Early Settlers
As more of Minnesota opened to non-Native settlement, white people began coming in droves to take advantage of new opportunities in trade, land, and religion.
Although these early settlers were not technically immigrants moving to Minnesota from another country, they laid the foundation for many more to come.
Fur Traders
Among the first settlers in this area were French, Canadian, and British fur traders. As fur trade settlements grew, these men often married local women and worked together with local Dakota and Ojibwe communities to manage the widespread fur trade.
The fur trade industry demonstrated that this area was full of natural resources for people to profit from. It was one of many reasons people were drawn to the area and decided to stay.
Businessmen
The success of the fur trade led other businessmen to explore other prosperous opportunities in the area. They held business interests in milling, banking, insurance, real estate, and railroads. Many of these businessmen became politicians and legislators of the territory and later the young state.
Government Agents
Several white men came to Minnesota territory as agents of the United States government. They served as military officers, Indian agents, land distributors, legislators, and other government representatives. They were instrumental in opening the land up to white settlement through treaties, usually at the expense of the Native peoples who lived here.
Ashley Crowl Riggs came to Minnesota as an Indian Agent for the Winnebago Indians in 1852. He recorded his activities as an Indian Agent in this ledger book, and the earliest entries are from Cold Spring (Stearns County), Minnesota and Watab (Benton County), Minnesota.
Religious Leaders
Religious leaders also came to Minnesota as missionaries, priests, and nuns to work with the indigenous and white people who lived here. Some missionaries lived among the Ojibwe and Dakota people, serving as translators and interpreters with other whites. Others served newly-arrived settler communities and offered religious services to those in need.
- Portrait of Bishop Henry B. Whipple, Minnesota
- Portrait of Father Lucian Galtier and St. Paul Chapel, St. Paul, Minnesota
- Portrait of Mr. Stephen R. Riggs and Mrs. Mary Ann Longley Riggs, Minnesota
- Portrait of William Boutwell missionary to the Ojibwe on Leech Lake, Cass County, Minnesota
- Portrait of Rev. Moses Newton Adams and his wife, Traverse des Sioux, Minnesota
Learn about the people who came after these early settlers by exploring the pages below.