Samuel Dutton Hinman, 1839-1890 [RG1474.AM]

HISTORY NEBRASKA MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID

RG1474.AM:  Samuel Dutton Hinman, 1839-1890

Papers:  1862-1889; 1943
Minnesota and Santee Agency, Nebraska:  Missionary, Interpreter, Sioux Treaty Commission member
Size:  16 items

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Samuel Dutton Hinman, son of Thomas and Mary (Carrington) Hinman, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on January 17, 1839. He received his education at institutions of the Protestant Episcopal Church and, after attending the Seabury (Minnesota) Divinity School, was ordained a Deacon in 1860. In October of 1860, Hinman married Mary Ellen Berry and was appointed missionary to the Sioux Indians. Hinman was the first Episcopal missionary sent to the Dakota or Sioux and he established the Mission of St. John at the Lower Sioux Agency, in Redwood County, Minnesota.

In 1861, Hinman was made a Priest of the Church. Rev. Hinman escaped the Sioux uprising of 1862 by fleeing to Fort Ridgely, twelve miles away from where his mission was destroyed. After the uprising he continued to work among the Indians at Fort Snelling and was placed in charge of Indian removal to a reservation near Fort Randall, Dakota Territory. In 1866 Rev. Hinman was assigned to the Santee Agency in Nebraska.

During his tenure at the Santee Agency, Hinman oversaw the construction of a church and school there. During the 1870s and 1880s, he served in a variety of capacities – as a census enumerator, as an interpreter, as a commission member dealing with the treatment of the Sioux – in which his friendship with the Santee Sioux proved useful.

Mary Hinman, the mother of Hinman’s five sons, died in 1876. Rev. Hinman married Mary Myrick in 1885. She, his five sons, and their daughter survived him upon his death on March 2, 1890.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

This collection of manuscript material consists of sixteen items relating to the missionary work of Rev. Samuel R. Hinman. These items date from 1862-1889 and 1943. Included is a biographical sketch tracking Rev. Hinman’s career as a missionary to the Santee Sioux, as well as other documentary materials relating to his service as interpreter, census enumerator, and peace commission member. An account of the 1862 Sioux outbreak by Emlie J. West is also included.

Note:  The original Hinman materials are restricted for preservation. Researchers are asked to use reference photocopies.

INVENTORY

Item

  1. “History of the Reverend Samuel Dutton Hinman,” compiled by Henry Whipple Hinman, 1943
  2. “Account of the Minnesota Outbreak led by Little Crow et. al. Indian Chiefs In the Year of 1862,” by Emlie J. West
  3. Appointment: Indian Peace Commission to Hinman, July 7, 1868, re: appointment as interpreter for the Santee
  4. Letter: Acting Commissioner of Indian Affairs to Hinman, March 27, 1873, re: appointment to Sioux Treaty Commission
  5. Letter: Hinman to Mary (wife), May 13, 1873, re: progress of Peace Commission
  6. Letter: Hinman to wife, July 29, 1874, re: conditions at Red Cloud and Spotted Tail Agencies
  7. Letter: Hinman to wife, September 6, 1874, re: Black Hills trip
  8. Letter: Harry Hinman to Mama (Mary), ca. 1874, from St. Mark’s School, Southboro, Massachusetts
  9. Resolution: Executive Committee of the Indian Commission to Hinman, (1876), re: service of Mrs. Hinman
  10. Letter: Dakota League Missionary Society to Hinman, April 26, (1876), re: death of Mrs. Hinman
  11. Letter: Sioux Commissioners to Editor, Church Standard, December 26, 1884, re: statement in defense of Rev. Hinman
  12. Letter: H. B. Whipple to Haley Fiske, March 3, 1887, re: vindication of Rev. Hinman
  13. Letter: H. B. Whipple to Hinman, April, 1888, re: Dawes bill
  14. Letter: Senator C. K. Davis to H. B. Whipple, February 23, 1889, re: claim of Medawakanton Sioux
  15. Letter: John B. Sanborn to Hinman, July 8, 1889, re: recommendation of Hinman as census commissioner of the Sioux
  16. Letter: Hinman to Major J. W. Powell, July 13, 1889, re: appointment as census enumerator

Subject headings:

Dakota Indians
Hinman, Samuel Dutton, 1839-1890
Indian agents
Indians of North America — Wars — 1862-1865
Minnesota — History
Missionaries
Missions
Red Cloud Agency — Nebraska
Santee Sioux Agency — Nebraska
Siouan Indians
Spotted Tail Agency — Nebraska


Accession Number:  1991.050

AIP/ksa                 06-1991
Revised TMM      05-11-2007

Become a Member!

Our members make history happen.

Join Now

You May Also Enjoy

Siouan Archeology

Siouan Archeology

Nebraska Election Trivia

Nebraska Election Trivia

Marker Monday: Pawnee City

Marker Monday: Pawnee City

About NSHS

The Nebraska State Historical Society was founded in 1878 by citizens who recognized Nebraska was going through great changes and they sought to record the stories of both indigenous and immigrant peoples. It was designated a state institution and began receiving funds from the legislature in 1883. Legislation in 1994 changed NSHS from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Interim Director Cindy Drake. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for NSHS.

Explore Nebraska

Discover the real places and people of our past at these NSHS sites.

Upcoming Events

View our new and upcoming events to see how you can get involved.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of NSHS members.

NSHS Education

Learn more about the educational programs provided at our museums, sites, and online.

Education Digital Learning Resources

Find games, lists, and more to enhance your history education curriculum.

Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961 to officially recognize prominent Nebraskans.

Listen to our Podcast

Listen to the articles and authors published in the Nebraska History Magazine with our new Nebraska History Podcast!

Nebraska Collections

NSHS's mission is to collect, preserve, and open our shared history to all Nebraskans.

Our YouTube Video Collection

Get a closer look at Nebraska's history through your own eyes, with our extensive video collections.

Additional Research Resources

NSHS's Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

NSHS Services

Digital Resources

Find all of our digital resources, files, videos, and more, all in one easy-to-search page!

Support The Historical Society

Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to the Nebraska State Historical Society help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of NSHS.

Volunteers are the heroes of NSHS. So much history, so little time! Your work helps us share access to Nebraska’s stories at our museums and sites, the reference room, and online.