Notes |
- According to Ely's Diary, William A. Aitkin came from Canada and
married into a good Indian family and took up his headquarters around
Sandy Lake for many years before the close of the War of 1812. He
became the chief factor of the American Fur Company in Fond du Lac
Department with the center at Sandy Lake in 1831. In December 1838,
C. H. Oaks and Abrose Davenport arrived at Fond du Lac from La
Paolinte to replace William A. Aitkin as factor in the Fon du Lac
Department. 24 Aitkin's fur trade included Grand Portage, Fon du
Lac, Vermilion, Rainy Lake, Red Lake, Pembina, Red Cedar River, since
the records of the April meeting of the St. Croix County
Commissioners state that for the election, one of the voting
precincts of Crow Wing settlement was to be held in the store of
William A. Aitkin. The judges of the election were William R. Aitkin,
John Aitkin, and John Bellecour. 25
24. Ely, Diary, October 28, 1838.
25. Crow Wing County WPA Research Collections, p. 20.
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