Joseph Rolette, Jr. (23 October 1820 – 16 May 1871) was an American

fur trade The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal ecosystem, boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals h ...

r and

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

during

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

's territorial era and the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

. His father was

Jean Joseph Rolette Jean Joseph Rolette (September 24, 1781 – December 3, 1842), often known as Joseph Rolette, was a prominent fur trader and member of the Mackinac Company who operated a trading post in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Youth and early career Role ...

, often referred to as Joe Rolette the Elder, a

French-Canadian French Canadians, referred to as Canadiens mainly before the nineteenth century, are an ethnic group descended from French colonists first arriving in France's colony of Canada in 1608. The vast majority of French Canadians live in the prov ...

and trader himself. Joseph Rolette's mother was Jane Fisher, who married Joe Rolette, Sr. in 1818 when she was about 13 or 14 years old. Jane's relatives took young Joseph to

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. Joseph's parents separated in 1836 but never divorced due to their Catholic faith. As part of the settlement, Rolette Sr. built what is today known as the Brisbois House for his estranged wife on Water Street, St. Feriole Island,

Prairie du Chien Prairie du Chien may refer to: Places *Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin Prairie du Chien ( ) is a city in Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. The population was 5,506 at the 2020 census. Often called Wisconsin's second- ...

, Wisconsin. As his sense of adventure developed, Joe Jr. headed back west in 1840, and by the time he was 21, he was working for his father's partners' in the

Red River valley The Red River Valley is a region in central North America that is drained by the Red River of the North; it is part of both Canada and the United States. Forming the border between Minnesota and North Dakota when these territories were admitted ...

area of

. Some names in Minnesota history (

Henry Hastings Sibley Henry Hastings Sibley (February 20, 1811 – February 18, 1891) was a fur trader with the American Fur Company, the first U.S. Congressional representative for Minnesota Territory, the first governor of the state of Minnesota, and a U.S. mi ...

and Ramsey Crooks) were running a fur trading company in the area at the time. Whilst in their service, Joseph Rolette rebuilt a

trading post A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory in European and colonial contexts, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded. Typically a trading post allows people from one geogr ...

at Pembina. He oversaw its defenses and the business being conducted there. The area where the Pembina Trail crossed the Red Lake River is now

Red Lake Falls, Minnesota Red Lake Falls is a city and the county seat of Red Lake County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,339 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Red Lake County. The city lies in the middle of Red Lake Falls Township, from whic ...

. In 1842 young Rolette built a unique method of transportation. He created a line of carts that ran on the

Red River Trails The Red River Trails were a network of Red River ox cart, ox cart routes connecting the Red River Colony (the "Selkirk Settlement") and Fort Garry in Canada under British Imperial control (1764-1867), British North America with the head of naviga ...

between Pembina and the head of Mississippi navigation at

Mendota, Minnesota Mendota ( ) is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. The name is a mispronunciation of the Dakota word for the location, , which in Dakota tradition is the center of the world. The word in this use means "the confluence of the Mi ...

. As a result, a substantial portion of the trade enjoyed by the Hudson's Bay Company in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

was diverted to the United States. Rolette undertook this venture with his mother's brother. By this time, the trading post had grown, and a Canadian native, Norman W. Kittson, was managing it. Kittson adopted the system of Red River ox carts, growing and adding more lines until it became a chain of several thousands of vehicles. During the late 1840s, Rolette also had a hand in defending the posts, both from commercial rivals and unfriendly

Native Americans Native Americans or Native American usually refers to Native Americans in the United States. Related terms and peoples include: Ethnic groups * Indigenous peoples of the Americas, the pre-Columbian peoples of North, South, and Central America ...

. At one point he burned down a rival post that traded

whisky Whisky or whiskey is a type of liquor made from Fermentation in food processing, fermented grain mashing, mash. Various grains (which may be Malting, malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, Maize, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky ...

for furs, a transaction that was illegal during that time. In 1845, he married Angelique Jerome. Together they had eleven children. In 1851, he was elected to the Minnesota Territorial Legislature, where he served for four terms. It was during his time in the legislature that the most well-known story about him arose. A bill making

St. Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the early Christian Church. He appears repe ...

the capital of Minnesota was about to be enacted and, as he was chairman of the enrollment committee, bills of this nature had to pass through him. Rolette took physical possession of the document and disappeared for the rest of the session, not returning until it was too late to pass any more bills. St. Paul was instead chosen as the capital, as it remains today. According to the story, he spent the week away from the legislature drinking and playing poker in a hotel room with some friends. According to other versions of the story, the "hotel room" was actually a brothel. From 1857 to 1858, he served in the first Minnesota State Constitutional Convention and the

Minnesota State Senate The Minnesota Senate is the upper house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At 67 members, half as many as the Minnesota House of Representatives, it is the largest upper house of any U.S. state legislature. Floor sessions are hel ...

. During the

he was unable to get a commission in the Union army and by the end of the war had lost much of his fortune. Subsequently his health declined, and he died on May 16, 1871.

Rolette County, North Dakota Rolette County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,187, and was estimated to be 11,692 in 2024. Its county seat is Rolla. The County has been known to have approximately several lakes in ...

was named after him.

Cited references

External links

Joseph Rolette in MNopedia, the Minnesota Encyclopedia
*
Biography at ''the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''

Yellowpages.state.mnSouvenir program, Joseph Rolette Memorial dedication, Pembina, North Dakota, October 13, 1937
from th
Digital Horizons website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rolette, Joe 1820 births 1871 deaths People from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin American fur traders Members of the Minnesota Territorial Legislature Minnesota state senators 19th-century members of the Minnesota Legislature

Cited references

Further reading

External links