The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1937-05-27
City's Early History
Told in Club Paper

and l have two pictures of the
stone house still standing and OF
course very noted as an old land
mark.
The Sioux had roamed over
this land at peace with their
white neighbors who consisted OF
few settlers and some hall
breeds. But most of the whites
were government employees and
agents sent out by the govern
ment to look after the Indians
welfare. These white people aid
ed the Indians in building their
huts and cabins and breaking the
soil so crops might be raised. So
we can readily see Redwood vic
unity was really in Indian terri
tory. Such a plat of ground which
was broken so corn could be
planted was just across north Of
Ramsey park and extending back
as far as the present Mann farms.
It has been said whites lived there
before the Indians came, as a
foundation of a cabin, am told,
is still on this land.
The government had had saw
mill built to saw logs for use of
the Indians and white agents as
far back as 1855 and we are for
tunate in having a picture of this
taken in 1868, so it must have
stood during the uprising. This
picture shows the first griSt mill
also and it is interesting to note
the saw mill was built just down
the hill at the north end of Mill
street beside the falls of the Red
wood. You will notice very large
rock in the middle of the falls.
This have been told was dislod-
ged and tumbled down in the
stream some time later during
high water. There were two raw
ines running up from the falls and
river, the first one between what
is now the Melges and Glassco
homes and the other near where
the Creamery now stands, these
uniting and running up through
where the Armory now stands and
dwindling out between second
and Jefferson streets.
Opened With Treaty
The treaty of 1858 opened for
settlement this vast frontier coun-
try of the most attractive char
acter, The Valley of The Mime
sofa, with fertile land, good water
power and timber and settlers
were attracted in large numbers.
But in 1862, 10 years after the
treaty, the savage traits of the
Indians broke out, due to a great
extent to their dissatisfaction with
the government pay checks and
of course blaming the agents,
whether justly or not it is hard to
say. Authorities seem to agree
most of the agents were high
minded and that the settlers
showed kindness wherever poss-
IDLE but that there were parasites
preying upon the Indians, debau-
ching and cheating them, and we
know the Indian code: kindness
was never forgotten neither was
a wrong. They were perhaps of
the highest physical type mankind
had reached. Neither side evid-
emily was guiltless.
The massacre started, and led
by Chief Little Crow spread like
Wildfire over the entire territory.
This is a study in itself and
there is very good article in the
History of the Sioux Massacre.
quote a paragraph:
minnesota, lovely in her virgin
youth had one dark spot. The
dusky savage dWelt in the land
and when all was peace, without
a note of warning that dark spot
moved by savage hate poured out
its wrath without any mercy. The
storm of murder in its most
frightful form rolled on until the
sad catalogue of 1000 human vic
Tins, from the gray haired sire to
the helpless infant, all lay mang-
led and dead"
''In two days the worst was
over and during those two days a
population of 10000 scattered
over eighteen counties were rush
ing wildly and frantically over
the prairies and through the
woods to places of safety"
"Many fled to Fort Ridgely
which was able to repulse the
attack and many to the towns yet
remaining. The fight still waged,
first one place and then another.
New Ulm suffered terribly and
was nearly evacuated, but Little
Crow finally raised the white
flag of truce and surrendered his
prisoners in Lac qui Parle county
and the place has been named
Camp Release Little Crow and
his band had gained nothing. Fort
Ridgely and New Ulm had not
been taken, st Peter and Mankato
were intact and he had suffered
defeat at Birch Collie and Wood
Lake. So ended this episode of our
history but it furnishes the back
ground for our county and city
settlement"
After the forceful expulsion
and punishment of these tribes