Missouri was Indian territory once – every bit as Indian as the Dakotas or Arizona or New Mexico ever were. As the white man settled the Indians were either convinced they should move or were forced out. It is believed that people we call Indians lived in Missouri for about 10,000 years. Mastodons roamed this state 10,000 years ago, and in 1838 a German fossil dealer found a mastodon skeleton in Gasconade County. In 1840 another was found in Benton County. In each case, sharpened points – arrows or other projectiles – were found near by.
