Hunter and fur trader Charles Bottineau ventured to the Red River Valley in 1787. His oldest child, Pierre, was born in 1817. Pierre was described as being well over six feet tall, “of manly instincts and gentlemanly deportment, polite, agreeable and of a kindly disposition, and always true to his word." He worked as a guide and translator for emigrants, traders, military expeditions, and land speculators. He spoke French, English, and at least six indigenous languages. He had nine children with his first wife. After she died, he married a Metis woman and had fourteen more children. He also became an advocate for the tribes in the area.
Bottineau traveled throughout what is now North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. In 1845 he bought land above St. Anthony Falls. In 1855, he moved to what is now Osseo, Minnesota. Even as he pursued farming, he continued to work as an interpreter and guide. He served as a scout for Henry Hastings Sibley and the American Fur Company. He provided supplies and was a guide for Alexander Ramsey, governor of Minnesota Territory, when Ramsey tried to negotiate a treaty with the Pembina, Red Lake, and Turtle Mountain Chippewa.
In 1853, Bottineau worked as the main guide for the Northern Pacific Railroad. In 1856, he worked for land speculators surveying land around what is now Breckenridge, Minnesota. In 1862, Bottineau and his son Daniel led the James Fisk wagon train to Fort Union. He was even a guide for General Sibley following the 1862 US-Dakota War. Bottineau’s last expedition was in 1869 when he led the Northern Pacific Railroad survey party to Fort Union.
As the frontier was becoming too populated for the old frontiersman, he moved his family to Red Lake Falls. In 1879, he was granted a government pension for his service.
Bottineau died on this date in 1895. His son Jean Pierre continued his father’s work on behalf of the indigenous inhabitants of the region. Jean Pierre practiced law and lobbied on behalf of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa and Metis in their claims against the government
Bottineau’s legacy lives on. Bottineau County and the town of Bottineau are named in his honor. The Bottineau Library, Bottineau Park, and Bottineau Boulevard in Minnesota are also named for him.
Dakota Datebook by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources:
- State Historical Society of North Dakota. “Today in North Dakota History.” https://www.statehistoricalfoundation.org/?id=81&offset=250 6/13/2023.
- Louis Riel Institute. “Pierre Bottineau.” chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.metismuseum.ca/media/document.php/07413.Pierre%20Bottineau.pdf Accessed 6/13/2023.
- Red Lake County History. “Pierre Bottineau.” http://www.redlakecountyhistory.org/bottineau.htm Accessed 6/13/2024.
