Near Churchill in Chippewa County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Fort Renville
Lac qui Parle Mission
Photographed by Connor Olson, June 29, 2021
1. Fort Renville Marker
Fort Renville, the headquarters of the fur trade in this area during the 1820s and 1830s, was located at the bottom of this hill.
Joseph Renville, son of a French trader and a Dakota woman, began trading for furs at Lac qui Parle in 1826. One of the founders of the American Fur Company, which dominated trade in the upper Midwest, Renville wielded great influence in the Lac qui Parle area and played an essential role in establishing the mission here.
History in the Ground
In 1940 archaeologists located the foundations of buildings at Lac qui Parle Mission and the site of Fort Renville. A later study of the fur post identified the location of the trader's house, a cabin used by the missionary Thomas Williamson, and a storehouse. The archaeologists also found evidence of a wooden stockade that must have given Renville's fur post the look of a small fort.
Erected by Minnesota Historical Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1926.
Location. 45° 1.945′ N, 95° 52.681′ W. Marker is near Churchill, Minnesota, in Chippewa
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Southwest Minnesota. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Corn Belt, and on the Great Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Ruperts Land, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Wildlife Along the River (approx. Ό mile away); The Dakota (approx. Ύ mile away); Huggins Cabin (approx. Ύ mile away); Riggs & Pettijohn Cabins (approx. Ύ mile away); Dakotas at Lac qui Parle (approx. Ύ mile away); Missionaries at Lac qui Parle (approx. Ύ mile away); The ABCFM (approx. Ύ mile away); Acculturation & Autonomy (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Churchill.
Also see . . . Fort Renville. (Submitted on July 2, 2021, by Connor Olson of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.)
Photographed by Connor Olson, June 29, 2021
2. Fort Renville Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on December 11, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 1, 2021, by Connor Olson of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 818 times since then and 89 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 2, 2021, by Connor Olson of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.
