George C. Sibley
Encyclopedia
George Champlin Sibley was an American
explorer, soldier
, Indian agent
, politician, and educator.
on April 1, 1782, the son of Dr. John and Elizabeth Sibley. Due to his father's frequent travelling, early childhood for Sibley was spent living with his Puritan
grandfather, Samuel Hopkins, in Rhode Island
. Later on, Sibley moved with his mother to Fayetteville, North Carolina
where he received his education and apprenticed as a bookkeeper in the counting house of John Winslow.
, Sibley's father was appointed as an Indian agent
for the U.S. government in Natchitoches, Louisiana
. George Sibley used his father's acquaintance with President Jefferson to get a position as assistant factor at Fort Bellefontaine
at the mouth of the Missouri River
near St. Louis, Missouri
.
Problems arose in 1807 between Sibley and the factor of Fort Bellefontaine, Rudolph Tillier when Sibley questioned Tillier's bookkeeping methods. Disagreements grew between the two, to the point that Tillier fired Sibley. To defend himself, Sibley immediately undertook a trip to Washington D.C to give his side of the story.
. Consequently, Sibley was then given the position of factor at Fort Osage
in western Missouri, near present day Kansas City, Missouri
in 1808.
While at Fort Osage, Sibley quickly engaged in creating relationships with the neighboring Osage tribes
. In 1811 he led an expedition, known as the George C. Sibley Expedition to improve relations with the Pawnee and Kansa
tribes, and also to locate the rumored Jefferson's salt mountain. Instead, he found it in the Salt Plains in Northwest Oklahoma
. He kept several journals of his travels but never published them.
Once the War of 1812
began, Sibley briefly moved back to St. Louis because it was feared that the British
would entice the local Native American tribes to attack Fort Osage. This, however, lasted briefly, because the Osage tribes complained about having to travel the extra distance to St. Louis for their trade goods. As a result, in 1813, Sibley opened a temporary trading post in Arrow Rock, Missouri
for the duration of the war.
While stationed at Fort Osage, in 1815, Sibley married Mary Easton
, the daughter of prominent St. Louis attorney and Missouri's 2nd Attorney General, Rufus Easton
. Sibley maintained this post until 1822 when the United States decided to formally end its Indian trade system. By this time most of the Native Americans had been resettled outside of the State of Missouri. After the trading post closed in 1822, George and Mary remained at Fort Osage, where he served as postmaster
until the fort closed in 1825.
government in Santa Fe
was growing significantly. Consequently, Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton presented a petition to Congress to fund a survey of the road to Santa Fe. Congress granted this request, and soon after George Sibley was put in charge of the expedition. Up until this time, travelers between Missouri and Santa Fe periodically were raided by Indians along the way, so in addition to surveying the road, Sibley was required to negotiate treaties for safe passage along the route. The tasks for this assignment lasted between 1825 and 1827.
, later known as Linden Wood College, and today known as Lindenwood University
. By 1831, George had built a log cabin on their property specifically for boarding 20 women being taught by his wife.
While Mary stayed busy with the college, George remained active in public life. In 1833, Sibley ran as a Whig for U.S. Congress, but pulled out of the race at the last moment. Between 1839 and 1840, Sibley served as President of the Missouri Internal Improvements Board and as a railroad commissioner. And in 1844, he ran for a seat in the Missouri Senate
but lost.
Privately, Sibley was very active with the Old School Presbyterian church. It was through this involvement that he became closely acquainted with abolitionist Elijah Lovejoy. Lovejoy, whose in-laws lived in St. Charles, visited the region often. On one occasion in 1837, after increasingly irritating area slave owners with his stories in the Alton Observer
, an angry mob tried to lynch Lovejoy. Lovejoy escaped to Lindenwood, where Sibley provided him with a horse so he could get away into Illinois
.
reputation as a predominant women’s school for its day, the Sibleys decided to retire from education and in 1853 deeded Lindenwood over to the Presbyterian Church. By this stage in his life, George Sibley was considered an invalid. As a result, he led a quiet life until he died on January 31, 1863. George and Mary Sibley are buried on the campus of Lindenwood University.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
explorer, soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
, Indian agent
Indian agent
In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with Native American tribes on behalf of the U.S. government.-Indian agents:*Leander Clark was agent for the Sac and Fox in Iowa beginning in 1866....
, politician, and educator.
Early life
Sibley was born in Great Barrington, MassachusettsGreat Barrington, Massachusetts
Great Barrington is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,104 at the 2010 census. Both a summer resort and home to Ski Butternut, Great Barrington includes the villages of Van...
on April 1, 1782, the son of Dr. John and Elizabeth Sibley. Due to his father's frequent travelling, early childhood for Sibley was spent living with his Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
grandfather, Samuel Hopkins, in Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
. Later on, Sibley moved with his mother to Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Cumberland County, and is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a U.S. Army post located northwest of the city....
where he received his education and apprenticed as a bookkeeper in the counting house of John Winslow.
Fort Bellefontaine
In 1805, through his correspondence with President Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
, Sibley's father was appointed as an Indian agent
Indian agent
In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with Native American tribes on behalf of the U.S. government.-Indian agents:*Leander Clark was agent for the Sac and Fox in Iowa beginning in 1866....
for the U.S. government in Natchitoches, Louisiana
Natchitoches, Louisiana
Natchitoches is a city in and the parish seat of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. Established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis as part of French Louisiana, the community was named after the Natchitoches Indian tribe. The City of Natchitoches was first incorporated on February...
. George Sibley used his father's acquaintance with President Jefferson to get a position as assistant factor at Fort Bellefontaine
Fort Bellefontaine
Fort Bellefontaine was the first United States military installation in the Louisiana Territory.Located on the south bank of the Missouri River, in Missouri, Fort Bellefontaine was first a Spanish military post. Later, by a treaty made between the United States Government, signed by William H...
at the mouth of the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
near St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
.
Problems arose in 1807 between Sibley and the factor of Fort Bellefontaine, Rudolph Tillier when Sibley questioned Tillier's bookkeeping methods. Disagreements grew between the two, to the point that Tillier fired Sibley. To defend himself, Sibley immediately undertook a trip to Washington D.C to give his side of the story.
Fort Osage
Sibley was cleared of wrong-doing because of his good reputation among friends William Clark and Acting-Governor Frederick BatesFrederick Bates
Frederick Bates , older brother of Edward Bates and James Woodson Bates, was an American attorney and politician. He was elected in 1824 as the second governor of Missouri and died in office in 1825...
. Consequently, Sibley was then given the position of factor at Fort Osage
Fort Osage
Fort Osage was part of the United States factory trading post system for the Osage Nation in the early 19th century near Sibley, Missouri....
in western Missouri, near present day Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
in 1808.
While at Fort Osage, Sibley quickly engaged in creating relationships with the neighboring Osage tribes
Osage Nation
The Osage Nation is a Native American Siouan-language tribe in the United States that originated in the Ohio River valley in present-day Kentucky. After years of war with invading Iroquois, the Osage migrated west of the Mississippi River to their historic lands in present-day Arkansas, Missouri,...
. In 1811 he led an expedition, known as the George C. Sibley Expedition to improve relations with the Pawnee and Kansa
Kaw (tribe)
The Kaw Nation are an American Indian people of the central Midwestern United States. The tribe known as Kaw have also been known as the "People of the South wind", "People of water", Kansa, Kaza, Kosa, and Kasa. Their tribal language is Kansa, classified as a Siouan language.The toponym "Kansas"...
tribes, and also to locate the rumored Jefferson's salt mountain. Instead, he found it in the Salt Plains in Northwest Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. He kept several journals of his travels but never published them.
Once the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
began, Sibley briefly moved back to St. Louis because it was feared that the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
would entice the local Native American tribes to attack Fort Osage. This, however, lasted briefly, because the Osage tribes complained about having to travel the extra distance to St. Louis for their trade goods. As a result, in 1813, Sibley opened a temporary trading post in Arrow Rock, Missouri
Arrow Rock, Missouri
Arrow Rock is a village in Saline County, Missouri, United States. The population was 79 as of the 2000 Census . The musical Tom Sawyer , based on the novel by Mark Twain, was filmed here. Arrow Rock Historic District has significant properties and the George Caleb Bingham House has been designated...
for the duration of the war.
While stationed at Fort Osage, in 1815, Sibley married Mary Easton
Mary Easton Sibley
Mary Easton Sibley was an early American pioneer and educator.-Early Life:Mary Sibley was born in Rome, New York on January 24, 1800, the daughter of Rufus Easton and Alby Smith Easton. She was the first of eleven children for the Easton family...
, the daughter of prominent St. Louis attorney and Missouri's 2nd Attorney General, Rufus Easton
Rufus Easton
Rufus Easton was a Delegate from the Territory of Missouri.Born in Litchfield, Connecticut, Easton completed an academic course....
. Sibley maintained this post until 1822 when the United States decided to formally end its Indian trade system. By this time most of the Native Americans had been resettled outside of the State of Missouri. After the trading post closed in 1822, George and Mary remained at Fort Osage, where he served as postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
until the fort closed in 1825.
Santa Fe Trail
Around this period in time, trade between the United States and the MexicanMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
government in Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
was growing significantly. Consequently, Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton presented a petition to Congress to fund a survey of the road to Santa Fe. Congress granted this request, and soon after George Sibley was put in charge of the expedition. Up until this time, travelers between Missouri and Santa Fe periodically were raided by Indians along the way, so in addition to surveying the road, Sibley was required to negotiate treaties for safe passage along the route. The tasks for this assignment lasted between 1825 and 1827.
Lindenwood
Once Sibley was finished, he and his wife, Mary, moved to St. Charles, Missouri where he had owned land since 1814. Between 1827 and 1829, the Sibleys lived in town until the property that George owned could be cleared and a residence built. During this same time, Mary, who had been recorded as having taught children at Fort Osage, is thought to have begun teaching her sister, along with a few local children, in their home on a private basis. While the specific date for this is unknown, Mary’s career as an educator developed into The Linden Wood School for GirlsLindenwood University
Lindenwood University, often referred to as Lindenwood or LU, is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university located in Saint Charles, Missouri, United States...
, later known as Linden Wood College, and today known as Lindenwood University
Lindenwood University
Lindenwood University, often referred to as Lindenwood or LU, is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university located in Saint Charles, Missouri, United States...
. By 1831, George had built a log cabin on their property specifically for boarding 20 women being taught by his wife.
While Mary stayed busy with the college, George remained active in public life. In 1833, Sibley ran as a Whig for U.S. Congress, but pulled out of the race at the last moment. Between 1839 and 1840, Sibley served as President of the Missouri Internal Improvements Board and as a railroad commissioner. And in 1844, he ran for a seat in the Missouri Senate
Missouri Senate
The Missouri State Senate is the upper chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 34 members, representing districts with an average population of 160,000...
but lost.
Privately, Sibley was very active with the Old School Presbyterian church. It was through this involvement that he became closely acquainted with abolitionist Elijah Lovejoy. Lovejoy, whose in-laws lived in St. Charles, visited the region often. On one occasion in 1837, after increasingly irritating area slave owners with his stories in the Alton Observer
Alton Observer
The Alton Observer was an abolitionist newspaper established in Alton, Illinois by the journalist and newspaper editor Elijah Lovejoy after he was forced to flee St. Louis, Missouri. Lovejoy left St. Louis, where he edited the St...
, an angry mob tried to lynch Lovejoy. Lovejoy escaped to Lindenwood, where Sibley provided him with a horse so he could get away into Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
.
Retirement and death
After building Lindenwood College’sLindenwood University
Lindenwood University, often referred to as Lindenwood or LU, is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university located in Saint Charles, Missouri, United States...
reputation as a predominant women’s school for its day, the Sibleys decided to retire from education and in 1853 deeded Lindenwood over to the Presbyterian Church. By this stage in his life, George Sibley was considered an invalid. As a result, he led a quiet life until he died on January 31, 1863. George and Mary Sibley are buried on the campus of Lindenwood University.
See also
- St. Charles, Missouri
- Lindenwood UniversityLindenwood UniversityLindenwood University, often referred to as Lindenwood or LU, is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university located in Saint Charles, Missouri, United States...