Indian Agents and Agencies in Wisconsin
Indian Agency House, 1832
Portage, Wisconsin. House built by United States Government for the Indian Agent to the Ho-Chunk Nation, John Harris Kinzie. This property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. View the original source document: WHI 42754
Annuity Payment at La Pointe, 1870
Madeline Island, Wisconsin. Seated on the right is John W. Bell. Others are, left to right, Asaph Whittlesey, Agent Henry C. Gilbert, and William S. Warren. View the original source document: WHI 48581
Indian agents were officials appointed by the federal government who were in charge of relations with Indians in a specific locality.
The agent settled disputes, paid annuities, and enforced treaty obligations.
In the order established, Wisconsin Indian agencies and their agents were:
- Prairie du Chien Agency
- John Campbell 1807-1811
- Nicholas Boilvin 1811-1827
- Joseph M. Street 1827-1837
- Thomas A.B. Boyd 1837-1839
- David Lowry 1839
- Green Bay Agency
- Charles Jouett 1815-1816
- John Bowyer 1816-1821
- John Biddle 1821-1822
- Henry Brevoort 1822-1830
- Samuel Stambaugh 1830-1832
- George Boyd 1832-1842
- George W. Lawe 1842-1843
- David Jones 1843-1845
- Albert G. Ellis 1845-1849
- William H. Bruce 1849-1851
- George W. Lawe 1851-1853
- Ephraim Shaller 1855
- Benjamin Hunkins 1855-1857
- Frederick Moscowitt 1857
- Augustus D. Bonesteel 1857-1861
- Moses M. Davis 1861-1866
- Morgan L. Martin 1866-1869
- J.A. Manley 1869-1870
- W.R. Bourne 1870
- W.M.T. Richardson 1870-1873
- Thomas N. Chase 1873-1874
- Joseph C. Bridgman 1874-1879
- Ebenezer Stephens 1879-1882
- ? 1882-1885
- Thomas Jennings 1886
- Fort Winnebago Subagency
- John H. Kinzie 1828-1833
- Robert McCabe 1833-1834
- Lt. Col. Enos Cutler 1834-1835
- Bvt. Maj. N. Clark 1835-1836
- Maj. John Green 1836-1837
- La Pointe Subagency
- Daniel Bushnell 1836-1842
- Alfred Brunson 1842-1844
- James P. Hays 1844-1848
- John Livermore 1848-1850
- John Watrous 1850-1858
- La Pointe Agency
- Cyrus K. Drew 1858-1861
- Luther E. Webb 1861-1868
- Asaph Whittlesey 1868-1869
- John H. Knight 1869-1870
- Selden N. Clark 1870-1873
- Ebenezer Henderson 1873
- Isaac L. Mahan 1873-1879
- Samuel E.Mahan 1880
- W.R. Durfee 1881-1883
- ? 1884-1885
- J.T. Gregory 1886-1888
- M.A. Leahy 1889-1892
- W.A. Mercer 1893-1896
- J.C.L. Scott 1897
- S.W. Campbell 1898-1906
- Special New Lisbon Agency
- D.A. Griffith 1870
- Keshena Agency
- Thomas N. Chase 1874
- Joseph C. Bridgman 1875-1878
- E. Stephens 1879-1882
- D.P.Andrews 1883
- Thomas Jennings 1886-1889
- Charles S. Kelsey 1890-1893
- Thomas H. Savage 1894-1897
- D.H. George 1898-1902
- Shepard Freeman 1903-1906
- Superintendents at Great Lakes Agency
- J.C. Cavil 1948-1954
- E.J. Riley 1954-1968
- Reginald Miller 1968-1976
- Ed Manydeeds 1976-1980
- Robert St. Arnold 1980-1987
- Robert Jaeger 1987-
Learn More
See more images, essays, newspapers and records about Indian agencies in Wisconsin.
Dictionary of Wisconsin History
Explore more than 1,600 people, places and events in Wisconsin history.
[Source: Godfrey, Anthony. "A Forestry History of Ten Wisconsin Indian Reservations," Salt Lake City, Utah: 1996; Hill, Edward. "The Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-1880" New York: 1974]