USA > Minnesota > Ramsey County > St Paul > A history of the city of Saint Paul, and of the county of Ramsey, Minnesota > Part 12
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In 1845, Mr. LARPENTEUR was married to Miss MARY J.
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PRESLEY, sister to BARTLETT PRESLEY, and, like most of our early settlers, has had a numerous family.
SCOTT CAMPBELL,
another of the settlers of the year 1843, was a half-breed son of COLIN CAMPBELL, (a Scotch trader, well known through- out the west during the early part of this century,) and was born at Prairie du Chien, in 1790. He acted as interpreter at Fort Snelling, for some 25 years, and also was in the employ, at various times, of FRANK. STEELE, N. W. KITTSON, and others. After quitting the Indian agency at the fort, he came to Saint Paul, and bought a small claim of DENIS CHERRIER, say running from Wabasha to Saint Peter streets, and back two or three blocks. He erected a dwelling, subsequently, about where Zimmerman's art gallery now is. In, 1848, he sold this claim to WM. HARTSHORN, for a small sum, and moved to a claim on the Saint Anthony road, just beyond DENOYER'S, where he died, in 1850, in destitute circumstances. CAMPBELL is said to have been a man of some ability, but of intemperate habits, which caused him to lead an unhappy life. His wife, MARGARET CAMPBELL,, was a Menominee half-breed, and always bore the name of an industrious, worthy woman. She is still a resident of Saint Paul.
CAMPBELL had five sons and four daughters. When his sons were young boys hereabouts, they were known as good- natured and well-disposed lads, but some of them afterwards turned out very badly. BAPTISTE was among the Indians exe- cuted at Mankato, in 1862, for murder and other crimes during the massacre. HYPOLITE, another son, was also engaged in the massacre, and fled to Manitoba, where he now lives. SCOTT CAMPBELL, Jr., died in the insane asylum, November 17, 1870. He was regarded as a quiet and inoffensive man. JOSEPH CAMPBELL, the oldest of the sons, was at Yellow Med- icine when the outbreak occurred, and was forced by the In- dians to accompany them. Mr. HEARD says, in his valuable history of the massacre, that CAMPBELL was shown to be inno- cent of any complicity in the outrages, and, by his kindness and aid to prisoners, deserved praise. He also wrote the letters
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from LITTLE CROW to Gen. SIBLEY, which led to the negotia- tions by which the white prisoners were released. JOSEPH CAMPBELL has lived in Saint Paul for several years past, and is well spoken of by persons in whose employ he has been.
JOHN L. CAMPBELL, the youngest of the sons, was a scoun- drel, without any redeeming qualities. He was born at Men- dota, in 1832, and, after growing up to manhood, led a vicious and abandoned life. He was cruel, revengeful, licentious and intemperate. He is said to have committed, or been concerned in, several murders while a young man. In 1861, he enlisted in Company A, Brackett's Battalion, and served nearly three years with them. His officers had a great deal of trouble with him, and he is charged with several murders, robberies, &c., while in the service. In 1864, while home on veteran fur- lough, he deserted, and cast his lot with the outlawed Sioux. While engaged in a raid with them, in April, 1865, they mur- dered the JEWETT family, near Mankato. JOHN CAMPBELL was captured at Mankato, on May 2d, and some of the clothes of the murdered man found on him. He was tried by a lynch court, the following day, and hung to a tree, after confessing his guilt and restoring some money stolen from JEWETT's house. CAMPBELL was a man of more than usual physical beauty- had long, curly, black hair, dark, expressive eyes, and a finely proportioned figure.
ALEX. R. M'LEOD.
ALEXANDER RODERIC MCLEOD was the son of a Scotch Canadian. According to some old settlers, he was a native of Canada, but others assert as positively that he was born in the Hudson's Bay territory, near the Rocky Mountains. JOSEPH RONDO says that McLEOD's father was a prominent officer of the Hudson's Bay Company, and that McLEOD (the son) was born at a post in the Rocky Mountains, and that he (RONDO) saw him there, and held him on his lap when he was a small infant. McLEOD's mother, says RONDO, was a Metis. Others say that McLEOD was a pure blood white man. McLEOD's father must have been a man of some influence. There is a
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The History of the City of Saint Paul, . [1843
"Fort McLeod," named for him, near Peace River, and a " McLeod River," near Fort Edmonton.
A. R. McLEOD came to Saint Paul in 1843. What year he came to Minnesota, I cannot learn with exactness-proba- bly 1838 or 1839. He was employed by the American Fur Company for a short time, and was, also, a clerk for FRANK. STEELE. McLEOD was a man of extraordinary powerful phy- sique, and great endurance. On one occasion, he walked on snow-shoes from Saint Croix Falls to Saint Paul, about sixty miles, in one day, and, arriving late in the evening, found a French ball in progress, and danced the rest of the night, as gay and active as any one. A few pages further on, will be found an account of McLEOD killing a man with whom he had a quarrel, by blows of his fist.
A few months after coming to Saint Paul, (September, 1843,) McLEOD married a half-breed girl, named NANCY JEFFRIES, then living at Pig's Eye, daughter of a trader well known in this region at that time. Mrs. McLEOD is living in West Saint Paul.
In 1844, McLEOD purchased some land of BENJ. GERVAIS, in connection with LOUIS ROBERT. McLEOD built, on his portion, a square log building, on the site of the recent Central House. It was then only one story high. The next year, he had a frame upper story and attic added to it, and the whole was weather-boarded. A year or two subsequently a wing was added, &c., and thus, little by little, it grew into the Cen- tral House of a later day, which was for years a hotel well known to old residents, and was (1849-50-51) used for the Legislature and Territorial officers.
McLEOD, after living there a year or two, subsequently (1846) rented the building to other parties, and moved to a claim on Phelan's Creek, near the Stillwater road, which is sometimes called "McLeod's Creek," owing. to that fact. He lived here four years, and moved to West Saint Paul, where he lived most of the time until his death. In 1862, he enlisted in Com- pany A, Sixth Minnesota Regiment, and died of disease at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, November 14, 1864, aged 47 years.
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1843] and of the County of Ramsey, Minnesota.
OTHER SETTLERS OF 1843.
ANTOINE PEPIN, ALEXIS CLOUTIER, and JOSEPH GOBIN, who came from Red River together, several years previous, this year settled in the RONDO neighborhood, and made claims near the swamp on the Lake Como road.
ANTOINE PEPIN Was a Canadian, and had lived at Red River several years. He must have come from there about 1831 or 1832, as about that time he was appointed by Maj. TALIAFERRO, blacksmith to the Sioux. TALIAFERRO says, in his journal : " He is a faithful man, hard-working and honest. He is a good blacksmith." He records in another place that PEPIN had worked until his hands were swelled and blistered, making traps for poor Indians, not able to buy any. In 1836, Maj. TALIAFERRO displaced him, in favor of OLIVER CRATTE, because it was necessary to have some one for blacksmith who could repair guns, and PEPIN did not understand that craft. PEPIN then settled near the fort, or at Mendota, and came to Saint Paul, as before mentioned. PEPIN lived about 20 years after settling in Saint Paul, and died about a dozen years ago, in a little house on part of his old claim. He has one or more children still living hereabouts.
Of CLOUTIER and GOBIN, I can get but little information, except that both are now dead. I do not find the names on any of the recent census rolls, and judge that no descendants of either are yet living in this locality.
DAVID THOMAS SLOAN was engaged in trading with the Chippewas-a part of the time for HARTSHORN and JACKSON, and subsequently on his own hook. He afterwards went up to the Chippewa country, where he married a sister of the chief HOLE-IN-THE-DAY. A gentleman, who knew her, says she was one of the best looking Indian women he ever saw. SLOAN died a few years ago, near Crow Wing. A daughter of his was raised by Mrs. TULLIS, wife of Judge AARON W. TUL- LIS, who was sheriff here in 1859-60, but both Mrs. T. and SLOAN's daughter are now dead.
JOSEPH DESMARAIS was a French and Chippewa half-breed, born in the Red River settlement. He came to Fort Snelling,
IO
*
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The History of the City of Saint Paul, [1843
as guide and interpreter for the party of refugees with which RONDO and others came. DESMARAIS settled in Saint Paul, in 1843, and purchased a piece of ground about where the Merchants' Hotel now stands, as near as I can make out. His property is frequently mentioned on the early records, and his name was signed as a town proprietor to the recorded plat. DESMARAIS was an interpreter for JACKSON for some time. He had quite a family of children, some of whom live hereabouts yet. His wife died in 1847, and he went off in the Indian country, where he still lives, or was, not long ago.
LOUIS LARRIVIER came from Red River. About 1843, he made a claim near the head of Robert and Wabasha streets, and including the ground the Capitol now stands on. CHARLES BAZILLE purchased it of him, not long after. LARRIVIER then moved to a place near the foot of Phelan's Lake. His wife, who was a half-breed, died at Little Canada. LARRIVIER sub- sequently became blind from sun-stroke, and, having no means of support, was sent to the poor-house, where he died about two years ago.
XAVIER DELONAIS came from Red River, also. He lived here for some time, then removed to Little Canada, and thence to Rice Lake, where he died about two years ago. His wife is also dead, and a married daughter is living in West Saint Paul.
MINOR INCIDENTS.
A Frenchman, named GEROU, a butcher by occupation, who lived near the Denoyer place, first established the sale of fresh meat in the village this year.
The Indians were very troublesome this year, and perpetu- ally drunk. One day, Mrs. MORTIMER, who was endeavoring to close out the stock of goods belonging to her late husband, was in her house, when an Indian stalked in, and, seeing a camphor bottle standing on a shelf, took a deep swig, sup- posing it was whisky. As soon as he detected the nauseous taste, he gave a grunt of rage, and, seizing a measure, turned some vinegar into it from a barrel, supposing that also was whisky. He dashed down a heavy draught of it without stop- ping to taste it. Mrs. MORTIMER saw the storm coming and
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fled for safety to Mr. IRVINE's house, pursued, a moment after, by the infuriated Indian, with uplifted tomahawk, but IRVINE disarmed him and sent him off. The Indian had left the vin- egar running, however, and the whole of it was gone when Mrs. MORTIMER returned.
This year, among the "real estate sale's," N. W. KITTSON purchased CLEWETT's claim, the latter purchasing LABISINIER'S claim.
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The History of the City of Saint Paul, [1844
CHAPTER XI.
EVENTS OF THE YEAR 1844.
CHARLES REED FREEZES TO DEATH-CAPTAIN LOUIS ROBERT SETTLES HERE- CHARLES BAZILLE ALSO ARRIVES-WILLIAM DUGAS BUILDS THE FIRST MILL- LITTLE CANADA SETTLED-ROBERT BUYS OUT PARRANT -- A NOVEL LAND CASE-THE FINAL CAREER OF PHELAN-THE END OF OLD PARRANT-MARRY- ING BY BOND-RELIGIOUS ITEMS.
T 'HE winter of 1843-4 was quite a severe one, and the snow fell unusually deep.
CHARLES REED FREEZES TO DEATH.
In March, 1844, a young Canadian Englishman, named CHARLES REED, a carpenter by occupation, who was helping to build a house for "old GEROU," the butcher, near DENOY- ER's, came to town to visit, and started back late in the after- noon. A violent snow storm came on when REED got a mile or so on his way. REED did not return to GEROU's at the time expected, and was missing several days. One day, a daughter of Mr. PEPIN's was going near the swamp, on the Lake Como road, when she noticed a dog, which accompanied her, gnawing something, and, on examination, was shocked to find it was a man's head! The same day, or a day or two after this, a Canadian, who was hunting partridges in the swamp, found REED's body, with the head gnawed off. The poor fellow had evidently got bewildered by the storm, and, wander- ing in a circle, had fallen down and perished. REED had lived at Prairie du Chien before coming to Saint Paul.
This year witnessed several valuable accessions to our population, among them Captain Louis ROBERT, CHARLES BAZILLE, &c.
CAPTAIN LOUIS ROBERT
was one of the most prominent men connected with the early
·
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1844] and of the County of Ramsey, Minnesota.
history of Saint Paul. He was of Canadian parentage, and was born at Carondelet, Missouri, January 21, 1811. His early life was spent in that region, and in the fur trade of the
PHOTO-ENG CO. N.Y.
CAPT. LOUIS ROBERT.
Upper Missouri River. He traversed the whole of the Mis- souri valley, while a young man, meeting with innumerable hair-breadth escapes. About 1836 or 1837, he went to Prairie du Chien, and, in the fall of 1843, came to Saint Paul with
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The History of the City of Saint Paul, [1844
some goods, which he sold. He then determined to remove here, and did so in 1844. Came to what is now Saint Paul, then a place of only three or four cabins. He purchased a part of the claim of BENJ. GERVAIS, and other property, for $300, which ultimately became worth two or three million dollars, and embarked in the Indian trade here-his foresight and energy being of great value to the infant town, to the de- velopment of which he gave his whole energy. In 1847, he was one of the original proprietors of the "Town of Saint Paul," when it was laid out. He took a prominent part in the "Stillwater Convention" of 1848, and was largely instru- mental, by his influence, in securing the location of the Capital at Saint Paul. In 1849, he was appointed County Commis- sioner for Ramsey county, and rendered it important service. He was, also, elected a member of the Territorial Board of Build- ing Commissioners. Though without the advantages of educa- tion in early life, he had a large fund of information, gained by travel and contact with men, and was gifted with excellent business capacity and judgment. In the early days of our city he took an active part in politics, and wielded a large in- fluence. He was very generous and liberal in aiding any worthy object, for the public good-gave freely of his means, and also donated valuable property to the church. The bells of the Cathedral and French Catholic church were gifts from him. In the way of private charity, his hand was ever open, and he never refused to render a friend any favor that lay in his power. In the year 1853, he engaged in the steamboat business, and, at different times, owned five steamers. He was, also, largely engaged in the Indian trade, and supply contracts, when the Indian massacre occurred, in 1862. He lost quite heavily in that outbreak, and nearly lost his own life, which the Indians seemed determined to take, only escaping by secreting himself for a considerable time, while they were searching for him, by laying in a marsh, with merely his nose out of water ! Captain ROBERT was widely known throughout the State, and as widely respected by all the old settlers. He was the true embodiment of the pioneer-generous, brave, energetic, liberal, and " broad guage," as it is termed, in his manners.
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Unlike many of his fellow pioneers, who allowed millions to slip through their fingers and died poor, Captain ROBERT saved a fine estate, valued at $400,000. He died, after a pain- ful illness of several months, on May 10, 1874, universally lamented. He was married in 1839, at Prairie du Chien, to Miss MARY TURPIN, who survived him, with two daughters, one the wife of URI L. LAMPREY, Esq.
CHARLES BAZILLE
was born in Nicollet, near Montreal, November 5, 1812, and, while a young man, came west, and settled in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. He was a carpenter by occupation. He first met LOUIS ROBERT at Green Bay, and subsequently became more closely acquainted with him at Prairie du Chien. When ROBERT came to Saint Paul with his goods, in the fall of 1843, BAZILLE 'accompanied him. They returned to Prairie du Chien before winter, but, in the spring of this year, removed to Saint Paul, and became permanent residents.
BAZILLE built, this summer, for Captain ROBERT, what was undoubtedly the first frame house in Saint Paul. It was de- signed as a sort of warehouse to store goods landed by the boats, and stood on the lower levee, about where the Milwau- kee and Saint Paul passenger depot now is. The frame of this building was made of lumber hewn by hand, no sawed dimension stuff being obtainable. After the old shell had served its day and generation for a number of years, and the room was needed for a better building, it was removed to near the corner of Fourth and Minnesota streets, where it still stands, [number 58 East Fourth street. ] It is beyond doubt the oldest building in the city.
Mr. BAZILLE also commenced to build, this fall-for WIL- LIAM DUGAS, who came this year-a grist and saw mill at what was called the falls of Phelan's Creek, or McLeod's Creek- the first mill built in what is now Saint Paul. This mill stood on the west bank of Phelan's Creek, a few yards south of where the Stillwater carriage road crosses it. It is referred to more fully elsewhere.
On December 28, 1845, Mr. BAZILLE was married, at Men-
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The History of the City of Saint Paul, [1844
dota, to ANNIE JANE PERRY, the youngest daughter of ABRA- HAM PERRY. They have, like all the other pioneer settlers of our city, been blessed with a numerous progeny.
Mr. BAZILLE purchased, at quite an early day, a claim pre- viously owned by old LARRIVIER (before mentioned.) This subsequently was laid out as an addition to Saint Paul, in con- nection with his brother-in-law, Mr. GUERIN, and became immensely valuable. Mr. BAZILLE had, however, disposed of most of it before it had greatly enhanced in price. The square, or block, now owned by the State, known as the " Cap- itol Square," was a gift from Mr. BAZILLE to the United States, and, with the generous recklessness common to the early land owners, he gave away many other lots and blocks, now worth perhaps $100,000 in all, and yet, in the evening of life, he, like many other of our pioneers, is in very limited circum- . stances. For many years, Mr. BAZILLE carried on the brick business on the Lake Como road and other places.
WILLIAM DUGAS,
to whom reference was made in the sketch of Mr. BAZILLE, was a Canadian, and came to Saint Paul in 1844. In the first record book in the Ramsey County Register of Deeds Office, [that commonly called "Saint Croix," because this was in that county then, ] we find a deed from EDWARD PHELAN to WILLIAM DUGAS, dated September 2, 1844, of "160 acres on Faylin's Creek and Falls,"-so it was spelled by whoever drew up the deed-J. W. SIMPSON, probably, as he used to do most of the conveyancing of that period. This land is now known as the southwest quarter of section 29, township 29, range 22. It is the second deed on the Ramsey county records. The consideration given was $70.
DUGAS, who was a millwright by occupation, and had un- doubtedly purchased the claim for the fine water-power on it, at once set about erecting a saw and grist-mill. He employed Mr. BAZILLE to assist him. The mill was two . stories, about 25x50 feet in size. It was not completed that fall, but was finished and got into running order the next year (1845.) The saw was worked a short time, but there was such difficulty in
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1844]
getting logs, and such a small demand for lumber, that the mill was almost a failure from the start. The burrs were never put in at all. Some 18 months after the date of his pur- chase, (February 28, 1846,) DUGAS sold the claim and all im- provements to ALEX. R. McLEOD, for $835.
DUGAS then settled at New Canada, or in that vicinity, as he was elected one of the members from that precinct, to the first Territorial Legislature, in 1849, along with WM. R. MARSHALL, then of Saint Anthony. He subsequently lived in Saint Paul, in 1850 and 1851, and, after that, removed up to the Crow River valley, and now resides there.
FRANCIS M'COY AND JOSEPH HALL
were two other settlers of this year. Both were carpenters, and continued to live here until after the Territory was organ- ized and the town incorporated. HALL died some years ago. Of McCoy's present whereabouts, or whether he is still in the flesh, I can learn no tidings.
LITTLE CANADA SETTLED.
When BENJAMIN GERVAIS sold his claim to LOUIS ROBERT, he at once moved about eight miles northward from Saint Paul, and, on the lake that now bears his name, he and his sons made claims. He was the first settler of the town of New Canada-but this is given more fully in the sketch of New Canada township, in the latter part of this work.
MORE ABOUT PHELAN.
After PHELAN sold his claim at the falls of the creek now named for him, he made another claim on what was known those days as " Prospect hill"-the ridge on the upper side of Phelan's Creek, just north of where the West Wisconsin Railroad crosses it. This claim he did not keep long, but sold it to HENRY JACKSON. W. G. CARTER, a cousin of JACK- SON'S, lived on it for some time, and, in 1849, perhaps, Mr. J. sold it to ALEXANDER WILKIN, by whom it was transferred to others, and finally laid out as an addition-called "Arlington Heights."
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PHELAN was a sort of pacha of many claims, for he at once made another, (the fifth one he took in what is now Saint Paul.) This was to the east of the others a little, and extend- ed, probably, as far as Trout Brook. This claim he sold, in 1849, to EDMUND. RICE, who entered it in the land office, and it subsequently became his addition to the city.
In the spring of 1850, PHELAN was indicted by the first Grand Jury that ever sat in Ramsey county, for perjury. When the sheriff went to apprehend him, it was found that PHELAN had fled his bailiwick, and, in company with EB. WELD, started for California. It was shortly afterwards re- ported here that PHELAN had come to a violent end, while crossing the plains. The account states that he acted so bru- tally and overbearingly toward the other men in the same car- avan, they were compelled to kill him, in self-defense. The murdered HAYS was avenged ! It is a disgrace, that the name of this brutal murderer has been affixed to one of our most beautiful lakes-one that supplies our households with water. Last winter, Senator W. P. MURRAY made an effort to have the name changed to "Goodhue Lake," but it did not suc- ceed, as it should have done.
.
ROBERT BUYS OUT OLD PARRANT.
In addition to his purchase of GERVAIS' claim, or what re- mained of it after GERVAIS' sales to various parties, ROBERT also purchased of old PARRANT, his claim on the lower levee, the one he had made after the sale of his cabin and land to GERVAIS. The extent of the bounds of PARRANT's claim here, I have not been able to get very definitely, but it could not have been a very large piece.
PARRANT then abandoned Saint Paul, much to the sorrow of the good people here, no doubt, and removed to Pig's Eye, or the Grand Marais, where he made another claim, adjoining that of MICHEL LECLAIRE.
THE CASE OF LE CLAIRE VS. PARRANT.
But unkind fate, although it had thrust on old Pig's Eye the honor of being the ROMULUS of our city, seemed to give him
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no rest for the sole of his foot, nor permit him to long enjoy an undisturbed habitation. LECLAIRE and PARRANT quarreled about the lines of their respective claims, although neither of them cultivated ten square rods of ground, and all the land in dispute would have been dear at ten shillings. Perhaps they thought that " principle was involved," and so neither would give up. Finally, LECLAIRE summoned PARRANT before Squire JOSEPH R. BROWN, Justice of the Peace at Grey Cloud. There was tall swearing on both sides. In fact, so strong was the testimony that Squire BROWN, with all his sagacity and discrimination, could not tell on which side to make the decision. His irresistible love of a joke finally helped him out of the dilemma. He decided that neither of the parties had any valid claim to the land in dispute, as they had not properly staked it out in the presence of witnesses, and defined its boundaries. It would, therefore, be the just property of the first who should do so. The result was, of course, a foot-race back to the claim, to see who should first arrive and plant the stakes.
Both the contestants started off, eager and anxious. A race of eight miles was before them, over bogs and sloughs, and through jungles and forests. PARRANT was old and logy, but strong and tough, and avarice nerved up his strength ; while LECLAIRE was younger and more active. Both strained every nerve, and long in doubtful balance hung the scales. But in this contest, fortune favored LECLAIRE, who soon began to outstrip the panting PARRANT, who, nevertheless, toiled steadily along, hoping some lucky chance might yet enable him to win. But he was doomed to disappointment. LE- CLAIRE arrived long enough in advance to drive his stakes in the presence of witnesses, and secure his claim, when the ex- hausted founder of our city arrived, sick, mad and furious, to find himself the butt of jeers and ridicule.
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