HENRY POEHLER:

Reminiscences of a Minnesota businessman and congressman largely concerning his life in Minnesota through 1867. Poehler describes his emigration from Germany (1848) with his uncle, Karl Knoener, to the United States, arriving in New Orleans; the trip on the Mississippi River to St. Louis; and thence to Burlington, Iowa, where he worked on a farm until 1852. While living in Burlington, he also worked for a company that supplied goods for steamers and other river crafts. He arrived in St. Paul in May 1853, proceeding first to Mankato, then back to St. Paul, where he was employed by Dressler and Georgii Company. In August 1854 he took charge of Joseph R. Brown's general store in Henderson, Minnesota, which supplied grain and other goods for Fort Ridgely, eventually taking ownership of the store (1855) and naming it Poehler and Brother.

The memoir contains some information on early settlement in Henderson (pp. 6-7); his experiences during the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 including the transportation of Henderson's civilians to safety in St. Paul, guard duty, and other activities; descriptions of pigeon flocks and hunting (p.5); his acquaintances with Henry H. Sibley, James J, Hill, and others (pp.10-11); and floods on the Minnesota River (pp. 11-12).

In 1867 Poehler's firm was contracted to transport government stores to Forts Totten and Stevenson in Dakota Territory. He led two supply trains (pp. 16-24) and describes the prairies of Dakota Territory; herds of buffalo; hunting and fishing; and incidents on the journey.

Beginning in 1881, Poehler's firm built and operated grain elevators along the line of the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad in Arlington, Gaylord, Green Isle, and Winthrop (all in Sibley County), and in Fairfax, Franklin and Morton (in Renville County). They were operated as the Pacific Elevator Company, which was incorporated in 1890.

Also included are photocopies of Poehler's biography from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-1989; his obituary from the Minneapolis Journal, July 19, 1912; and the accession note for the memoirs from Minnesota History, December 1932.

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Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Memoirs of Henry Poehler. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession number: 3599

Processing Information:

Processed by: Kathryn A. Johnson, October 1997

Catalog ID number: 09-00321241

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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:

American bison -- Dakota Territory.

Business enterprises -- Minnesota -- Henderson.

Dakota Indians -- Wars, 1862-1865.

Emigration and immigration.

Floods -- Minnesota -- Henderson.

German Americans -- Minnesota -- Henderson.

Grain elevators -- Minnesota.

Places:

Dakota Territory -- Description and travel.

Fort Stevenson -- Dakota Territory.

Fort Totten (Fort Totten, N.D.).

Henderson (Minn.).

Minnesota -- Description and travel.

Minnesota River (S.D. and Minn.) -- Description and travel.

Persons:

Brown, Joseph Renshaw, 1805-1870.

Sibley, Henry Hastings, 1811-1891.

Types of Documents:

Reminiscences.

Occupations:

Merchants -- Minnesota -- Henderson.

Legislators -- Minnesota.

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