Lake County / Moody County

The Moody face names the county seat for Charles E. Flandrau, and the town has never used his spelling. Born in New York City in 1828, he was appointed U.S. agent to the Dakota, the bronze's Sioux, in 1856 and sat on Minnesota's territorial and state supreme courts. In August 1862 the defenders of New Ulm elected him their commander. After the second attack on August 23, with 190 buildings burned, he ordered the town abandoned, and on August 25 about 2,000 people left for Mankato in 153 wagons. He died in 1903.

What the plaque says

You are about to enter Lake County so named because of its beautiful lakes. It had been the realm of the Dacotah (Sioux) Indians with few white intruders until ceded by the Yankton tribe in 1858. In 1857 the Noble's Trail was built across its NE corner and that year Mrs. Wm. Marble, a captive of Inkepaduta's renegade Indian band was rescued at Lake Herman by two Christian Indians. It was created in 1873 from parts of Brookings, Minnehaha and Hanson Counties and organized October 6th with Herman N. Luce and John T. Hare as commissioners. Settlement began in 1870 when Wm. Lee, John Walker and Herman N. Luce arrived and built the Lee log cabin, its first edifice. Shortly, Madison, named for Madison, Wis. and Herman, named for Luce grew up on the shores of Lakes Madison and Herman, respectively. By 1880 its population was 2657 and the coming of the railroad that year shifted the county seat from "Old Madison" to Madison laid out by C. B. Kennedy July 6th 1880. The first train arrived January 12, 1881. The Swiss Colony at Badus was founded in 1878, Wentworth in 1880, Winifred 1882, Ramona 1887. Madison State Normal was established in 1881 with classes starting in 1883. Its present name, General Beadle State College, honors its President W. H. H. Beadle (1889-1906) who was known as the "Savior of the School Lands." From 1890 to 1932 the Lake Madison Chautauqua brought culture and entertainment to thousands from a wide area. Lake County, 24 miles square, rich in soil and scenery, welcomes you. Erected 1957 by Lake County Historical Society and County Commissioners You are about to enter Moody County domain of the Dakota (Sioux) Indians, with a trading post, tradition- ally, at the Great Bend as early as 1763 and Joseph LaFramboise in 1822 and Philander Prescott, 1832-33, certainly had posts there. That portion east of the Big Sioux was ceded by the Santee Sioux in 1851, that west by the Yankton Sioux in 1858. Its first settlement, at Flandreau, was established in 1857, but abandoned on account of Indian pressure in 1858. It was named for Charles E. Flandrau (1828-1903). Until 1873 its S. half was part of Minnehaha, its N. half of Brookings County. Named for Gideon C. Moody (1832-1906) territorial legislator and first U. S. Senator, its first permanent settlers were 25 Christian Santee Sioux Indians, who took homesteads in 1869. Among them were Old Flute, All-over-Red, Iron Old Man, the pastor, Iron Dog and Big Eagle, who were along the river, as were James Jones and L. M. Hewlett, when in September 1869 Eli P. Drake surveyed the county. Shortly thereafter Charles K. Howard set up a trade store on the Sioux at Flandreau where the Pettigrew Brothers, surveyors and enter- prising pioneers, had the town established by 1872. The county was organized by David Faribault, Harry Stoughton and Edward Pierce, August 30, 1873, and Flandreau was soon named county seat. By 1880 despite grasshoppers, drought and blizzards there were 3915 people in the county. The railroad reached Flandreau 1 January 1880. Riggs Institute of 1892 became the Flandreau Indian School, the centre of a considerable Indian community whose church building dates back to 1872. Erected 1957 by Moody County Historical Society and County Commissioners

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• The Lone Tree — 7.9 mi
• Old Madison - First County Seat — 9.1 mi
• Wm. H. H. Beadle — 11 mi
• C. B. Kennedy — 11 mi