History of Goodhue County, Minnesota, Part 2

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago, H.C. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1264

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In Stanton. Cannon Falls and Vasa, rounded or elongated knobs and ridges rise abruptly from the plains to the height of about one hundred and fifty feet, and to a certain extent the same features may be seen in Welch. Burnside, Red Wing, Featherston, Hay Creek and Florence. But in the latter town- ships the knolls are larger and higher.

In those vastly remote ages, so remote that the passage of time sinee then can only be vaguely estimated and expressed in terms of thousands of years, when nature, by the exertion of her forces, was preparing the earth for the habitation of humankind. occurred a period known as the glacial epoch. by reason that a large part of the earth was covered with vast fields of solid ice, many hundreds of feet deep. With the melting of this ice were formed vast seas and streams in which floated huge icebergs. composed both of stone and ice, which plowed out the valleys which are now dry land, and wrote their evidences in scratches upon the rocks, and gradually melting, left various deposits of mnd and gravel in the turbulent waters. On the shrinkage of the high waters of the glacial epoch. numerous streams were dried,

HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY

old channels were abandoned, and the hastening currents made deeper cuts in the gravel and loam, which they themselves had previously deposited there. The location of these old streams, some of which were dried up, or changed their courses thousands of years ago, forms an interesting subject for conjecture. Colonel William Colvill during his lifetime, after long study, suggested the course of some of these old streams in the following words : "Hay creek, going upstream, carried one of these currents. The Trout brook, whose branches came down through those mag- nificent gorges, now followed by the roads leading up to Feath- erston, came at the old tannery, on to the ground now held by Hay creek. The bluffs below the tannery, on that side, are a con- tinuation of the Trout brook bluffs, and beyond the range of Hay creek at any time. At the then mouth of Tront brook, on the river, struck in the current, and soon broke across the narrow and low divide, into Hay creek, followed along its valley to the inill. Section 12, Featherston, near its then head, and broke over into the wide and deep valley which there comes down from Featherstone-pointing directly to the great bend of Hay creek. This bend was then a part of the main valley of Wells creek, and the current then flowed down that, now dry, valley to Wells creek mill, on the present stream. With what eloquent tongues do the acrid cliffs and isolated peaks of that old dry valley speak. They seem to echo the thundering floods which in those days bat- tered their faces, and, like the gigantic bones of an old creation, to tell us the history of the past."

Colonel Colvill conjectured. further, that the water of Wells creek was not then able to reach the Mississippi freely, but passed through some of the valleys now tributatory to it, south- ward into some of those that are tributatory to the Zumbro, mainly through the valley of Skillman's brook. uniting with the Zumbro at Mazeppa. The disproportion between the size of the Zumbro valley and the drainage area which it now serves has been noted by geologists, and this hypothesis serves to account, possibly, for this irregularity. There is still observable by one passing southwesterly, a perceptible valley, running southeast- wardly, outlined on the west by the Trenton bluffs all the way from northeastern Vasa to southwestern Zumbrota.

Another probable water course which is now abandoned was from Cannon Falls, northeastwardly. The observer is struck with the narrowness of the Cannon valley at once on passing Cannon Falls, as compared with the width of the low, flat valley, lying next north. It is probable that much of the water of the Cannon, in glacial times, passed north of the bluffs that lie next north of the village. Some of it re-entered the Cannon valley again about at the mouth of Belle creek, by way of Trout brook,

HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY

and some of it passed northeastward to the Mississippi at Etter, the same place, where the Vermilion waters entered it. The descent of this northeastern flat to Etter is about one hundred feet for the uplands, but three or four hundred feet for the valley in which the waters were collected.

The greatest recorded elevation in Goodhne county is on the line of the Chicago and Great Western, on Section 23, Kenyon, being 1,250 feet above the sea level; but large areas of several other townships, notably Cherry Grove, Roscoe, Holden, Wana- mingo, Leon and Belle Creek, would doubtless, if subjected to careful measurement, prove to have nearly, if not quite, the same elevation.

The average elevation of the county, estimated from contour lines, taken by railroad officials, would be as follows: Central point, 725 feet above the sea; Florence, 975; Waconta, 925; Red Wing, 800; Hay Creek, 975; Belvidere, 1,100; Burnside, 825; Featherstone, 1.000; Goodhue. 1.100: Zumbrota, 1,075; Pine Isl- land, 1,075; Welch, 925; Vasa, 975; Belle Creek, 1,050; Minneola, 1.075; Roscoe. 1.125; Cannon Falls. 925; Leon, 1,080; Wana- mingo. 1.150; Cherry Grove, 1,200; Stanton, 925; Warsaw, 1,050; Holden, 1,150; Kenyon, 1,210. Florence and Central Point in these estimates are considered equal to one town, their areas being as 7 to 1; Wacouta, Red Wing and Burnside make another, their areas being as the figures 1, 2, 8; Welch and Stanton together make two towns. The figures give an estimated average eleva- tion for the county of about 1,045 feet above the sea.

The soil of Goodhue county is based on a clayey sub-soil, in all places except on the terrace plains that skirt the main streams. This clay is generally fine and loamy; but in the high prairies of the western towns it is mingled with some pebbles, and even foreign boulders of a foot or more in diameter. Yet, how- ever frequent the stones on the surface, or in the immediate sub- soil, the real soil, which sustains the crops of the farmer. is invariably of a fine grain, and usually of a black color, with a thickness from a few inches to several feet. The stones in the sub-soil, which appear in the western part of the county, gradu- ally disappear toward the east. and are wholly wanting in the extreme eastern part of the county. The sub-soil in the rolling towns of the eastern tiers is a fine yellowish loam, in some cases a compact clay.

Goodhue county abounds in lumber along the rivers, and also in several other portions. The following list has been compiled. giving the trees native to this county, together with a short description of each variety. In addition to those found in the list there are a few smaller trees, like the plum, crab apple and thorn apple, which are of little consequence. Among the culti-

HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY

vated shade trees which have been induced to grow here are the Balm of Gilead, White Poplar, Scotch Pine, Mountain Ash, White Spruce. Balsam. or Fir. and Arbor Vitae. The native trees are as follows :

Rock Maple-Not abundant : it is very valuable for fuel, and fine for shade, but of rather slow growth. Soft, or Red Maple- A good shade tree, but easily broken by storms. Box Elder- Common in rich woods; a hardy shade trec. Sugar is made from this tree in some parts of the state. Basswood-Abundant in rich woods. One of the most beautiful trees for shade. Its lumber is excellent for furniture. Black Cherry-Very valuable for lum- ber. Some trees are found here which grow to be quite large. White Ash-Well known as a large and valuable forest tree. It is used much for shade. Red Ash-Not common. Grows in low grounds. A small tree which resembles the white ash. Green Ash-Grows near river banks. Upper half of leaves have sharp teeth. Black Ash-Not abundant. It grows in swamps and wet banks along streams. A small tree with tough wood. Red Elm. or Slippery Elm-Well known, and ranks with the better grade of soft wood for fuel. White Elm-Abundant in rich soil along rivers. An elegant shade tree. Rock Elm-Very scarce. Wood very hard and timber valuable. Sugar Berry, or Hack Berry- A small tree bearing sweet fruit, the size of wild cherries. Not abundant. Grows by river banks. Black Walnut-A beautiful . and valuable tree found along streams. Butternut-Grows in damp. rich soil, with wood softer and lighter than the walnut. Butternut-Hickory-Abundant on moist land. Bark smooth. The nut is small and bitter. Very valuable for fuel.

Paper. or Canoe Birch-Grows sparingly on river banks. The Indians use the bark of this species for making canoes. Black Alder-Found at the Big Falls. It resembles the black cherry. Ironwood. or Hophorn Bean-Common in rich' woods. and is excellent for fuel. Has hop-like fruit. Blue. or White Beech- Grows along streams. Its wood is very hard. Burr Oak-Pin oak; abundant. It varies much in size and appearance. Very valuable for timber and fuel. White Oak-Not common. Trunk more smooth and bark lighter colored than burr oak. Black Oak. or Serub Oak. or Jack Oak -- Grows in dry soil and has deep- eut leaves, shining on the upper surface; has a small acorn with a deep cup. Red Oak-Abundant on rich soil on elevated ground in this vicinity. It resembles the black oak. but the trunk is smoother and more slender and light colored. The leaves are larger. not deeply ent nor shining above. Acorn large and oblong, with shallow cup. It is often mistaken for the black oak. Com- mon Poplar, or Popple-Well known: grows further north than

HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY

any other deciduous tree. Large Tooth Poplar-Bark darker. Colored leaves with large teeth. Less common than common pop- lar. The wood is harder and more valuable for fuel. Cotton- wood-Largely used as a shade tree. A rapid grower. White Pine-Found in several places along the banks of rivers and small streams, but now largely cut off. Red Cedar-A beautiful tree found in small quantities along the banks of streams.

To do justice to the detailed description of the geological structure of the county would be to use more space than the lim- its of this volume would justify. The thoughtful reader will find much valuable information on this subject in the second volume of a publication entitled "The Geology of Minnesota," dated 1885. edited by N. H. Winchell, upon whose statements much of the information in this chapter is based.

The first deep well drilled in the county is at the station of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad, beginning at the grade line of the road, 687 feet above the sea. The work was done by W. E. Swan, of McGregor, Ia .. who estimated the discharge at 800 gallons per minute. The water could rise seventy-five feet above the surface when confined in a pipe. The water began to How at 190 feet from the surface, and kept on increasing to the end. Another deep well situated about eighty rods west of the Milwaukee station, three rods south of the track and thirty feet above it. spouted three hundred barrels per day, rising thirty feet above the surface. This well passed through 160 feet of drift materials and entered the sandstone one hundred feet. Following is the record of the well at the Milwaukee depot, as given by Mr. Swan: Sand and gravel. 40 feet; sandy shale, 10 feet ; blue shale, 50 feet ; sand rock, 10 feet : blue shale, 30 feet ; mixture of sand, quartz and limestone, 45 feet ; soft sandrock, 265 feet. Total depth, 450 feet.

In the early part of 1887 August Peterson obtained another artesian flow at the extreme northwest corner of section 26. township 113, range 15, in the valley of Spring creek. The surface of the ground where this well begins is about fifty feet higher than at the well above mentioned, and the water rises freely through a pipe that stands twenty feet above the surface. On striking the yellow, green and brown sandrock, the water rose to within twenty-five feet of the surface, and increased constantly in volume and force as the well went deeper. The bottom of this well is 146 feet short of the bottom of the well at the depot. The water is soft and pure. The record of this well was taken by the late Colonel William C'olvill as follows : Sand and gravel, 112 feet ; compact sandrock, 4 feet; blue sand- rock, 30 feet ; green slaty shale, 90 feet ; yellow, green and brown sandrock. 15 feet; white sandrock, 104 feet; total depth, 355

HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY

feet. Since these first three, numerous others have been success- fully sunk, and the city of Red Wing is soon to receive its water supply from artesian sources. With the increase in the number of wells, the force of the water has been somewhat diminished.

While Goodhne county is pre-eminently an agricultural one, outside of the cities and villages, yet it has several other sources of material wealth. The county is abundantly supplied with building stone, and from some of the quarries a large amount of stone has been sent to various parts of the Northwest. There are quarries at Frontenac and Red Wing, from which stone has been obtained for buildings in Red Wing, St. Paul, Minneapolis and elsewhere. There are other quarries of lesser importance at Belvidere, Hay Creek, Featherstone and Vasa. Another product produced in large quantities is quicklime, and sand for mortar is abundant whenever access can be had to the gravel terraces, or the plains, along the principal streams; but in the absence of that, resort can be had to the sandstone, which can easily be excavated for that purpose. Such use of this roek has been made on the southwest quarter of seetion 23, Goodhue township. There are some townships. however, in the southwestern part of the county, in which sand for mortar has to be hauled a great distance, the whole county being uniformly covered with a clayey loamn.

Brick of excellent quality is made at various points. The old capitol at St. Paul was made of red pressed brick from Red Wing, and the Red Wing product in this line is known far and wide for its excellence. The clay found in Goodhue township has caused the making of stoneware to become practically the leading industry of Red Wing. From this elay are manufactured the finest kinds of white and yellow stoneware, and also the sewer pipe which has a national reputation. A fine quality of sand is also shipped for filtering purposes. There is but little peat in the county at large. Along the old valleys in the eastern part of the county are found some peat beds, but as vet little has been done in the line of making it a commercial product by its successful use as fuel.

The animals native to Goodhue county are deer, elk, bear, fisher, beaver, otter, mink, muskrat, coon, squirrel (black, fox, red and chipmunk), fox, wolf (cayote and lumber), weasel, skunk, gopher (pocket and striped), wild cat, lynx, badger, wood- chuek, porcupine and a very few buffalo, though these were stragglers from the south. The buffalo, badger. porcupine, otter, beaver, fisher. bear, elk and deer are now practically extinct.

Elijah Haskell Blodgett, deceased, will always be remembered as one of the most kindly and best beloved of Red Wing's most prominent citizens. His period of activity in this city began in

E. He Blodgett

PUBLIC T

ARTER 1 .

HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY

the early days and extended until the day of his lamented death, June 6, 1909, although he retired from the more strenuous duties of his career several years before. Mr. Blodgett came of sturdy old New England stock, the name of Blodgett being an honored one in the Colonial annals of that section. His father, Ashley Blodgett, a native of Massachusetts, married Orill Haskell, the daughter of an old Vermont family, and together they estab- lished their rooftree on a large farm in Weathersfield, in the Green Mountain State. In 1835 they moved to Middlesex, Ver- mont, and there continued farming until 1854, when they retired from active life and took up their residence in Norwich in the same state, where the mother ended her days in 1867 and the father in 1894, the latter having reached the honored old age of ninety-nine years. Elijah was born in Weathersfield, Vt., February 16, 1832, took advantage of such education as the primitive district schools of his time afforded, and supplemented this with a course in an academy at Montpelier, Vt., later learn- ing the carpenter's trade, which he followed at Windsor, Vt., from 1848 to 1855, in the meantime acquiring a knowledge of wood pattern making, which he made his occupation in the same village from 1855 to 1866, with the exception of the year 1857, which he spent at Newark, N. J. Like many other young men of his day, he then determined to try his fortunes amid the wider opportunities of the great Northwest. Arriving in Red Wing May 31, 1866, he first entered the employ of the late T. B. Sheldon, who at that time conducted a large grain elevator. After several years of faithful and efficient service, Mr. Blodgett was admitted as a partner, the firm being known as T. B. Sheldon & Co. In this enterprise Mr. Blodgett continued until 1902, when he sold the business and retired. During his more active days he served as mayor and alderman, as president of the Red Wing & Trenton Transit Company, and as president of the board of education. He had extensive interests in the manu- facturing industries of Red Wing, and at the time of his death was a director in the Red Wing Union Stoneware Company, the Red Wing Sewer Pipe Company, and the LaGrange mills. Mr. Blodgett was married September 17, 1855, at Hartland, Vt., to Sarah P. Sturtevant, of that place, a daughter of Thomas F. and Rosaline (Taylor) Sturtevant. the former of whom was an extensive wool manufacturer. Mrs. Blodgett died March 28, 1906, and is laid at rest in Oakwood cemetery, as is her husband. At the entrance of this cemetery is a beautiful arch, erected by Mr. Blodgett in loving memory of his wife.

Hon. Joshua C. Pierce, one of the sturdy pioneers who laid the foundations for the future financial integrity of Red Wing, was born near Nashua, N. H., December 8, 1830. When young

HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY

he went to Boston and started in life for himself as a news- boy. By dint of much saving, he managed to secure funds suffi- cient to pursue a course in surveying in the Academy of New Hampshire. It was in 1855 that he came to Red Wing and entered the land business as a member of the firm of Smith, Towne & Co. He followed that business until October, 1868, when, in company with T. K. Simmons and A. W. Pratt, he started the bank of Pierce, Simmons & Co. When the bank was incorporated Mr. Pierce became president of the institution, and retained that position until the time of his death. He also served several terms in the Minnesota legislature, being elected on the Democratic ticket. Mr. Pierce was twice married. During his lifetime he was an enthusiastic supporter of all enterprises tending toward eivie growth and improvement. The name is perpetuated in Red Wing by a nephew. A. P. Pierce, for many years mayor of the city. J. C. Pierce died June 13, 1904.

CHAPTER II.

GEOLOGIC AGES.

Formation of the Earth-Cooling of the Crust-The Various Periods as Outlined by Scholars-Appearance of Vegeta- tion-First Animal Life-Geologic Formations of Goodhue County-Influence of These Distance Periods on Modern Existence.

It was necessary for the earth to undergo many changes before it became suited for the habitation of man. According to the students, the globe was originally a mass of molten rock. The cooling process was undoubtedly a slow one, and the crust just under our feet did not become hard enough and cool enough to rest any superstructure on for perhaps many thousands of years. Probably many ages passed while it was a rough, ragged, irregular mass of granite-the skeleton of the future earth. Abrasion and erosion ground the surfaces of the mass into powder. Oceans swept over it. Chemical changes operated upon it. Next the sandstone was laid np. Then came the magnesian limestone of which our bluffs are composed. At this period fossil life begins. The reptilian age came on. The icthyosaurns, the pterodactyl, the ignanodon and plesiosaurus and other huge monsters wallowed and splashed in the muddy water. Then came the glacial period. The edges of the bluffs were polished and seamed by huge icebergs on their way down from the North. The Mississippi at that time covered a vast area. What are now towering peaks were then islands, scarcely reaching above the water. But the glacial period passed. Vegetation appeared. The earth rejoiced in scenes of beauty. Mammals came. Man, rude and uncouth. the contemporary of the mammoth and the cave bear, appeared on the scene, and the era of humankind commenced in primitive barbarity.

Some years ago Prof. E. W. Schmidt, M. A., of the Red Wing Seminary, was induced to write a short article on the geology of Red Wing and the surrounding environs of Goodhue county.

HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY

Later he amplified the article, but the managers of this publica- tion present the former paper as the one which comes within the scope of this work, and one well suited to popular reading by those not familiar with the story of the formation of this county from the time when the earth was a mass of liquid fire down to the age when it was suited to the occupation of man. The paper follows :

"It is with considerable reluctance that I assented to discuss this subject, because my pursuit of knowledge in this realm has been prompted by a love of nature and recreation, by a desire for relief from the wearisome routine of the daily vocation, by a wish for increase of culture and the pleasures that spring from contact with nature, rather than from a desire to perfect myself in any particular study. These investigations are a splendid field for training the powers of observation and judg- ment, and a lesson in patience in slowly spelling out the silent pages of nature's book, wherein is imprinted the geologie history of prehistorie Goodhue county.

"The subject is so vast and the material that can be com- manded so abundant that the greatest difficulty in discussing it lies in knowing what to omit, rather than in finding sufficient material. The object in the following is an attempt to present the broad outlines of our natural environment. Let us endeavor first to read the story of the rocks and hills, of the uplands and the valleys, of the artesian wells and the gravel terraces, of the fossils and of the rocks, and see how nature fashioned our present abode upon the ancient sea floor and turned it from a barren sea of waste waters into the picturesque spot that makes Red Wing famous for its beauty, cheers us with its never wearving aspect, and makes it a suitable location for industrial and educa- tional enterprises. If we ascend Barn bluff near Webster's Way, we pass over strata of various materials. Some layers are com- posed of quite pure quartzoze sand, others of sand mixed more or less with earthy impurities. Other layers present shaly lime- stone, others more massive and finer grained lime. Nodules of chert and cavities filled with crystals can be seen at various elevations. Some of the strata also contain fossils. The lime- stone that eaps the bluff can be traced up Cannon river, where, in the vicinity of Welch, it is surmounted by a hardened layer that seems to be a mixture of sand and the limestone that can be seen still further up the valley as distinct strata. At Cannon Falls Mr. Scofield will gladly take you to the top of the bluffs. where an outerop of different limestone reveals a cemetery of ancient creatures, lying exposed on one of the farms. It might here be noted that our sandstones are composed of more or less angular fragments, worn smooth with a tendency to round-

HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY

ness. Their size is fairly uniform in the same layer. The lower layers contain coarser grains and the succeeding higher ones finer grains.

"At Claybank can be seen the clay pits. At Wanamingo the limestone quarries are filled with mummies of countless crea- tures, while on the fields are boulders of volcanic rock, covered everywhere in our county, as with a mantle, by till and loam. Along our rivers lie the terraces and gravel bars which add so much to the beauty of our deeply-eroded valleys. The above features constitute the main geologic formations of Goodhue county. The story of these formations is believed by geologists to be about as follows: The hard archæn rocks revealed by borings represent the ancient sea bottom when the earth had cooled sufficiently to form an outer crust and the vapor of the atmosphere had become sufficiently chilled to form the sea, which covered the outer crust. Then the nucleus of America appeared at the north. The sea had a powerful sweep against the newborn land. The absence of vegetation favored swift drainage. The high rate of the earth's revolution favored the formation of rapid ocean currents. The tides produced by such a rapid motion hurled themselves with fury in quick succession upon the beach. The higher temperature of the atmosphere favored. torrential rains and produced most violent storms. The presence of many gases and acids and the barrenness of the land all favored the rapid disintegration of the rocks under the attacks of the atmos- phere, while the heaving of the sea washed the debris back, scattering it over the floor of the sea. The finest parts were carried furthest, so that the sand in our county is a testimony of the comparative shallowness of the former sea. The grains of sand were sifted, sorted and smoothed in their journey. This explains also the fact that the grains in any one layer are fairly uniform in size. The difference in color is due to storms or later infiltrations; coarser or finer grains determine greater or less distance transferred. The succession of sandstone, shales and limestones is due to the successive rising and sinking of the ocean surface. The shales were formed by the stirring up and blending of the sand with the new material coming in above it. The limestones were deposited in quiet, deep waters, but the succeeding elevation permitted the waves to stir them up in places into dome-shaped structures and knolls of varying thiek- ness. Wherever the sea encroached on the northern land, the sand was left further north, and we received the finer materials. When the sea receded it washed backward the sand upon the deeper formation. That our roeks are sea deposits is shown by several clearly read proofs. 1-The nature of the material and character of the grains of sand and lime. 2-Their horizontal

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History of Goodhue County, Minnesota, Part 2

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn Publication date: 1909 Publisher: Chicago, H.C. Cooper Number of Pages: 1264

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago, H.C. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1264