History of Houston County, Minnesota, Part 3

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge
Publication date: 1919
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1343

USA > Minnesota > Houston County > History of Houston County, Minnesota > Part 3

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Minnesota struggled desperately, in the period from 1858 to 1863, to overcome the financial disasters of 1857 and to regain the prosperity which, a few years before, had seemed the State's natural heritage. Abundant crops of 1859 and 1860 restocked the granaries, and it was hoped that the

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HISTORY OF HOUSTON COUNTY

difficulties would be overcome. But the presidential campaign served only to develop the disturbing situation throughout the country, followed by the war period, commencing with the President's proclamation, in April, 1861, in which the young State not only contributed her full quota of men for the preservation of the Union, but also was forced to fight for her own existence through one of the worst Indian uprisings ever witnessed in America.

Governor Alexander Ramsey chanced to be at Washington on the twelfth of April, 1861, when news that Fort Sumter had been fired upon, and war, which so long had been a probability, became a reality. He hast- ened at once to the war department and offered one thousand men from Minnesota, the first tender of troops from any quarter after the fall of the Charlestown fortress. On April 15th President Lincoln's war proclamation was published, and on the 16th Ignatius Donnelly, acting governor, issued a call for the first regiment of volunteers, which was assembled, organized and quartered at Fort Snelling with amazing rapidity, and before Lee sur- rendered at Appomatox, thus ending the war of the Rebellion, Minnesota had furnished a total of 22,160 troops.

The war, calling so many able-bodied men from the State, left the frontiers almost defenseless and, although the Indians had more or less complaint to make regarding extortions practiced on them by post traders, no serious outbreaks had occurred. They were, however, becoming more and more restless and coming off their reservations at increasing recurring intervals.

A sentiment was growing among the whites that the Indians should adopt modes of civilization, the splendid agricultural lands which they con- trol should not be left idle. Therefore, the head chiefs were induced to go to Washington, in 1858, in charge of Hon. Joseph R. Brown, for the purpose of negotiating for the transfer of the whole, or part, of the twenty-mile strip on the upper valley of the Minnesota River, which had been reserved for them by the treaties of 1851. The transfer was made and a ten-mile strip on the north side of the river was relinquished to the Government for an agreed price of $140,000. The Government also provided that every head of a family, or single person over 21, adopting civilization, should receive in fee eighty acres of land. When, however, for some cause, the payments were not made and no money was divided, on account of the relinquishment, the more hostile Indians became rebellious. Internal strife arose and was augmented from time to time by the withdrawal of families who were willing to sever tribal relations and accept the civilization fund provided in the earlier treaties. These were, however, annuity Indians and had a right to be heard in councils. They numbered about six thousand two hundred and received an annual cash payment from the Government of about fifteen dollars each. They were treated as wards of the Govern- ment and handled little or no actual cash, agencies having been established, around which gathered storekeepers who sold the Indians goods in anticipa- tion of the annual payments.

The discontent continued to increase, however, and the hostile feeling against the whites was in no wise ameliorated by some injustices which

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crept in with the dealings at the agency stores, culminated in the great massacre of 1862.

On the seventeenth of August, 1862, four Indians made a threatening attack upon a family in the township of Acton, twelve miles west of Litch- field. They drove the family to a neighbor's house, where, after an alter- cation, they killed three men and two women. They lost no time returning to camp and reporting what had happened. The Indians, after consulta- tion, decided to stand by their fellows, and a general uprising followed by the entire Sioux bands. Their movements were so swift that before effective resistance could be brought about, eight hundred men, women and children were massacred within a few days.

State and national authorities took prompt action, and a detachment of volunteers, under command of General Sibley, aided by some Union troops, met the savages near Wood Lake, on September 23, overwhelmed them and released a large number of women and children, who had been taken captive. The 2,000 Indians captured were given a trial and 303 were found guilty of murder and rape and condemned to death by military court martial. A reprieve by President Lincoln saved all but thirty-eight of the most prominent, who were hanged at Mankato on the 26th of December, 1862. Many of the Indians who escaped capture fled into the Dakotas, but two expeditions were sent after them and, in 1864, the final chapter of the Sioux outbreak was written when the Indians surrendered their ponies and arms to the Government.

Settlers, who had lost property through the Indian raids, were compen- sated to the amount of $1,370,374 following an investigation by a commis- sion appointed by the Government. This money was taken from the trust fund, which had been created for the Indians under the treaties of 1851, and which amounted, at that time, to $2,520,000. With the payments of the claims to settlers by act of Congress, further annuities to the Indians were stopped.

Despite the drain of war upon the male population of the State an increased acreage was sown during this period and, with the beginning of Scandinavian immigration into Minnesota, the outlook appeared brighter for its future.

The close of the Civil War, in 1865, with the return of the soldiers, and with no further outbreaks by Indians, a new era of prosperity loomed. New railroad companies had been granted charters on the road-beds taken in the foreclosure proceedings of 1857, and during the next five years the population increased to 239,760. The Government was making large ex- penditures for war claims, war bounties, payments to discharged soldiers and the payment of other bills made money plentiful. Agriculture was given a great impetus by the steady influx of immigration from northern Euro- pean countries and the population steadily increased until, in 1875, Minne- sota's population was 597,407. An effort was made, during this era of prosperity, to adjust the matter of the dishonored railroad bonds, but it was not until 1881, at an extra session of the legislature, that an act was passed authorizing final adjustment on the basis of 50 per cent, payments

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to be made from the proceeds of 500,000 acres of internal improvement lands.

The million-population mark was passed by the State between 1880 and 1885. The development of the Dakotas, subsequent to 1885 and the breaking up of virgin soil in that territory, doubled the wheat yield of the Northwest, and the Minnesota farmer turned his attention more to diversi- fied activities, with especial reference to dairying.

From 1885 to 1890 the population continued to increase, the national census in the latter year giving Minnesota credit for 1,302,826 inhabitants, and five years later, in 1895, the State census showed a population of 1,527,619.

In April, 1898, the United States declared war on Spain, and Minne- sota, following the example shown in the Civil War, was the first to respond to the call for troops, and furnished four regiments. They were designated the Twelfth, Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth. The first three were mustered into service at St. Paul, May 7, after being mobilized April 29. The Fifteenth Regiment was mustered into service July 18. A total of 5,315 officers and men were furnished by Minnesota. The Twelfth and Thirteenth were mustered out in November, 1898; the Fifteenth, March 27, 1899, and the Fourteenth, October 3, 1899.

At the beginning of the present century Minnesota's population was 1,751,394; the State enumeration taken in 1905 showed 1,979,912, and the Federal census showed Minnesota's population to be 2,075,708, and by 1918 it was estimated that this had increased to 2,550,000.

During the four years, from August, 1914, the world has been in a turmoil and, although President Wilson did not declare war on Germany until April 7, 1917, Minnesota troops had been in active service more than a year prior to that date on the Mexican border. The first change from peace to militant activity for the State came with orders, June 18, 1916, for the Minnesota National Guard to go to Llano Grande, Tex. The First, Second and Third Regiments of Infantry and the Second Battalion of Field Artillery were mobilized at Fort Snelling (named Camp Bobleter), June 26. The Third Regiment left for the Texas border July 10; the First Regiment July 12; the Second Regiment July 15; the Second Battalion of Field Artillery July 20, and the First Battalion of Artillery Oct. 1, 1916.

After service on the Mexican border the Third Regiment was mustered out, at Fort Snelling, in December, 1916; the First Regiment was mustered out March 14, 1917; the Second Regiment was mustered out January 24, 1917, and the First Field Artillery Regiment was mustered out February 28, 1917.

When President Wilson issued his war proclamation against the Im- perial German government, on Good Friday, April 7, 1917, Minnesota, therefore, was somewhat prepared, as the Minnesota National Guard's service in the Southwest had somewhat prepared them.

The First Minnesota Regiment was called out March 26, 1917, and mustered into service April 7; the First Field Artillery was called June 24 and mustered in July 20; and the Second and Third Infantry Regiments were called July 15 and mustered in at the companies' home stations at

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various dates from July 21 to 29. These three regiments were again sent to the Southwest, but this time were stationed at Camp Cody, near Deming, New Mexico. The First Field Artillery left for Camp Mills, L. I., Septem- ber 4, 1917, and a few weeks later was sent to France, where it upheld the honor of the State and Nation as the 151st United States Field Artillery.

In June, 1917, the Conscription Act became effective and all men between the ages of 21 and 31 were registered for military service, and later this was extended to men up to 45. More than a half million Minnesota men were listed as registrants; and, up to the fall of 1918, nearly 100,000 of Minnesota's best manhood was in the service, either with the Federalized National Guard or in the National Army.

To better enable Minnesota to do its share in the war, the legislature of 1917 passed an act creating the Commission of Public Safety, to be composed of seven members, including the Governor and Attorney General, and appropriated $1,000,000 for its use. This commission had almost unlimited powers and was to continue in existence until three months after the war ended. One of the first acts of this commission was to create the Minnesota Home Guard, comprised of volunteers in practically every city and town in the State, and approximately 20,000 men, from 18 to 52, became members. The commission also adopted and enforced other orders, in- cluding the closing of saloons in certain sections of the State and aiding the Government in its "work or fight order," as well as establishing standard minimum prices to be charged for commodities. In addition to these activities the State co-operated fully with the National Government in bringing to bear every natural resource, including the output of the mines and forests.

The formation of three new regiments of Minnesota National Guard was also authorized, in the summer of 1918, by the Governor, to aid in home defense.

Toward the end of 1918 Minnesota suffered one of the most serious catastrophes in its history through forest and prairie fires. On the after- noon of October 12, a small blaze, which had been smouldering in the peat bogs of Aitkin County for weeks, fanned by a high wind, suddenly broke forth into a seething, blazing mass and swept across sections of Aitkin, Pine and Carlton counties toward Duluth. The fire, fifty miles in width, destroyed the thriving villages of Moose Lake and Cloquet and nearly 600 men, women and children lost their lives. The property loss reached $30,000,000. The military authorities were sent to the scene and worked for weeks rehabilitating the refugees; the people of the State responded quickly to the call for succor so that before winter set in everything possible was done for the sufferers.

But the terrible calamity was expected to bring good results, for the people were aroused to the necessity of adequate protection in the future, not only of the lives of the settlers in the forest area of Minnesota, but for the safeguarding of the forests themselves.

Another serious disaster befell on the afternoon of Sunday, June 22, when a cyclone struck Fergus Falls, and entailed a heavy destruction of life and property. But with characteristic Minnesota courage the people

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rallied from this catastrophe, the citizens of the State came to their rescue in every way possible, and an even fairer city is arising on the ruins of the older one.

Chronology

1635. Jean Nicollet, an explorer from France, who had wintered in the neighborhood of Green Bay, brought to Montreal the first mention of the aborigines of Minnesota.

1659-60. Groseilliers and Radisson wintered among the Sioux of the Mille Lacs region, Minnesota, being its first white explorers. In a previous expedition, four years earlier, they are thought to have come to Prairie Island, west of the main channel of the Mississippi, between Red Wing and Hastings.

1661. Father Rene Menard left Keweenaw, on Lake Superior, to visit the Hurons, then in northern Wisconsin, and was lost near the sources of the Black and Chippewa rivers. His breviary and cassock were said to have been found among the Sioux.

1679. July 2, Daniel Greysolon Du Lhut (Duluth) held a council with the Sioux at their principal settlement on the shore of Mille Lacs. Du Lhut. in June, 1680, by way of the St. Croix River, reached the Mississippi and met Hennepin.

1680. Louis Hennepin, after captivity in the village of the Mille Lacs Sioux, first saw the Falls of St. Anthony.

1689. May 8, Nicholas Perrot, at his Fort St. Antoine, on the Wis- consin shore of Lake Pepin, laid formal claim to the surrounding country for France. He built a fort also on the Minnesota shore of this lake, near its outlet.

1695. Le Sueur built a fort or trading post on Isle Pelee, now called Prairie Island, above Lake Pepin.

1700. Le Sueur established Fort L'Huillier, on the Blue Earth River (near the mouth of the Le Sueur), and first supplied the Sioux with firearms.

1727. The French established a third fort on Lake Pepin, with Sieur de La Perriere as commander.

1728. Great flood in the Mississippi.

1763. By the treaty of Versailles, France ceded Minnesota, east of the Mississippi, to England, and west of it to Spain.

1766. Captain Jonathan Carver visited St. Anthony Falls and Minne- sota River. He claimed to have made a treaty with the Indians the fol- lowing spring, at a cave afterward called "Carver's Cave," within the present limits of St. Paul, by which he said they ceded to him an immense tract of land, long known as "Carver's Claim," but never recognized by Government.

1796. Laws of the Ordinance of 1787 extended over the Northwest. Territory, including the northeastern third of Minnesota, east of the Mississippi River.

1798-1799. The Northwestern Fur Company established itself in Minnesota.

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1800. May 7, that part of Minnesota east of the Mississippi became a part of Indiana by the division of Ohio.

1803. April 30, that part of Minnesota west of the Mississippi, for the preceding forty years in possession of Spain as a part of Louisiana, was ceded to the United States by Napoleon Bonaparte, who had just obtained it from Spain.

1803-04. William Morrison, the first known white man to discover the source of the Mississippi River, visited Elk Lake and explored the streams entering into the lake forming the head of the river.

1805. Lieutenant Z. M. Pike visited Minnesota to establish govern- ment relations there, and obtained the Fort Snelling reservation from the Dakotas.

1812. The Dakotas, Ojibways and Winnebagos, under the lead of hostile traders, joined the British during the war. Red River colony established by Lord Selkirk.

1819. Minnesota, east of the Mississippi River, became a part of Crawford County, Michigan. Fort St. Anthony (renamed Fort Snelling in 1825), established, and a post at Mendota occupied by troops under command of Colonel Henry Leavenworth. Major L. Taliaferro appointed Indian agent, arriving in the autumn of that year.

1820. Corner stone of Fort St. Anthony, later called Fort Snelling, laid September 10. Governor Cass visits Minnesota and makes a treaty of peace between the Sioux and Ojibways at Fort St. Anthony, Aug. 1. Colonel Josiah Snelling appointed to the command of the latter post.

1823. The first steamboat in Minnesota arrived at Mendota, May 10, Beltrami being a passenger. Major Stephen H. Long explored the Minne- sota River, the Red River Valley, and the northern frontier. Beltrami explored sources of the Mississippi.

1826. Great flood on the Red River; a part of the colony driven to Minnesota, settling near Fort Snelling.

1832. Schoolcraft explored sources of Mississippi River, and named Lake Itasca (formerly called Elk Lake).

1833. First mission established at Leech Lake by Rev. W. T. Boutwell.

1834. The portion of Minnesota west of the Mississippi attached to Michigan. General H. H. Sibley settled at Mendota.

1835. Catlin and Featherstonhaugh visited Minnesota.

1836. The territory of Wisconsin organized, embracing the part of Minnesota east of the Mississippi, the part on the west being attached to Iowa. Nicollet visited Minnesota.

1837. Governor Dodge of Wisconsin made a treaty at Fort Snelling, with the Ojibways, by which the latter ceded all their pine lands on the St. Croix and its tributaries; a treaty was also effected at Washington with a deputation of Dakotas for their lands east of the Mississippi. These treaties led the way to the first actual settlements within the area of Minnesota.

1838. The treaty ratified by Congress. Franklin Steele makes a claim at St. Anthony Falls. Pierre Parrant makes a claim and builds a shanty on the present site of St. Paul.

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1839. St. Croix County established.

1841. The "Chapel of St. Paul" built and consecrated, giving the name to the future capital of the State.

1843. Stillwater settled.

1846. August 6. The Wisconsin enabling act.

1847. The Wisconsin constitutional convention meets. The town of St. Paul surveyed, platted and recorded in St. Croix County register of deeds' office. First improvement of the water power at the Falls of St. Anthony.

1848. May 29, Wisconsin admitted, leaving the area of Minnesota without a government. August 26, the "Stillwater convention" held, taking measures for a separate territorial organization, and asking that the new Territory be named Minnesota. October 30, H. H. Sibley elected delegate to Congress.

1849. January 15, H. H. Sibley admitted to a seat. March 3, the bill organizing Minnesota passed. March 19, its territorial officers ap- pointed. June 1, Governor Ramsey declared, by proclamation, the Terri- tory organized. September 3, the first territorial legislature assembled.

1850. Great flood this year; highest water ever known. Minnesota River first navigated by steamboats. Census shows 6,077 inhabitants. 1851. Location of the capital, university, and penitentiary; another flood. July 23, treaty of Traverse des Sioux completed and August 5 the treaty of Mendota. opening the territory west of the Mississippi to settlers.

1852. June 23, the treaties ratified by the United States Senate.

1853. Pierce's administration. W. A. Gorman appointed governor. The capitol building completed.

1854. Celebration of the opening of the Rock Island railroad, the first road to the Mississippi River, by a mammoth excursion, reaching St. Paul June 8. Large immigration this season and the three succeeding ones, and the real estate mania commences.

1857. Enabling act passes Congress February 26. Gov. Samuel Medary (appointed by Buchanan), arrives on April 22. Legislature passes a bill to remove the capital to St. Peter, but it fails to accomplish the object. Ink-pa-du-ta massacre, April. Land grant passes Congress. April 27, extra session of the legislature to apportion land grant. July 13, constitu- tional convention assembles. Real estate speculation reaches its height, and is checked by the financial panic, August 27. Great revulsions and hard times. Census shows 150,037 population. October 13, constitution adopted and State officers elected.

1858. State loan of $250,000 negotiated. Five million loan bill passed by the legislature, March 9; ratified by vote of people, April 15. Great stringency in money market. State admitted May 11. State officers sworn in, May 24.

1859. Hard times continue to intensify. "Wright County War." "Glencoe" and "Owatonna" money issued. Work on the land grant roads ceases. Collapse of the five million scheme. First export of grain this fall. Hard political struggle; the Republicans triumph.

1860. Another warm political canvass. Federal census, 172,023.

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1861. April 15, President's proclamation for troops received; the first regiment recruits at once; June 22, it embarks at Fort Snelling for the seat of war.

1862. Call for 600,000 men. July 2, first railroad in Minnesota in operation, between St. Paul and Minneapolis. August 17, massacre at Acton; August 18, outbreak at Lower Sioux Agency, eight miles east of Redwood Falls; 19, New Ulm attacked; 20, Fort Ridgely attacked; 25, second attack on New Ulm; 30, Fort Abercrombie besieged; September 2, the bloody attack at Birch Coulee. September 23, battle of Wood Lake; 26, captives surrendered at Camp Release; military commission tries 321 Indians for murder, rape, etc .; 303 condemned to die. December 26, 38 hung at Mankato.

1863. General Sibley's expedition to the Missouri River; July 3, Little Crow killed; July 24, battle of Big Mound; July 26, battle of Dead Buffalo Lake; July 28, battle of Stony Lake.

1864. Large levies for troops. Expedition to Missouri River, under Sully. Inflation of money market. Occasional Indian raids.

1865. Peace returns. Minnesota regiments return and are disbanded. In all 22,016 troops furnished by the State. Census shows 250,099 in- habitants.

1866-72. Rapid railroad building everywhere; immigration heavy ; "good times" prevail, and real estate inflated.

1873. January 7, 8 and 9, polar wave sweeps over the State; seventy persons perish. September, the Jay Cooke failure creates another panic. Grasshopper raid begins and continues five seasons.

1876. September 7, attack on bank of Northfield by a gang of armed outlaws from Missouri; three of the latter killed and three captured.

1877. Biennial session amendment adopted.

1878. May 2, three flouring mills at Minneapolis explode; eighteen lives lost.

1880. November 15, portion of the hospital for the insane at St. Peter destroyed by fire; eighteen inmates burned to death, seven died subsequently of injuries and fright, and six missing; total loss, $150,000.

1881. March 1, the State capitol destroyed by fire.

1883. August 21, tornado in Olmsted County most destructive at Rochester; many homes wrecked and 26 people killed.

1884. January 25, State prison partially burned.

1886. April 14, a tornado strikes the eities of St. Cloud and Sauk Rapids, demolishing scores of buildings and killing about seventy people.

1887. Important legislation regarding the liquor traffic, common carriers and elections.

1889. The legislature enacts the Australian system of voting in cities of 10,000 and over. The first electric street railway started in the State at Stillwater. .

1890. United States census shows a population of 1,301,826. July 13, an excursion steamboat returning from Lake City encampment foundered on Lake Pepin, and 100 people were drowned. July 13, a tornado swept

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across Lake Gervais, in Ramsey County, demolishing several buildings and killing six people.

1891. June 15, a series of tornadoes started in Jackson County, near the town of Jackson, traversing Martin, Faribault, Freeborn, Mower and Fillmore counties, on a line nearly parallel with, but from five to fifteen miles north of the Southern Minnesota division of the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, doing a large amount of damage to farms and farm buildings, and causing death to about fifty people along the track of the storm.

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History of Houston County, Minnesota, Part 3

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge Publication date: 1919 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1343

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge
Publication date: 1919
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1343