widen the already wide breach between the whites and the Indians. Yet Inkpa-duta's renegades were as heartily hated by the Sioux as they were by the white people.
The Pipestone Quarries were the magnet that drew many travelers, scientists, and explorers to this section; most of them coming from the east, owing to the waterway routes.
George Catlin, the famous painter of the American Indian, visited this section in 1836. Mr. Catlin was also an entomologist and scientist and was so entranced with the beauty of the lakes and surrounding timber, and the myriads of wild fowl that he named the timber "The Great Oasis."
In 1838 Joseph Nicollet headed a government exploring expedition through this section. He was born in France and had made many explorations in the Mississippi valley. Second in command of this expedition was Second Lieut. John C. Fremont of the topographical corps of the United States army. Fremont was only twenty-five years old at that time and was destined to be one of the truly great Americans the leader of that strong, hardy colorful group who laid the foundation for the West.
He re-visited this section several years later being in charge of a surveying group. The surveying of Murray County started in 1857 hut was not finished until 1866. The lapse was due to the Civil War.
No American has a more brilliant and striking career than Fremont—a major general in the Civil War and the first Catholic to be nominated for the presidency. He was defeated by Buchanan. In the next election Fremont was put forth as a candidate of the Progressive republican party but withdrew in favor of Abe Lincoln. During his life he conducted five separate adventurous expeditions which explored passes in the Rockies and opened up the Far West.
He was the first governor of California, first Senator from the same state, was the first Governor of Arizona and held many other important offices.
Bold, brave, but not always too ethical, he was the type of the soldier of fortune, who too often did away with red tape. His political and military enemies were many and they finally brought sorrow and disgrace to this soldier, who had done so much for his country.
—68—
Few people know that he named Lake Fremont, just off Lake Shetek, after himself. He could have given his name to a larger lake, but he was not that type of a man. Over in Lincoln county he gave the name of his father-in-law, Senator Benton of Missouri to the lake, just across the northwest border of Murray County.
Many, many happy days were spent in the shadow of the "Gateway House." There is where we had our picnics, our Fourth of July celebrations, where the neighbors gathered, where we hunted and fished, where the women folks went for chokecherries, plums, gooseberries and currants. Events of the days when life was a stern reality but the memories they left were fragrant and wholesome and the old timers carry them on their way to the setting sun.
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Law Makers from Western Murray County
Western Murray County had its share of law makers in the lower house. They represented every shade of political opinion.
| B. M. Low |
1887-1889 |
Lowville |
| Pat Gildea |
1891 |
Cameron |
| Ole Holmen |
1893-1895-1897 |
Leeds |
| Herman Nelson |
1909-1911 |
Leeds |
| Fred Norwood |
1917 |
Skandia |
| John G. Johnson |
1923-1925 |
Leeds |
| Alex Lowe |
1933-1935-1937 |
Leeds |
| Erwin Eichorn |
1939-1941 |
Cameron |
| Roy York |
1943-1945 |
Leeds |
| Trig Knutson |
1947 |
Leeds |