USA > Minnesota > Polk County > Compendium of history and biography of Polk County, Minnesota > Part 9
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74
55
COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY
The Indians who signed the treaty made by Ram- sey and Morrill at the Old Crossing were as follows : Moose Dung, Crooked Arm, Little Rock, and Leading Feather, chiefs of the Red Lake band; Red Robe, Big Man, Four Skies, Falling Wind, and Berry Hunter, principal warriors of the Red Lake band. Representing the Pembina band were Chiefs Red Bear and Little Shell, and Warriors Wolverine, Joseph Gornore, and Joseph Montreuil, the last two mixed bloods.
It was Indian war time when the Old Crossing treaty was made, and Commissioners Ramsey and Morrill had a formidable military escort of infantry, cavalry, and artillery, all Minnesota volunteers. Some of the witnesses to the Indian signatures were Joseph A. Wheelock, the commission's secretary, afterward the well-known editor of the St. Paul Pioneer Press; Maj. Geo. A. Camp, Capt. Wm. T. Rockwood, and Surgeon F. Rieger, of the Eighth Minnesota Infan- try; Capt. P. B. Davy and Lieut. L. S. Kidder, Com- pany K, First Minnesota Mounted Rangers; Lieut. G. M. Dwelle, Third Minnesota Battery, and Pierre
Bottineau, the famous old mixed-blood scout. Benj. Dolbec, a member of Capt. Davy's Company, was present at both the treaty and the celebration and pointed out the exact site.
At Washington and the treaty of April, 1864, the Indian signers of the amended treaty were as follows: From the Red Lake Band, Head Chief May-dwa-gwa- no-nind (or One Spoken to) and Chiefs Moose Dung and Little Rock; Warriors Leading Feather, the Boy, Falling Wind, Little Shoe, White Hair, Straight Bird, Makes the Earth Tremble, and Bad Boy. From the Pembina Band, Chief Red Bear and Warriors Equal Sky and Wants Feathers. The witnesses for the In- dians were Paul H. Beaulieu, J. G. Morrison, and Hon. Peter Roy, interpreters; for the United States; T. A. Warren, interpreter, Chas. E. Gardell, and Chas. Bottineau. All of the witnesses for both sides were Chippewa mixed bloods.
As has been stated the treaty was held near the village of Huot, which was first called Louisville. Both names were derived from Louis Huot, the pio- neer owner of the site.
CHAPTER VII. EARLY HISTORICAL DATA AFTER 1850.
FIRST NATIONAL CENSUS-FROM 1850 TO 1860-HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY RETURNS TO MINNESOTA-BUILDING OF FORT ABERCROMBIE-CREATION OF POLK COUNTY.
In Volume II of Cooper & Company's History of the Red River Valley (Chicago, 1909), appears a chapter descriptive and narrative of Polk county. It may be characterized as the only historical sketch of the county ever published in imposing form. The article was written and revised by Hon. William Watts, of Crookston, and therefore may be regarded as authoritative. For Judge Watts is a long-time resi- dent of the county and well versed in its history from its beginning as an organized county, and even long before. It is well that he consented to write the article, for otherwise much of the record of the county would be lost and not preserved in convenient and permanent form.
From the judge's valuable article several notes of the county's history have been extracted and used as data or notes for the present volume. Some of them have been quoted literally, but the majority have been used practically as texts or suggestions for comment. For example he speaks of the old Pembina trail, as "the route by which the Hudson's Bay Company car- ried its furs and merchandise between the Northwest and St. Paul in the early days," and he states that although the famous trail passed through Polk County the Bay Company had no trading post within its bor- ders. The fact is that the Bay Company never used the trail "in early days," and made but little use of it at any time. The trail was inaugurated in 1844 by Norman W. Kittson (then the chief factor of Chou- teau & Company, of St. Louis) at Pembina, and it was used almost exclusively by him and his sub-agents up to about 1854, when he entered into partnership with
Major W. H. Forbes, in St. Paul, in the general Indian trade supply business. The organization was called "the St. Paul Outfit." The Hudson's Bay Company first used the trail in 1858. In Harper's Magazine for January, 1859, the late Dr. R. O. Sweeney, of St. Paul, wrote :
* * The past season over 800 Red River carts, loaded with furs and skins, came into St. Paul from those far northwestern valleys. Even the Hud- son's Bay Company have at last availed themselves of the superior facilities of the heretofore ignored routes to our market, by sending last season over 60 packages of furs and pelts, taking in return cattle, mules, and implements of agriculture.
It would seem that 60 packages, or about 3,000 pounds, would not constitute but a very small portion of the cargoes of the carts, for three of the screaking but stout vehicles could easily transport 3,000 pounds.
FIRST NATIONAL CENSUS.
From 1850 to 1860 there was some development and occupation of the country within the present limits of Polk county. Indeed it seems from certain known circumstances that settlements were made in different parts of the country's present area before 1850.
In 1858, when Polk County was created by the Min- nesota Legislature, its declared boundaries included all of the now area of the county, and also the follow- ing described territory : All of Pennington, Red Lake, Mahnomen, Clearwater, and Norman Counties; the greater part off the north half of Clay County; twelve miles of the northern part and a strip three sections long from north to south by one section wide off the
56
57
COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPIIY OF POLK COUNTY
west side of Beeker County; the southwest part of Beltrami County; twelve miles off the southern part of Marshall County and all of the Red Lake Indian Reservation-an area of abont 3,030 miles.
When in 1849 and 1850 a eensus of the people of Minnesota Territory was taken whatever civilized population existed in this region was counted in the returns of Pembina County, to which county what is now Polk then belonged. But in 1860 Polk County was in existence, a separate county, and in the census of that year it was enumerated separately. The eom- missioner was Osear Taylor, of St. Cloud, who was a lawyer, but during the Civil and Indian Wars was a captain in the First Minnesota Mounted Rangers ; later he was a member of the Legislature for several years and a prominent attorney of St. Cloud. His enumeration was made in the month of July.
At the time of the enunciation there were four post- offices in the then Polk County, viz. : Georgetown, Rice River, Red River Junetion, and Red Lake. Of these only Red River Junction, now East Grand Forks, is a Polk County town and post office. The population of the county was listed as to their post office addresses, and the total was 240, of which 140 males and 100 were females. (Minnesota Year Book for 1871-1872.)
Of course each of these post offices was the site of one or more trading houses and the enumerated inhab- itants were for the most part eonnceted in some way with them. Perhaps a majority of those eounted, especially those at Red Lake, were Indians or mixed bloods. The rule was to count all of white blood, and also all Indians and those of mixed Indian blood that had "adopted the habits and eustoms of eivilization." This definition was held to include all that had pro- fessed Christianity, no matter if they still went blank- eted and moccasined and yet dwelt in tepees and wig- wams. The number of the mixed bloods reported was 94, leaving the total white population 146.
These figures are from the manuscript copy of the census, as reported by Commissioner Taylor and now on file in the office of Publie Documents in the capitol building at St. Paul, and also as reported in the State Legislative Manual for 1871. 4
According to the manuscript copy of the census referred to the population of Red River Junetion (now understood to be what is East Grand Forks) was as follows:
"Eustace Oiner, age 30; laborer; born in Upper Canada.
"Nolbert Laureanee, age 20; laborer; born Upper Canada.
"Martin Schulte, age 14; servant ; born Germany.
"Charles Benoit, age 18; servant; born Lower Canada.
"William C. Wilworth, age 33; engineer ; value of real estate, $3,000; personal, $1,200; born in New York. His wife, Emily Wilworth, age 27; housewife ; born New York ; his ehild, Jane Wilworth, age 4; born in Minnesota.
"Win. Peters, age 21 ; laborer; born Hudson's Bay Terry.
"George W. Northrup, age 23; surveyor; personal property $300; born in New York.
"Antoine Bellaire, age 34; laborer ; his wife, Kath- erine, age 34, and their seven children, Antoine, age 12; Charlotte, age 10; Mary, age 8; Eustace, age 6; Deliet, age 5; Solomon, age 3, and Joseph, age 1; all mixed bloods and born in Minnesota; no property listed.
"Saml. J. Painter, ( ?) age 39; steamboat captain ; real estate, $3,000; personal property, $1,000; born Pennsylvania. His wife, Elizabeth, born Virginia, and their five children-Sarah Ellen, aged 11, Rosanna aged 9, Franeis M. aged 7, and James aged 5, were born in Kentucky, and Joel, aged 3, born in Minnesota.
"Charles Cavileer, age 42; physician; real estate, $10,000; personal, $500; born in Ohio. His wife, Isabel, age 22; born Hudson's Bay Territory; their children, Sarah J. age 3, Edmund R. age 2, and Wil- liam MeI. age two months, were born in Minnesota.
"Jane Bruce, age 30 ; no oeenpation given ; personal property $200; born in Hudson's Bay Terry .; mixed blood.
"Eliza Currier, age 16; no occupation ; born Hud- son's Bay Territory ; mixed blood.
"Moses Currier, age 12; born H. B. Terry ; mixed blood.
"Albert Seargeant, age 40; merchant; real estate $800; personal $1,500; born New Hampshire.
"Win. Henry Morse, age 30; steamboat pilot ; real estate $10,000; personal $500.
"Richard C. Burdiek, age 25; merehant; personal $1,000. His wife, Catherine, age 22; born in New York. Their child, Charles, age 2, born in Minne- sota.
"Catherine Nelson, age 39; servant; born Vir- ginia ; negro.
".John Bereau, age 24; servant; born Hudson's B. Terry."
58
COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHIY OF POLK COUNTY
The whole population therefore was 40, including one negro and 12 mixed bloods. Total males, 25; females, 15. There were only 8 dwelling houses listed; perhaps the Indian and mixed-blood lodges and shacks were not counted. The total value of real estate owned was $26,800; personal property, $6,200.
Georgetown post office reported 65 people, of whom 3 were mixed bloods; Rice River, 46 whites and 4 mixed bloods; Red Lake had 4 whites (traders) and 80 mixed bloods and one Indian, John Tombay.
The exact residences of the people of these various post offices eannot here 'be definitely given. It is probable, however, that for the most part those of Red River Junction (as East Grand Forks was then called) lived at or near the Junetion. The place was called Red River Junction because it was the junetion of the Red River with its principal tribu- tary, the Red Lake. . What eventually became of all these Red River Junetion people is not known to the present writer. We know that Charles Cavileer (as he always wrote his name) went to North Dakota and laid out the town of Pembina, was its first post- master, and died there in 1902. He was prominent in early North Dakota affairs and the county of Cavalier (with the reformed spelling) was named for him.
George W. Northrup was from St. Paul, though a New York born. He led an adventurous life as a hunter, Indian trader, guide, ete. At one time, in 1858, he was eaptain of the "Anson Northrup" (Minn. Hist. Coll., Vol. 8, p. 52.) In the Civil War he enlisted in Company C, of Braekett's Battalion, of cavalry, and in the Sioux battle of Khay Tah-hıkah Koota, ("hill or mountain where we shot the deer") commonly called the battle of Killdeer Moun- tain, he charged far to the front and received ten Indian arrows in his body, one through his heart. The Indians knew him well and ealled him "the Man that Pulls a IIand Cart," beeanse when on one oeea- sion, when he was eonmeeted with a train of Red River earts, he drew one of them quite a distance.
(See Pioneer Press, Oet. 12, 1896; Capt. Blakely, Minn. ITist. Socy., Coll. Vol. 8, p. 53; Edwd. Eggles- ton, Harper's Mag. Feb., 1894.)
FROM 1850 TO 1860.
After the creation and organization of Minne- sota Territory, in the early part of 1849, the first Legislature divided the territory into nine counties, ealled Washington, Ramsey, Benton, Itasea, Waba- shaw, Dakotah, Wahnahta, Mahkahto, and Pembina. At the time the Missouri River was the western boun- dary. Pembina County extended from the west line of Itasea to the Missouri River and from the Cana- dian boundary southward to the mouth of the Buf- falo River. It comprised generally what is now nearly all of the northwestern part of Minnesota and praetieally all of the present State of Northi Dakota east of the Missouri River. What is now and has in the past been North Dakota was for nine years a part of Pembina County.
The census of that county in 1849 gave it a popu- lation of 637, of which number 295 were males. The post-office of all these persons was given as Pembina, though many of them lived at what is now St. Vin- eent, on the east bank of the Red River, opposite Pembina. Of the entire population 27 persons were listed as born at Red Lake or elsewhere in "Minne- sota Territory," and seven were natives of other States. Nearly all the people were of mixed Indian blood. (U. S. Census Reps. for 1850; also N. Dak. Hist. Coll., Vol. 1, p. 385 et seq.) It is almost cer- tain that in 1849 there were white people living within the present confines of Polk, but we do not know who and exactly where they were.
THIE HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY RETURNS TO MINNESOT.1.
After having its posts and agents banished from the United States, in 1821, the Hudson's Bay Com- pany confined its operations to its own territory or other portions of Canada. There was great ill feel- ing by the American traders against the traders and posts of the great English corporation. The agents
59
COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHIY OF POLK COUNTY
of this corporation seem to have been always rapa- cious and they became unserupulous and bold. They sought every means to capture and secure the Indian trade in the northern part of the United States west of Lake Superior and as far south of the interna- tional boundary as possible. They supplied the In- dian hunters freely with whisky, during the trading seasons, indneed hundreds of them to come over to Canada to trade and even to sell their furs to the company's servants at points within the United States. They frequently came upon trading excur- sions up the Red River and often were at Red Lake, always bringing whisky. They were not allowed under an English law to "sell" ardent spirits to the liquor-loving Indians, but it was held that "ex- changing" these beverages for furs was not selling !
All along during the decade of 1840, and in the early part of that of 1850, Norman Kittson, Joe Rolette, and other American traders in this quarter had complained often and vehemently of the injuries done them by the Bay Company's traders and hunt- ers. They said that in addition to seducing the Indian trade away from them, the company's men habitually raided what is now the northern part of North Dakota and killed and drove off so many buf- faloes that often there was a meat famine among the Teton and Mandan Sioux and the Assiniboines, Crees, and Chippewas, upon whom the traders de- pended for patronage.
In the winter of 1849 Kittson and Henry M. Rice -the latter having a number of trading houses in the Chippewa country-made strenuons efforts to stop the predatory incursions upon their preserves. Kittson wrote to Delegate Sibley: "The traders of the Hudson's Bay Company have, during a few months past, been engaged extensively in intro- ducing liquor among the Indians within our limits." Rice wrote to Gen. Fletcher, agent for the Winne- bagoes :
"The agents of the H. B. Co. brought a large quantity of ardent spirits to their depot at Rainy Lake, and at the time the Indians were gathering
their last wild rice crop they sent a quantity of liquor within our boundary and gave it to our Indians in exchange for rice. I have ample and positive proof of this. It is impossible to take provisions to these remote posts, and the traders and employees are compelled to live on wild rice and fish; the rice they purchase from the Indians. The object of the H. B. Co. was to secure all of the surplus rice so that my men would be compelled to abandon the country. They well know that, with the advantage of whisky, they can break down any opposition."
And February 12, 1849. Gen. Fletcher wrote to llon. Wm. Medill, commissioner of "Indian Affairs."
"The object which the British traders have in sup- plying the Indians with ardent spirits is to break down the American traders. They annoy and dis- commode our traders by purchasing with whisky all the surplus provisions the Indians have, but they injure our traders most by preventing them from obtaining furs. While the Indians can obtain liquor, they will not hunt and obtain furs, and having no money nothing can be made out of trade with them. About 20,000 buffalo are killed annually within the country occupied by the Sioux and Chippewa In- dians south of our northern boundary by half breeds from the British side of the line. One-third of the Red River Canadians subsist on buffalo killed on the American side of the line. The destruction of the buffalo is a heavy tax on our Indians, especially the Sioux."
These descriptions of conditions induced the au- thorities at Washington and the expedition of Maj. Woods and Capt. Pope, of 1849, was resolved upon. In his instructions to Maj. Woods for the conduct of the expedition, Adjutant General R. Jones in- structed him, among other things, to observe and report upon the condition of the Indians at Pem- bina and the Red River Valley, and particularly to report "the influence exerted on them by the Hud- son's Bay Company by trade, present, and other- wise." In asking President Taylor for the expedi- tion, Hon. Thomas Ewing, Secretary of the Interior -which office had been newly created-stated that the great evils committed upon northern Minnesota by the Hudson's Bay agents ought to be at once "corrected and prevented in the future." Among other suggestions he proposed that a moderate por- tion of the then Indian country, near the boundary
60
COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY
line, and "upon the Red River of the North" be speedily acquired by treaty and purchase. This tract of country so acquired he thought ought to be "opened to actual settlement, for which it is repre- sented to be well adapted." On the tract he would place "a body of citizens ready, not only to observe our laws respecting intercourse with the Indians, but willing and able to prevent further violations of them or incursious into our territory by those connected with the British settlements north of the boundary."
The Secretary wrote April 4, 1849, and on the 6th of June following the expedition left Fort Snelling.
But for some time after the Woods and Pope ex- pedition to Pembina the trespasses of the Hudson's Bay Company continued; not until 1857, after they had been allowed to establish their own posts on American soil. Gradually, however, they ceased almost entirely.
In 1857 the Hudson's Bay Company decided to abandon York Factory, its station and principal port of entry at the mouth of Nelson River, at Hudson's Bay. Soon after it completed arrangements with the U. S. Secretary of the Treasury whereby goods for the company and for the former Selkirk colonists might be carried in bond through the United States via St. Paul, Minnesota, and the Red River of the North. (N. D. Ilist. Coll., Vol. 3, p. 552.) Trade with the Red River Valley now grew rapidly. Posts of the Bay Company, by permission of the United States, were established at various points on the river. In 1860 Mr. Kittson sold out all his interests in the Red River fur trade to his former unprin- cipled rival and oppressor, the Bay Company, and became its agent, eventually establishing a line of steamboats and barges called the Red River Valley Transportation Company.
BUILDING OF FORT ABERCROMBIE.
The establishment of Fort Abercrombie, although on the Dakota side of the river, was another event of importance in the history and development of the
Red River Valley. Its location was determined upon in 1857, but it was built chiefly in 1858 and 1859. Its location was determined by the reports and rec- ommendations of Maj. Woods aud Capt. Pope, after their expedition to Pembina in 1849. Work was commenced upon the buildings in the spring of 1858, and the first structures were log cabins. It was named for Col. John J. Abercrombie, then lieutenant colonel of the Second U. S. Infantry, and detach- ments of that regiment constituted the first garrison.
In June, 1858, a private expedition, of which Manton Marble, the accomplished writer and artist, was a member, visited Fort Abercrombie on a trip to Pembina and beyond. On page 306 of Harper's Magazine for August, 1860, appears a sketch by Mar- ble of the incomplete fort as it was in June, 1858, with the little log cabins as the soldiers' quarters, ete. Below the sketeh is a printed description by Mr. Marble from which the following is an extract :
"North of Graham's point (12 miles) as we round- ed a turn of the river, whose wooded margin had concealed it from us hitherto, we came in sight of Fort Abercrombie-that is, of the one building creeted for the commander's quarters and the canvas storehouses, which are built upon the prairie near the river bank. The log houses or quarters which officers and privates at present occupy are all built in a quadrangle upon a pear-shaped promontory, look- ing west toward the prairie."
The Government records show that Lieut. Col. Abercrombie arrived with the first detchment of his troops in August, 1857. (Sec. War Rep. Cong. Series No. 943, p. 354.) But the fort was not fully com- pleted for several years later. The objeet of its build- ing at the time the work commenced was not the pro- tection of the American traders against the agents of the Hudson's Bay Company, since at that time the latter, by permission of and license from the Ameri- ean authorities, had their posts everywhere through the Valley and practically controlled, without protest or objection, the trade of the region. The objeet was to protect and encourage the pioneers that were com- ing into western Minnesota to take advantage of the offer by the Government of new lands in that quarter.
61
COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY
Probably, too, the building was seeured by the associa- tion of Northern and Southern Democrats, some of whom were Senator Henry M. Rice and Henry T. Welles, of Minnesota; John C. Breekinridge and Beriah Magoffin, of Kentucky; Robert Toombs, of Georgia ; George B. Clitherall, of Alabama; Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, and probably Dr. Archibald Graham, of Virginia. Some of the operations in Min- nesota of these gentlemen are noted elsewhere.
But in July, 1859, the fort was temporarily aban- doned. On the 25th Capt. N. II. Davis, Second U. S. Infantry, with one company of that regiment, aban- doned the post, leaving it in charge of a military store- keeper. The reason assigned was that there was no longer any danger to Americans or American inter- ests in that quarter. The abandonment was not for very long. In June, 1860, it was re-occupied by three companies of the Second Infantry, under Capt. Gard- ner and was garrisoned thereafter until in 1877, when it was discontinued as a military post.
The establishment of Fort Abercrombie was of great assistance in the development of Polk County and all of the other portions of the Red River Valley. Set- tlers were induced to come to the country in the belief that the fort would be a refuge and a rendezvous in case of Indian trouble, and that no serions dauger need be feared from the savages. It was due largely to the representations of Henry T. Welles, through Senator Henry M. Rice, that a garrison was ordered re-established in the summer of 1859. The associa- tion which he represented had laid out the town of Breckenridge and wanted to sell lots therein, as well as to dispose of their lands in the vicinity, and the occupation of the fort by 300 soldiers would give eon- fidence in the situation to would-be investors and spec- ulators. (For a good and authentic sketch of Fort Abererombie see Part 2, Vol. 2, No. Dak. Hist. Socy. Coll.)
CREATION OF POLK COUNTY.
The creation of Polk County was brought about by a strange set of influences and circumstances. In
1856-57, while Henry M. Rice was in Washington, as delegate in Congress from Minnesota Territory, he formed a sort of business alliance, as he had some time before formed an intimate friendship with certain prominent Southern men, the most of whom were members of Congress. Some of these men were Jeffer- son Davis, Secretary of War in 1856; John C. Breck- inridge, Vice President ; James Buchanan, President, both from 1857 to 1861; Robert Toombs, of Georgia, U. S. Senator, and Beriah Magoffin, later Governor of Kentucky.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.