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Painting the Dakota: Seth Eastman at Fort Snelling

Marybeth Lorbiecki, Foreword by Lori K. Crowchild (Native American descendant of Seth Eastman)

Readers learn about Dakota culture through Seth Eastman paintings. Painted during seven years on the frontier, these watercolor and oil paintings comprise the most significant source of information about Native American life in pre-territorial Minnesota. Softcover. Member Price: $15.00; Non-Member Price: $16.00. Order books here.

Ramsey County History – Spring 1999: “The Dakota Perspective: ‘We Have Been Cheated So Often’”

Mark Diederich

The Dakota Perspective: “We Have Been Cheated So Often” Author: Mark Diedrich Before white Minnesotans organized Minnesota as a territory in 1849, the Native American population of the region consisted mainly of Dakota, who had been living in the area of Lake Mille Lacs since the 1600s. One division of…

Jane Gibbs: Little Bird That Was Caught

Anne E. Neuberger, Illustrations by Tessie Bundick

In 1834, five-year old Jane was placed into a covered wagon to travel with a family she did not know. The Stevens–a missionary family–took her through great woods and savannahs, boating across Lake Michigan and up rivers until they reached Minnesota. While the Stevens were building a log cabin, Jane…

Ramsey County History – Spring 1996: “Jane Gibbs, the ’Little Bird That Was Caught’ and Her Dakota Friends”

Deanne Zibell Weber

Jane Gibbs, the ’Little Bird That Was Caught’ and Her Dakota Friends Author: Deanne Zibell Weber Jane DeBow Gibbs lived a wandering frontier life in the mid-19th century until settling in what is now Roseville in 1849. The article traces her childhood with Dakota friends in the early 1830s, life…

Seth Eastman: A Portfolio of North American Indians

Sarah Boehme, Christian Feest, and Patricia Condon Johnston

A landmark publication that showcases the foremost collection of watercolors by the premier pictorial historian of the American Indian in the nineteenth century. A career US Army officer assigned to frontier duty, Eastman preserved a visual record of Native American life, which was then undergoing rapid change. Hardcover.

Dahcotah: or Life and Legends of the Sioux around Fort Snelling

Mary Henderson Eastman, Illustrations by Seth Eastman

First published in 1849, this book presents an unparalleled glimpse into Dakota customs by a writer who had the advantage of long-term residency among the Dakota people. The wife of army officer and illustrator Seth Eastman, Mary Eastman gathered the material for the book during the couple’s seven years at…

Ramsey County History – Fall 1991: “The 150th Anniversary of the Naming of the City: St. Paul and the Rush to Settlement—1840 to 1880

Virginia Brainard Kunz

The 150th Anniversary of the Naming of the City: St. Paul and the Rush to Settlement—1840 to 1880 Author: Virginia Brainard Kunz St. Paul’s earliest years recounted by the dean of Ramsey County historians. The essential information and vital characters are all here: Father Galtier, the chapel and the name,…

Ramsey County History – Fall 1989: “A Pioneer Writes Home: Alexander Wilkin and 1850s St. Paul”

Ronald M. Hubbs

A Pioneer Writes Home: Alexander Wilkin and 1850s St. Paul Author: Ronald M. Hubbs Alexander Wilkin was an important early resident of St. Paul. Lawyer, speculator, politician, adventurer, he sought fortune and glory on the frontier. He got both, plus an early death in battle. Letters he wrote to…

Ramsey County History – Fall 1987: “Cattleman and Capitalists—And The Founding of New Brighton”

Gene F. Skiba

Cattleman and Capitalists—And The Founding of New Brighton Author: Gene F. Skiba The article covers the founding of the city of New Brighton and memories from early settlers. Minneapolis businessmen created the city hoping to be in the cattle business. They chose a location on Long Lake, set up…