History of Dakota County and the City of Hastings, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 45

Author: J. Fletcher Williams
Publication date: 1881
Publisher:
Number of Pages:

USA > Minnesota > Dakota County > History of Dakota County and the City of Hastings, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota > Part 45

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.Early in the winter, Philander Prescott, ac- companied by Mr. Devotion, a sulter, stopped at Lieutenant Oliver's camp, simply because, con- trary to expectation. they found a camp there. They were on their way from Detroit, to the mounth of the Minnesota, which point they soon after reached.

Prescott afterwards became prominently iden- tified in affairs with the Indians, and still later, returned to the vicinity of his early visit, be- came the founder of Prescott, Wisconsin, which still bears his name.

Although having been Indian farmer at Lake Calhoun, and living with an Indian wife at the time, he was among the very first to be slaugh- tered in the terrible massacre of 1862.

"OLIVER'S GROVE."

The place where Lieutenant Oliver and his men had passed the winter of 1819-20, and where they were visited by Philander Prescott, became known, subsequently as the woods or "grove where Oliver camped," hence "Oliver's Grove" and finally, by a French elision, doubtless as "Olive Grove." This designation was current, for more than thirty years, and came quite near being legalized and made permanent.

Thus the spot in the wilderness, was given an identity. It had a name, although only by an ac- cident, and henceforth was a definite place. How-

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ever it may have been in the present instance, it is not infrequent, in the settlement of counties, for mere accidents of this nature to determine the site of future cities, and form first centres for the gathering of men.

JOSEPH ROLETTE, OF PRAIRIE DU CHIEN.

Joseph Mosher, an old Canadian voyageur, who formerly resided on the river three or four miles below Oliver's Grove, once informed Dr. Thomas Foster, that when he first came into the country about 1821, Rolette, the famous trader of Prairie du Chien, had a trading house of logs, on the left bank of the Mississippi, directly op- posite the present Libbey lumber mill. It was occupied, according to Mosher, only in the winter seasons, when an outfit of goods was sent up from Prairie du Chien, with which to secure the furs brought in by the Indian trappers on the Cannon, and in that region of the Mississippi. The occupant or occupants of that trading house, must occasionally have crossed to the Hastings side of the river.

Major Joseph R. Brown, Indian trader, has the honor of being the first white man to settle at Oliver's Grove. He was here under a trader's license in 1833-34. He built a trading house of logs and having a stone chimney, on the brow of the second bench of land above the Mississippi, near the site of the present City hotel. Major Brown was a man of rare ability and rendered important aid and played an important part in the early developement of Minnesota.

He came into the country as a drummer-boy, with the detachment of troops that came in 1819 for the purpose of erecting what is now Fort Snelling. He was distinguished as an Indian trader, as a member of the Wisconsin legislature, as founder of the first settlement at the head of Lake St. Croix, as founder of the town of Hen- derson, as clerk of the first territorial council, and a member of succeeding territorial and state legislatures; as editor and publisher of the St. Paul Pioneer, and in nearly all the public affairs of the early days. He represented Dakota county in the legislatures of 1854 and 1855, and as lum- berman, politician, editor and soldier during the outbreak of 1862, founder of cities, and later in life as an inventor, he became one of the most widely-known of Minnesota's public men. The

state has attempted to do honor to his memory by affixing his name to one of her counties. Major Brown was born in Harford county, Maryland, in 1805, and died in New York city in 1870.

Such was the career, in brief, of the first white settler of Oliver's Grove. He was a man in every respect worthy of the city which has since arisen on the spot he once inhabited. He is reported by the oldest surviving settler of Minnesota to have been holding his post at Oliver's Grove in 1889-'40.

For some years after this the old log-house stood lonely and deserted. Indeed, it was not occupied continuously, at all, from 1834 to the latter dates, as will be seen by the extracts from Featherstonhaugh's journal given below. Mr. David Hone, who crossed the river from Point Douglas in 1845, on a fishing excursion to the Vermillion, reports the building as standing at that time untenanted. He and his companion, Hertzell, were lost among the burr-oaks and the dense growths of alder, hazel and Kinnickinnic bushes, and "Brown's Magazine," as the old trading-house was long called, served them as a land-mark in recrossing to their homes. In 1850 the "old magazine" had either decayed or been burned down, but the stone chimney was still standing. This chimney, or the stones of which it was composed, tradition says were a part of the contents of the first lime-kiln operated at that spot, by a Mr. Tripp, in 1856; and further, tradi- tion says that the last vestige of this first white man's dwelling on the site of Hastings is pre- served in the mortar with which the foundations of the City Hotel were cemented.

In 1835, G. W. Featherstonhaugh, an English- man, under direction of the United States gov- ernment, visited Minnesota, and, on returning to London, published a book, to which he gave the title, "A Canoe Voyage up the Minnaysotar." He ascended the Mississippi on his way to the "Minnaysotar," and the night of September 10th, 1885, encamped at the site of Hastings. He writes in his journal as follows: "From this point (the mouth of the Saint Croix) the Missis- sippi becomes gradually narrower, diminishing to two hundred and fifty yards, where there is a prairie on the right bank, and at length, after winding very much, becoming only one hundred yards wide. Here I stopped for the night, on the

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right bank, at a fertile bottom, where there was a small deserted house, not far from our bivouac, once occupied by a trader of the name of Brown, formerly a discharged soldier. This Mr. Brown, the sergeant informed me, was a gay deceiver amongst the Indian fair. First, he married. after the Indian fashion, a half-breed young beauty, the daughter of a person named Dixon. Then, becoming tired of her, he took another wife of the same degree, a daughter of a Mr. Mckay. They had both of them lived with him at this place."

Featherstonhaugh's work is unreliable, as well as vulgar, and is profuse in attacks on individual character, regardless of the facts in the case. Mr. Brown was legally married to Miss Dixon, though afterwards divorced. Featherstonhaugh was not a gentleman himself and left unpleasant memories in Minnesota of his disagreeable con- ceit, which, it appears, led him to attack in his writings the characters of honest Republicans, who would not minister to it, nor look with favor upon his obstrusive and aristocratic no- tions.

But to resume his narrative: " While the men were pitching the tent (near Brown's deserted " magazine "), I heard a deep, throbbing sound, coming at intervals from a great distance, which the men told me proceeded from the cataract at St. Anthony. The evening being fine for fishing, I took the sergeant with me, after I had supped, to an Indian lodge I saw in the distance, hop- ing to be able to borrow one of their canoes, our own having been landed at the men's bivouac. We found an old squaw, her son, and some young children at the lodge, but no canoe. I therefore promised the youth a piece of pork, if he would go with the sergeant and bring a canoe, for we were very sure they had hid the one which be- longed to them, but the little fellow refused to go unless he was paid first, so I told the sergeant to return to the camp and procure a piece. But now another difficulty arose, the old squaw would not let me stay by her fire until they came back, because, she said, her children would be fright- 'ened and would cry. * * . We procured * the canoe at length, but had no success; and I retired to my tent rather late, listening to the throbbing sound of the cataract until I fell asleep."

It seems ludricious, that a sergeant who had such an extensive knowledge of the personal af- fairs of Major Brown, had not knowledge enough of the geography of the country, to inform Mr. Featherstonhough that the throbbing sound which he describes, proceeded, not from the cataract at St. Anthony, but from the beautiful cataracts on the Vermillion!

The English explorer might well regret that he had been so misinformed, (had he known it), and that he had lost the opportunity of gazing on those important as well as beautiful water-falls, whose existence he was thus unwittingly the first to chronicle.

However, he concludes with the subjoined re- marks: "September 11-This being a place where we were very much annoyed by musquitoes, we were glad to pursue our course early in the morning. We found the river free of islands, and not more than one hundred and fifty yards wide."

Featherstonhaugh completes the list of the earlier visitants to the site of Hastings. Naviga- tion of the Mississippi by steamboats had been begun in 1823, and from that date to the period of permanent settlement, which now demands our attention, the waters of the river were vexed with paddles much stronger, though scarce swifter than the paddles of the Indian. But whatever passenger might be aboard, though perchance im- pressed with the natural advantages of the situa- tion, about Oliver's Grove, he passed it by, uncon- scious that it had a name, and leaving it as it first appeared to him from the deck of the steamer, an unbroken wilderness.

The date of the permanent settlement of Oli- ver's Grove or Olive Grove, should properly be fixed at 1850. At least permanent settlement be- gins there, for from that year to the present day, it contained continuously at least one civilized in- habitant.

Point Douglas, nearly opposite Olive Grove, began to be permanently settled in 1840; and in 1849, Prescott, its near Wisconsin neighbor, out- stripped it in the race of civilization, which bad bred a quiet rivalry between them. At both these latter places there were gathered pioneers, who were eager to make a settlement, on the opposite bank of the Mississippi. That bank, however. and all west of it, the redoubtable Sioux still re- tained as his possession and his home. The would-

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be settler was restrained from passing over to oc- cupy it, by legal, if not by moral considerations. and a respect for the government, emphasized also by a wholesome dread of the red man in the event of the whites becoming a trespasser.

It was apparent though, to all shrewd men, that it could be but a short time at the longest, be- fore the Sioux would either be bribed or driven to relinquish his title, in favor of the United States. Claims might then be made, and men waited in anticipation of the day.

THE BAILLYS.

Among those who were thus watchful of the signs of the times, was Alexis Bailly, a French- man reputed also to have a tinge of Ottawa blood in his veins.

He was clerk for the American Fur Company at Prairie du Chien, and was agent for the same company at Mendota in 1883-34. In 1849, and for some years thereafter, he had charge of the trading post at Wabasha, which place was long his home. He married a daughter of Jean Baptiste Faribault, and had three daughters and and three sons. The mother was one-fourth, and the children, consequently were one eighth Sioux, with a tinge of Ottawa blood in addition. The sons were Alexis P., Henry George and Daniel Bailly. Of this family. Alexis Bailly, the head, Alexis P. and Henry, his sons, were more or less identified with the development of Olive Grove into Hastings, as follows: Mr. Bailly, Sr., acted in the capacity of planner, counselor and general head, though he was here but little; his eldest son was here still less, while Henry G. Bailly, was the real settler, the principal worker, and later on the zealous townsman. He married a daughter of David Barker, an early settler, and in the war of the rebellion, yielded up his life at Gettysburg.

In the early days Mr. Bailly, Sr., used often to make the journey with his family, in a canoe, from Wabasha to Mendota, and in the milder sea- son hunting and fishing, would sometimes take weeks, in reaching his destination. He was thor- oughly acquainted with all the country about the upper Mississippi, and had fixed upon Olive Grove, as an inevitable place for a town site. Ac- cordingly Henry G. Bailly was detailed to keep a hold of the proposed site, and be ready on the

spot as the first claimant, after the making and ratification of the anticipated treaty.

This plan of the Baillys was admirably carried out, as there could be no legal occupancy, except under the license of a trader, such a license was procured, and Henry Bailly came to Olive Grove, as its first permanent settler in 1850.

The first dwelling in the permanent settlement was "The Old Buckhorn." As indicated above, al- though Henry Bailly was located, ostensibly as a trader, his real purpose was that of a settler. He selected as the site of his trading house, or dwell- ing, a spot not far from the junction of Second and Vermillion streets, as they are to-day. Here he built, with assistance, a log hut, twelve by six- teen feet in dimensions. Subsequently, a "kitchen" was attached to this "main" part, and its dimensions were ten by twelve feet. Here Mr. Bailly kept his "trading post," having on hand a few "calicoes and trinkets," and trading with the Indians simply enough to hold his li- cense. He made frequent journeys to Wabasha, and, in fact, was there not a little of the time. During his absence from his post, a half-breed, or an Irishman, John Conklin by name, guarded the premises. This Irishman was a peculiar char- acter, and from his frequent assertions that be had captured the celebrated Sac chief, Black Hawk, he was known to the early settlers as old John "Blockhaute."

The trading house was occupied afterwards as the first hotel of Hastings, and from the fact that the antlers of a stag had been nailed up over the door, it was known, and is known in memory only to this day, as the "Buckhorn Hotel."

The old "Buckhorn" was removed in 1856, by Mr. Dixon, to his farm on the Vermillion, but not until it had been the witness of many changes as well as of many kindly deeds and mirth pro- voking scenes enacted within its walls.

Henry G. Bailly and his cook, were the only inhabitants of Olive Grove, in 1850, and up to the summer of 1851. They were visited, November 25th, 1850, by Dr. Thomas Foster, afterwards a settler, when it was deemed prudent for settlers to come.

THE TREATY AND THE SQUATTERS OF 1851.

August 5th, 1851, the long anticipated treaty was signed at Mendota, by which the lower bands

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of Indians ceded their lands on the west bank of the Mississippi. It was not ratified until the following year. Settlers however, waited for no such legal formalities, as ratification, removal of the Indians and government survey of the lands. They began at once to move in upon the soil as "squatters." From this date, the history of what is now Hastings, diverges.

At that time, the settlement at Olive Grove and at Vermillon falls, were far removed from each other, but since they are now made one, under the name of Hastings, and since squatters came contemporaneously to each, their history may properly be combined.

THE FIRST SQUATTER'S LODGE AT VERMILLION FALLS, VAN RENSALAER AND TRUAX.

In the summer of 1851, George W. Van Ran- salaer, a young man from Schenectady, New York, built the first white man's lodge at the beautiful Upper Falls of the Vermillion. This lodge was 6x8 feet in its proportions, and the ma- terial for it, was transported from Arcola, in Washington county.

Van Rensalaer was under an agreement with Justus C. Ramsey, of St. Paul, and possibly others, whereby they were to keep him in sup- plies, and receive in return one-half of the future claim. Representing that Ramsey had failed to fulfill his part of the agreement, Van Ransalaer made endeavors to sell out.

He is known to have placed his figures at five hundred dollars, and early in 1853, on selling to Ramsey, and receiving, as he reported, twelve hundred dollars in payment, he departed for the Pacific coast.

Just below the falls, and on the other side of the Vermillion, in what is now section 34, Abra- ham Truax, a cousin of Van Rensalaer, also had & elaim.

Abraham Truax was born in Canada, located on the above claim in 1851, and was for a long time, personally interested with the Bailly's. He was generous, to a fault, hardy in physique, and consequently, possessed of no little influence in the squatter politics of the early days.

Dr. Thomas Foster, a native of Indiana, came to Olive Grove, in company with Alexis Bailly, Sr., on the 21st of August, 1851, and made a ,claim, embracing the south shore of Lake Isabel.

He was the first man to settle near the town site after the signing of the treaty at Mendota. He was also the first practicing physician of this . region, and was a man of no little ability. He served as private secretary to Governor Ramsey, under both territorial and state administrations, and, in 1858, became editor of the Minnesotian, at St. Paul. This latter position he filled for some time. He was also member of the consti- tutional convention, and afterwards state librarian. In fact, he was an able, active and stirring man, and of late years has been editor of the first paper ever published at Duluth.

Dr. Foster proceeded, in the winter of 1851-'52, to erect the first house in Olive Grove, after the trading house. It was located on Lake Isabel, and the body of it was constructed of logs, which the three Baillys and old John "Block- haute" assisted in putting together. David Hone, of Point Douglas, drew a load of lumber for this dwelling from St. Paul. Mr. Truax, Sr., of Point Douglas, and D. W. Truax. his son, as- sisted in the carpenter work. Edward F. Parker, a brother-in-law of Dr. Foster, and who must be considered as a settler of 1851, having come to Olive Grove in November, also aided in the la- bors of the occasion.

THE EVENTS AND THE SETTLERS OF 1852.

These were, neither of them, astonishingly numerous at Olive Grove. In their bearing upon the future Hastings they were, neverthe- less, important. Dr. Foster's house was com- pleted early that year, though not occupied by his family until in the fall. The doctor left Olive Grove for an interval, as E. F. Parker did also, in the spring of 1852, having lodged at Henry Bailly's since January. On his return, Dr. Fos- ter brought with him his family.

Mrs. Hannah E. Foster, who was long resident here, was the second lady settler at the original town site. A young son of the Fosters, a mere lad at the time, will be remembered by the early settlers as having suddenly disappeared from home, and leaving no clue to his whereabouts. After the lapse of a year or two, he returned from the country of the Chippewas, on the St. Croix. Among whom he had been for that length of time an entirely voluntary resident. Later in life, this same son journeyed over much of the

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United States and Mexico, and at present is an enterprising editor in Dakota territory.

FIRST SQUATTERS AT THE LOWER FALL OF THE VERMILLION.

These were two brothers by the name of Os- borne. They pitched their lodge in section thirty-four, and included the Lower Fall of the _Vermillion in their "claim." They came in 1852, probably in the summer, but were little known, and soon departed.

They sold their interest, or more properly their "chance," in 1853, to the Halsteads, mentioned below.

NARRATIVE OF WILLIAM FELTON.

On the departure of Dr. Foster and Parker in the spring of 1852, Olive Grove, or the original town site of Hastings, was again reduced in res- ident population to Henry G. Bailly and a half- breed, or possibly two. Alexis Bailly, as princi- pal proprietor and general head, had seen, from his home at Wabasha, some slow but sure devel- opment of his plans. His son Henry had been faithful, constant and denying to a degree that challenges our admiration. He was growing weary of the solitude, the inaction and the hum- drum of life alone, when William Felton, Mahala D. his wife and their son Elias left Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in June of 1952 for the west.

They embarked on the Ben Campbell, and were going, they scarcely knew where, only that it was "west." They descended the Ohio river to the Mississippi, and turning northward made quarters with the Bailly family at Wabasha, June 13th, 1852. Alexis Bailly, pleased with the appearance of his guests, and still hopeful of a ; future for Olive Grove, delegated his son, Alexis P. Bailly, to accompany Mr. Felton thither on a tour of reconnoissance. Early in the morning of July 3d, the two set out on horseback; a third horse, two colts and a pair of Indian dogs follow- ing to complete the caravan. They followed the well-marked Indian trail, passing the Indian village at Red Wing without stopping.

There was no white settlement anywhere on their route. Late in the evening, when it had become dark. and themselves. as well as their horses, were much fatigued, they camped for the night. The morning disclosed to them that they were unexpectedly near their destination, their

camp having been on section thirty-three, on the land now owned by John Van Hoesen.

They immediately proceeded to Henry Bailly's and Mr. Felton describes the population in and about Olive Grove as follows:

At the trading house they found Henry Bailly, a French boy named Louis, and Gabriel, a half- breed, who was afterwards killed in the upper country in a quarrel with the Indians. Dr. Fos- ter's house was up, but untenanted.

This completed the catalogue of dwellings and occupants on the town site.

In the centre of what is now called, in conse- quence, House street, in addition thirteen, Mr. Gillson had a log house erected, but his home was still at Point Douglas. A little further to the west, and in the northeast extremity of section 29. John Blakely, from Canada, also had a log dwelling; but like Mr. Gillson he still made his home at Point Douglas. Both these latter dwell- ings were considered at that day to be consider- ably "out" from the townsite.

The shanties of Van Rensalaer, Truax and the Osbornes, on the Vermillion, together with their occupants, completed the entire description of men and dwellings within the present limits of Hastings.

In the matter of live stock, Henry Bailly had under his surveillance two yoke of oxen, four cows and some young cattle.

Mr. Felton remained here four or five days and returned to Wabasha on a steamer, which stopped at Olive Grove to take him aboard. He was well pleased with the situation and soon ar- ranged with Alexis Bailly, at Wabasha, to return to Olive Grove as a permanent resident.

While he was at Wabasha. in August, of 1852, the old chief of that name, came down from St. Paul, by steamer, on Sunday morning, and hast- ening to the Baillys, informed them that the treaty had been ratified, and that the whole pop- ulace of St. Paul "were wild and hurrahing."

Mr. Bailly was no less delighted, and insisted on Mr. Felton's going out with him, before break- fast, and staking out "a claim." This entirely useless procedure was gone through with; useless because the "claims" so staked were embraced in the "half-breed tract."

Mr. Bailly was more anxious than ever that the Feltons should make their home at Olive Grove,

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and engaged to keep them in supplies at the trad- ing house, in return for their making a home out of it for his son Henry.

The Felton's came, accordingly, by boat, and reached their destination September 6th, 1852.

The first white woman settler on the original town site was Mrs. Mahala D. Felton. The family continued the above arrangement with the Baillys until the following spring. On their arrival at Olive Grove they found the trading house deserted, ex- cept that Van Rensalaer was stolidly sitting in the sun outside. Mrs. Felton, after much hunt- ing and difficulty, prepared a supper, and soon in- troduced such civilized comforts into Olive Grove, as only a genuine woman can bring to any com- munity. She made butter from the cows, cooked for the men, and later on for all new comers, by whom her hospitality was thankfully acknow- ledged and long remembered.

OTHER SETTLERS OF 1852.

Just previous to the arrival of the Feltons, some time in August of 1852, Mr. Gillson, with his wife and two daughters, moved into the log house previously alluded to and continued to occupy it for about two years, when they removed to Missouri.

The Foster family also entered their house on Lake Isabel, and as to E. F. Parker, the follow- ing extract from a recent letter dated at Wash- ington, D. C., 1881, will explain why he had for a season, left Olive Grove. "July 5th, 1852," he writes: "I married Cynthia A. Pond, who had resided with her brother-in-law, Levi Hertzell, at Point Douglas. I was the first white man who lived at what was then called Olive Grove, now Hastings, who married; but I had to go into civi- lization to hunt a wife. I was married by Rev. Boutwell, near Stillwater.

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History of Dakota County and the City of Hastings, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 45

Author: J. Fletcher Williams Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Number of Pages:

Author: J. Fletcher Williams
Publication date: 1881
Publisher:
Number of Pages: