The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-09-13

its mouth 1t is difficult now to i'm
agine, where Gov. Doty saw his signs
of copper in the Minnesota valley, un-
less perhaps, in the color of its abort
ginal inhabitants
Place of Treaty.
We found great difficulty in locating
the exact spot where the treaty was
signed, and it was only after much
dingent inquiry that we were en-
apled at last to determine it with any
certainty. Very few who were present
aG the treaty now survive, and the
cnanee an the appearance of the coun-
Cry' ana the lapse of time since they
saw IL. render their recollections
somewhat indefinite. The only per-
son now living, who was present at the
treaty, and who has lived at Traverse
Des Sioux ever since, within a stones
throw OF the spot where the treaty was
signed, is Mrs. Louisa Carpenter, She
is quite an intelligent woman. and a
granddaughter of the noted Sioux
chief, Mazahsha Red Iron. Her
father, Louis Laramie, a Canadian
Frenchman, came to Traverse Des
Sioux early in the forties from Men
dota. Mrs. Carpenter has an excellent
memory and though only about eight
years old at the time of the treaty,
she recalls distinctly many incidents
connected with its making-The com
missioners' tents the building of the
booth, which was used for a council
chamber the speech of Chief Sleepy
Eye; the drowning and the recovery
0f tho hn6U of Pow pnhor&
the missionary: the caution given by
the chiefs to the children to keep away
from the council chamber, so as not to
disturb the sessions with their noise;
the use of the old log warehouse by
the whites for their kitchen; and
many other happenings of the time she
recalls quite wildly. Another person
thoroughly familiar with the old land
marks of Traverse Des Sioux is Louis
A. Robert Esq. who has resided in the
vicinity since 1868. He is a son-.of
Antoine Robert. and nephew of
Louis Robert, the famous steamboat
captain and trader. He is a most
genial gentleman and rendered much
assistance in locating the site of the
treaty. Valuable information as to
the site as well as to other matters
pertaining to the treaty was also
kindly furnished by Gov. Ramsey,
Mrs. Grace G. Pond, Rev. Moses N.
Adams, Rev. John P. Williamson,
D. D., Sioux missionary, and others.
Mrs. Pond is the widow of the Rev.
Robert Hopkins, the missionary, who
was drowned accidentally on the
morning of July 4th, 1851, while bath
ing near his home in the Minnesota
river, making the saddest accident of
the treaty story. Mrs. Pond resided
at Traverse Des Sioux from April 1914
to September 18th, 1851, and with her
husband and Mr.. and Mrs. Higgins
taught the mission school there and
witnessed the treaty from beginning
to end. Rev. Adams, the pioneer mis-
sionary and preacher, has been familiar
with the sites of Traverse Des Sioux
since 1S4S, and, while not present at
the treaty, he was there in a short
time afterwards and saw the spot,
when very evidence was fresh, and
made his home at Traverse Des Sioux
for many years Immediately there
after.
The main difficulty in determining
the site of the treaty has arisen from
a mistake as to the site of Louis Pro-
vencalle's store. The majority of the
old settlers seem to have taken for
granted that this store stood three or
four rods northwest of the present
residence Of Mrs. Jacob Frank on
block 30 of the old townsite. None of
these old settlers have personal knowl-
edge of the fact, except that some of
them recall seeing an old log building
there. All of the earliest settlers, who
actually saw the store when occupied
by Provencalle, and therefore speak
with authority, place it's site just
where the barn of Mr.. Demos Young
now stands on the south side of block
30 of the TOWNSHIP. 1t seems, however,
that there was an old log warehouse
belonging to the Fur company, which
stood near Mrs Frank present resi-
dence. 1t had been erected prior to
1S41, for Gov. Doty held his treaty in
it then, and it was standing in 1851,
for it was used during the making of
the treaty of that year by Gov. Ram
sey and Col. Lea as kitchen and
store-room. Father Ravoux had made
use of it in the fall of 1S41 to instruct
the children of Provencalle and of the
French and halfbreed voyagers living
there, in religious things and in ad-
ministering to them the rite of Bap-
tism. 1t was built of small unhewn
logs, was twice as long as broad. stood
north and south, had no windows or
chimney, but it had door in the
north end. Provencalle's store lay
about sixty rods north of this building
on the same bench of land. 1t fronted
south and was built of hewn logs, with
1 L. - 1~oR
four upright posts at the corners, in
stead of being laid across each other as
is the usual method. In front Of this
store and about fifteen rods south of it,
and Just north of small natural ditch
stood the council chamber in which
the famous treaty was signed. A spot
of such historic interest should GER
tainly be marked by a suitable monu-
ment, that no doubt may ever arise
again as to its location.