BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN FRIENDS OF PUTTENHAM

VOLUME IX, NUMBER 4

AUGUST, 1992

LIFE IN THE DAKOTA TERRITORY

  Member Robert B. Balcomb of Findlay, Ohio, has provided a fascinating autobiographical work by his grandfather, Joseph Eugene Putnam, who was born in 1858 in Calhoun County, Michigan. In 1871, at the age of 13, Joseph accompanied his parents in a move to the Dakota Territory and his record includes much detail about life in that part of the United States so well described in the recent film, "Dances With Wolves". Several excerpts from his work are quoted below. 

    "On a bright May morning in '71 our covered wagon pulled out of Clarendon, Michigan, bound for Dakota Territory. It was not the stereotyped kind of wagon usually pictured, with puckered cover at front and back leaving a round hole through which the inmates peered, but it had curtains in front, ba􀃴k and on the sides, in front, back even with the back seat, which could be rolled up or fastened down as desired. The canvas was waterproofed and light brown in color. The two seats the wagon contained were on long hickory poles which acted as springs, running toward the back of the wagon. It was drawn by a team of fine horses and was NOT loaded to the top with household goods, etc., as was usually done. We carried only necessary bedding, cooking utensils, and a few days' supply of food stuffs and grain for the horses. We were able to buy a bundle of hay daily from the farmers whose farms we passed. Of course, BALED hay was not yet known. 

........

    I had the time of my life at Green Point, as the locality near Uncle Roswell's was called owing to a point of large cottonwoods on the Missouri River near. Stern wheel steam boats which ran up the river a few times each summer used to "woodup" there. The French "squaw man" who owned the land there would have the wood cut and corded up on the river bank at a place where boats could tie up. The pilot sounded a certain number of whistles when he was going to "woodup" then the Frenchman would meet him and begin to bargain. It was at a place about a half mile from our place and when we boys heard the "woodup" signal, we used to jump a horse and race over to watch them. They had a dozen or so roustabouts, all Negroes, who carried the wood on board on their shoulders. There were two gangplanks out and the Negroes took a jogtrot down one, seized a few sticks, trotted aboard and placed them, the mate meanwhile urging to more speed, calling them all kinds of names and cursing them as only river men can. I was much shocked as was not accustomed to such language or to hearing ANYONE abused as the Negroes were. They, however, did not seem to mind it. 

    There were many French "squaw men", men having a squaw for a wife(?) who settled along the Missouri bottom. They probably came down from Canada and infiltrated the various branches of the Sioux Indians. Quite often an Indian spoke French. the squaws were more or less transient as at any time the Frenchman chose he could - and did - send them back to the tribe and get another one. The women apparently expected it as they went cheerfully, sometimes I guess, gladly. The children, if any, remained with their father (?). 

........

    The Indians used to visit back and forth between the camps. While at Uncle Roswell's I have seen a string of them a half mile long in single file or Indian file, the squaws all walking, the braves riding their little ponies, so small that the rider had to hold his knees up to keep his feet from dragging. I've seen a wretched pony with lodge poles or travois poles, pronounced 'travy', dragging on the ground, with rawhide stretched back and forth between them behind the pony to form a sort of casket which was piled high with blankets, etc., and perhaps several papooses while a big buck sat on the poor thing's back. Ponies were always heavily loaded on these visiting trips and even the little colts carried a pack. When the Sioux Point agency closed this visiting ceased. When the buffalo hunters returned from a hunt, they hung the skins over the fence, hanging there indefinitely. The Indian bucks would get a squaw, then hunt up a white man and by pantomime try to get his squaw a job. He w-ould take off his own blanket and pull it back and forth around a post, indicating the action used in finishing the hides. he would then point to the hides and then to his squaw, trying to get the white man to let her tan them."

MYSTERY OF THE "A.L. PUTNAM" SOLVED

   In the Nov., 1991, issue of the Bulletin we reported that David Putnam of Wilbraham, Ma., had come on the ship nameplate, "A. L. PUTNAM", in Provincetown, Ma. David and his wife, Judy, have followed up this observation with research that has resulted in a most interesting story.    

    The ship was a whaler built in 1866 and named for A. Lewis Putnam  (1834-1935), a Provincetown businessman who had married Adelaide 0. Cook (1840-1928), daughter of Henry Cook. Henry was a partner in the firm of H&S Cook, the agents for the "A.L. PUTNAM", as well as the "N. F. PUTNAM", another whaler built in 1868 and named for Nellie F. Putnam  (1863-1930) who is remembered as an artist. Yet another whaler, the  "Willis Putnam", was built in 1850. 

    A. Lewis Putnam was appointed principal at Provincetown in 1857 and served as President of the Board of Trustees of the Provincetown Library. In 1862 he and Enos Atkins purchased a jewelry and fancy goods store. After several changes in partnership the firm of A.L. Putnam and Co. became solely owned by Putnam in 1888. Apparently he also was a major investor in whaling voyages. 

    The ''A. L. PUTNAM" was involved in a strange event in the Indian Ocean in 1867. ·According to one report the story goes as follows:    

    THE BODY OF A WOMAN floating in the Indian Ocean ...

    From the masthead of the whaling ship A. L. PUTNAM came the excited announcement: "Woman adrift to starboard!" 

    Orders were given to lower a boat and pick her up. The woman  required straps and tackle to hoist her aboard, for she was the full ­length figurehead of some ill-fated vessel. Captain Benjamin Handy described his find as "a colossal full-length presentment of womankind, modeled with great beauty and vigor and measuring Fully eight feet from the placid bow to the underside of the sandaled feet." 

    Because space was short the skipper bad the figurehead chopped amidships and brought the upper half to Provincetown. The shipowner, Captain Cook, received it and had it installed on the porch-top of his house, where it stands today. 

    Other accounts state that Captain Handy did not want to take the figurehead aboard, but was persuaded by the crew to do so, believing she would bring them luck. The "Lady of Mystery" is the figurehead's appellation, for nothing has ever been known of the ship that carried her. The house at 476 Commercial St. on which the figurehead is to be found apparently came into A.L. Putnam's possession through his wife upon the death of Captain Cook.

PUTNAMS IN THE NEWS

Congratulations to Dr. Rebecca P. Brightman and her husband, Dr. William E. Wise, on the birth of their daughter, Amelia Paige Wise, on July 3, 1992. Amelia is the grand-daughter of member Nancy G. Brightman of Worthington, Ohio, and the great-great grand-daughter of F, W. Gerhart and Elvia Putnam. 

    Evelyn Putnam of Austin, Pa., writes that her son Robert Putnam and his daughters, Kate and Anne, of Winter Spring, Fla., were the subjects of photographs in an article about Orienteering in the June issue of the magazine "Smithsonian". Bob appears on p. 47, Kate and Anne register contestants on p. 46 and Anne copies her route on p. 50. When Bob started work in Florida in 1991 there was no orienteering program in the state. He has been instrumental in getting a club started which now numbers nearly a hundred members and- the photographs were taken at an Orienteering Meet at Blue Springs State Park. Both Evelyn and Bob are members of the AFOP.

THE HOME OF GENERAL RUFUS PUTNAM

The major attraction of the Campus Martius Historical Museum in Marietta, Ohio, is the home of General Rufus Putnam, one of the first dwellings to be built in the Northwest Territory after its settlement in 1788. The following article about the home appeared in the Marietta Times of Apri1 11, 1992. 

ANOTHER GENERAL ISRAEL PUTNAM STORY

Ms. Linda Grant of El Cerrito, Ca., has passed on the following story about the famous General. Can one of our experts provide any information about it? 

    "'Ol Put' was reviewing the destruction at Bunker Hill, taking an informal inventory of the dead and wounded soldiers. He came across a mortally wounded soldier and gave him a few last words of encouragement. The soldier looked up and asked the General if he would do him a last request. General Putnam said, of course he would, if he could. The soldier presented his musket to the General, asking him to see that it was returned to his mother, as he had taken the only weapon in the house. The soldier was worried that his mother was left unprotected. The General said he would see to it personally, as soon as it was possible. 

    Following the war, General Putnam sought out the soldier's home and found his mother inside a very small and modest shack. The General, after verifying this was the right place, told the mother of her son's dying bequest. The General then presented the musket to her. 

    The mother, looking for some time at the General, finally shook her head and said that guns were the source of war - and the cause of her son's death. She would not have this musket in her house, even if it was a source of protection and would enable family members to have meat from time to time. She would have nothing to do with this monstrous symbol! The mother closed the door, with the General still in possession of the gun. 

    Thereafter, General Putnam from time to time would retell the story, sometimes bringing out the weapon as proof."

AN ALTERNATIVE MEANING OF PUTTENHAM

Member H. Chase Putnam of Warren, Pa., has called to our attention the entry for Puttenham in "A DICTIONARY OF ENGLISH PLACE NAMES" by  A. D. Mills, Oxford Univ. Press, 1991. Mills gives the following meaning of the village name: "homestead or enclosure of a man called Putta, or one frequented by hawks, OE. personal name or OE -putta (genitive -n) + ham or hamm". These meanings are very different from all previous explanations and the first has a certain attraction for all family members who have been given the nickname "Put". This article also states that the other Puttenham (in Surrey) appears in print for the first time in 1199. Since this is well after the first use of the name de Puttenham, the village must be named for the family.

MISSING PERSONS

    Robert Bruce Putnam of 1024 Taggart St. NW, Massillon, Oh 44646, is searching for information about the descent of Dr. Isaac Putnam who was born on Mar. 28, 1825, probably in Danville, Oh. It is suspected that his father was David (or George) Putnam, born abt. 1795 in Zanesville?, Oh., and died abt. 1826 in Danville?, Oh. David (George?) married Charity  Hay(e)s on June 28, 1820, in Zanesville

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

    Member William B. Putman, Jr., 288 Scudder Ave., Hyannis Port, Ha., 02647 has finished a complete revision of his work, "THE PUTNAM/PUTMAN FAMILY OF THE COLONIAL SOUTH". This new edition is almost 600 pages in length and covers all lines from 1600 to 1900 as well as each state census return from 1790 to 1900. The cost is $50.00 per copy and orders should be placed directly with Bill. 

NEW MEMBERS

    It is a pleasure to welcome Susan Jackman, 100 Crossing Way, Folsom, Ca. 95630, to membership in the American Friends of Puttenham. 

Link to Scanned Copy of the Bulletin