The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1930-03-19
H. NJ. HITCHCOCK
CONTINUES STORY
ON STATE HISTORY
Continued From Last Week.

wards the source of the Father of
Waters.
In April 1880 Father Hennepin and
two companions, coming from a long
distance down the big river, were
captured by war party of the Sioux
from this Chiefs village.
Because Hennepin and his COM
panlonS had come from friendly So
journ with enemy Tribes farther
South, they were held as prisoners
and taken overland to the Northern
Indian Villages and Aquipaguetin
cared for and adopted Hennepin as
his son to take the place of son who
had been killed by those enemy Trib-
eS.
Another memorial tablet placed by
the Daughters of American COlonists
marks the spot, near Anoka, where
few months later, Hennepin launch
ed new canoe, made for him by his
Indian friends for his journey to-
wards the Great Discovery. By right
of this discovery, the St. Anthony
Falls and the Minneapolis area be-
came part of the western border of
the Empire of New France, which ex-
tended half way across the continent
thru Canada to the Atlantic.
Many of US know much of the poin-
eer builders Of the city and state but
most Of US know nothing Of those
Tribes and their leaders who gave
friendly aid to the Whites for two
centuries without hostilities, then
coded most Of their lands to US, and
a few years later we banished them
beyond our western border as former
ly they had been crowded westward
into Minnesota.
One afternoon last winter, trans
lent visitor to Minneapolis, as an in
Vlted guest of the Minneapolis Park
Board for a tour Of historic places,
saw for the first time the spot where
Louis Hennepin watched the water
fall whose power was later turned to
the wheels of the mills which trans
formed the greatest forests of any
state to building materials for the
cities and villages and farmsteads of
many states; and supplied the mo-
tive power to another group of mills
which gathered the cereals from Min
nesota and beyond all its borders for
the greatest distribution of food
StuffS ever known. These two indus
tries made foundation for the build
ing OF the most important CONNER
cial center alOnr the northern bord-
or of the u. $. A. Of great value to
all its surrounding territory.
Now We, do not see and hear the
torrents tumbling noisily over the
rocks in picturesque performance,
but the waters OF st. Anthony are all
guided quietly thru mills and power
plants that border each side of the
river and their energy produce light
and heat and power, distributed to
every home and business room and
factory wherever its transmission
lines extend.
Looking forward we see the time
approaching when the waters of st.
Anthony. as they are joined with the
waters of the Redwood. mingled with
the sky tinted waters Of the Mime
sofa and many other streams on their
way to the big Southern Gulf instead
of carrying Hennepin's padded boat
and the many natives in their skill
fully guided fotillas of light birch
bark canoes, they will flow along the
great central transportation channel
of the continent, supporting heavily
laden vessels to and from this bust
ness center of the State, carrying
commerce to all nations.
The Importance of the Minneapolis
water power in the development of
the Northwest was duplicated in a
smaller way by the water power on
the Redwood River for the section
surrounding that place.
The L. S. Government built a saw
mill at Redwood Falls which supplied
the lumber for the many reservation
buildings and later for the town and
adjacent White settlements. When
the lumber demand rapidly increased
and the supply of saw logs deminish-
ed. steamboat was loaded with
building material below st. Anthony
rdilS LOT IL. IL. DlpH'nl. the n'SI
lumber merchant of Redwood Falls.
In addition to this freight, Mr.. Big
ham. his family and their household
goods were delivered with the same
boat load at the Redwood landing at
the head of steamboat navigation on
thu Minnesota river. Much traffic
was handled in this way for several
years during high water seasons and
was welcome substitute for the COW
cred wagon period of transportation.
There is reason for special interest
in the recent visit to the Hennepin
Memorial at st. Anthony Falls, for
his visitor is a descendant of the
,oux Chief. Aquipaguetin. who was
nnesota's host to Hennepin and
= assisted him to this discovery.
Whas1is descendant is from one of the
you s,hed Sioux Tribes. born on a
nnl<rn reservation, with Minnesota
try back thru several genera
~ ito near the time that the May
carried the Pilgrims to Ply
Rock. more than century be-
zone b1ere was any United States of