The Congregational Church and Manse in

Santee, Nebraska Santee is the principal village of the Santee Sioux Reservation in Knox County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 346 at the 2010 census. History The village was named for the Santee Sioux Indians. Geography Santee is located at (4 ...

, on the

Santee Sioux Reservation The Santee Sioux Reservation ( dak, Isáŋyathi) of the Santee Sioux (also known as the Eastern Dakota) was established in 1863 in present-day Nebraska. The tribal seat of government is located in Niobrara, Nebraska, with reservation lands in K ...

Knox County, Nebraska Knox County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 8,391. Its county seat is Center. Knox County was named for Continental and U.S. Army Major General Henry Knox. In the Nebraska licen ...

, is a listing on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. The Pilgrim Congregational Church and its manse are the two buildings in the listing. Both were built in 1870-71 after the arrival of missionary Reverend Alfred L. Riggs and his wife Mrs. Mary B. Riggs. Riggs (or his father?) was known as "Zitkadanwaste" among the Sioux and had worked with the Santee Sioux in their native Minnesota as far back as 1837.(?) Riggs' father began working with the Sioux in 1857. (pages 265-269 in ''Congregational Nebraska'', by Motier A. Bullock, published by the Western Publishing and Engraving Company) an
pages 270-275
/ref> Riggs operated the

Santee Normal Training School Santee may refer to: People * Santee Dakota, a subgroup of the Dakota people, of the U.S. Great Plains * Santee (South Carolina), a Native American people of South Carolina Places * Lake Santee, Indiana, a reservoir and census-designated place * ...

there. with The school was founded by the American Board in 1870, but control transferred to the American Missionary Association (A.M.A.) in 1982. The church was extended to the rear in 1919. The chapel and manse were documented by the

Historic American Buildings Survey Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) responsible for administering the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes ...

in 1952, which produced measured drawings and photos of both. In 1970, both buildings were intact and unaltered; the manse needed a coat of paint and the church needed minor repairs inside. The pair was listed on the NRHP in 1972. The Santee Normal Training School operated from 1870 to 1936. Albert Riggs was principal and had two assistants. By 1885 there were 18 buildings on the school's . Riggs died in 1916 and was buried about one mile east. His son Frederick Riggs replaced him in running the school.

References

Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Nebraska Buildings and structures in Knox County, Nebraska Congregational churches in Nebraska National Register of Historic Places in Knox County, Nebraska {{Nebraska-NRHP-stub