The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-05-15
EARLY CATHOLIC FOOTPRINTS IN MINNESOTA

face of the soil, and under poplar
tree that had grown over it, and cast
its roots across the stones surface,
so that they were flattened on the
side nearest to the stone. The tree,
according to a general estimate was
about 40 years old; and hence the
stone must have been in it's position
at least since about the year 1860,
a time when there were no white
settlers within 100 miles of the place,
and the nearest railroad was 400 miles
away. Who would think of carting
stone that weighs about 230 pounds
a distance of at least 100 miles, for
the sole purpose of perpetrating what
would have been practical joke,
which might never have been discov-
Century, French explorer by the
name of La Verendrye, of whom men
tiOn will be made later, found in. this
western country stone with strange
characters or letters carved on it,, He
took his find with him to Eastern
Canada, whence it was sent to Paris.
Searches have been made for this
stone, but so far without avail. The
surmise of scholars is that the charac-
ters Of the stone might be runic let
ters, just like those on the Kensing-
ton Stone; at any rate the matter is
not at all impossible. Much, there
fore, is in favor of the authenticity
of the inscription, although there is
a certain number of Scandinavian
scholars opposed to that view
First Catholic Ministrations in Mime
sofa.
During the French regime in Cana
da the territory afterwards known as
Minnesota, was frequently visited by
voyageurs and missionaries, in fact it
became the classic land for their ex-
ploits. The chase after furbearing
animals, the quest of the Western Sea,
and the conquest of souls of savages
were so many incentives, that stirred
the settlers and priests of old Canada
to deeds of adventure and heroism
Probably the first French travellers
that trod upon Minnesota SOIL were
Groseilliers and Radisson, who made
| two journeys to the far west within
the Nsenrs 1854 56 and 1f59-6N During
tile bTst they went from the lower end
Of Green Bay, the Western-mOst point
reached thus far, in a westerly or
southwesterly direction to the Miss
| issippi River, thence northward along
the stream as far as Prairie Island
| just below the present city Of Has
tings. There they remained until the
spring of the year 1856, when they
returned to Eastern Canada. During
the second voyage, they sailed along
the southern shore of Lake Superior
as far as Chequamegon Bay, in Wis
consin, where they put up camp.
/ From there they visited various Sec
tions Of what is now Minnesota, such
as the region around Knife Lake,
Kanabec County, the prairie land in
southwestern Minnesota, and the
country along the northern shore of
Lake Superior. The most interesting
fact in this connection is that the
two voyageurs in their journeys were
not only after gain and romantic ex-
plot, but also did what they could
for the spiritual benefit of the poor
savages in these western lands. Thus
during their sojourn on Prairie Island,
in the Mississippi River, they erected
a chapel, in which they instructed
young and old in the elements OF re-
lligion, and led in such religious exer-
cises as could be conducted by lay
men; and during both of these jour
neys they administered the sacrament
of baptism to several hundred infants
whom they believed in danger of
death. In this way the ministrations
of our Catholic faith were dispensed
| in Minnesota as early as the mid
die Of the Seventeenth Century.
Sieur Duluth Visits Minnesota.
Not many years afterwards, an
other explorer, Duluth, or as his full
name reads, Daniel Greysolon, Sieur
Duluth, visited several districts Of
what iB now Minnesota. During his
journey to the west which covered the
years 1881, he went first to the
eastern end of Lake Superior, in the
spring of 1879 along its southern
shore, and then overland in south
westerly direction, until he reached
the principal village of the Sioux
tribe, known as the Issati (people of
Knife Lake,, who lived in the neigh
borhood Of Lake Mile Laos. Here
he planted the royal arms Of France,
on July End, 1879, and placed thus
the wild tribes of Minnesota and their
territory under the sceptre of His Most
Christian Majesty. The same act was
! performed later among other tribes
of the Sioux, who lived at consider
able distance to the west, or south
west. On September 18th, 1879, he
held great gathering of Sioux, As
siniboines, Crees, Monsouis and Ojib-
ways at place near the western ex.
tremity of Lake Superior, probably
on the spot where now rises the city
Of Duluth, in order to further the i'm
terests of peace and amity amongst
these savages. I'm the spring OF the
following year, 1880, he went down
stream on the St. Croix River until
/, he reached the Mississippi, where he
learned from a small band Of Sioux
7 Indians, that the Recollect Father
Louis Hennepin and two other French
men had hQan 1nadn pauffvaa nv a