Henry Ridinger diary : manuscript

Manuscript diary in the hand of Henry Ridinger, 1878-1882. Ridinger describes his work as a herder in Colorado, landscapes and topography in Colorado, Navajo settlements, working in the hay trade, a shooting and arrest in Colorado, and his travel through Kansas to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). Ridinger describes life with a group of Osage, including the construction of buildings, hunting, fishing, agriculture, and Osage funerary and religious ceremonies. Ridinger also records his interactions with other tribes, including Pawnee, Cherokee, Ute, and Waco. He describes relations and treaties between the tribes, as well as the tribes' relations with the United States government, including the disbursement of food and clothing. Other passages describe copies of earlier treaties with France and Spain which the tribes showed Ridinger. A later entry describes the aftermath of the United States Army burning a Jewish settlement in Oklahoma in 1881

The diary also includes an essay about the history of Native American treaties with the United States government and several pages of accounts listing expenses and sales of hay, wheat, and corn. The diary includes several drawings of people, horses, insects, dogs, and symbols. Accompanied by 3 photographs, one hand-colored portrait of Henry Ridinger, one of an unidentified woman, and one of a man and woman captioned "Uncle Sam [Ridinger] with his sweetheart who died."