La Pointe Indian Agency (Wisconsin)

Indian Tribes Associated With This Agency
Bois Fort Band of Chippewa, the Chippewa Indians on the Red Cliff Reservation, and the Chippewa of Lake Superior in Minnesota and Wisconsin

History
A La Pointe Subagency was officially established in 1836, although some correspondence had been carried on regarding the Indians of the La Pointe area as early as 1826 by a subagent of the Sault Ste. Marie Agency. The Indians originally assigned to the La Pointe Agency were the Chippewa of Lake Superior living west of Michigan Territory.

In 1839, the Chippewa of the Mississippi under the Crow Wing Subagency was assigned to La Pointed, when Crow Wing was abolished. In 1848, those same Chippewa Indians were assigned to the Winnebago Agency.

In 1850, the La Pointe Agency was moved to Sandy Lake, Minnesota and was responsible for the Chippewa of the Mississippi, assigned to the Winnebago Agency in 1848, and for the Chippewa of Lake Superior. In 1851, the subagency was made a full agency known as the Chippewa Agency.

In 1858, an agency was established for the Chippewa of Lake Superior, who for 5 years had been under the Mackinac Agency. The new agency's correspondence was filed under "La Pointe," although it was not located at La Pointe and was known for several years as the Chippewa of Lake Superior Agency or the Lake Superior Agency.

By 1865, it was once more known as the La Pointe Agency, although it operated from Superior, Wisconsin, from the Red Cliff Reservation, or from Baysfield, Wisconsin, opposite La Pointe. The Indians assigned to La Pointe were than living on several reservations in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

In 1895, the Lac du Flambeau School was opened under the direction of the La Pointe Agency. In 1907, the school was given agency status and then operated as the Lac du Flambeau Agency.

In 1927, the La Pointe Agency, the Laona Agency, the Red Cliff Agency, and the Mackinac Agency were consolidate into the to Lac du Flambeau Agency. That consolidation was effective 1 July 1927.

Agents and Appointment Dates
Daniel P. Bushnell November 1, 1836, Alfed Brunson October 13, 1842, James P. hays January 12, 1844, John Livermore May 24, 1848, John Watrous April 20, 1850, Cyrus K. Drew transferred from Chippewa Agency July 19, 1858, Luther E. Webb March 23, 1861, Asaph Whittlesey March 23, 1861, Bvt. Lt. Col. John H, Knight June 17, 1869,Selden N. Clark September 21, 1870, Ebenezer E. Henderson May 12, 1873, Isaac L. Mahan June 7, 1873,and Samuel E. Mahan July 8, 1880

Records
Agencies and subagencies were created as administrative offices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and its predecessors. Their purpose was (and is) to manage Indian affairs with the tribes, to enforce policies, and to assist in maintaining the peace. The names and location of these agencies may have changed, but their purpose remained basically the same.Many of the records of genealogical value (for the tribe and tribal members) were created by and maintained by the agencies.

Some records of the La Pointe Agency are in the Great Lake Regional Archives of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Chicago, including :


 * School reports, 1873-1897
 * Quarterly reports of school employees, 1885-1902
 * Sanitary reports of diseases and injuries, 1896-1901
 * Applications for enrollment at non reservation schools, 1906-1926
 * Settlements of estates, 1913-1920
 * And correspondence, administrative, and financials records, 1869-1930

Letters received by the Office of Indian Affairs from the La Pointe Agency, 1831-1880, have been microfilmed by the National Archives as part of their Microcopy Number M234, Rolls 387-400. Copies are available at the National Archives and at the FamilySearch Library and its family history centers on their.

Reports of Inspection of the Field Jurisdictions of the Office of Indian Affairs, 1873-1900 have been microfilmed by the National Archives as part of Microcopy Number M1070. The reports for La Pointe Agency, 1873-1900, are on rolls 22-24 of that Microcopy set. Copies are available at the National Archives, their Regional Archives, and at the FamilySearch Library and its family history centers (their ).

Microfilm copies of ...Narrative and Statistical Reports... for the La Pointe Agency, 1907-1927, are included in National Archives Microcopy M1011, Rolls 77-78, available in the National Archives system and in the collections of the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, beginning with their.

Annual Indian Census Rolls were taken at this agency for 1886 thru 1927. These rolls have been microfilmed by the National Archives as part of their Microcopy Number M595, rolls 234 thru 242. Copies of these records are also available at the National Archives, their Regional Archives, and at the FamilySearch Library and its family history centers (their ). These census rolls are also available online at Ancestry.com's subscription web site.

National Archives Catalog
 * Annual Genealogical Roll of the Red Cliff Band of Chippewa Indians as required by Act of March 3, 1877 Sec 2. NAID 135848581