Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut
Encyclopedia
Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut (c.
1639 – 25 February 1710) was a French
soldier and explorer who is the first European known to have visited the area where the city of Duluth, Minnesota
is now located and the headwaters of the Mississippi River
near Grand Rapids
. His name is sometimes anglicized as "DuLuth" and is the namesake of Duluth, Minnesota
.
He was born in Saint-Germain-Laval
, near Lyon
, France, and first visited New France
in 1674. In September 1678, he left Montreal
for Lake Superior
, spending the winter near Sault Sainte Marie
and reaching the western end of the lake in the fall of the following year where he concluded peace talks between the Saulteur
and Sioux nations. Lured by native stories of the Western or Vermilion Sea (likely the Great Salt Lake
in Utah
), he reached the Mississippi River
via the Saint Croix River
in 1680 and then headed back to Fort de Buade
, where he heard that jealous Quebec
merchants and the intendant
Jacques Duchesneau de la Doussinière et d'Ambault
were slandering him. He was forced to return to Montreal and then France in 1681 to defend himself against false accusations of treason
, returning the following year.
He subsequently established fur trading posts to further French interests at Lake Nipigon
and Fort Caministigoyan
at the mouth of the Kaministiquia River
on Lake Superior
, the site of the city of Thunder Bay
, Ontario
, probably 1684/85, not 1679 as many sources suggest, and at Fort St. Joseph (Port Huron)
between Lake Erie
and Huron
, which was garrisoned wth 50 men.
He died of gout
in Montreal 25 February 1710.
Montreal, Quebec has a Duluth Avenue (Avenue Duluth in French) named after Greysolon located in "The Plateau" (known as Le Plateau-Mont Royal in French) borough of the city. The avenue is quite popular with both residents and tourists alike after is was redesigned in the early 1980s. It was made to be more pedestrian-friendly with nicely designed sidewalks along with many trees and flower boxes. It is said to have been modeled after Woonerf
streets in the Netherlands and Belgium where pedestrians and cyclists have priority over motorized vehicles which have a reduced speed limit.
Circa
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
1639 – 25 February 1710) was a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
soldier and explorer who is the first European known to have visited the area where the city of Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
is now located and the headwaters of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
near Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,764 people, 3,446 households, and 1,943 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,057.8 people per square mile . There were 3,621 housing units at an average density of 493.3 per square mile...
. His name is sometimes anglicized as "DuLuth" and is the namesake of Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
.
He was born in Saint-Germain-Laval
Saint-Germain-Laval, Loire
Saint-Germain-Laval is a commune in the Loire department in central France.The North American explorer Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut was born in Saint-Germain-Laval.-Geography:...
, near Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, France, and first visited New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
in 1674. In September 1678, he left Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
for Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
, spending the winter near Sault Sainte Marie
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie is a city on the St. Marys River in Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. It is the third largest city in Northern Ontario, after Sudbury and Thunder Bay, with a population of 74,948. The community was founded as a French religious mission: Sault either means "jump" or "rapids" in...
and reaching the western end of the lake in the fall of the following year where he concluded peace talks between the Saulteur
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
and Sioux nations. Lured by native stories of the Western or Vermilion Sea (likely the Great Salt Lake
Great Salt Lake
The Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah, is the largest salt water lake in the western hemisphere, the fourth-largest terminal lake in the world. In an average year the lake covers an area of around , but the lake's size fluctuates substantially due to its...
in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
), he reached the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
via the Saint Croix River
St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota)
The St. Croix River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Minnesota. The lower of the river form the border between Wisconsin and Minnesota. The river is a National Scenic Riverway under the protection of the National Park Service. A...
in 1680 and then headed back to Fort de Buade
Fort de Buade
Fort de Buade was a French fort at the present site of St. Ignace in the U.S. state of Michigan. It was garrisoned between 1683 and 1701.-The mission:...
, where he heard that jealous Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
merchants and the intendant
Intendant of New France
New France was governed by three rulers: the governor, the bishop and the intendant, all appointed by the King, and sent from France. The intendant was responsible for finance, economic development, and the administration of justice . He also presided over the Sovereign Council of New France...
Jacques Duchesneau de la Doussinière et d'Ambault
Jacques Duchesneau de la Doussinière et d'Ambault
Jacques Duchesneau de la Doussinière et d'Ambault, chevalier , was intendant of New France from 1675 to 1682. His other offices included counsellor to His Majesty, treasurer of France, commissary for the generality of Tours c. 1664 and general of the king’s finances in Touraine...
were slandering him. He was forced to return to Montreal and then France in 1681 to defend himself against false accusations of treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
, returning the following year.
He subsequently established fur trading posts to further French interests at Lake Nipigon
Lake Nipigon
Lake Nipigon is the largest lake entirely within the boundaries of the Canadian province of Ontario . It is sometimes described as the sixth Great Lake. Lying 260 metres above sea level, the lake drains into the Nipigon River and thence into Nipigon Bay of Lake Superior...
and Fort Caministigoyan
Fort Kaministiquia
Fort Camanistigoyan, now standardized as Fort Kaministiquia, located at the mouth of the Kaministiquia River on Lake Superior in what is now northwestern Ontario, Canada, was established in 1717 by Zacharie Robutel de la Noue following the restoration of the system of trading permits by...
at the mouth of the Kaministiquia River
Kaministiquia River
The Kaministiquia River is a river which empties into western Lake Superior at the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Kaministiquia is an Ojibwe word meaning " with islands" due to two large islands at the mouth of the river...
on Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
, the site of the city of Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay
-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, probably 1684/85, not 1679 as many sources suggest, and at Fort St. Joseph (Port Huron)
Fort St. Joseph (Port Huron)
A short lived French fort established in 1686 by Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut. Its heyday was in 1687 when about two hundred coureurs de bois, about five hundred Algonquian, Henri de Tonti, Nicholas Perrot, Oliver Morel de La Durantaye, and thirty French soldiers gathered there under Marquis de...
between Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
and Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
, which was garrisoned wth 50 men.
He died of gout
Gout
Gout is a medical condition usually characterized by recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis—a red, tender, hot, swollen joint. The metatarsal-phalangeal joint at the base of the big toe is the most commonly affected . However, it may also present as tophi, kidney stones, or urate...
in Montreal 25 February 1710.
Montreal, Quebec has a Duluth Avenue (Avenue Duluth in French) named after Greysolon located in "The Plateau" (known as Le Plateau-Mont Royal in French) borough of the city. The avenue is quite popular with both residents and tourists alike after is was redesigned in the early 1980s. It was made to be more pedestrian-friendly with nicely designed sidewalks along with many trees and flower boxes. It is said to have been modeled after Woonerf
Woonerf
A woonerf in the Netherlands and Flanders is a street where pedestrians and cyclists have legal priority over motorists. The techniques of shared spaces, traffic calming, and low speed limits are intended to improve pedestrian, bicycle, and automobile safety.-By country:In 1999 the Netherlands had...
streets in the Netherlands and Belgium where pedestrians and cyclists have priority over motorized vehicles which have a reduced speed limit.
External links
- Canadian Museum of Civilization : Daniel Greysolon Duluth
- Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
- Catholic Encyclopedia article
- Avenue Duluth in Montreal (in French)