CHARLES HENRY MIX:

Charles Henry Mix was born in New Haven, Connecticut, December 30, 1833, the son of Charles E. and Catherine (Upperman) Mix. He was educated in private school and by tutors, and also at Georgetown College, Washington D.C. in 1849. Additionally he received education in civil engineering from private tutors.

Mix came to Minnesota in 1852, and from then until 1854 he was a clerk at the Winnebago Agency at Long Prairie. For a time in 1854 he was also secretary to Governor Willis A. Gorman. From 1855 to 1861 he was a trader and agent to the Winnebago Indians at the Blue Earth Agency. He also had a claims business in St. Paul in 1861.

In 1862 he enlisted in Company A, First Independent Battalion, Minnesota Volunteer Cavalry, to participate in the U.S.-Dakota War. He was stationed at Pembina and other posts, and was commandant of Fort Abercrombie, Dakota Territory in 1864. He held other military positions until 1867.

The remainder of his career was with the St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railroad, and in 1879 he became station agent in Crookston, and eventually its mayor. He died in Crookston on December 15, 1909.

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Letters in the collection contain content relating to Winnebago applications for reparations after having been moved from their Minnesota reservation; land claims of Allan Morrison, Mitchell St. Cyr, Lewis Branson, and others; financial transactions with Governor Willis A. Gorman pertaining to the Dakota treaties of 1830, 1837, and 1851; the 1860 election and the effect of the split in the Democratic party on Democrats in Minnesota; and a list of goods purchased. Correspondents include, but are not limited to, Charles E. Mix, John B. Sanborn, Richard G. Murphy, Henry M. Rice, John B. Wise, and Asa W. Daniels.

Some of the other materials document Mix's roles as Indian agent, Civil War soldier, land speculator, and member of the Knights Templar and Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. A sampling of biographical information is also included.

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Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Mix, Charles Henry, Charles H. Mix papers. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession numbers: 7448, 16,623

Processing Information:

Processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with a Basic Project grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

Catalog ID number: 001731904

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This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:

Elections -- Minnesota.

Indian reservations -- North America.

Indians of North America -- Alcohol use.

Indians of North America -- Government relations.

Indians of North America -- Treaties.

Land titles -- Registration and transfer.

Winnebago Indians.

Persons:

Branson, Lewis, ca. 1825-

Breckinridge, John C. (John Cabell), 1821-1875.

Daniels, Asa Wilder, 1829-1923.

Douglas, Stephen A. (Stephen Arnold), 1813-1861.

Farrington, John, 1827-1905.

Gorman, Willis Arnold, 1816-1876.

Mix, Charles E.

Morrison, Allan, 1803-1877.

Murphy, Richard G. ca. 1800-1880.

Rice, Henry M. (Henry Mower), 1816-1894.

Sanborn, John B. (John Benjamin), 1826-1904.

Wise, John Claggett, 1834-1900.

Organizations:

Democratic Party (U.S.)

Freemasons -- Minnesota.

Knights Templar (Masonic order) -- Minnesota.

United States. Office of Indian Affairs. Winnebago Agency.

Document Types:

Certificates.

Diaries.

Occupations:

Indian agents -- Minnesota.

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