USA > Minnesota > Ramsey County > St Paul > A history of the city of Saint Paul, and of the county of Ramsey, Minnesota > Part 14
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" JOSEPH ROLETTE
was a son of the late JOSEPH ROLETTE, of Prairie du Chien, who was agent of the American Fur Company for a number of years, and a man of great influence and energy. JOSEPH, Jr., was born about 1820, and, in his younger days, was noted for daring and activity. In 1843, he came to Fort Snelling, and, soon after, went to Pembina, where he concluded to settle. The condition of society there-the free, half- wild manners of the people, untrammelled by the restraints of more refined society, and their generous improvidence and half-nomad life,
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1846] and of the County of Ramsey, Minnesota.
part hunter, part farmer-just suited Jo. He married in the winter of 1854-5, and had a numerous family.
"Jo. was best known to the early residents of Saint Paul as a member of the Legislature. He was first elected to the Legislature (House) of 1852, and re-elected in 1853, 1854, and 1855. He was, also, elected to the Council of 1856 and 1857, and a member of the Constitutional Convention in 1857. When the State Constitution was adopted, shut- ting Pembina out of Minnesota, it was supposed we had seen the last of ROLETTE. But, in December, when the Legislature met, here was ' the gentleman from Pembina,' with his credentials, as usual, and, of course, he was admitted. What would a Minnesota Legislature those days be without Jo. ROLETTE? He was a sort of time-honored institution. When the Republicans came into power the next year, however, he was compelled to retire from public life.
"Jo. was just the sort of man to be popular with the boys in those days. His bonhomie, his jolly nature, his hearty and good-humored disposition, his generosity, all made him liked, even by those politically opposed to him. He had faults, of course, just as every human being has, but they were the very outgrowth of his free, generous, hearty nature. They were not allied to anything mean, or small, or sordid. If Jo. had one failing more marked than another, it was his generosity and improvidence. He would give away anything or everything to oblige another, without any thought of his own wants. His spend- thrift nature, at last, brought want to him, and he died actually poor.
"Jo. was never happy without he was engaged in some practical joke. His spiriting away the Capital-removal bill was a mere joke of his-as he did not care a straw were the Capital went, but he simply saw a chance to have some fun. His hearty and natural laugh, when he got a good joke on anybody, almost seems to echo through the cor- ridors of the Capitol yet. Alas, the old 'International' and 'Ameri- can'-spots that bring back his well-known figure and face-are gone, too."
AN INDIAN TEETOTAL MOVEMENT.
The unfortunate effects of intemperance among the Indians, has been fully referred to in previous pages. From year to year, they grew worse instead of better, and shameful scenes were to be witnessed in and near the village. Every few days, a band of the savages would come to Saint Paul, and, getting furiously drunk, endanger the lives of the inhabitants. Time and time again, were the latter compelled to flee from the red demons, who, though passably civil when sober, were very devils when maddened with fire-water.
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Strange as it may seem, a temperance movement commenced this year among the Indians themselves. LITTLE CROW-he who was killed in 1863-while on a spree this year, was shot and wounded by his own brother. When he got sober, on the principle of the devil who resolved to turn monk, he deter- mined to put a stop to drinking in his tribe, and make teetotal- ers out of his followers. He therefore applied to Mr. BRUCE, the Indian Agent at Fort Snelling, for a missionary to reside at his village. Willing to encourage such a laudable desire to reform, Mr. BRUCE wrote to Dr. THOMAS S. WILLIAMSON, then at Lac qui Parle, who was a devoted missionary, and, besides, a skillful physician, asking him to establish a school at Kaposia. Dr. WILLIAMSON consented, and, in November, 1846, removed to that place. He established a school-and soon had a number of Indian and half-breed scholars-among the latter, several girls, who afterwards married white citizens.
SAINT PAUL IN 1846-7.
While laboring for the welfare of his red children, Dr. WILLIAMSON felt that something must also be done for the white people at Saint Paul, who were without much educa- tional or religious advantages. He accordingly wrote to ex- Governor Slade, of Vermont, President of the "National Pop- ular Educational Society," asking him to send hither a good teacher. As his letter contains, probably, the first written description of Saint Paul, I give it nearly entire :
" My present residence is on the utmost verge of civilization, in the northwestern part of the United States, within a few miles of the principal village of white men in the Territory that we suppose will bear the name of Minnesota, which some would render 'clear water,' though strictly it signifies slightly turbid or whitish water.
" The village referred to has grown up within a few years, in a romantic situation, on a high bluff of the Mississippi, and has been baptized by the Roman Catholics, by the name of Saint Paul. They have erected in it a small chapel, and constitute much the larger por- tion of the inhabitants. The Dakotas call it, Im-ni-ja-ska, (white rock,) from the color of the sandstone which forms the bluff on which the village stands. This village has five stores, as they call them, at all of which intoxicating drinks constitute a part, and I suppose the prin- cipal part, of what they sell. I would suppose the village contains a
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dozen or twenty families living near enough to send to school. Since I came to this neighborhood, I have had frequent occasion to visit the village, and have been grieved to see so many children growing up entirely ignorant of GOD, and unable to read His Word, with no one to teach them. Unless your Society can send them a teacher, there seems to be little prospect of their having one for several years. A few days since, I went to the place for the purpose of making inquiries in reference to the prospect of a school. I visited seven families, in which there were twenty-three children of proper age to attend school, and was told of five more in which were thirteen more that it is sup- posed might attend, making thirty-six in twelve families. I suppose more than half of the parents of these children are unable to read themselves, and care but little about having their children taught. Possibly the priest might deter some from attending, who might otherwise be able and willing.
" I suppose a good female teacher can do more to promote the cause of education and true religion, than a man. The natural politeness of the French, (who constitute more than half the population, ) would cause them to be kind and courteous to a female, even though the priest should seek to cause opposition. I suppose she might have twelve or fifteen scholars to begin with, and, if she should have a good talent of winning the affections of children, (and one who has not should not come,) after a few months, she would have as many as she could attend to.
"One woman, [Mrs. IRVINE, ] told me she had four children she wished to send to school, and that she would give boarding and a room in her house to a good female teacher, for the tuition of her children.
" A teacher for this place should love the Saviour, and for His sake should be willing to forego, not only many of the privileges and ele- gances of New England towns, but some of the neatness also. She should be entirely free from prejudice on account of color, for among her scholars she might find not only English, French and Swiss, but Sioux and Chippewas, with some claiming kindred with the African stock.
" A teacher coming should bring books with her sufficient to begin a school, as there is no bookstore within three hundred miles."
Leaving this letter to go on its long, and, (in those days,) slow journey, we close this chapter.
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The History of the City of Saint Paul, [1847
CHAPTER XIV.
EVENTS OF THE YEAR 1847.
THE STATE MOVEMENT IN WISCONSIN-SETTLERS IN 1847-J. W. BASS, BEN. W. BRUNSON, S. P. FOLSOM, W. H. FORBES, DR. J. J. DEWEY, MISS BISHOP, &C .- THE LATTER OPENS A SCHOOL-J. W. BASS ESTABLISHES A HOTEL-ORGANI- ZATION OF A STEAMBOAT LINE-CAPT. RUSSELL BLAKELEY-POLITICALNOTES.
T HE Wisconsin State Constitution was voted on, April 6, 1847. For some cause, it was rejected by the people. It had been sufficient, however, together with Mr. MARTIN's bill, to call considerable attention to Minnesota, and it was deemed certain, that, within a few months, it would be organ- ized into a separate Territory. This fact being known abroad, caused the commencement of quite an immigration to Minne- sota, during the year 1847. Stillwater and Saint Anthony grew rapidly, this season, and Saint Paul had considerable ac- cessions to its population. Among other
SETTLERS IN 1847,
were : JACOB W. BASS, BENJ. W. BRUNSON, DANIEL HOP- KINS, AARON FOSTER, SIMEON P. FOLSOM, JOHN BANFIL, C. P. V. LULL, WM. H. FORBES, PARSONS K. JOHNSON, WM. C. RENFRO, Dr. JOHN J. DEWEY, and G. A. FOURNIER. Nor must Miss HARRIET E. BISHOP be omitted from the list of "settlers" this year.
A full sketch of Major WM. H. FORBES is given in Chapter IV, and need not be repeated here.
JACOB W. BASS
was born in Braintree, Vermont, 1815. He emigrated west when a young man, and lived for some time at Plattville, Wis- consin, then at Prairie du Chien, and subsequently at. North McGregor, Iowa, where he was owner of the ferry, proprie-
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tor of a hotel, and a part of the time in the mercantile business. He married, while at Prairie du Chien, Miss M. D. BRUN- SON, a daughter of Rev. ALFRED BRUNSON, one of the pioneers of Wisconsin, and, soon after, with BENJ. W. BRUNSON, en- gaged in the lumber business at Chippewa Falls. In 1847, he and BRUNSON sold out their business, and came to Saint Paul. Mr. BASS arrived in August, and, soon after, leased a building on what is now the corner of Third and Jackson streets, which he opened as a hotel, under the name of "Saint Paul House." Mr. BASS was appointed postmaster, on the 5th of July, 1849, and held that office until March 18, 1853. He continued in
the hotel business until 1852, when he sold out, and opened a commission and forwarding warehouse on the levee, which was a prominent business house for some years. During the past three or four years, Mr. BASS has been largely engaged in farming in Watonwan county.
BENJAMIN W. BRUNSON
was born in Detroit, May 6, 1823. He is a son of Rev. AL- FRED BRUNSON, of Prairie du Chien, the well-known pioneer preacher and writer. When thirteen years old, Mr. BRUNSON removed to that city, where he resided until 1844, when, in company with his brother-in-law, JACOB W. BASS, he went into the mill business at Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. They continued there until May, 1847, when he removed to Saint Paul, and, in the fall of that year, assisted his brother, IRA B., to survey the town plat. Mr. BRUNSON secured a considera- ble tract of land, at an early day, lying east of Trout Brook, which, in June, 1852, he laid out as " Brunson's Addition." In 1861, Mr. BRUNSON enlisted in Company K, Eighth Min- nesota Volunteers, and served three years, as Orderly Sergeant and First Lieutenant. He was one of the charter members of Saint Paul Lodge Number 2, I. O. O. F., and, also, one of the early members of the Masonic order. Like all our pio- neers, he has experienced many reverses of fortune-to-day rich, to-morrow poor. Mr. BRUNSON, pursuing his profession of surveyor, has surveyed a considerable part of our own city into streets and lots, when it was a "wilderness" still, and
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has laid out some of what are now the most flourishing towns of Minnesota. Mr. BRUNSON Was elected a member of the first Territorial Legislature, and re-elected to the second ses- sion. He was also a Justice of the Peace for several years.
SIMEON P. FOLSOM
was born December 27, 1819, in Lower Canada, near Quebec. His parents were natives of New Hampshire, and returned to that State when he was quite young, subsequently removing to the State of Maine. During 1837, 1838 and 1839, Mr. FOLSOM was attending academy, teaching school, and engaged in the lumbering business. In the fall of 1839, Mr. FOLSOM came west, and settled in Prairie du Chien, and not long after engaged as clerk to HENRY M. RICE, trader to the Winneba- goes, at Fort Atkinson. In 1841, he returned to Prairie du Chien, and was Deputy Sheriff for two years. In 1843, he was engaged in surveying public lands. and in 1844 and 1845, was County Surveyor of Crawford county, also reading law with Hon. WIRAM KNOWLTON. In 1846, he joined a volun- teer company to go to the Mexican War, but the company was sent, instead, to garrison Fort Crawford, where he remained one year. On July 25, 1847, he landed in Saint Paul, and has, most of the time since, been engaged in surveying and the real estate business. He was the first City Surveyor of Saint Paul, in 1854. In 1861, he enlisted as a private in Company H, Seventh Minnesota, and served in that capacity three years, He was a member of the School Board in 1858, 1859 and 1860, and has been, for several years, in the employ of the Saint Paul and Pacific Railroad. I am indebted to Mr. FOLSOM for valu- able assistance in securing items about early days.
WM. C. RENFRO
was a cousin of HENRY JACKSON. He was a Virginian by birth, and a young man of ability and education, though un- fortunately, too convivial in his habits. He had studied for a physician, and, probably, graduated, but never practiced his profession, further than some gratuitous advice to the poor, pulling teeth, or small matters of that kind. RENFRO came
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to an unfortunate end, a few months after his arrival in Saint Paul, as will be found narrated in the next chapter.
DR. J. J. DEWEY.
The first regular practicing physician who settled in Saint Paul, was Dr. JOHN J. DEWEY, who arrived on July 15, of this year. Dr. DEWEY is a native of New York, and is a brother of ex-Governor DEWEY, of Wisconsin. He had, not long before his arrival here, graduated at the Albany Medical College. The want of a good, reliable physician, which Dr. DEWEY was, had been badly felt in the town, and his coming was very grateful to the good people of that day, who, though generally pretty hearty and rugged, were not entirely and al- ways free from the visitations of sickness and accident. Hith- erto there had been no medical or surgical aid nearer than Fort Snelling. Dr. DEWEY was a member of the first Ter- ritorial Legislature, and established, (in 1848,) the first drug store in Minnesota.
PARSONS K. JOHNSON
was born in Brandon, Vermont, May 8, 1816. His mother was a grand-daughter of JONATHAN CARVER, noticed in pre- vious chapters of this work. During his boyhood days, he was a schoolmate of a lad, who, in after days, became widely known-STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS. Mr. JOHNSON, in early life, learned the tailoring business, and emigrated west-settling in Saint Paul in August,* 1847, and was, beyond doubt, the first person who carried on the tailoring business in Saint Paul. Mr. JOHNSON was elected a member of the first Territorial Legislature. In 1850, he was married to Miss LAURA BIV- INS, a sister of Mrs. HENRY JACKSON. He removed to Man- kato, in 1852, with JACKSON, at which place he has been post- master, member of the Legislature, (1855-56,) Justice of the Peace, &c.
* Mr. JOHNSON registers the date of his arrival in the Old Settlers' book, as August, but says that he and B. W. BRUNSON assisted Miss BISHOP in organizing the first Sunday school. Miss B. gives the date of that occurrence as July 25, which is, prob- ably, more correct, as she kept a written diary.
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DANIEL HOPKINS
was a native of New Hampshire, and was born in the year 1787. Previous to coming to Saint Paul, he had been in busi- ness in Green Bay, Prairie du Chien, &c., and at Red Rock, settling at that place in 1842. On August 7, 1847, he pur- chased of HENRY JACKSON, a lot which would now be on the corner of Third and Jackson streets. The consideration was , $200. Mr. HOPKINS erected a store, where he did a general merchandizing business. He also purchased considerable real estate in Saint Paul. In 1852, he went to Saint Louis to pur- chase goods, and, while on his return home, was seized with sudden illness on the steamer, and died June 13, 1852, aged 65 years.
AARON FOSTER
was a native of Pennsylvania, and was born in 1817. He came to Stillwater in 1846, and the following year to Saint Paul. Soon after his arrival here he was commissioned a Justice of the Peace. Very many of the deeds of that period appear to have been acknowledged before him. His regular occupation, however, was carpenter, and he worked at that several years. He married a Miss FANNY MORTIMER, daughter of Sergeant MORTIMER, a settler of 1842. FOSTER went to Kansas about 1854 or 1855, and in May, 1864, enlisted in the army, but died of disease at the recruiting station, before regularly entering the service. Mrs. FOSTER died in Minneapolis, about Sep- tember 1, 1875.
CORNELIUS V. P. LULL is a native of New York, and set- tled in Saint Paul, October, 1847, pursuing his occupation as carpenter. Mr. LULL was appointed Sheriff of Ramsey county, by Governor RAMSEY, in the fall of 1849, and, soon after, elected for a full term. He " still lives" in our city.
FRED. OLIVIER and G. A. FOURNIER, came to Saint Paul as clerks and agents of LOUIS ROBERT. Both are natives of Canada. Mr. OLIVIER resides here still, and Mr. FOURNIER is in the trading business at Yellow Medicine.
GOV. SLADE FINDS A TEACHER.
When Governor SLADE received Dr. WILLIAMSON'S letter,
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describing the deplorable educational and religious condition of the people of Saint Paul, he referred the letter to Dr. C. E. STOWE, husband of HARRIET BEECHER STOWE, who for- warded it to his sister-in-law, Miss CATHERINE BEECHER, who was then at Albany, New York, instructing and training a class of young ladies for teachers. By her it was placed in the hands of Miss HARRIET E. BISHOP, as being a proper per- son to accept and fill the proposed post of duty.
Miss BISHOP is a native of Vermont, and was early filled with a wish to become a teacher of youth, and with consider- able missionary spirit. She was an ardent member of the Baptist church. She tells us, in her pleasant book of frontier experiences, " Floral Homes," published in 1857, that, when the request to go was put to her, it was the occasion of quite a mental struggle, in which the dangers and trials to which a feeble and timid young lady would be subjected in such a position, and the sacrifice of leaving home, friends, and the comforts of civilization, for a rude habitation in a rough fron- tier settlement, were weighed against the call of duty, and the opportunity of doing good. The latter sentiments, at length, predominated over her fears, and she decided to go. Journey- ing by land to Cincinnati, she came thence by river. On July 16, 1847, she was landed at Kaposia by the steamer " Argo," of which our present townsman, Capt. RUSSELL BLAKELEY, was clerk, and remained a short time an inmate of Dr. WIL- LIAMSON's family. A day or two afterwards, she was taken in a canoe, paddled by two stout young squaws, to Saint Paul. " A cheerless prospect," she adds, greeted her. " A few log huts composed the town-three families, the American popu- lation. With one of these, [J. R. IRVINE, ] distant from the rest, a home was offered me. Theirs was the dwelling-the only one of respectable size, containing three rooms and an attic." After making arrangements to secure a school room, Miss BISHOP returned to Kaposia, until the building could be made ready.
The building selected was a log cabin, which stood on the site of what is now known as Dr. Mann's Block, corner of Third and Saint Peter streets. It had formerly been occupied
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The History of the City of Saint Paul, [1847
by SCOTT CAMPBELL, as a dwelling, but SCOTT had built another house. Though the building was a plain one, it prob- ably answered for a pioneer school. Miss BISHOP describes it : "Some wooden pins had been driven into the logs, across which rough boards were placed for seats. The luxury of a chair was accorded to the teacher, and a cross-legged table occupied the center of the loose floor." The attendance of scholars was small, at first-Miss BISHOP thinks only four or five, but Mrs. PATTEN thinks, nine or ten. At least, it in- creased to this latter number very soon, and, by fall, it was found necessary to have a larger and better building. This was secured on Bench street, just west of JACKSON'S stand, and was used until a building could be built, the following year, for the purpose of a school.
FIRST SUNDAY SCHOOL IN SAINT PAUL.
On July 25, 1847, says Miss BISHOP, in her work, the first Sunday school in our city was held. Seven scholars attended, and there was such a mixture of races among these, that an interpreter was necessary, who could speak English, French, and Sioux, before all could be made to understand the instruc- tions given. The school increased to twenty-five scholars, by the third Sunday, and was continued successfully for several years. and, finally, became the Sabbath school of the First Baptist church-so that said society claim to have the oldest Sunday school in Minnesota.
SURVEY OF THE TOWN-SITE.
The rapid growth of the town this season, and the more frequent demand for real estate -- which was now bringing prices that must have astonished the old pioneers who were still living in a plain, easy, slow sort of way in their bark- roofed cabins-seemed to point to the necessity of having a portion of the site laid out into lots. LOUIS ROBERT and others favored this project, and it was soon carried into effect. IRA B. BRUNSON, of Prairie du Chien, was employed to do the surveying, in connection with his brother, BENJ. W. IRA arrived in August, and commenced operations. THOMAS S.
1847] and of the County of Ramsey, Minnesota. 171
ODELL, now of West Saint Paul, was chainman. The tract now known on the maps and in the Registry of Deeds as "Saint Paul Proper," was then laid out. We have no com- ment to make on it, except as to the narrowness of the streets, and the absence of alleys. But, then, the good people of 28 years ago, could hardly have dreamed that we would have 35,000 people in the lifetime of the men who laid out the town ! It was a mistake-but one so excusable we haven't it in our heart to blame them.
The tract, as surveyed then, contained only about 90 acres, but included all the principal business part of the town, and the more thickly settled portion. The names of the proprie- tors, as given on the recorded plat, are : LOUIS ROBERT, DAVID LAMBERT, HENRY JACKSON, BENJ. W. BRUNSON, CHARLES CAVILEER, HENRY H. SIBLEY, J. W. BASS, A. L. LARPENTEUR, WM. H. FORBES, J. W. SIMPSON, HENRY C. RHODES, L. H. LAROCHE, J. B. COTY and VETAL GUERIN. Some of these persons were not residents and land owners in 1847 -- but secured an interest subsequent to that date. As the land in this locality had not at that time been surveyed by the United States, and could not be entered, neither could the town plat be entered, and was not until April 28, 1849. It was signed on February 28, 1849, by the above gentlemen, three of whom, (DAVID LAMBERT, HENRY C. RHODES, and J. B. COTY,*) were not residents in September, 1847, but settled subsequently.
After the property was surveyed, the lots or blocks were deeded to each owner, so that he would have a title to his own land. B. W. BRUNSON testified in the Saint Charles street case, tried in 1866: "We had meetings about once a week at the time, in regulating proprietors' lines. There was a committee to determine who owned lots, and when the lines were so that parties entering the town could own equitably ;
*JOHN BAPTISTE COTY was a Canadian by birth, and a carpenter by occupation. He was one of the charter members of Saint Paul Lodge, No. 2, I. O. O. F., but afterwards withdrew from that order, by command of the clergyman who married him. COTY returned to Canada about 1852, or 1853. Though a "proprietor" when the plat was signed, I think he was not a resident when the town was surveyed.
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The History of the City of Saint Paul, [1847
most of those difficulties were settled before the plat was signed."
In vol. 8, p. 491, Supreme Court Reports of Minnesota, . will be found a decision on the question as to whether the dedication of the plat was valid.
From the records in the Surveyor General's office of this district, I find that the United States surveys of the land in and around Saint Paul, were made in the fall of 1847. The town lines were run by JAMES M. MARSH, in October, and the subdivisions made by ISAAC N. HIGBEE, the following month.
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