July 9, 2009: Henry Sibley House Historic Site (Mendota/Northern Dakota County)

Join the hiking group for a hike along the Mississippi River west from the Henry H. Sibley House Historic Site in historic Mendota, northern Dakota County. Henry Hastings Sibley (1811-1891) was one of the most prominent names in early Minnesota history, working as a fur merchant at Mendota, serving as the first justice of the peace, as a territorial delegate to the federal Congress, assisting in the negotiation of the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux, serving in the territorial legislature from Dakota County, serving as the first governor of the State, commanding the army assigned with putting down the 1862 Dakota Uprising, serving on the National Board of Indian Commissioners, serving as one of the original regents of the University of Minnesota, serving as the president of the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce, serving as the president of the Minnesota Historical Society, serving as the president of the Oakland Cemetery Association, and having been appointed an honorary member of the Ancient Cliosophic Society of Princeton College (New Jersey). His father, Solomon Sibley (1769-1846), was born in Massachusetts, graduated from the College of Rhode Island at Providence, was a lawyer, moved to Ohio in 1795 and to Michigan in 1797, locating at Detroit, was the first delegate elected to the first territorial legislature of the Northwest Territory, was a Member of Congress in 1820, was a judge of the supreme court of the territory from 1824 until 1837, and died at Detroit. His mother, Sarah Whipple Sproat Sibley (1782-1851), was the only daughter of Colonel Ebenezer Sproat, a gallant revolutionary officer, was born in Rhode Island, went with her parents to Ohio, and died at Detroit. Sibley and his wife, Sarah J. Steele Sibley ( -1869), had nine children. His house in Mendota was the office for his fur trading business and Mendota was once planned to become the capitol of the State. After years of neglect, the house was purchased by the Daughters of the American Revolution, restored by them, and operated as a tourist site for almost 50 years. The site is currently managed by the Minnesota Historical Society.

If coming by car: Meet at the Mendota Trail parking lot ¼ mile west of the Sibley House historic site in Mendota. Go south across the Mendota Bridge, then go east on Highway 110 to the North Highway 13 exit and go north on Highway 13 to Mendota. The bike trail parking lot where we will meet is midway between St. Peter's Catholic Church (to the west, with a tall steeple on the top of the hill) and the Sibley House historic site (east, towards the bottom of the hill, in the middle of "downtown" Mendota.)

Interested hikers are invited to reassemble at a nearby restaurant (Champps, 2401 West 7th Street, Saint Paul) after the hike for dinner or dessert.

If coming by public transit: Take Metro Transit route(s): 4, 7, 9, 15. 54. The closest bus service point appears to be to the Fort Snelling historical site. From Fort Snelling, head south over the Hiway 55/Mendota Bridge to the west edge of Mendota and then head east to downtown Mendota and the Mendota Trail trailhead. Applicable Metro Transit Map Applicable Metro Transit Map / Bus Schedule information

Map to Sibley House Historical Site

Map to hike start point: 1357 Sibley Memorial Hwy
Mendota, MN

Additional map to Sibley House site

Mississippi River/Minnesota River confluence historical information

Faribault House information

Sibley House archaeology

Sibley House Information

MHS Sibley House historic site information

Sibley House historical information

Du Puis House information

Hippolyte Du Puis historical information

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This webpage was last updated on July 9, 2009.