The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1930-07-24
To Observe Anniversary of
States Biggest Land Deal
Traverse des Sioux Treaty Aztec
ting 24,OOO,OOO Acres Signed 70
Years Ago.

st. Peter, July 22-The seventy
ninth anniversary of the biggest
land deal" ever negotiated in Mimi
esota will be observed here Wednes-
day at the annual meeting of the
Nicollet county historical society
which will be attended by many
pioneers from other sections.
1t was on July %, 1851, that the
deal was completed when with the
signing of the famous treaty of
Traverse des Sioux approximately
"a 100000 acres of agricultural land
making up a large part of Mime
sofa was coded to the white men
by the Indians. 49,,
A large number of Sioux chiefs
gathered for the council near here
at spot now marked and which is
visited annually by many tourists.
Alexander Ramsey then territorial
governor of Minnesota, and Luke
Lea, Indian commissioner, were
there on behalf TO the white con-
querors of the new frontier.
BY the terms of the treaty the
chiefs coded all of the lands claim
ed by the Sisseton and Wahpeton
bands of the Sioux east from the
Bots des Sioux river and lakes
Traverse and Big Stone to the
Mississippi, excepting a reservation
of 100 miles and 20 miles wide
along the upper Minnesota river
and onward to Lake Traverse.
Under the terms of the agree
ment, the Indians were to move
within two years to the reservation
and to receive from the govern
ment after removal $275,00O to en-
able them to become established in
their new domain and $4,000 was
to be spent in breaking land, estab-
fishing mills and providing a
labor school.
They were to receive an annuity
of $4,000 for so years, payable
$4,000 in cash, $4,000 in goods and
a civilization fund Of
$4,000 and an education fund of
5000.
Negotiations were carried on for
a long period leading up to the
final ceremony of signing the
treaty. It was a colorful event with
thousands of Indians camped near
by and with their chiefs arrayed in
their tribal finery. Some of these
Indians had fought the invasion Of
the whites and the treaty was to
mark period OF peace for all time
Yet of the group gathered a num-
Der later took up arms against the
white men in the Indian uprising
of 1862, some of them offering as
an excuse the claim that the whites
failed to live up to the provisions Of
the treaty of Traverse des Sioux as
well as the other treaties which fol-
lowed and which gave to Minnesota
formal title to the hunting grounds
Of the R.edmen.
A painting depicting the scene
by the signing hangs in a
place in the reception
room of the Governor in the state
capital. In the archives of the
Historical Society is
gathered a considerable amount Of
data dealing with personal ac-
counts of the treaty signing and in
Guiding a number of free hand
sketches made by an artist who
was present.
At Wednesdays observance of the
the historical society
will conduct picnic dinner and a
program with DR.. Conrad Peterson,
professor of history at Gustavus
Adolphus college, scheduled to
give the principal address. Other
speakers will include Amelia Turn
err of st. Peter, and Judge Thomas
Hughes of Mankato, who has spent
a great deal of time gathering
southern Minnesota historical
source material.
Il n-.-i1