Abigail Gardner Sharp

Background

Abigail Gardner-Sharp was born in 1843 in Twin Lakes, New York, United States.

Education

Abigail Sharp was the third of four children of Rowland and Francis (Smith) Gardner. Like many other Americans in the 19th century, the family moved steadily west with the frontier. They moved to Ohio and Indiana in 1851 and on to Joliet, Illinois, in 1854. Later that year they moved to Davenport, Iowa, and then to Janesville on the Cedar River. The following year they moved to Mason City and Clear Lake. In the spring of 1856, led on by reports of a beautifully scenic area to the west that also had fertile farm ground, they left Clear Lake and arrived at Spirit Lake in July.

A renegade band of Sioux Indians known as the Wahpekute under Inkpaduta appeared around Spirit Lake in early March 1857. On the morning of March 8, they came to the Gardner cabin and seemed friendly at first but then demanded food and supplies. Although Rowland Gardner tried to comply, they shot him and then proceeded to kill Francis Gardner and the rest of the family, except Abbie. One sister, Eliza, was in Springfield (now Jackson), Minnesota, at the time and escaped the massacre. Abbie (not yet 14 years old) was taken captive. During the next few days, the Wahpekute went from cabin to cabin around the Spirit Lake area killing settlers and taking three additional captives. Before Abbie's ordeal was over, two of the captives, Mrs. Thatcher and Mrs. Noble, were also killed.

A relief expedition under the command of Major William Williams set out from Fort Dodge early in April to provide general assistance but also to pursue Inkpaduta and his band. However, they were already deep in the Dakota Territory with their captives and eluded capture. In June the Wahpekute negotiated with the Yankton Sioux along the James River and released Abbie to them. The Yanktons immediately headed into Minnesota and turned her over to Governor Medary, receiving $400 in return. On June 24 she went by steamboat to Dubuque, overland by stage to Fort Dodge, and then to Hampton, where she was reunited with her sister Eliza. The relief expedition found and buried the bodies of 29 settlers.

Career

Her memoir of the abduction and captivity provided income for Abbie and her family, and it went into seven editions during her lifetime. In 1891, Abigail Sharp purchased the property and cabin from which she was abducted and near where her parents and siblings were buried. The site became a popular tourist attraction and she operated it as a small museum and gift shop.

Abigail Sharp died on January 17, 1921, and was buried with her birth family near the Abbie Gardner Sharp cabin, which still stands near Arnold’s Park in Spirit Lake, Iowa.

Connections

Abigail Sharp married at the tender age of 14 to Casville Sharp (then 18 years old), with whom she had three children.

Father:

Rowland Gardner

Mother:

Francis Marian Gardner

Spouse:

Casville Sharp

Son:

Albert Sharp

Son:

Allen Sharp

References

• Hudson, D., Bergman, M., & Horton, L. (Eds.) The biographical dictionary of Iowa
  2009