BEAULIEU Col. Clement Hudon Dit

Notes:

Indian Name: Gay-Bah-Ke-Wen-Zie

Came to Minnesota in 1837 to found for the American Fur company, a
permanent trading-post for the fur trade with the Indians at the slit
mouth of the Crow Wing River.

Clement H. Beaulieu

Posted by Dick Campbell on Fri, 18 Jun 1999

Col. Clement H. Beaulieu, Sr., or, as his friends delighted to call
him, "Uncle Clem," was born at Lac du Flambeaux, in the then
territory of Michigan, which included Wisconsin, Minnesota and a
large portion of territory west of the Mississippi, on Sept. 10,
1811. A pioneer, a statesman and an individual of marked
characteristics, being born in a period when the West and Northwest
was, comparatively speaking, a howling wilderness and barbaric Eden
of the untutored red man, his father, Bazil Hudon de Beaulieu, having
emigrated from Canada in the year 1804, and who was actively engaged
in the fur trade of the Northwest for many years, and in which
business Mr. C. H. Beaulieu, Sr., became early engaged in the Lake
Superior region and other points east and west of the headquarters of
the Mississippi, especially in the vicinity of La Pointe, Wis., and
at Crow Wing, Minn. At the latter place at one time he owned and
conducted the most thriving trade and enjoyed the pleasantest home in
Minnesota, under the warm hospitality of its roof and from the bounty
of its board no friend or stranger ever turned away hungry, nor felt
touched by the chill of discourtesy.

Mr. Beaulieu was of mixed French and Algic Indian blood, being
descended on his father's side from the chivalrous de Beaulieus of
France, and the most distinguished totem, or clan of the Ojibwa
nation, members of whose family have been chiefs and princesses from
time immemorial, and the principles and persuasive influences of both
races were happily continued in the life and nature of Mr. Beaulieu,
and it was owing to the implicit faith that the Indians cherished in
his word and wisdom that he was a power amongst them, and true it is,
that many serious collisions have been averted between the Chippewa
Indians of Minnesota and their white neighbors, owing to his timely
councils, and today, these people not only can thank his aggressive
forethought and wisdom for their heritage to homes on the White Earth
Reservation, but the further significant fact that no stain of the
white man's blood rests on the hands of the Chippewas of Minnesota.

He was married to Miss Elizabeth Farling, a daughter of one of the
early Scotch missionaries, in 1840, celebrating midst the
surroundings of a large family of children and grandchildren their
golden wedding, some three years ago.

----------------
THE SEER OF MINNESOTA'S VENERABLE PIONEERS IS DEAD!
Clement Hudon de Beaulieu, more familiarly known as Col. C. H.
Beaulieu, of White Earth, this county, died on the morning of Monday,
2d of Jan., 1893, after a short illness of some eight days. Mr.
Beaulieu, who was a very active man for one so advanced in years, met
with a very serious accident a few days ago, having broken his leg,
and which culminated in his death. His wife survives him, and also
five sons, Capt. Chas. H., Rev. C. H., Jr., Gus. H., Theo. B., Robt.
G. and one daughter, Mrs. Theo. H. Beaulieu. - Detroit Record
------------------------

The Bio of Clement H. Beauliu is a direct quote from the 1907 book by
Alvin H. Willcox, "A Pioneer History of Becker County Minnesota."
Chapter XVIII,
page 258-259.

------------------------

As we have reported, Clement H. Beaulieu is first listed as
establishing a trading post near Crow Wing River in 1838, but the
census of 1840 gives La Pointe as Beaulieu's residence. He was listed
as Justice of the peace in La Pointe County in 1848. Besides, his
son, Reverend C. H. Beaulieu claims that his father moved to Crow
Wing at the time the Government was building Fort Gaines. It is thus
more probable that 1849 was the date of his final arrival in Crow
Wing as a permanent resident.

In order to be independent of military regulations, Beaulieu decided
to build off the reservation and settle opposite the north mouth of
Crow Wing River. He moved in with a large force of loggers, sawyers,
and carpenters and erected a group of post buildings, "one of which
was a large two-storied log building clapboarded outside and ceiled
within and designed for his residence." Outside on the three sides
were wigwams of the Indians. To the north, were Indian burial
grounds. 44

Eventually, Clement Beaulieu purchased the building of Pierre
Chouteau Company. He formed a partnership with John Fairbanks and the
firm of Beaulieu and Fairbanks became the principal supplier of all
Chippewa Indian Posts. One source claims that at one time Allan
Morrison worked for Clem Beaulieu as clerk. Peltries were still sent
to St. Louis, but Crow Wing became known as an out-fitting place. 45
For this trade the geographical location of Crow Wing was excellent.
It was on the Red River ox cart trail and wagon trail. It was in the
heart of the great Chippewa country.

44. Zapffe. It Happended Here, Brainerd, Minnesota, p. 9.

45. Brainerd Dispatch, April 18, 1918.

Speaking of Crow Wing:
Of the houses left in the old settlement, many were destroyed by
fire. One half of the Clement Beaulieu home was moved to the old Jean
Branchaud farm in Morrison County. It is well know today as the house
at the south entrance of Camp Ripley on Highway 371.

Col. married FARLING Elizabeth on 05 Dec 1837 in WI. Elizabeth (daughter of FARLING James and FRASER Nancy-Anne) was born on 15 Dec 1816 in Drummond Island, Chippewa Co., MI; died on 14 Feb 1903 in White Earth, Becker Co., MN. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Superintendent of logging at Bena, MN
Chas. H. Beaulieu was the captain in Co. G. 9th Minnesota Infantry.

Clement H. Beaulieu had been associated in business with his son
Charles H. Beaulieu but now he bought out his son's interest for two
thousand dollars and four days later, he sold it to Theodore Borup of
St. Paul for three thousand dollars. He tranferred all of his Crow
Wing real estate to Charles H. Beaulieu for fifteen thousand dollars.
In 1868, he mortgaged all his household goods to Clement H. Beaulieu,
Junior, for five hundred dollars, and his livestock to F. W. Peake,
for two hundred dollars. His career as an independent merchant in
Crow Wing ended, but after moving to White Earth, he became
interested again as a merchant.

Captain married BELL Emma E. in Sep 1862. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Captain married SMITH Jennie before 1901. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Was an Episcopelien minister.

Reverend Clement H. Beaulieu

Bayfield Progress Newspaper
Bayfield, WI
Tuesday, October 16, 1916

Reverend Clement H. Beaulieu, of Le Sueur, Minnesota, has revisited the place of his birth. Though well past man's allotted span of life and without any particular pull from those "fond recollections" of which the he speaks he has entertained longing to once again see the region were the days of his childhood were spent. Accompanying friends to Ashland, he seized the opportunity afforded him, came to the city Friday and crossed by boat to Madeline Island, setting foot once again upon the soil not trod during a period of 68 years.
Reverend Beaulieu’s father, whose name was identical with the sons, was stationed on Madeline Island for some years as agent for American Fur Company, the great early day corporation which builded the fortune that the New York Astor family have since been adding to and spending.
The island post, a fort like structure, was attached to what the corporation new as the Fond du Lac District, the headquarters being at the head of Lake Superior where the city of Duluth has since come into being. In log-walled room within the Madeline island fort the claimant was born in on a rigorous night in January twenty-year 1841. There, except for occasional family excursions to Fond du Lac, he remained (a brother and sister being his only playmates, except for the Indian children who lived on the island or whom crossed occasionally from the mainland with their fur-bartering parents) until 1848, in which year the family removed.
In the old, and now overgrown, burial ground that it joined the company post repose the bones of Reverend Clements’s paternal grandfather and those of his father's brother, both of whom died there while in service of the fur company. There also are the graves of the two Beaulieu children who died while the family lived on the island. These graves the visitor of last Friday found and to them he gave some attention. The lapse of years in the long lack of attention has resulted in the following of the marking slab's and in the partial obliteration of the inscriptions; but the most noticeable evidence of the passage of time was seen in the tree of body-large size that had grown squarely in the center of the graves of grandfather Beaulieu.
>From Madeline Island the family went to Minnesota, finally finding location in St. Paul when civilization had created such a place. The Reverend Beaulieu attended school, going finally to Elizabeth town, New Jersey, and in finishing just his schoolwork at Fay Academy. Entering his own ministry in the Protestant Episcopal Church, he has since served continuously in that work, that service being rendered chiefly within the state of Minnesota.
>From the state his brother Charles served with distinction and gallantry as captain of a company in the ninth Minnesota infantry during the Civil War. Despite his years of reverent Beaulieu is still vigorous somebody and agile of mind and, though there is no left in all this region practically nothing (not even the lands contour) to be recognized as of the long-ago, he greatly enjoyed his brief visit. [End]

Rev. married PARKER Mary L. on 17 Jun 1885 in LeSeur. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
Burial: Catholic Cemetery, Madeleine Island, WI Territory

Notes:

Died:
Burial: Catholic Cemetery, La Pointe, Madeleine Island, WI Territory

Notes:

Died:
Burial: Catholic Cemetery, La Pointe, Madeleine Island, WI Territory

Family/Spouse: BEAULIEU Theo. Hudon Dit. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: BEAULIEU Ella. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died in infancy

Notes:

Died in infancy