USA > Minnesota > Hennepin County > Minneapolis > History of Hennepin county and the city of Minneapolis, including the Explorers and pioneers of Minnesota > Part 63
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HISTORY OF HENNEPIN COUNTY.
St. Paul, and the lecture was delivered, and an abstract of it published as an appendix to the first address before the Minnesota Historical Society."
This year. 1549, was a prosperous one in ill de- partments: preparations were made for the build- ing of churches. The Baptist Church was or- ganized in July. Isso. through the instrumental- ity of J. P. Parsons and W. P. Brown. and in August. the Methodist by Pev. J. G. Putnam and Mr. Newcomb. The Congregational Church. in which the First Presbyterian Church, organized in September. 1850, was merged, was organized November, 1851. with Rev. C. Seccombe in charge. In 1852. the Episcopal Church was organized by Rev. Dr. E. G. Gear and T. Wilcoxson, and the Universalist. by Rev. S. Barnes.
In 1850 some events of interest occurred. During this year several successful attempts were made to navigate the Mississippi to St. An- thony, already mentioned under Hennepin county. The failure to establish regular com- nminication induced some to transfer their resi- dence to St. Paul. A purse of two hundred dol- lars was made up for the " Anthony Wayne." because she established St. Anthony as the head of navigation. The only difficulty was that it would not stay established.
In 1:50 occurred the exciting election for Dele- gate to Congress, in which Mr., now Gov., Sibley and Col. Alexander M. Mitchell were opposing candidates. Messrs. Sibley and Rice had been partners in the Indian trading interests in con- nection with the great house of Pierre Chotean, Ir .. & Co. A quarrel arose in the fall of 1819. in consequence of which Mr. Rice left the firm. General Sibley was at this time delegate to con- gress, and had done good service in securing the passage of the territorial bill. but every effort was made by Gov. Rice and his supporters to defeat him by putting forward and supporting Col. Mitchell. The fears and jealousjes of the people Were aroused concerning the monopoly exercised by the Fur company. and under the cry of " Anti- monopoly." local issues were made at St. An- thony that arrayed many unwillingly against General Sibley. The distinguished novelist. Frederica Bremer, visited here in 1550. In her book, "Homes in the New Work]," she makes happy allusions to this visit. Mr. North and
others had difficulty in getting her across the floating bridge to Nicollet Island.
The first recorded survey of the town of St. Anthony bears record February 23d. 1850, and the plat is entitled "St. Anthony and Steele and Russell Addition to St. Anthony, " by William R. Marshall. The bounds of this plat are Fifth street on the north-east, and the river on the south. The old names of the streets were Mar- shall. Rollins, Dacotah (so spelled on the plat), Todd, Dana. Wood, etc.
The original town was laid out on the south- west quarter of section 14. township 29, range 21. west of the 4th principal meridian. Marshall's Addition, surveyed by W. R. Marshall June 1Sth, 1850, was located on the north-west quarter of sertion 14. Orth's Addition was surveyed May Ist 1855, by L. P. Drake, situated on fractional lot number 2 in section 15. Bottineau's first addi- tion bears no date; his second is dated May 21st, 1555.
In June, 1850, the St. Charles Ilotel was com- pleted, which was begun by Anson Northrup the previous season. It stood on Marshall Street, corner of Sixth Avenue North. It was a two- story building. and had twenty-five sleeping- rooms, a large dining-hall, two large parlors and a dancing-hall: the accommodations were sutli- vient for seventy-five guests. This building was afterward burned.
Among the arrivals of this year were Allen Ilarmon, Edwin Hedderly, Judge Isaac Atwater. (. W. Christmas, Joseph Dean, Peter Poncin, Thomas Chambers, Edward Murphy, George W. Chowen. Simon Stevens, Henry Chambers, W. W. Wales, John Wensinger, Warren Bristol, J. B. Bassett, William Finch and others.
Mr. Christmas was a surveyor and soon em- ployed. Hle replaced the stakes that had been removed on Mr. Cheever's elaim at Cheevertown. or St. Anthony City, as called by Mr. Cheever. Here a hotel was kept, and a remarkable feature was a tower ninety feet high built for observa- tion, bearing the euphonions notice, "Pay your dime and climb." Mr. Cheever also put in a hy- draulic ram that furnished water to the stages which passed his door. Another place of public resort, especially for Sunday driving, was kept by Stephen Denoyer about three miles down the
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MILLS-FIRST NEWSPAPER.
river. Col. Allen, who now keeps the Merchants Hotel at St. Paul, kept a livery stable to provide teams for business or pleasure driving. The dam built in 1847 was a low log frame, and the experi- ence of two spring freshets had proved it inade- quate. lence it was determined to raise the dam, extending from Nicollet Island to the east bank, two feet. During the summer previous, a temporary dam had been thrown across from the island to the west bank, the main object of which was to throw the current to the east chan- nel. The contract for furnishing the timber for the new dam was made between Ard Godfrey and Pierre Bottinean on January 21st, 1851. The arti- cles of agreement provided part payment in oats at 60 cents, corn at 70 cents, sugar at 93 cents and butter at 25 cents; four dollars per thousand, board measure by the St. Croix 'scale, was the price specified for the timber, which was to be delivered by the first of June. These improvements were made in contemplation of running sixteen saws, eight of which were then in operation, producing a total of 50,000 feet per day. Il. T. Welles afterward operated seven of the eight, and had $80.000 invested in the Jum- bering trade here. Lath and shingles were also manufactured, giving employment to more than one hundred men. Farnham & Stimson operated one saw, with about $6,000 invested in the busi- ness. The average price of lumber was $10.50 per thousand. In May of this year a division of the Sons of Temperance, Cataract Lodge No. 2, was organized. In the winter of 1850-'51 the University was located here, and the citizens of St. Anthony raised $3,000 by subscription 10- ward the building. The St. Anthony Express, the first newspaper, came into life May 31st, 1851, under the proprietor, E. Tyler. a merchant tailor, Judge Isaac Atwater editor, and IT. Woodbury printer. The first issue gives notice of the es- tablishment of a new line of daily stages be- tween St. Anthony and St. Paul by Patterson and Benson. The rival stage routes cut down the rates of travel to their own damage and the advantage of the traveling public. Among the items of January 3d, 1852, is the notice of the ar- rival of N. W. Kittson, J. Roulette and Mr. Grignon from Pembina in sixteen days by dog train, a journey of six hundred miles. The question is asked, "IJow long will it be before we
have daily communication with Pembina by rail- road?" and adds, "We will venture to say within the next dozen years," a prediction that came nearer fulfillment than the readers of the Ex- press then anticipated. The temperance element of the place seems to have been in the ascend- aney at that time, for the same paper in its issne of February 7th, 1852, says: "There is not a gambling institution, or a drinking saloon. or a whisky grocery, or a grog shop in town. We have no room for those who frequent such places."
CHAPTER LVIII.
CHIPPEWAS AND SIOUX AT FORT SNELLING- REMOVAL OF WINNEBAGOES-ATTACHED TO HENNEPIN COUNTY -- INCORPORATED AS A CITY-FERRIES AND BRIDGES.
In 1857, a little pamphlet was issued by Thomas ITale Williams, city clerk for many years, from which we quote to show the condition of the city at that time and to show the growth and improve- ment during the first twenty years of its exist- ence. It will be necessary for this history to pass over many events of the intervening years which were full of interest, as rapid growth and development continued, in order to hasten to the other side of the river, where events were trans- piring worthy of our notice. Mr. Williams' pamphlet states that the estimated capacity of the saws then in operation along Main Street was 20.000,000 feet per annum, besides 13,000 shingles and 20,000 lath daily.
Another shingle-mill, on Cataract Island, was estimated at 2,500,000 per annum. D. W. Marr had a steam saw-mill running in the upper town, driven by an engine of 150 horse power, with an estimated capacity of 25,000 feet per day. A machine factory, for turning iron and wood-work, was located below the falls, in which was also manufactured bedsteads, sash, doors, and blinds. On Hennepin Island was the flouring-mill of Rol- lins, Upton and Eastman, and another about half the capacity, near the saw-mill. Another shingle
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HISTORY OF HENNEPIN COUNTY.
and blind factory was built in 1857, on Hennepin Island. by B. C. Morrison. On the west side of Hennepin Island. Messrs. Rogers. Stimson. Kent and Co. erected a two-story stone billing, sixty feet square, with which another. fifty by eighty feet, was connected. for the manufacture of sash, doors, blinds, mouldings, and other inside finish- ings. Two planing-mills and several saws were attached. altogether, with the building, costing about $30.000. This establishment is now nsed as a paper manufactory. The amount of logs brought down the river that season was estimated at 150,000,000 feet.
The University was in process of building, the part then under contract to cost $49.000. A high school or private academy was in session. under the direction of H. B. Taylor. The Baptist, Episcopal. Congregational. Methodist, and Cath- olie societies had church edifices, and an elegant stone church was building by the Universalists. The Winslow House was also building, and its completion the following spring was looked for- ward to with great interest. Its cost was esti- mated at $100,000, and the opinion expressed that it would be surpassed by no house in the U'nited States. When all its advantages are considered. This city still St. Anthony contamed one hun- dred and five business places, including cabinet, hoot and shoe and other shops, several real estate dealers, two surveyors, two architects, two print- ing offices. a number of hotels and boarding- houses, ten lawyers, and eight physicians.
Two steamers, the II. M. Rice and Governor Ramsey, were making regular trips to Sauk Rap- ids and intermediate points, and during the sea- son of navigation, both were crowded with pas- sengers and freight.
On one of these trips, the Governor Ramsey, Captain John Rollins, brought about ninety Chip- pewas from Sank Rapids. From this point they proceeded on foot to Fort Snelling, to meet the Sioux in council for the purpose of effecting a treaty looking to more peaceful tribal relations. A large awning had been prepared at the Fort, under which the Chippewas were ranged, sitting to await thw arrival of the Sioux, who soon came with brandish and warlike flourish, evidently with intent to intimidate their foes, for it must be borne in mind that, though met for the purpose stated, there never existed, and probably never
will exist. a true friendly feeling between these two powerful tribes. During this demonstration the Chippewas remained silent and motionless, not a muscle of the features of any one moving. It is stated by an eye witness, that if the Chippe- was had stampeded, as was the evident design of the Sioux, the latter would, without doubt, have fallen upon them in indiscriminate slaughter. Failing in this, they filed into place under the awning. and assumed the same stolid look as their opponents. Quite a number of ladies were pres- ent on the occasion, which was a matter of great annoyance to the Sioux chief, Little Crow, who made known, through his interpreter, his disgust at the presence, in this "council of braves," of the pale-faced squaws. At this the Chippewa chief. Hole-in-the-day. rose to his feet. and with a dignity and grace worthy of the proudest cour- tier, waved his warriors aside, and invited the ladies to seats upon his side. This act gained for the Chippewa chieftain the highest favor of the assemblage.
In the spring of 1851, the Winnebago Indians were removed from Watab to the Blue Earth reservation, and on their way spent a week at St. Anthony. During their stay they amused the citizens by their dances and discordant songs, and received in return numerous cold lumches, pennies, etc. On a Sabbath morning. the Rev. Mr. Creighton was holding religious services in the old Methodist Episcopal church, when a practical joker sent a band of Winneba- goes to the church, telling them the people who lived there would be pleased with their danee, and would contribmte liberally. The effect upon the audience at seeing their dusky faces peering in at the windows, may be imagined. The worshipers rushed out without the ceremony of benediction, and discovered the imposition too . late to return.
Though Indians were frequently seen. it was a novel sight to the inhabitants of St. Anthony to see several hundred together. The squaws drag- ged the canoes, about one hundred in number, through the streets, and what with braves, sqnaws, papooses, dogs, and canoes, a sensation was created.
St. Anthony was detached from Ramsey county March Ith, 1856, and attached to Henne- pin for greater convenience of its citizens. We
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FERRIES AND BRIDGES.
have thus in the short time covered by this his- tory seen it described in four counties, viz: Craw- ford and St. Croix counties. Territory of Wiscon- sin, and Ramsey and Hennepin, Minnesota. Besides all these, in the early days of St. Anthony an attempt was made, after the organization of Ilennepin county, to set off a strip of territory along the river to form the county of St. An- thony. Wiser minds saw the natural attachment of this to Hennepin county, and to Captain Rol- lins, then in the territorial council, is due the ultimate union of St. Anthony with Hennepin county.
As St. Anthony began to assume importance, measures were taken to secure an act of incorpor- ation, and a bill passed the legislature in 1855, granting corporate privileges to the eity of St. Anthony, describing its limits as including what lies east of the river, of the following sections and parts of sections, viz: section 10 and the west half of seetion 11, sections 13, 14, 15, 23, 24, 25, town 29, range 24, stating that it shall con- sist of three wards; the officers shall be a Mayor and a board of aldermen consisting of six men- bers.
At the next session of legislature, 1856, sec- tion 25 was thrown out by an amendatory act.
In accordance with this act of legislature, the city of St. Anthony came into the sisterhood of cities in 1860, and a municipal government was established.
Many events of great interest in connection with the growth and development of St. An- thony, appear in the history of the county and are inextricably intermingled with the early history of Minneapolis. To these we must therefore re- fer the reader for fuller details, while many more will appear in the histories of the manufactories, and biographies of individuals, and if, after all, facts that some may deem essential, are omitted, indulgence is entreated, because events, in eities of such rapid growth, erowd on each other so as to compel the omission of some.
FERRIES AND BRIDGES.
We desire, now. to eross the river to investi- gate the settlement, growth and progress there, but before we advance further it will be interest- ing to recall the first method of crossing and fol-
low up the improvements, by a sketch of ferries and bridges.
The first. and for a long time the only means, of crossing the Mississippi at this point, was by fording on the ledge at the foot of Nicollet Island. which could be performed only at low water and before the building of the dam. The current was very swift and horses required shoes to hold on the rocks and avoid slipping. At Boom Island the current was less rapid, and here crossings were made with canoes. One old squaw, who netted fish and lived mostly on the river, derived considerable income from setting travelers aeross with her canoe.
In 1847, Mr. Steele established a ferry near the site of the present suspension bridge, from Nicol- let Island to the west shore. Teams were still compelled to follow the ledge in crossing the eastern channel to the foot of Nicollet Island, and thence up the Island to the ferry, which con- sisted of a flat boat with posts near each end, over which a large rope or cable was drawn, fastened at each end to the banks of the stream. The eable served a double purpose, preventing the drifting down stream, and affording a means for hauling the boat across. R. P. Russell, Mr. Steele's agent, took charge of the ferry, at first employing Dubey to operate the boat. Edgar Folsom arrived late in the fall of 1847, and the following summer took charge of the ferry and ran it one season: after this, Captain Tapper had charge until the building of the bridge, when he assisted in that, afterward collecting the tolls.
Several stories are told at the expense of Mr. Folsom when in charge of the ferry. Once, be- fore he had become familiar with the operation, he lost patience with the man running the boat because he did not obey his orders, and cast the rope off one of the posts to escape a blockade of ice that was straining the rope like a bow-cord. Seizing it himself, he cast it off, but was hurled more than twenty feet on the rough ice by the re- bound of the cable. In another instance, a daughter of Reuben Bean, who had located on the west side, was out in a canoe on the river, being quite skillful in its use, from experience on the Illinois river, the former home of the family, but striking the cable of the ferry, she was upset and in some danger. Folsom hastened to her re- lief and after extricating her from her unfortu-
24
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HISTORY OF HENNEPIN COUNTY.
nate situation demanded the damsel's hand as remuneration for his gallantry. but she thinking the demand too high. exclaimed. " Put me back on the ferry rope." Another incident that or- curred near the ferry. but later. while Captain Tapper was in charge, came near proving fatal to more than one. In this case. Simon Stevens and Captain John Tapper went to the resene of a little boy about seven years of age, who was alone in a boat floating rapidly toward the falls. It appears that an older boy in stepping out of the boat had lost hold of it. and unwittingly placed the little fellow who was in his charge, in jeopardy. The loud vries of the older boy attracted the attention of the reseners to the little fellow, who, with in- nocent meoncern. was enjoying the motion of the boat. They rescued him. though they were com- pelled to row so near the brink of the falls them- selves, that for a moment. it was doubtful which would be victorious. the strong eurrent or their strong arms. Their best efforts at first failed to show any gain, but at last inch by inch. they pulled away from their perilous situation. The little boy in this story became one of the business men of this city. J. Il. Pottle, the carriage man- nfacturer. The total income of the ferry the first year was said to be only $300. It soon proved inadequate to the demands, and Mr. Steele conceived the idea of a suspension bridge and carried it out. Our history has not yet reached the west side, but we shall soon see, what Mr. Steele saw. a royal neighbor asking for a royal passage across the stream. History informs us that when Queen Elizabeth proposed to honor Kenilworth Castle by a visit, Leicester ordered a portion of the outer wall thrown down, and a broad passage made, stating that he had never till now had need for a portal that was fit for the passage of a Queen. Franklin Steele seems to have had as grand an idea of Minneapolis. The un- dertaking was the more startling, as the great Mississippi had never been bridged from Lake Itasea to the Gulf. It was undertaken in 1851, as a private enterprise by the Minneapolis Bridge Company, consisting of Franklin Strele. I. T. Welles and company, and was eight months building. Init on the 19th of March follow- ing. it was dismantled by a heavy gale. and nearly all summer consumed in repairing the damage. July 1th, 1855, the first team cross-
ed. It is worthy of mention, that the famous "Vermont Morrill." driven by Chester Mar- tin first crossed the bridge. This horse was brought from Vermont, when five years old. to St. Anthony in 1855, and remained here two years. Probably the most celebrated horse ever raised in the county. was the "Finch " horse sired by the first horse that crossed the first bridge over the Mississippi river. Two years later the tolls at this bridge were estimated at $12.500 per annum. Allowe truss bridge was built in 1856-7. across the river between 11th and 12th avenues south-east.about three rods above Bridal Veil Falls. and was in charge of Robert 11. Jefferson. Dur- ing a time of high water in 1859, logs were caught by the bridge, in consequence of its being built too low, and it became a wreck. Calvin A. Tut- tle gave the right of way to the approaches.
It will serve to explain the distance between the ferries and bridges, if we recall the fact that they were private enterprises, under charters obtained from the State, and by the terms of their charters, each was protected against oppo- sition by a provision that no similar charter should be granted within a mile.
The government bridge across the ravine on Third Street. and another connecting Main Street with Hennepin Island. and still another connect- ing Main Street with Nicollet Island were built previous to 1857. and at this date a bridge was building across the Mississippi, about a mile be- low the Suspension Bridge. by the Minnesota Bridge Company. at a cost of $52,000. In 1852-3 a wooden bridge was built across the east ehan- nel. which was repaired and replaced by other similar structures. This obviated the necessity of fording the river, as had been necessary pre- viously. The wooden bridge was replaced in 1878 by the present stone-arch bridge. The rail- road bridge of the St. Paul. Mineapolis & Mani- toba Railway was constructed in 1868 at a cost of $75,000 by the St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Company. A draw-bridge was built near Orth's brewery, which remained in use about six years. All these were toll bridges except that replaced by the stone-arch bridge. The upper and lower bridges now in use were built in 1871, by the King Bridge Company of Topeka. Kansas. The Suspension Bridge was purchased by the county from Franklin Steele and made a free bridge.
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THE WEST SIDE.
The present Suspension Bridge was built in 1876 and is the pride of the city. Its breaking strain is estimated at 4,980,000 pounds; total strength of all the cables, 10,995.072 pounds. The main cables are nine inches in diameter and swing in- ward about six feet. The outside cables sup- porting the walks are three and one-half inches in diameter and swing inward about eleven inch- es. The length of wire used, exclusive of wrap- pings, is 1,421 miles. The towers are eighty feet high; the length of the bridge 630 feet. Walks for foot-passengers are on both sides of the drive. Its entire cost was $221,024.50. Even this struct- ure proves inadequate to the demand, and a proposition is on foot to extend the bridge in width by swinging outward the eables supporting the walks, which as stated above now swing in- ward.
A plan has been matured, and preparations are now making for the construction of a railroad bridge diagonally across the river from the east- ern end of the lower, or iron bridge, to Hennepin Island, and thence to the western end of the suspension bridge, the entire length of which, ineluding that part of the track laid on Henne- pin Island, will be nearly three-quarters of a mile, or more than six times the length of the suspension bridge. The building of this great structure is with a view to a union depot, and as affording railroad access to the new Pillsbury "A" mill, and other mills about to be built.
CHAPTER LIX.
WEST SIDE-JOIIN H. STEVENS -HON. ROBERT SMITH -- OTHER RESIDENT CLAIMANTS -- EARLY EVENTS.
It is unnecessary to recapitulate the facts in regard to the military reservation embraced in the county history, and the history of Fort Snell- ing, in preceding chapters. We refer the reader to these for information necessary to an under- standing of the ditlieulties and trials experienced by the early settlers of the west side. This in-
visible barrier restrained all settlement within the sacred territory until 1849, when Hon. Robert Smith, then a member of Congress from Illinois, and John II. Stevens, just returned from the Mexican war, received permits from the govern- ment to occupy one hundred and sixty acres each of the reserve. Late in the fall of this year Mr. Stevens commenced building his house, and the following spring completed it and moved on his land. We cannot forbear introducing Mr. Stevens at his first arrival in the state, for his character appears at first sight. General R. W. Johnson describes his first meeting with the hearty Colonel as follows: "At Fort Snelling, I met for the first time Colonel John H. Stevens between whom and myself an intimacy sprang up, ripening into a friendship which will last as long as life. The Fort Snelling post-office was the principal office in the territory, and to all intents and purposes Stevens was Postmaster General of the North-western Territory. Stevens came here to lend his energy towards building up the state, and the part he has performed has been well done. An inventory of his baggage and worldly goods when he arrived in Minnesota may not prove uninteresting. Before leaving Illinois, he had laid in the following bill of goods which he purchased of B. Il. Campbell, of Ga- lena: one bbl. pork, $9.50; 200 Ibs. ham, $8.00; 10 1bs. coffee, $1.00; 1 lb. tea, $1.00; 14 lbs. sugar, $1.00; Įsack salt, .50; 1 lb. pepper, .30; 43 lbs. tobacco, $1.67 : 1 bbl whiskey, $6.84. Think of that, will you, 38 gallons of whiskey at 18 cents per gallon! This bill is interesting on several accounts. It shows how we had to de- pend upon ourselves; the character of the meat our 'Cæsar' fed on; and the difference between the prices of to-day and twenty years ago. The amount of whiskey may seem large, but it must be remembered that we had no communication with the outside world from the close until the opening of navigation. For the truth of history it should be recorded that Stevens was a temperate man, who never took a drink ryen. He brought the whiskey with him, to have a remedy at hand in case he was bitten by a snake. and to have it in his power to extend the usual western hospi- tality. Such was the character of our early settlers.“
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