The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1909-05-05
GET IN LINE FOR
PIONEERS DAY
1000 Old Settlers of the Min
nesota Valley Wanted
Here July 2.
Send in Names to Secretary
Owens of All Valley
Pioneers.

Chairman Hitchcock Of the COM
mittee appointed to tell the news
about the Minnesota Valley Pioneer
Day, to be celebrated here July I'd
next. is getting matters in train to
send an invitation to every one Of
the men of the sos that he can get
the address Of, between Bigstone
and Fort Smelling, and will greatly
appreciate assistance Of all interest
ed in this laudable object. While
New Ulm celebrated the fortieth
anniversary of her siege and in that
connection acquired considerable
material for history as we'll as a
large attendance at the celebration,
no adequate attempt has been mad lie
TO rally the pioneers in the immedi-
ate vicinity of the center of the
original outbreak, in this county.
East of this city eight or nine
miles was the real center of this his
toric event. Less than half that
distance from this city is the granite
marker pointing out where chief
Little Grow had his tepees and
across the river can be seen the
shafts commemorative the Birch
Coulie battlefield and the names of
those who were slain there, while
the ford where Capt. Marsh and his
company were ambushed and almost
annihilated is only a few miles be-
yond.
AS Redwood Falls was the first
town to spring up after the uprising
had been subdued and while the
fear of a recurrence of trouble pre-
vailed to such an extent that the
town was first a stockade and after
that a town, it is particularly ap-
propriate that the pioneers should
make this meeting place for fight
ing their battles DER again and re-
counting the perils and pleasures Of
that period. While the stockade no
longer exists here, the old stone
house which constituted the head
quarters Of the lower agency still
stands and fine stone church sur
rounded by an Indian settlement
still testifes to the preference of the
red man for the natural features of
his old camping place.
It was at Redwood Falls that the
first saw and grist mills were erect
ed, and for the first few years of its
existence the trade of the town very
largely depended on the trade of the
settlers who came fifty miles or
even more for supplies Of flour or
lumber and upon the fur traders of
that day, both white and red.
The pioneers of that day will tell
of the times when steamboats, on the
Minnesota river were the only reli-
ance for the freighting between st.
Paul and this section of the state.
These made frequent trips both be-
fore and after the massacre, an ex-
cursion party coming down from
St. Paul, with the governor on board
only a few weeks before hostilities
were openly declared.
What Mr.. Hitchcock and his COM
mittee most desires is for all of the
pioneers who are still with us to in
terest themselves in spreading the
news of the coming celebration and
getting out a large attendance of
the pioneers themselves.
While it is too early to outline the
program for the celebration, it is
the intention of the committee to
urge the attendance of Congressman
DAVIS, Ex-Governor Lind, Attorney
Young of Appleton, Judge Powers
and Congressman Volstead of Gran
tie Falls, J. M. Jacobson of Madison
and as many pioneers as possible
from our neighboring counties of
Renville and Brown.
Neighboring newspapers will con-