historyof howard county（中霍华德县）.doc

History of Howard County As written by Richard Kastl in 1982 Introduction The history of any geographic area is, by and large, shaped and molded by its physical environment. The natural features of Howard County have determined to a large extent its history. The natural resources of the area, though, only determine what is possible. It is left to the people to have the wit to make use and profit by those resources. The study of history is the study of how people have used their environment and their brains. Prehistoric Indians Humans have occupied Howard County, Indiana more or less continuously since about 8,000 B.C. Further archeological investigations will, no doubt, push that figure back to at least 12,000 B.C. The inhabitants of Howard County between 8,000 B.C. and 1,000 B.C. are referred to as being of the Archaic tradition. During this time, the culture of these early American Indians is noted for a vast amount of change. These Archaic Indians were hunters and gatherers who increasingly depended upon gathering edible plants and roots for their sustenance. Evidence of these early residents of Howard County is found throughout the county. The high ground near every stream in the county has produced arrowheads, flint scrapers, bone, and a variety of other artifacts attributed to these people. The tools of these people were made of flint or chert. It is a curious fact that there are some types of chert which are found only in certain localities. Many artifacts from Howard County, which date from this period, are made from Attica chert. This chert can only be found in one locality, near the town of Attica, Indiana—some 65 miles from Kokomo. While these early residents only had their legs to propel them, they did seem to travel about a great deal. Our evidence for the later Indian groups is quite sketchy at this time, although we have found enough artifacts to at least know that they were here. The Woodland tradition (1,000 B.C. – A.D. 900) is characteriz