Compendium of history and biography of Minneapolis and Hennepin County, Minnesota, Part 26

Author: Holcombe, R. I. (Return Ira), 1845-1916; Bingham, William H
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Chicago : H. Taylor & Co.
Number of Pages: 1190

USA > Minnesota > Hennepin County > Minneapolis > Compendium of history and biography of Minneapolis and Hennepin County, Minnesota > Part 26

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According to Stevens and other authorities, as the election for members of the Legislature of 1852 (and other officers) approached, it was determined by those interested in the new county that no candidates but those favoring it should be presented. Martin McLeod was selected without opposition to succeed himself in the Council. B. H. Randall and James McClelland Boal (commonly called McBoal) were selected as candidates to be voted for as members of the House; both then lived at Fort Snelling.

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HISTORY OF MINNEAPOLIS AND HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA

Stevens and others tried hard to have Eli Pettijohn selected as a candidate for representative in place of Boal. But Boal had a host of friends at Snelling and Mendota and they outnumbered those of Petti- john, up at the Falls, and so the Fort Snelling malı was made the candidate. As already stated, Boal came to Minnesota in 1819 with the first detachment of Leavenworth's command that built Fort Snelling. When his time expired he remained in the country. He was by occupation a house and sign painter, and a very good one. Governor Ramsey appointed him adjutant general of the territory, a position then without duties or salary. Later he settled in St. Paul, and had a street named for him, though it is called "McBoal."'

As the time for the convening of the Legislature approached it was apparent that a majority of the set- tlers in the eastern part of Dahkotah County were opposed to the boundaries proposed for the new county. The proposed limits comprised the country north of the St. Peter's, or Minnesota, and extending from the Mississippi westward to the Little Rapids. now Carver. The western boundary line was to run front the Minnesota at Little Rapids north by west to the forks of Crow River, where what is now the northwestern corner of Hennepin, and then the line was to run down the Crow to the Mississippi, and thence down the Mississippi to the mouth of the Min- nesota as at present.

The opponents of these boundaries wanted them to commence at a point on the Mississippi at Oliver's Grove (now Hastings) and follow up the main chan- nel of the river to the mouth of Coon Creek. ten miles northwest of St. Anthony Falls; thence west to a. point due north of Oak Grove : thence south, crossing the Minnesota at that Grove, and continuing south to the parallel running east and west through Oliver's Grove, and thence east to the Grove and the begin- ning. These boundaries would almost necessarily leave the county seat at Mendota, which would please Alexander Faribault, but would not satisfy Steele, Stevens, Randall, and the other projectors of the new county, who wanted its capital at the Falls. Their county, while not as large as the one proposed by the objectors, was perhaps better, containing an immense water power, ample prairies, woodlands, oak openings. and broad meadow lands, besides as fine lakes as could be found anywhere.

The opposition to the new county continued to grow as the time for the convening of the Legislature drew near. The new county, with the proposed boundaries of the Fort Snelling faction, must be created soon or it would never be. The Legislature began business actively January 14 (1852), but it was not until Feh- ruary 27 when Martin McLeod introduced the bill in the Territorial Council, "to establish the County of Hennepin." The bill had been originally drawn by John H. Stevens and others and provided that the new county should be called "Snelling," for the well known fort and for Col. Josiah Snelling, the man that built it. But before its introduction the name was very properly and wisely changed to honor the pio- neer priest, Rev. Father Louis Hennepin, the first

white man that saw any part of its soil and named its chief natural feature. The bill was known in the Legislature as "Council File No. 17."

There was some opposition to the new county in the Council and strenuous objection was offered in the House of Representatives. The bill passed the Coun- cil, however, on the 4th of March, and was hurried over to the House. Hon. Benj. H. Randall was given charge of it in that body, and had to work for it. That night he secured a majority of the House mem- bers that agreed to vote for its passage the following day, which was the last working day of the session. The St. Paul delegation and some other members were opposed to it, but made no very hard fight. A rather strong lobby in its favor did good work.

On the morning of March 5, the bill was presented to the House and had its first reading. Then, on Mr. Randall's motion, the rule was suspended and the bill was read the second time. The bill was in- tended to provide that the first county officers should enter upon their duties within "ten days" after their election, but by an oversight the word "days" had been left out. Randall moved that this word should be inserted in the proper place. Wm. P. Murray, a St. Paul member, moved to insert "years," instead of "days," so that the new officers might not take their positions until ten years after their election ! Murray's motion may have been facetious- it was certainly ridiculous-but it had to be voted upon, and was overwhelmingly defeated. Randall then moved that the rule be suspended and the bill given its third reading and put upon its final passage forth- with. This was ordered, but only by a majority of two. On the final vote the bill passed but by a very slender majority (three)-not as deep as a well or as wide as a barn door, but it sufficed. Governor Ram- sey signed it the following day.

The organization act was not a very finished and complete statute, but it stood. Almost at the outset it provided that the county should remain "unorgan- ized" until the U. S. Senate should ratify the Indian Treaty of Mendota, which had been made the pre- vious year, but whose ratifieation was still hanging fire in Congress. The new county was to be attached to Ramsey County for judicial purposes. "until fur- ther provided for," and to remain "in conjunction with Dahkotah County," so far as related to the election of members of the Territorial Legislature, until the next re-apportionment.

Not until after the Treaty of Mendota was ratified were the people of the new county to clect their county officers; the returns of the election at which they were chosen were to be made to the register of deeds of Ramsey County, who was to issue certificates of election, etc. A great deal depended upon the treaty ratification. Other statutes based upon anti- cipation have been declared void.

A very important provision of the act was that the first Board of County Commissioners should have authority to establish the county seat of the new county, but said establishment was to be temporary, or "until the same is permanently established by the

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HISTORY OF MINNEAPOLIS AND HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA

Legislature or by the authorized votes of the qualified voters of said county."

As has been stated, the Senate ratified the Mendota treaty June 23, 1852, three months after the county organization act, but made such important amend- ments, which the Indians had to agree to, that the treaty was not finally proclaimed and made of effect until February 4, 1853. But the Hennepin County organization did not await the latter ratification.

ORGANIZATION AND FIRST ELECTION.

Information that the Senate had ratified the Men- dota treaty, after adding amendments, reached Fort Snelling about July 1. After consultation it was de- . he proposed Lowell, for the city of factories in Massa- termined to proceed with the organization of the new county without waiting for the final ratification of the amendments by the Indians. The regular Terri- torial election to choose members of the Legislature was to be held October 12. On the previous Saturday the settlers of the new county met at Fort Snelling and nominated a full ticket for county officers as follows :

For representatives, Benj. H. Randall, of Fort Snelling, and Dr. Alfred E. Ames, of "All Saints," as the settlement on the west side was then often called ; county commissioners, John Jackins and Alex. Moore, of "All Saints," and Joseph Dean, of Oak Grove ; sheriff, Isaac Brown ; judge of probate, Joel B. Bassett; register of deeds and clerk of county com- missioners, John H. Stevens ; coroner, David Gorham; surveyor, Chas. W. Christmas ; assessors, Edwin Hed- derly, Wm. Chambers, and Eli Pettijolın : treasurer, John T. Mann ; justices, Eli Pettijohn and Edwin Hed- derly. All the candidates were of "All Saints," ex- cept Eli Pettijohn, who was then of Fort Snelling.

At the election each of the above named candidates received seventy-one votes and not a vote was cast against any of them; Stevens says this was the only election ever held in Hennepin County where the can- didates were unanimously elected. Only 71 voters in the entire county, and even then it was claimed that there was a full turn-out and that some votes were east that were of very doubtful legality! The Ramsey County Commissioners, under whose author- ity the election was held, prescribed but one voting place, which was at the house of John H. Stevens. At that time there was nothing but a mission station at Oak Grove, and the Stevens house, at the Falls, was the nucleus of the densest settlement. .

When the election returns were made to the Ramsey County Commissioners, that body directed Morton S. Wilkinson, who was then their clerk, (afterwards U. S. Senator) to issue the proper certificates and direct the newly-elected commissioners to meet on the 21st and complete the organization of Hennepin County, by approving the official bonds of the officers, etc., and especially by selecting the county seat. The meeting was duly held at the Stevens house and all of the officers were soon fitted out and equipped for their duties.

LOCATING AND NAMING THE COUNTY SEAT.

Almost the first business of the county board was the selection of a county seat for the new county. It was a foregone conclusion where it should be. Com- missioner Jackins moved that its site should be "on the west side of the Falls of St. Anthony," and all three of the commissioners so voted, as was expected.

Then the question of the name of the new county's capital was considered. "All Saints" was at once discarded; so was "Hennepin City," which Atwater and the St. Anthony Express had argued for. Chair- man Alexander Moore suggested Albion, an ancient name of England. Commissioner Dean said the place was destined to be a great manufacturing site and chusetts. Finally the name of Albion was agreed upon, and the clerk was instructed to use upon all official letters the name Albion as the county seat of Hennepin County.

But after the commissioners had adjourned and announced the name, the people clamored that they did not like it. They had not liked the name All Saints, which had attached to their settlement, but they preferred it to Albion. The latter was without significance and meaningless and had no sort of rele- vaney to the situation. Surprised and striving to please their constituents, the commissioners tenta- tively suggested "Winona," a perfect Sioux name and the one given by every family of that nation to its first born child, if a girl. (If a boy, the name would be Chas-kay.) Yet the name Winona was not received with enthusiasm.

Meanwhile the county's stationery, letter-heads, blanks. etc., had been received with "Albion" printed thereon as the county seat. Certain parties wanted the name to be Brooklyn, and half a dozen or more friends and admirers of a certain lady of the place urged that it be called "Addiesville." A few still favored All Saints. At last Charles Hoag thought out the solution of the problem, after he had retired to bed and when deep sleep had fallen upon most of his neighbors.

On the morning of November 5. Mr. Hoag, then of the new town, but formerly living in St. Anthony, went into the office of the St. Anthony Express and tendered the editor, then Geo. D. Bowman. a short communication having for its subject a suitable name for the new Hennepin county seat. It was publica- tion day and the forms were about closed. But Editor Bowman, hastily reading the manscript, exclaimed : "That's good, Charlie; that's the best name yet; we'll print it, even if we leave out something else." And this was done; the communication was hastily put in type and placed in the room of another article, without proof-reading, so that two or three typo- graphical errors appeared when it was printed. It was not signed by Hoag's real name but by "Minne- hapolis," his nom de plume, which he had assumed for the occasion. Alluding to his proposition particu- larly. he explained in this paragraph :

"The name I propose, Minnehapolis, is derived

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HISTORY OF MINNEAPOLIS AND HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA

from Minnehaha, falling water, with the Greek affix, polis, a city-thus meaning 'Falling Water City' or 'City of the Falls.' You perceive I spell it with an h which is to be silent in the pronunciation. This name has been very favorably received by many of the inhabitants to whom it has been proposed. * * * Until some other name is decided upon, we intend to call ourselves, Minnehapolis."

There was not time to comment upon Hoag's selec- tion but in the next issue of the Express, which was November 12, Mr. Bowman said editorially : ..* * * The name is an excellent one and de- serves much favor by our citizens. The h being silent, as our correspondent recommends, and as custom would soon make it, makes it practieal and cupho- nious. The nice adjustment of the Indian 'minne' with the Greek 'polis' becomes a beautiful compound, and finally it is, as all names should be when it is possible, admirably descriptive of the locality. By all means, we would say, adopt this beautiful and exceedingly

appropriate title, and do not longer suffer abroad from connections with the meaningless and outlandish name of 'All Saints.' "

Stevens tells us that Hoag's proposed name for the new town met with great favor at home and abroad. An impromptu meeting of citizens at his house the first week in December deelared for it, and in a few days, at their regular monthly session, the county commissioners substituted the name Minneapolis for Albion. As the h in the original name proposed was to be silent, the commissioners concluded that it might as well be absent, and so they sensibly struck it out, leaving the Indian part of the name Minneah, as the Sioux would pronounee it. The full name should be pronounced Minneah-polis, and not Minne- apolis, as is common, because "ah" is a contraction of "hkah," meaning a waterfall.

As has been said in diseussing the meaning of the word Minnehaha, the name Minneapolis literally means, the Waterfall City-"minne'a," the Sioux for waterfall, and "polis," Greek for city.

CHAPTER XIII.

LAYING THE CITY'S FOUNDATIONS.

REDUCING THE FORT SNELLING RESERVE- CHANGING THE NAME OF THE ST. PETER'S TO MINNESOTA-SETTLERS ON THE TOWN SITE IN 1851 AND 1852-FIRST CLAIMS ON THE INDIAN LANDS-MISCELLANEOUS CLAIMS AND CLAIMANTS-FIRST FAMILIES NEAR LAKES HARRIET AND CALHOUN-FIRST CLAIMS IN NORTH MINNEAPOLIS- EARLY SETTLERS IN SOUTH TOWN-ADDITIONAL PIONEERS OF 1851 AND 1852-FINAL RECORDS OF SOME FIRST CITIZENS-BEGINNINGS OF THE UNIVERSITY.

REDUCING THE FORT SNELLING RESERVATION.

An important incident in the early history of Min- neapolis was the large reduction of the Fort Snelling Military Reservation, comprising a great part of its northern portion and extending from Brown's Creek (Minnehaha) northward to the Falls and the Missis- sippi. The east line was the Mississippi and the west a line running due south from the Mississippi, near the Falls, via the eastern end of Mother Lake, to the St. Peter's.

Of course the reduction made a vast extent of most desirable country open to white settlement. without any special permits or subterfuges. A man could make his claim near the old Government Mill, or any- where else on the new land, without fear of arrest, eviction, or trouble of any sort-provided, that he did not infringe or trespass upon another man's claim; if he did such an unjust thing, the Claim Association would at once be violently upon him and great would be his regret, as is explained on a sub- sequent page.

By an act of Congress approved August 26, 1852, (See U. S. Stats. at Lge., 1851-55, Laws of 1852, Chap. 95,) the reserve was contracted so as to have the fol- lowing general boundary line :

Extending from the middle of the Mississippi below Pike's Island up to Brown's Creek [Minnehaha] in- cluding all islands in the Mississippi: then up Brown's Creek to Rice Lake; then through the middle of Rice Lake to the outlet of Lake Amelia; thence through the middle of Lake Amelia to the outlet of Mother Lake; thence to the outlet of Duck Lake and the southern extremity of that lake; thence due south to the St. Peter's River, and thence down that river to the beginning. A quarter section at each end of the ferry at the mouth of the St. Peter's was also reserved, and 320 acres whereon Mendota stands was reserved from sale for one year, with the provision that the land might be entered as a town site.

Let it be emphasized that the tract opened to white settlement and occupation included all the country within these boundaries: On the east and north, the Mississippi; on the west, a line running due south from the Mississippi, via the eastern end of Mother Lake and the outlet of Duck Lake-the latter hang- ing southward, like a pendant, to Mother Lake-and

thence, from the southern end of the pendant, due south to the Minnesota. Plenty of land for the site of a great city-but hardly too much for the one that was built upon it!

Congress was induced to cut down the unnecessa- rily large Reserve almost altogether by the efforts of Sibley, the then Territorial Delegate. He prepared and introduced the bill and his efforts caused it to pass. Of course Franklin Steele and Henry M. Rice helped, but Sibley was in a position to do far more effective work and he did it. Many members of Con- gress protested that they believed the reduction was wanted in the interest of speculators; but when as- sured that the only speculators would be actual set- tlers, who sought homes in or near the site of a future great city, which they desired to help build, this ob- jection was removed. Press and people accorded the credit to Sibley for opening so much of the Reserve, which they had worked for so long and so hard.

THE ST. PETER'S BECOMES THE MINNESOTA RIVER.

For some time a dislike for the name of the St. Peter's River was manifested by many people. The chief objection was that the name had no proper sig- nificance. True, by this time a great many persons living elsewhere knew Minnesota as "the St. Peter's country," and indeed the entire region surrounding Fort Snelling was often called simply "St. Peter's." The newspapers down the river were accustomed to say: "Everything is quiet up at St. Peters from last accounts." Letters were carried in the mails addressed to "St. Peters, Iowa Territory," and this was the name of the first postoffice at Snelling. The name had a most distinguished derivation, since it was meant to honor the blessed St. Peter, the great Apostolic prince and leader; but it was believed that the river should have a more befitting, even if a less sacred, appellation.

The Territorial Legislature of 1852 took action for the change. It is impossible to tell now who led the movement for it, but on the 6th of March the Gover- nor approved a memorial which was addressed to President Fillmore and which read :

"The members of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Minnesota Respectfully Represent :-

"That the river from which our Territory derives

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HISTORY OF MINNEAPOLIS AND HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA

its name was, by the carly French voyageurs, called St. Peters, in honor of a Mons. St. Pierre, an officer in the service of the French Government during the seventeenth century ; that there is no possibility that the said St. Pierre was ever connected with the first discoveries made in this region of country, or that he was ever even on this side of the Atlantic Ocean, and was therefore in no wise entitled to the honor of perpetuating his name by fastening it upon one of the principal tributaries of the great national high- way of the West. * * That 'Minnesota' is the true name of this stream, as given to it, in ages past, by the strong and powerful tribe of aborigines, the Dakotas, who dwelt upon its banks; and that, not only to assimilate the name of the river with that of the Territory and future State of Minnesota, but to follow the dictates of what we conceive to be a correct taste, and to show a proper regard for the memory of the great nation whose homes and country our people are now destined soon to possess,-for these reasons we desire that the river shall be so designated.

"Therefore the constituency we represent wish that the name of St. Peters be entirely dispensed with, and that of 'Minnesota' universally substituted. This change has been adopted in all the acts and procecd- ings of the several Legislative Assemblies of this Ter- ritory where it has been necessary to allude to the name: and if a like course were followed by the officers of the National Government in all their re- ports, correspondence, and official intercourse, geog- raphers would immediately adopt it, the people at large throughout the country would soon become familiar with the change, and the inappropriate title of St. Peter's would be forgotten.

"We therefore most respectfully request that you will be pleased to give directions to the officers of the different departments of the Government, civil and military, to carry out the change herein alluded to. All of which is respectfully submitted."

The memorialists did not seem to be aware that geographical names are not changed by the directions of the President to the different departments and sub- ordinates of the Government. Congressional legis- lation is necessary for the purpose. Delegate Sibley took up the matter in Congress and on the 19th of June, President Fillmore approved a joint resolution of Congress reading :

"That from and after the passage of this act the river in the Territory of Minnesota heretofore known as the Saint Peter's shall be known and designated on the public records as the Minnesota River."

The author of the memorial was mistaken in his historical references. There was no "Mons. St. Pierre" suited to his description that early records. histories, and cyclopedias think worthy of mention. Those few Frenchmen of the name worthy of having rivers named for them lived too long before or too long after 1689, when Nicholas Perrot mentioned the River St. Peter in his proclamation taking possession of the country for his sovereign, the King of France. It seems as certain as anything not positively suscep-

tible of proof can be, that the river was named for the Great Apostle.

The Sioux name of the river is Watpa (river) Minne (water) sota, (doubtful) meaning the river of some kind of impure or imperfect water. The word sota is of uncertain meaning. It is not shown as an independent word in the present Sioux vocabu- lary. It is probably a corruption of "Sho-shay" or muddy, though it may be from "sho-shay" and "hko- ta" combined, the latter meaning gray; and so sota may mean muddy water of a grayish color. Various English definitions of "sota" have been printed as "bleary," and "cloudy" and "sky-tinted." and "whitish"; but "sota" means neither of these words; the Indian words for the English adjectives named are entirely dissimilar to "sota."

MINNEAPOLIS IN 1852.

Notwithstanding the fact that not until in 1854 was Minneapolis regularly laid out into blocks and lots, with streets and alleys, yet the new town was settled upon very rapidly almost immediately after the making of the Indian treaties and long before their ratification.

Edward Murphy moved upon his claim '(which he had taken in 1850), down the river from John P. Miller and Stevens, in May, 1852. This was an im- portant settlement. He improved a great part of his land, and an especial feature of this improvement was the preparation of a field designed for a nur- sery and fruit farm. In due time the field was so established and trees set out and secds planted. Thereby Mr. Murphy became the pioneer nurseryman of Minnesota ; others had set out apple trees before him, but he planted the first nursery stock. He did not plan wisely. His stock was not acclimated ; it had been obtained in the lower and warmer latitude of Southern Illinois and could not stand Minnesota winter conditions. In a few years the enterprising pioneer abandoned his attempts at apple raising and to operate a nursery. Nearly all of his trees had perished and he lost all the cash hè had invested. His experience was that of many another pioneer would-be fruit grower of Minnesota.

Anson Northrup lived on his little claim, up the river, above the Old Mill claim, from June, 1852, continuously until he pre-empted it, in 1853. The claim was only a few acres in extent; subsequently it was the site of the depot and yards of the "Mil- wankec" Railroad : or Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul. Northrup built on his claim a large house in which the first sessions of the U. S. Courts and of Hennepin Lodge of Free Masons were held. He also put up a smaller building. in which was held the first public school in original Minneapolis (Miss Mary E. Miller, teacher), commeneing December, 1852, and where also, in June. 1853, Rev. J. C. Whitney was installed as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church organi- zation.

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Compendium of history and biography of Minneapolis and Hennepin County, Minnesota, Part 26

Author: Holcombe, R. I. (Return Ira), 1845-1916; Bingham, William H Publication date: 1914 Publisher: Chicago : H. Taylor & Co. Number of Pages: 1190

Author: Holcombe, R. I. (Return Ira), 1845-1916; Bingham, William H
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Chicago : H. Taylor & Co.
Number of Pages: 1190