Freeborn County, Minnesota - Chapter 5: Early Explorations, 1911

No Evidence that Earliest Minnesota Explorers Reached Freeborn County - Visit of the United States Dragoons in 1835 - Albert Miller Lea, the Topographer of the Expedition - Lea's Own Story - His Later Visit to Freeborn County - Early Hunting Expeditions - Great Amount of Game Secured in This Vicinity - Sibley and Rice - Early Surveys.

From time immemorial until some time after the coming of the whites, the territory now embraced in Freeborn county was the hunting ground of the Indians. As there were no permanent Indian villages here, and little of geographic interest in the sweep of prairie now embraced in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa, none of the earlier explorers, so far as we know, visited Freeborn county. Hennepin with his two companions, Pickard du Guy (Auguelle) and Michael Accault (Ako), who explored the upper Mississippi in 1680 ; Perrot, who had trading posts about Lake Pepin as early as 1685, LeSueur, who built a fort near Red Wing on Prairie Island in 1695, and one near Mankato in 1700; La Hontan, who wrote marvelous accounts of adventures, and who is now entirely discredited by historians ; Jonathan Carver, who ascended the upper Mississippi in 1766; Lieutenant Zebulon M. Pike, who explored the upper Mississippi in 1805-06 ; Colonel Henry Leavenworth, who in 1819 established at Mendota in what is now Dakota county, the fort which was afterwards moved across the Minnesota river and became Fort Snelling; Major Stephen H. Long, who explored the upper Mississippi in 1817 and 1823 ; Governor Lewis Cass, who in 1820 explored the principal sources of the Mississippi and then descended the river; William Morrison, who visited Lake Itasca in the winter of 1803-04, and is usually credited as the discoverer of the source of the Mississippi ; Henry R. Schoolcraft, who in 1832 explored northern Minnesota; George Featherstone, who made a geological survey of the Min¬ nesota valley in 1835 ; George Catlin, who made a faithful study of the Indians of Minnesota ; Jean Nicollet, whose activities in the thirties and forties contributed much to Minnesota geography, and David Dale Owen, who explored large portions of the state in 1847, '48, '49 and '50, and whose names are honored as the early explorers of Minnesota, all failed, so far as we know, to make Freeborn county a visit.

It is possible that missionaries, renegades, traders or hunters visited this region, in the days of the early exploration, but of this, historians have no record or knowledge, although those who enjoy speculation and conjecture think it quite possible the Frenchmen from the posts of Perrot on Lake Pepin, the stockades at Frontenac, or the forts at Prairie Island and Mankato may have come here after game. It is also apparent that even in 1835, when the first recorded exploration of this region was made, there had already been at least one map made of this lo¬ cality, with the predominant physical features more or less ac¬ curately drawn. The first recorded explorer himself has declared that he had with him Tanner's Map of the United States, pub¬ lished in 1832, and that he found this map most useful. Just how thoroughly this part of Minnesota was mapped thereon is impossible to state.

The first visit by white men to the present area of Freeborn county, of which any record is found, was made in 1835, by Companies B, H. and I, of the First United States Dragoons, under the command of Lieut. -Col. Stephen AY. Kearney, the topographer of the expedition being Lieut. Albert Miller Lea.

The Dragoons, created by congress in March, 1833 and or¬ ganized for the more perfect defense of the frontier, were a fine body of men who had been enlisted from nearly every state in the Union in the summer months of 1833. The commanding officer of this regiment of ten companies was Col. Henry Dodge, a most valliant soldier.

The trip, which has so much interest to the people of Free¬ born county, was a march of 1.100 miles by Companies B, H and I, under Lieut. -Col. Stephen AY. Kearney. On June 7, 1835, this detachment left Fort Des Aloines and marched between the Des Aloines and Skunk rivers to near the mouth of the Boone river. Then taking a northeastwardly course across Iowa, they entered what is now Alinnesota, crossed Alower county, and reached AVabashaw's village on the Alississippi at practically the present site of AYinona. After remaining there about a week, the companies marched somewhat to the south of westwardlv. They crossed the present Freeborn county and continued west¬ ward, then turning southward, and entering Iowa in what is now Kossuth county, reaching the Des Aloines river safely. After crossing the river, they descended it on the lower side and reached Fort Des Aloines on August 19, 1835, without the loss of a single horse or man. Lieut. Albert Aliller Lea, attached to Company I, of the expedition, was the official topographer, and in his honor Nicollet afterwards named a previously undesignated lake which the expedition passed in the present Freeborn county.

Lea's book, " Notes on Wisconsin Territory," was published in 1836 by Henry S. Tanner, of Philadelphia. It contains fifty-three pages and a map of the Iowa region. This work is an excellent description of that part of the original territory of Wisconsin lying west of the Mississippi river. It was this region that the book christened the "Iowa District." The map shows the route of the Dragoons and is an indispensable aid in correlating the Dragoon's track with modern Iowa and Southern Minnesota geography.

Several copies of this work are still in existence. The names and locations on the map which accompanies this book are most interesting. It should be remembered that the map was drawn before any government surveys were made, and there are natur¬ ally many minor inaccuracies. But it is remarkable, that although the Dragoons who came in 1835 were probably the first official explorers of this locality, nevertheless many lakes and rivers not in the direct line of Lea's march appear on the map accurately and bearing the names which they still retain, thus indicating, as before stated, that the previous map, that of 1832, which Lea carried, must have designated several of the leading geographical features of this locality, although we have no records of visits to this region before that time.

Bear lake appears as Trail lake, and out of it flows a stream designated as Lime creek, a name which has been retained to the present time. Albert Lea lake appears as Fox lake, and out of it floAvs a creek set down as Shell Rock river, a designation given by Lea when he crossed it in Iowa and which it still bears. Chapeau lake is the present White lake. Council lake as drawn on the map is probable the present Minnesota lake. The Red Cedar ap¬ pears on the map as the Iowa river, although in the descriptive matter in the book, it is mentioned that the name Red Cedar had already been given to the branch which still bears that designa¬ tion. Root river also appears with its present name. The Big Springs mentioned are probably at Decorah, la. Many other interesting physical features also appear on this priceless map.

Martin Y. Kellar who is familiar with the topography of Freeborn county in the earliest days of settlement, has made a careful study of all the material available in regard to Lea's trip through this vicinity, and as the result of his examination of the route as laid out by Lea in his own maps and in his writings has arrived at the following conclusions :

The command entered Freeborn county, Wednesday, July 29, 1835, near section 12, Moscow township. After following a west¬ ward course some few miles, they encountered what was then Rice lake marsh. That season being a wet one, the marsh had the appearance of being a great lake, Geneva lake doubtless hav¬ ing the appearance of being a part of the same body. The fact that this marsh was diminished in the following years accounts for the fact that investigators in the pre-territorial days told Lea that no such lake as he described was in existence. This Rice lake marsh, or "lake," as it then appeared, the command kept at their right, and skirted the east edge, turning southward and following a southwestwardly course through Moscow town¬ ship, probably leaving the township somewhere in section thirty. Then they pursued a westwardly course through the southern part of Riceland township, and camped for the night about a mile and a half north of Hayward village.

The next day, Thursday, July 30, they followed a southwest¬ wardly course until reaching the east arm of Lake Albert Lea. From this point they took a westward course, following prac¬ tically the present line of the Austin road, so called, passing through what is now New Denmark, a suburb of the city of Al¬ bert Lea, keeping at their left the marsh which is now Foun¬ tain lake, and passing Bancroft creek at about the place where the bridge is now located. There they entered the beautiful tract of land which they named Paradise Prairie, but which is now known as Itasca Prairie. Turning southwestwardly they crossed the little creek which now connects School Section lake and Fountain lake, the crossing being made near where the lower railroad bridge of the M. & St. L. spans that creek, in section six, Albert Lea township. Thence they continued westward again, and stopped an hour at noon on the elevated land near the north shore of White's lake. This point is very high and answers the descriptions given in Lea 's writings of the north shore of the body of water which he named Chapeau, now known as White's lake. Still continuing southwestwardly, they camped for the night near section nineteen, in Pickerel Lake township. The next day, July 31, the journey was continued, the route leaving the county near the corners of Alden and Mansfield townships.

"June 7, 1835, a detachment of the 1st Regiment U. S. Dra¬ goons left their winter quarters at the head of the lower rapids of the Mississippi (where now stands the village of Montrose), under orders to show themselves to the Sioux Indians in the re¬ gion west of Lake Pepin.

"After organization at Jefferson Branch, twelve miles below St. Louis the whole regiment under Colonel Dodge, who afterward was senator from Wisconsin, made a campaign to the Pawnee towns on the upper Red river in the summer of 1834, and in the autumn returned to Fort Gibson, where the command was divided, headquarters going to Fort Leavenworth, and three companies, under Lieut. -Col. S. W. Kearney, going to some log huts prepared for them on the west bank of the Mississippi, styled in order 'Fort Des Moines.' The captains of these companies were H. Y. Sumner, Nathan Boone and Jesse Brown. Men and horses were in a pitiable condition on arival. The writer joined the command about the first of November, and first entered duty with troops on actual service ; and during the winter was sent to bring up the convalescents of the sick left at Fort Gibson. Recruits of men and horses made up the command so that 164 all told were mus¬ tered for the expedition, which was started as soon as the grass would feed the horses. Our outfit was meagre enough, and is note¬ worthy only as contrasting with the full equipment of the expe¬ ditions of latter days. Captain Sumner being absent his company was officered entirely by Second Lieut. H. S. Turner, now a re¬ spected citizen of St. Louis. Captain Boone, the youngest son of Daniel Boone, having been on detached service, had his company prepared for the campaign by the care of Lieutenant Lea, who had been especially assigned to that duty, but he took command on the march, and was especially valuable for his knowledge of wood¬ craft, and as guide. Captain Brown, being detached, his company was in the sole charge of Lieutenant Lea, who acted as Ordnance Officer.

"Five wagons drawn by four mules each, with pack horses, furnished us transportation, and we had some beef cattle on foot. Lieut. -Col. Kearny commanded in person, Lieut. J. H. Burgwin was surgeon. The prairie was still very wet, our teams were bad, most of our men unskilled, and we had a hard time for some weeks. But soon strawberries began to ripen, and we had them in super-abundance for several weeks, the season advancing with us in our northward march.

"Our route lay along the divide between the Mississippi and the Des Moines. The country was then wholly uninhabited, save by a few Indians. A narrow strip along the lower Iowa was opened to settlers by a treaty made at Rock Island the previous year. A few Indians joined us as hunters and interpreters. At the head of the small river that joins the Mississippi below Bur¬ lington, we saw a few buffalos, and killed one near a small lake, the head of that stream, and noted down as 'Swan Lake.' As there was no topographic officers with the command, and as the writer had been some years on duty, he undertook, without orders, to make a rude survey and sketch of the country traversed by using a pocket compass, a watch, and a sketch book, the dis¬ tance being computed by time and rate of marching. Streams and places were named on this sketch, and most of them traversed still bear the names thus assigned.

"On the Avaters of the Iowa, we again found buffalos, killed some, and caught a calf, which ran through the column on the march, fell into a dry creek bed and was caught by the hand of one of my men. These two small herds were the only buffalos seen by our command during the whole march. Desiring to visit Wabash aw 's band, the officers directed our course toward Lake Pepin, and about the first of July we encamped on a small rivulet which empties into a river that enters the Mississippi four miles away, just below Lake Pepin. This river, from the obstructing drift in it was dubbed 'Embarrassed River,' in usage of French travelers with whom I had previously associated in a survey of Lake Harm. This name, I understand, has been gradually changed into 'Zumbro,' and the facts are cited here as a curious illustration of the changes induced in names of place, through translations and varied spellings in different languages. On this little rivulet we remained three days, and during that time our whole force of 164 men had as much speckled trout as we desired, taken from that single brook only a step wide. One of my men took 130 in four hours with an improvised line and hook.

"Early in July we moved camp to the bank of the Mississippi below the lake in sight of Wabashaw's village, which we visited, and there found burials in elevation on trees and scaffolds. We were in view of the 'Montaique qui Trempealeau,' on the east side of the lake. Whilst at this camp we were aroused by a pass¬ ing steamboat, a rare occurrence at that date, having aboard Maj. Gen. Robert Peterson, of Philadelphia, at whose house I had met President Jackson two years before. Here also Captain Brown joined us and took command of his company. Wabashaw's people were scattered in hunting and fishing. But the old chief, with a few attendants, visited the commissioned officers, and expressed his gratification by an invitation to a dog feast which was de¬ clined, as were also other honors, more distinguished than delicate.

"From this camp we bore westward and leaving the high bluffs and deep ravines of the sand stone region, we soon found ourselves in that marvelously beautiful region of rolling prairie, oak woods and crystal lakes constituting the table land between the St. Peters river (now called Minnesota), and that drains out¬ ward into the Iowa and Des Moines. Entangled in these lakes and their connecting streams, we wound about confusedly, having no guide who had any knowledge of the region.

"As we marched along strung out in a column of twos, a white fox dashed through the column and the lake I was then sketching was noted as 'Fox lake.' We stopped for our noon rest on the high bank of an exquisitely beautiful lake; which from our point of view took the shape of the 'Chapeau de bras' then used in full dress by military men; and I named it 'Lake Chapeau.' Our march was extended westward beyond the Des Moines, and down it, to Raccoon fork, whence, by order I descended the Des Moines in a canoe, with an Indian and a soldier, to its mouth to ascer¬ tain the practicability of bringing supplies up for a fort where is now the capital of Iowa. This was the only part of the reconnoisance made under orders, and my report was the basis of the measures taken by the government for the splendid improvements in the navigation of that river.

"A map of the country from the Missouri line to St. Peter, and from the Mississippi to the Missouri river was made out from such scant materials as I had including a minute plot of the wanderings made during the summer, and it was sent to the adjutant general. The next spring having resigned my com¬ mission in the army, I obtained a copy of this map, wrote out a description of the country embraced, and had it published by H. S. Tanner, of Philadelphia, under the title of 'Notes on the Iowa District of Wisconsin Territory.' The name of 'Iowa' was thus first applied to that region, and afterward adopted by Con¬ gress in organizing the 'Territory of Iowa.'

"Subsequently, the philosophical Nicollet explored the hydrographic basin of the upper Mississippi and introduced much of my map into the larger one, which he made under the authority of the war department. In 1841. we met in Washington city, being then both in the public service. He kept house with his assistants Fre¬ mont and Scamma and had his map on a large drawing table at his own house. One morning by special invitation I breakfasted with him in the same room with his map, when he showed me how he had filled it up from mine. During the meal I described the country west of Lake Pepin, especially the scene of the lake where we had spent the noon. 'Ah,' said he, 'Dat is magnifique. ' And wat you call 'im? 'Lake Cheapeau, ' said I. 'Ah, now, dat is not de name. It is Lake Albert Lea.' And immediately he wrote the name on the map, 'and so that beautiful sheet of water, and from it, the fair village, have taken the undistinguished name of the narrator."

Lea again visited Albert Lea on June 10, 1879, and in an address before the old settlers, added the following information to his previous statements: "At noon on the twenty-ninth of July, the command halted for a midday rest on the high bank of a lake, sloping down to its crystal waters. Large oak trees dotted the grassy prairie free from undergrowth. The whole scene was lovely beyond anything I have ever seen. ' '

Later in the same speech he said: "As might well be expected, it is difficult for me to identify localities as sketched and named by me on my long and hurried march, with the same as shown in actual shape and position by subsequent surveys. I have examined the present day maps, and compared them with Nicol¬ let's and mine. It would appear that we moved around the large lake next east of the city on the north side, passing along the high bank of the then-narrow lake or slough now known as Fountain lake, and on the twenty-ninth of July, 1835, we rested on the north side of a very beautiful lake, some two or three miles west of the city, which I called Lake Chapeau, and to which Nicollet first applied my name as 1 have related. It is now known as White's lake. But Nicollet's map has my name in large letters attached to what I called Fox lake, but which you all know as Lake Albert Lea. As I have before related, the name was first set down in pencil, and I suppose that when he came to ink his map, my friend Nicollet chose to put my name to the larger body."

Lea places the date of his passing Lake Albert Lea, as July 29, 1835. D. G. Parker always insisted that the date was July 31, but a study of the journal of the trip, and an examination of the stopping places day by day, from the date of starting the trip, would indicate that the historic visit of this explorer to the north bank of White's lake was on the noon of July 30. Lea himself said that it was most difficult for him to identify exact dates and present day locations along the line of the wilderness which he so hurriedly passed.

For the sake of future historians, it should here be stated, that a published journal of Lea's march through this county, contains entries which are confusing and which do not coincide either with Lea's maps, or his writings. The journal was recently edited under the direction of the Iowa Historical Society and entitled "A Journal of the Marches by the First United States Dragoons, 1834-35," being published in the July, 1909, issue of the ''Iowa Journal of History and Politics." The operations described extend over an area of five of the states of the Mis¬ sissippi valley and embrace explorations and councils and treaties with the Indian tribes. The journal records the four distinct marches or campaigns in which Company I participated. Of these the fourth only is of immediate interest to the people of Free¬ born county. The authorship of this journal has not yet been de¬ termined. At two different places the author has signed himself as "L," and he states that he was a member of Company I. At one time the authorship was attributed to Albert M. Lea, but internal in the journal would seem to prove, however, that such is not the case, and that it was written either by an officer of lower rank or by a private.

we should have a good day's march, but had made but five or six miles when we perceived before us a lake stretching as far as the eye could reach, from north to south, and from one half to three miles in width. We bore to the north to try to get around it. But at this time, 12 M., we have come to an outlet on one side and on the other a marsh which is impassible. What course we shall now take is uncertain. The officers are now assembled to concert measures to get out of this difficulty. In the meantime the men are taking their rest in the shade, their horses grazing beside them. No name is mentioned by geographers for this lake. The land about here is good. Grass and herbage of all kinds in the highest natural state. Grass eight feet high. Owe of our Indians killed a gray eagle on the lake shore. In the afternoon passed the outlet and marched seven miles. Signs of beaver, muskrat and otter. Saw several handsome lakes and some of the most beautiful small prairies I have ever seen since I have been in the West. I have seen some romantic and hand¬ some landscapes, but this far surpasses any country I have ever seen, both in beauty and fertility.

A few years after this the neutral land along the northern boundary of Iowa, and the land just north of it, particularly that portion lying west of the Red Cedar, and embracing the beautiful lakes of Freeborn county, became a favorite hunting place for the officers, agents and fur traders stationed about Ft. Snelling.

A party of famous pioneer hunters visited this vicinity in 1840. In the fall of that year Henry H. Sibley, Alexander Fari¬ bault, William H. Forbes and John C. Fremont started with a party of Sioux and two Canadian voyageurs for the "Neutral Land" which the government had purchased from the Indians. Jack Fraser joined the party near the present city of Faribault. The party reached the Red Cedar river somewhere in the present Mower county. At some point on this river a camp was made, and Sibley, Fraser and two Canadians accompanied Fremont to Prairie du Chien, where Jean N. Nicollet awaited him. Leaving Fremont at that point, the four returned to the camp, being accompanied a part of the way by a hunter named Reed. Arriv¬ ing in camp, they spent several days hunting to the westward, about the lakes of Freeborn county. Later they left the Sioux in camp and returned to Mendota.

In 1841 Henry M. Rice, conducting a party of trappers en¬ camped on the lakes of this country, and lived a life of adventure, making return hunting trips here for four consecutive years. This county was the paradise of hunters, and in after life Mr. Rice affirmed that in the summer of 1842 he saw over 300 elk in one day, while making his peregrinations around these lakes, and that in 1843 he killed two of these fleet-footed animals, one morning before breakfast. This tract of country was em¬ braced within a strip of territory, often visited by two hostile tribes of Indians, and was frecpiently made the scalping ground of both ; nor were they particular as to whose hair was lifted, provided they could exhibit some trophy of their savage propensity. Mr. Rice, in his articles, relates of many hair¬ breadth escapes on the part of himself and company, during his hazardous adventures in this wild and unfrequented region.

In October, 1841, with a large company of Indians, Sibley, rep¬ resenting the American Fur Company, again camped near the present site of Austin, and there spent the winter, hunting to the southward in Iowa and to the westward in Freeborn county. The hunt was successful. Over 2,000 deer, fifty elk, as many bears, five panthers and a few buffalo skins were obtained. The fur company sold for $20 guns that cost $6 in St. Louis. They got pay not in money but in furs, at their own price. This is a specimen of the profits of the fur trade. The Indians broke camp and returned to Mendota in March, before the spring thaw rendered the sloughs and streams impassible.

From 1849 to 1852 the northern boundary of Iowa was sur¬ veyed, the Freeborn county portion of the line being surveyed by a party under Capt. Andrew Talcott, in 1852.

The townships and sections of the county were surveyed in 1854. A copy of these surveys on file at the court house was attested in 1871 by C. T. Brown, surveyor general. Town¬ ships 101, 102, 103 and 104, range 19, were surveyed by William J. Anderson. Townships 101, 102, 103 and 104, range 20, were surveyed by Ed Fitzgerald. Townships 101, 102, 103 and 104, range 21, were surveyed by Hardin Nowlin, as were also town¬ ships 101, 102, 103 and 104, in range 22. Township 101, range 23, was surveyed by John O. Brunius and townships 102, 103 and 104, range 23, by T. Crawford. All these gentlemen were deputy surveyors.