Document - Historical information/data - Valley of the Black Dog -ftfkc,k DO&
VALLEY OF THE BLACK DOG
From "Once Upon a Towne"
By Oliver Towne
If you ride up highways 13-101 through the valley into the setting sun, the low, rip-
pling hills will be to the left. And on the right --across the bottomlands and the river
are forestlands.
And not even the encroachment of the white man's civilization of suburban housing de-
velopments and industry has penetrated the marshes and swamps, hidden by shadowy foliage,
at the border of the river "St. Pierre," now called the Minnesota.
At dusk, in the bottomlands, the scream of an owl may melt your marrow. Not too long
ago that could have been an owl's lament --or the signal of a Sioux or Chippewa.
And in the haze of the last sunlight, the hulk of a trailer truck, silhouetted at the
top of a slope of the highway --that truck could have been the outline of a Concord Mail
coach, the stage that ran along old Shakopee road.
For this is the "Valley of Chief Black Dog," 22 miles of romantic Minnesota river val-
ley, winding southwest from the steeple of St. Peter's in Mendota, oldest stone church
still standing in the state, to the old Murphy house front lawn, just east of Shakopee.
Along the north bank is the path the Indians took to Fort Snelling --and it became Old
Shakopee road (County road 18); and the refugees took it later, fleeing the 1862 massacre
which, some say, was hatched right at the west end of the valley by Little Six, son of
Chief Shakopee.
And just east of Savage, below Burnsville school, was the lair of Chief Black Dog,
himself, after whom this section of the valley derived its name and in whose powerful mem-
ory the chimneys of the Northern States Power Co. "Black Dog" plant now rise toward
"Manitou's" skies.
For most of us, Savage is historically associated with the famous horse, "Dan Patch,"
who lived there and made history around the Savage track. And he certainly added to the
lore of the valley.
But four miles west of Savage, at the intersection of highways 101 and County 18, is
Ozzie Klavestad's Stage Coach Inn and Museum --on the exact site of the old Gallenbeck Stage
stop, known as the Four -Mile House back in the 1850's. Just across the road and about 200
yards east, the First Minnesota Volunteers lined up for their first roll call in the Civil
War.
And if you follow their route, across on 80-year-oid iron and wood bridge that spans
the river, you will be near the site of the Bloomington ferry. And just up the hillside
and around a bend is a former summer mansion, now Shady Valley ridingstable and ranch.
The estate home was built by a southern plantation owner, who put his family aboard a
river steamer every May and brought them to Minnesota. One of our first vacationers.
Not two miles south of the old Gallenbeck stage stop is Boiling springs, a strange
phenomena of water that has been known to geyser out of the ground to a height of 5 and
6 feet. The Indians attached great reverence to the springs and, when the water shot un-
usually high, they took it as a sign that the Great Spirit was angry. The spring still
boils up and it is said there is no bottom.
You may have gone past the old Murphy house, just east of Shakopee, off Highway 101.
A great limestone house, erected by 'a red-headed Irishman named Murphy.
It was near here in the late 1850s that the Sioux and Chippewa fought one of their
last battles. It began on the river's edge and lasted two days and nights. And the white
settlers came out from Shakopee to watch. When it had ended, so the story goes, 11 Indian
bodies sprawled on Murphy's front lawn. So he piled them up like cordwood, poured coal oil
over the mass and set a funeral pyre that blazed like a beacon.
This was the domain of Chief Shakopee and until the mid-1920's some of the Sioux still
lived near the river, tanning dog and deer hides, making beadwork. Most have left or pas-
sed on —to the Great-Spiritland. But -they say Indian Minnie, -granddaughter of Chief -Shakopee,
still lives in a little house near Shakopee.
There remains a frontier nostalgia threading through the valley. Rolling down high-
way 101 some day, you may see groups of horseback riders, galloping over the ridges.
There are more than 1,000 horses in the area, most of them belonging to some dozen riding
stables and ranches whose rail fences add a Kentucky "Blue Grass" charm.
And here, where a species of buffalo --called wood buffalo --once roamed, you can watch
them now at a buffalo farm near Lyndale and highway 13, which sells genuine buffalo steaks.
At Ozzie Klavestad's Stage Coach, a studied restoration of an authentic frontier oasis,
you can see two famous old stage coaches --the Concord, which rolled for Wells -Fargo and
was reduced to the status of a chicken coop in South Dakota before Ozzie rescued it. His
other "rolling stock" is a mud coach, in which Teddy Roosevelt once was a passenger, and
which is a blend of two famous old coaches --the Dakota and the Kitty, of Overland Stage
days. It made its last run in 1902 on a line from Roseau to Stephens, Minnesota.
These are only a few of the stories of the valley as it was and --with a pinch of
imagination --still is for the man with adventure in his eyes.
He can ride the pavement in his cushioned car and envy, perhaps, those who live in
ramblers occupying the high ground -where the signal fires once blazed in the valley of
"The River St. Pierre and the Chief Black Dog."
CHIEF BIG EAGLE, OR BLACK DOG
was painted by George Catlin in the
1830s when he was an old man. He
was chief of Block Dog Village in
Burnsville. On his head he wears a
roach of deer tail hairs which was
(Photo courtesy the Smithsonian Insditution)
typical of Sioux headdresses and in
his hand he holds a pipestone pipe.
Upon his death Grey Iron succeeded
as head of the tribe. Grey Iron's son,
the younger Chief Big Eagle, succeed-
ed Grey Iron.
Head of Dakota Tribe
Chief Black Dog Ruled Area Along The
Minnesota River Century and !-half Ago
By DIANE CHRISTIANSON
Two centuries ago the Dakota
Indians inhabited this area in the
Minnesota River valley.It is es-
timated that they first moved in-
to the area in about 1750. Before
that date their main home had
been at the village of Izatys on
Lake Mille Lac.
It was while they were still
in the Mille Lac area that the
Dakota Indians "entertained"
Father Hennepin and accompa-
nied him to St. Anthony Falls.
Later, it was at Mille Lac that
Du Luth found Father Hennepin.
The Indian name for the group
that settled in the Minnesota
Valley near the river's mouth
means "The people of Spirit
Lake" (Mille Lac).
During the time the white men
were in this area, they placed
the site of the Black Dog village
approximately four miles from
Mendota on the south side of the
Minnesota River in what is now
Burnsville.
On the stretcher in back of
George Catlin's painting of
Chief Big Eagle is also noted
"Black Dog." Whether this
chief was the original "Black
Dog" from whom the village de-
rived its name, orwhetherCat-
lin noted thus from the name of
the village he was from, is not
entirely clear.
The fact that several Chiefs
in succession often used the
same name might indicate that
the village was named for a
former chief, perhaps the elder
Big Eagle's father or even
grandfather.
Dakota legend has it that the
Black Dog band was the oldest in
this area and that they had
originally been located on the
north side of the Minnesotanear
the site where Pinneshaw'svil-
lage was located 1 at a r, in
Bloomington near the mouth of
the Nine Mile Creek.
The painting of the elder Big
E a g l e, which was done by
GE•orge Catlin in the early
1830's, is owned by the Smith-
sonian Institution, Washington,
D.C.
The painting shows Chief Big
Eagle (or Black Dog) holding a
pipestone pipe and wearing a
medal around his neck, which
may have been presentedtohim
by' the Indian Agent at For t
Snelling as was often done for
the Chiefs. On his head he wears
a typical Dakota "roach"which
was made from the hair of deer
tails and usually dyed red. He
wears his hair long and un-
braided as many early pictures
show the Dakotas.
Samuel William Pond tells us
in his writing "The Dakotas
in Minnesota in 1834" that at
that time, the approximate time
of the Catlin paintings, Big Ea-
gle was an old man. This fact
is corroborated by the wrink-
le(' countenance of the man in
the painting.
Big Eagle was followed in the
chieftainship by his son, known
by various names to the whites,
but most commonly called
"Grey Iron." Some other names
given to him were "My head
aches" and "Medicine Bottle."
This was not, however, the Med-
icine Bottle who was executed
at Fort Snelling for his part
in the 1862 uprising. The
younger "Medicine Bottle" is
said to be a nephew of Grey
Iron. •
It was during this general
time that the people of the
Black I)og village were called
"The people who did not eat
geese." The reason for this
was that they sold all the geese
they could kill to the garrison
of Fort Snelling. Chief Grey
(Photo courtesy Min
THE YOUNGER CHIEF BIG F
1827 at the Black Dog Vill
Burnsville. He holds a war c
the eagle feathers indicate ti
Chippewa scalps.
Iron was one of the signers of
the treaty of Traverse desSioux
in the summer of 1851.
Grey Iron's son became chief
when Grey Iron died in 1857.
The younger chief took his
grandfather's name, Big Eagle,
when he became chief.
This young Chief Big Eagle
was born in the Black I)og vil-
lage in the summer of 1827.
The accompanying photograph
of the younger Big Eagle was
taken some time prior to the
uprising of 1862. In this pic-
ture he is shown holding a war
club and the feathers in his
headband indicate he had taken
six Chippewa scalps and was a
daring warrior.
The picture of the younger
Big Eagle is through the cour-
tesy of the Minnesota Historical
Society. He was one of the Chiefs
who was against the uprising of
1862; however, when the tribe
voted him down he stood by his
people and fought along with
them in the uprising.
The younger Big Eagle sur-
rendered to General Sibley and
was sentenced to three years in
prison. He was converted to
Christianity and settled on a!
farm near Granite Falls, Minn.
Later, he wrote a report on the
"Sioux War" from the Indian's
standpoint. He died at his home
near Granite Falls on Jan. 5,
1906 at the age of 77, a respec-
ted and honored man.
The Indians were moved out
of this area in 1856 to reserva-
tions farther west and south
along the Minnesota River, in
compliance with the treaty of
Traverse des Sioux which was
signed in 1851.
VALLEY REVIEW
Thursday, Dec. 12; 1963
PAGE 12
• Church Women Give
Christmas Tea
The American Lutheran
Church Women of . Prince of
Peace Lutheran Church of
• Burnsville extend an invitation
to friends and members of
Prince of Peace Church to at-
tend a Christmas tea, Sunday
afternoon, December 15th, be-
tween the hours of 1:00 and 3:00
p.m.
The tea will be held at the
R..D.• Taylor home, which,;is.
located . •at 130th and Nicollet;
Avenue,,Burnsville. Mrs. Lyle-
Haugen, president of the wom-
en's organization, has an -
flounced .that nursery facilities
will be .provided at the church,
during ;the hours • of the tea..
New Members Are Church:Youth Plan
'Progressive Dinner
St. James Lutheran r i The'high school youth group at'
Received into
congregation of.:the American"
Lutheran 'Church, and.held,its
first 'worsh•ip service in .early
October;
•
New members -were -received' "
into the St, James Lutheran
Church last Sunday. ,
They include: Mr. and,, Mrs.•
James Bickner;1 Mr. and'4/1rs -
William 'Belz, Mi , and'.rMrs•.
Ervin Hanson, '=Mr. aptly"Mr"s.'r
William -La . '•Vigne, Mr.. and
Mrs. `Wiiliain?Hammerlund,• Mr.
and Mrs.::Arnold Askelin; Mr.
Ahimon, Mrs.
Arthur W4 Williams, Paul -Wil-
liams .and Mrs. 'Martin`Beck- •
Prince of Peace Lutheran
church of Burnsville will have
a progressive:Christmas dinner
party Sunday night beginning at
7 pow -at -he church.
Following the dinner the
young,people will return to
pastor Gerald Allen's residence
for Advent devotional services.
Hol 'Name Society
y
To,,Nieet Tonight
Members of the Holy Name
Prince. of Peace Lutheran;''Society`,-of• St. John ::the Baptist
Church of Burnsville is 'a new'," Catholic, church will meet TO-
NIGHT;: Thursday;- Dec. 12, at
8 p.m.' .the parish hall:
Nexf;. Sunday ;the Holy Name
men will 'receive Communion
in .a bodyt,-at the 8 a.m. Mass.
Even m for this sae purpose have 1 railed thee um -:that
I might show my power in•thee, and.that. my name • •
might be declared_thro tghout allthe earth
-Exodus 9:16
Many'. times'; Christians meet
the opportunity, to be : thankful
for the mercy of God
We begin with the promise of
,salvation the•=opportunity to
conduct the course of our lives in
':a manner that will justify the
'highest reward.
Particularly;, as we •appr'oach
e Christmas;; season, we;: are
again;reminded that through,
life and death of Jesus ;the • '
ess of; God's love and mercy
)st evident. •=
shows mercy with:a."sure
All those who follow ;the
gs of Christianity::declare
lief for "all the earth" to
WIZ'I n1F 6I8LE
BY CORNELIUS R. STAM PRES.- .
BEREAN BIBLE SOCIETY
`• CHICAGO• 35, ILLINOIS •
Holy -Cross Lutheran
The Young People of the Holy
Cross.Lutheran Church attend-
ed a roller skating party last
' Sunday .evening: Following the
skating party lunch was served
at the church. The Young
People's group then •triinmed
the Christmas Tree and sang
-their favorite Christmas Car.
ols.
• The Church -School Christmas
program will hold rehearsal for
:their programs as follows;
3 years old through grade 1 will
,'practice Saturday December 14
from 9:30 until 11 a.m. Grades
2 and up will hold their rehears-
-al on Saturday December 21
• from 1 p.m. until-3 p.m.
The Christmas programs will
„be held on Sunday, afternoon,
December 15 at 4:30.p.m., for
3 year old through grade 1 and
`:on Sunday,. December, 22 at 6:30
-p.m., for those `in grades 2 on
:up. Every;"oneis welcome to
_attend. • •
Throughout this Advent sea-
son an Advent Wreath will be lit
and 'remain lit through the Sun -
:day Morning Worship Services.
.The wreath was made by mem-
i"bers of the A.L,C.W.- -
Burnsville• -Baptist
Dress rehearsal for t h e
:forthcoming Christmas pro -
Will be held Friday eve-
ning, December 13. The Christ -
members will hold their.Christ
mas party at• the church. They
will also decorate the church
and trim the. Christmas tree.
All Sunday: School .children•
from Christ. Lutheran Church
will hold. rehearsal for their
Christmas program on Saturday -
morning, December 14, from
9 a.m. until 11 a.m. All chil-
dren are 'urged to be present.
Lord's Supper -will be cele-
brated at the 10:30 Morning
Worship Services on Sunday
December 15..
The Walther Leaguewillhave
their Christmas party at the
church' Sunday afternoon at
2 p.m. ,All -the Teen-agers from
the congregation are especially
urged to attend.
Sunday School teachers meet
ing will be held on Monday eve-
ning December 16 beginning.
at 7:15 p.m.
Board of Evangelism will
meet for their monthly meeting
on Wednesday evening, Decem-
ber 18 at 7 p.m.
Grace Methodist
Tonight at 7 p.m. a meeting.
of the Commission on Missions.
willbe held at Grace Methodist
Church. Also meeting at 7p.m.
is the Evangelism Committee.
Saturday morning, December
14 at 9 a m, the; Board -of Trus
tees will meet at Grace Method-
ist Church.
Official Board Meeting will
Mission_. Director FrornIndjaTo
Sp�ak-at Orchard -Gaiden.
The Rev. Rochunga Pudaite
'will be the„guest ..missionary
:speaker tonight, Thursday, Dec.
'12, at Orchard Gardens Ev.
Free 'Church..
Mr. Pudaite is -_executive di-
;rector:• of the Indo - Burma Pio-
neer Mission,, an ',Indian nation-
al group which operates 65
Christian day schools with over
5,000 children, a high school,
and . a Bible school in India.
Its missionaries serve other
parts of India and Burma and
its evangelists work among the
neighboring tribes in coopera-
tion with ,the local :churches.
888-3010
tion.
for added infor.ma-
Cedar Grove Baptist
The Womens•.Missionary So
,' ciety of Cedar Grove Baptist,
c h u r c h will meet' 'tonight,
•Thursday, Dec. 12, at the chapel
house at 2167 Garnet Drive,
Cedar Grove. The ladies'twill
make props for the. forthcoming
Christmas program.
The Sunday School Christmas
program -of Cedar Grove Baptist
'church:will be
-.held at 7 p.m.,
Friday, • Dec. r.20,::fat•; the Cedar
elementary school.'A rehearsal
for the program will be -Con-
ducted at" 10 a.m. next Saturday.
Presbyterian Church
-During the month, of Decem-
ber, :the guest speaker at‘ -the
Presbyterian C h u r. c h• ofr the'.
Apostles will be the Rev Rich- } „�y p , B� /yam+
and W. nBouer al'M 'Missions
assistant Gods Eternal Purpose
in National Missions for the
Presbyterian Synod of Minrie- "The Father of Lies" always .hates the truth, but he does
sota. not always oppose it by the same methods. If he fails to succeed
The Sunday School Christmas: ' as a roaring lion .he may. appear as an angel of light, suggesting
A native Indian, Mr. Pudaite :Thereforei`it .was necessary for
comes from northeast India .the native Christians to walk
which was conquered by the 125 and 130 miles out of the
British in 1870: His grandfather .rugged" -jungles , to see him and
was one' of the chiefs of the learn more about the -Christian
Huar tribe. This tribe resisted life and witness.' Then they re-
the. British:,efforts to control turned to tell.the. story- to the
them and in the battles that fol- people of their tribe.
lowed the tribespeople took the - Mr. , Pudaite was converted
-heads of many of the soldiers, - at the age of ten through the
thus gaining the -reputation of ministry ,of his father. He at -
being a savage, head-hunting tended -Neig mission grade
tribe: school and the Baptist mission
•.Christianity .• first came to school at Assam. Later, he
'area in 1910 when a Welsh 'studied at the University in
missionary named Watkin Calcutta and Allahabed, India,
Roberts arrived with the Gospel and Glasgow, Scotland. He was
message. Mr..Roberts devoted brought to Wheaton College for
himself to the distribution of graduate studies by World Vi-
Christian -literature, particu- .sion under the direction of Dr.
larly-the Gospels, in various Robert Pierce. He has trans -
'dialects and languages. One of •lated the New Testament and
these-:. Copies fell into -the hands sixteen books of the Old Testa -
'of a tribal chief who invited
:Roberts to : visit .his village,
a distance of over •200 miles
through rugged • mountain foot
paths.
On the first trip five natives
were converted, one a boy of
'fifteen, Rochunga's father. Be-
cause of governmental restric-
tions, Watkin Roberts was not
allowed to work in the area.
ment for his native people..As
a result of his work, a re-
vision of the New Testament
was printed• in 1960-1961 ,by
the British and Foreign
Society. '
The Rev. R. L.. Jackson, pas-
tor of Orchard Gardens Ev.
Free Church, has .extended an
invitation to the, public to at-
tend the missionary service.
N.- FEATURE
TIO
'
f'7": aa2 /,13
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4,`.',,,,fekS
� .��«' '0x������ Caw%h
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� Offle
���� ��� n�^����� �-~�v����' �� *����'��
Staff -'Writer
was ki]16J_below�Iere :Some
had his'-.'fatbqr,!s I gun -because
the hall.. that -killed his father
*sed`through the bredch of
his,gun*. Thes�olo' el ha' the
This account, in. the words
of an�.:18-ye4r�-old '.Minnesota
probably; is Ahe only. con. em-
tletrow. Little Crow was -the
Indian' -who, bekie he -was
boy was nearl� sick
'not out of our way.
8e by tbo^ob�oy col
�u� AlsoAlso�u
noted uarethe �� o�o�
[ tb Itouo�Ko''
sissippi ` Philatelic society und
thee �� uuoh�rour7� UtheTwiu Cities Oroup.
which
bud a severe wound
was not well yet. When he
was on his way to Devils Lake
from where his father was
shot be wounded u wolf and
when be rvmt up to the wou,
beflew onto him and tore him
up bad."
This letter, written by Pvt.
James Cady of Bofbuuo.
Minn., uod'oovaralothers will
be displayed Friday through
Sunday when the Twin City
Philatelic society honors the
8th Minnesota regiment., The
Confederates in September,
This 100th anniversary will
th ee-prt exhibition in Hotel
`PATRIOTIC emblemsadorn the envelopes and station-
ery
letters from this correspondence will be displayed Friday
t6rough Saturday at Hotel Leamington, Minneapolis.
-AP Newsfeatures Photo.
' PYT.JAMES E. CADY
One of 600,000 More
The letters written by Pvt.
Cady now are owned by
FloydE. Bi^volduf4801Up-
per Torruco.����°�~���
Edina exhibi-
tion
. Stamp col -
led Di.s,|
vnld into col-.
Mecially t
ters, diaries
and maps, of
historical inter-���
osttotbeNorth-' Risvuld.
west. From, stamps, lisbnter�
est shifted to covers,— used
envelopes — and then to the
contents of the envelopes.
Risvold's collection of Pvt.
Cady's letters is one of the
finest of its kind ever un-
covered, according to the
Minnesota Historical society.
The letters trace the move-
ment of the 8tb &8bomaotu
from its. organization at Fort
Snelling in 1868 to its dis-
banding there in 1865. In be-
tween, the roObuoot fought
ludiuoa in the vraxtoru otutao
and Cou[pdorutoo in tbo
Soutb.
The regiment was formed
in answer to President Lin-
coln's call for 600.000 more
to fight in the Civil vvuc
In 1864 Cady's unit
'ruarrhma4kv��t�7o ta
in southern Minnesota tnFoct
Rice on the Missouri river.
There itjoined With Gen. Al-
fred Sully for his great In-
dian expedition through _the
Dakotas. During this march
the soldiers fought the Battle
of }{iUdoor nuountuiu, in
which they routed the In-
dians, killing 113. Cady de-
scribes this and -other bat-
tles in detail.
Cady then u group
of ouldiocu who traveled 200
miles vvuot of Fort Dice to
rescue uwagon train besieged
by Indians. This task uccom'
yliobod' all the soldiers head-
ed for the war in the South.
Pvt. Cady and the 8[b D8iu'.
ueuotu participated in tho
battle of 8voruD'u creek and
the second o[Murfrees-
boro in late 1884. Again he
wcdao in Qzout detail about
the fighting and how several
of his comrades died. Be also
relates bow members of the
regiment used Indian yells
when going into battle. Use
of these yells, learned during
their vvurx against the red
men, led to the regiment be-
coming known as the ludiuo
regiment.
The next mission for the
8th Minnesota was to join
Sherman in his march to the
oou and act as. police in the
area captured by the goomr-
ul/o troops. When they ar-
rived in Washington
appear-
ing quite rough and tough,
they were dubbed 8hec/uuo'o
Woodbcko--uoothoc oanne
which stuck with the regi-
ment.
Thus, tho 8tb Minnesota
closed out its service. 0p
July 8, 1865, Pvt. Cady wrote
his last letter from Charlotte,
N. C. "l um coming home in
ufew duyo,"bosaid. "If you
want tosee soldiers, come up
to Ft. Snelling."
-
�
r
BLACKDOG VILLAGE - History of Dakota County
pub. 1881
pgs. 347, 348
SETTLEMENT.
The Indian village, known as Black Dog's, and
situated near the mouth of Black Dog's creek, in
section 18, has been previously described, After
the treaty of 1837, a Frenchman named Louis
Martin, was stationed among these Indians as
farmer. He located on section 17, and the In-
dians began to form a new village round him.
Several log buildings were erected for residences
and shops.
In the spring of 1849, Hazen Mooers, the well
known Indian trader, was appointed to succeed
Mr. Martin. His wife was a half-breed Sioux,by
whom he had three children. After the ratifica-
tion of the treaty of 1852, when the Indians were
removed to Red Wood agency, Mr. Mooers went
with them. J. W. Brown, who bad married a
daughter of Mr. Mooers, in 1848, came down to
Black Dog village, in the fall of 1849, and as-
sisted his father-in-law. When the Indians were
removed he remained on the land, and pre-empted
a farm, in the northern part of section 17, which
he lived on until 1857, when he removed to Red
Wing. IIe resided there for six years, returning
at the end of that period t$ -his _farm in Eagan.
Isere he lived until, len be sold his original
claim and remove}t~ to his Regent place of resi-
dence, in the nort$rwest quarter of section 9.
Mr. Brown is accordingly the first white settler
of the town. At the same dine with him, John
Brown and a Mr.`Part* made claims also, in
section 17. Neither of them remained, however,
but a short time.
Two brothers, Campbell, made a claim in the
north-east quarter of section 18. They had been
attaches of the Indian farm, and sftn sold their
claim rights to Franklin Steele. A comrade
named Benjamin Young then took possession
of the claim, probably for Mr. Steele, and contin-
ued to live there for several years. Mr. Young
was one of the first two justices of the peace.
elected within the limits of the present town of
Eagan. He subsequently removed to St. Paul,
and is now somewhere among the Indians in the
West.
HISTORY
OF
DAKOTA COUNTY
AND TITE
CITY OF HASTINGS,
INCLUDING THE
EXPLORERS AND PIONEERS OF MINNESOTA,
BY REV. EDWARD D. NEILL.
AND
OUTLINES OF THE HISTORY OF MINNESOTA,
BY J. PLETCHER WILLIAMS.
MINNEAPOLIS:
NORTH STAR PUBLISHING COMPANY,
1881.
•
••
them to enter the apart-
ment where we were —
knowing from what his own
feelings would have been,
if he had been placed in a
similar situation, that we
did not wish to have a gap-
ing crowd around us." This
young lieutenant was
named Jefferson Davis, a
man destined to be a pris-
oner himself at Fort Mon-
roe thirty-three years later.
But first he would be Presi-
dent of the Confederate
States of America.
Indeed, it has been said
facetiously that the Black
Hawk War in 1832 was a
sort of dress rehearsal for
the Civil War which was to
break out in 1861. Major
General Winfield Scott,
first in command in the
Black Hawk War, was to be
a lieutenant general in com-
mand of the United States
forces in the early days of the Civil War.
Colonel David Twiggs was to become a major
general in the Confederate Army. Lieuten-
ant Robert Anderson was destined to be
Major Anderson, the hero of Fort Sumter
in April 1861. Lieutenant Albert Sidney
Johnston would be one of the leading generals
of the Confederacy and would lose his life at
the Battle of Shiloh in 1862. Six companies
of artillery were ordered from Fort Monroe
to the scene of action. (In those days bat-
teries were called companies.) While these
troops were crossing the Great Lakes, cholera
broke out among them. About fifty-five men
died of this dread disease and the others re-
covered too late to take part in the war.
Another future president took part in
this miniature war: Abraham Lincoln, who
was captain of a company of volunteers. In
later years Lincoln recalled his experiences
with his usual humor, saying, "I fought, bled
and came away ... I had a good many bloody
struggles with the mosquitoes. And although
Jefferson Davis Shrine
Biloxi, Mississippi
LIEUTENANT JEFFERSON DAVIS, U.S.A.
He took Black Hawk from Fort Crawford,
Wisconsin, to St. Louis, Missouri.
I never fainted from loss
of blood, I can truly say I
was very often hungry."
He made gallant charges on
wild -onion beds, Lincoln
said.
After returning home
Black Hawk kept the peace.
He lived for five years after
the publication of his bio-
graphy. During most of
this time his home was a
lodge of peeled bark near
the Iowa River. Residing
with him were his wife, two
sons and a daughter. He
made one m o r e trip to
Washington in 1837 as a
member of an Indian dele-
gation. On this occasion he
was once more painted by
Charles Bird King. In 1838
Black Hawk and his family
moved to a new home along
the Des Moines River. He
died October 3, 1838.
Those who wish to read
more about Black Hawk would do well to get
Donald Jackson's Black Hawk, published by
the University of Illinois Press, Urbana,
Illinois. Jackson's book contains excellent
and little known portraits of Black Hawk
and his companions, a splendid map, a fas-
cinating introduction which gives the back-
ground of the Black Hawk War, and Black
Hawk's own narrative with illuminating foot-
notes by Jackson. It is a book which can be
read with pleasure and profit by anyone from
school child to professor !
The Casemate Museum contains an in-
teresting Black Hawk exhibit, recalling his
sojourn at the fort from May 1 to June 4,
1833. The museum consists of many other
exhibits dealing with the history of Fort Mon-
roe and the U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps.
The museum is open every day of the year.
Admission is free, the museum being com-
memorative and educational.
TALES OF OLD FORT MONROE
1. Robert E. Lee at Fort Monroe. 9.
2. Black Hawk at Fort Monroe. 10.
3. Edgar Allan Poe at Fort Monroe. 11.
4. General Simon Bernard: Aide to Napoleon, 12.
Designer of Fort Monroe. 13.
5. Is it a Fort or a Fortress? 14.
6. Fort Monroe in the Civil War.
7. Short History of the Civil War.
8. U. S. Grant Comes to Fort Monroe.
Abraham Lincoln's Campaign Against the Merrimack.
Old Point Comfort: America's Greatest Bastion.
The Fanny: First Aircraft Carrier (1861).
The Monitor and the Merrimack.
Jefferson Davis: Brief Biography.
On to Richmond! General McClellan's Peninsular
Campaign.
15. Abraham Lincoln at the Hampton Roads Peace
Conference (1865).
The Casemate Museum, P.O. Box 341, Fort Monroe, Virginia 23651
TALES OF OLD
FORT MONROE
N0. 2
BLACK HAWK AT FORT MONROE
Black Hawk refused to recognize the
treaty by Which his people, the Sacs and the
Foxes, had ceded all their land east of the
Mississippi to the white men. He contended
that Jumping Fish and the other chiefs, who
signed the treaty of 1804 in St. Louis, had
no authority to sell the land. Besides, they
were drunk ! So Black Hawk stubbornly held
on to his village of Saukenuk (present Rock
Island, Illinois), even when the encroaching
whites ploughed up the corn fields of his peo-
ple. Only when menaced by United States
troops did Black Hawk reluctantly move to
the west side of the Mississippi River. Brood-
ing over the loss of his village, Black Hawk
fell under the influence of White Cloud, an
Indian prophet, who was considered to be in
touch with the spirit world through his
dreams. White Cloud told Black Hawk that
he should lead his people back over the river.
Other Indian tribes would join with him. The
British in Canada would send supplies.
In April 1832 Black Hawk crossed back
over the Mississippi River with 200 warriors
and their families. He was quickly disillu-
sioned. The other Indians, contrary to the
assurances of the Prophet, feared to join
him and even refused to give him corn. No
help came from the British. (Black Hawk
later learned that the British had never
promised assistance, but had instead sent
word for him to remain at peace!)
United States troops and volunteers
were rapidly converging on Black Hawk's
little band. Disheartened, the chief sent out
a flag of truce, but the nervous and poorly
disciplined volunteers shot down the truce
party. The angry Indians, outnumbered
though they were, threw themselves on the
volunteers and sent them scurrying from
the field. Thus began the Black Hawk War.
Under Black Hawk's valiant leadership, the
Indians fought a brilliant campaign, but
they were finally crushed at the Battle of
Bad Axe River in Wisconsin, August 2, 1832.
This final action of the war was in reality
more of a massacre. The white troops, aided
by a gunboat, shot down all Indians includ-
ing women and children.
A hunted fugitive, Black Hawk gave
himself up at Fort Crawford, Prairie du
Chien, Wisconsin. He was taken to Jeffer-
son Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri, where he
and his companions were forced to wear a
ball and chain. Black Hawk found this ter-
ribly humiliating, but he consoled himself
somewhat with the thought that it was the
Newport Historical Society
BLACK HAWK
Portrait painted by Charles Bird King
at Fort Monroe in 1833.
custom among white soldiers. In the spring
came an order to bring the Indians to Wash-
ington to see President Andrew Jackson.
Black Hawk and his companions took heart
for they felt that the Great Father would
no doubt admonish them and then send
them back home. Black Hawk's entourage
consisted of White Cloud the Prophet, Nea-
pope, Fast -Swimming Fish, Black Hawk's
son Whirling Thunder, and Pawasheet, an
adopted son of White Cloud.
The six Indians arrived in Washington
on April 22, 1833, but they were not per-
mitted to see the Great Father until April
25. They were greatly cast down when he
told them that they must go to Fort Monroe,
Old Point Comfort, Virginia, to stay until he
decided they could go home. Both White
Cloud and Black Hawk remonstrated, but
to no avail. The decision had been made
many weeks before. There were several
reasons for sending them to Fort Monroe.
First, it would be more difficult for them
to escape and if, by any chance they did,
they could be more easily apprehended. Sec-
1-68
BATTLE OF BAD AXE
Black Hawk's defeat portrayed by Henry Lewis,
English artist in St. Louis.
ondly, by placing them in a more thickly
populated area of the country, the Indians
would be impressed with the futility of fur-
ther resistance to such a numerous and pow-
erful people. Their arrival at Fort Monroe
was heralded long in advance by the news-
papers of New York, Washington, Richmond
and Norfolk. As far back as February the
editor of the Norfolk Herald had pointed out
that the Indians would be "objects of much
curiosity at Old Point Comfort" and had
gravely cautioned Marshall Parks, then
owner of the Hygeia Hotel at Old Point Com-
fort, that unless he made some additions to
"his already extensive establishment . . .
he will very probably be at a loss for room
to accommodate the visitors who will crowd
upon him to see those `Lions of the West.' "
The Indians and their escort command-
ed by a Lieutenant Alexander left Washing-
ton on the same day they saw the President,
April 25. They arrived in Richmond on April
28 (according to the Norfolk Herald of May
1 quoting the Richmond Compiler) . Their
mode of travel from Washington to Rich-
mond was undoubtedly by stage coach. The
Richmond Whig of May 1 reported that they
left Richmond for Fort Monroe that morn-
ing on the steamer Patrick Henry. This
would place the party at Fort Monroe the
evening of that same day, May 1.
Colonel Abraham Eustis, commanding
officer at Fort Monroe, had been instructed
to deal leniently with the hostages. They
were to be given "every proper indulgence"
and to be "restricted only to the limits of
the garrison." As had been predicted by
the editor of the Norfolk Herald, Black Hawk
and his companions were "the objects of
much curiosity." They were daily "beset by
visitors who crowded to see them from all
quarters." Steamboat excursions to Old Point
Comfort were organized for this purpose.
Noted artists came to paint their portraits.
It is reported that Robert M. Sully spent six
weeks at Fort Monroe making portraits of
Black Hawk, Whirling Thunder, and the
Prophet. Other artists who came to make
portraits of the Indians were Samuel M.
Brookes, John Wesley Jarvis and Charles
Bird King. Thanks to the kindness of the
Newport Historical Society, Newport, Rhode
Island, we are able to reproduce the King
portrait of Black Hawk, which Donald Jack-
son, the well-known authority on Black
Hawk, considers one of the best.
Of his stay at Fort, Monroe Black Hawk
said, "The war chief (Colonel Abraham
Eustis) met us on our arrival, and shook
hands, and appeared glad to see me. He treat-
ed us with great friendship, and talked to
me frequently. Previous to our leaving this
fort, he gave us a feast, and made us some
presents, which I intend to keep for his sake.
He is a very good man, and a great brave !
I was sorry to leave him, although I was
going to return to my people, because he had
treated me like a brother, during all the time
I remained with him."
When Black Hawk left Fort Monroe he
made a farewell speech to Colonel Eustis.
He said:
Brother, I have come, on my part, and in behalf
of my companions to bid you farewell. Our Great
Father (President Andrew Jackson) has at length
been pleased to permit us to return to our hunting -
grounds. We have buried the tomahawk, and the
sound of the rifle will hereafter only bring death
to the deer and the buffalo. Brother, you have treat-
ed the red men very kindly. Your squaws (the wives
of the officers at Fort Monroe) have made them
presents, and you have given them plenty to eat
and drink. The memory of your friendship will re-
main till the Great Spirit says it is time for Black
Hawk to sing his death song. Brother, your houses
are as numerous as the leaves upon the trees, and
your warriors like the sands upon the shore of the
big lake (Chesapeake Bay and Hampton Roads)
that rolls before us. The red man has but few
houses, and few warriors, but the red man has a
heart that throbs as warmly as the heart of his
white brother. The Great Spirit has given us our
hunting -grounds, and the skin of the deer which we
kill there is his favorite, for the color is white, and
this is the emblem of peace. This hunting dress
and these feathers of the eagle are white. Accept
them, my brother, .. . as a memorial of Black Hawk.
When he is far away this will serve to remind you
of him. May the Great Spirit bless you and your
children. Farewell.
The Indians left Fort Monroe on the
evening of June 4, 1833, with Major John
Garland in charge of them. Their first stop
was Norfolk. Although it was nine o'clock
in the evening when the steamer arrived,
"the crowd which assembled to see them land
was so great that it was some time before
a passage could be opened for them to pro-
ceed to ... the Exchange Hotel." The next
New York Public Library
PRESIDENT ANDREW JACKSON
The Great Father said they were to
be held at Fort Monroe.
morning they were taken to the Navy Yard
in Portsmouth where they were shown the
warship Delaware. Black Hawk said he
would like to shake the hand of the man who
had built this "big canoe." Returning to
their hotel both Black Hawk and White Cloud
made speeches from the balcony to the dense
throng blocking the street. From Norfolk
the Indians were taken on a tour of our larg-
est cities "to see the number and power of
our people, that they may go home and coun-
sel their young men against taking up the
hatchet in future, when there is no sort of
hope of accomplishing anything by it but
their own destruction." (Norfolk Herald).
By a coincidence President Jackson was
in Baltimore the same time as Black Hawk.
On the night of June 6 they were present
in the same theater and on the following day
they exchanged greetings. "You will see,"
said the Great Father, "that our young
men are as numerous as the leaves in the
woods. What can you do against us ? ... We
desire your prosperity and improvement .. .
and I pray the Great Spirit to give you a
smooth path and fair sky to return." In
Philadelphia and New York the Indians were
received by city officials, lionized by society
ladies and followed by admiring crowds.
Although greatly impressed by what they
had seen since leaving home, the Indians saw
something in New York City that took their
breath away. A man got into a balloon and
went up in the air until the eye could no
longer see him! Black Hawk was amused
when one of the younger Indians asked the
Prophet if the man was going up to see the
Great Spirit.
Soon after his return home Black Hawk
dictated his biography to Antoine LeClair, an
official Indian interpreter. LeClair was the
son of a French-Canadian father and an
Indian mother. He was not a trained writer,
so he turned to John B. Patterson, a young
newspaper editor, for help. Patterson was
a Virginian who had come to the Midwest
to make his career. Black Hawk dictated
to LeClair, who translated into English
while Patterson put the story into manu-
script form. Both LeClair and Patterson
swore that the final manuscript was a true
account of what Black Hawk had told them.
The book was published in Cincinnati, Ohio,
in 1833.
When Black Hawk gave himself up after
his defeat at Bad Axe River in 1832, he was
given into the custody of a young lieutenant
of the United States Army who took him
down the Mississippi River to St. Louis.
When the steamer stopped at Galena, Illinois,
a crowd of curious people pushed their way
on board. Black Hawk said, "The war chief
(the young lieutenant) would not permit
Courtesy Public Information Office
Fort Eustis, Virginia
COLONEL ABRAHAM EUSTIS
Commanding Officer at Fort Monroe when
Black Hawk was there.
B. L. BAKER
Dakota county was once the ideal camping grounds of the Indians,
according to B.L. Baker, Mendota, taxidermist, medicine man, and keeper
of a Dakota county museum of Indian relics. The thick woods, inter-
spersed with prairies and the plentiful lakes and the river bottoms
supplied buffalo, deer, fowl and fish in abundance. As many as 10,000
Sioux Indians camped in the vicinity of Mendota in one winter.
"Natural resources never diminished when the Indians roamed the
country", he said. They never cut down a green tree, nor did they
distroy food. Whenever they shot a deer or buffalo, they used all of
the meat. They did not leave it to rot on the ground as the whites
did when they came. They ate whatever they cared for, and by drying and
smoking the rest, preserved it for a long time.
"There's some dried venison right there, which won't spoil in
four years, he remarked, pointing to several strips of brown, leatherish
meat which were hanging in the cupboard.
Mr. Baker, a desendant from the Pottawatamie, and Mrs. Baker, whose
grandparents belonged to the "Six Nations" are striving to preserve the
Indian customs and traditions in every way possible. Although they are
only part Indian, they prepare their food in the same manner that
their native American ancestors did hundreds of years ago. They differ
greatly with their neighbors, when it comes to selection of choice
meats.
WON'T EAT RABBITS
"Lots of people eat rabbits and squirrels, Mr. Baker said, cutting
a small strip of the dried venison for himself and his interviewer.
"The Indians don't like rabbits, and they are too great lovers of
squirrels to kill them'; He then explained that muskrats, groundhogs,
beavers, and porcupines provide the best tasting meat you can find
anywhere, since these animals live wholly on vegetables and roots.
Asked whether he had ever eaten dog meat, he replied "I certainly
have, and it isn't long ago. Let me choose between your choice beef
steak from a 15 year old cow, and a steak from a fat young dog, and I
won't even notice the beef."
"Of course", he explained, "You must know how I prepare it.
Take for instance, a muskrat or beaver. If you wish to prepare it
as you do a common steak of roast, you couldn't eat it. But if you
soak it in salt water for several days, and then smoke it, it's
delicious."
MAKE FANCY MINCE MEAT
A fruit jar containing mince meat was then brought in by Mr.
Baker. "I'll tell you how we make our mince meat", said Mr•. Baker.
"Your know I'm a taxedermist, and I get several deer heads, with a
good chunk of meat left on each one, to mount every year. I also get
buffalo, moose, and bear. This can of mince meat, contains four
kinds of meat, buffalo, deer, moose, and bear. We first soak it in
salt water, smoke it, cut it into small pieces, and cook it. Then we
grind and mix it with apples, citron, spices, brown sugar, and a
little cider. It is then put in cans and used for sauce or pie."
The Dakota county museum, which Mr. and Mrs. Baker maintain in
' Mendota, is open for the public, and a small admission charge is made.
The building is one of the oldest in the state and was formerly owned by
General Sibley. It was then a store, with a bar on one side. It was
here that the Younger brothers, accomplices of Jesse James in the famous
Northfield bank robbery, stopped to get their liquor to brace them up
for that daring piece of work.
Mr. Baker now uses the room as a work shop for his taxidermy.
He also is a medicine man, having knowledge of medicines made from
herb bark and oil. The museum is being kept in the second story of the
frame house. A complete collection of Indian novelties has been
gathered by Mr. Baker, including a variety of flint arrowheads, skinning
knives, war clubs, beads, costumes, trinkets, a scalp, and an old
canoe, hewed out of a log.
SCALP ON DISPLAY
The scalp on display is one of 36 which Chief Jeronemo carved
for himself when he was making it hot for early white people. The
famous stone pipe of Indian Betts, General Sibley's Indian wife, is also
on display in the museum.
Few visitors will leave the place until Mrs. Baker, formerly
Ahwahneitta White Cloud, has sung her Indian lullaby. Her Indian name
means, "Bowing Flower", in our language. Mr. Baker has attracted
considerable attention with his famous dog teams in past years. He now
has only two of his original team of eight, Polar King, and Lon Wolf.
Courtesy.
} G• Letendre
Martin Des Laurier
Francis J. Dembroski
By J.C. Wild
courtesy Minnesota Historical Society
Fort Snelling in the mid-1820s. The island to the right is Pike Island.
This is the site of the land Purchased by Lt. Zebulon Pike on September
23, 1805. Jean -Baptiste Faribault was present. One hundred thousand acres
were sold for the sum of 200,000.
and Mississippi Rivers --making camp on the island there which bears his name --
and two days later, a treaty was signed with the Sioux which granted to the
United States two tracts of land for possible military use. One was the area
around the junction of the Mississippi and St. Peter (Minnesota) Rivers.
Pike had little effect on British trading activities or Indian loyalties;
nor did he find the exact source of the Mississippi. The question of the
northern boundary of the United States was not settled until 1818, with the
designation of the 49th parallel running west from Lake of the Woods to the
Pacific, while the Mississippi's source was not discovered until 1832.
Nevertheless, the information gathered and the land designated in the treaty
proved important in the later development of this area.
In 1806 Pike won fame as an explorer for his discovery of Pike's Peak in
Colorado. In the War of 1812 he became a general..and led a successful advance
on York, Toronto, in which he lost his life.
Despite Pike's journey, American presence in this region was threatened
by the War of 1812 and British trading interests. By the end of the war the
British were clearly in control of the northwest, occupying several outposts
and having the support of most of the Indians. However, their losses else-
where caused them to agree to withdraw from this region when the Treaty of
Ghent was ratified in 1815. Even so, it was realized that the promotion of
American interests here could only occur with the protection of the U.S.
military.
��atiL�`K 1
The Americans
When the Treaty of 1783 wassigned at the end of the Revolutionary War, the
United States not only had gained its independence but also had claim to a
large expanse of land beyond the Appalachian Mountains. This included the area
of Minnesota east of the Mississippi, which was organized as part of the North-
west Territory in1787. The location of the northern boundary of this ter-
ritory was in question, however, since the 1783 treaty called for it to be a
line drawn west from the Lake of the Woods to the Mississippi River (a geo-
graphical impossibility).
With the approval of Jay's treaty in 1794, non -American fur traders were
allowed to continue their activities in this area, although the treaty out-
lawed foreign trading posts on U.S. land. Even so, the border uncertainty
kept British trading posts operating. The loyalties of the Indians remained
with the British; they viewed the coming of the American settlers as a threat
to their way of life.
American interest in exploring this region was greatly increased following
the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. (The territory included the land area of Eagan
as well as the western portion of what would become the State of Minnesota.)
The Louis and Clark journey to the Pacific Ocean is perhaps the hest -known of
the early explorations of this newly acquired land.
The first official U.S. expedition into Minnesota was under the leader-
ship of Lt. Zebulon Pike. Pike was born in Lamherton, New Jersey on January
5, 1779. He began his military career at the age of 15. Leaving St. Louis in
August of 1805 with a party of 20 men, his orders were to follow the Mississippi
to its source, examine the geography and resources of the area, record the
population and residence of the Indians and seek sites for the construction of
military posts. On September 21, 1805, they reached the junction of the Minnesota
steamboat landed there in 1823 and he is said to have been among
the signers of the 1825 treaty at Prairie du Chien (designating
the line dividing the Dakota and Chippewa tribes).
The son of Wamditonka was named Grey Iron (Mazarota), also
known as Pa-ma-ya-yaw ("My Head Aches"). He -became chief of
Black Dog Village in 1836 and died in 1857. He was succeeded
by his son, who also took.the name of Wamditonka.
`Big Eagle (the second) was born in 1827, but by the time he
became chief, the Dakota bands had all been removed to a res-
ervation along the upper Minnesota River.. He went to Washington'
with other chiefs to negotiate a treaty with the government in 1858.
Big Eagle died January 5, 1906, the last Chief of Black Dog
Village.
The following; were listed as the locations of the r'dewakanton villages. in
1849:
1. At the present site of Winona; this was formerly.Wabasha's
band. (There were three generations of chiefs named 'dabasha,
the first being the chief at Tetankatane.)
2. The Red Wing village at the north end of Lake Pepin.
3. Kaposia, originally on the east bank of the Mississippi;
this village moved into what is now South St. Paul about
1837. This was the home of 'Little Crow, who was said to
have been one of the leaders of the 1862 Sioux Uprising.
in southwestern Minnesota. His grandfather, also known as.
LittlefCrow, signed the.1805 treaty with Lt. Pike which
designated the site where Ft. Snelling would later be built.
4. At the site of Shakopee was the village of Chief'Shakpay
(or Shakpe, from •which that city gets its name); this was
the largest of the seven villages.
5. At Oak Grove, in what is now Bloomington, about eight
miles from Ft. Snelling. This group formerly lived at
Lake Calhoun, moving to the river location in 1843.
6. Across the Minnesota River from the Oak Grove village, in
what is now Burnsville., The name of the chief of this
village in 1849 was "'Good Roads."
7. Black Dog Village, on the south side of the Minnesota
River, in what is now Fagan.
The location of these summer camps undoubtedly varied over
the years, but it was said that the Black Dog village was for
many years situated at the mouth of Black Dog Creek, in section
18, just east of the present Cedar Avenue Bridge. The village
was also known as Canoska and later Ma-ga-ya-tech-ne, meaning
"people who do not eat geese," as the villagers sold the game
they hunted at Ft. Snelling. In 1850 it contained about 50
lodges.and 250 people.
Black Log Village takes its name from Chief Black Log, whose
Indian name was Warnditonka, meaning 'Big rear Eagle." .Black Dog
is mentioned as having been at Ft. Snelling when the first
The Sioux
By the mid-1700s the Mdewakanton. Sioux had begun to move south from
Take Mille Lacs, both because of the conflict with the Chippewa and also to
have better access to the trading posts. They at first reportedly lived in
a single village called "Tetankatane" (The Old Village) on the banks of the
Minnesota River, just west of Eagan. Wabasha Was the name of their chief.
As the French and Indian War was ending, R-ritish forces. began to occupy
several of the former French outposts in the Great Lakes region. The long
association of the French with the various Indian tribes was not quickly
ended, however.
The Lake Indians were dissatisfied with the change; they had better
rapport with the French. One reason for this preference is said to have been
that the French respected Indian religious superstitions and observances,
whereas British and Americans. were apt either to take no pains to conceal
their contempt for. Indian'beliefs or to speak bluntly against them.
Indian hostilities limited for a time the British trading activities here.
This caused a significant hardship for the Sioux, as the good5provided from
the fur traders. had become quite important to their survival. Wabasha led a
small group to Montreal where he requested that the trading be resumed. The
British were quite impressed with Wabasha and the fur trading with the Sioux
was reopened. By about the end of the War of Independence in 1783 Wabasha
established a village near Prairie du Chien, and' other villages of the
Mdewakanton were formed along the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers.
An account written in 1823 lists seven villages, consisting of huts
made of wooden Holes covered with bark. They were basically only summer camps;
during the winter the bands traveled, hunting for food and furs. Their winter
homes were buffalo -skin teepees which could be easily moved.
There were two classes of voyageurs: "pork eater:" (mana.geurs
de lard), who traveled the Great lakes in their. canoes but did
not remain in this are: - in winter, and ."winterers" (hivernants ),
who stayed here and worked for the clerk in charge of the
trading post.
In 1804 the Northwest Company moved its headquarters from
Grand Portage to Ft. William in Canada, both because it' was
advantageous for trading and because the United States was be—
ginning.to show interest in what was by then American territory.
Even so, it would be several years before the transition from
British to American control of this area ','ras complete.
(3r-iC;/s ,hmcn+-5
Technically, British territory did not include the land area.
of Eagan •or any other land to the west of the I%ississippi River.
The year before the Treaty of Paris was •signed, France secretly
deeded this land to Epain, which retained title until 1800, when
it was returned -to French control. Nevertheless, with their
extensive trading activities spreading through the upper mid -
west, the British were clearly in control.
Fur trading remained the biggest activity in Ninnesota while
it was under British domination, accompanied by exploration as
the British learned about their new territory.
When the British took over the French outposts the govern-
ment at first granted to certain parties the exdlusive right to
trade in an area. The practice was discontinued in 1767 and
the opportunity for independent traders greatly expanded. A
larger organization was necessary to collect and market the furs;
during the 1780s and 1790s •the Northwest Company slowly emerged
with a virtual monopoly on the fur trade around the upper Great
lakes.
While Iantreal remained the Northwest
Company's center, the outlying posts closer to the source of
the furs. took on added importance and increased. A typical
trading post consisted of storehouses for supplies and powder;
a shop and houses for the clerk in charge and for the men, all
surrounded by a stockade.
I-uch of the Northwest Company's success was due to the
voyageurs --the French-Canadian canoemen who transported the •
goods into the interior from Eontreal and returned with the furs..
interior of the continent was claimed in the name of King -
Louis XIV. This was soon followed by the establishment of a
number of forts' (used .mainly by.traders and missionaries) throughout
the' region.
Among the earliest French outposts within -Minnesota were
those built under the direction of Daniel Greysolon, Sieur duLuth.
Also active in this region were Nicolas Perrot and Pierre Charles
LeSeuer, who strengthened the French claim by creating outposts
in the Minnesota area.
The continuing conflict.among the various Indian tribes in the
region caused the French governor in Montreal to ban trade with
the Sioux in 1699. Competition from British interests gradually
increased and the French were faced with trouble with the Iroquois
as well as war in Europe, so that after 1702 there were no
official French outposts in the area for several years.
As circumstances changed the French slowly renewed their
efforts to occupy the posts. As late as the 1750s there reported-
ly were major French outposts near lake Fepin and 3rainerd as
well as a number of minor posts including one at the junction
of the i•:innesota and Nissiscippi Rivers.
However, the French were .losing their control. ilith the
Treaty cf Faris in 1763 (ending the French and. Indian riar)
the British caa.imed ownership of the land east of the i.ississippi,
and for the next fifty years they dominated the activities in
the I° inn eso to region.
French Establishments
The story of European influence in this area begins with the
explorations of the French during the seventeenth century. After
establishing Quebec in 1608, they gradually spread throughout
the Great Lakes and upper Mississippi Valley region. The reasons
for their interest in this area. included aspirations for a wes-
tern empire, the promotion of the work of religious missionahres,.
the potential of mining valuable minerals and the long -existing
dream of finding -a "Northwest Passage" which would provide a
more direct route to the Far East. However, the key to the
continued presence of the Europeans here was the development
of the fur trading industry.
Montreal quickly became a center of fur trading activity.
The governors. of "New France" lived there and as official rep-
resentatives of France they had authority over the exploration
of the territory and the regulation of trade.
Iroquois warfare in the mid-1600s prevented other tribes
from bringing furs to Montreal, so French traders called
coureurs de bois traveled westward to trade directly with the
Indians. Among them were Sieur Groselliers and Sieur Radisson,
who with their expedition in 1659 are commonly recognized as
the first white explorers to enter Minnesota.
The French did not try to colonize their part of North America
the same way the British did on the eastern seaboard. It was
felt that the development of the fur trade and extension of
French authority here could be better served through. the exis-
tence of small outposts in various parts of the region. In
1671, with a ceremony held at Sault Ste. arie, much of the
adapting to a hunter's life on the plains. The Dakota who still lived to the
north were increasingly challenged by the Chippewa and eventually had to
leave the Mille Lacs area.
When the Europeans first entered this region, hostility along all the
different Indian tribes was cormon. For a long time there were no villages
anywhere along the Mississippi between what are now Minneapolis and Prairie
du Chien, as this route was often used by various war parties.
(around the intersection of Cedar Avenue and Highway 13). Of these, all but
three were said to be fairly round, between one and 51 feet high, and from
15 to 75 feet in diameter. The other three were 12 to 3 feet high and measured
40 x 100, 20 x 125 and 50 x 125 feet.
Over the years, as land was plowed for planting, the Indian mounds here
were destroyed. Today few traces of past Indian cultures remain in Fagan.
The Eagan area is usually considered part of the traditional homeland of
the Dakota, or Sioux, Indian nation, but several tribes lived in the region of
the upper Mississippi River at the time of the early European explorations.
The Iowa Indians reportedly once made their home here, creating a village
within Eagan itself before being driven south by the Dakotas. (This was
reported in the 1881 History of. Dakota County, in which an account is given
of a major battle between the Dakota and Iowa at Pilot Knob. However, later
sources question the authenticity of this story.) The Fox Indians lived
in the general area of Wisconsin, traveling into southern Minnesota at various
times. The Huron and Ottowa)who had been forced from the New York area during
the mid-1600s by the Iroquois, lived near the present site of Hastings before
moving into Wisconsin following a conflict with the Dakotas. The Chippewa,
or Ojibway, Indians also began to move into Minnesota from the northeast.
The Dakota Indians were once located in northern Minnesota, in the
vicinity of Mille Lacs Lake. The word "Dakota" means "ally" and refers to a
loose alliance ct groups which spoke similar languages. The main Dakota tribes,
called the seven "council fires," were the Teton,. Yankton, Yanktonai, Wahoekute,
Wahpeton, Sisseton and Mdewakanton. (The last four are all included under the
name of the Santee Sioux.) The Mdewakanton, which means the "People of Spirit
Lake" in reference to Lake Mille Lacs, later settled in the vicinity of Eagan.
Tay the 17th century, many of the Dakota bands had moved to the southwest,
begun at this time and the many burial mounds filled with artifacts
that the Woodland people formed.
life was still -highly dependent upon food available in the
wildo Deer and buffalo were hunted in this area. The use of
copper had all but disappeared.as.the.source of the metal near
Lake Superior was depleted; instead, tools were made of_stone
or animal bone. Although agriculture had become part of the:
Woodland life in areas further south, in northern Minnesota
it was wild rice which supporteda somewhat larger and less
migratory population. The Indians in that vicinf±y still ex-
hibited a basic Woodland. life style when the .Europeans first
encountered them.
About 700 A.D., a new influence entered this area from the
south. The Mississippian culture originated near the -Gulf of
Mexico and was more oriented toward agriculture (supplemented
by hunting and fishing) than earlier cultures had been.
Mississippian peoples had a different style of potter although.
their tools were still made of stone or animal bone and burial
mounds remained common. Evidence shows that the Mississippian
culture reached as far north cis the Twin City area and had some
effect on the pottery and tools used here. The Cheyenne and
Mandan Indians lived in this manner and it is likely that they
along with the Oto and Omaha tribes were in southern Minneso*a
at some time in the not -too -distant past. -
In a series of field surveys conducted between i880 and i895,
•Theodore H. Lewis attempted to locate and describe all of the
Indian mounds within Minnesota. His survey.included-104 mounds,
called the "Black Dog" group, that were situated within Section .19 of Eojan
Lr Is r, C J + rc. 5
�ar
Four different cultures existed in the Minnesota area before
the coming of European explorers. The first was:the Paleo—Indian
culture, believed to have entered North America around 25,000.B..C.
Based on evidence found elsewhere in the. state, archeologists
estimate that human existence in this area began eight to ten
thousand years ago. Life at that time was dependant upon large.
animals such as the woolly mammoth and giant bison for food..
The early mammals gradually became extinct, affected by changes
in the climate (and also perhaps by more effective hunting
methods); by 5000 B.C. a different way of life had emerged.
The small family groups of the Eastern Archaic Culture lived.
by foraging for edible plants or hunting small game. The use
of copper tools was introduced about this time in the western
Great Lakes region. About 2500 B.C., the' growing of domesticated
plants for food began; the main crops, corn, beans and squash,
were first introduced in the area of Mexico. They gradually
became common in much of the rest of North America and helped
develop more permanent settlements.
As the centuries passed, regional differences became more
distinct in the way of life of the American Indian and around
1000 B.C. the Woodland culture was predominant through most
of the east and upper midwest. It appears at this time that
the•social and religious organization of the Indian groups became
more complex and formalized. Much has been learned about this
culture from two important sources: the pottei7 which was first
.1'r5.f.5ei+ less 1,1 EcA c 1
It was a provision in the Treaty of 1837 for teaching farming
to the Indians that led'the first white settlers to move into
what would. become Eagan. Known as an "Indian Farmer," a French-
man ;.rjamed 'Louis Martin came here following ratification of the
treaty to work among the people of Black Dog Village. He set-
tled in Section 17 (in'the present vicinity of Highway 13 and
Blackhawk Road) and the Indians formed anew village there,
'consisting of several log houses for shops and residence.
Eartin's successor at Black Dog Village wa.s•Hazen Mooers,
who arrived in the spring •of 1849. A native of New York, Mooers
was a well-known fur trader who had worked for.the Northwest
Company following the War of 1812 and then for the. American
Fur Company after about 1820. He was stationed at trading posts
on the Cheyenne River and at -Lake Traverse (in western Minnesota)
where he reportedly introduced the Indians there tothe raising
of crops. After 1837, Mooers had a farm on -Grey Cloud island
(this Mississippi island takes its name from his half -Indian
wife), but he soon returned to work among the Dakota as a gov-
ernment employee.
One of Mooers' daughters married a man nc{med 'J .W. Brown,
who joined his father-in-la.w at Black Dog Village in the fall
of 1849. When the Dakotas were removed to western Minnesota
after the signing of the treaty of 1851, Mooers accompanied
them. J.W. Brown acid his family remained) pre-empting a farm
in section 17 where he lived until 1857. He then moved to Red
Wing for six years before returning to Eagan and living on his
original claim until 1873, when he moved to a farm in the
northwest quarter of Section 9. Accordingly, J.W. Brown is
credited as the first white settler in Eagan.
The "Sioux Uprising"
Life in Eagan was not always hard work and peaceful living. At
times, during the Indian Uprisings of the 1860s, some of the, settlers
gathered at the Barry cabin in section 23 for better protection from
the Indians.
Those headed for the cabin would bring along a jug of spirits for
protection against the cold. After several hours of sipping,waiting
and talking, they would become much braver and decide to go looking
for the Indians. Luckily for all concerned, they never found any.
This tradition became to popular that it was difficult for otter
neighbors to learn the exact termination of the Indian uprisings.
Ref: Ellen Kalal
Jean Kalal
Francis J. Dembroski
7 h d i;rn Ti"Bar1 i es
f
Even though the United States had acquired this territory
through agreements with the French and British, treaties with
the native Indian tribes were negotiated before an area was
opened to settlement. Many treaties with the Dakota Indians
were signed over a period of years, beginning with the Pike
treaty in 1805, but perhaps the two most important to the
settlement of Minnesota were the land cession treaties of 1837
and 1851.
In 1837 there actually were two separate treaties negotiated,
one with the Chippewa at Ft. Snelling and the other with the
Dakota at Washington, D.C. They opened much of the area between
the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers to settlement (and also
led to the development of the lumber industry in the state.
Among the provisions of the treaty were promises to make annual
payments to the Indians and teach farming and other occupations
to help them adjust to a new way of living.
In 1851, a treaty was signed under which the United States
opened for settlement some 24 million acres west of. the IMiissis-
sippi in Minnesota., Iowa and South Dakota. This agreement was
negotiated at two separate proceedings, first with the western .
Dakota tribes at Traverse, des Sioux (near St. Peter) andthen
at Mendota with the Mdewa.kanton and Wahpekute. In accordance
with the treaty, the Dakota bands were removed to a reservation
on the upper Minnesota River.
Complications with payments, the reluctance of the Dakota
to give up their traditional way of life and poor administration
of the reservation led to the Sioux Uprising in 1862. Although
the fighting in Minnesota lasted little more than a month, the
result was the removal of the Dakota from Minnesota to lands
farther west.
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MENDOTA PIONEER HAS SEEN ST. PAUL
GROW FROM TOWN TO LARGE CITY.
•
Immigrated to Old Trading Metropolis —
• • • - From Canada 74 Years Ago. -•zr.
Y. .**�urlti lr.••.r add y�a a.R
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TWA l..•. ►.ter Calm*. ad **lid
Telesphore Lemay at age 95 in 1926.
MINNESOTA HISTORY
A complex man caught in crossfirf
CURT BROWN
Joseph "Jack" Frazer was
caught in the crossfire — liter-
ally and figuratively — when
the U.S.-DakotaWareruptedin
1862 on the Minnesota frontier.
Frazer was in his 50s, living
by the Lower Sioux Agency
near modern-day Morton,
working for a white trader,
when a French Canadian
named Antoine Young was
fatally shot on the war's first
morning. When Dakota war-
rior Cut Nose tried to shoot
Frazer, too, the men struggled
and the powder failed to ignite.
Two Dakota fighters then came
to Frazer's defense because he
grew up among the Dakota —
one of countless early Minne-
sotans of mixed blood.
Born around 1806 to a Scot-
tish trader and a Dakota mother,
Frazer was friends and hunting
partners with both Little Crow
and Henry Sibley — opposing
leaders of Dakota warriors and
U.S. government forces duri ng
the bloody six -week clash.
Frazer spent his first 30 years
known as Ite Maza, meaning
"Iron Face" in Dakota He lived
with the community of his
mother, Ha-zo-do-win, a daugh-
ter of the chief of the Red Wing
village. He married a daughter
of Black Dog village's leader.
But in his 30s, Frazer adopted
the white ways of his father --
speaking English, working for
traders, advocating farming and
dressing like a settler.
He was Minnesota's territo-
rial -era version of Paul Revere,
witnessing pivotal moments in
JOSEPH "JACK" FRAZER 1806-1869
Bom to a Scottish trader and a Dakota mother, Jack Frazer was friends and hunting partners
with both Little Crow and Henry Sibley — opposing leaders during the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862.
Birch Coulee and living after
the war in the Dakota intern-
ment camp at Fort Snelling.
Frazer embodies the mixed -
race history of Minnesota's early
years, according to St. Cloud
State historian Mary Wingerd.
Her award -winning, 2010 book,
"North County: The Making of
Minnesota," looks at the state's
sorted you out was by how
you dressed, by what kind of
customs you observed."
Some accounts paint Frazer
in a questionable light, while
Dakota traditionalists might
consider him a sellout. It's
safe to say he was among the
more complex characters on
the Minnesota frontier.
1986 biography titled "Little
Crow." He says Frazer was "sac-
rilegious, constantly poking fun
at Dakota customs, and even
mimicking Dakota spirits."
Sibley biographer Rhonda
Gilman said Little Crow and
Frazer shared a "roving eye,
prowess at hunting, and a
disregard for the authority of
REMINISCING
WITH SIBLEY
For more on Joseph "Jack"
Frazer, a part -Dakota,
part -Scottish character
from Minnesota's early
days, consider this: Henry
Sibley, the state's first
governor, wrote about
Frazer's adventurous life
under the pseudonym
Walker in the Pines. The
Mendota pioneer inter-
viewed Frazer during
winter nights of 1857
and '58, but the stories
remained unpublished
until a 16-part,1866 series
in a St. Paul newspaper.
That series was collected
in a 1950 book called "Iron
Face: The Adventures of
Jack Frazer, Frontier War-
rior, Scout, and Hunter"
with an introduction and
notes by Theodore Blegen
and Sara Davidson It's
rare and doesn't show up
in many libraries, but it
can be found online.
Links: tinyurl.com/Sib-
ley-Frazer or, for a 1951
review, tinyurl.com/
Sibleybook.
mission, Dahlin said, adding
that "Jack must have been a
formidable fighter as he was
able to hold Cut Nose, a Large
person, at bay for a time."
Thanks to the internet, we
don't need to rely solely on
experts. We can hear from
Frazer himself. Woodbury
historian Carrie Reber Zeman
recalled how, "in the long
Dakota used arrowhead
bone and stone to kill anil
for food.
"But in those times,
beasts that walked the c
were very plentiful," Fr.
said. "In those times bea
in hordes filled all the bo
of water wherever water
consequently, life was
sible; they kept alive."
By 1839, Frazer said, "t
if someone tried to live in
way, he would fail, he cc
not live, and he would e
with hardship.... Man can
now only from working
soil, planting, aside from
there is nothing possibletc
by.... He who honors the
thereby makes a man of l
self to a far greater degret
He challenged the Dal
for ridiculing people like
who "plant gardens and k
like women ... you yourse
are the greater fools!"
In a precursor to air
change concerns, Frazer
"The earth is very post
undergoing change. It is k
ing. Now in turn, all the ga
withering away; and so, the
it once seemed that the lbt
of the field had great gins
all over ... they suffer.
"Now, therefore, ma*
ing on earth can only prat
labor ... because labor its
only means of subsistencz
all wise men place pland
the highest value."
Frazer died in Faribatdl
Feb. 23,1869, and was busios
the French -Catholic St. IL
Cemetery in Rice Cu'
cxr-ly Inc1;00n G;,,l+Arc.5
Four different cultures existed in the Minnesota area before
the coming of European explorers. The first. was thePaleo-Indian
culture, believed to have entered. North America around 25,000_B.C.
Based on evidence found elsewhere in the state, archeologists
estimate that human existence in this area began eight to ten
thousand years ago. Life at that time was dependant upon large
animals such as the woolly mammoth and -giant bison for food.
The early mammals gradually became extinct, affected by changes
in the climate (and also perhaps by more -effective hunting
methods); by 5000 B.C. a different way of life had emerged..
The small family groups of the Eastern Archaic Culture lived.
by foraging for edible. plants or hunting small game. The use
of copper tools was introduced about this time in the western
• Great Zakes.region. About 2500 B.C., the growing of domesticated '
plants for food began; the main crops, corn, beans and squash,.
were first introduced in the area of Mexico. They gradually.
became common in much of the rest of North America and helped
develop more permanent settlements.
As the centuries passed, regional differences became more
distinct in the way of life of the American Indian and around
1000 B.C. the Woodland culture was predominant through most
of the east and upper midwest. It appears at this time that
the social and religious organization of the Indian groups became
more complex and formalized. Much has been learned about this
culture from two important sources: the potteiywhich was first.
begun at this time and the many burial mounds filled with artifacts
that the Woodland. people formed.
Life was still highly dependent upon food available in the
wild} peer and buffalo were hunted in this area. The use of
copper had all but disappeared as the source of the metal near
Lake Superior was depleted; instead, tools were made of stone
or animal bone. Although agriculture had become part of the
Woodland life in areas further south, in northern Minnesota
it was wild rice which supported a somewhat larger and less
migratory population. The Indians in that vicinity still ex-
.hibited a basic Woodland life style when the Europeans first
encountered them.
About 700 A.p., a new influence entered this area from the
south.. The Mississippian culture originated near the Gulf of•
Mexico and was more oriented toward agriculture (suppAemented-
by hunting and fishing) than earlier cultures had been.
Mississippian peoples had a different style of potter although
their tools were still made of stone or animal bone and burial
mounds remained common. Evidence shows that the Mississippian
culture reached as far north as the Twin City area and had some
effect on the pottery and tools used here. The. Cheyenne and
Mandan Indians lived in this manner and it is likely that they
along with the Oto and Omaha tribes were in southern Minneso*a
at some time in the not -too -distant past.
In a series of field surveys- conducted.between i880 and 1895,
'Theodore H. Lewis attempted to locate and describe all of the
Indian mounds within Minnesota. His survey included 104 mounds,
called the "Black Dog" group, that were situated within- Section 19 of Eajan
(around the intersection of Cedar Avenue and Highway 13). Of these, all but
three were said to be fairly round, between one and 511 feet high, and from
15 to 75 feet in diameter. The other three were 11 to 3 feet high and measured
40 x 100, 20 x 125 and 50 x 125 feet.
Over the years, as land was plowed for planting, the Indian mounds here
were destroyed. Today few traces of past Indian cultures remain in Eagan.
The Eagan area is usually considered part of the traditional homeland of
the Dakota, or Sioux, Indian nation, but several tribes lived in the region of
the upper Mississippi River at the time of the early European explorations.
The Iowa Indians reportedly once made their home here, creating a village
within Eagan itself before being driven south by the Dakotas. (This was
reported in the 1881 History of Dakota County, in which an account is given
of a.rajor battle between the Dakota and Iowa at Pilot Knob. However, later
sources question the authenticity of this story.) The Fox Indians lived
in the general area of Wisconsin, traveling into southern Minnesota at various
times. The Huron and Ottowa)who had been forced from the New York area during
the mid-1600s by the Iroquois, lived near the present site of Hastings before
moving into Wisconsin following a conflict with the Dakotas. The Chippewa,
or Ojibway, Indians also began to move into Minnesota from the northeast.
The Dakota Indians were once located in northern Minnesota, in the
vicinity of Mille Lacs Lake. The word "Dakota" means "ally" and refers to a
loose alliance aa' groups which spoke similar languages. The main Dakota tribes,
called the seven "council fires," were the Teton, Yankton, Yanktonai, Wahpekute,
Wahpeton, Sisseton and Mdewakanton. (The last four are all included under the
name of the Santee Sioux.) The Mdewakanton, which means the "People of Spirit
Lake" in reference to Lake Mille Lacs, later settled in the vicinity of Eagan.
By the 17th century, many of the Dakota bands had moved to the southwest,
adapting to a hunter's life on the plains. The Dakota who still lived to the
north were increasingly challenged by the Chippewa and eventually had to
leave the Mille Lacs area.
When the Europeans first entered this region, hostility among all the
different Indian trues was common. For a long time there were no villages
anywhere along the Mississippi between what are now Minneapolis and Prairie
du Chien, as this route was often used by various war parties.
The Sioux
By the mid-1700s the Mdewakanton Sioux had begun to move south from
Lake Mille Lacs, both because of the conflict with the Chippewa and also to
have better access to the trading posts. They at first reportedly lived in
a single village called "Tetankatane" (The Old Village) on the banks of the
Minnesota River, just west of Eagan. Wabasha,was the name of their chief.
As the French and Indian War was ending, British forces began to occupy
several of the former French outposts in the Great Lakes region. The long
association of the French with the various Indian tribes was not quickly
ended, however.
The Lake Indians were dissatisfied with the change; they' had better
rapport with the French. One reason for this preference is said to have been
that the French respected Indian religious superstitions and observances,
whereas British and Americans were apt either to take no pains to conceal
•
their contempt for Indian beliefs or to speak bluntly against them.
Indian hostilities limited for a time the British trading activities here.
This caused a significant hardship for the Sioux, as the good5provided from
the fur traders had become, quite important to their survival. Wabasha led a
small:group to Montreal where he requested that the trading be resumed. The
British were quite impressed with Wabasha and the fur trading with the Sioux
was reopened. By about the end of the War of Independence in 1783 Wabasha
established a village near Prairie du Chien, and other villages of the
Mdewakanton were formed along the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers.
An account written in 1823 lists seven villages, consisting of huts
made of wooden poles covered with bark. They were basically only summer camps;
during the winter the bands traveled, hunting for food and furs. Their winter
homes were buffalo -skin teepees which could be easily moved.
1849:
1
The following were listed as the locations of the Mdewakar-iton villages in
At the present site of Winona; this was formerly.Wabasha's
band. (There were three generations of chiefs named Wabasha,
the first being the chief at Tetankatane.)
2. The Red Wing village at the north end of Lake Pepin.
3. Kaposia, originally on the east bank of the Mississippi;
this village moved into what is now South St. Paul about.
1837. This was the home of 'Little Crow, who was said to
have been one of the leaders of the 1862 Sioux Uprising
in southwestern Minnesota. His grandfather, also known as
Little Crow, signed the 1805 treaty with Lt. Pike which
designated the site where Ft. Snelling would later be built.
4. At the site of Shakopee was the village of Chief'Shakpay
(or Shakpe, from which that city gets its name); this was
the largest of the seven villages.
5. At Oak Grove,_ in what is now Bloomington, about eight
miles from Ft. Snelling. This group formerly lived at
Lake Calhoun, moving to the river location in 1843.
6. Across the Minnesota River from the Oak Grove village, in
what is now Burnsville. The name: of the chief of this
village in 1849 was "'Good Roads."
7. Black Dog Village, on the south side of the Minnesota
River, in what is now Eagan.
The location of these summer camps undoubtedly varied over
the years, but it was said that the Black Dog village was for
many years situated at the mouth of Black Dog Creek, in section
18, just east of the present Cedar Avenue Bridge. The village
was also known as Canoska and later Ma-ga-ya-tech-ne, meaning
"people who do not eat geese," as the villagers sold the game
they hunted at Ft. Snelling. In 1850 it contained about 50
lodges and 250 people.
Black Log Village takes its name from Chief Black Log, whose
Indian name was Wamditonka, meaning "Big rear Eagle." Black Dog
is mentioned as having been at Ft. Snelling when the first
steamboat landed there in 1823 and he is said to have been. among
the signers of the 1825 treaty at Prairie du Chien (designating
the line dividing the Dakota and Chippewa tribes).
The son of Wamditonka was named Grey Iron (Miazaro ta) , also
known as Pa-ma-ya-yaw ("My Head Aches"). He.became chief of
Black Dog Village in 1836 and died in 1857. He was succeeded:
by his son, who also took the name of Wamditonka.
•Big Eagle (the second) was born in 1827, but by the time he
became chief, the Dakota bands had all been removed to a res-
ervation along the upper Minnesota River. He went to Washington
with other chiefs to negotiate a treaty with the government in 1858.
.Big Eagle died January 5, 1906, the last Chief of Black Dog
Village.