# Hennepin County history page *The Hennepin County government web page that gives the county's founding and naming account, set beside the Minnesota Historical Society record and the 1805 Pike treaty record.* The Hennepin County history page is the county government's published account of how the county was formed and named. According to the page, the Territorial Legislature established the county on March 6, 1852, with [[Minneapolis]] as county seat. It also says the name first planned was *Snelling County*, and that "the final choice was designed to honor Father Hennepin."[^1] The same page says [[Zebulon Pike]] "purchased land from the Dakota Indians."[^1] This article sets two of the page's statements beside other records. The first is the naming account. The honoree, [[Louis Hennepin]], is recorded by MNopedia, the [[Minnesota Historical Society]]'s reference work, as the author of later books that made false claims about his travels and standing. The 1913 [[Catholic Encyclopedia]] is quoted as describing him as "an arrant falsifier." The county page's naming account does not mention what the honoree is best documented for.[^1][^2][^3] The second is the page's word "purchased," which is set beside the 1805 treaty record of signatures, consideration and ratification.[^4] The record shows what each source states. It does not establish why the page is worded as it is. ## Who Hennepin County government publishes the page on its official website.[^1] Its subject, Louis Hennepin, was a Recollect friar. MNopedia gives his dates as ca. 1640–ca. 1701, while the Wikipedia article on him gives 1626–1704. This article follows MNopedia.[^2][^3] According to MNopedia, La Salle sent Hennepin ahead in February 1680. A Dakota party captured him on April 11–12, 1680, and held him near Mille Lacs until late June or early July. During that period he renamed the falls for St. Anthony of Padua.[^2] MNopedia records that his later books claimed a journey "from Illinois down to the Gulf of Mexico and back before his capture," a trip of some three thousand miles in a single month. MNopedia also records that the books falsely positioned him as La Salle's most trusted associate.[^2] The Wikipedia article on Hennepin quotes the 1913 *Catholic Encyclopedia* as saying he "has been denounced by many historians and historical critics as an arrant falsifier." It also reports that the historian Francis Parkman denied much of Hennepin's account.[^3] The county page names Pike as the purchaser of Dakota land.[^1] The treaty record identifies Pike as the party who, in his own journal, valued the land at $200,000.[^4] Seven [[Dakota]] leaders are named in that record, and two of them signed.[^4] ## What The page's own account of the county's origin consists of four statements: - the county's establishment by the Territorial Legislature on March 6, 1852; - Minneapolis as county seat; - the abandoned plan to call it *Snelling County*; - the statement that "the final choice was designed to honor Father Hennepin."[^1] The page's account of the land is a single description of Pike as having "purchased land from the Dakota Indians."[^1] The treaty record shows the following about the 1805 agreement: - No consideration was named in the document. - The Senate inserted $2,000 years later. - The treaty was never proclaimed by the President. - An 1856 Senate committee found no evidence that the Dakota considered it binding.[^4] ## When - **April 11–12, 1680.** A Dakota party captured Hennepin, according to MNopedia.[^2] - **September 23, 1805.** The Pike treaty is dated.[^4] - **July 23, 1851.** The Treaty of Traverse des Sioux was signed, the year before the county's establishment date. According to MNopedia, after the two official copies were signed, the trader Joseph R. Brown presented a third document directing annuity funds to traders' claimed debts. The document was neither read aloud nor translated, and all but two signers signed it believing it was another copy of the treaty.[^5] (See [[Treaty of Traverse des Sioux]].) - **August 5, 1851.** The [[Treaty of Mendota]] followed.[^6] - **March 6, 1852.** The county was established, by the page's account.[^1] - **1856.** A Senate committee reported its finding on the 1805 treaty.[^4] - **November 7, 1862.** MNopedia records that a stockaded camp was established on the river bottom below [[Fort Snelling]].[^7] - **May 1863.** The camp's survivors were removed to [[Crow Creek]].[^7] ## Where The county seat named on the page is Minneapolis.[^1] Hennepin was held near Mille Lacs after his 1680 capture.[^2] MNopedia's entry *Fort Snelling at [[Bdote]]: Civil and U.S.-Dakota Wars, 1861–1866* places the 1862 camp on the river bottom below the fort. For that camp, MNopedia uses the term "concentration camp," which it defines as "a place where people are confined, often in poor conditions, without regard to legal norms of arrest."[^7] ## How much According to the treaty record: - Approximately $200 in gifts and whiskey changed hands in 1805. - Pike, in his own journal, valued the land at $200,000. - The document named no consideration, and the Senate later inserted $2,000.[^4] According to MNopedia, the two 1851 treaties together opened twenty-four million acres at roughly seven and a half cents an acre.[^6] ## How many - **1805 treaty.** Two of seven Dakota leaders signed.[^4] - **Traverse des Sioux third document.** All but two signers signed it believing it was another copy of the treaty.[^5] - **1862 camp.** MNopedia records that the camp held roughly 1,600 Dakota and mixed-race non-combatants, mostly women, children and the elderly. An estimated 130 to 300 died of mumps, measles and pneumonia, and of assaults by soldiers and civilians.[^7] ## In the at-issue record The project's at-issue record carries two entries on the page: - [[At issue 059 - Hennepin County is named for a man the]] sets the page's naming statement beside MNopedia's account of Hennepin's books and the quoted *Catholic Encyclopedia* description.[^1][^2][^3] - [[At issue 060 - Hennepin County's own history page describes Zebulon Pike]] sets the page's word "purchased" beside the 1805 treaty record.[^1][^4] ## Omissions in official accounts The county page states that "the final choice was designed to honor Father Hennepin." It does not mention what the honoree is best documented for: the false claims in his later books that MNopedia records.[^1][^2] The page is undated. The record shows the omission. It does not establish the reason for it. ## In the Minnesota record ### Who - **Hennepin County.** Publishes the history page.[^1] - **Louis Hennepin.** A Recollect friar, captured by a Dakota party on April 11–12, 1680.[^2] - **Zebulon Pike.** Described on the page as having "purchased land from the Dakota Indians."[^1] ### What - The page says the county was established March 6, 1852, and that the name first planned was Snelling County.[^1] - The 1805 treaty named no consideration and was never proclaimed by the President.[^4] ### When - **September 23, 1805.** The Pike treaty is dated.[^4] - **March 6, 1852.** The county was established, per the county page.[^1] - **November 7, 1862.** The camp below Fort Snelling was established.[^7] ## Notes [^1]: Hennepin County, *History of the county* (county overview page, undated) — establishes that the page says the county was established March 6, 1852 by the Territorial Legislature with Minneapolis as county seat; that the original plan was to name it Snelling County; that "the final choice was designed to honor Father Hennepin"; and that it describes Pike as having "purchased land from the Dakota Indians." https://www.hennepincounty.gov/government/about/county-overview/history-county [^2]: Minnesota Historical Society, MNopedia, *Hennepin, Louis (ca. 1640–ca. 1701)* (undated) — establishes that La Salle sent Hennepin ahead in February 1680; his capture on April 11–12, 1680; his detention near Mille Lacs until late June/early July; his renaming of the falls for St. Anthony of Padua; that his later books claimed a journey "from Illinois down to the Gulf of Mexico and back before his capture"; and his false claim to be La Salle's most trusted associate. https://www.mnhs.org/mnopedia/search/index/person/hennepin-louis-ca1640-ca1701 [^3]: Wikipedia, *Louis Hennepin* (undated) — quotes the 1913 *Catholic Encyclopedia* ("has been denounced by many historians and historical critics as an arrant falsifier"); reports that Francis Parkman denied much of the account; gives the dates 1626–1704. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Hennepin [^4]: Treaties Matter, *1805 Dakota treaty* (undated) — establishes the September 23, 1805 date; that two of seven Dakota leaders signed; approximately $200 in gifts and whiskey against land Pike valued at $200,000 in his journal; that no consideration was named in the document; that the Senate inserted $2,000 years later; that the treaty was never proclaimed by the President; and that an 1856 Senate committee found no evidence the Dakota considered it binding. https://treatiesmatter.org/treaties/land/1805-dakota [^5]: Minnesota Historical Society, MNopedia, *Treaty of Traverse des Sioux, 1851* (undated) — establishes the July 23, 1851 date; that trader Joseph R. Brown presented a third document directing annuity funds to traders' claimed debts; that it was neither read aloud nor translated; and that all but two signed believing it another copy of the treaty. https://www.mnhs.org/mnopedia/search/index/event/treaty-traverse-des-sioux-1851 [^6]: Minnesota Historical Society, MNopedia, *Treaty of Mendota, 1851* (undated) — establishes the August 5, 1851 date, and that with Traverse des Sioux it opened twenty-four million acres at roughly seven and a half cents an acre. https://www.mnhs.org/mnopedia/search/index/event/treaty-mendota-1851 [^7]: Minnesota Historical Society, MNopedia, *Fort Snelling at Bdote: Civil and U.S.-Dakota Wars, 1861–1866* (undated) — establishes the camp's establishment on November 7, 1862 on the river bottom below the fort; roughly 1,600 Dakota and mixed-race non-combatants held; an estimated 130 to 300 deaths; removal to Crow Creek in May 1863; and the term "concentration camp" with its definition. https://www.mnhs.org/mnopedia/search/index/place/fort-snelling-civil-and-us-dakota-wars-1861-1866