Early history of North Dakota: essential outlines of American history

• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Cornell University Library
• Subjects: Goodman; Indian; Minot; Mouse River; Osborn; Beaver Creek
• Online Access: http://cdm16921.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/ndsl-books/id/53097

234 EARLY HISTORY OF NORTH DAKOTA known as "Robinson Crusoe," were practically the only settlers on the Red River south of Pembina at this time, March, 1859. THE FIRST FARMS IN THE RED RIVER VALLEY Georgetown was established in 1859, by James McKay for the Hudson's Bay Company a warehouse, store building, shops, etc., being erected. Robert McKen-zie was the first in charge. McKenzie was frozen to death returning from Pem-bina with supplies, and was succeeded by James Pruden, who was followed by Alexander Murray; Mr. Probstfield taking charge in 1864. At the time of the Indian outbreak in 1862, there were thirty men employed at Georgetown. Peter, Joseph and Adam Goodman; brothers of Mrs. Probstfield, were in 1861 settlers in the Red River Valley. Charles Slayton and family came in 1859, and in 1861 Zere B. Slayton settled one mile north of Fargo. In 1858 Edward Connelly came into the country with a party of twenty, employed by the Hudson's Bay Company. In 1859 he broke fifty acres for that company at Georgetown. This was the first farm opened in the Red River Valley. The origin of Dakota farming is given in Chapter IV, P'art One. Indian farming and the first white farmer, Alexander Henry, 1801, are there men-tioned, but in December, 1870, there was not a bushel of wheat, oats, barley, rye or corn produced in North Dakota for export—none whatever, excepting, pos-sibly, a few bushels in the settlements about Pembina and the Hudson's Bay station at Georgetown. Hon.' Judson LaMoure states that the only land under cultivation at that time,, aside from a few small patches for gardens, was by Charles Bottineau, ten acres Charles Grant, five to eight acres Anto'ine Gingras, twenty to twenty-five acres John Dole, two or three acres all at Pembina. There were, perhaps, two acres at Abercrombie. Nier Either and Peter Sla-moure broke twenty acres each in 1870, which was put under cultivation in 1871, but in 1870 all of the land under cultivation in North Dakota for every purpose would not exceed one hundred acres. OTHERS IDENTIFIED WITH DAKOTA PRIOR TO 1 86 1 Francois Jeanotte was born on the Mouse River in North Dakota in 1806, his father a French-Canadian, his mother a Chippewa. His father, Jutras Jean-notte, was engaged in trade on the Mouse -River at the time of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Previously, when on the Qui-Appelle his party was attacked by Gros Ventres, his son killed, and his first wife scalped and left for dead, and he was badly wounded. Again attacked by an Indian, he wrenched the gun from him and killed him. At seven years of age, his twin sister was found still alive, scalped, and with fourteen wounds on her body. This was on Beaver Creek, a tributary of the Assiniboine. Francois, at twelve years of age (1818), went to Pembina with his mother, and stayed two years at the Big Salt and Little Salt rivers, where the Hudson's Bay Company had a trading post. In 1820 he states a Chippewa war party found a trading post near Minot. Basil Clement arrived at Fort Pierre in 1840, at the age of sixteen, and was employed by the American Fur Company spending that winter at the mouth of the Grand River. Bruce Osborn was also a clerk there at that time. Clement Internet Archive