.), we seelarge flocksof fine
wild turkeys,.... Someof the inhabitantswho prefer sport to
work, live by shootingthese turkeys.... " In the same year,
Richard Flower says that at Albion, Illinois, one can secure,
5 "a
fine turkey (for) a quarter of a dollar," and, in another series,he
notes"turkeysin plenty,havingpurdhased
four for a dollarthe
precedingweek." Along the WabashRiver in 1819,John Woods
tellshow6 ,, they killed.... someturkeys: thesethey wereobliged
to eat without bread,but oncethey procureda few potatoesat a
cabin." In Illinois, he says,"The birdsare turkeys..... " "Turkeys are of a large size; we bought many during the winter for
25 cents each. At that time they were in general,thin, but in
the spring,theyget veryfat; we boughtonein April that weighed
morethan20lb.for ls 84 d." In 1819,W. Fauxreportsturkeys
from Vincennesand Princeton, Ind. At the latter place, he
records?"turkeysin sickening
abundance." Later, in hisaccount,
he says,"ColonelBoonand his party, beingwithout breadfor six
months,used wild turkey to their meat as a substitute." In one
instance,he gives the prejudicedview of an Englishmanwho
retorts"You talk aboutyourMid turkiesandyour game,but they
are not there; gmneis more scarcethan in England." At BainFordham, E.P.
Personal Biarrative .....
Edited by F. A. Ogg.
Cleveland,
1906, pp. 119, 143.
Fearon, tt. B. Sketchesof America ....
3rd edit., London, 1819, p. 257.
Dana, E.
Geographical Sketches on the Western Country: ....
Cincinnati, 1819, p. 262.
Early Western Travels, X, p. 49 (orig. p. 279).
Ibid., X, p. 108 (orig. p. 30), 124 (orig. p. 13).
ibid., X, pp. 263 (orig. p. 147), 291 (orig. p. 196).
ibid., XI, pp. 143 (orig. p. 136), 210 (217), 228 (238), 256 (272), 263 (282).
352
WRIGHT,
EarlyRecords
oftheWildTurkey.
[ Auk
[July
bridge,O., on September5, 1819,Adlard Welby, anotherEnglishman seesthe wild Turkey,• "which seemedto resembleexactly
our dark tame breed." At the mouth of the Ohio, 1819, Nuttall
finds2 ,, The whole country here, on both sidesof the Mississippi
and the Ohio..... aboundswith variouskindsof game,but particularly deer and bear, turkeys..."
The Expedition of Major
StephenH. Long on May 27, 1819,recordssthe turkey at Shawneetown on the Ohio. Schoolcraft(1. c., 114) in 1821 on the Wabash
River says, "The turkey .... often appear, to enliven this part of
the river (MississinevaRiver)." In another work he recordsthat
at Prairie di Chien 4 ,, the wild turkey..... are alsocommonalong
this part of the Mississippi..... " On his excursionof 1822-23,
W. H. Blane (1.c., p. 239) at Carmi, Ind., "passedon a singleday's
ride .... five gangs of wild turkeys." In "Remarks made on a
Tour to Prairie du Chien .... in 1829" (p. 166) Caleb Atwater
gives the Sioux name for Turkey, as "Zezeha, Zezecha tunka."
In 1832Timothy Flint (l.c., p. 384) writes, "Wild turkeyshave
beensupposed
by some,to aboundas muchon the watersof White
River, as they do in the settledregions. Hundredsare sometimes
driven from one cornfield." The sameyear, Vigne (1. c., p. 61)
finds "Wild turkeys are there very plentiful," in Indiana and
Illinois.
In the winter of 1832-33, Maximilian Prince of Wied
says,5"The mostinterestingof the birdsin this part (New Harmony
on Wabash) is the wild turkey, whichwasextremelynumerous,and
is still pretty common. A large co•k was soldat Harmony for a
quarter of a dollar. A young man in this neighborhood,who
suppliedthe placewith this delicategame,had often ten or fifteen
hangingabouthis horseat the sametime." Later, he writes "my
informant had killed .... great numbers of wild turkeys." "In
our excursions we often visited some others of the numerous islands
in t]•eWabash,
being
particularly
attracted
bytheloudcriesofthe
x ibid., p. 208 (orig. p. 62).
• ibid., XIII,
p. 72 (orig. p. 41).
s James, Edwin.
Account of expedition from Pittsb•rgh to the Rocky Mountains ....
2 vols. Phila., 1823, VoL I, p. 32.
• Schoolcraft, H. R. Travels in Central Portions of the Mississippi Valley.
Iqew York. 1825, p. 71.
•Early Western Travels. Vol. XXII,
Part I, p. 168 (77), 178 (81), 191(89),
192(90).
•
Vol. XXXIII
1915 I WmG•T,
EarlyRecords
oftheWildTurkey.
353
wild turkey; their voiceis exactlysimilarto that of the European
turkey. We couldhear them scratchingamongthe dry leaveson
the ground, in searchof food. If we surprisedthem, they were
generallytoo far off for our lowling-pieces,
loadedwith smallshot,
for they ran away with extraordinary rapidity. Turkey Island
seemedto be a favouriteplaceof resort. At the upper end of the
islanddrifted woodwas frequentlypiled up to sucha height, that
it was difficult to clamberover it, and amongthis woodthere were
generallymany otters. Here we often found wild turkeys,....;
and it is really a fine sight to seea flock of thesewild turkeysfly
acrossthe river,...."
At Black River, Wabash country, "we
were unsuccessfulin our chase of the wild turkeys, of which we
sometimessaw whole flocks fly acrossthe Wabash."
In 1834,H. R. Schooleraftin the "Natural History of Michigan,"
writes that,• "The gallipaeo•clcagris, or wild turkey, pursuesits
food in the vast rangesof the new countiesof the peninsula,and is
still found in the vicinity of this city. It does not extend its
summermigrationsto the extrenfity of the peninsula,and hasnever
been seen north of it." The following year, 1835, Chas. Fenno
Hoffman writes,• "Here the numerous deer-runways,with the
flocksof wild turkeys.... showedus that we wereuponthe favorite
hunting-groundof the Pottawattamies." The sameyear Patrick
Shirreft (1. c., p. 434) findsturkeys in endlessnumbersin Illinois.
Four yearslater, 1838, Jas. Hall recordsthat a "Wild turkeys are
still abundant. They are shy and difficult to shoot, but our
hunterskill great numbersof them. In the springthey are found
in pairs, but during the rest of the year in flocksconsistingof the
old pair and the last brood. Fine turkeysnlay be boughtof the
huntersfor twelveand a half centsapiece." In 1830-1840turkeys
were plentiful4 in Michigan. In this region,
* "A turkey was
generallyroastedby hangingit up beforethe fire by a stringattached to a beam above. A dripping pan was placedunder it and
x Schoolcraft, lrI. R.
lrIistoric•l •nd Scientific Sketches of Michigan.
1834, p. 189.
• lrloffman, Chas. Fenno.
A Winter in the West by a New Yorker.
1835, 2 vols., VoL I, p. 202.
* lrIall, Jas. Notes on the Western States.
Philre, 1838, p. 124.
• Mich. Pioneer and lrIistorical ColIs., Vol. 6, p. 475.
• ibid., Vol. XIV, p. 436, XllI, p. 548.
Detroit,
N.Y.,
354
WRIGHT,
EarlyRecords
oftheWildTurkey.
[July
it was bastedand turned till done. Though cookedby primitive
means, a turkey roastedin this manner is equal in flavor to the
best that improvedmethodscan produce." Finally, in Michigan
we have this note. "Wild turkeys were often see•i by the score
'by the early settlers,and somefew have been seentill quite recently (1888). In the Wabashregionin 1855 Beste,an Englishman, says,• "We met a peasantcarrying a rifle over one shoulder,
and in the other hand, a black wild turkey."
Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota.
Most of the printedrecordsof the wild turkeyin thisregioncome
after 1800. When at Lake Pepin, J. Carver in 1766-1768, finds
in November,s "Great numbersof fowl h'equentalsothis Lake and
rivers adjacent,.... and in the grovesare found great plenty of
turkeys and partridges." In 1804, Captain Clarke traversedthis
regionand on one occasion,
• "went out to h'untand killed a small
turkey." In another instancewhen the party was only 4 days'
trip west of St. Louis, the recordsays,"passedthe mouth of Mine
River; saw severalturkeyson the shores." In 1808-1816,Henry
Ker (1. c., p. 40) and his party when on the Mississippi"were
visited by a few of the Osark tribe of Indians, who came to us in
canoes,bringingwith them a few turkies;.... " In 1806, Zebulon
Montgomery Pike starts on a trip up the Missouri and Osage
Rivers, and throughKansasto the PawneeRiver on the Republican
River. At GasconadeRiver, July 24, he 4 "killed .... three turkeys." Thereafter,they continueto kill turkeysthroughoutthe
trip. In oneinstance
he pitiessomepoorfellowsto whomhegives
whiskey,"they havinghad only two turkeysfor four days."
In 1809-1811, Bradbury says,• "With .... turkeys, the town of
x Beste, J. I•.
The Wabash;
• Carver, J. Travels •hrough
1766, 1767 and 1768. London,
* C-ass, Patrick.
Journal of
e•c. 2 vols. London, 1855. Vol. 2, p. 50.
•he In•erior Par•s of North America, in •he Years
1778, p. 55.
the Voyage and Travels of .... Capt. Lewis and
Cap•. Clarke .... During •he Years 1804, 1805, 1806.
4 edit.
Phila., 1812, pp.
27,262.
4 The Expeditions of Zebulon Nlon•gomery Pike.
New edit.
Edited by
Ellio•:•: Coues. •T. Y., 1893, Vol. II, pp. 366,368, 370, 373, 381,394,395,399.
s Bradbury, John. Travels in •he In•erior of America in •he Years 1809, 1810
and 1811 ....
Liverpool, 1817, p. 261.
Vol. XXXII]
1915 ] ]Vm6•T,EarlyRecords
of theWildTurkey.
355
St. Louis is frequently suppliedby a tribe of the Shawneenation of
Indians, who live about seventy miles west of that place. They
usually chargea quarter of a dollar for a turkey or a quarter of
venison." In 1811, H. M. Braekem-idgewhen not far from Fort
Osageup the Missouri writes,• "While Castor was out, he saw a
whiteturl:cy,but was not so fortunate as to kill it. I am told that
they have sometimesbeen seenof this color: but I suspectit is
Rata avis in tetris, nigroquesimillimaeygno." He findsthat, "In
the settlements,and for a considerabledistanceup the Missouri,
turkies stalk throughthe woods,in numerousflocks,but are rarely
met with where the open country commences."
In 1812, Major Amos Stoddard holds that 2 "these forests
(Upper Louisiana) also accordingto the best accounts,contain
about a hundred and thirty speciesof birds. The most useful of
them are severalkind of duck.... and turkey."
In 1816, John D. Hunter (1. e., pp. 170, 383, 425, 432) says,
"Wild turkey, prairiehens,ete..... are inhabitantsof thiscountry."
He tells how a band of Indians may often approacha hostileparty
by gobblinglike a turkey eoekand their enemiesbe not aware of
their intent or presence. In anotherinstance,he statesthat when
Indians choke, they thrust a turkey feather down the throat to
inducevomiting. Finally, he describesat length, the "Soo-ke-HeAh (or) young turkies' feed." "Turkey pea--There are two
highly nutritive articles bearing this name, which grow in the
westerncountryin great abundance,but which are entirely different in character
from
the one now raider
consideration.
One
variety is howevercalledby the grazierson the frontiersPea vine,
which from its great abundanceand nutritive propertiesconstitute
a highly valuable grazingarticle. The other has a singlestock,
growsto the height of eight or ten inches,and bearsa small pod.
It is found in rich loosesoils,appearsamongstthe first plantsin the
spring,and produces
on the root smalltubersof the sizeof a hazelnut, on which the turkies feed....
But the substancenow under
noticegrowsto a foot or foot and a half in height,and adornsthe
• Brackenridge, YI. M.
Views of Louisiana together with a Journal of a Voyage
up the ]•/lissouri l•iver in 1811. Pittsburgh, 1814, pp. 216, 59.
• Stoddard, Major Amos.
Sketches YIistorical and Descriptive of Louisiana.
Phila.,
1812, p. 231.
356
w•m•T,EarlyRecords
oftheWildTurkey.
[Auk
[July
bordersof the prairies,wherein July it almostuniformly bearsa
great profusionof beautifulblossoms,
whichare white, fringedwith
red on their margins. These are subsequentlyfollowed by a
luxuriantcropof smallpeas,of whichthe wild turkiesareextremely
fond, from whence their name .... "
Shortly after, 1818, H. R. Schoolcraftvisits the Osarks. Around
the Great and Little North Forks of the White River, he finds that •
"At the early hoursin the morning,the wild turkeysappearedin
large flocks,with their plumageglisteningin the light." When at
Wall-cave valley, November 13, 1818, he says "As the evening
approached,a flockof turkeys,comingin from the plain to the top
of the cliff above the cavern, flew down on to the trees directly in
front of us, shelteredas we were frmn their sight, and affordeda
fine opportunityfor the exerciseof sportsmanship."Throughout
the trip, turkeyssufficefor •nany a meal, and, in onecase,Schoolcraft relatesthe enjoy•nentof a "turkey-pie, with a crustof Indian
•neal." The followingyear, 1819, the stoneauthor recordsthat •
"The wild turkey is still commonon the bottom lands,and during
the heat of the day in the openpostoak woods."
In 1818, Estwick Evans observesthe bald eagleand the turkey
in the r61esof pursuerand prey.• "Whilst in the MissouriTerritory, and not far frmn the bank of the river, a bald eagle,perched
upon a tall and blastedoak, attracted my attention....
Whilst
I was admiring the strength of his form, and the •najesty of his
aspect,a wild turkey flew from a neighbouringfree and alighted
on the ground. The eagle i•mnediatelypouncedupon his prey;
but ere he couldeffecthis objectthe turkey was shot. I might too,
have killed the eagle, but ad•niration and awe preventedme. I
felt that he was the mnblem and the inspiration of my country;
and at that mmnent, I would not, for ten thousandworldslike ours,
have cut a feather of his wing." In 1820,StephenWatts Kearny
in "A Narrative Accountof the Council Bluff, St. PetersMilitary
Expedition" notesthat they • "passedthe WakendawRiver on
x Schooleraft, 1t. 1•. Scenes and Adventures in the Semi Alpine l•egion of the
Osark Motm•ains of Missouri and Arkansas.
Phfla., 1853, pp. 59, 66, 79, 80, 85,
98, 99, 121.
• Schoolcraft,
pp. 36, 37.
lt. 1•.
A View of the Lead Mines
of Missouri.
a Early Western Travels, VIII,
p. 311 (orig. p. 205).
• Mo. ltis•. Soc. Coils., III, 1908, p. 52.
New York,
1819,
Vol. XXXII]
1915 j WRIGHT,
EarlyRecords
of theWill Turkey.
357
the West at whichpointwe sawlargeflocksof Turkeys." About
the sametime, StephenH. Long (1.c., pp. 96, liT, 373) findsthat
at Franklin on the Missouri, "Most of the deer..... aswell as the
turkies have fled from this part of the country,thoughbut a few
years since they were extremely abundant." and that at Isle au
Vache(TOO
milesaboveOsage)thereweregreatnumbersof turkies.
In 1832, Timothy Flint (1. c., 305, 94) writes that in Missouri
"Wild turkeysfurnishadmirablesportto the gunner"and of the
Mississippi
at the Falls of St. Anthonyhe says,"Its broadand
placid currentis often embarassed
with islands,often containing
from five hundredto a thousandacres,and abounding
with wild
turkeys.... " The sameauthor in a previouswork (1826)finds
that • "There is a great abundanceand variety of wild fowl, and
turkeys..... "at Jackson,Missouri. In 1832-33, Latrobe records
that 2 ,, Turkeyswere plentiful in the woods"of Missouri. About
this same time, Maximilian, Prince of Wied, states that 3 "wild
turkeys were not often found" at St. Charles on the Missouri.
Near Gasconade
River, he says"our huntersfired unsuccessfully
at a flockof wild turkeys." At Osageon the Missouri,he writes,
"Someof my people,attractedby the criesof the wild turkeys,
were tempted to land, but returnedwithout havingmet with any
success. I happenedto have taken no piece with me, which I
muchregrettedfor a wild turkey-cockcameout of a bushabout
ten pacesfrom me, andstoodstill, lookingat me, whilehissplendid
feathersshonein the sun," and at Boyer'sCreek near Council
Bluffs,he notes"We had a fruitlesschaseafter somewild turkeys."
At MissouriCity, he findsthat "Wild turkeysare still met with."
A yearlater (April 4, 1834),JohnK. Townsendat Big Spring,Mo.,
recordsthat 4 "We then gave up the pursuit, and turned our
attention to the turkies, which were rather numerousin the thicket.
They were shy, as usual, and, when startedfrom their lurking
places,ran away like deer,and hid themselves
in the underwood.
• Flint, T.
Recollections of the Last Ten Years Passed in Occasional Residences
and Journeyingsin the Valley of the Mississippi. Boston, 1826, p. 248.
• La•robe, 12. J. The Rambler in North America.
York, 1835, ¾ol. I, p. 100.
1832-1833,
2 vols.
New
•Early Western Travels, XXII, pp. 240 (orig. p. 113) 241 (114), 247 (117);
XXIV, pp. 107 (465), 120 (472).
4 ibid., XXI, p. 129 (orig. p. 16).
358
WR•O•T,
EarlyRecords
oftheWildTurkey.
Auk
[July
Occasionally,however,they would perch on the high limbs of the
trees, and then we had some shots at them.
In the course of an
hour we killed four.... " In his Travels 1834-1836,C. A. Murray
(1. c., p. 73) noticesthis form at Keokuk. In 1837, A. Wetmore
writes • "The game of Missouri, the ranks of which are thinned as
settlements advance, consists of..., turkeys etc." In Saline
County, he says "Turkeys and grousehere give animation to the
prairie scenery and furnish the table with some of the choicest
luxuries
"The wild
of life."
turkey Finally,
is foundin
in 1846,
greatWin.
numbers
J. A.on
Bradford
the wooded
holds
bottom
that a
lands" of the Upper Misskssippi.
Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado and the Northwest.
If we do not considerCoronadoof the 16th century, the record
begins in 1724, when 5I. de Bourgmont made a trip from Fort
Orleans to the Missouris, Canzas and Padoucas. On the 16th of
October, 1724, he sa•'sa "Besides the larger game, these groves
(at River of the Canzas)affordedalsoa retreat to flocksof turkeys."
About the beginningof the nineteenthcentury,AlexanderHenry
writes of one of Big Belly Indians 4 "who had a turkey-cock'stail,
great numbersof whichthey get front the Schians,and whichserve
them as fans." On the return, the Lewis and Clarke expedition
whenpassingdownthe MissouriRiver, recordsthe turkey at the
mouth of the Platte River? "At two in the afternoonwe stopped
to hunt, and soon killed two deer and a turkey." Shortly after,
Pike takes a trip from a Pawnee Village through Kansas and
Colorado to Pike's Peak, October 1-November 30, 1806. At
Lamar he says• "killed oneturkey, the first we have seensincewe
left the Pawnees"; at Florence, "killed .... six turkeys"; at
Royal Gorgeof the Arkansaw,"Heard 14 gunsat camp.... found
• Wetmore,
Alphonse.
Gazetteer
of the State of Missouri.
St. Louis, 1837,
pp, 29, 219.
• Bradford, Win. J.A.
Notes on the Northwest, etc. New York and London,
1846, p. 19.
• Du Pr•tz, M.
Le Page, 1. c., P. 69.
• Soues, Elliott.
The M•nuscript
Journals of Alexander l•enry and David
Thompson, 1799-1814.
3 vols, N.Y.,
1897, Vol. I, p. 355.
• C-ass, Patrick.
1. c., p. 260.
a Pike, 1. c., VoL II, pp. 442, 462, 463, 464,471,474.
Vol. XXXII]
1915 J WRIGHT,
EarlyRecords
of theWildTurkey.
359
that causeof my alarm was their shootingturkeys,killed.... nine
turkeys." Later, at this latter place, he kills others,and, along
the Arkansaw,he says he "Saw great quantities of turkeys.... "
Five yearslater, 1811,on May 7, Brackenridge(1. c., p. 225) near
the mouth of the Platte River, notes "On my return to the boat,
killed somepigeons.... and saw a flock of turkeys." In 1819 or
1820,Long(1.c., Vol. I, p. 419) whennearthe sources
of the Grand
River says"Nothing is moredifllcultthan to estimateby the eye,
the distanceof objectsseenin theseplains..... we discoveredas
we thought,severallarge animalsfeedingin the prairie, at the
distance of half a mile.
These we believed could be no other than
bisons,and after a consultationrespectingthe best method of
surprisingthem, txvoof our party dismountedand creepingwith
great careand caution,about onefourth of a mile throughthe high
grass,arrivednearthe spot,and discovered
an old turkey, with her'
brood of half grown young, the only animals now to be seen."
The year follo;ving,1821,JacobFowler statesthat on October8,
near ArkansasRiver • "Stone of the Hands killed 10 turkeys." A
month later, November 3, 1821, at Hartland, Kearney Co., he
notes that "On this island the Hunters killed Some turkeys and
Seen Sonic more. the first We Have Sr.•:n above the little arken-
saw.... "
Finally, on November 17, 1821, he remarks that at
La Junta, "no buffelowor turkeys."
In 1833, Maximilian, Prince of Wied, givesus severalnotesfor
this region. When near the mouth of the Kansas,he says• "He
(McKenzie)broughtusseveralturkeyswhichhadbeenlatelyshot."
At Cedar Island, 1075 miles from the mouth of the Missouri, he
holdsthat "This may be considered
the limit to which the wild
'turkey extends on the Missouri. It is true that this bird is now
and then,foundhigherup, evenon the Yellow StoneRiver; but
theseare exceptions,
for beyondthis placethe woodsare too open
and exposed.The Indianson the UpperMissouri,readilybarter
for the tails of these fine birds to use them as fans and ornaments,
• The Journal of J•cob Fowler, etc. 1821-22.
Edited by Elliott Coues. N.Y.,
1898, pp. 16, 33, 48.
• Eaxly Western Travels, XXII, P•rt I, pp. 251 (Orig. p. 119) 296 (144); XXIII,
P•rg II, pp. ]•02 (249), 103, 261 (339); XXIV,
226, 248, 275, 276, 285, 293, 295, 300.
Pa•t III, pp. 74 (446), 109 (465),
360
WRIGHT,
EarlyRecords
oftheWildTurkey.
Auk
[July
and Mr. McKenzie, accordinglytook a great supply with him."
Of this trade with the Black feet Indians, he says,"The Company
now sendsto its trading posts,the tail of the wild turkeys,which
are muchin request" for fans. At Mandan, N. D., he assertsthat
"For an arrow wound he (Indian) fastenedin his hair the wing
feather of a wild turkey." At old Fort Clarke, he discoversdogs
gaily clothedwith feathers. "In the middle of this massof feathers, the outspread tail of a wild turkey .... was fixed." Near
Weeping Water, Kansas, he frequently espiesturkies. He states
that "We set out early and passedWeeping-waterRiver, landing
severaltimesto pursuethe •-ild turkeys,whosenote attracted us to
their retreats. X'Veoften saw theseproud birds in the lofty trees,
perchedup beyondthe reachof smallshot." Finally, he givesthe
followingIndian namesfor the wild turkey:
Dacota (Sioux) sisitscha-kanka
(s soft; ka?,in the throat).
Mandans
m•hnu (a ratherfull, almost'asif with superior
o).
Minnitanis or sihs-kichtia(run together; ichwith the point of
Grosventres
the tongue;ti andd separated).
Omahas
sihsikah.
Oto
w•e-ink-ehontjeh (first e barely audible; ch
guttural; j FrenCh).
p•n•h (first a umlaut).
Saukis, Sakis,
Sacs
Wasaji or Osagesuhka.
In 1833, September25, Nathaniel Wyeth in his trip to Oregon,
reports killing a turkey just west of Black Snake Hills and Rubideau Fort. In another place, he says he saw several turkeys.•
A shorttime later, C. A. Murray (I. c., Vol. II, 45) recordsthat at
the mouth of the KansasRiver "A lad (of the company)took a
ramble with his fowling-piece,and saw someturkeys,....'but he
could not get near enoughfor a shot." In 1837, Washington
Irving writes that 2 "An Indian trader, well experiencedin the
• Young, F. G. The Correspondence and Journals of Captain Nathaniel J.
Wyeth, 1831-36. In Sourcesof the History of Oregon, Vol. I, Parts 3-6, pp. 217,
218.
• Irving, Washington.
Vol. I, p. 38.
The Rocky Mountains;
etc.
2 vols., Phila., 1837,
Vol. XXXII]
1915 j WRmuT,
EarlyRecords
of theWildTurkey.
361
country, infor•nsus that within ten yearsthat he haspassedin the
far west, the bee has advanced westward above a hundred •niles.
It is said on the Missouri,that the wild turkey and the wild bee
go up the river together: neither are found in the upper regions.
It is but recentlythat the wild turkey hasbeenkilled on the Nebraska, or Platte and his travelling co•npetitor,the wild bee appeared there about the stonetime." A few years later, Fremont
on the Little Blue River (Neb.?) describesit as follows:1 "The
stremn was about fifty feet wide and three or four feet deep,
fringedwith cottonwoodand willow, with frequentgrovesof oak
tenanted by flocksof turkeys."
In 1846-1847,the E•nory Reconnoisance
meetsthe wild turkey
on severaloccasions. Of the Valley of Purgatory, the report has
it that • "the hills are bare of vegetation,excepta few stunted
cedars; and the valley is said to be, occasionally,the resort of
grizzly bear, turkeys.... " In Lieutenant Abert's Appendixof
this report are severalnoteson this form. He givesit amongst
the birds seenfrmn 'Bent'sFort to Santa Fe, and holds"our road
leads through a region that aboundswith the deer.... and the
turkey." Along the Purgatory River, "dense thickets, co•nposed
of plum and the cherry interwovenwith grape vines, formed
i•npenetratablethickets, where.... wild turkey, found a secure
shelter." Here "turkeysare very abundant,"and, "they told us
that .... they daily killed great numbersof.... turkeys." Also
at Wakaroosariver, Kansas, he recordsthat "Some of our hunters
went out and killed severalwild turkeys (Meleagrisgallopavo.)"
In 1848,J. Q. Thorntonsaysthe wild turkey is foundeastof the
NebraskaRiver.a In "The Overlandstage,"Messrs.Root and
Connelleyassertthat 4 ,,There wasan abundanceof wild ga•nein
the '60's. In easternKansaslargenmnbersof wild turkeys....
were seen. Along the Little Blue River there were alsomany wild
2 Fremont, J.C.
Rept. of Exploring Expedition to the Rocky Mrs. in the year
1842 and to Ore. and North California in the years 1843-1844. Washington,
1845, p. 15.
2 Emory, W. ]t. Notes of a Military Reconnoisance from Fort Leavenworth in
Missouri to San Diego, in California, etc. New York, 1848, pp. 21,405, 432, 437,
439, 524, 390.
a Thornton, J.Q.
Oregon and California in 1848. N.Y. 1855, Vol. I, p. 41.
4 Root, F. A., and Connelley, W.E.
The Overland Stage to California. Topeka,
Kansas, 1901, p. 87.
362
wm•aT, EarlyRecords
of theWildTurkey.
[ Auk
[.July
turkeys." Finally, in 1868,Zinckefindsthat • "As to featherod
game; on lucky daysyou may get a wild turkey," in the Rocky
Mts.
Arka•sas, Oklahoma, Tcxas and the Southwest.
In this, the last sectionto be considered,
the turkey has always
been a familiar form from Coronado'sday to the present. In
1723, Bernard de la Harpe finds it in the land about the Red River
and assertsthat the country of the Arkansasand Tayas has an
abundance of turkeys.s
Sonhehundred years later, 1818, Schoolcraft remarks• the
cheapnessof wild turkeys at 25 centsin the White River country
of ga'kansawTerritory, and, in 1817, Brown (1.c., p. 174) tells how
"50 milesfrom its mouth (Grand Salineor Newsewketonga)
the
prairie grass is encrustedwith salt; the Indians collect it by
scrapingit off the prairie with a turkey's wing, into a trencher."
The following year, 1819, Thos. Nuttall in "Travels into the
ga'kansasTerritory" discussesthe feather mantles of the Osage
Indians.• "Nearly all those whom De Soto found inhabiting
Florida and Louisiana,on either side of the Mississippi
.....
dressedthemselvesin woven garmentsmade of .... ; and in colder
seasons
of the year, they wore coveringsof feathers,chieflythose
of the turkey. The samedresseswere still employedin the tinhe
of Du Pratz.
These feather mantles were, within the recollection
of the oldestmen, onceusedby the Cherokees,as I learnt whilst
among them. There is, therefore,nothing extraordinaryin the
discovery of these garments around the bodies which had been
interred in the nitre cavesof Kentucky. Presentsof these'man-
tels' as they are calledby Purchas,now superceded
by European
blankets,wereperpetuallyofferedDe Soto,throughoutthe course
o• his expedition,and are still madeuse of by the natives of the
north west coast."
In the southwesterncountry, the Long expedition 1819-1820,
encountersthe turkey frequently. In the ArkansasRiver system,
ZincAre,T.B.
L•s• Win•er in ghe United Sg•ges. London, 1868, p. 250.
French, B.F.
1. c., P•rt III, pp. 60, 74.
Schoolcrafg, H.R.
A View of [he Le•d Mines .....
p. 251.
Early Western Travels. XIII, pp. 258-259 (orig. pp. 193-194).
¾ol. XXXII
1915 1j WInGriT,
EarlyRecords
of theWildTurkey.
363
the hunterswereregularlysentout for it and oftenreturnedwith
as many as seven. In the Red River regionthe • "game grew so
abundant,that we had it at any time in our power, to kill as many
bison.... and turkles,aswe might wish." "The grapesandplums
soabundantin this portionof the countryare eatenby turkies.... ,
as we concludefrom observingplumstonesin the excrementof
these animals." In the Pawnee territory, they record this form
and at the Falls of the Canadian River (near Great North Fork).
"Turkies were very numerous." On the Red Fork, they find "a
seasonable
supply of four turkeys." Someyears later, Timothy
Flint tellshowJamesO. Pattie of Kentucky2 ,, saw (in 1824)great
numbers of .... turkeys" in Socoro County, N.M.
In the beginning of 1825, he reports fat turkies along the banks of San
FranciscoRiver and alongits tributary, Bear Creek.
In 1826, W. B. Deweesat San Antonio de Bexar, Texas, saysa
"On the first evening,we encampedabout an hour beforesundown,
and nly h'iendand myselfstrayedaway from the campfor a short
time and while absent, succeedingin killing a couple of very fine
turkeys.... we had driven them to take refugein a tree, wherewe
had shot them with our rifles." In •832-33. Latrobe (1. c., Vol.
I, pp. 142, 143, 160, 166) finds that "turkeys .... were plentiful
in the vicinity of the camp(WesternCreekAgencyat Salinenear
VerdigrisRiver)..... so that abundancereignedthere." At Bald
Hill nero'Arkansas,he says"We noticedthe tracksof innumerable
.... turkeys,...."
On the Red Fork, he notes an "abundance
ofturkeys."On'the
NorthForkoftheCanadian
River,heclaims
that they "killed in its neighborhood
.... twenty turkeys,...."
Finally, his last note is of the ArkansasRiver which is "frequented
by .... turkeys." "A Visit to Texas, etc. New York, 1834"
records(pp.92, 209) that "Therearewild turkiesandsmallerbirds."
"The turkies chiefly resort to the woods." Its author on a trip
from Brazonato SanFelipe tellshow they "had plenty of .... wild
tin'key,...."
In 1836, Edward, in his list of birds, writes •
• James, Edwin.
1. c., Vol. II, pp. 49, 59, 63, 118, 119, 127, 141, 155, 159, 217.
225.
: Early Western Travels. XVIII, pp. 86 (52) 88 (54) 90 (55) 108 (71).
• Dewees, W.B.
Letters from An Early Settler of Texas. Compiled by Cora
12ardelle, Louisville, Ky., 1852, Letter IX.
• Edward, David B. The History of Texas; etc. Cincinnati, 1836, p. 75.
364
WRm•T,
EarlyRecords
oftheWildTurkey.
Auk
[Zuly
"Among the birds fit for food, are the wild turkey, (commonly
found in the woods,and near the edgesof the prairies).... " In
1837-1838, Daubeny recordsat Little Rock, Ark., that he • "saw
two wild turkies on Saturday, but at too great a distanceto give
us a chanceof shootingeither." On a trip from Little Rock to
Hot Spring, April 11, he writes, "we accompaniedour host in a
chaseafter a wild turkey, which I had a great ambition to kill and
stuff for our Museum at Oxford. The femaleswere decoyedby
imitating the gobbleof the turkey-cock,in which the back settlers
are very expert, but on this occasionthe strategenl was tried
unsuccessively;for though we saw several, and chased them
through the wood, we never got within gunshotof any one. My
man made severalother attempts, but always in vain.
In Josiah Gregg's "Commerce of the Prairies" we have under
"Animals of the Prairies" the following:2 "About the Cross
Timbers and indeed on all the brushy creeks,especiallyto the
southward,are quantitiesof wild turkeyswhichare frequentlyseen
ranging in large flocksin the borderingprairies." Westward of'
SpringValley near the Canadian,he says"every nook and glade
swarmedwith deer and wild turkeys,...."
In another instance
he states that "In someof the mountains(of New Mexico), wild
turkey are very nmnerous." In 1847 (January 14), Abert's party
at
of the
Valverde,
EmoryNew
expedition
Mexico.
(Emor3•,
In 1849,
1. c.,R.p.B.
505)
Marcy
"saw
reports
wild turkeys'"
that on
the Divide near the Canadian River,• "We have seenmany ante-.
lopes and turkeys during the lasV few days." Seventeendays
later in June, he reportsfor the Canadianriver region; "I killed a
turkey this evening,which is the first we have seenfor a week.'•
Thefollowing
yearthereportofS.G. Frenc.
h appears
andtherein
he notesthat 4 ,, It might be well to remark that, in all fhe streams
between San Antonio and the San Pedro, fish are abundant, and
that in their vicinity deer and turkeys are found." About the
• Daubeny, Charles. Journal of A Tour •hrough the lJni•ed S•a•es and i•
Canada, ).Viade During •he Years 1837-38.
Oxford, 1843, pp. 154, 157.
• Early Western Travels. XX (orig. Vol. II) pp. 282 (232), 115 (28), XIX (orig.
VoL I), pp. 328 (195), 325 (191).
• ).VIarcy, 1•. B. 1. c., pp. 179, 183.
• French, S. G., Repor• of. From Reports of Reconnaissances of Rou•es fron•
San Antonio •o E1 Paso. 31s• Congress, ls• Sess. Ex. Doc. 2•o. 64, 1850, p. 52.
Vol. XXXlI]
1915 j WInGUT,
EarlyRecords
oftheWildTurkey.
365
same
time,
Washington
Irving
makes
several
notes
oftheturkeys
in this southwestcountry. In the Osagecountry,he recordsit and
also along the At'kansasRiver. At the Red Fork, he finds• "a
numberof turkeys." Later, he saysthe party "came to a halt,
in a beautifulgroveof elms,on the site of an old Osageencampment. Scarcelyhad we dismountedwhen a universal firing of
riflestookplaceupona largeflockof turkeys,scattered
aboutthe
grove,whichprovedto be a favoriteroosting-place
for thesesimple
birds. They flew to the trees,and satperchedupontheirbranches,
stretchingout their longnecks,and gazingin stupidastonishment,
until eighteenof themwereshotdown." In Deep Creekor Little
North Fork, he writes,"The rich woodybottomin whichwe were
encamped,aboundedwith wild turkeys, of which a considerable
number were killed."
In his "Expedition from Texas to Santa Fe," George]Yilliam
Kendall frequentlyencountersturkeys. At San Antonio,Texas,
he reports2 ,, V•-eput up two or threeturkeysnear the branch,but
the underbrush
wassothickit wasimpossible
to get a shotat them."
Of the valleyof the Brazos,he saysthat it "teemedin everyspecies
of game.... elk..... , wild turkeys..... " On the Red River, he
speaksof them at length. "We continuedour march until we
reachedthe dry bedof a mountainstream,uponthe banksof which
we encampedfor the night. A flock of wild turkeys had taken
shelterunderthe banks,runningoff as we approachedtheir roost.
Althoughcontraryto strict orders,nothingcouldrestrainour men
ßfrom bangingand blazingaway at the turkeysas they spedacross
the prairie- fifty rifles and musketsbeing dischargedat them
beforethey were out of sight. Two or three only were killed by
the volley and runningfire which ensuedand they were but half
grown,and so extremelypoor that they (lid not furnish a meal for
half a dozenmen." Of the sameregion,he againwrites,"By-andby a brood of wild turkeys, which had been hunting for their
supperat the baseof the rocky steeps,flew over our heads,and
soughttheirroostin a largecotton-wood
whichoverhung
theriver.
x Irving, Washington.
The Crayon Miscellany.
Revised edit. New York,
1861, plo. 49, 68, 70, 108, 133, 134, 157, 191, 194.
• Kendall, George William.
2 vols. N.Y., Vol. I, pp. 54, 102, 256, 260.
366
[ Auk
wR•o..,EarlyRecords
oftheWildTurkey.
[July
The sharp crack of a rifle soon announced the doom of one of
the flock,...."
In 1860, Doreenbobtells us that in the western part of Texas.
between the Rio Seco and Rio Blanco• "Partridge, quail, wild
turkeys.... have made of this spot their favorite sojourn." Ten
yearslater, 1870,Williron A. Bell reportsthat at Turkey Mountain
(not far from Las Vegas)• "the wild turkeys had all been either
shot or driven away by the officersof Fort Union." Lastly, H. M.
Chittenden
remarks
that a "on
the lower Missouri
and in the
southwest the wild turkey abounded,and was extensivelyusedfor
food" in the days of the early fur trade of the West.
In this recital, the effort has been to interweave these early
recordswithout paraphrase. At timesthey are decidedlyungrammatical, somebordering on fiction, others bizarre in the extreme;
yet they all ought to be added to the turkey literature and may
supplementthe material sofrequently rehashedin recent years.
x Domenech, Abbe lgm. Seven Years' Residence in the Great Deserts of l•orth
America.
2 vols. London, 1860, Vol. I, p. 134.
2 Bell, Wm. A. •ew Tr•cks in •orth America.
2rid edit. London, 1870,
p. 122.
•.
a Chittenden,
/t. M.
The American
Y., 1902, Vol. II, p. 835.
Fur
Trade
of the Far West.
3 vols.