Fort Renville
Lac qui Parle Mission
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
this page online
Location. 45° 1.945′ N, 95° 52.681′ W. Marker is near Churchill, Minnesota, in Chippewa County. Marker is on 140th Avenue West near 10th Street Northwest, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Watson MN 56295, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Dakota (approx. ¾ mile away); Huggins Cabin (approx. ¾ mile away); Riggs & Pettijohn Cabins (approx. ¾ mile away); Dakotas at Lac qui Parle (approx. ¾ mile away); Missionaries at Lac qui Parle (approx. ¾ mile away); The ABCFM (approx. ¾ mile away); Acculturation & Autonomy (approx. 0.8 miles away); Williamson Cabin (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 Kewaskum, Wisconsin.)
Credits. This page was last revised on July 3, 2021. It was originally submitted on July 1, 2021, by Connor Olson of Kewaskum, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 285 times since then and 106 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 2, 2021, by Connor Olson of Kewaskum, Wisconsin. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.
