Few People Know The Real Story Of How This Famous Nebraska Rock Formation Got Its Name
By Delana Lefevers|Published May 21, 2020
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Delana Lefevers
Author
As a lifelong Nebraskan, Delana loves discovering the many hidden treasures of her state. She has worked as a writer and editor since 2007. Delana's work has been featured on more than a dozen websites and in Nebraska Life Magazine.
Western Nebraska is home to many stunning rock formations, including one called Crow Butte in Dawson County. The butte is a well-known sight to modern travelers, but not many people know how it got its name.
Crow Butte is one of western Nebraska's most recognizable rock formations. It's a favorite among hikers and climbers who find the challenging terrain to be a rewarding venture.
But long before modern hikers began scaling the steep summit, Crow Butte was the site of a historic skirmish in 1849 between the Crow and Brule Sioux Native Americans. The tribes had been at odds for decades over control of the surrounding hunting grounds, and it all came to a head that fall.
They happened to first come upon the large herd of horses and mules owned by James Bordeaux, a prominent trader, and made off with the 82 animals. When they burned down the Bordeaux trading post, the Bordeaux family fled to the nearby Sioux camp of Chief Grabbing Bear.
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The Sioux men pursued the Crows to Ash Creek, where some of the Crows hid in the creek bed to ambush their pursuers. The rest of the Crow men continued west with the pilfered livestock.
The fight between the Sioux and Crow parties resulted in the Crows being driven up to the top of the (then-nameless) butte. The Crow held their attackers back with a storm of arrows and rocks when they tried to follow, but the Sioux weren't prepared to give up so easily. They simply set up camp at the foot of the formation and prepared to wait out the Crows.
For three days, the Crow men on top of the rock sang, danced, and warmed themselves by a fire to show the Sioux that they were unperturbed by their situation. On the fourth day of the siege, however, the fires went out and the singing stopped. According to local legend, the Sioux scaled the butte to check on the trapped men only to find the summit empty.
This is where the story gets a little fuzzy. Some recountings say that the Sioux found only a dead Crow man, who had been killed in the initial battle, and a pack dog on the rock. Others say that an elder member of the tribe descended on that fourth day and surrendered, revealing the Crows' clever deception. Either way, the Sioux found that the Crows had fashioned ropes from rawhide and rappelled down the south face of the cliff. That side of the butte had remained unguarded since the Sioux believed it was too sheer to allow for an escape.
The incident was an important one for both tribes and to the white settlers in the area. The story was recounted so many times that eventually, the details became murky. Today, we know the basics of the battle but we may never know for sure which version of events is true.
Have you heard the local legends surrounding Crow Butte? Which details do you believe to be true? Sound off in the comments!
The Robidoux family in this story may sound familiar. That’s because their trading post was an important stop along the Oregon trail in the 1840s. Today, there’s a replica of the trading post where the old one stood, and you can visit. Read more about the Robidoux trading post here.
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