On this day in 1681, French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle called Duluth’s namesake, Daniel Greysolon Sieur du Luht, the “King of the Outlaws.” du Luht had left La Salle’s company to “rescue” Father Louis Hennepin from the hands of the Ojibwe, but the missionary was a guest of the natives, not their prisoner. According to du Luht biographer Milan Kovakovic, La Salle “seized the  opportunity to denigrate [du Luht’s] reputation and portray him as and adventurer with no scruples.” and that “jealousy and petty rivalries were surprisingly commonplace among French explorers.” When du Luht returned to Quebec that summer he was arrested and imprisoned over rumors he had “dealt with the Indians for personal gain and even engaged in trade with the English.” Soon thereafter Alexandre de Prouville de Tracy, the governor of New France, pardoned him and others accused of likewise crimes. Still, du Luht then travelled to his native France to clear his name. When du Luht died in 1710, Tracy remarked that “he was a very honest man.” Read more about du Luht in a biography by former Duluth mayor Trevanion Hugo, here.

Daniel Greysolon Sieur du Luht depicted in his hometown of Saint-Germain-Laval, France, in this painting by Duluth artist David Ericson. (Image: Duluth Public Library)t