August 22, 1681: Duluth’s namesake called “King of the Outlaws”

On this day in 1681, French explorer René-Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle called Duluth’s namesake, Daniel Greysolon Sieur du Lhut, the “King of the Outlaws.” du Lhut had left La Salle’s company to “rescue” Father Louis Hennepin from the hands of the Dakota, but the missionary was a guest of the natives, not their prisoner. According to du Lhut biographer Milan Kovakovic, La Salle “seized the  opportunity to denigrate [du Lhut’s] reputation and portray him as an adventurer with no scruples.” and that “jealousy and petty rivalries were surprisingly commonplace among French explorers.” Specifically, La Salle asserted that du Lhut was the leader of a band of coureur du bois or “wood-runners,” unlicensed Frenchmen who traded with natives for personal gain, not for the benefit of France and its king who were despised by their countrymen and considered outlaws. When du Lhut 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 Louis de Buade de Frontenac, the governor of New France, pardoned him and others accused of likewise crimes. Still, du Lhut then traveled to his native France to clear his name. When du Lhut died in 1710, then governor of New France Marquis de Vaudreuil remarked that “he was a very honest man.” Read more about du Lhut in a biography by former Duluth mayor Trevanion Hugo, here.

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