Government Records
Included in the records are James D. Skinner's November 27, 1858 report to Governor Sibley detailing the official state expedition to locate salt springs lands, with maps and descriptions of the twelve sites, a summary report, and a list of the lands. Also materials concerning ownership of the lands, particularly the involvement of State Auditor Charles McIlrath, 1868-1869; involvement of the Belle Plaine Salt Company, 1871-1872; an 1875 act for relief of settlers on state salt springs lands; federal legislation, 1878; selection lists of salt springs and indemnity salt springs lands, 1880-1896; and historical information about the lands compiled in a 1915 letter.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the
Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics
should
Collection materials may only be used at the Special Use table. Consult the reference staff for further information.
These records are cited in:
Accession number: 991-9
Catalog ID number: 007586647
Handwritten report by Commissioner James D. Skinner, who with Pierre Bottineau, was appointed by Governor Henry Sibley in September 1858 to locate salt springs. Description of their travel to the Red River Valley area, where with the assistance of American Indian guides, they identified the springs. The report includes descriptions of the land they explored.
Attachment: Diagram A: Showing the land take by the state upon the south branch of the Wild Rice River; Map B: Sketch of the Public Surveys in the Territory of Minnesota, with hand drawn demarcations of the sections selected by the State contiguous to these Salt Springs situated within the limits of the Government Surveys; Map C: Salt lands in Townships 118-120, Ranges 30-34; and Commissioners James D. Skinner and Pierre Bottineau's sworn statement (November 27, 1858; 5 pages).
Handwritten.
Twelve selections, each with location (section, township, and range) and area in acres, and annotated at some point with the county.
Includes a listing of partial conflicts with salt spring lands (undated), General Land Office circular regarding disposition of public lands (May 4, 1863), correspondence of State Auditor Charles McIlrath concerning the salt lands (1868-1869), and an 1869 memorandum: list of salt spring papers made out.
Includes correspondence between Governor Horace Austin and the Belle Plaine Salt Company (1871) and between Governor Austin and State Auditor McIlrath (1871-1872); certification of lands selected by the Belle Plaine Salt Company (August 17, 1872); an 1875 letter from John Schroeder, Clerk of District Court, to Governor John S. Pillsbury, providing details of the implementation of the March 6, 1875 act for the relief of settlers on state salt spring lands; and letters from U. S. Senator S. J. R. McMillan to State Auditor O. P. Whitcomb concerning federal legislation relating to the salt lands (1878).
Mainly correspondence between the General Land Office, State Land Agent W. P. Jewett, and registers at the Benson and Redwood Falls land offices, concerning lists of selected salt land (1880-1881); also indemnity salt spring lands selection lists from the Fergus Falls, Benson, and Redwood Falls districts (February 24, 1881).
Mainly correspondence between the General Land Office, State Land Agent W. P. Jewett, and registers at the Worthington, Duluth, land offices, concerning lists of selected salt land (1880-1881, 1886, 1896). Also indemnity salt spring lands selection list from the Duluth district (May 26, 1885), correspondence concerning a claim by Hans Johnson v the State of Minnesota over title to the N ½, NE ¼, E ½, NW ¼ Section 24 Township 112 Range 46 (1885), and list of salt spring lands receipts from the Treasurer of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents (April 23, 1895).
Contains a February 17, 1915 letter from University of Minnesota Comptroller G. H. Hayes to State Auditor J. A. O. Preus, with the following attachments: 1) June 22, 1908 letter from the Commissioner of the General Land Office to then State Auditor S. G. Iverson regarding the salt spring lands grants of February 26, 1857 and March 3, 1879; 2) summary to July 1, 1907 of the history and movements of the salt spring lands; 3) undated handwritten statement of the disposition of the salt spring lands; and 4) undated report on salt spring lands, agricultural lands and university lands.
The seven envelopes in which part of the above documents were originally housed in the State Auditor's Office. They contain annotations as to original contents.