Sauk Rapids frontierman. [volume] (Sauk Rapids, M.T. [i.e. Minn.]) 1855-1860, 1858-04-08
SK5JK RlPIDs M r. THU RsDAY 81 80
HIsTORY Or CORN GROWING IN !

~ N
Hisroz1 II ": ,|;;|; SSss s!,.l l; ,saosviss n
MI From the Address of Gov. Ranssey, Il Minne-
apolis. o. the occasion Of the Second Annual Terri
aoriai Fair. uat. 10, 1861 Fesi Sl1 t's'5'
W The earliest cultivation ot the cereals
il this Territory that We have ! glimpse
of. dates - far back ~ about tho year
100 which IS the period Of Nicholas
Perrot's establishment ia Minnesota Of
the first trading posts among tie Sioux
or Dakota Indians, then the only tribe
of abnriginss which occupied our soil
the firearms Of the Chippewas not hav-
ing yet enabled them 10 dispossess the
Dakotas of the regions around the head
winters ofthe Mississippi, as was after
wards the case. One Of Perrot's trad
ing posts was established at the foot Of
Lake Prpin, and another on Iaice Creek,
81 On the Mississippi just above its
mouth, not far from the present. town Of
Manomin; and from the traders at these
posts the Dakota Indians themselves as
.ert, they first Obtained seed corn and
we're instructed ~ them how to plant
and cultivate it and in this connection
H. may be Interesting 70 inquire, where
these original cornfields we're located :
i'll There appears to havebe twofields
planted at the same time, and the best
We can learn respecting their location
i, that one Of them was at 4 place on
Rice Creek which they denominated
!" Teentahtonwan. or Prairieyillc, and
the other s. Il on the low banks Of the Min
nesota," not far from its mouth, and
probably not far also from the small trib-
utary creeklwhich we call Credit River,
Ein Dakota country. 5a at @S
IL II we could fix the exact spots Of
thase primitive corn fields Of, a century
and a half ago, there might be a fitness
in honoring them BY monumental stones,
as batt|s tii-lds are honored;4 they might
become the Nleccas to which farmers
could make piigrimages in after times,
when Minnesota has reached tine zenith
az her agicultural gea,ness, as q pro-
d,icer of the cereals, and il would not
be inappropriate also to hold our annual
Agricultural Exhibitions upon them,
where we could at least have the beauty
Of contrast between the small beginnings
Of 100 and the glorious fruitjon Of more
modern times to stimulate. us to futher
exertion and stJl greater progress.
II And. gentlemen, while regarding with
scuripsiay these dumb spots of earth, !, sif
We only knew certainly the names Of the
traders who had 50 much consideration
for their fellow, though savage men. as
60 bestow upon them the boon Of Indian
corn 1 besides taking pains to teach
them the mode Of its cultivation though
We could hardly proceed TO the len.th
that the ancients did when they conferred
Immortal honors on the inventors of let
'ters s. the plough; weimghit at all events
mention their names with respect, and
write them with letters Of honor upon
the archieves Of our Territory for
there II pith and force ii the remark Of
Dean Swift, that ssswhoever makes two
ears .ofs corn Or two blades pfagrass to
grow. On y spot &c ground where only
one grew before, deserves better Of man-
KIND than The whole race Of politicians
put together. = III tssaaaa' ~ 4 II
The splAntingof corn thus commenced
amongst the Indians, its cultivation was
continued and extended amongst them
until it was introduced into every band !;
50 TIM: prior TO the organization OF the
Territory, i'll was cultivated successfully
BY them Or, others in every parallel Of
latitude within our borders from 43 de-
|grees 30 minutes at the Iowa line, up to
the 49sh degree which Is the parallel
dividing our Territory from the British
posse ssions. :4 .1s.. s ists .st .ati s ~
have myself Witnessed corn growing
luxnriously along side Of wheat, on Cass
Lake, overtwo degrees of latitude north
Of here, on the head lwaters1of the Mis-
sissippi !. whilst beyo ond tha,inthe valley
Of lhe Red River Of the North, at Red
Like Mission, lying between latitude 49
and ~ degrees north, both the indians
and Missionaries, for many years past,
have raised large surplus of grain Of
various kinds. particularly of corn.sa II
A, letter from ] the Mission which a
friend recently permitted me to make an
extract from, says We cultivate
wheat, corn, potatoes, peas, beans,
beets, carrots, turnips, sqnashes, Sc,
with. 10 more than the ordinary amount
Or labor. w net 60 and 10 bushels Of
corn per acre, aud 40 bushels ofnwheat
per acre .s.. 4 j MI .,szassi M
This letter i from \ missionary locat-
Cd at the Lake ]; and the character Of
The man ~ well, Us the absence Of All
possible motive % nisreprsseni and ex-.
agge rate. leave no doubt of its being \
truthful picture of the reshlts of farming
ia that high northern regioa. "
~ ss
- Judge Slidell, of Louisiana. =
brother9 NJ the distinruished Senator