By 1827, Renville had settled at Lac qui Parle, Minnesota, where he built a stockade, kept a band of warriors, and continued his livelihood as a fur trader. In 1835, Thomas Smith Williamson, M.D. (1800-1879), arrived at Lac qui Parle, the first of several missionaries. Another, Stephen Return Riggs (1812-1883) arrived in 1837. Two others, Gideon Hollister Pond (1810-1878) and his brother Samuel William Pond (1808-1891) were largely responsible for the creation of the Dakota alphabet. Renville and the missionaries translated The Bible into English.