Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-04-30
THE HISTORY OF e
COUNTY,

E#-E I. - )
WRITTEN IN 1876 By ORDER OF THE
BOARD or COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND
PUBLISHED IN TIE TRANSCRIPT IN THE
= SAME YEAR. REVISED. AND BROUGHT
DOWN 70 THE PRESENT TIME. g, =. +:
.% By NATHAN RICHARDSON.
49,. :s., -. - E.
Continued from last weeks Transcript.
:" will now, mention the missionaries.
About the first missionary work done in this
county was by Samuel spates. He was born
in Bour bon county, Kentucky, January 81,
l8 Is, and was sent out by the Methodist
Episcopal church, and first came and estab-
.lished a mission arthe mouth Of Little Elk
river, in. October, 1889. While at this place,
for about one year, he had with him Rev. Al
len Huddleson, George Copway and John
johnson, the latter q converted Ojibwa In
dian. After leaving Little Elk Mr.. spates
went to Sandy Lake, where he remained nine
years. He then went to Fond du Lac, Minn.,
and afterwards, ip 1856, come and resided in
Little Falls, and remained here about two
years. He then removed to Cannon Falls,
Mimi, where he stiakaiyes and is engaged in
preaching. I, wrote to him several times to
get an account from him of his missionary
work, but never got reply from him, and
got this much from the State Historical re.
cords. From what saw of him I Judge that
his crown Of rejoicing in heaven will not be
very extensively decorated with Indian souls
that were converted through bis efforts as a
missionary among them. have no further
account of Huddleson. George Copway, ac-
cording to the best account of him, was full
blooded Indian, we'll educated in English and
in the early part of his life he travelled con-
siderably preaching and lecturing, not only
in the United States but in Europe. In Eng
land he married q refined English lady, who
came with him to the Indian country, but
survived only about one year thereafter, like
ly dying victim Of misplaced affection. The
next and last thing known of him he had
abandoned preaching, and was practiciug
medicine in Rochester, New York, as a In
dian doctor.
AS to John johnson, he did not remain in
this county long before he removed to Gull
Lake, where mission was established long
time ago, and he made that his home until the
move at White Earth was made, and he re-
moved to that place, where he has been en-
gagged in the missionary work, having been
ordained as On Episcopalian preacher. From
the fact that wrote to him several times to
send me an account of his early life in this
country, and he failed to answer my letters, I
consider him a man of but little force and not
likely to christianize the whole of his nation.
As near as can learn he has been engaged
in the missionary work among them since
1889, and he has yet to get his first convert,
and the missionary fraternity have to PAM
per him very much to keep him from return
ing to the faith of his fathers, belief that he
will go to the happy hunting ground after
death. At the mission these men started near
the mouth of the Little Elk, there was
white woman with them, but in what capaci-
ty is not known. They cleared up spot of
ground and made garden, and VIM. Nichol-
son speaks of gathering pie plant there ten
years after they left In the spring of 1s IS
we plowed up the old garden spot and plant
ed 1t to potatoes. A pile of rock out of Which
their chimney was constructed still plainly
marks the site of their residence, which was
on the fat Lear the Mississippi, about forty
rods south of the mouth of Little Elk river.
on the west side. The garden spot has not
been plowed and planted for many years
past.
As Catholic missionary the name of Faith
er Pierz is household word among all the
old settlers of Northern Minnesota, regardless
of sec! or nationality. He came to the Ter
ritory of Minnesota from Michigan, as a mis-
sionary to the Chippewa Indians, in 1852.
On finding the country in most parts we'll
adapted to agriculture, he wrote many letters
describing its beauty and richness of soil, and
sent them to Germany, his native land, for
publication in the papers of that country, and
also to various German papers in the United
States, which resulted in heavy German
immigration to Northern Minnesota, the
greater part of which settled in Stearns coun-
ty. Although an old man when he came to
Northern Minnesota, he labored hard and
faithfully for upwards of twenty years. He
travelled almost constantly among the Indians
and whita neonIo ;nd;so~;r,;,o+,lr r.. .,
to give correct idea of what kind of a man
Father Pierz was, will state an instance of
his life. In the fall of 1852, at the time of
the Sioux massacre on the western border of
our State, the Chippewa Indians under their
chief, Hole-i in the Day, were gathered at Gull
Lake, threatening an attack on the white SET
tiers. Father Pierz was in the vicinity of
st. Paul when he learned of the hostile atti-
tude Of the Chippewa Indians. He immedi-
ately set out to meet them travelling day and
night, and he proceeded undaunted, single
handed ard alone, on his way to the Indian
camp, On going along the road, he met the
Indian guards. who positively refused to let
him pass. He. however, insisted on going
past them, persistently refusing to take no for
an answer. The guards picked him up and
carried him across the dead line where they
were ordered to let no white man pass alive
He proceeded on to their camp and saw their
chief, Hole-in-the- Day. Whether it was
through the strenuous efforts of Father Pierz,
or not, that the Indians did not attack the
white people, it is certain that they had in
him friend who would not desert them in
time Of danger. The action of Father Pierz
in this case was very different from the clegy-
men of some other denominations. We we'll
remember that when the news of danger
reached Little Falls, Rev. W. B. Dada, at that
time resident pastor of the Congregational
church, made haste to get himself at q safe
distance from Hole-in-the-D Days scaIpers and
cnt tnroats, thus leaving his dock to look out
for themselves as best they could. It is to tho
credit Of his aock, it may be said, that they
were composed Of better material than thei,
pastor, who deserted them at the first appeaS,
ance of danger. Nearly ali remained with
the expectation Of having to fight the great
chief Hole-in- the Day, and his warriors. On
account Of extreme old ago Father Pierx be.
became very notional and childish before he
would consent to quit missionary work, which
he did in 1874 and went home to Germany t.
spend the remainder Of his days. For several
years he had notion in his head that il