Gardner Cabin and Luce Cabin Historical Markers - Arnolds Park, IA
N 43° 21.918 W 095° 08.415
15T E 326586 N 4803606
The Luce family was killed in the Spirit Lake massacre while they were living with the Gardners. Two plaques mark the spot.
Waymark Code: WMBCY6
Location: Iowa, United States
Date Posted: 05/07/2011
Views: 23
The Luce family was killed in the Spirit Lake massacre while they were living with the Gardners. Two markers read as follows:
“The Gardner Cabin, home of Abbie Gardner Sharp, captured by Indians 1857. Erected by Ladies of the Lake Chapter DAR, 1928.”
“Proposed site of Luce cabin, family killed by Indians 1857. Erected by Ladies of the Lake Chapter DAR, 1928.”
“The Rowland Gardners, nine members in all, came to the Spirit Lake region by covered wagon in 1856. Originally from Seneca, New York, they came as far as Ohio, stayed a few years, then moved on to Iowa. The entire family except Abbie, 13, and her sister Eliza died outside the cabin at Okoboji during the March 8, 1857, massacre by renegade Indians led by Inkpaduta of the Sioux tribe. In 1891, Abbie returned to the area, purchased the cabin and preserved it until her death in 1921. The marker for the cabin was placed by the Ladies of the Lake Chapter in 1928.”
“Luce was a son-in-law of Gardners, husband of their daughter, Mary. He and Mary and their two children were living with the Gardners as Luce was starting to build their cabin just east of the Gardner cabin. Mary and the two children were killed with the rest of the Gardner family and Luce was killed on his way to warn other settlers living on East Lake Okoboji. The marker was placed by Ladies of the Lake Chapter in 1928.” (
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These two markers are located between the obelisk monument and the small cemetery.