St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-04-15
A FRONTIER FIGURE.
Judge Flandpau Presents a
Full Length Portrait of
Joe Rolette,
To Be Added to the Interest
ing Collection of the His
torical Society.
His Address Tells of a Man
Conspicuous in Frontier
History.
/. V. D. Heard Adds Some In
teresting Facts and Spicy
Anecdotes.

state historical society laSt nlgnG pretty
in itself and of considerable historical
intereet. When the routine business
was completed Judge Charles E. Flan-
drau rose and presented a handsomely
framed and iife-like portrait OF Hon.
Joseph Rolette. [ propose this even
ing. said Judge Flandrau, to present to
the historical society a portrait OF Hon.
Joseph ROlette, whom all old settlers will
we'll remember. The great-grandfather
of our subject emigrated from Norman
dy in France to Canada and formed a
colony there; with them was his grand
father, then twelve years old; it is be-
lieved that the brave Montcalm was OF
the number of these colonistS. Many OF
them became discouraged by the hard
ships they were compelled to endure
and returned to Normandy. The Ro-
lettes remained. Jean Joseph Rolette.
the father of our Joseph. was born in
Quebec, Sept. "a, 17Sl. He received
collegiate education in Quebec from the
Jesuit Fathers and was designed for the
priesthood. but he engaged i'll business
first in Montreal, then for while in
Windsor, opposite Detroit, and finally
at Prairie du CHEN about 1901 or 1902.
He became an enterprising Indian
trader and was we'll established in bust
hess when the Americans in 1914 took
possession of the place. They built
stockade and called 1t Fort Shelby.
RoIette was then absent at MacinaW
and joined Col. McKay's expedition to
recapture Prairie du Chien. He had
some rank in Anderson's company and
took leading part in the campaign
against Prairie du Chen, and for his
good conduct was offered captaincy in
the British army, which he declined.
His activity in the British service was
remembered against him by the Amer
leans in after years. but he con-
tinued his Indian trade success
fully up to 4ed 1922 nI when u ,ss JGnn n
position in the American Fur com,
pany, which ne accepted, and held until
1886. when he was succeeded by Her
cules l.. Dousman. He died at Prairie
du Chen Dec. l, 1912, in his siXty-sec-
ond year. He was known among the
Indian traders as liking Rolette," and
the Indians called him She-Yo or the
Prairie Chicken, on account OF the
rapidity with which he travelled. Mr..
Rolette was a leading citizen of his
town. He left considerable property,
and widow and two children, son
and daughter. The latter married Capt.
Hooe, of the United States army, ana
was very superior woman. His widow
married Gen. Hercules l.. DOusman,
and died ON Jan. 13, 1888, aged seventy
six years. A son of this union, and
half brother of our subject. married
daughter of Gen. Saumel Sturgis, of the
United States army, in this city. Mr..
Rolette was thorough type of the old
French frontierSmen, and, from what
has been handed down to us concern
ing his habits and general character
iSticS, it is probably as we'll for the
church that he did not take priestly
orders.
MS Son,JoSeph, whose portrait now
present to you, was born Oct. %, 1920,
at Prairie du Chen, and was sent to
New York when quite young, and re-
ceived commercial education with the
trading firm presided over by Ramsey
Crooks, father of Col. William Crooks,
of our city. Joe lacked the elements of
thrift and steady habits that are es-
Sential to successful commercial career.
When he returned from New York he
was sent to Pembina. and entered into
the Indian trade at that point. He mar
ried Nov. 4. 1915. Angelic jerome, who
was part Chippewa, who still lives Oh a
farm four miles from Pembina, and
reared quite a numerous familY-eleven
in all, seven of whom are still living. six
sons and daughter, the latter married
TO August Mckay, Indian agent at Lake
Winnipeg. In the early days of the
territory he made the semi-annual trips
to st. Paul with the Red river carts,
bringing furs and taking in return
merchandise for the trade with the
Indians.
He was on several occasions elected
to the legislature of the territory, and
in the eighth session of the legislature
he was a member. A bill had passed
the house removing the seat of govern
ment from st. Paul to st. Peter, and it
would, in all probability, have passed
the council and been approved by the
governor, but Joe resolved to veto the
same in his own peculiar manner. He
quietly
Pocketed the Bill
and disappeared. The friends of the
bill being DESTROYS of getting it before
the council for passage prepared reso-
luton, which was introduced by st. A.
ID. Balcombe, on Saturday, Feb. %,
1857, as follows:
Resolved. That Hon. Joseph Rolette be
very respectfully requested to report to the
council Bill No. So council file, entitled, "a
bill for the removal of the seat of govern