Annie D. Fraser Tallent facts for kids

Annie Donna Fraser Tallent (1827–1901) was a brave pioneer, a writer, and a teacher in the American Midwest during the late 1800s. She was known for being one of the first non-Native American women to explore the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Annie Tallent's Early Life

Annie Fraser was born in 1827 in York, New York. Her parents were Donald G. and Margaret Ferguson Fraser. She went to school at the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary in Lima, New York.

In 1854, Annie married David G. Tallent, who was a lawyer from Corning, New York.

Moving West to the Black Hills

In 1874, people discovered gold in the Black Hills of South Dakota. This news made many families, including the Tallents, want to move west. They left New York State to find new opportunities.

Annie Tallent was the only woman in a group called the Gordon Party. This group traveled over 400 miles from Sioux City, Iowa, to an area near Custer. Their goal was to search for gold.

Exploring New Lands

Annie Tallent was the first non-Native American woman to enter the special lands of the Lakota people during this trip. This journey happened even though the U.S. Government had a treaty, called the Laramie Treaty, with the Sioux Nation. This treaty protected these lands for the Native American people.

Like many other pioneers, Annie Tallent believed in something called "manifest destiny". This was the idea that it was America's destiny to expand across the continent. People who believed in this thought that moving into new areas would help the economy grow and bring new ways of life.

After a big battle called the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Annie and David Tallent, along with their young son Robert, settled in South Dakota.

Life in South Dakota

Later, in the 1880s, Annie's husband left the family. But Annie stayed in South Dakota and became very successful. She raised her son by herself and worked as a teacher. She even became the superintendent of schools for Pennington County. This meant she was in charge of all the schools in that area.

Writing a Book

In 1899, Annie Tallent wrote a book called The Black Hills; or, the Last Hunting Ground of the Dakotahs. This book shared a lot about the history of the Black Hills region during the late 1800s.

Today, there is a granite monument (a special stone marker) near Custer. It stands on the banks of Stockade Lake and honors Annie Tallent's arrival in the Black Hills.

See Also

• Pioneer
• Black Hills