The Mankato free press., 1902-06-30

&SSo
Perrot, by authority of commission
from the Marquis Denonville, COVER
nor of New France, took possession in
the name of the king. Louis XIV, of
all the countries lying along the upper
Mississippi, the st. Croix and s..
Pierre or Minnesota rivers This re-
gion had several years before been
partially explored Dy the emisaries of
the French government and by the
missionaries of the church, who had
each in their turn carried home en-
thusiastic accounts of the fortunes to be
made by trading with the savages who
inhabited this vast country, and of the
glory and dominion to be attained by
adding these multitudes of people to
the membership of the church. The
territory now known as Minnesota
was then thickly inhabited by large
and warlike tribes of indians, most of
whom belonged to the powerful nation
of Dahkotahs, who having driven out
the Iowas, Otoes, Cheyennes, Aricarees
and Omahas, tribes which anciently
inhabited the southern and southwes-
tern parts of Minnesota, had at the
time our history commences pervaded
nearly the whole territory of the upper
Mississippi and its tributaries, and
we're estimated to consist at that
time, of not less than four thousand
families. Trading posts were estab-
Iished by the French explorers at var
ious points along the Mississippi, and
from these posts excursions were made
from time to time toward the west in
search of precious metals, furs and
buffalo skins. Lead having been dis
covered on the Mississippi, and copper
in the neighborhood of Lake Superior,
hopes were entertained of still greater
riches yet to be found in the unknown
region which bordered the st. Pierre
and it's branches.
NJ. LIE Sueur was member of the
party commanded by Perrot, who in
1859 took possession of all this country
for the king of France. In 1892 he
was sent to Lake Superior to maintain
the conditions of treaty of peace
which had just been concluded be-
tween the Dahkotahs and the
Ojibways. In 1895 he built on an
island between Lake Pepin and the
mouth of the st. Croix, the second
trading post in Minnesota. He had
acquired proficiency in the language
of the Indians, and by his bravery
and honorable dealings with them had
secured their confidence and esteem.
On his return to France in 1897, he
procured license to open and work
certain mines supposed to exist in
Minnesota. This license was revoked
the next year on account of war hav-
ing broken out between the Dahkc-
tabs and the Foxes and Miamis, in
which the French had become involv-
ed to such an extent that they were
obliged to abandon all their posts in
Wisconsin and Minnesota. LIE Sueur,
however, had his heart set on his pro-
jected expedition, and in December,
1899, he returned to Louisiana and
having secured the cooperation Of the
governor of that province, he
started up the Mississippi river on the
18th of July, 100, with small sail
vessel, two canoes and nineteen men.
About the Goth of September he
reached the mouth of the st. Pierre,
so named by him in honor of French
officer who had charge of a trading
post on Lake Pepin. This river, since
called the st. Peters, and now the
Minnesota, he ascended. and about
the first of October entered the Nah
kato or Blue Earth. This river he
found controlled by the Sioux of the
west, the Iowas and Otoes, and his ex-
pedition met with considerable oppo.
sition from the Sioux of the east, in.
habiting along the Mississippi, who
wished to retain the monopoly oi
trade they had already enjoyed fol
several years, and deputation ot
Indians was sent to induce LIE Sueul
to abandon his project, and settle
himself on the Mississippi. He re-
solved, however, to remain Ions
enough to satisfy himself with regard
to the deposits of copper which he sus
pected to exist there, and commenced
building fort, which he finished OF
the 14th of October, 100, and namet
it Fort L'Huillier, in honor of tn,
Farmer General at Paris. who had be
friended and aided him in his favorit,
project.
The exact site of this fort canno
now be determined. Neill, in hi
history of Minnesota, places it abou
a mile below the LIE Sueur, whil
Penicsut, one of LIE Sueur's party
who wrote an account of the expedi
tion, says it was built about leagu,
up the Mahkato, on point of land ;
quarter of mile from the woods, ant
the mine was three-quarters of {
league distant, on the bank of tn,
river, in bluff where the green eartl
was foot and half in thickness
The map of New France, drawn b!
William de L'Isle, in 1903, places
the tort on the right bank of the river
There is no point of land now on thi
side which answers to the description
given by Penicaut. There are unmis
taxable evidences. however, that tht
river formerly flowed in westerly
direction through the present Yillag,