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History - Dakota County, Minnesota - MNGenWeb

History & Historical Societies of Dakota County.

History - local
County Info and History (off-site)
Basic County History (off-site)
History of the Minnesota Valley, including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota - 1882 history - pages 283-290. Includes Dakota County.
Historical Perspective of the Minnesota River Valley (off-site)
National Register of Historical Places (Dakota County, MN) (off-site)
Timeline - U. S. Title of present day Dakota County.
  • 1873 Mar 10 Dakota County, Minnesota State - northern portion becomes Saint Paul, Ramsey County (1875+ Census).
  • 1871        Dakota County, Minnesota State (small boundary change w/Scott County).
  • 1860        Dakota County, Minnesota State (boundary change w/Scott County) (1860-1870 Census).
  • 1858 Jun 11 Dakota County, Minnesota State (boundary change w/Scott County).
  • 1858 May 11 Dakota County, Minnesota State.
  • 1855 Feb 20 Dakota County, Minnesota Territory (small boundary changes) (1857 Census).
  • 1853 Mar  5 Organized Dakota County, Minnesota Territory (off site) (about present day size).
  • 1852        Present day county in huge, less Hennepin County, Dahkotah & Wabashaw County, Minnesota Territory (off site).
  • 1851        Present day county in huge Dakotah & Wabashaw Counties, Minnesota Territory.
  • 1849 Oct 27 Present day county in large Dahkotah & Wabashaw Counties, Minnesota Territory (1850 Census).
  • 1849 Jul  7 Present day county in 5th, 6th & 7th councillor districts, Minnesota Territory.
  • 1849 Mar  3 Minnesota Territory (1849 Census)
  • 1846 Dec 28 Unorganized U. S. (former Iowa) Territory
  • 1838 Jul  4 Fayette County, Iowa Territory (off site) - Clayton County (off site) for judicial. (1840 Census)
  • 1837 Dec 21 Fayette County, Wisconsin Territory (off site) - Clayton County (off site) for judicial. (1838 Census)
  • 1836 Jul  4 Dubuque County, Wisconsin Territory (1836 Census)
  • 1834 Oct  1 Dubuque County, Michigan Territory
  • 1834 Jun 28 Michigan Territory
  • 1821 Aug 10 Unorganized U. S. (former Missouri) Territory (maybe 1830 Census)
  • 1814 Jun  4 Missouri Territory
  • 1805 Mar  3 Louisiana Territory
  • 1804 Mar 26 Louisiana District, Indiana Territory
  • 1803 Dec 20 Louisiana Purchase
Timeline - Dakota Title of present day Dakota County and local treaties
There are many other details in the treaties aside from land issues.
The Treaty Story (off site)
Treaties with Minnesota Indians (off site)
Mdewakanton Indian History (off site)
Dakota Bands (council fires):
1. Mdewakantonwan, Spirit Lake People
2. Wahpekute, Shooters among the Leaves
3. Sisseton, People of the Fish Ground (Sisseton)
4. Wahpetonwan, Dwellers among the Leaves (Wahpeton)
5. Ihanktonwana, Little Dwellers of the End (Yanktonais)
6. Ihanktonwan, Dwellers of the End (village)(Yankton)
7. Tetonwan, Dwellers on the Plains (Teton)
  • Before 2000 Prairie Island Indian Community (off site) includes a small part of Ravenna township.
  • 1851 Jul 29 Treaty of Mendota: Mdewakanton, ? & U. S. - Ceded most of southern MN (including most of their remainder of Dakota County) to U. S.
  • 1851 Jul 22 Traverse des Sioux Treaty: Sisseton Dakota & Wahpeton Dakota & U. S. - Ceded most of southern MN to U. S.
  • 1841 Jul 31 Doty Treaty: Dakota & U. S. - Establishment of Indian Territory - Signed by Dakota. U. S. failed to ratify.
  • 1837 Jul    Washington D. C. Treaty: Dakota & U. S. - Dakota ceded all land east of Mississippi to U. S.
  • 1837 Jul    Treaty of St. Peters at Fort Snelling: Ojibwa & U. S. - Ojibwa ceded parts of MN & WI.
  • 1836 Nov 30 Taliaferro (Tol'-i-ver) Convention at Mendota: upper Dakota bands quit claim to parts of MO.
  • 1830        2nd Prairie du Chien Treaty: Dakota, Sac, Fox, Iowa, Omaha, Otoe, & Missouri & U. S. - Ceded parts of MO & IA.
  • 1825 Aug    Prairie du Chien Treaty: Ojibwa, Dakota, Fox, Sauk, Iowa, Ottawa, Menominee, Winnebago, and Potawatomi - defined shared boundaries. (Including parts of Dakota County)
  • 1820 Aug  9 Faribault Grant: Mdewakanton & Pelagie Faribault - not acknowledged in 1837 Treaty.
  • 1815 Jul 19 Peace Treaty: Mdewakanton & U. S. - reaffirming status after War of 1812.
  • 1805 Set 23 Pike Agreement: Mdewakanton & U. S. - land near Minnesota & Mississippi rivers and St. Croix & Mississippi rivers (both included parts of Dakota County).
  • 1767 May  1 Carver Grant: Dakota & Jonathan Carver - Dakota grant land to Carver - declared by U. S. 1823 to have no binding effect.
  • 1687        By no later than this time, Dakota lived in Dakota County.
  •   ~1        About this time, the Hopewell culture lived locally.
Timeline - European Title of present day Dakota County
European timeline parallels Wabasha County History.
  • 1803 Dec 20 France turns over land to U. S.
  • 1803 Nov 30 France takes formal possession from Spain.
  • 1803 Apr 30 Louisiana sold to U. S. by France.
  • 1800 Oct 01 Spain ceded tract back to France - Treaty of San Ildefonso.
  • 1763 Feb 10 France effectively turns over lands to Spain.
  • 1763 Feb 10 England acknowledges France's claims west of Mississippi - Treaty of Paris.
  • 1689 May 08 Perrot claim for France at Fort St. Antonie (near Trempealeau, WI).
  • 1682 Mar 08 La Salle claim for France at the mouth of the Mississippi.
  • 1500s       Indefinite claims by Spain, English, French.
  • 1493 May 04 Papal grant of Alexander VI to Spain.
Historical Societies
State
County
County - Nearby
Local - Dakota County
Local - Nearby
County Seat
  • 1857 (Mar 17 or Jun 2) to present Hastings
  • 1854 (Feb  6) Mendota
  • 1853  Mar  5  Kaposia

Notes

1878 History of Fayette County
In June, 1834, the Back Hawk Purchase was made a part of Michigan Territory, and in September following, the Legislature of that Territory erected two counties west of the Mississippi - Dubuque and Des Moines - the dividing line being drawn westward from the foot of Rock Island, and these counties were partially organized. July 4, 1836, Wisconsin Territory was erected, including the two Iowa counties of Dubuque and Des Moines. Under Wisconsin jurisdiction, Dubuque County was divided, in 1837, into Dubuque, Delaware, Clayton, Fayette, Buchanan, Jackson, Jones, Linn, Benton, Clinton and Cedar and their boundaries defined. Fayette was attached to Clayton for judicial, revenue and election purposes until its organization in 1850.

Past and Present of Fayette County Iowa - 1910
Territorially speaking, Fayette county was originally one of the largest counties ever organized. It had a nominal organization on the 21st of December, 1837, when its boundaries included an area of about one hundred and forty thousand square miles. It included within its limits all of the present state of Minnesota west of the Mississippi river, extending on the north to the British dominions, and included all of the territory of the Dakotas east of the Missouri river, except a small tract in the southeast corner. Clayton county was constituted on the same date, and both were partly organized from territory then embraced in Dubuque county. Nearly all the counties in northeastern Iowa, and some others, were formed, in whole or in part, from territory originally embraced in Fayette county. But this was only a paper county having no organization in fact until reduced to its present boundaries in 1847 and finally organized in 1850.

See also US Genealogy Map Project - Minnesota (off site)
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