Upper Sioux Agency
About this property
Upper Sioux Agency (or Yellow Medicine Agency), was a federal administrative center in Minnesota established in response to treaties with the Dakota people in what became Yellow Medicine County. Located on the Minnesota River south of Granite Falls, Minnesota, the government-run campus of employee housing, warehouses and a manual labor school was destroyed in the Dakota War of 1862. The grave of Chief Walking Iron Mazomani, a leader of the Wahpetonwan (Dwellers in the Leaves) Dakota tribes, who was killed during the 1862 Dakota War's Battle of Wood Lake, is here. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 for having state-level significance under the themes of archaeology, architecture, education, and social history. Considered sacred for being a place where their ancestors died of starvation, the Upper Sioux Community has been working to regain the land since the 1860s. A ceremonial transfer was held in March with tribal officials, Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. Established as a Minnesota state park in 1963, the park was closed in February 2024 as authorized by the state legislature. State Route 67, which traverses through the park, was closed after unstable ground beneath the road made the highway impassable. The highway would have required expensive repairs along with the bridge over the Yellow Medicine River that has been compressed by the movement so much that it needs to be removed or replaced. State funds will be used to buy land for replacement recreational opportunities and the removal of structures from the site.
Location
Categories
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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Questions about this property
When was Upper Sioux Agency listed on the National Register?
Upper Sioux Agency was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1970.
What type of historic resource is Upper Sioux Agency?
Upper Sioux Agency is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Upper Sioux Agency?
The period of significance for Upper Sioux Agency is recorded as the listed era.
Can I research the history near Upper Sioux Agency?
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