Compendium of history and biography of Minneapolis and Hennepin County, Minnesota, Part 36

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 36

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ther than to the western side of the Red River Valley, or ten or twenty miles west of that river. As late as 1880 or 1885, I was offered a tract of land in the val- ley, containing about 40,000 acres, for forty cents per acre, title complete.

While I was finding out from Mr. Robinson these wonderful facts concerning this part of the Northwest, I learned of a government surveying party going on the frontier, within two or three months, to survey a large area of the publie lands. Having also learned that there was a fine line of boats running past McGregor to St. Paul, within two hours of the time that I began to talk with Mr. Robinson I was very comfortably located on the largest of the Diamond Joe line of steamers, bound for St. Paul. I arrived in St. Paul and remained there one day, and then came on the only piece of railroad line existing in Minnesota, running ten miles up to, but not through, St. Anthony, now East Minneapolis. I landed at the depot on the east side and whereas I could walk aeross the suspension bridge for five cents and it would cost twenty-five to ride in the omnibus I preferred to exercise myself a little and walk and save the twenty cents, although the distance was about a mile. After arranging to go on the government surveys with the chief surveyor, Geo. B. Wright, before mentioned, in about two months (it was then June), I returned to Michigan and completed the sale of some grind-stones and then eame baek, landing in Minneapolis again about the 16th of August. .

The trip was abandoned and we returned to Min- neapolis. I remained there until winter and then, upon my solicitation, Mr. Geo. B. Wright, the gov- ernment surveyor, took a small party of us to survey some of the townships. As all the work was located in the timber, the corners were to be established by means of bearing trees, and the work could be done satisfactorily in winter: whereas, on the prairies, where mounds were to be built for corners, it was utterly impracticable to do the work. In getting Mr. Wright to go into the woods, I had arranged with Mr. W. S. Chapman to secure Indian land scrip with which to locate pine timber which I would hunt up in the surveying of the government land. This Sioux serip was locatable on unsurveyed or surveyed lands before they were offered for general entry, and had been issued to the Sioux half-breeds, pursuant to the treaties of 1851.

We started the 12th of December with ox teams, which was the usual means of transportation on these

surveying trips, and landed at Crow Wing about the 20th, when the thermometer was 24 degrees below zero. We surveyed about two months and then the ugly attitude of the Chippewa Indians made it seem prudent for us to leave and we came out, having eom- pleted the surveys of two townships and some work in another.

While I was in the woods, Mr. W. S. Chapman, who was to join me in starting a timber deal, was induced to go to California, where the timber lands- he had heard-were much more valuable than in Minnesota; so he went there, having first urged me by several letters to go with him and carry out the project there that we had talked of here. I did not accept the offer and he went to California and remained there quite a number of years and became very wealthy, and then through speculations with Friedlander, in the grain business, lost $3,500,000, to raise which he had to sacrifice practically all of his property to eover the debt.

Joel Bassett, who afterwards eame to be "Major" Bassett, through his position as Indian agent, came to Minneapolis in 1850. In 1851 he started a lumber vard in St. Paul. He obtained his lumber from the St. Anthony mills and hauled it to St. Paul, there being no mills on the west side prior to 1856, except- ing the Government Mill that did not furnish lumber for the market. In 1856 Major Bassett built a steam saw mill on the west side of the Falls, at the mouth of the creek that was afterward named Bassett Creek. and that comes into the river through North Minne- apolis. He ran this mill during 1856 and 1857. He lived on the river bank just above the mill, at the foot of Eighth Avenue. This mill contained a eircu-

On the 20th of August I started with the surveying party of sixteen men for the northern part of the State, or the pine regions above Crow Wing, which was then the last town on the Mississippi above Minneapolis. We did not reach our destination on . lar and a muley or sash saw, and was the first eireular account of the outbreak of the Sioux Indians, which took place while we were traveling from St. Cloud to Ft. Ripley. The savage massacres of inhabitants by the Sioux, and the apprehension that the Sioux were moving up to get the Chippewas to join them, delayed our trip to Ft. Ripley, where we remained for several weeks and then found much danger to be apprehended in an effort to get into the Chippewa country.

mill in operation in Minneapolis. It burned down in 1858, and in 1859, in connection with Isaae Gil- patrick. he built the Pioneer Mill, the first of the block of West-Side platform water-power mills. It was under construction when Bassett bought it and he put in the first gang mill built at the Falls before mentioned. In 1850, as previously stated, S. W. Far- num leased the water power company's three east side mills and operated them until his mill at the foot of Hennepin Island was completed. This mill was afterwards enlarged and became one of the most prominent mills on the Falls by having a gang and circular mill added, and which was operated for many years by Farnum & Lovejoy. This firm became one of the most prominent, next to Dorilus Morrison. as operators in Minneapolis, although they were not finally a success in handling the Inmber business and trade. and met with final disappointment.

In 1850 John W. Day, known as "Wes." or Wesley Day. came to Minneapolis. In 1851 his father. Leon- ard Day, came and two years later two of his broth- ers eame, one of them well-known as "Hass" Day and the other as "Lon" Day. For a few years Leonard Day operated the old Government saw mill on the Falls West Side, which he rebuilt and put in some new machinery. He took logs from the river at the month of Bassett's Creek and hauled them to this old mill. In 1854 L. D. and J. W. Day began lumbering

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HISTORY OF MINNEAPOLIS AND HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA

on Rum River. In 1856 the firm of Leonard Day & Sons was formed. In 1859 they built a mill adjoining the old Pioneer Mill on the platform. The firm con- tinued as Leonard Day & Sons until in 1885, when the name was changed to J. W .. Day & Co. In 1859 or 1860 Jonathan Chase, in company with Ed Jones, operated one of the East Side mills, but just before the war, Chase sold out to Jones and went into the army. It was in 1861 when Ed. Jones built a mill on the west side platform adjoining the Day Mill. In 1862 Jones built what was then a very fine large residence on Tenth Street, Minneapolis, West Side. in which the Keeley Institute is now located. He died in 1893. In 1862 W. P. Ankeny, J. B. Robinson, and C. H. Pettit built another mill adjoining this mill of Jones's. This made four mills in a row. In 1863 Dorilus Morrison built a mill some distance further along on the platform than Ankeny, Robinson & Pettit's mill. This was equipped with two gangs and a circular saw. One of them was a round-log gang that sawed the logs without being slabbed, and the other using cants or slabbed logs from the circular saw to run them more smoothly and evenly and make more and better lumber. In 1863 W. D. Washburn & Co. built a mill between the Ankeny, Robinson & Pettit and the Morrison mills, filling in the space. This firm was W. D. Washburn and A. B. Stickney. This was called the Lincoln Mill and completed the row of six mills. In 1862 Mr. Wolcott built a steam mill above where the Great Northern bridge crosses the river and below the mouth of Bassett's Creek. This site was afterward occupied by the Shevlin- Carpenter Company. It contained a gang and a cir- cular. On the east side, above 20th Avenue, Albert Marr & Co. put up a steam mill in 1857, in which was a muley and a circular saw. This was the site of or part of the old Lamoreaux Mill that was built or reconstructed about 1875, under the firm name of Crocker, Lamoreaux & Company. In 1867 Major Bassett sold the old Pioneer Mill, which he built on the Falls, and constructed another over on the river bank, just above the Falls, where the pumping station was afterward located. He built and operated this mill for a number of years and in 1871 he sold the site and moved the machinery a little farther up the river into an addition or recon- structed mill. Afterward this part of the mill was purchased by the city for an addition to the pumping station.

LOOKING THROUGH A VISTA OF FIFTY YEARS. BY CHARLES M. LORING.

In the autumn of 1860 a party of some fifty persons left Chicago on an excursion to the far away Falls of St. Anthony, traveling by rail to Prairie du Chien, and by steamboat to St. Paul, the head of navigation on the Mississippi River.

When the party reached the river a grand rush was made for its banks to view the wonderful stream that many of the excursionists had read of in their geographies, but had never expected to sec. It was a

greater wonder to them than the Yosemite, the Yellow- stone Park, or the Glacier Park is to the traveler of today. The voyage up the great river filled them with astonishment and delight; many declared the scenery from La Crosse to St. Paul as grand and beautiful as that on the Rhine or the Hudson Rivers. The party strolled around the little frontier city of St. Paul and were entertained by the strange sights of Indians, half-breed and French voyageurs with trains of two-wheeled carts, drawn by one ox or cow, loaded with furs from the Hudson's Bay Company's stations in the far Northwest.

The journey to the Falls of St. Anthony, on an old-fashioned stage coach, was a constant source of pleasure. The invigorating, balmy air of that Sep- tember morning, the beautiful quiet scenery from the road which skirted the river, the wide plateau on the opposite bank, covered with "burr-oak openings" which resembled a vast apple orchard, the scattered village and then the grand falls. with a picturesque little suspension bridge hanging in the air above them, inade a picture that will never be forgotten. The little city of St. Anthony was like a New England village, with its neat one- and two-story white houses, and the drive from it across the old bridge to the Island, which was densely forested with maple and clm trees clothed in their autumn foliage. was beauti- ful beyond description. At the suspension bridge a toll-keeper inspected and passed us up the steep hill to the business street, which was lined with small stores for two blocks. Just over the bridge on the left was a neat white cottage, enclosed by a paling fence, which we were told was the first house built on the west side of the river, and was occupied by Col. Stevens, its builder, who was the first settler.

At what seemed quite a distance from the river we saw a large brick building standing alone, which proved to be the Nicollet Hotel. It occupied the west quarter of a city block, looking very imposing and lonely. The quarter block on the cast was occupied as a lumber yard with a small stock. Across the street on the west was a pretty white cottage that looked as if it might have been moved from a New England village.

We were met at the door of the hotel by a genial man whom everybody called "Mace," who proved to be Mr. J. M. Eustis, one of the proprietors, and a better host was never born; he made our stay so pleasant and I found the air so invigorating, that I decided to remain in Minnesota a few weeks in the hope of recovering my health, which was much impaired.

After the excursionists left, there were some twelve or fifteen guests that lived at the hotel; among them was a young married couple named Fletcher, who were very kind to our small family, and especially to our two-year old boy. The weeks passed so rapidly, and we enjoyed the climate and people so much, that we stayed on till November. Everyone was cordial and the spirit of hospitality so generous that we were frequently invited to family dinners and soon came to know nearly all the citizens of the town. A recent writer in one of our daily papers stated that the town

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HISTORY OF MINNEAPOLIS AND HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA

as late as the carly "seventies" was a village of "shacks boarded and battened." Nothing could be further from the truth, as most of the houses were neatly painted and some of them quite large. Away ont on the prairie, were three brothers, Asbury, Wil- liam, and Ingh Harrison, and their sister, Mrs. Go- heen, who had moved from Illinois and built four large honses which are still standing; two on Nicollet Ave- me, one on Seventh Street, and one on Second Avenue. Judge Atwater lived in a large brick house, surrounded by beautiful grounds, on the river bank; Dr. A. E. Ames had a fine large white house, with greenhouse and garden, on Eighth Avenue: J. B. Bassett had a large brick house on North Washington Avenue : John Jaekins occupied the block on which the Syndicate Block now stands; Charlie Hoag, the man who named Minneapolis, had a fine house and stable on Fourth Street North; a Mr. Babbitt lived in a large brick house, still standing, at the corner of Tenth and Park Avenue ; Mr. Crafts lived in a large brick house where the Tribune building now stands: Mr. Hidden, in a large brick house on the site on which the Minneapolis Club building was erected ; Deacon Harmon erected on his claim, near the Parade, a fine large house, and there were a number of comfortable one- and two- storicd houses scattered through the town. Nearly all of these houses, with the exception of the Harri- sons', were built on the claims their owners had made on Government lands. These men were great opti- mists, and they believed that Minneapolis would grow to be a large city in a short time. It was surprising the things they did in the few years after the Reser- vation was opened for settlement. They laid ont two eenters, built a hotel in lower town in competition with the Nicollet, and built a bridge at about Eighth Avenue South. The rivalry between the two sections was very great and had not the lower bridge' been destroyed by a freshet, it is hard to predict where the business center would be to-day.

There never was a town settled by a more enter- prising, cultured, hospitable people than was Minne- apolis; but alas! they could not realize that they were a decade ahead of the agricultural development of the State when they mortgaged their elaims to build fine houses. The effects of the panic of 1857 eame upon them like a cyclone, and with like effect, for their homes were swept away by the twelve to twenty-four percent mortgages, and when I reached the town every one of the large houses I have men- tioned, except the four owned by the Harrisons, had fallen into the hands of the mortgagees and the places were for sale at a small percentage of the cost of the improvements. It may not be uninteresting if I quote a few of the prices plaeed upon property that was offered to me. The Jackins property, bounded by Nicollet and First Avenues, Fifth and Sixth Streets, with a good two-story house, $3,000. The Crafts property, one acre on Fourth Street between First Avenue and Nicollet, with large brick house, $2,500. Large white house on Nicollet, with one-fourth acre lot, $700. The two lots on which the Andrus block now stands, $500, and so on all through the town.

John Green preëmpted a elaim and lived on it free

from mortgage. until his death, this property being now known as Green's Addition. J. S. Johnson also lived on his elaim and platted it as Johnson's Addi- tion. The home of Mrs. E. P. Wells, his daughter, and many other beautiful homes on Oak Grove Street and Clifton Avenue are on this original claim. Lor- ing Park and the site of St. Mark's Church are also portions of it. The lake in Loring Park was long known as Johnson's Lake. From this lake quite a large stream flowed into Bassett's Creek; it was erossed by a bridge at Hennepin Avenue. The streets of the town were laid out as broad and the lots were as large as was to be expected they would be by the large-hearted Col. Stevens and his associates, but the native trees and hazel-bushes grew in most of them and it was no easy matter to get from one section of the city to another. Parties were frequently lost in the winter in going to Pudge Atwater's, who enter- tained frequently, as indeed did many other house- holders, and the houses were so scattered that the route to them was by a deviated course. The town was dead, very dead, but not the people. They were philosophical over their losses and were as cheerful and hospitable as if their dream of wealth had come true.

There was but little money in circulation, and that was called "wildcat," and its value constantly fluc- tuated. If one took a bank note at night, it might be of little or no value in the morning. Trade was ear- ried on very largely by "barter." It was said that shingles were a legal tender. The people had little or nothing to do, and they helped one another to do it. But provisions were very cheap and the farmers were always willing to take "store pay." ITind- quarters of beef were three cents a pound, eggs five and six cents a dozen, chickens three to five cents a pound, and maple wood from $2.00 to $2.50 a cord. I made an arrangement with the proprietor of the Nicollet to board my wife, two-year old boy, and my- self for six dollars a week for the three. This in- cluded laundry and fire. Fletcher had the best quar- ters in the house, and I the next. We were the only married people in the house, except occasionally tran- sients who stayed a day or two.

There were several young men boarders with whom we soon made acquaintance which lasted a life-time. We noticed that all the men we met were called by an abbreviated name. I did not hear one called "Mr." So and So, but all were "Tom, Diek, and Harry." There was in one family "Gene" Wilson, who became a noted lawyer and M. C .; "Dave" Red- field, also a lawyer of note; "Mac," Hon. W. W. Mc- Nair, prominent in after years as a lawyer, business man, and politician ; "Thompson," J. H. Thompson,

who became a wealthy merchant, member of the City Council, etc .; "Fletch," Hon. Loren Fletcher, mer- chant, political fighter for Minneapolis, etc. There were a number of citizens who gathered at the hotel to learn if there was any news. Among them was "Jake" Sidel, who brought $20,000 in gold from Pennsylvania, and carried it about with him in a hand-bag several weeks before deciding to open a bank. He became the first president of the First

WASHINGTON AVE. LOOKING NORTH FROM 2D AVE. SOUTH IN 1857

LOOKING SOUTH ON WASHINGTON AND FROM HENNEPIN IN 1865

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HISTORY OF MINNEAPOLIS AND HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA

National Bank. A very interesting visitor was called "Bill" King, afterwards known as the Hon. W. S. King, M. C., the greatest "boomer" the city ever had; no citizen did more than he toward laying the foundation of the present city.

"Doril." Morrison became a wealthy lumberman and mill owner, and the first mayor of Minneapolis. He was engaged in lumbering when the "boom busted," and like the majority, owed a great many people, among them men who had worked for him in the woods. One day a delegation waited on him and told him they were going to "lick" him if he did not pay. He was a very dignified man. He faced the men and said; "All right, gentlemen ; all right; if you can get any money out of my clothes, I wish you would. I have been trying to find some for two months." He did not get "licked" and the men did not get the money, as there was none, but he had a supply store and they took their pay in goods. Later, when the Northwestern Bank was organized, Mr. Mor- rison was made its president ; business had improved, and there was more money in circulation, but his de- mands were larger than the supply and he constantly overdrew his account. The cashier said to him, "Mr. Morrison, the directors think you ought not to give checks when your account is overdrawn." Mr. Mor- rison replied : "Throw them out." The cashier re- plied : "It does not look well to throw out the checks of the president." "Pay 'em, then; pay 'em!" He lived to be able to own several banks. He was one of the most honorable men I ever knew, but he could "stave 'em off" when hard up. I once heard a gen- tleman who held a note of five thousand dollars against him say to Mr. Morrison, "Doril, you can never pay this note, give me a new note for fifty cents on the dollar and I will destroy this." Mr. Morrison replied, "If I can pay fifty cents you will still have a claim for twenty-five hundred dollars and I shall pay that," and he did within two years.

There was a tall, muscular young fellow who seemed a favorite with every one, whom they called Brackett. There was great jealousy between the citi- zens of St. Anthony and the "upstart village" on the West Side, and occasionally when some of the "East Siders" celebrated, a number would come over the bridge with the avowed intention of "cleaning out" the Minneapolitans. Bridge Square was an open field on which there was many a skirmish be- tween the warriors of the two villages. George Brack- ett, his brother, and two Goff boys defended the honor of the younger city, and it was said they were al- ways victorious. George Brackett from that day to this has been fighting for Minneapolis, and as chief of the fire department, alderman, mayor and all around progressive citizen, has won every battle.

A young, genteel gentleman who came to the hotel occasionally and was always in evidence on every public occasion, was called "Bill" Washburn. He was Surveyor General of Logs and agent of the Min- neapolis Water Power Company. This company had built a dam and was ready for business, but there was no business. The first mill power that was util- ized was given to a man who established a small

machine shop on the site. "Bill" Washburn was for many years known by his fellow citizens as the IIon. W. D. Washburn, legislator, member of Congress, U. S. Senator, railroad projector and builder, and lead- ing citizen.

Isaac Atwater, who pre-empted a farm on the river bank and erected a house which for many years was the center of hospitality, was a Justice of the Su- preme Court ; "Bill" (W. W.) Eastman built the first paper mill and the first flour mill; E. S. Joncs, one of the noblest of men, with J. E. Bell, organized the Farmers & Mechanics Savings Bank. J. E. and D. C. Bell had a small country store and they devoted much time to the up-building of the town. Frank Cornell, a young lawyer, became Justice of the Su- preme Court.

And so I might go on, naming so many good men I met in that winter of 1860-61, who in after life be- came prominent in political and commercial circles. It seems now that a large majority of the citizens of the village were men of rare ability. Is it any wou- der, that with such a start, Minneapolis became one of the most enterprising cities in the country ?

The business section of the village was between the river and Second Street. and its buildings were cheap wooden structures, nearly all of one story with a square front and as ordinary a lot as can be seen today in the smallest villages.

During the winter, "Fletch," who had a small dry goods store near the bridge, proposed that I join him in business and purchase the largest building on Bridge Square, which proposition I accepted, and the firm of L. Fletcher & Company was organized. I had not been in business a great while before I found that my new partner was a "sprinter." With "Gene" Wilson, "Dave" Redfield, "Pat" Kelly, and one or two others he would propose that we close the store and go out on the square and see the foot races. I soon found that "Fletch" and "Gene" Wilson were the champions, with "Fletch" the favorite. Every- body closed their stores to go to the races. "Fletch" was so elated with his success on the square that he went into the race for a seat in the State Legislature and won, and for twelve years, two as Speaker, he fought for the interests of Minneapolis and his State. Then he made the race for Congress and, as usual, won that, and for twelve years he worked as an M. C. for this city, State, and country, when he began to realize that younger men had aspirations for poli- tical powers, and he retired, after thirty years of valuable service.

In the early part of the year 1860, a man from La Crosse named Winslow, conceived the idea of building a telegraph line from his town to St. An- thony and Minneapolis. He solicited subscriptions from the towns along the river and it was said that he had quite a surplus left after he had finished. He sold the line to Simmons & Haskins, who owned a line from Milwaukee to La Crosse. The new owners visited Minneapolis and they decided to take down the wire between here and St. Paul, as the receipts were not enough to pay the salary of the operator. The merchants of Minneapolis held a meeting and

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Compendium of history and biography of Minneapolis and Hennepin County, Minnesota, Part 36

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