Bicentennial Story #103-York

Bicentennial Story #103-York

Account of Indians reaction to York, servant of Meriwether Lewis.

9/22/1975

Father Louis Pfaller

This recording cannot be copied or reproduced without the written permission of the Dickinson Museum Center. This recording may be freely used for education uses, so long as it is not altered in any way. No commercial reproduction or distribution of this recording file is permitted without written permission of the Dickinson Museum Center.

mp3

audio reel, analog, 1/4 inch polyester tape

English

BS-103

Copyright Stark County Historical Society and Dickinson Museum Center

Meriwether Lewis's black servant, York, aroused much curiosity among the Indians along the Missouri. York enjoyed his singularity and often put on an act--growling and grimacing and pretending that he was a domesticated, but still wild animal. The one—eyed Chief of the Minnotarees suspected that York was actually a white man painted black. He spit on his finger and rubbed York's skin to wash off the paint, but he found the color quite indelible. The Indian women were greatly fascinated by the black man and used their wiles to secure "souvenirs" from the unusual man.

This is Bicentennial Story No.103, prepared by Father Louis Pfaller for the Stark County Historical Society.

Reid, p. 171

Sound recordings

1:16

128kbps

1970 1979

Bicentennial tape #6, Bicentennial stories 87-107