The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-08-12
NOTABLE REUNION
AT LAKE HARRIET
POND DESCENDANTS MEET ON
OLD MISSION SITE.

POND DESCENDANTS MEET ON
OLD MISSION SITE.
It Was Seventy Years Ago that the
Pond Brothers Founded Their
Famous School for Indians on the
Shore Of The Beautiful Lake.
The descendants Of the intrepid
Pond brothers-Samuel and Gideon
the first missionaries among the Sioux
Indians In Minnesota and distin-
gressiye citizens of the territory, met
IN reunion today at Lake Harriet,
where their first work among the then
savage red men was done. There are
eighty-six descendants and most of
them We're present, coming from vari-
Gus parts of the state.
The Minneapolis defendants are
Samuel Pond, Mrs. w u. Dean, and
Arthur J. Dean. The plans for the
family reunion largely fell upon their
shoulders and the guests from out of
the city We're unanimous In their
praise Of the arrangements. Over
fifty of the members of the Pond
family started at 1880 am. for the
lake. and 1t was expected that others
would come later.
The day was devoted to pleasure,
altho there were some speeches and
many historical anecdotes told Of the
old days. After an old-fashioned pic
mic dinner there was general discus
sion of the marvels that had been
wrought in the new country, many of
them growing up thru the efforts OF
the two brothers.
Came in 1884.
Interesting, exciting and at times
dangerous was the voluntarily as
sumed work of the brothers Pond.
They began by teaching the Indians
to plow their fields and sow and reap
grain. Then they built a hut which
served as schoolhouse on week days
and as church on Sundays; and by
their patient, persistent labors, con-
verted the first of the Sioux to Chris
tianity.
A Historical Sketch.
The young Pond brothers came from
Connecticut in1834, and landed at Fort
Smelling May 6 of that year. Samuel W.,
the elder brother, was born April 10, 1908,
and Gideon HOLSTER, the younger, June
80, 1910. They grew to manhood on farms
in the Connecticut hilas, and received the
education and discipline 5then common to
the youth of New England.
In a revival in 1881 at Washington,
Conn.,, they were converted, and they
Immediately consecrated themselves for
life to missionary service.
They decided to undertake an independ.
ent mission among the Sioux of the upper
Mississippi for whose enlightenment ne
effort had then been made.
It was a volunteer movement. Without
a commission from any organization
without friends who favored the work
without funds, but with strong faitt
they inaugurated tfeirfwork. They speed
found favor with the red men.
Taught Red Men to PIow.
The elder brother gave series of les.
sons in blowing to Big Thunders band
where st. Paul now stands, while the
younger spent a week instructing the Lake
Calhoun band on the present site of Min
neapolis. BY invitation of Cloudman, 6
wise and influential chieftain, they erect
ed a log cabin at his village located on thu
lowlands between Lakes Harriet and Cal
houn, on the site afterwards occupied BY
Kings pavilion. This cabin was IL by
and feet in height. It was the home o.
the first citizen settlers in Minnesota. I
was, also, the first schoolroom and thu
first house of worship in Minneapolis ant
Minnesota. It was torn down, in 1889, t.
furnish materials, for .hreastWorks for thu
defense of the Dakotas against, the Chip
pewas, after the bloody battle Of Run
river Here were the first beginnings O
that Hnkuistic work. out of which grew
/ the great Dakota dictionary, published
years afterwards by the Smithsonian in
stitute.
In 1885, Rev. j. D. Stevens, a Presby
terrain clergyman, established boarding
school for Dakota Indians at Lake Har
riet, near the site of the present pavilion
The Pond brothers eo-operated in thi
work, which continued for five years
Other conseorated workers came from
New England and Ohio and reinforced tn
workers by the lakeside and reached on
to Lac qui Parle, Kaposia, Traverse de
Sioux, Yellow Medicine, Habelwood ant
other points, and in later years to the twt
Dakotas and even into Manitoba.
Fruits Of Their Work.
Some Of the fruits of this great work
are thirty Presbyterian and eleven Con-
gregational Indian churches, aggregatins
| $500 communicates and 1900 SunGSx
school membership, with all the modern
machinery of church work in efficien:
operation.
In 1843 the younger brother established
his home at Oak Grove, twelve miles west
of Minneapolis, and ir1 1S47 the elder
brother made his residence at Shakopee
Here they spent the remainder. of ttsil
| lives, and here some of their descendants
still reside.
After devoting twenty years to mission
airy efforts among the Sioux, both broth
ers engaged in ministerial service for thu
white settlers, and were successful in es
tablishing Presbyterian churches a
Shakopee and Oak Grove and in accom-
plishing much good.
Both brothers were twice married. Nov
~, 1888, Samuel w. was married to Mis-.
Cordelia Eggleston, at the Lake Harrie
missionhouse, her brother-inlaw, Rev
]. D. Stevens, officiating. After fourteen
years Of self-denying toll, she fell a mar
| tyr to the cause to which she had de
voted her life. Her living children art
Mrs. w. J. Dean and Samuel W. Pond
residents Of Minneapolis, and Elnatha1
Judson Pond, who occupies the old mis-
!. sion home, erected by his father, in 1847
at Shakopee. In 1853, Mr.. Pond married
! Miss Rebecca Smith, with whom he LIVED
happily for many years. She fell died a
| the age Of 80 years.
i November /, 1887, at Lac-qui-Parle
Gideon III. was married by Rev. S. r
Riggs to Miss Sarah Poage. The becam,
the parents Of five daughters and tw,
sons. In 1853 Mrs. Pond died. In 1856
Mr.. Pond was married in Ohio to Mrs
Robert Hopkins, whose husband the Rev
Robert Hopkins, was drowned at Travers'
| des Sioux, July. 4, 1851.
Mrs. Pond still survives and Is strong
and vigorous at the age Of 80 years. IHl
| living descendants and Mr.. Ponds (tNs;