Fairbault first came to Minnesota in 1803 to trade with the Indians at the Little Rapids of the Minnesota River, a few miles above the present sites of Chaska and Carver.
He taught the Indians agriculture, and is reported to have been the first white settler to cultivate soil in the State of Minnesota.
Jean Faribault and his three sons, Alexander, Oliver and David, acted as interpeters at the treaties of Traverse Des Sioux and Mendota, These treaties, negotiated in 1851, opended the Sioux Lands West of the Mississippi for settlement.
Faribault County is named in his honor.
Is buried at Calvary Cemetery, Faribault MN.
General James Shields
1810-1879
Soldier and U.S. Senator of 3 States, Illinois, Minnesota and Missouri.
He stimulated the Irish movement in Minnesota, and organized the townships of Shieldsville, Erin, Kilkenny, and Montgomery, In LeSuer and Rice Counties. He helped Alexander Faribault establish the town of Faribault Minnesota.
Shields challenged President Abraham Lincoln to a Duel. Lincoln took some blame for a letter published by his future wife, (Miss. Todd) criticising Shields for his part in cleaning up the finacial fraud in Illinois. Lincoln explained to Shields; They compromised, and became friends.
His staue stands among the heros of the Civil War in the Rotunda of the state capitol in St. Paul.
Henry M. Rice
1816-1894
Territorial Pioneer, Fur Trader, Delegate to congress during the territorial period, and later U.S Senator.
While Territorial delegate in 1857, Rice wrote into the Minnesota Enabling Act the present state boundries, thus ending an attemt by some Minnesotans to run the northern boundary just north of St. Paul and extending to the Missouri River. That line would have lost to Minnesota the Pine Forests, the Iron Ranges, and the head of the Great Lakes Waterway.
Rice worked hard for the passage fo the bill creating Minnesota Territory. He went to Washington in 1849, and remained there for 3 weeks at his own expense, lobbying for the Minnesota Bill.
The Bill for the organization of Minnesota Territory became law March 3, 1849. It was not until 5 weeks later, when the river opened, that the people of Minnesota learned of the news.
Rice County is named for him.
Bishop Henry B. Whipple
1822-1901
Renowned as a reformer of the Native American Indian System. He was Minnesota's First Episcopal Bishop, and the Founder of the Episcopal Schools at Faribault.
He conducted numerous missions among the Chippewa and the Sioux. He had great influence with the Native American Indians, who called him "Straight Tonque" because he always kept his word.
He wrote President Lincoln in March 1862, pointing out the evils in the Goverment's Indian System. When the Sioux had a great uprising in 1862, he was one of the few who understood their reasons.
Two lakes in Minnesota are named Whipple. One in Crow Wing County and the other in Clearwater County.
Dr. F. Melius Christiansen
1871-1955
Founder and Developer of the world famous St. Olaf College Chior at Northfield, Minnesota.
During his career he composed more than 250 pieces of music and choral arrangements.
He developed the Cappella (without accompaniment) style of singing. The style previously had not been accepted in the U.S. although its popularity in Europe dated to the 16th Century.
A Director for 41 years, He built the choir into an internationally famous organization.
O.E. Rolvaag
1876-1931
Norwegian-American Novelist. He was a Professor of Norwegian Literature at St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota.
Born in Norway, Rolvaag had nothing but a life in the fishing fleet to look forward to, instead he sailed for New York in 1896, Made his way to a farm in North Dakota, where he earned enough money to continue his education.
He wrote Giants in the Earth, Peder Victorious, Pure Gold and Boat of Longing.
In 1926, he recieved the order of St. Olaf from King Haakon of Norway.
Dr. Laurence Gould
1896-
President of Carleton College, Nothfield, Minnesota. Geologist, Geographer, Explorer, Lecturer, and Author.
Dr. Gould was Geologist with the Greenland Expedition in 1926, The Putnam Baffin Islands Expedition in 1927, and was with Admiral Byrd in the antartic 1928-30. In March 1957, he returned from his most recent Antartic trip.
In the first Byrd Expedition, He took a 1500-mile trip by dog sled to chart portions of the contient, that had never before been seen by man.
According to Dr. Gould, Minnesota is the only area in the world where 6 successive Glacial movemets met and overlapped. this resulted in our rich farm land.
