ed all the country north of it the District of Louisiana, which was
to be governed by the Territory of Indiana, which had been created in
1800 out of the Northwest Territory, and had its seat of government at
Vincennes, on the Wabash.

On June 4, 1812, the District of Louisiana was erected into the
Territory of Missouri, where we remained until June 28, 1834, when all
the public lands of the United States lying west of the Mississippi,
north of the State of Missouri, and south of the British line, were, by
act of congress, attached to the Territory of Michigan, under whose
jurisdiction we remained until April 10, 1836, when the Territory of
Wisconsin was created. This law went into effect July 3, 1836, and
Wisconsin took in our territory lying west of the Mississippi, and there
it remained until June 12, 1838, when the Territory of Iowa was created,
taking us in and holding us until the State of Iowa was admitted into
the Union, on March 3, 1845, which left us without any government west
of the Mississippi.

The part of Minnesota lying east of the Mississippi was originally part
of the Northwest Territory. On May 7, 1800, it became part of the
Indiana Territory, and remained so until April 26, 1836, when it became
part of the Wisconsin Territory; and so continued until May 29, 1848,
when Wisconsin entered the Union as a state, with the St. Croix river
for its western boundary. By this arrangement of the western boundary of
Wisconsin all the territory west of the St. Croix and east of the
Mississippi, like that west of the river, was left without any
government at all.

One of the curious results of the many governmental changes which the
western part of Minnesota underwent is illustrated in the residence of
Gen. Henry H. Sibley, at Mendota. In 1834, at the age of twenty-two, Mr.
Sibley commenced his residence at Mendota, as the agent of the American
Fur Company's establishment. At this point Mr. Sibley built the first
private residence that was erected in Minnesota. It was a large,
comfortable dwelling, constructed of the blue limestone found in the
vicinity, with commodious porticos on the river front. The house was
built in 1835-36, and was then in the Territory of Michigan. Mr. Sibley
lived in it successively in Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, and the Territory
and State of Minnesota. He removed to St. Paul in the year 1862. Every
distinguished visitor who came to Minnesota in the early days was
entertained by Mr. Sibl