USA > Minnesota > Polk County > Compendium of history and biography of Polk County, Minnesota > Part 10
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Mr. Riee had long possessed great influence and control over a faction of the Democratie party in Min- nesota Territory. Through his control of the Terri- torial Legislatures he succeeded in having Minnesota counties named from time to time in honor of his Southern friends and associates. Davis County (now partly Swift County) was named for Jeff. Davis; Toombs County (now Wilkin) for Robert Toombs, and Breckenridge (now Traverse, etc.) for the Viee President, all ultra pro-slavery men. Then two coun- ties, Polk and Pierce, were named for ex-Democratic Presidents, and one for the existing President, James Buchanan. All of these Southern statesmen, except President Polk, had been of valuable personal service to Mr. Rice and were greatly pleased at the rare com- pliment involved in the naming of counties for poli- ticians of others. It is probable that Mr. Rice lost nothing by his courtesy.
But the bestowal of the name of James Knox Polk upon a Minnesota county was proper and befitting. It is understood that his last official aet as President, at 11:45 P. M., March 3, 1849, was his signing of the bill creating Minnesota Territory ; he died at his home, Nashville, Tennessee, June 15 following. When Gen. Sibley, who was Delegate in Congress from what by courtesy was called "Wisconsin Territory" and was pushing the bill for the creation of Minnesota, it was understood that all along he had the sympathy of President Polk. It was unfortunate that he did not live to see the Territory which he helped to ereate be- come a magnificent commonwealth of the Union. He
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was but 54 when he died, having been born in North Carolina in November, 1795. His home was in Ten- nessee after he was eleven years old. IIe served in Congress fourteen years and was Speaker of the House from 1835 to 1839. Ile was Governor of his State from 1839 to 1841. The Democrats nominated him for President in 1848 and he was elected over the great Henry Clay by a majority of 40,000 of the popu- lar vote and of 70 in the electoral college. Ile de- clined a second term. He advocated the war against Mexico and was an efficient President during that contest. But he was opposed to wars in general, and it was largely his great influenee during his adminis- tration which prevented war with Great Britain in 1846 over the Oregon question-a war of which many unwise Americans were decidedly in favor-and when he was in Congress he and some other Congressmen prevented a war with Spain. He was a man of pure and high elaraeter and personally popular. This county need be well satisfied with its name.
Polk County was ereated by the first State Legis- lature of Minnesota in the summer of 1858; it was approved by Governor Sibley July 27. From the Legislative Journals it is learned that the bill was introdneed in the House of Representatives and was known as House File No. 303. It established the coun- ties of Pembina and Polk and was so entitled. It is difficult to learn who was the author of the bill, sinee the Legislative Journals are without indexes; proba- bly it was Hon. John N. Chase, the Representative from the Pembina distriet, which was the 22d and was composed of Todd, Cass, and Pembina Counties. The aet passed the House some time in the first weeks of July and the Senate July 13. In the latter body
the votes were 23 for and 3 against. Those against were Senators Michael Cook (for whom Cook County was named), H. L. Thomas, and George Watson. What their objeetions were is not known.
The boundaries of the county as originally cstab- lished eommeneed at the southwest corner of Pembina County, opposite the mouth of Turtle River and run- ning up the Red River to the month of the Buffalo River, or Georgetown; thenee eastwardly up the Buf- falo along the northern boundary of Breckenridge County, and then along the northern boundary of Beeker County to the southeastern extremity of Lake Itasca; then north and east up the Mississippi to its intersection with the county's eastern boundary line, at the northeastern extremity of Cass Lake; thenee due north to the southern boundary of Pembina Coun- ty, and then due west to the point opposite the mouth of the Buffalo River, the place of beginning.
The county seat of Polk County was temporarily located at Douglass, and that of Pembina County at St. Vincent. According to Sewall's map of Minnesota for 1860, Douglass was located on the Red Lake River, at the new erossing, or where the new Pembina trail crossed the river, and where the Ramsey treaty of 1863 was held. The present site is ealled Hnot I'. O., and consists of one house, which stands in the south- western part of Red Lake County. Douglass was orig- inally a trading post belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company. A town was laid out here in 1858, but it does not seem to have made any progress. No at- tempt at formally organizing Polk County was made until in 1872, and the Legislature did not deelare the county fully organized until March 3, 1873, fifteen years after it had been created.
CHAPTER VIII.
HISTORICAL ARTICLES OF THE EARLY SETTLEMENT.
REMINISCENCES OF THE SETTLEMENT OF POLK COUNTY, BY ELIAS STEENERSON-E. M. WALSII'S DESCRIPTIONS OF PI- ONEER BUSINESS LIFE-LUMBERING OPERATIONS IN POLK COUNTY, BY T. B. WALKER-EARLY BUSINESS ENTER- PRISES, BY E. D. CIIILDS-GENESIS OF THE PRESENT HISTORY OF POLK COUNTY, WITH A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTY'S RESOURCES, BY N. P. STONE, HISTORIAN OF THE POLK COUNTY OLD SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION -- HISTORY OF THE CATHOLIC PARISH OF ST. PETER, GENTILLY, MINN., BY REV. E. TIIEILLON-THE MARAIS COM- MUNITY, BY PETER ALLAN CUMMING ; ITS EARLY PERMANENT SETTLEMENT, ITS PROGRESS AND PRESENT CONDI- TION-FIRST PERMANENT SETTLERS-TIIE CHURCHES-SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS.
REMINISCENCES OF THE SETTLEMENT OF POLK COUNTY, BY ELIAS STEENERSON.
If the history of Polk County begins at the time when it became first occupied by actual and perma- nent settlers, it ean be said to begin in June, 1871. It is true that W. C. Nash settled at East Grand Forks in 1870, but he belongs to the earliest pioneers of the Valley, having come here as a military man and mail carrier, contraetor, and Indian trader, and, while we crown him as the oldest and earliest settler of Polk County, we shall date the real settlement of Polk County one year later.
It is also proper here to mention another name, that of the really celebrated French mixed blood, Pierre Bottineau, who was born in the Red River Val- ley, and as early as 1830 traveled over Polk County as trapper, seout, and messenger. After residing at various other points in Minnesota, he finally settled near Red Lake Falls, Polk County, in 1876. He was instrumental in bringing to Polk County a large num- ber of French settlers, who established what was then known as the French Colony.
SOME FIRST ACTUAL SETTLERS.
Barring the exceptions stated, the first settlers of Polk County are, in the order named, the following : Levi Steenerson, Ole Estenson and family, Ole O. Estenson, Peter O. Estenson, Esten O. Estenson, Peter
O. Setermoe, Ole Jevning, Tollif Ose, Knut Steener- son, Henry Simon, Paul Simon, Gullek Spokley, Salve Spokley, Tollef Tollefson, Jorgen Knutson, John Bremseth, Peter Jacobson, and John Sundet. This was in June, 1871; all were "squatters" on lands along the Red River, extending for a streteh of about twelve miles, and on both sides of Sand Hill River. The land was not surveyed, and each of the settlers had plenty of elbow room. They agreed among them- selves as to boundaries, and each sought to seeure a large proportion of timber, which stood in abundance along the river bank, the sheltered bends forming ideal building places.
TELEMARKEN AND OSTERDALEN.
These settlers constituted two groups or parties. Those settling south of Sand Hill River were aequaint- anees from Houston County, Minnesota ; but most of them came originally from Telemarken, Norway. Those to the north of the Sand Hill were aequaint- anees from Freeborn County, Minnesota, and origi- nally eame from Osterdalen, in Norway. The settle- ments became known among the Norwegians as Telemarken and Osterdalen.
These settlers' chief occupation, for a number of years, was stock raising, both on their own account and on shares, or for pay from the Hudson's Bay Company. Agriculture was eondueted on a compar-
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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY
atively small scale, as the markets were not developed, and, besides, the grasshoppers harvested what they did put in during the first two or three years. Fish- ing for catfish was quite an industry among the set- tlers those days.
THE IRISH, THIE BYGLAND, THE SCOTCHI, AND THIE STAVANGER SETTLEMENTS.
As time went on each of these pioneers corre- sponded with friends in other localities, who soon eame and located near them, and thus the settlements grew at a remarkably rapid rate, the Irish, the Bygland, the Seotch, and the Stavanger Settlements. North of the Osterdalen Settlement, came several Irish fami- lies, and located what is called the Irish Settlement. They came there soon after, but the same year as the Osterdalens, and among them were Peter Genaw, Barney Haggerty, Mike Quirk, Patrick Quigley, Thomas and John Logan, John Garrety, and Mathew Martin.
North of the Irish Settlement, and for a stretch of about twelve miles, is the settlement known as Seterdalen. The first man to settle there was Daniel Ose, in June, 1872, and the next was his brother-in- law, Knute Ose, who took land near him in August of the same year. These two Oses had been indueed to come by Tollef Ose, who was one of those who took land along the Sand Hill River in 1871, and became neighbor and partner to Levi Steenerson, who was engaged in teaming and contraeting for the Hudson's Bay Company. Ile was interested in developing the County, and saw the opportunities for emigrants to soon become independent land owners in this new country. He advised them to come and locate, which they did, and they became the nucleus for that set- tlement, which grew very rapidly, and when it was organized into a town was named Bygland, after the town in Norway where the Oses came from.
That part of Polk County which is now Norman County, from near Georgetown, on Wild Riee River, to north of Marsh River, was settled about the same time as the Sand Hill country, only a little later in
the summer. Among the first there were Joe Grotte and his three sons, Joseph, Nicholas, and Albert. Peter, John, and Tonnes Efterland, Andrew B. Lar- son, Lars B. Larson, Andrew Thompson, L. Hender- son, II. L. Gorden, Ole Halstad, R. and N. R. Hage, and L. L. Hanske. The majority of these immigrants were from Fillmore County, and originally from Sta- vanger, Norway, wherefore it was frequently called the Stavanger Settlement.
The Norwegian stream of emigrants seems to have stopped at Red Lake River, as there we find the Seoteh in possession in the same year, represented by such hardy pioneers as Robert and John Coulter, James Thomas, Robert Nisbet, and William Flemming, who were soon followed by their friends and acquaintances until the Scotch element also had a fair foothold in the virgin soil of Polk County.
PIONEERS NEAR CROOKSTON.
In 1872 parties began to locate on the Red Lake River near Crookston. Among the first there were found Bernard Sampson, E. M. Walsh, Peter Cor- nelius, Christian Sather, John Darko, Delos Jacobus, Wm. Stewart, James Greenhalgh, E. C. Davis, N. P. Johnson, John Christianson, P. J. LaChapelle, and Richard Hussey. They were attraeted by the rail- road survey which located the erossing at the pres- ent site of Crookston.
The Danes and Swedes, not to be outdone, also put in appearances. Of the Danes we reeall Hans P. Johnson, Nels P. Johnson, L. P. Johnson, Ole Chris- tiansen, C. C. Tygesen, and of the Swedes, Nels Wood- strom, Nels and Andrew Malmberg, Olof Erickson, and August Peterson.
DELAY IN RAILROAD BUILDING MADE DISTRESS.
On aeeount of the financial panie of 1873, the rail- road was not completed when expected and the set- tlers, for a number of years, were doomed to disap- pointment and great hardships. The settlers along the Red River were better off, beeanse in summer time the steamboats plied the river as far as Moor-
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head in early spring, and to Frog Point (now Bel- mont), later in the season. In low stages of water, and in the winter time, the Hudson's Bay Company main- tained a stage line on the Dakota side, and trading posts at points ten or twelve miles apart, thus keeping up communication between St. Paul and Winnipeg the year around.
FISIIER'S LANDING FIRST COMMERCIAL POINT.
The projected and partly built St. Paul & Paeifie Railroad was, during the years following, patched up so as to carry traffic between Fisher and Glyndon where it connected with the Northern Pacifie, which was in operation between Duluth and Moorhead. Fish- er's Landing was head of navigation on Red Lake River, and there connected with the steamboats run- ning up Red River from Winnipeg. Thus a traffic was established, via Crookston, between St. Paul and Win- nipeg, which afforded the settlers relief to a consider- able degree. Although in winter they were barred ont of this communication with the outside world, it did not cause such disappointment as at first, as it was all understood before hand, and all were prepared for this condition.
These conditions prevailed until 1880, and during that time Fisher's Landing was the leading business point in the county. In the early seventies the influx of settlers was rather slow, on aeeount of the ravages of the grasshoppers and the unsettled condition of railroad building. It will be remembered that this was the period following the financial panie of 1873 and the failure of Jay Cooke & Company, who were the chief promotors of the Northern Pacifie and other railroads of this country at the time.
FIRST SETTLERS WERE PRE-EMPTORS OR SQUATTERS.
Up to 1876 the settlement of the county extended very little more than has already been mentioned. That is to say, it was settled along the streams; the Red River, the Sand Hill River, and the Red Lake River as far up as a few miles above Crookston; the prairie was unoccupied and in its wild stage. The lands were not surveyed until 1874, so that up to that
time the settlers were merely squatters. It then became known where they were "at," and from that time there were Government regulations to follow.
The Railroad Company had a grant of every odd section for twenty miles from the Red River east, ex- tending from Marsh River to the Canadian Line, and this was in dispute in some way so that it could not be sold, but the company recognized the first applicant to purchase, by acknowledging his application on a postal eard, stating that the application had been re- ceived and placed on file and would receive first consideration when placed on the market, which would be when a decision on the validity of the grant had been reached. While this was all right, these condi- tions made events uncertain, and did not tend to boost things. In a few years, however, this uncertainty eame to an end as the railroad company seeured a favorable decision and put their lands on the market at very reasonable terms, and they went like "hot eakes." It was not long until the prairies were set- tled, as well as the timbered stretches along the streams. Up to this time the country was mainly a grazing country, but now it began to take on a differ- ent aspect. The St. Paul & Pacific Railroad had come into the hands of men familiar with the Red River Valley, of whom N. W. Kittson and J. J. Hill were leading spirits, and the master hand of the now famous finaneier was soon in evidence. The St. Paul & Paeifie Railroad became the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Mani- toba Railroad, and in 1880 was completed to Grand Forks.
THE PERIOD OF REAL DEVELOPMENT.
The years 1878 and 1879 were the real beginning of the development of the Red River Valley. During this period the railroad lands were placed on the market at the rate of $5.00 per acre, but rebated at the rate of $2.50 per aere for breaking three-fourths of it, and an additional rebate of fifty cents per aere for cropping it, so that a quarter section of land cost only $440, and no residenee was required. It was fully as good terms as on Government land; an addi- tional charge, however, was placed on land with tim- ber on it.
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This method encouraged the men on the railroad lands to break up the land and farm it, and produce freight for the railroad to handle, which was of im- portance to the railroad company, in order to show the financiers of the East that the railroad traversed a rich country which would afford traffie sufficient to produce profits on its investment. The plan worked out to full realization for the railroad company, and it was not long until all its lands were sold and the wheat came into the loading stations so fast that they were unable to take care of it for want of cars and elevators. The railroad company then arranged with elevator companies to build elevators, and gave them preference over traek-buyers and flat-houses by de- clining to furnish the latter with cars, and thus foreed the wheat into the elevators. This was a justifiable proposition, probably, from the standpoint of the rail- road company, but it was a bitter pill for the grain growers to swallow, and led to a strife between the farmers and the railroad company. The farmers finally made their demand a State issue, resulting in legislative enactments tending to relieve the conditions and to establish the principle of State control of rail- roads, which recently has been confirmed to the fullest extent by the United States Supreme Court.
It is interesting to reeall the stages of development of this great Valley. First, we find it a stoek country, necessarily so on account of the natural conditions. Transportation was of the erudest kind, mostly by ox teams over poor roads and aeross unbridged streams. The early settler lived snugly along the river bank, well sheltered by tall timber, in which he had a cluster of log buildings, used as dwelling and stables. He had a large herd of fat, sleek eattle, fed exelusively on prairie hay, which had been gath- ered on the vast unsettled prairie with a hand seythe and pitchfork, and which, possibly on account of its having been produced on virgin soil, may have eon- tained a large amount of nutrition, which enabled the cattle to grow fat on it to the exclusion of other food. Unrestricted freedom was enjoyed by the pioneer ; there was no eneroachment by near neighbors and he
had unlimited range for his eattle in summer time, with abundance of timber for building and for fire- wood. These were comforts which to some degree overeame the many hardships of the Red River Valley pioneer.
Then a change came. The prairie began to be set- tled and opportunities for raising stock began to diminish. Claim shanties began to appear on former meadows and pasture lands. Soon there were seen men driving two ox teams abreast before a breaking plow, turning down the green grass and turning up the black soil, making a field at the best rate of speed then known. Then some lands would be fenced, and soon the hitherto bleak expanse was dotted with shaeks and well covered by feneed fields.
These conditions produced two classes of farmers- those who wanted an open range, and those who wanted each one to pasture his own cattle. This question was at one time a burning one in this com- munity, and a spirited election to decide it was onee held in the town of Vineland, as there was at that time local option by the towns on such questions. The party that favored pasture law was defeated, greatly to their disappointment, as they were anxious to extend their wheat fields. When the next Legislature passed a herd law for the State, there were those who attributed it to the railroad company, which, they said, was encouraging the grain growing to the great- est extent possible. This State herd law removed one of the main barriers of progress to the prairie farmers. The stoek man adjusted himself to the new conditions, and soon the railroad companies were flooded with wheat; and then they began to agitate for more stock raising by the farmers. This is a question which still puzzles many wise heads, and is yet to be adjusted, according to professional erities, in a better manner than now prevalent.
DRAINAGE AN IMPORTANT FEATURE OF DEVELOPMENT.
Drainage became of utmost importance, especially so in the southeastern part of the county. The Sand Ilill River lost itself on the flat country near Beltrami,
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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY
and created a vast tract of wet land known, as the Beltrami Swamp, extending from near Marsh River, south of Beltrami, to west of Fisher, a distance of about twenty-four miles, with a width of about six to ten miles. The channel of Sand IFill River was com- pletely obliterated for ten miles across this swamp, and came out again about four miles east of Red River, where it again regained its channel, with high banks fringed with fine timber, and having a fall of several feet to a mile, sufficient to create fine water power. The towns of Vineland and Hubbard were isolated from Fisher, Crookston, and Ada. From the points where its railroad was running it was neces- sary, in order to reach Fisher, to travel around this swamp, making the distance twenty-five miles, in place of fifteen miles straight across, and the same would hold good in order to reach Crookston. We were haul- ing our wheat with oxen which traveled about two miles per hour, so it can be imagined that it was an annoying situation, and a continuous temptation to travel straight across; but if any one was rash enough to yield to the temptation he nearly always met with disaster by getting stuek in the mire. Imagine the dis- gust and despair of a granger who, with his ox team and load of wheat, would get stuck in the mire everv forty rods for a distance of more than six miles (and having to unload and carry the grain sacks on his back across each time), and the desire it would incite in the mind of such granger for better roads and better drainage, and how he would highly resolve to pro- mote such a reform !
It was to some extent due to this situation that the matter of drainage was finally taken up by the State. During the fall of 1879 a mass meeting was called in the Sand Hill Settlement for the purpose of seeing what could be accomplished with regard to opening the channel of Sand Hill River, and also to secure a road across to Crookston, the county seat. The secretary of the meeting was instructed to com- inunicate with the county commissioners and the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railroad Company
with a view to get aid from them to further the enter- prise. This resulted in a call for a drainage conven- tion, which was held at Crookston in a skating rink located on the corner where the federal building now stands. At that convention it was decided to ask the State for an appropriation for a drainage survey, and J. J. Hill pledged one third of the cost. At the next Legislature the appropriation was made and later fol- lowed up by appropriate legislation on the subject, until a system of drainage had been installed which has been of inealculable benefit to our county and State.
Where parties in 1877 maintained a muskrat camp, and the writer partook of a dish of muskrat soup, he, in 1907 established a route and located boxes for rural free mail delivery, and this land today is grow- ing as fine a crop as any other tract in the county, and fine automobile roads traverse it in all directions. Fine frame dwellings and barns can now be seen where in early pioneer days ducks and geese were swimming among the weeds. The fine dwellings and barns now throughout our county present a great contrast to the structures of 1871 to 1878.
A TYPICAL FIRST-CLASS PIONEER DWELLING.
The writer had a log house ten by twelve feet on his homestead in section six, township one hundred forty-eight, range forty-eight; it was covered with elin bark, with turf on top of it to hold it down and make it warm. The logs in the structure were about eight inches in diameter at the top; each end of the log had a notch cut half way into it, and these were laid on top of each other, the upper side being hewed into shape to fit into the noteh of the other log. This dwelling had a door and a window; the ground served as a floor ; three beams and the walls and sides con- stituted the rest on which the elm bark roofing was placed. It was a real modern beam ceiling bungalow. This model was one of the best in vogue for the time for the bachelors, with the exception that mine was smaller than the general run.
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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY
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