The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1921-02-10
Sank Centre---Its Traditions
and Its Life
By GEORGE D. WING

Ed. Note-In last weeks issue re-
ference was made to the removal OF
the Winnebagoes from their grant
north of Sank River to a reservation
at "White Earth" This was an err
ror, the tribe going to reservation
at Blue Earth.
Judge Kelsey calls attention to
the fact that the meeting between
the settler Stabler and the Sioux
took place at the formers cabin at
Grove Lake and not at the White
field cabin on Ashley Creek.
The name of "Sauk" River is the
outgrowth of the early French pro-
nunciation of the name "Sac." FAN
early treaty date August 10, 1925 in
which an effort was made to settle
a boundry line between the Chippewa
and the Sioux, refers to the Sac Riv-
err. The name "Sac" being pro-
-nounced "Sauk" by the French
resulted in the name Sank Riv-
er. The river was in all probable
ity originally named after the Sac
Indians who at one time roamed over
Minnesota between. Lake Superior
and Sank Rapids.
Situated as it was this territory of
which Sank Centre later became a
part, between the territory occupied
by the Chippewa and that occupied
by the Sioux, this locality was fire.
quented by both tribes as hunting
grounds. Game was abundant here
the land being agreeable to both the
game of tine prairie and the beasts
of the forest.
Stories are told by the early pi-
oneers of exceptional hunting
takes" of the buffalo, moose, elk and
deer in the territory lying between
the tribal boundaries.
In the treaty of 1925 in which the
"Sac" River was first officially re-
ferred to, an effort was made to es-
tablish legal boundry between the
Chippewa and the Sioux. Whatever
understanding was arrived at be-
tween the two nations, however, was
never lived up to.
1t was not until 1851 that the ter
ritory here was officially ceeded to
the government by the Sioux. This
treaty was dated July %, 1851 and it
was not until after this date that
this country was thrown open to oc-
cupation of the white man.
The great "treck" of the Winnie
bago tribe from their reservation in
the Northwestern corner of Iowa to
their new grant of at least 100000
acres north of Sank River, begun
about the year 1848. The Winnebago
trail passed directly through what is
now Sank Centre.
AS stated in the last chapter, the
original encampment of the Winnie
bago on their new grant, was on the
site of the present Minnesota Home
School.
This was only temporary camp
however, believed to be too near the !
boundry line, and the tribe moved
On further north in search of suit !,
able location for an agency. They |
stopped for time at what is now
known as Round Prairie and later
chose an agency site where the vii
age of Long Prairie is now located. |
This agency was supplied by way
If Little Falls the government estab-
fishing a highway between Little |
Falls and the agency.
The original Winnebago trail ex-
ended from Northeastern Iowa, di-
rectly through what is now Sank
Centre and east of Sank Lake to the
agency.
During the rush for town sites
which began in the early fifties, Ed
win Whitefield, ST., accompanied by |
a trader, pioneered route from St.
Paul in the spring of 1856 and erect
ed cabin on what is now known as
Ashley Greek. The object of this
move was to establish town site,
and Mr.. Whitefeld who had interested
himself in bringing immigration into