Will you kindly advise me what “Treaty Hall,” La Pointe,
Madeline Island, stands for historically? When and by whom
was it built? Some say it was erected in 1836 and others say
1857 or 1858. The treaties were signed before the latter
date, so why call it “Treaty Hall”? Any information you can
give on the subject will be greatly appreciated.
MRS. FRANK H. JERRARD,
Representative St. Paul Chapter, D. A. R.,
_St. Paul, Minnesota_.
The information we have obtained concerning the building on Madeline
Island now called “Treaty Hall” does not give conclusive proof of the
origin of the building. One fact seems clear--the name “Treaty Hall”
was not applied to it until the eighties of the last century, and the
building was not put up to accommodate the negotiating of a treaty.
Whether a treaty was negotiated in this building or not is another
question. As a rule Indian treaty proceedings were held in the open
air; if any covering was desired, a kind of shade was built of boughs,
or a circle was temporarily enclosed with poles, boughs, and mats.
Nevertheless it is not improbable that in the northern region of
Madeline Island, with the cold winds from the lake blowing in, a
treaty might have been held under shelter, and that some appropriate
building might have been thus used.
There were only two treaties held on Madeline Island, that of 1842 and
that of 1854. The former was concluded October 4, 1842, and the
commissioner was Robert Stuart, who had been for many years the
representative of the American Fur Company at Mackinac. He was at the
time of this treaty Indian superintendent at Detroit. The inference is
strong that Stuart was on terms of friendship, even intimacy, with the
American Fur Company’s agents at La Pointe. These were at the time of
the treaty of 1842 Charles H. Oakes and Dr. Charles W. Borup, both of
whom were present at the treaty. Moreover, Rev. Alfred Brunson of
Prairie du Chien, a prominent Methodist missionary in early-day
Wisconsin, was appointed Indian agent at La Pointe in the autumn of
1842. He reached his post of duty very late in the year and says both
in his printed reminiscences and in unpublished manuscripts in our
Society’s possession that there were no agency buildings, but that Dr.
Borup had a large storehouse prepared for a council.
With regard to the Treaty of 1854, it was signed September 30 of that
year. The commissioners were Henry C. Gilbert and Daniel B. Herriman.
Among the witnesses was L. H. Wheeler, whose sons are among our
correspondents. H. M. Rice was likewise present. We believe the
Minnesota Historical Society is in possession of the latter’s papers.
If so, something might be gleaned from them.