Louisville Township near Shakopee in Scott County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Echoes of the Past
Imagine a long-ago village along the river, shaded by majestic oak trees. People have lived here for thousands of years.
In the early 1800's, this landscape was home to a band of Dakota Indians called the Wahpeton, or People of the Leaves. About 325 villagers lived in a riverside town called Little Rapids in pitched-roof lodges built of wood and bark. They spent their summers growing and stockpiling corn in oak barrels for long, cold winters.
By the mid 1800's, the Dakota way of life began to be pressured by white settlement. As increasing conflicts arose, Chief Mazomani (Iron Walker), a Dakota leader, tried to make peace between the Dakota and whites. He participated in the negotiation and signing of the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux in 1851 and traveled to Washington D.C. in 1858 to negotiate the U.S.-Dakota Treaty.
Chief Mazomani continued to work for peace. Records indicate that he died trying to negotiate the release of captives during the Dakota Uprising of 1862.
The Refuge's Mazomani Trail is named in his memory.
Erected by United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Native Americans • Peace • Wars, US Indian. A significant historical year for this entry is 1851.
Location. 44° 44.359′ N, 93° 35.852′ W. Marker is near Shakopee, Minnesota, in Scott County. It is in Louisville Township. Marker is on 145th Street W. west of Red Rock Drive. The marker is in the Louisville Swamp Unit of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, on the information panels at the northern trailhead. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3801 145th Street W, Shakopee MN 55379, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Stephen Kult Clothing Store (approx. 2.1 miles away); Church by-the River, Presbyterian Church (approx. 2.1 miles away); Minnesota Valley Oil Co. (approx. 2.1 miles away); Van De Veire Knoll (approx. 2.1 miles away); Funk Hardware Store (approx. 2.2 miles away); Trinity Lutheran Church (approx. 2.2 miles away); Little Rapids Fur Post (approx. 3.1 miles away); City Square Park (approx. 3.3 miles away).
Credits. This page was last revised on June 14, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 13, 2023, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This page has been viewed 89 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 13, 2023, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.