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M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01053 1983
ILLUSTRATED
HISTORY OF MINNESOTA,
A HAND - BOOK FOR
CITIZENS AND GENERAL READERS.
BY
T. H. KIRK, M. L.,
MINNESOTA STATE INSTITUTE CONDUCTOR OF THE WINONA NORMAL SCHOOL.
ST. PAUL: D. D. MERRILL,, IS87.
1777300
COPYRIGHT, 1887, BY D. D. MERRILL.
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PREFACE.
This edition of the Illustrated History of Minnesota has been ar- ranged for the benefit of the general reader, whose attention at the outset is specially called to the complete and accurate set of notes and statistical tables which add greatly to the value and interest of the main text.
In preparing it, I have found some difficulties in my way. The greatest grew out of the complex nature of the book itself; because it seemed necessary to make it a reasonably complete work of ref- erence, and yet bring it within brief space; to make it interesting to younger readers, and still vigorous enough for the older. It is plain to see the position of compromise into which these opposing elements forced me. Some annals, for example, useful as refer- ences, but in themselves not of the highest historical value, had to find place at the risk of sacrificing the force of the main narrative. Then, too, there are some details of interest to young people which to an older person might in some degree seem trivial. The labor of verifying facts where conflicts existed among authorities has been another great difficulty, and one hardly to be appreciated by any save those who have undertaken such a task as this.
Nevertheless, I have had some peculiar advantages. Most of the scenic ground had become familiar to me through frequent visita- tions before the thought of writing this outline entered my mind. Since then, no opportunity for exploration has been thrown away. It has been of inestimable profit, also, to meet and converse with many of the historic characters, some of whom have since passed to their rest without leaving any written records. Moreover, throughout my labor, I have had free access to the rich collections of the Minnesota Ilistorical Society.
4
PREFACE.
I cannot do less here than express my gratitude to the many old scouts, soldiers, and settlers who have aided me freely. In particu- lar, thanks are due the living governors for facts bearing upon their administrations; to the late Dr. Stephen R. Riggs, to his son Al- fred L. Riggs, of Santee Agency, Nebraska, to his daughter, Mrs. M. R. Morris, of Sisseton Agency, Dakota, and to the venerable missionary W. T. Boutwell, of Stillwater, all for information re- specting Indian life; to J. Fletcher Williams, secretary of the His- torical Society, for numerous courtesies; and to Dr. Edward D. Neill, the historian, who read most of the manuscript, and by personal counsel and hearty appreciation lent good cheer to my endeavor.
T. H. K.
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CONTENTS
DAYS OF THE VOYAGEURS- PAGE.
Physical Features 15
The Dakotas 19
First Explorers 25
Groselliers and Radison 26
Rene Menard.
28
The Fur Traders 29
Nicholas Perrot 29
Du Luth 30 Hennepin 32 37
Ft. St. Antoine
La Hontan's Long River
Ft. Le Sueur
Ft. Le Huillier
Ft. Beauharnois
The Northwest Passage
French and English Supremacies
47 47
Carver's Expedition
Indian Wars
50
Wabasha's Mission 52
The Northwest Company 54
BEFORE THE TERRITORY-
Territorial Changes 56
Pike's Expedition 57
Minnesota Indians in War of ISI2 60 Traders and Selkirkers 62
Expedition of 1817 63 65
Ft. Snelling .
Crawford County 69
Lewis Cass's Expedition 69
The Fur Companies 70
7 .
38 39 40 42 45
SOK
CONTENTS.
PAGE
The First Mills
72
Selkirk's Colony 72
First Steamboat
72 74
Long's Explorations
74
Source of the Mississippi
Count Beltrami
75 So 80
Border Wars
81
The Swiss Settlers
82 S2
Featherstonhaugh
85
Catlin
Dred Scott
85 88 88
Nicollet
First Protestant Missions
94
Events of IS37
95
Removal of Swiss Settlers 97
Battle of Pokeguma
97
St. Croix County 100
Settlement of St. Paul 100
Resumé IO2
THE TERRITORY- -
Organization 104
First Newspaper 106
Governor Ramsey 106
Judicial Districts. 106
- Council Districts
107
Notes of Interest 107
Immigration 107
First Legislature 107
The Historical Society 109 First Public School 109
The Great Seal 109
Initial Treaties IIO
Navigating the Minnesota III
Growth of St. Paul
Second Legislature II2
Cass Treaty Broken
Indian Treaties
Schoolcraft's Expedition
9
CONTENTS.
PAGE.
Partisan Disputes
II2
Spirit of the Press 114
Public Buildings 114
Territorial University 114
Ojibwa Famine 114
Traverse des Sioux Treaty 114
Mendota Treaty 115
Political Parties 116
Third Legislature 116
Material Development 116
Settlements 116
The St. Peter River 117
Change of Chief Justices II7
Fourth Legislature 117
Governor Ramsey's Message II7
Prohibition
119
Proposed Division of School Fund
119
Governor Gorman
119
Removal of the Sioux
120
Delegates to Congress
120
Fifth Legislature
120
Governor Gorman's message I 20
Northwestern Railroad Company 120
President Fillmore's Visit
121
Land Grants.
121
Congress Interferes 121
Sixth Legislature 122
Gorman's Veto 122
The Charter Annulled 122
Republican Party Organized
123
Hazelwood Republic 123
Seventh Legislature. 124
Governor Gorman's Views 125
Popular Themes 125
Eighth Legislature. 125
Attempted Change of Capital 26
Inkpadoota Massacre I 26
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CONTENTS.
PAGE.
The Enabling Act 129
Governor Medary . 129
Constitutional Conventions 1 30
Act of Admission 130
THE STATE-
I .- Sibley's Administration 131
Governor Sibley 131
The New Era 132
Issuing the Bonds
133
Normal Schools
133
International Transit
133
II .- Ramsey's Administration
136
Governor Ramsey .
136
Ramsey's Inaugural
137
The State University 137
Third Legislature 137
The Rebellion 137
Military Record of IS61 1 38
139
The Sioux Massacre
140
III .- Ramsey-Swift Administration
153
Ramsey's Re-election
153
Governor Swift.
153
Sully-Sibley Campaign
153
Military Record of 1863
154
IV .- Miller's Administration
1 56
Governor Miller 156
Military Record of IS64 156
Military Record of IS65
159
Material Progress 160
V .- Marshall's Ist Administration 160
Governor Marshall 160
Administration Notes 161
VI .- Marshall's 2d Administration 162
Re-election 162
Reform School 162
Capital Removal 162
Northern Pacific Railroad 162
Marshall's Last Message 163
Military Record of IS62
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CONTENTS.
PAGE.
VII .- Austin's Ist Administration 163
Governor Austin 163
Great Civil Topics 164
University Lands 166
Internal Improvement Lands 166
Administration Notes 166
VIII. - Austin's 2d Administration 167
Re-election 167
Biennial Sessions Proposed 167
Amendments Adopted 167
Seeger's Impeachment 16S
The Grangers 168
IX .- Davis's Administration 169
Governor Davis
169
Railroad Legislation 169
The Locusts 172
Administration Notes 173
X .- Pillsbury's Ist Administration
174
Governor Pillsbury 174
Status of the Railroad Bonds 175
Bond Settlement Rejected 175
Constitutional Amendments 175
XI .- Pillsbury's 2d Administration
175
Re-election
175
Review of June Election
175
Page's Impeachment 176
XII .- Pillsbury's 3d Administration 177
Second Re-election 177
First Insane Hospital Burned 177
Burning of the Capitol 177
Final Settlement of Bonds 178
Cox's Impeachment 178
Constitutional Changes 178
XIII .- Hubbard's Ist Administration 179
Governor Hubbard 179
Completion of the Northern Pacific 180
Biennial Sessions Adopted 180
Material Progress 180
XIV .- Hubbard's 2d Administration IS2
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CONTENTS.
PAGE.
Hubbard's Re-election
182
Economic Growth
182
Public Institutions 184
Civic Problems
IS4
XV .- McGill's Administration Governor McGill 185
185
Explanatory Notes IS7
Reference Tables 227
Index 237
ILLUSTRATIONS.
Days of the Voyageurs
15
Dakota Tipis
19
St. Anthony Falls of Old
34
Near Lake City
38
Maiden Rock
38
Frontenac
44
Pointe au Sable
44
Carver's Cave, looking in.
49
Fountain Cave, looking out.
49
Looking up the St. Pierre
51
Ojibwa House
52
The Falls of Minnehaha
53
Before the Territory
56
Captain Carver
61
Z. M. Pike
61
William Morrison
61
S. H. Long
61
Lewis Cass.
61
H. R. Schoolcraft
61
Mrs. Snelling.
65 65
Colonel Snelling
67
Looking across the Minnesota
67
Round Tower
68 68
St. Peter's or Mendota
71
American Fur Company's Post at Fond du Lac
73
Chart of Lake Itasca,
78
Winnebago Cheracks
81
Dalles of the St. Louis
84
Tracking
S6
Crossing a Portage .
86
Camping on a Long Portage
86
Looking down the Mississippi
Polygon Tower
13
ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE.
Catlin Painting an Indian Chief
87
Pictographs at Pipestone
89
Pipestone Falls, wet season
91
Pipestone Falls, dry season 91
The Maidens
91
The Manito
91
Dakotas Digging Pipestone
92
Castle Rock
93
The Missionaries
96
The Chapel of St. Paul
IOI
Old Post-office
IOI
New Post-office
IOI
The Territory
104
First Capitol of Minnesota
IOS
Hole-in-the-day II
III
St. Paul in 1852
113
Governor Gorman
119
Little Paul
123
Minneopa Falls.
127
Governor Medary
129
The State
130
Governor Sibley 132
134
Ready to start from St. Paul
134
Homeward Bound
134
At St. Paul.
135
On the Prairie.
135
Governor Ramsey
136
The Settler's Fate
142
Acton Monument
144
Other-day
146
Within the Quadrangle
148
The Indians' Ravine
148
Little Crow
1 50
The Ford.
151
Ruined Warehouse 151
Upper Agency House
151
Governor Swift
153
Governor Miller
156
Governor Marshall 160
164
Governor Davis 169
174 Governor Hubbard.
179
Bridge and Mills at St. Anthony Falls
ISI
Glimpse of St. Paul to-day 183
Governor Austin
Governor Pillsbury
Governor McGill 185
The Night Camp
ILLUSTRATED
HISTORY OF MINNESOTA.
DAYS of the VOYAGEURS
Physical Features .- The physical features of a coun- try are very closely related to the history1 of its people ; if the earnest student, therefore, will consider all those here given, carefully and far more broadly than stated, he will discover in them a key to interpret some part of every page recording the beginning and growth of the great commonwealth of which the Minnesota region has become the seat.
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HISTORY OF MINNESOTA.
Position and Surface. - Minnesota for the most part may be considered as a plain of diversified surface varying in elevation1 above the level of the sea from the six hundred two feet of its lowest valley to the twenty-two hundred of its highest hill summit. The crown of cen- tral North America lies within its boundaries. The united areas of its land and water surfaces, carefully esti- mated, are above eighty-four thousand square miles.
Rivers .- It has four principal river systems : the St. Lawrence represented by the northern chain of lakes and the St. Louis river, all emptying into Lake Superior ; the main Mississippi with innumerable branches large and small ; the Red River of the North draining into Lake Winnipeg ; and the Missouri represented by one of its indirect affluents the Rock. Many of these rivers1 run through deep narrow valleys walled in by ranges of one- sided hills, or bluffs, from whose summits the country extends backward at its general level. This is also true of their tributary streams; but approaching the ultimate sources of the systems, the bluffs become lower and lower until they finally disappear. Numberless small courses, traced by the periodic streams of wet seasons and spring, cut through the bluff ranges of the larger channels. These, properly called ravines, add greatly to the pict- uresqueness of the scenery.
Lakes .-- According to surveys, the State has nearly ten thousand lakes varying in size from the miniature tarn to Red Lake three hundred forty square miles in extent. The shore lines present all the phases of cove, bay, low cape, lofty promontory, and far - extending peninsula, while islands here and there stud the out-lying waters. Some are marshy and shallow, but common characteris-
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DAYS OF THE VOYAGEURS.
ties are great depth of water and bottoms of sand and rock. The water is usually clear and wholesome, but in a few limited sections of the west somewhat alkaline.
Climate .- While its snows of winter and rains of summer are copious, the atmosphere of Minnesota is dry and healthful by reason of its excellent drainage and com- paratively great elevation above tide water. The winters, somewhat long and severe, are followed by brief springs which merge quickly into hot summers.1 These, in turn, are usually prolonged by many weeks of warm autumn weather known as the Indian summer. Bright days are the rule and cloudy the exception throughout the year; and the nights of summer are almost invariably cool.
Soil .- The soil of the State consists in the main of rich sandy and clayey loams remarkably free from stones, and therefore it is generally arable or suitable for grazing.
Flora .- Winchell estimates that, including their water surfaces, there are fifty-two thousand square miles of native forests in Minnesota. The greater part of this area lies east and north of a line drawn from St. Vincent to Fergus Falls, from there to St. Cloud, thence to Mankato, and finally to Hastings. The forests within the great tri- angle formed by the northern boundary, Lake Superior, and the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers are composed chiefly of white pine, Norway pine, tamarack, balsam, and white cedar. The remaining forests, besides certain narrow belts girting the lakes and fringing the rivers of the prairie regions, are made up of numerous species of deciduous shrubs and trees among which are the several varities of oak, ash, elm, birch, and maple. The most noted body of timber in this last section extends a hundred miles from north to south and fifty from east to west, thus
HISTORY OF MINNESOTA.
having an area of five thousand square miles. Its south- ern line is found in the counties of Blue Earth, Waseca, and LeSueur. It is called the Big Woods.
The prairies produce many nutritious grasses of luxuri- ant growth which of old made them the favorite haunts of wild herds seeking pasturage. Among the species in two typical prairie counties, Prof. Warren Upham locates the beard-grass, or blue-joint, Indian-grass, muskit-grass, and porcupine-grass upon intermediate uplands ; another spe- cies each of beard and muskit grasses on dry knolls ; fresh water cord-grass and rice cut-grass in sloughs. Among the flowers, which are seemingly of every form and color, he enumerates the aster, golden-rod, blazing-star, rose, lily, harebell, phlox, and fringed gentian.
Fauna .- The native fauna once included many fur- bearing animals ; but not a few of these, as the elk and bison, have vanished on the approach of civilization. Most worthy of mention among those still remaining in the remote forests are the otter, beaver, bear and deer. Many kinds of the wild duck and goose frequent the lakes, the partridge and pheasant are found in the woods, and grouse upon the prairies. Both lake and river abound in the varieties of fish common to the inland waters of the temperate zone. Worthy of note are the brook trout, pickerel, perch, rock bass, and wall-eyed pike.
Minerals .- Fine grades of limestone, sandstone, quartzite, and granite, fit for both plain and ornamental building, are found in large quantities throughout the State. Extensive beds of brick and pottery clays are of frequent occurrence. Lead and silver crop out to some extent in both the eastern and northeastern sections, but in
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DAYS OF THE VOYAGEURS.
the latter rich, inexhaustible veins of iron and copper have also lately been discovered.
The Dakotas .- The territory now included within the boundaries of Minnesota was originally occupied by the Dakotas,1 one of the great families of American aborig- ines. This family, or nation, had three great divisions: the Santees,2 who formerly dwelt in the section adjacent to Lake Superior and the head waters of the Mississippi; 3 the Yanktons, + who occupied the region north of the Min- nesota;5 and the Teetons,6 who roamed over the vast prairies along the western border, and had their. prin- cipal villages at Lac qui Parle7 and Big Stone Lake.8 The division first men- tioned was com- posed of four bands, DAKOTA TIPIS. the next of two, the last of seven, and all of these were still further subdivided. Moreover, the Assiniboines,9 supposed to be an ancient offshoot of the Yanktons, were found estab- lished near the chain of lakes which form part of the north- ern boundary ; and various tribes, among whom were the
20
HISTORY OF MINNESOTA.
Iowas10 and Omahas11, hunted far to the southward, par- ticularly in the celebrated pipestone region and along the Blue Earth12 and Des Moines13 rivers. But, whether by conquest or ancient heritage, Minnesota was peculiarly the land of the Dakotas, in which the other tribes men- tioned were but the sojourners of a day. Nomadic in their habits, yet deeply attached to the land of their fathers, on the one hand they were engaged in continual conflicts with the neighboring tribes, especially the Ojibwas14 their traditional enemies ; on the other, with a growing spirit of aggressiveness, were opposing them- selves to the onward march of civilization. Passionate in temperament and restive under restraint, they were quick to perceive a wrong ; fierce, revengeful, and relentless, they were ever ready to strike the blow of retaliation; hence, as we shall see hereafter, bloody massacres stand like grim sentinels along the whole course of their history.
The eminent Dakota scholar, Dr. Stephen R. Riggs, in his dictionary of the language of this nation, published by the Smithsonian Institution, gives an excellent account of them. It is here given with slight adaptations :-
Origin .- " The Dakotas sometimes speak of themselves as the seven council fires. These are the seven bands:
I. Mdewakantonwans15
2. Wapekutes16 [ Santees. ]
3. Wahpetonwans17
4. Sissitonwans18.
5. Thanktonwana . [ Yanktons ] 6. Thanktonwans
7. Titonwans [Teetons. ]
Questions of priority and precedence among these bands are sometimes discussed. The Mdewakantonwans think that the mouth of the Minnesota river is precisely over the
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DAYS OF THE VOYAGEURS.
center of the earth, and that they occupy the gate that opens into the western world. These considerations seem to give them importance in their own estimation. On the other hand the Sissitonwans and Ihanktonwans allege, that as they live on the great water-shed of this part of the continent, from which the streams run northward and eastward and southward and westward, they must be about the center of the earth; and they urge this fact as entitling them to precedence. It is singular that the Ti- tonwans, who are much the largest band of the Dakotas, do not appear to claim the chief place for themselves, but yield to the pretensions of the Ihanktonwans whom they call by the name of Wiciyela,19 which, in its meaning, may be regarded as about equivalent to 'They are the people.'
Language .- "In the arrangement of words in a sen- tence, the Dakota language may be regarded as eminently primitive and natural. The sentence 'Give me bread,' a Dakota transposes. ... 'Bread me give.' Such is the genius of the language, that in translating a sentence or verse from the Bible, it is generally necessary to com- mence, not at the beginning, but at the end; and such, too, is the common practice of their best interpreters. Where the person who is speaking leaves off, there they commence and pronounce backwards to the beginning. In this way the connection of the sentences is more easily retained in the mind and they are more naturally evolved.
Counting. - " Counting is usually done by means of their fingers. If you ask some Dakotas how many there are of any thing, instead of directing their answer to your organs of hearing, they present it to your sight, by hold- ing up so many fingers. When they have gone over the
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22
HISTORY OF MINNESOTA.
.
fingers and thumbs of both hands, one is temporarily turned down for one ten. Eleven is ten-more-one, or more commonly again-one ; twelve is again-two, and so on ; nineteen is the other-nine. At the end of the next ten another finger is turned down, and so on. Twenty is two tens, thirty is three tens, etc.,. Opowinge, one hundred, is probably derived from powinga, to go around in circles .... as the fingers have all been gone over again for their respective tens. The Dakota word for a thous- and, keptopawinge, may be formed of ake and opawinge, hundreds again, having now completed the circle of their fingers in hundreds, and being about to commence again. They have no separate word to denote any higher num- ber than a thousand. There is a word to designate one- half of any thing, but none to denote any smaller aliquot part.
Counting Time .- "The Dakotas have names for the natural divisions of time. Their years they ordinarily count by winters. A man is so many winters old, or so many winters have passed since such an event. When one is going on a journey, he does not usually say he will be back in so many days as we do, but in so many nights or sleeps. In the same way they compute distance by the number of nights passed in making the journey. They have no division of time into weeks. Their months are literally moons. WI 720 signifies moon or lunar month. The popular belief is that when the moon is full, a great number of very small mice commence nibbling one side of it, which they continue to do until they have eaten it all up. Soon after this another moon begins to grow, which goes on increasing until it has reached its full size only to share the fate of its predecessor; so that with them the
.
1
1
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DAYS OF THE VOYAGEURS.
new moon is really new, and not the old one re-appearing. To the moons they have given names, each of which refers to some prominent physical fact that occurs about that time in the year. These are the meanings :-
January-the hard moon.
February-the raccoon moon.
March-the sore-eye moon.
April-the moon in which the geese lay eggs, or the moon when the streams are again navigable.
May-the planting moon.
June-the moon when the strawberries are red.
July-the moon when the choke cherries are ripe, or when the geese shed their feathers.
August-the harvest moon.
September-the moon when the rice is laid up to dry. October-the drying rice moon.
November-the deer breeding moon.
December-the moon when the deer shed their horns.
" Five moons are usually counted to the winter, and five to the summer, leaving only one each to the spring and autumn ; but this distinction is not closely adhered to. The Dakotas' often have very warm debates, especially to- ward the close of the winter, about what moon it is. The raccoons do not always make their appearance at the same time every winter ; and the causes which produce sore eyes are not developed at precisely the same time in each successive spring. All these variations make room for strong arguments in a Dakota tent . But the main reason for their frequent difference of opinion in re- gard to this matter, viz .. that twelve lunations do not bring them to the point from which they commenced counting, never appears to have suggested itself. In
24
HISTORY OF MINNESOTA.
order to make their moons correspond with the seasons, they are obliged to pass over one every few years.
Poetry .- " The Dakotas can hardly be said to know any thing about poetry. A few words make a long song, for the Hi-hi-hi-hi-hi is only now and then interrupted by the enunciation of the words. Sometimes their war songs are so highly figurative that their meaning is just the op- posite of what the expression used would naturally con- vey. To the young man who has acted very bravely, by . killing an enemy and taking his scalp, they say, 'Friend, thou art a fool, thou hast let the Ojibwas strike thee.' This is understood to be the highest form of eulogy.
Sacred Language .- " The Dakota conjurer, the war- prophet, and the dreamer experience the same need that is felt by more elaborate performers among other nations, of a language which is unintelligible to the common people, for the purpose of impressing upon them the idea of their superiority. Their dreams, according to their own account, are revelations made from the spirit world, and their prophetic visions are what they saw and knew in a former state of existence. It is, then, only natural that their dreams and visions should be clothed in words many of which the multitude do not understand. The sacred language is not very extensive, since the use of a few unintelligible words suffices to make a whole speech incomprehensible. It may be said to consist first, in em- ploying words as the names of things which seem to have been introduced from other Indian languages ; as, nide, water : pazo, wood ; etc. In the second place, it consists in employing descriptive expressions, instead of the ordi- nary names of things ; as in calling a man a biped, and the wolf a quadruped. And thirdly, words which are
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25
DAYS OF THE VOYAGEURS.
common in the language are used far out of their ordinary signification ; as, hepan, the second child, if a boy, is used to designate the otter. When the Dakota braves ask a white man for an ox or cow, they generally call it a dog ; and when a sachem begs a horse from a white chief, he does it under the designation of moccasins. This is the source of many of the figures of speech in Indian oratory ; but they are sometimes too obscure to be beautiful.
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