Lac qui Parle Mission, Historic district in Chippewa County, United States.
Lac qui Parle Mission is a historic district in Chippewa County with reconstructed buildings from 1942 positioned along the Minnesota River near Watson. The site contains exhibits about Dakota history maintained by the Chippewa County Historical Society.
The mission was established in 1835 by Dr. Thomas Smith Williamson and Alexander Huggins and operated until 1854 when missionaries relocated to Upper Sioux Agency. The location had been part of a trading operation in the region since 1826.
Missionaries and Dakota people worked together here to create the first written Dakota language dictionary and Bible translation in the 1830s. This collaboration produced linguistic works that remain important records today.
The grounds are easy to explore and informative exhibits provide insights into local Native American history. The riverside location offers a pleasant setting for a leisurely visit with time to look around.
The complex included Fort Renville, a fortified trading post built in 1826 with two residences and a protective stockade. This earlier trading structure predated the mission and remains an important part of the site's story.
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