Before their removal to White Earth, Fond du Lac, and other reservations in Minnesota and Wisconsin, the Goodwin, Porter, and LaPrairie families all lived as an extended family group at and near what would become Pine County, Minnesota.
For more information about the families featured in these images, see http://forefolk.homestead.com/AliceFrancesSheppard.html. To search for images by keyword, look here http://familyimages.smugmug.com/keyword.
For more information about the families featured in these images, see http://forefolk.homestead.com/AliceFrancesSheppard.html. To search for images by keyword, look here http://familyimages.smugmug.com/keyword.
![familyimages > The LaPrairies all descend from a man with a long history in the fur trade - Joseph Duchene LaPrairie. From Bruce White's THE FUR TRADE IN MINNESOTA: AN INTRODUCTORY GUIDE TO MANUSCRIPT SOURCES, p. 4-5: "[William H. C. Folsom] referred to an old trader of the Snake River area whose son was named Joseph 'Le Prairie.' This trader, Folsom recalled, had been in the Indian country as early as the 1770s and continued in the trade until the 1830s. He had become blind in his old age, and the Indians had supposedly named him 'Mushk-de-winini,' which Folsom translated as 'old blind...Prairie man.''' From MY FIRST YEARS IN THE FUR TRADE, THE JOURNALS OF 1802 - 1804 GEORGE NELSON, p. 610: Joseph Duchene LaPrairie was "[l]isted as clerk in John Sayer and Co., 1795-96; [and] built and occupied his Fort Folle Avoine on the Yellow River in the fall of 1802. He spent the next years in the St. Croix valley and was still trading, despite having lost his sight, in 1836 at Lake Pokegama. He died sometime after 1860 . . . . His wife, mentioned by Nelson, has been identified as Pimegeeshigoqua, an Ojibwa . . . . [Nelson] remembered La Prairie as 'a good & well meaning man' . . . . He was also said to be 'expert in the use of roots' and plant medicines . . . ."
Joseph Duchene dit Laprairie...Mary Mun-nee Laprairie and Duane Porter -> Malinda Porter and Scott Te-way-yay Goodwin -> Elizabeth "Lizzie" Goodwin and Allan Sheppard -> Alice Sheppard and James Dennis -> James Dennis and Marvel Ohmann -> Sandy Dennis](http://familyimages.smugmug.com/Connect-with-the-past/families-of-white-earth-leech/Goodwins-Porters-LaPrairies/FolleAvoineImagea/205150622_4NTzR-Ti.jpg "familyimages > The LaPrairies all descend from a man with a long history in the fur trade - Joseph Duchene LaPrairie. From Bruce White's THE FUR TRADE IN MINNESOTA: AN INTRODUCTORY GUIDE TO MANUSCRIPT SOURCES, p. 4-5: \"[William H. C. Folsom] referred to an old trader of the Snake River area whose son was named Joseph 'Le Prairie.' This trader, Folsom recalled, had been in the Indian country as early as the 1770s and continued in the trade until the 1830s. He had become blind in his old age, and the Indians had supposedly named him 'Mushk-de-winini,' which Folsom translated as 'old blind...Prairie man.''' From MY FIRST YEARS IN THE FUR TRADE, THE JOURNALS OF 1802 - 1804 GEORGE NELSON, p. 610: Joseph Duchene LaPrairie was \"[l]isted as clerk in John Sayer and Co., 1795-96; [and] built and occupied his Fort Folle Avoine on the Yellow River in the fall of 1802. He spent the next years in the St. Croix valley and was still trading, despite having lost his sight, in 1836 at Lake Pokegama. He died sometime after 1860 . . . . His wife, mentioned by Nelson, has been identified as Pimegeeshigoqua, an Ojibwa . . . . [Nelson] remembered La Prairie as 'a good & well meaning man' . . . . He was also said to be 'expert in the use of roots' and plant medicines . . . .\"
Joseph Duchene dit Laprairie...Mary Mun-nee Laprairie and Duane Porter -> Malinda Porter and Scott Te-way-yay Goodwin -> Elizabeth \"Lizzie\" Goodwin and Allan Sheppard -> Alice Sheppard and James Dennis -> James Dennis and Marvel Ohmann -> Sandy Dennis")
![familyimages > My first years in the fur trade: the journals of 1802-1804 By George Nelson, Laura Lynn Peers, Theresa M. Schenck, 210 - 211
LA PRAIRIE, JOSEPH (JOSEPH DUCHENE DIT LAPRAIRIE) Listed as clerk in John Sayer and Co., 1795-96; built and occupied his Fort Folle Avoine on the Yellow River in the fall of 1802. He spent the next years in the St. Croix valley and was still trading, despite having lost his sight, in 1836 at Lake Pokegama. He died sometime after 1860 (White 1977:4-5, 41; Birk 1989:28-30) His wife, mentioned by Nelson, has been identified as Pimegeeshigoqua, an Ojibwa, by Douglas A. Birk (1989:29). Despite the trouble caused when La Prairie failed to deliver pipes sent by the Dakota to the Ojibwa in 1802 (probably as a result of having been taken prisoner by the Dakota previously: 1802-3, fos.32, 34), Nelson later remembered La Prairie as "a good & well meaning man..." (Sorel Journal 1836, fo.28). He was also said to be "expert in the use of roots" and plant medicines (1802-3, fo.38).
p. 63:
On one of these occasions, two young men of 20 to 22 years of age, plotted to kill us all. I mean we four. The widows put us on our guard. Laprairie, the master at the N. W. C. house also warned us and one night he overheard them say - "we will watch at the door, & when one comes we will shoot him, the report will cause another or perhaps all to rush out to see, we will shoot them also, & rush in & despatch the rest". Laprairie called out to them "and have your gorgetten that I shoot deer running thro' the woods? touch them if you dare & I will shoot you like dogs as you are". - Finding they were discovered they dropped the idea, pretended to be very drunk; & coming to sleep at the house as they usually did, Smith scolded them very much, took their knives from them & gave them to me to put by. Laprairie had secured their guns.
p. 70:
About Sun Set we passed the old houses where Laprairie had wintered the year before (1801-2) and where the Sciouxs had taken him prisoner.
p. 71:
Running over this beautiful lake, the indian lad showed us LaPrairies house & Fort of the preceding year: the place where he had his traps & the Spot where the Scioux's had hid themselves to catch him on his return home.
p. 74:
There were rumors that the enemy was in the neighborhood of Lac la Coqille, where Laprairie then was wintering (See p. 32 66) The people, as usual soon got tired of restraint & became leass careful. One morning Laprairie went to visit his marten traps, contrary to the wishes of the people. Every one, as usual, had had awful dreams the preceeding night, & was now full of his prophetic impressions. Laprairie would not hear. He crossed the lake, & in leaping down a bank into a Small creek, he found himself surrounded by several strange indians in warlike attire that were lying in ambush for him. He had to take them home! - He treated them kindly, as may be supposed, & they behaved extremely well. There were several hundred of them but the chief would allow but 20, or 30 to enter. They said they regretted very much the war & would gladly be at peace. "To prove our intentions here a Pipe - the "Pipe of Peace" I give you with tobacco; present it to them in our name, and say hour desirous we are to be at Peace. But if all I have said has no effect, & that they will have war, Here is this Crow Skin (a Warrior's head dread dress) & tomahaw, & you will tell them, it is not fear that makes us sollicit their friendship, & they are too brave themselves to suspect us of cowardice; - let them chuse, & decide whether they will accept the Pipe & Smoke with us as friends, or take the tommahawk. We are ready for either, but we would much rather them be our friends." - - They returned, after staying a few hous, urging him to present their visit & their discourse in a friendly light. -
Some of the Sauteux's67 (our indians) soon after came in. Laprairie told them what had occured; gave the Crow Skin & tomahawk, repeating what the Scioux's had siad, but kept the Pipe for himself.68 The Sauteuxs consulted: & at last came to the conclusion [35] that the whole speech was intended as an insult, the more aggravated as there was no "Pipe" with the Crow Skin & tommahawk. They also decided upon revenging the insult. This was in April, 1802...
68. La Prairie's motive for this is uncertain, but he had been taken prisoner by the Sioux the year before this incident (see above, fo. 32), he may have wished the war against them to continue.
p. 77:
Such then being the Sequel of the Scioux visit, it is not to be wondered if we felt rather uneasy. The people were very much displeased with Laprairie, imputing the whole blame to his covetousness in keeping the "Pipe". But I think that even if he ad given it, the Sauteux's are so proud, haughty & insolent, & vain to show off their bravery [ - even] though at the expense of their lives, it would not have stopped the war, however it might have put off a battle. But this indescretion of his certainly increased the animosity, & rendered out situation the most critical.
Thus we continued living in the utmost anxiety, every hour dreading an attack. The N. W. Co, having arrived early in the Season, had collected [36] all the rice long before we arrived, & with the meat they occasionaly got from the indians they lived well. It was not so with us: we were often sore pinched. - Laprairie commisserated my situation, I often eat with him. At last we made a bargain. I was to provide the eatables & he, the tea! Yellow lake was connected with the river below, by three other, but Smaller lake, two below us,70 very much in shape to the float of a fish, in which there were always ducks. In the morning early I would steal out after taking "a careful survey of the coast", go to the river & firing one or two shots killing 3 or 4 ducks. I would run into the river often up to my arm pits, secure my hunt & run home. A quater of an hour every morning was frequently more time than required to bring in the daily meat of us two. Laprairie in the mean time would gather wild tea.71 - he had plenty of his own Sugar: and all was right....
71. This is most likely to have been Labrador tea (Ledum groenlandicum), but it could have been any number of plants used to make tea in the western Great Lakes region; Nelson noted that La Prairie was "expert in the use of roots."](http://familyimages.smugmug.com/Connect-with-the-past/families-of-white-earth-leech/Goodwins-Porters-LaPrairies/FirstYearsInFurTrade/754948020_ZftwB-Ti.jpg "familyimages > My first years in the fur trade: the journals of 1802-1804 By George Nelson, Laura Lynn Peers, Theresa M. Schenck, 210 - 211
LA PRAIRIE, JOSEPH (JOSEPH DUCHENE DIT LAPRAIRIE) Listed as clerk in John Sayer and Co., 1795-96; built and occupied his Fort Folle Avoine on the Yellow River in the fall of 1802. He spent the next years in the St. Croix valley and was still trading, despite having lost his sight, in 1836 at Lake Pokegama. He died sometime after 1860 (White 1977:4-5, 41; Birk 1989:28-30) His wife, mentioned by Nelson, has been identified as Pimegeeshigoqua, an Ojibwa, by Douglas A. Birk (1989:29). Despite the trouble caused when La Prairie failed to deliver pipes sent by the Dakota to the Ojibwa in 1802 (probably as a result of having been taken prisoner by the Dakota previously: 1802-3, fos.32, 34), Nelson later remembered La Prairie as \"a good & well meaning man...\" (Sorel Journal 1836, fo.28). He was also said to be \"expert in the use of roots\" and plant medicines (1802-3, fo.38).
p. 63:
On one of these occasions, two young men of 20 to 22 years of age, plotted to kill us all. I mean we four. The widows put us on our guard. Laprairie, the master at the N. W. C. house also warned us and one night he overheard them say - \"we will watch at the door, & when one comes we will shoot him, the report will cause another or perhaps all to rush out to see, we will shoot them also, & rush in & despatch the rest\". Laprairie called out to them \"and have your gorgetten that I shoot deer running thro' the woods? touch them if you dare & I will shoot you like dogs as you are\". - Finding they were discovered they dropped the idea, pretended to be very drunk; & coming to sleep at the house as they usually did, Smith scolded them very much, took their knives from them & gave them to me to put by. Laprairie had secured their guns.
p. 70:
About Sun Set we passed the old houses where Laprairie had wintered the year before (1801-2) and where the Sciouxs had taken him prisoner.
p. 71:
Running over this beautiful lake, the indian lad showed us LaPrairies house & Fort of the preceding year: the place where he had his traps & the Spot where the Scioux's had hid themselves to catch him on his return home.
p. 74:
There were rumors that the enemy was in the neighborhood of Lac la Coqille, where Laprairie then was wintering (See p. 32 66) The people, as usual soon got tired of restraint & became leass careful. One morning Laprairie went to visit his marten traps, contrary to the wishes of the people. Every one, as usual, had had awful dreams the preceeding night, & was now full of his prophetic impressions. Laprairie would not hear. He crossed the lake, & in leaping down a bank into a Small creek, he found himself surrounded by several strange indians in warlike attire that were lying in ambush for him. He had to take them home! - He treated them kindly, as may be supposed, & they behaved extremely well. There were several hundred of them but the chief would allow but 20, or 30 to enter. They said they regretted very much the war & would gladly be at peace. \"To prove our intentions here a Pipe - the \"Pipe of Peace\" I give you with tobacco; present it to them in our name, and say hour desirous we are to be at Peace. But if all I have said has no effect, & that they will have war, Here is this Crow Skin (a Warrior's head dread dress) & tomahaw, & you will tell them, it is not fear that makes us sollicit their friendship, & they are too brave themselves to suspect us of cowardice; - let them chuse, & decide whether they will accept the Pipe & Smoke with us as friends, or take the tommahawk. We are ready for either, but we would much rather them be our friends.\" - - They returned, after staying a few hous, urging him to present their visit & their discourse in a friendly light. -
Some of the Sauteux's67 (our indians) soon after came in. Laprairie told them what had occured; gave the Crow Skin & tomahawk, repeating what the Scioux's had siad, but kept the Pipe for himself.68 The Sauteuxs consulted: & at last came to the conclusion [35] that the whole speech was intended as an insult, the more aggravated as there was no \"Pipe\" with the Crow Skin & tommahawk. They also decided upon revenging the insult. This was in April, 1802...
68. La Prairie's motive for this is uncertain, but he had been taken prisoner by the Sioux the year before this incident (see above, fo. 32), he may have wished the war against them to continue.
p. 77:
Such then being the Sequel of the Scioux visit, it is not to be wondered if we felt rather uneasy. The people were very much displeased with Laprairie, imputing the whole blame to his covetousness in keeping the \"Pipe\". But I think that even if he ad given it, the Sauteux's are so proud, haughty & insolent, & vain to show off their bravery [ - even] though at the expense of their lives, it would not have stopped the war, however it might have put off a battle. But this indescretion of his certainly increased the animosity, & rendered out situation the most critical.
Thus we continued living in the utmost anxiety, every hour dreading an attack. The N. W. Co, having arrived early in the Season, had collected [36] all the rice long before we arrived, & with the meat they occasionaly got from the indians they lived well. It was not so with us: we were often sore pinched. - Laprairie commisserated my situation, I often eat with him. At last we made a bargain. I was to provide the eatables & he, the tea! Yellow lake was connected with the river below, by three other, but Smaller lake, two below us,70 very much in shape to the float of a fish, in which there were always ducks. In the morning early I would steal out after taking \"a careful survey of the coast\", go to the river & firing one or two shots killing 3 or 4 ducks. I would run into the river often up to my arm pits, secure my hunt & run home. A quater of an hour every morning was frequently more time than required to bring in the daily meat of us two. Laprairie in the mean time would gather wild tea.71 - he had plenty of his own Sugar: and all was right....
71. This is most likely to have been Labrador tea (Ledum groenlandicum), but it could have been any number of plants used to make tea in the western Great Lakes region; Nelson noted that La Prairie was \"expert in the use of roots.\"")
![familyimages > 1803, Death of Joseph Duchene dit Laprairie's mother-in-law
From Curot's Journal: Friday, Saturday 30, 31 [December, 1803]. Smith, Boisvert, and Connor left to go to the Lodges before they break up. They arrived today with six sides and eight legs of venison, three lynx Skins, and one muskrat. The Mother in law Of La prairie died yesterday at 8 oClock in the morning, buried at 4 today.
Joseph Duchene dit Laprairie...Mary Mun-nee Laprairie and Duane Porter -> Malinda Porter and Scott Te-way-yay Goodwin -> Elizabeth "Lizzie" Goodwin and Allan Sheppard -> Alice Sheppard and James Dennis -> James Dennis and Marvel Ohmann -> Sandy Dennis](http://familyimages.smugmug.com/Connect-with-the-past/families-of-white-earth-leech/Goodwins-Porters-LaPrairies/1803LaprairiesMotherInLaw/205109130_vwQ3i-Ti-1.gif "familyimages > 1803, Death of Joseph Duchene dit Laprairie's mother-in-law
From Curot's Journal: Friday, Saturday 30, 31 [December, 1803]. Smith, Boisvert, and Connor left to go to the Lodges before they break up. They arrived today with six sides and eight legs of venison, three lynx Skins, and one muskrat. The Mother in law Of La prairie died yesterday at 8 oClock in the morning, buried at 4 today.
Joseph Duchene dit Laprairie...Mary Mun-nee Laprairie and Duane Porter -> Malinda Porter and Scott Te-way-yay Goodwin -> Elizabeth \"Lizzie\" Goodwin and Allan Sheppard -> Alice Sheppard and James Dennis -> James Dennis and Marvel Ohmann -> Sandy Dennis")
The LaPrairies all descend from a man with a long history in the fur trade - Joseph Duchene LaPrairie. From Bruce White's THE FUR TRADE IN MINNESOTA: AN INTRODUCTORY GUIDE TO MANUSCRIPT SOURCES, p. 4-5: "[William H. C. Folsom] referred to an old trader of the Snake River area whose son was named Joseph 'Le Prairie.' This trader, Folsom recalled, had been in the Indian country as early as the 1770s and continued in the trade until the 1830s. He had become blind in his old age, and the Indians had supposedly named him 'Mushk-de-winini,' which Folsom translated as 'old blind...Prairie man.''' From MY FIRST YEARS IN THE FUR TRADE, THE JOURNALS OF 1802 - 1804 GEORGE NELSON, p. 610: Joseph Duchene LaPrairie was "[l]isted as clerk in John Sayer and Co., 1795-96; [and] built and occupied his Fort Folle Avoine on the Yellow River in the fall of 1802. He spent the next years in the St. Croix valley and was still trading, despite having lost his sight, in 1836 at Lake Pokegama. He died sometime after 1860 . . . . His wife, mentioned by Nelson, has been identified as Pimegeeshigoqua, an Ojibwa . . . . [Nelson] remembered La Prairie as 'a good & well meaning man' . . . . He was also said to be 'expert in the use of roots' and plant medicines . . . ."
Joseph Duchene dit Laprairie...Mary Mun-nee Laprairie and Duane Porter -> Malinda Porter and Scott Te-way-yay Goodwin -> Elizabeth "Lizzie" Goodwin and Allan Sheppard -> Alice Sheppard and James Dennis -> James Dennis and Marvel Ohmann -> Sandy Dennis
Joseph Duchene dit Laprairie...Mary Mun-nee Laprairie and Duane Porter -> Malinda Porter and Scott Te-way-yay Goodwin -> Elizabeth "Lizzie" Goodwin and Allan Sheppard -> Alice Sheppard and James Dennis -> James Dennis and Marvel Ohmann -> Sandy Dennis
![> The LaPrairies all descend from a man with a long history in the fur trade - Joseph Duchene LaPrairie. From Bruce White's THE FUR TRADE IN MINNESOTA: AN INTRODUCTORY GUIDE TO MANUSCRIPT SOURCES, p. 4-5: "[William H. C. Folsom] referred to an old trader of the Snake River area whose son was named Joseph 'Le Prairie.' This trader, Folsom recalled, had been in the Indian country as early as the 1770s and continued in the trade until the 1830s. He had become blind in his old age, and the Indians had supposedly named him 'Mushk-de-winini,' which Folsom translated as 'old blind...Prairie man.''' From MY FIRST YEARS IN THE FUR TRADE, THE JOURNALS OF 1802 - 1804 GEORGE NELSON, p. 610: Joseph Duchene LaPrairie was "[l]isted as clerk in John Sayer and Co., 1795-96; [and] built and occupied his Fort Folle Avoine on the Yellow River in the fall of 1802. He spent the next years in the St. Croix valley and was still trading, despite having lost his sight, in 1836 at Lake Pokegama. He died sometime after 1860 . . . . His wife, mentioned by Nelson, has been identified as Pimegeeshigoqua, an Ojibwa . . . . [Nelson] remembered La Prairie as 'a good & well meaning man' . . . . He was also said to be 'expert in the use of roots' and plant medicines . . . ."
Joseph Duchene dit Laprairie...Mary Mun-nee Laprairie and Duane Porter -> Malinda Porter and Scott Te-way-yay Goodwin -> Elizabeth "Lizzie" Goodwin and Allan Sheppard -> Alice Sheppard and James Dennis -> James Dennis and Marvel Ohmann -> Sandy Dennis](http://familyimages.smugmug.com/Connect-with-the-past/families-of-white-earth-leech/Goodwins-Porters-LaPrairies/FolleAvoineImagea/205150622_4NTzR-S.jpg "> The LaPrairies all descend from a man with a long history in the fur trade - Joseph Duchene LaPrairie. From Bruce White's THE FUR TRADE IN MINNESOTA: AN INTRODUCTORY GUIDE TO MANUSCRIPT SOURCES, p. 4-5: \"[William H. C. Folsom] referred to an old trader of the Snake River area whose son was named Joseph 'Le Prairie.' This trader, Folsom recalled, had been in the Indian country as early as the 1770s and continued in the trade until the 1830s. He had become blind in his old age, and the Indians had supposedly named him 'Mushk-de-winini,' which Folsom translated as 'old blind...Prairie man.''' From MY FIRST YEARS IN THE FUR TRADE, THE JOURNALS OF 1802 - 1804 GEORGE NELSON, p. 610: Joseph Duchene LaPrairie was \"[l]isted as clerk in John Sayer and Co., 1795-96; [and] built and occupied his Fort Folle Avoine on the Yellow River in the fall of 1802. He spent the next years in the St. Croix valley and was still trading, despite having lost his sight, in 1836 at Lake Pokegama. He died sometime after 1860 . . . . His wife, mentioned by Nelson, has been identified as Pimegeeshigoqua, an Ojibwa . . . . [Nelson] remembered La Prairie as 'a good & well meaning man' . . . . He was also said to be 'expert in the use of roots' and plant medicines . . . .\"
Joseph Duchene dit Laprairie...Mary Mun-nee Laprairie and Duane Porter -> Malinda Porter and Scott Te-way-yay Goodwin -> Elizabeth \"Lizzie\" Goodwin and Allan Sheppard -> Alice Sheppard and James Dennis -> James Dennis and Marvel Ohmann -> Sandy Dennis")
The LaPrairies all descend from a man with a long history in the fur trade - Joseph Duchene LaPrairie. From Bruce White's THE FUR TRADE IN MINNESOTA: AN INTRODUCTORY GUIDE TO MANUSCRIPT SOURCES, p. 4-5: "[William H. C. Folsom] referred to an old trader of the Snake River area whose son was named Joseph 'Le Prairie.' This trader, Folsom recalled, had been in the Indian country as early as the 1770s and continued in the trade until the 1830s. He had become blind in his old age, and the Indians had supposedly named him 'Mushk-de-winini,' which Folsom translated as 'old blind...Prairie man.''' From MY FIRST YEARS IN THE FUR TRADE, THE JOURNALS OF 1802 - 1804 GEORGE NELSON, p. 610: Joseph Duchene LaPrairie was "[l]isted as clerk in John Sayer and Co., 1795-96; [and] built and occupied his Fort Folle Avoine on the Yellow River in the fall of 1802. He spent the next years in the St. Croix valley and was still trading, despite having lost his sight, in 1836 at Lake Pokegama. He died sometime after 1860 . . . . His wife, mentioned by Nelson, has been identified as Pimegeeshigoqua, an Ojibwa . . . . [Nelson] remembered La Prairie as 'a good & well meaning man' . . . . He was also said to be 'expert in the use of roots' and plant medicines . . . ."
Joseph Duchene dit Laprairie...Mary Mun-nee Laprairie and Duane Porter -> Malinda Porter and Scott Te-way-yay Goodwin -> Elizabeth "Lizzie" Goodwin and Allan Sheppard -> Alice Sheppard and James Dennis -> James Dennis and Marvel Ohmann -> Sandy Dennis
Joseph Duchene dit Laprairie...Mary Mun-nee Laprairie and Duane Porter -> Malinda Porter and Scott Te-way-yay Goodwin -> Elizabeth "Lizzie" Goodwin and Allan Sheppard -> Alice Sheppard and James Dennis -> James Dennis and Marvel Ohmann -> Sandy Dennis
