Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1907-06-19


undlsputed hunting grounds of the
Dakotah Indians. These lakes and
swallow streams We're their Kan
dee-o-hee-o, or places to-Whlch the
buffalo-tish-eome. The country to
the south with it's immense oceans
OF blllowlng grasses was the-pIace-
Observation-Disclosures. The wooded
hills to the north were the natural
home of the black bear, the elk and
the deer. Centuries ago the Thank
tonwans camped on the shores of
these lakes; they heaped up the
mounds in which we find their
moldering bones; they made here
those arrow and spearheads, the
perfect specimens We occasionally
lind In our gardens and fields where
ages ago they had been effectively
used in the chase or mortal combat.
or the large number Of imperfect
ones We find on their old camping
grounds, where, in the language Of
the poet. sat the ancient arrow
maker, making arrowheads Of jas
per, arrowheads of chalcedony.
Such place has been found on Gill
ger S point within the limits of our
present city. AS the bison retired
before the introduction Of firearms.
the buffalo hunters retired with
them to the endless plains. The
deer and elk hunting lssatti Sioux
moved down and took possession,
pressed closely by their hereditary
enemies, the crafty Chippewas.
Our locality became the heritage
OF the NJ 'dwakantonwan5, and it
was with representatives Of this
band that the first white settlers of
this county came in con-
tact and with whom they fought
out that irrepressihIe conflict that
must necessarily exist between
civilization and savagery. Yonder
groves We're the first fuel-furnish-
ing camping places encountered on
a Journey Of one sleep in this direc-
ton from the Yellow Medicine
agency, and during the five years
Of the first settlement of Willmar
large numbers numbering into the
thousands at times) Of the upper
Sioux tribes who had come down
to await the tardy arrival Of the
agents Of the Great Father at Wash
lngton, would come up to Foot lake
and camp for weeks at a time
mendicants for the pittance due
them for an empire-beggars where
once they were the unchallenged
princes Of the earth.
The NJ observation-disclosures coded
this country the United States a
Traverse-de-SiouS in 1851. By 1856
the government surveyors had pene-
trated this far, followed closely in
the heels by the preliminary rail
road lines and townsite promoters.
In 1857. fifty years ago. this coun-
try was thrown open to settlement.
There was rush for the first choice
locations-a big rush for those
days. Half Of all claims taken in
the first settlement were taken in
1857. Had not the hard times and
the civil war come on every desir-
able acre of this fine country would
have been taken by settlers fully
ten years before this eventually did
come to pass under the homestead
law. But | am to speak Of the first
settlement Of Willmar, and | pre-
sumo that includes all the territory
within the boundaries so unroman-
tically designated as Congressional
Township 119, Range IS. Three
presumption filings were made in
this township, in which the squatter
made oath at the Minneapolis land
office that he settled on his claim
in 1857. First came Solomon R.
Foot, the lndomitable Daniel Boone
of the county. who located in Sec
tions one and two June 10. 1857,
fifty years ago on Monday a week
ago. Then came Berger Tolerson,