William S. Laidlaw: (1797/98 - 18510
He was the son of Robert Laidlaw & Elizabeth
Williamson born in Kingledores, Scotland. William married Mary Ann "Big
Heart" (Taw-a-du-tah) [daughter of Sisseton Chief "Big Heart"]
about 1812 on the Upper Mississippi. Their children were: Katherine
D. (m.1st.to Mr.Lurty & m.2nd.to Leigh Hadley Irvine in 1848),
Elzabeta (b.bef.1822), Barbara (1824-1849) (m.Morre K Lurty
in 1843), William J. (1831-1859), Mary (b.bef.1833), Nancy
(b.1836), Margaret (b.1838) (m.William Hodges in 1855), Julia
Anne (1840-1893) (m.1st.to E.Walter Holbert & 2nd.to J.A.Walker
in 1878) & Jane (b.1842).
William was managing a experimental farm,
called Hayfield (Mayfield), for the Selkirk Colony on the Red River in
1818-21. He had bought oxen & cows from the fur post at Lac La Pluie
and he purchased horses from the Mandans on the Missouri, through Archibald
McDonell, for the Hayfield farm. He arrived in Prairie du Chien from the
Selkirk Colony with Robert Dickson & Duncan
Graham in March of 1820. He was in charge of boat loads of grain, seed
and other supplies on the Minnesota River returning to the colony in May
of that year. The grain was to replaced the loss of crops at the colony
due to grasshopper the prior year. In April of 1821 William left the fur
post at Lac Traverse to meet up with a cattle drive (150 head) heading
for the colony from Prairie du Chien. Joseph Rolette of Prairie du Chien
had contracted with the colony for the cattle drive and he employed Alexis
Bailly, Francois Labathe & Duncan Graham to the deliver the cattle
to the settlement. The following is from John P.Bourke's journal (he was
the HBCo. trader at Lac Travers) of March 14 of 1821: "Mr.Laidlaw arrived
he intends going towards Prairie du Chien to meet the cattle expected from
thence. It is the opinion of many that the Officer (Col.Josiah Snelling)
commanding at the (Ft.Snelling) entrance of the Riviere St.Peter (Minnesota
River) will not let him pass"
In 1821 the fur companies of the Hudson Bay
Company & the North West Company combine and George Simpson begins
his long term as head of the HBCo. The next year, William turns his attention
to the fur trade and in 1822 forms a partnership with a group (Robert Dickson,
Kenneth Mackenzie, Daniel Lamont, W.P.Tilton,
Honore Picotte & Joseph Renville) of fur
traders which formed the Columbia Fur Company, with its headquarters near
the headwaters of the Red River of the North. In the fall of 1822 he and
McKenzie furnish Charles Hesse with goods, in order to ransom back his
daughter from the Sioux who was the only other surviving member of his
family which were massacred by the Sioux as they were on their way south
from the Selkirk colony. In 1825 William is hired by Indian Agent at Ft.Snelling,
Lawrence Taliaferro, to accompany Dakota Chiefs back to their homes returning
from the treaty held at Prairie du Chien that year (12 die on the return
journey). In 1827 the CFCo. is bought out by the AFCo. and by 1830 William
was in charge of Ft.Tecumseh on the Missouri (mouth of the Teton R.), for
the American Fur Company. In 1833-34 he was chief trader for AFCo. at Ft.Pierre
on the Missouri.
William returned to farming in 1836, when
he obtain property in Missouri (9 miles NW of Liberty, Mo.) building a
plantation & mansion for his home. He died at Liberty on 9 October
1851.
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