Fort Ridgely State Park is part of Minnesota's history and the Indian Wars of 1862. It starts with the building of Fort Ridgely from 1853-1855. The Fort housed 300+ soldiers and civilians and was located on the edge of the Dakota indian reservation. During the 1850s and early 1860s The United States government made several treaties with the Dakota and the Indian Agents repeatedly made late and unfair payments required by the treaties; the result was many Dakota starving and angry. In 1862 the Dakota chose to attack the settlers in the area to push them out of their native lands. They also attacked the Fort. Several soldiers were killed and over the next few months, as many as 800 civilians were killed. By December 1862, the US Army had taken control and forced the Dakota out of Minnesota. The US Government negated the treaties and ultimately, sentanced 38 Dakota to death by hanging. The hanging occurred on December 26, 1862 in a public execution in Mankato. This remains the largest public execution in American history. Another notable result from this execution is that it was commonplace during that time to take bodies of those executed and use them for medical study. One of the bodies ended up with Dr. William Mayo, a founder of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. A visit to this park is worth the effort to learn about this vital, pivotal, and contoversial piece of Minnesota history. You will leave the park feeling very somber, but more informed.
Fort Ridgely State Park is part of Minnesota's history and the Indian Wars of 1862. It starts with the building of Fort Ridgely from 1853-1855. The Fort housed 300+ soldiers and civilians and was located on the edge of the Dakota indian reservation. During the 1850s and early 1860s The United States government made several treaties with the Dakota and the Indian Agents repeatedly made late and unfair payments required by the treaties; the result was many Dakota starving and angry. In 1862 the Dakota chose to attack the settlers in the area to push them out of their native lands. They also attacked the Fort. Several soldiers were killed and over the next few months, as many as 800 civilians were killed. By December 1862, the US Army had taken control and forced the Dakota out of Minnesota. The US Government negated the treaties and ultimately, sentanced 38 Dakota to death by hanging. The hanging occurred on December 26, 1862 in a public execution in Mankato. This remains the largest public execution in American history. Another notable result from this execution is that it was commonplace during that time to take bodies of those executed and use them for medical study. One of the bodies ended up with Dr. William Mayo, a founder of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. A visit to this park is worth the effort to learn about this vital, pivotal, and contoversial piece of Minnesota history. You will leave the park feeling very somber, but more informed.
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