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Louis Johnston's avatar

Mabel Guhl was my great-grandmother. She married Albert Johnston in 1906 and my grandfather, Dorrance, was born in 1907. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/178098966/mable_g_johnston

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Jill Swenson's avatar

Yes! I spent some time talking with Marg Marvin and learned a lot about Dorrance Johnston and commercial fishing operations. I mentioned I'd found these records and she mentioned Mabel Guhl married Albert Johnston. So glad she helps with the Warroad Heritage Center.

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Linda Joy Myers's avatar

So much to discover in original research. And then interpret and question.

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Jill Swenson's avatar

The past three weeks I immersed myself in the local archives from the late 1890s to the 1920s and I’m beginning to “see” this period of time come back to life. Making sense of what I see is still a work in progress; history never ends.

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gerald fish's avatar

The name Jones was asopted by many even the kakageesics . Robert Kr told me that. maypuck has a lot of decendents in baudette . I suspose the name was used to I dentify that they lived in the area of the Jones trading post. He perhaps had several wives see the story of may puck and kakageesick testifiny that before the watter came they could walk from baudtte to warroad. The federal survey shows a creek comming from the sout our of the deep swamps. On the land was Charpenter Or Charpentier She had native blood grandma copenas live at the entry of the xity park / cobanis wer fro the roseau lake area

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Jill Swenson's avatar

Thanks for your tips, Gerald. You are right that there used to be a lot more sandbars in Lake of the Woods. Not only along the southern shores from Warroad at the mouth of the Warroad River east to Baudette where the Rainy River runs into Lake of the Woods, but also around Buffalo Point Bay to the Northwest Angle. Raising the water levels for hydropower at the end of the nineteenth century and again in the 1930s permanently flooded those areas.

Robert Kakaygeesick Sr. married Florence Cobiness (Copenas; there are so many various spellings). Many of the Cobiness family today belong to Buffalo Point First Nation. Like Robert Jr., Ernie Cobiness is considered a world-class artist of the Woodland School of Art. Robert Jr's brothers John and Don also paint in this style.

Good observation about many of the English surnames attributed to Indians; they are often associated with the name of the agency or agent. I have learned the first name of JOHN was incredibly common as an English first name given. Both Kakaygeesick and his son John Kakaygeesick are often confused in the historical records because Kakaygeesick had no "first name" and it sometimes was filled in with John.

I'll have to look on the maps for the creek out of the south and the Charpentier name. Tips always appreciated.

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Heidi Lynn Adelsman's avatar

I’m amazed such old records exist. Curious what year did boarding schools open in the area? Thank you for your ongoing questions Jill.

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Jill Swenson's avatar

The one at White Earth Reservation, 120 miles southeast, had opened in 1871 and St. Mary’s Mission on Red Lake Reservation, 100 miles south, opened their boarding school in 1900. The Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School opened in 1899.

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Kaycianne Russell's avatar

You have done a lot of researching for this project. It's amazing how history still has a way of speaking up even after decades of being buried or hidden. You're doing a great job, and nice ending for the next post!

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Jill Swenson's avatar

I think it was the old folk singer Utah Phillips who said, the past doesn’t go anywhere. It’s right here if we care to look at it.

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Margaret Holt's avatar

What a mystery you are beginning to unravel. I wonder if you will be able to uncover the stories of why the Indian students stopped attending. And for me the questions would be: Did they stop attending or were the stopped from attending??

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Jill Swenson's avatar

Did they stop attending because they were prohibited? I can find no public policy or statements of prohibition by the school district. I hope to piece together some possible clues in the coming weeks.

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Jul 7, 2024
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Jill Swenson's avatar

Thanks Brian.

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Diane Burley's avatar

It’s both fascinating and disturbing to read these accounts. Thank you for your perseverence.

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Jill Swenson's avatar

The deeper I dig the more complicated history reveals itself to be. Thanks for reading and persevering with me on this journey.

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Sweet Serenity's avatar

Your research is so impressive and so significant especially to find unanswered questions regarding the indigenous people, who have a valuable part of history. Thank you so much for sharing. 💕🍂

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Jill Swenson's avatar

Thanks for reading and what impresses me is how much is revealed by primary documents that gets lost in the making of local legend.

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Sweet Serenity's avatar

It is so true and so very sad. Your resilience to get into this history is commendable and it also shows that you take pride in your work. 💜

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Elaine Mansfield's avatar

It made me sad to read that the indigenous population of students dwindled so quickly to become nothing. I'm also curious about what made them leave school. You're obviously wondering that, too. Thanks for sharing the fruit of your research.

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Jill Swenson's avatar

Yes, I'm curious and continue to put together the clues I found during my research in the archives.

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Leanne Fournier's avatar

Interesting research Jill. Look forward to the next instalment!

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Jill Swenson's avatar

Thanks, Leanne

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John Mitchell's avatar

This is a wonderful look at a simpler time. Thanks!

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Jill Swenson's avatar

Perhaps simpler, though not an easy time.

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