National Register of Historic Places

Traverse des Sioux

St. Peter, Nicollet County, Minnesota
Listed
March 19, 1973
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
73000990

About this property

Traverse des Sioux is a historic site in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Once part of a pre-industrial trade route, it is preserved to commemorate that route, a busy river crossing on it, and a nineteenth-century settlement, trading post, and mission at that crossing place. It was a transshipment point for pelts in fur trading days, and the namesake for an important United States treaty that forced the Dakota people to cede part of their homeland and opened up much of southern Minnesota to European-American settlement. Formerly a Minnesota state park, the site of the old settlement and river ford is now a State Historic Site and a Minnesota State Monument. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Traverse des Sioux is located on the Minnesota River, once a major transportation route, in Nicollet County just north of the city of St. Peter. The site of the crossing was rediscovered in the early 2000s; its north and south ends were marked by PVC pipe, as the river has changed its route and the crossing is not obvious.

Location

St. Peter, Nicollet County, Minnesota
44.35358, -93.94886

Categories

PREHISTORICHISTORIC - ABORIGINALCOMMERCENATIVE AMERICANHISTORIC - NON-ABORIGINALEXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Traverse des Sioux

This page lists Traverse des Sioux. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Cox, Eugene Saint Julien, House
Civil War
1.6 mi
Johnson, John A., House
Industrial
1.7 mi
Schumacher, Emily and Stephen, House
Industrial
1.8 mi
Church of the Holy Communion-Episcopal
Civil War
1.9 mi
Trinity Chapel-Episcopal
Industrial
2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Traverse des Sioux listed on the National Register?

Traverse des Sioux was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 19, 1973.

What type of historic resource is Traverse des Sioux?

Traverse des Sioux is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Traverse des Sioux?

The period of significance for Traverse des Sioux is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Traverse des Sioux?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Traverse des Sioux will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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