James McLaughlin, 1842-1923 [RG5662.AM]

NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID



RG5662.AM:  James McLaughlin, 1842-1923



Papers:  1909-1924

Dakota Territory:  Indian Agent, Indian Inspector

Size:  2 reels of microfilm



BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE



James McLaughlin, the son of Felix and Mary (Prince) McLaughlin, was born in Avonmore, Ontario, Canada, on February 12, 1842. He emigrated to St. Paul, Minnesota in 1863 and the following year moved to Owatonna. He married Marie Louis Brisson in 1864. James McLaughlin entered the Indian Service on July 1, 1871, when he became an employee at the Devils Lake Agency, Dakota Territory. He was appointed Agent at Devils Lake five years later by President Grant. In 1881 he was appointed Agent at Standing Rock Agency, where, the following year he went on the last buffalo hunt of the Sioux. In October 1888 he took a delegation of Sioux to Washington, D.C.



McLaughlin was appointed U.S. Indian Inspector on January 19, 1895. On July 1, 1909, he served as Inspector of the Department of the Interior. The following year his book, My Friend the Indian (in NSHS Library, 970.1 M22) was published. He was appointed Special Inspector of the Interior Department on February 16, 1913. One of his assignments, in 1920, was investigating the Wounded Knee conflict of 1890. In 1921, McLaughlin completed fifty years of employment in the Indian Service. He died on July 23, 1923 in McLaughlin, South Dakota, a town that had been named for him in 1907.



SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE



The Nebraska State Historical Society purchased two reels (reels 11 and 17) of the James McLaughlin papers comprising this collection from the Assumption Abbey Archives of Richardton, North Dakota. These were purchased for the Research and Publications Division in preparation of Voices of the American West: The Settler and Soldier Interviews of Eli S. Ricker, 1903-1919, edited by Richard E. Jensen (in NSHS Library 978 J54i Vol. 2).



Although the impetus for purchasing these two reels was the Ricker publication, the reels contain additional information that will be useful for researchers interested in the work of Indian agents, the U.S. Indian Service, and historical material on the tribes and agencies represented. Reel 11 consists of Letters, July 1919-July 5, 1920. Although most of the reel is comprised of individual applications for patents in fee by the Sioux of Standing Rock Agency, sizeable sections deal with the competence of Indians on the Winnebago Agency (Nebraska), the Cheyenne River Agency (South Dakota) and the Kickapoo Agency (Kansas). The letters also document McLaughlin’s investigation of the 1890 Wounded Knee episode in 1920 conducted on the Standing Rock and Cheyenne Agencies.



Reel 17 contains McLaughlin’s notebooks numbered 22-44 covering the years 1909-1924. These notebooks document expenses, field notes, first drafts of letters, addresses, and bits of information about the Indians that McLaughlin interviews. Notebook 40 pertains to McLaughlin’s Wounded Knee investigation.



Because the James McLaughlin papers are owned by the Assumption Abbey Archives, researchers desiring to publish from them (or purchase copies of the microfilm) should contact that archives for permission.



DESCRIPTION



Reel 11

Letters, July 1919 – July 5, 1920



Reel 17

Notebooks, #22-44, 1909-1924




    1. 1910-1918

    1. 1909-1910

    1. 1911   Minnesota and Wisconsin

    1. 1912-1922   Mrs. McLaughlin’s notes

    1. 1913

    1. 1914, 1917

    1. 1915

    1. 1915

    1. 1916   Fort Berthold Agency

    1. 1917   Oneida Reservation

    1. 1918   Ponca Agency, Oklahoma

    1. 1918   Shoshone Reservation

    1. 1918   Osage (also Alabama Indians in Polk County, Texas)

    1. (a)1919, June 18-25   Winnebago, Nebraska

      (b)1919, June 26   Winnebago, Nebraska

    1. 1919, July   Standing Rock

    1. 1919, July-Aug.   Standing Rock

    1. 1919, Sept.-Oct.   Cheyenne River Agency

    1. 1919-1923

    1. 1920   Wounded Knee affair

    1. 1920   Standing Rock, Cheyenne River, and Kickapoo

    1. 1921   Pine Ridge Agency

    1. 1922-1923

    1. 1923-1924   McLaughlin’s estate



 



ADDED ENTRIES:



Dakota Indians — Wars, 1890-1891

Indian agents

Indian reservations

Indians, Treatment of

Indians of North America — Government relations

Indians of North America — West (U.S.) — Agents

McLaughlin, James, 1842-1923

Pine Ridge Indian Agency (S.D.)

Winnebago Indians

Wounded Knee Massacre, S.D., 1890



 



AIF   08-07-2009

09-22-2009   Revised TMM/tmm

Become a Member!

Our members make history happen.

Join Now

You May Also Enjoy

Marker Monday: Kearney Cotton Mill

Marker Monday: Kearney Cotton Mill

No Irish Babies Born in Nebraska in 1912

No Irish Babies Born in Nebraska in 1912

Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte, First Native American Woman Physician

Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte, First Native American Woman Physician

About History Nebraska
History Nebraska was founded in 1878 as the Nebraska State Historical Society 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 History Nebraska from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Interim Director and CEO Jill Dolberg. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for History Nebraska.
Explore Nebraska
Discover the real places and people of our past at these History Nebraska 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 History Nebraska members.

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

History Nebraska'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

History Nebraska Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

Support History Nebraska
Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to History Nebraska help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of History Nebraska by donating to the History Nebraska Foundation today.

Volunteers are the heroes of History Nebraska. 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.