Wenham Historic District

Transcription

Alexander Faribault lived between the worlds of the Native American and the white settler. His father, Jean Baptiste, was an important fur trader, while his mother was half Dakota Indian. His wife, Elizabeth, was the daughter of a mixed race marriage as well. He first settled in the region in 1826 when he opened a trading post on Cannon Lake among the Wapekuta band of the Dakota. When Lawrence Taliaferro, the Indian agent at Fort Snelling, divided up Minnesota between two competing trading companies, Faribault’s employer, the American Fur Company, won the rights to trade in the area south of Fort Snelling. He was expected to bring in animal furs in return for supplies and other goods. The key to success was an ability to work with the Dakota, and here, Faribault excelled. His mixed race heritage, as well as his wife's, helped him to understand and work within the native culture and he became known as a fair-minded trader. In 1835 he built a trading post along the Straight River, probably just north of the present-day Division Street Bridge. His life changed in 1851. For years, some politicians pushed the federal government to open up all the land of Minnesota for new settlers, leading to two important Indian treaties that year. The first was signed at Traverse de Sioux, and at this gathering, Faribault played the role of translator. He strongly supported the treaty and had a financial interest, eventually receiving $13,500 from the Dakota. The treaty opened a new chapter in the life of Alexander Faribault. Some Indians continued to live nearby, but most left to go to the new reservation along the Minnesota River. Before, Faribault was a visitor living in Indian Territory, but now he could own the land near the Straight and Cannon Rivers. Faribault invested his money in property for a new town, and soon, friends, family, and other newcomers put up log cabins and crude shops. In 1853 Alexander built the first frame house in town along the Straight River, hauling the lumber down from Saint Paul because there were no nearby sawmills. This Greek Revival style home, one of the oldest houses in the state, reflected Faribault’s wealth and cost around $4,000. More than a private home, the building served the new town as a post office, hostel, and community meeting hall. What type of man was Alexander Faribault? Bishop Henry Whipple called him "the kindest man I have ever known." He was generous to the community, donating land or money for the construction of the Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour, Shattuck School, and Seabury Divinity School. In his later years, Alexander Faribault suffered several business setbacks. In 1874 he sold his second home, located on the bluffs on the east side of the river, to the School for the Deaf and Blind. Faribault moved to Fergus Falls to make a new start, building a flour mill there, but that business failed. After his wife passed away, he returned to Faribault where he lived until his death in 1882. He died a poor man and did not own a house in the town that he founded. He is buried in Calvary Cemetery. In old age, reminiscing, Faribault said, “When I think of the early days in this place, and then look around it seems to me a dream. A beautiful dream.” His house was saved from demolition in 1945 by Rice County Historical Society.