East Bloomington in Hennepin County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Pond Dakota Mission Park

Photographed by McGhiever, May 7, 2016

1. Pond Dakota Mission Park marker

Inscription. Welcome to Pond Dakota Mission Park, the site of the historic Oak Grove Mission and the 1856 Gideon and Agnes Pond House. The Ponds served as missionaries to the Dakota Indians and as farmers and ministers to the community of Bloomington, Minnesota. Gideon and his brother Samuel had their roots in Washington, Connecticut, where young Gideon worked as a carpenter and a farmer, and Samuel as a clothier and teacher. During the "Great Awakening," one of the 19th century spiritual revivals in America, the brothers heard the call to give their lives to God's service. Their journey led them to Minnesota in 1834 where they served as farming instructors and missionaries to Chief Cloud Man's band of Dakota Indians at Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriet in the Minneapolis area. In 1843 the brothers followed Cloud Man to this Minnesota River bluff location where they founded the Oak Grove Mission. Many cultures have called the Minnesota River Valley their home.

We invite you to explore this park throughout the year to learn more about the life and times of Gideon and Samuel Pond, the Dakota people and the missionaries who worked with the

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Dakota people during the mid-nineteenth century. Step back in time in the 1856 Gideon and Agnes Pond House and see what life was like in early Bloomington.

Erected by City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Religion & Religious Structures • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1843.

Location. 44° 48.917′ N, 93° 16.377′ W. Marker is in Bloomington, Minnesota, in Hennepin County. It is in East Bloomington. It is on East 104th Street, on the right when traveling east. Under wooden shelter at park entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 401 104th St E, Minneapolis MN 55420, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Corn Belt,

and in the Great River Road Region.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land,

the territory of the

Pond Dakota Mission Park marker and environs image. Click for full size.

Photographed by McGhiever, May 7, 2016

2. Pond Dakota Mission Park marker and environs

Mississippian Culture,

and the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Dakota Missions on the Frontier (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Missionaries to the Dakota (about 600 feet away); Pond Family Heritage Timeline (about 600 feet away); Changing Landscapes (about 800 feet away); Gideon and Agnes Pond House (approx. 0.2 miles away); 1856 Federal Style Gideon H. Pond House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Samuel W. and Gideon H. Pond (approx. 0.2 miles away); Oak Grove Mission (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bloomington.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 19, 2018, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This page has been viewed 621 times since then and 53 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 19, 2018, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.