Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/168

 CHAPTER XI. DR. SWENEY'S NARRATIVE. Denton and Gavin — Aiton and Hancock — Bush, Bullard, Post, Snow and Gould — Potter, Young and Day — Sweney, Free- born and McGinnis — Friendliness of the Indians — First Win- ter — Arrival of the Scandinavians — Digging 1 Potatoes — Fish- ing in Stream and River — A Sporting Clergyman — Some of the Indian Braves — Farming in the Old Indian Cornfield — Squaws as Farmhands. The modern settlemenl of Goodhue county dates from LS37, when Samuel Denton and Daniel Gavin located in Red Wing's village and commenced their missionary efforts among the Sioux at t his point. In 1848, the American Board of Commissioners of Foreign Missions, more commonly known as the American board, appointed Revs. J. W. Hancock and John Aiton to continue the work started by Messrs. Denton and Gavin. Mv. Aiton came to what is now Red Wing in 1848, and moved into the mission houses previously erected. He and his wife at once set to work teaching the Indians, hut found the place so lonely that they spent a part of the winter at Kaposia, fifty miles to the north. Mr. Hancock arrived June 13, 1849. In the meantime, the exact date of which it is impossible to obtain, James Wells had settled at Frontenac and John Bush in Red Wing. At the time when Mr. Hancock came, Wells was liv- ing at Frontenae, in two unfinished stone buildings, with his wife, a half-breed daughter of Duncan Graham, the old-time trader. Grouped about these houses were the skin lodges of the Indians. John Bush was also married to a half-breed. He lived in Red Wing's village when Mr. Hancock first landed here, hut whether he antedated Aiton is not known. Mr. Aiton had some disagree- ment with Mr. Hancock on matters of method, and moved away in 1850. Bush went with the Indians in 1853. AYells moved away in 1854. and was killed by the Indians. Mr. Haneock remained. In 1850, George Bullard settled at Wacoota, bringing his 120