USA > Minnesota > Renville County > The history of Renville County, Minnesota, Volume I > Part 10
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
practicable, keep company together, and encamp every night, if possible, at the same place."
On July 13 they reached the vicinity of Traverse des Sioux (St. Peter), and eneamped at a beautiful bend of the river, called the Crescent. Here the expedition left the canoes, reduced the escort, and on July 15 moved westward by the route of Swan lake. They now numbered in total twenty-four men, with twenty- one horses. The most southern part of the course of the Minne- sota having been ent off by the journey past Swan lake, this stream was again reached and crossed a short distance below the mouth of the Cottonwood river. Thence the expedition passed along the southwestern side of the valley, and across the con- tiguous upland prairies, to Lae qui Parle and Big Stone lake. The latter lake was reached on July 22, and the Columbia Fur Com- pany's trading post, at the southern end of Lake Traverse. the next day. Joseph Snelling returned to Ft. Snelling from Pem- bina by way of the Red and Minnesota rivers, thus passing Ren- ville county.
Professor Keating mentions the Redwood river and states that the red pipestone was said to exist on its banks three days' journey from its month. Mention is made of Patterson's rapids, the Grand portage, the Pejehata Zeze Watapan ( Yellow Medi- eine) river, Beaver rivulet (Lae qui Parle river, and other physical features. Interesting observations were recorded respecting the fauna and flora of the prairies.
The Pembina Refugees. The members of the Pembina colony in the Red river valley were among the people who passed Ren- ville county during the era of exploration. In the early winter of 1820 the Pembina colony seut a delegation to Prairie du Chien for seed wheat, which could not be found nearer home. The men set out on snow shoes and reached their destination in three months. The route was by the way of the Red river to Lake Traverse, then down the Minnesota, past Fort Snelling, and thence down the Mississippi. At Prairie du Chien 250 bushels of wheat was purchased at ten shillings ($2.50) per bushel. It was loaded into flat boats, which were, with much hard labor, pro- pelled up the Mississippi to the St. Peter, thence up that river to the portage near Lake Traverse. The boats and cargo were then transported across to the Red river and floated down that stream to Pembina.
In 1827 a mimber of Swiss families left the Red river colony to make new homes for themselves within the United States. They were accompanied by several families of French Cana- dians who had become "Selkirkers." that is, members of the Selkirk colony. The refugees came down the valley on the Red river-or up that stream-to Lake Traverse, and thence down the Minnesota (or St. Peter's) to Fort Snelling. Alexis Bailly
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IHISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
and others who had visited the colonists in their Red river homes had informed them of the superiority of the Minnesota country over the Assiniboine region, and assured them that they would be heartily welcome if they removed to the big. Tree, hospitable and favored company of the Stars and Stripes.
Colonel Snelling gave the refugees a kindly reception and allowed them to settle on the military reservation, west of the Mississippi and north of the fort. The colonists at once set to work and built houses, opened farms, engaged in work at the fort, and were soon comfortable, contented and hopeful. All of the refugees spoke French. The French Swiss and the French Canadians seemed like kinsmen and dwelt together like brethren in unity. It is of record that among these people were Abraham Perry, a watchmaker, and Lonis Massie, both Switzers, but the names of the other heads of families have not been preserved.
July 25. 1831, twenty more Red river colonists arrived at Fort Snelling. Up to the year 1836 nearly 500 more had come, and by the year 1840 nearly 200 more, while from time to time, for many years, frost-bitten and Famine-stricken fugitives from the Red river country found rest For their feet, food for their bodies and comfort generally in Minnesota. But only about one- half of these people remained here permanently. The others went further sonth-to Prairie du Chien, to Illinois, to Missouri, and some families journeyed to Vevay, Indiana, the site of a Swiss settlement.
Nearly all of the early residents of St. Paul were Red river refugees and their children. Many of the descendants of good old Abraham Perry were born in Minnesota and are yet citizens of the state.
Featherstonhaugh and Mather. Another exploration of southwestern Minnesota was made in the summer of 1835 by G. W. Featherstonhangh, an English gentleman. He bore the title of United States geologist and was commissioned by Colonel J. J. Abert, of the Bureau of Topographical Engineers. Feather- stonhaugh proceeded up the Minnesota river to lakes Big Stone and Traverse, and to the high sonrees of the Minnesota on the Coteau des Prairies west of these lakes. Featherstonhangh was accompanied by William Williams Mather.
From Featherstonhangh's expedition resulted two works, one entitled "Report of geological reconnoisance made in 1835 from the seat of government by the way of Green Bay and the Wis- consin Territory to the Coteau des Prairies, an elevated ridge dividing the Missouri from the St. Peter's (Minnesota) river." printed by the order of the Senate in 1836, and the other "A Canoe Voyage up the Minnay Sotar, " published in London in 1847.
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Catlin. It was in 1837 that George Catlin, the famous traveler and Indian delineator, passed near this county on his way to visit the Pipestone quarries.
Hle organized the expedition at the Falls of St. Anthony and was accompanied only by Robert Serril Wood, "a young gentle- man from England of fine taste and education," and an Indian guide, O-kup-kee by name.
This little party traveled horseback and followed the usual route up the Minnesota. At Traverse des Sioux, near the present site of St. Peter, Mr. Catlin and his companion halted at the eabin of a trader, where they were threatened by a band of savages and warned not to persist in their determination to visit the quarries. They continued on their way, however, crossed to the north side of the river at Traverse des Sionx, proceeded in a westerly direction, and crossed the Minnesota to the south bank near the mouth of the Warajn (Cottonwood). elose to the present city of New Ulm.
There Messrs. Catlin and Wood left the river and journeyed "a little north of west" for the Coteau des Prairies. They trav- eled through the present counties of Brown, Redwood and Lyon and passed several Indian villages, at several of which they were notified that they must go baek ; but, undaunted, they continued their journey. Catlin states in one place that he traveled one hundred miles or more from the mouth of the Cottonwood, and in another place "for a distance of one hundred and twenty or thirty miles" before reaching the base of the coteau, when he was still "forty or fifty miles from the Pipestone quarries." lle deelared this part of the journey was over one of the most beau- tiful prairie countries in the workl.
Most of Catlin's distances were overestimated. The distance from the month of the Cottonwood to the base of the coteau where he came upon it is only about seventy-two miles in a direct line ; then he was about thirty-six miles from the quarries.
Nicollet and Fremont. From 1836 to 1843, most of the time assisted by John C. Fremont, afterward candidate for the presi- deney of the United States on the Republican ticket. Joseph Nicolas Nicollet prosecuted a geographical survey of the upper Mississippi country. He explored nearly all portions of Mine- sota and many other parts of the country theretofore unvisited. His operations in south-eentral Minnesota were quite extensive. In 1838 Nicollet and Fremont made a trip to the vicinity of what is now Renville county. In the party were six men, the others being Charles A. Geyer, the botanist of the expedition : J. Eugene Flandin and James Renville.
Nicollet and Fremont traveled from Washington to St. Louis and thence up the Mississippi river to H. 11. Sibley's trading post, near the mouth of the Minnesota river. Thenee they journeyed
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
over the general route of travel up the east side of the Minne- sota river, crossing at Traverse des Sioux. They proceeded west across the fox-bow, " stopping at Big Swan lake in Nicollet county. and crossed the Minnesota again at the mouth of the Cottonwood. They proceeded up the valley of the Cottonwood. on the north side of the river, to a point near the present site of Lamberton, and then crossed to the south side of the river and struck across country to the Pipestone quarries.
On Nicollet's map, issued in 1843. his route to the quarries is indicated by a fine dotted line. This map at the time it was issued was the most complete and correct one of the upper Mis- sissippi country. It covered all of Mimesota and Iowa. about one-half of Missouri, and much of the Dakotas, Wisconsin and Illinois. The author gave names to many streams and lakes and gave the first representation of the striking topographical features of the western and northern parts of Minnesota. He located, by astronomical observations, the numerous streams and lakes and the main geographical features of the state. filling in by eye-sketching and by pacing the intermediate objects. On his map the country along the Minnesota river is labeled Warpeton country and that further south Sisseton country.
After spending three days at the Pipestone quarries, where is now situated the city of Pipestone, the Nicollet party visited and named Lake Benton ifor Mr. Fremont's father-in-law, Sena- tor Bentoni and then proceeded westward into Dakota. visiting and naming Lakes Preston (for Senator Preston, Poinsett (for . R. Poinsett, secretary of war). Albert. Thompson. Tetonkoha. Kampeska and Hendricks. Before returning to civilization Nicol- let visited Big Stone lake and other places to the north. le returned to the Falls of St. Anthony by way of Joseph Ren- ville's camp on the Lae qui Parle.
Allen. The next recorded visit of white men was in 1844. when an expedition in charge of Captain JJ. Allen came up the Des Moines river, operating chiefly to chart that and other streams. lle passed through Jackson, Cottonwood and Murray counties and came to Bake Shetek, which he decided was the source of the Des Moines river. He gave that body of water the name Lake of the Oaks and described it as remarkable for a singular arrangement of the peninsulas running into it From all sides and for a heavy growth of timber that covered the penin- sulas and the borders of the lake.
With Lake Shetek as temporary headquarters, Captain Allen extended his explorations in several directions. He proceeded due north from the lake and crossed the Cottonwood and later the Redwood near the present site of Marshall. When thirty- seven miles north of Lake Shetek he turned east and crossed the Redwood again near the site of Redwood Falls. From the mouth
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
of the Redwood he explored the south shore of the Minnesota river several miles up and down and returned to Lake Shetek. The expedition then set ont for the west and went down the Big Sioux river to its mouth.
"From Lizard creek of the Des Moines to the source of the Des Moines, and thence cast to the St. Peter's is a range for elk and common deer, but principally elk," wrote Captain Allen. "We saw a great many of the elk on our route and killed many of them; they were sometimes seen in droves of hundreds, but were always difficult to approach and very difficult to overtake in chase, exeept with a fleet horse and over good ground. No dependence could be placed in this country for the subsistence of troops marching through it."
Fur Traders .- These explorers, Le Sueur, Carver. Long, Krat- ing and Beltrami, Featherstonhaugh and Mather, Catlin, Nicollet and Fremont and Allen were men who gave their knowledge to the world, and their journeys in the Minnesota river region marked distinct epochs in its development. It should be nnder- stood. however, that even before 1700 white men were probably passing Renville county with more or less frequency. The fact that several Frenchmen took refnge in Le Suenr's fort after being stripped naked by the Indians shows that white men visited this region even at that early date.
Lac qui Parle, Big Stone lake and Lake Traverse made exeel- lent fur trading points, and were probably locations of such from early in the eighteenth century. The furs from these posts were brought down the Minnesota and past Renville county in canoes.
Of the several traders in the Minnesota valley toward the close of the eighteenth century one of the principal ones was Murdoch Cameron, a Scotchman.
As early as 1783, Charles Patterson had a trading post in Ren- ville county. Ile was located in what is now section 29, township 114. range 36 (Flora township). at the place long known as Pat- terson's rapids. The site of his post is now a popular pienie place.
Charles Le Page, a Canadian. made a trip from the Yellowstone region in 1803. He reached the headwaters of the Minnesota, May 15, and with a band of Yanktons and Sissetons went on to Mendota.
James II. Lockwood, the first white native of the United States to trade with the Indians of this locality, came up the Minnesota river in 1816, and maintained a trading post at Lae qui Parle for a little over two years.
After Ft. Snelling was established, an Indian ageney opened where the traders were required to obtain licenses from the agent. In 1826 the records of the agent show that Joseph Renville was
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
at Lac qui Parle, and John Campbell at the month of the Chip- pewa, both of which locations were not far from Renville county. William Diekson and Hazen P. Mooers were at Lake Traverse. Movers was especially successful. It is recorded that in the sum- mer of 1829 "the dry year, " he made a trip from Lake Traverse to Ft. Snelling with 126 packs of furs. valued at $12,000.
In 1833-34 Mooers and Renville were at the same stations as in 1826. Joseph R. Brown. afterward a pioneer of Renville county, was on the Minnesota at the month of the Chippewa. Joseph Renville. Jr., was at the Little Rock on the Minnesota, at the mouth of the Little Rock (Mud) creek, which flows for a part of its course in what is now Renville county. Joseph La Framboise established himself at the mouth of the Little Rock in 1834.
The Missionaries. In 1835 Thomas S. Williamson established a mission at Lae qui Parle. In coming up the river as a mission- ary For the American Board of Foreign Missions, Williamson had met Joseph Renville. After surveying the situation carefully, the missionary concluded to accompany Mr. Renville to the latter's home and store at Lae qui Parle and establish a mission station there. On Inne 23 his party embarked on the Fur Company's Mackinaw boat, which was laden with traders' goods and sup- plies, and set out on a voyage np the Minnesota, then at a good stage of water. The boat was propelled by poles, oars, a sail. and by pulling the willows along the abrupt shores. Progress was very slow and eight days were required to reach Traverse des Sioux. From the Traverse the remainder of the journey was made in wagons and Lae qui Parle was reached July 9-seven- teen days out from Fort Snelling. At Lae qui Parle Dr. William- son and his companions established themselves as religious teachers of the Wahpeton and Sisseton Sioux.
Dr. Williamson was accompanied by his wife and child. Alex- ander G. Huggins and family, and Sarah Poage, a sister of Mrs. Williamson.
In 1852 another mission was established a few miles above the mouth of the Yellow Medicine river. In the summer of 1854, a new section. New Hope ( Hazelwood ) was built two miles from the Yellow Medicine station.
These mission stations brought to the region of Renville county nearly all the early Protestant missionaries of Minnesota. Some came up the Mimesota river, some took the trail on the south side of the river, and some took the trail through Renville county, which passed from the mouth of the Little Rock (Mud) creek along the prairie just back of the ravines.
Chronology. Following is a summary of the history of Mine- sota during the period of exploration :
1635. JJean Nicollet, an explorer from France, who had win-
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
tered in the neighborhood of Green Bay, brought to Montreal the first mention of the aborigines of Minnesota.
1659-60. Grosseilliers and Radisson wintered among the Sioux of the Mille Lacs region, Minnesota, being its first white explorers. In a previous expedition, four years earlier, they are thought by some to have come to Prairie island, west of the main channel of the Mississippi, between Red Wing and Hastings.
1661. Father Rene Menard left Kewennaw, on Lake Superior, to visit the Hurons, then in northern Wisconsin, and was lost near the sources of the Black and Chippewa rivers. His breviary and cassock were said to have been Found among the Sioux.
1679. July 2, Daniel Greyselon Du Lhut (Duluth) held a council with the Sioux at their principal settlement on the shore of Mille Lacs. Dn Lhut. in June, 1680. hy way of the St. Croix river, reached the Mississippi and met Hennepin.
1680. Lonis Hennepin, after captivity in the village of the Mille Laes Sioux, first saw the Falls of St. Anthony.
1689. May 8. Nicolas Perrot, at his Fort St. Antoine, on the Wisconsin shore of Lake Pepin, laid formal claim to the sur- rounding country for France. He built a fort also on the Minne- sota shore of this Jake, near its outlet, as well as other posts.
1690. ( ?) Le Sueur and Charleville ascended the Mississippi above St. Anthony falls.
1695. Le Sueur built a fort or trading post on Isle Pelee, now called Prairie island, above Lako Pepin.
1700. Le Sneur established Fort L'Thuillier, on the Blue Earth river (near the mouth of the Le Sueur), and first supplied the Sioux with firearms.
1727. The French established a fort on the present site of Frontenac on Lake Pepin. Forts were also erected on nearly the same site in 1727 and 1750.
1728. Great flood in the Mississippi.
1763. By the treaty of Versailles, France ceded Minnesota, east of the Mississippi, to England, and west of it to Spain.
1766. Captain Jonathan Carver visited St. Anthony falls and Minnesota river. He claimed to have made a treaty with the Indians the following spring, in a eave, afterward called "Carver's Cave," within the present limits of St. Paul, at which he said they ceded to him an immense traet of land, long known as "Carver's Claim, " but never recognized by government.
1796. Laws of the Ordinance of 1787 extended over the Northwest territory, including the northeastern third of Minne- sota, east of the Mississippi river.
1798-99. The Northwestern Fur Company established itself in Minnesota.
1800. May 7, that part of Minnesota east of the Mississippi became a part of Indiana by the division of Ohio.
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
1.03. April 30, that part of Minnesota west of the Mississippi. for the preceding forty years in possession of Spain as a part of Louisiana, was ceded to the United States by Napoleon Bonaparte, who had just obtained it from Spain.
1803-04. William Morrison, the first known white man to discover the source of the Mississippi river, visited Elk lake and explored the streams entering into the lake forming the head of the river.
1505. Lient. Z. M. Pike visited Minnesota to establish gov- ernment relations there. and obtained the Fort Snelling reserva- tion from the Dakotas.
1812. The Dakotas, Ojibways and Winnebagoes, under the lead of hostile traders, joined the British during the war. Red river colony established by Lord Selkirk.
1819. Minnesota. east of the Mississippi river, became a part of Crawford county, Michigan. Fort Snelling established and a post at Mendota occupied by troops, under command of Colonel Leavenworth. Maj. L. Taliaferro appointed Indian agent, arriv- ing April 19.
1820. Cornerstone of Fort Snelling laid September 10. Gov- ernor Cass visited Minnesota and made a treaty of peace between the Sioux and Ojibways at Fort Snelling. Col. Josiah Snelling appointed to the command of the latter post.
1823. The first steamboat arrived at Mendota, May 10. Major Taliaferro and Beltrami being passengers. Maj. Stephen 11. Long explored Minnesota river. the Red river valley, and the northern frontier. Beltrami explored sources of the Mississippi.
1826. Great food on the Red river: a part of the colony driven to Minnesota, settling near Fort Snelling.
1832. Schooleraft explored sources of Mississippi river, and named Lake Itasca (formerly called Elk lake).
1833. First mission established at Leech lake by Rev. W. T. Bout well.
1834. The portion of Minnesota west of the Mississippi attached to Michigan. Gen. H. H. Sibley settled at Mendota.
1835. Catlin and Featherstonhaugh visited Minnesota.
1×36. The territory of Wisconsin organized, embracing the part of Minnesota east of the Mississippi, the part on the west being attached to lowa. Nicollet visited Minnesota.
1837. Governor Dodge, of Wisconsin, made a treaty. at Fort Snelling, with the Ojibways, by which the latter ceded all their pine lands on the St. Croix and its tributaries; a treaty was also effected at Washington with a deputation of Dakotas for their lands east of the Mississippi. These treaties led the way to the first actual settlements within the area of Minnesota.
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
SURVEYS.
Two of the townships in what is now Renville county were surveyed as early as 1855. Some were not surveyed until 1866. These surveys were made as follows:
Preston Lake, township 115, range 31, was surveyed by Thomas Simpson, between August 17, 1855, and August 24, 1855.
Boone Lake, township 116, range 31, was surveyed by Thomas Simpson, between September 3. 1855, and September 10, 1855.
Kingman, township 116, range 34, was surveyed by T. Barnes and G. E. Brent, between July 20, 1858, and July 25, 1858.
Camp, township 112, range 33, was surveyed by William Roek, between September 22, 1858, and October 6, 1858.
Cairo. township 112, range 32, was surveyed by William Rock, between October 3, 1858, and October 9, 1858.
Wellington, township 113, range 32, was surveyed by T. Barnes and George E. Brent. between April 15, 1858, and April 20, 1858.
Birch Cooley, township 113, range 34, was surveyed by T. Barnes and G. E. Brent, between July 10, 1858, and July 14, 1858. Birch Cooley, township 112, range 34, was surveyed by James L. Mowlin, between August 9, 1858, and August 16, 1858.
Bandon, township 113, range 33, was surveyed by T. Barnes and G. E. Brent. between April 1, 1858, and April 27, 1858.
Beaver Falls, township 113. range 35, was surveyed by N. R. McMahan, between September 15, 1858, and September 23, 1858. Martinsburg, township 114, range 32, was surveyed by T. Barnes and G. E. Brent, between May 2, 1858, and May 5, 1858.
Palmyra, township 114, range 33, was surveyed by T. Barnes and G. E. Brent, between April 28, 1858, and April 30, 1858.
Norfolk, township 114, range 34, was surveyed by G. E. Brent and T. Barnes, between July 15, 1858, and July 17, 1858.
Henryville, township 114, range 35, was surveyed by N. R. McMahan, between September 24, 1858, and September 30, 1858. Flora, township 114. range 36, was surveyed by N. R. McMahan, between October 20. 1858, and October 24, 1858.
Hector, township 115, range 32, was surveyed by T. Barnes and G. E. Brent, between May 7. 1858, and May 10, 1858.
Melville. township 115. range 33, was surveyed by T. Barnes and G. E. Brent, between May 22, 1858, and May 27, 1858.
Bird Island, township 115, range 34, was surveyed by G. E. Brent and T. Barnes, between July 18, 1858, and July 20, 1858.
Troy, township 115, range 35, was surveyed by N. R. MeMahan, between October 12, 1858, and October 16, 1858.
Winfield, township 116, range 35, was surveyed by N. R. McMahan, between October 18, 1858, and October 20, 1858.
Osceola, township 116, range 33, was surveyed by G. E. Brent and T. Barnes, between May 17, 1858. and May 21, 1858.
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
Brookfieldl, township 116, range 32. was surveyed by George E. Brent and T. Barnes, between May 11, 1858, and May 16, 1858.
Flora, township 113, range 36. was surveyed by N. R. McMahan, between October 1, 1858, and October 10. 1858.
Emmet, township 115, range 36, was surveyed by R. IJ. L. Jenett and G. G. Howe, between June 16, 1866, and June 23, 1866. Sacred Heart, township 114, range 37, was surveyed by R. H. L. Jenett and G. G. Howe, between JJuly 9, 1866. and July 16, 1866. Sacred Heart, township 115, range 37, was surveyed by R. H. L. Jenett and G. G. Hlowe, between July 2. 1866, and -luly 7, 1866.
IJawk Creek, township 115, range 38, was surveyed by Jenett and IJowe, between November 2. 1866, and November 9, 1866.
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