Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-10-13
RELIC OF INDIAN MASSACRE.
Historic Old Bell Which Fell in the
Ruins of Minnesota Academy.

Historic Old Bell Which Fell in the
Ruins of Minnesota Academy.
| Hutchinson, Mimi, Oct 4.-Stand,
| ing upturned in a flower bed in the
yard at the home of the late w. w.
Pendergast once state superintend-
ent of schools, and with it's rusty
| sides festooned with vines ana
! flowers, is a relic of the terrible
Indian massacre of 1862, which de-
serves a conspicuous place in the col
lection of such mementos in the
rooms of the state historical society.
Mr.. Pendergrast was a born educator
and teacher and about the first move
after locating in Hutchinson in 1856
was to establish and equip a school
which, owing to the higher branches
he proposed to teach, he dignifed
with the name academy. The build.
ing was on a slightly spot on the hill
north of the river and was a two
story frame structure.
After is was completed a bell was
needed and money was raised by hold
ing dances and socials, which the
scattering families of the pioneers
were only too glad to attend. The
academy was barely in good running
order when Little Grow and his horde
of blood-thirsty Sioux started one Of
the most widespread and shocking
massacres in the history of the
country. Most of the buildings in
Hutchinson were close to or within
the limits of af strong stockade on
the ground now occupied by Hutchin.
sons beautiful Central park. in which
stands the new Carnegie library.
To his haven of safety the settlers
Hooked from miles around. though
some-men, women and little children
failed to reach it in time and were
away captives. The sayages sur
rounded the stockade and for several
hours kept up a harmless fusilade OF
bullets against its solid walls. finally
retlrlng in disgust, not daring to as
sault, as the defenders were fairly
well equipped with arms and ammu-
milton and several braves who had
come too near had been killed. This
was on ept. 4, 1862.
Soon after the attack nearly ali Of
the buildings outside the stcckade
were set On fire by the Indians
among them the academy. In burn
ing this they seemed to take especial
delight. A large band congregated
about the flaming building, waving
their blankets, dancing, shouting in
derislon at the people watching them
from the portfolios of the stockade
and ringing the bell until the burning
of the rope compelled them to stop.
The academy was the pride of the
town and as the clear notes of the
bell floated out above the roar of the
burning buildings, the cracking Of
rifles and the yells of the Indians, it
seemed, as one old settler described
it, to sound the doom of the hopes Of
the beleagured community.
The bell was rescued from it's grave
in the ashes and for time vas used
to assemble the scattering settlers ar
religious services, being stationed on
the ground in front of the log cabin in
which church was held. 1t was rune
by being struck with an ak, and one
frosty morning it received too hard
a blow and was cracked. The crack
is almost precisely like that in old
Liberty bell, and since then, like the
nations honored relic, Hutchison's
famous bell has been voiceless. II
had rich, deep tone and could be
heard a distance of over four miles,
and was at that time said to be the
only bell of any considerable size be-
tween st. Anthony falls and the.
Rockies. 1t is twenty-one inches ini.'
diameter at the base and eighteen
inches in height. The only inscription
it bears is that OF the name of the
manufacturer and place and year:
MAYOR, Vickers & Co., Sheffield,
1860"