indicates that an area extending from south of Omaha, roughly following the boundaries of the Platte River westward beyond Columbus to about the west border of now Platte County, thence northwestward to approximately the west line of now Madison County, thence north to the Missouri River, was ceded by the Omaha Indians to the Federal Government on March 16, 1854. The Omahas were promised $840,000.00 in annuities and $41,000.00 additional. Certain assistance including breaking of ground and fencing, grist and saw mills, miller and black-smith, etc.

In studying the wide shaded areas in the map borders, it would seem that the boundaries could not be definite as the area had not been surveyed.

Then on September 24, 1857, the Government entered into a treaty with the Pawnee tribe for the land north of the Platte River and westward to approximately a line dissecting now Cherry County at about its center, thence, north to the now Nebraska-South Dakota line. Beyond that was still Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho country where the Indian war was still raging for years after early settlers in Madison County lived unmolested.

It is known that the Pawnee tribe hunted and even may have lived in the area of Battle Creek as they came back to camp at the site near the northwest part of town to gather wild fruit growing along Battle Creek and the Elkhorn River as late as the late nineties as this writer remembers seeing them. Prior to the cession by the Pawnee of their land along the Loup and Platte Rivers they had more permanent habitation in that area. After their treaties with the Government ceding land in that area, which cession occurred in the era ranging from 1833 to 1848, they may have had more permanent habitation in our area as the treaty affecting it did not come until September, 1857.

And there is evidence that Indians, either Omaha or Pawnee, had a more permanent habitation in our area than "roving bands" would indicate. Paul Moore reports that there are two long depressions in the field south of the Elkhorn river bridge north of town. Paul, having lived in trenches and foxholes in France during World War 1, identified these depressions as trenches. It is more likely that these "depressions" are the site of Indian Kivas, ceremonial places or perhaps living places, as tomahawks, arrowheads and other relics have been found in the area. A like depression is known to exist in a field on the Prauner farm as related by Martin Prauner. George Zohner and others relate finding of many Indian relics up and down the Battle Creek. Ray Vogel, who now owns and occupies the Philip Hughes homestead, reports that recently hogs in the yards have rooted up some tomahawks and other Indian artifacts. Then there is the old campsite northwest of town where the Pawnee Indians were camped when the troops under General Thayer came upon them in 1859, where the older boys and girls used to hunt for Indian relics.

Early day historians, who lived with the Indians in the 1870's and earlier, wrote Indian lore which would indicate that the Pawnees were probably the more permanent in our area. They do

6