The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-01-16
Ellison, This Week Minneapolis, of
White Children Born in Minnesota.

- Il
tons. Previous to the building Of
the Oak Grove mission-house, the
brothers of both of them spent con-
siderable time at Lac qui Parle, as
they might be needed.
EARLY; Home at Lake Harriet.
The other missionary group in
cluded Rev. J. D. Stevens and family
and a niece, Miss Cornelia Stevens.
Mr.. Stevens chose for his station a
site beside the spring at Lake Har-
riet, not far from the Indian village.
He built a house and a schoolhouse,
and in the fall insisted upon the Pond
brothers giving up their cabin at Cal
houn and joining him. The Lake Cali
houn cabin; was pulled down in 1889
to build breastworks, when the Da-
cotahs.. were living in fear Of a re-
| taliatory attack from the Rum River
massacre.
After building the mission at Oak
Grove, both Pond families lived there
for several years, until, by the request
of the Indians of iShak-pe's@ village,
near the site of Shakopee, and by
the advice of the Indian agent, Sam
uel Pond built a new mission among
the Shak-pe band. During the treaty
| negotiations in 1852, for the removal
of the Dacotahs to reservation IN
the vicinity of Lac qui Parle and the
sale of their lands, Gideon Pond acted
as interpreter, but was opposed to the
plan, for he and the missionaries gem
orally disapproved of the govern
mental policy Of providing annuities
on the grounds that they removed all
| incentive to civilization.
When the treaty was concluded and
most of the Indians removed. the Pond
brothers decided not to follow them,
for they were apprehensive of their
conduct when their natural rowing i'm.
/ stincts were curbed and they We're
gathered together. where they could
act in concert and encourage each
other in lawlessness.
i BY their constant association with!
the Indians the families had acquiredI
i a greater ease in the use of the Da-.
/ cotah language than in their own, Da-i
i cotah and French being used chief1y.l
! The family grew up associating chief
ly with the Indians. until their re-
moval after the treaty.
An Indian Girls Romance.
One of the burial places of the In
dams was within sight of the Oak
Grove mission. There lived in the
family an Indian girl, Jane, grand
daughter of Chief Cloudman who
4 had been given to the missionaries by
her mother. She grew up into a
woman Of fine Christian character
and much capability. She married a.
white man and her sons are men of
prominence in wisconsin. Her cousin,
Nancy, daughter Of an officer of the
fort, was offered to the mission in the
tsame way by her mother, but her
grandmother interposed her claim an6l
wished the missionaries to buy her.
This they refused to do and she COM
tinued to live with her. grandmother,
but picked up god, deal of instruc-
ton at the mission. She was a high
spirited girl and disgraced her family
10 !, al inc Wi 1o1a ~
rying an Indian of another band, who
|paid no equivalent for her. In re-
venge her grandmother cOnfiscated
her ornaments, which had been left al
the mission house.
The story of Nancy is especially in.
/, teresting from the fact that she was
u the mother of DIR. Charles Eastman
- the well-knoWn writer, physician ane
= lecturer, who is, therefore, only three;
quarters Dacotah. ~
= Following the removal Of the In
v dams both of the Pond brothers tool
, I'D ministerial work amongathe rush Q:
n new settlers who came in.s Mrs. Pono
\ died about this time, $50. The sec,
\ ond Mrs. Pond was Mrs. r ebert Hop
a kins, who came to Traverse Des Slou.
/ with the first missionaries there aht
q whose husband was drowned. Ihe
=, country around the missionary station
y was rapidly settled after-sthe remoVa
:, of the Indians and,sa church was soo1
- organized. Mr.. Pond salso held re
= ligious services in Minneapolis at tn
:. home of Colonel Stevens and in lS5;
% organized the first Christian church II
- :. Minneapolis. altho in q Esense this wa
- continuation Of the Presbyter1al
e church organized at Fort Smelling II
- 1885. This is now thetF First Presby
:. terrain church.
/ zeal to the church and devotion t
I it's interests was inherited by MI
n Ponds children and Mrs. Ellison was
l. Jealous member of Stewart Memorla
s, church. Altho rather frail and tn
n, weather was severe, she Went -
8. church the evening she was taken ~
rs Her interest in missionary work wa
vi deep sympathetic and appreclatlve, TO
s. she grew up in an atmosphere OF con
S. Germ for others and of self sacrifice.
s. Mrs. Ellison had large fanny, a
=, of whom survive her, Emma Wiiso
n. Davis, Sarah Agnes Lyon, Mary MAJ
&c garet Heaton, Esther Ella, Edna Po n,
It, James Hollister and George. Poage IN
e. Elison. The family removed to Name
t. anoiis in 1873. Mrs. Ellison wa
IN buried at Bloomington. where ne
H. father and mother lie.