Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1905-09-29
LIFT o. I N PIKE
Paper BY Warren Upham,
Secretary of Hlstor-
ical Society ==~

Secrstary of Histor-
ical Society d.
Secretary Warren Upham, Of the
State Histol ical society, in his I'D.
dreis on THE Life ard Military Ser
vices Of Zsbulon NJ Pike showed
extensive historical research. says the
st. Paul Dispatch. The paper fol
lows: - -
Every human life is an interesting
drama. Grandly 20. and truly noble.
was tie life OF Zsbulon Montgomery
Pike; and 1t ended with a halo Of i'm
mortal glory. as patriot soldier who
died for his country.
he was born in Lamberton, now q
part of Trenton. N. j., Jan 8, 1879.
His father was captain In the revo
luton. and continued In the federal
army service. The son, Zetulon Mont
Romery, was of slender form In his
boyhood, of pale and very fair COM
plexion. with a gentle and retiring
disposition, but with a resolute spir-
it He received only a scanty COM
mon school education. At the age of
10 years he began service as cadet
In his fathers regiment. and was pro-
NOTED when 20 years old to the rank
of first lieutenant.
From Gen. James Wilkinson. in
command on the Mississippi, Lieut..
Pike received orders in 1905 to con-
duct an expedition to It's upper
streams and lakes for several purposes,
as to negotiate treaties with the In
dams to secure conformity with the
laws Of the United States by the
agents of the Northwest company and
others engaged at the for north in
the fur trade, and to extend geo.
graphic exploration. Pike started
from St. Louis on this expedition
Aug. 8, 1906, with twenty soldiers, in
. keel beat. seventy feet long, provi-
stoned for four months.
On the SD day Of September, 1906.
on the island at the mouth of the
Minnesota river. since called Pike
Island. he made formal purchase by
treaty, from chiefs Of the Dakotas or
Sioux, Of Z large tract reaching from
the Minnesota river to the Fails of st.
Anthony, and another tract at the
mouth Of the St. Ctoix river, these
lands pas ing thus t., the ownership
of the United States for military pur.
poses
Proceeding up the Mi*si= slppi river
Pike and his party were overtaken by
early snow and cold on Oct. 10th, and
were obliged to winter at Pike Rs-
pids, In what is now Morrison county.
The site of his stockaded encampment.
or fort, has been Unidentified there, on
the west shore of the river. by Hon.
Nathan Richardson. of Little Falls.
The party relied Largely on the abun.
dant game of the region for their
sustenance.
In the winter. setting out Dec.
10th, Pike advanced afoot with a few
Of his men to Sandy, Leech and Cas-
lakes, attained the object of his ex
petition concerning the relations of
the fur traders to the United States,
and returned to the fort at Pike Ra-
pids on the 9Th of March. Thence
descending the Mississippi, he reached
St Louis on the last day of April.
1906. His very interesting journal
gives our earliest detailed description
of the upper Mississippi region above
the mouth Of Elk River, with. many
names o. lakes and streams. and de-
finite view of the conditions then
prevailing at the fur trading posts.
After q few weeks Pike was again
dispatched by Gen. Wilkinsonto treat
with the Indian tribes and explore
the country west and southwest of
St. Louis, to the head waters of the
Arkansas and Red river.
In this second expedition, on Dec.
8, 1905. he measured the latitude OF
the very conspicuous mountain in
Co. trail Colorado which has been since
called Pixies Peak. Proceeding south
ward, and Internationally entering
Spanish territory. Pike and his
small command encountered Spanish
troops, and be was summoned before
the governor OF Santa Fe, but, after
considerable delay. was permitted to
return into the United States.
The journals of there expeditions
were published by Pike IN 1910; In
the following year an English edition
from his manuscript was issued in
London, and In the years 1919 French
and Dutch editions were published.
In 1859 the English edition was re-.
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