Settlers from Ireland-The Mulcare Family

I’ll tell this story as I heard it from relatives. They weren’t concerned with political correctness nor were they concerned about political incorrectness. It was told as they heard it. Much of what was told to me came from my mother and my aunt and some of the story came to them from my grandmother and my grandmother’s uncle Mike Mulcare. He was old enough, having been born in 1856, to have the Dakota war make an indelible impression.

My great-grandfather name was James Mulcare. He was born in 1858 and was the first white child born in Kandiyohi County according to the census taker. The family’s occupation was farming. They settled together with James’ uncle and his family.

Mike remembered that Indians came to his house for food. His mother Bridget would invite them in and feed them. One day a group of male Indians came to the house. They were drunk. His mother gave them food but would not let them into the house and told them why. She watched them discuss things under a tree and told Mike to find his father and uncle. His father came back and they gathered up a few things and left as a family walking to Camp Release near Montevideo. Bridgett was pregnant during the walk and Mike was in charge of carrying his two year old brother, John.

The next house up had a German family. They didn’t like the Indians and shooed them off when they came by. Mike remembered going past the house and seeing their bodies. Farther away he saw posts with heads on them. The family walked for days until they finally reached the Fort.

My mother remembers asking Mike about the day. He opened up to her and began to recount details. My mother said she was young and got bored so he stopped. My grandmother was in the next room listening to all the details and was angry when my mother didn’t encourage him to keep going. My grandmother had never heard details before that day.

My great-grandfather’s family settled in Minneapolis because Bridgett wanted them to have an education. James and Mike’s uncle went back to Kandiyohi County and settled once again.