The McLeod County Museum recently found itself in the unique position of exhibiting two statues of Chief Little Crow.

According to McLeod County Historical Society Board President Liz Schwarze, with the 1937 molded concrete version and the 1982 bronze casting together at the museum during the State Highway 7 construction project, it made sense for the museum to feature Chief Little Crow.

Locally, Little Crow is best remembered for leading Dakota warriors in a series of attacks on white settlers. Known as the Dakota-U.S. War of 1862, the conflict lasted 38 days and resulted in the death of more than 450 whites.

Little Crow with about 400 warriors descended on Hutchinson Sept. 4, 1862.

According to the Hutchinson Leader 50th anniversary edition commemorating the event, when word reached Hutchinson of the attack on settlers, a stockade was erected for protection in what is now Library Square.

At the waving of Little Crow’s blanket, the firing began, and some of the Indians, yoking up cattle, went to the house of Dr. John Benjamin and loaded up a wagon with bedding and clothing from his household, set fire to it and sent it on its way, thus setting fire to the village. Several buildings were destroyed by fire, among them the Hutchinson Academy, the town’s first school house.

The fighting at Hutchinson kept up for three or four days, when finally the Indians visibly slackened in their effort and withdrew. Soon after the defenders saw a body of cavalry and infantry arriving from the direction of Glencoe, too late, however, to help the home guard, but the day had been won.

Fighting between Dakota warriors and settlers also took place in Brownton, Glencoe, Stewart, Lester Prairie and Winsted.

About the statues
The first statue to grace Hutchinson was of the Sioux Indian Chief Little Crow. In 1937, the city of Hutchinson purchased the land at the dam site of the Crow River and turned it into a park and sunken garden. The park board thought a statue of Little Crow would be appropriate for the location.

Les Kouba, a 20-year-old local artist, agreed to undertake the commission. Kouba researched the background of Little Crow, so he could authentically recreate the dress and headgear.

“Little Crow was an educated and fine man,” Kouba said of his findings. “He didn’t like the fighting game.”

The statue was constructed of molded concrete over a metal frame, with a copper plate finish. Kouba completed the 550-pound production in four weeks. The statue was erected in the park with little local fanfare. Its placement, however, caused a minor controversy in the area. At the time, local residents did not believe it was proper to honor an Indian with a statue.

“Little Crow II,” as the second statue came to be called, was a replacement for the first statue. In 1982, Les and Orial Kouba gifted the city with a new bronze casting of Little Crow. It replaced the earlier concrete version Kouba had fashioned in the late 1930s.

At the unveiling ceremony, Hutchinson Mayor Jim DeMeyer spoke of Hutchinson’s great pride in Les Kouba, and Les, with an emotionally choked voice, thanked the city for its never-ending loyalty and support.

If you go
McLeod County Museum
When: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, closed Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays, closed Sundays
Where: 380 School Road N.W., Hutchinson
Call: (320) 587-2109

Recommended reading
To accompany the Chief Little Crow exhibit, the McLeod County Museum published two booklets, “Exploring the History of Chief Little Crow” and “McLeod County’s Historic Sites of the Conflict of 1862.” The booklets are available for purchase at the museum’s gift store.