Abbie Gardner-Sharp

Survivor | Author | Entrepreneur

Born 1843, New York State (Exact date not recorded)

Arrived Spirit Lake July 1856
Gardner family settled near West Okoboji Lake

Spirit Lake Massacre March 8, 1857 (age 13)
Held captive for 84 days

Ransomed May 30, 1857
Reunited with sister Eliza in Hampton, Iowa

Married August 16, 1857
To Cassville Sharp; had three children

Published 1885
"History of the Spirit Lake Massacre" (16 editions)

Cabin Museum 1891-1921
Purchased family cabin, operated as Iowa's first tourist attraction

Died January 17, 1921, Colfax, Iowa

Buried at Gardner Family Cemetery, Arnolds Park

HerStory

The Abbie Gardner Cabin Historic Site stands as a solemn reminder of the Spirit Lake Massacre of 1857, a tragic chapter in Iowa’s frontier history. At just 13 years old, Abbie Gardner was taken captive following an attack led by a group of Dakota warriors, an event rooted in tensions over land, resources, and broken treaties. Her eventual release and subsequent memoir shaped public perceptions of the time, leaving a complex legacy that still resonates today.

Survivor

At just 13 years old, Abbie was taken captive by Dakota warriors after an attack on her family’s cabin. She was held for three months before being ransomed and released.

Author

In 1885, Abbie published “History of the Spirit Lake Massacre and Captivity of Miss Abbie Gardner,” a widely read account that shaped public perceptions of the event, though it reflected the biases of the time.

Entrepreneur

Abbie later bought back her family’s cabin and turned it into a museum and tourist attraction, charging visitors for tours and preserving her version of history.

Symbol

Her story became part of the larger narrative of westward expansion, Indigenous-settler conflicts, and the complexities of survival on the American frontier.

Caretaker

Through her museum and storytelling, she played a direct role in shaping how the Spirit Lake Conflict was remembered, making her one of Iowa’s first self-made female historians.