On November 4, 1828, Harriet and Aaron Pierce and their 4 children: Marshall, Harriet, Lorenzo and Sila Caroline arrived at this location. They came to the area seeking a place to settle.

​

   The settlers were captivated by the sight of a sturdy bark house that had been built here, nestled against the river bluffs. They also took notice of the fact that amidst the vast expanse of the Mississippi River, a flat plain stretched, adorned with tall grasses and trees, and sheltered by towering limestone buttresses. The area was teaming with various wild game. And the river was stocked with fish, waiting to be caught.

​

   Given nature's abundance in this location, for centuries Sauk and Fox Nation People had camped and hunted in the area. They granted the Pierce's usage of the wigwam they had painstakingly built. For several years an extraordinary friendship developed between the settler families and the Native Americans. 

​

   In 1928, one hundred years after the Pierce family first arrived, a monument and historical marker was placed at the location of where the wigwam had stood. It was deemed important to preserve and commemorate the generosity of the Sauk and Fox Nation People toward the early settlers.

​