USA > Minnesota > Ramsey County > St Paul > History of Ramsey County and the city of St. Paul, including the Explorers and pioneers of Minnesota > Part 30
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June 28th, first railway completed from St. Paul to St. Anthony.
July 21st, First Minnesota in battle of Bull Run.
October 13th, Second Minnesota Infantry; Col. HI. P. Van Cleve leaves Fort Snelling.
November 16th, Third Minnesota Infantry, H. C. Lester go to seat of war.
Alexander Ramsey re-elected Governor.
William Windom re-elected to congress.
Ignatius Donnelly representative in congress.
1862. January 19th, Second Minnesota in bat- tle at Mill Spring, Kentucky.
April 6th, First Minnesota Battery, Captain Munch, at Pittsburgh Landing.
April 21st, Second Minnesota Battery, goes to seat of war.
April 21st, Fourth Minnesota Infantry Volun- teers, Col. J. B. Sanborn leaves Fort Snelling.
May 13th, Fifth Regiment Volunteers Col. Borgesrode leaves for the seat of war.
May 28th, Second, Fourth and Fifth in battle near Corinth, Mississippi.
May 31st, First Minnesota in battle at Fair Oaks, Virginia.
June 29th, First Minnesota in battle at Savage Station.
June 30th, First Minnesota in battle near Wil- lis' church.
July 1st, First Minnesota in battle at Malvern Hill.
August, Sixth Regiment Col. Crooks organized.
August, Seventh Regiment, Col. Miller organ- ized.
August, Eighth Regiment Col. Thomas organ- ized.
August, Ninth Regiment, Col. Wilkin organ- ized.
August 18th, Sioux attack whites at Lower Sioux Agency.
Amos W. Huggins killed by Sioux.
James W. Lynd killed by Sioux.
Philander Prescott killed by Sioux.
September 2d, battle of Birch Coolie.
September 23d, Col. Sibley defeats Sioux at Wood Lake.
December 26th, Thirty-eight Sioux executed on the same scaffold at Mankato.
1863. January, Alexander Ramsey elected United States senator.
Henry A. Swift, governor for an unexpired term.
May 14th, Fourth and Fifth Regiment in battle near Jackson, Mississippi.
July 2d, First Minnesota Infantry in battle at Gettysburgh, Pennsylvania.
July 3d, Tah-o-yah-tay-doo-tah or Little Crow killed near Hutchinson.
September 19th, Second Minnesota Infantry en- gaged at Chickamauga, Tennessee.
November 23d, Second Minnesota Infantry en- gaged at Mission Ridge.
William Windom elected to Congress.
Ignatius Donnelly elected to Congress.
1864. January, Col. Stephen Miller inaugu- rated Governor of Minnesota.
March 30th, Third Minnesota Infantry engaged at Fitzhugh's Woods.
June 6th, Fifth Minnesota Infantry engaged at Lake Chicot, Arkansas.
176
CHRONOLOGY.
July 13th, Seventh, Ninth, and Tenth, with portion of Fifth Minnesota Infantry engaged at Tupelo, Mississippi.
July 14th, Colonel Alex. Wilkin, of the Ninth, killed.
October 15th, Fourth Regiment engaged near Altoona, Georgia.
December 7th, Eiglith Regiment engaged near Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Fifth, Seventh, Ninth and Tenth Regiments at Nashville, Tennessee.
Railway reaches Elk River.
1865. January 10th, Daniel S. Norton elected United States senator.
April 9th, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Ninth and Tenth at the siege of Mobile.
November 10th, Shakpedan, Sioux chief, and Medicine Bottle, executed at Fort Snelling.
William Windom re-elected to congress.
Ignatius Donnelly re-elected to congress.
1866. January Sth, Colonel William R. Mar- shall inaugurated governor of Minnesota.
Railway reaches St. Cloud.
1867. Preparatory department of the State University opened.
Railway reaches Wayzata.
1868. January, Governor Marshall enters upon second term.
January 1st, Minnesota State Reform school opened for inmates.
June 27th, "Hole-in-the-day," the second Chippeway chief of that name, shot by relatives, near Crow Wing.
M. S. Wilkinson elected to congress.
Eugene M. Wilson elected to congress.
1869. Bill passed by legislature, removing seat of government to a spot near Big Kandiyohi Lake vetoed by Governor Marshall.
Alexander Ramsey re-elected United States senator. Railway completed to Willmar.
M. II. Dunnell elected to congress.
J. T. Averill elected to congress.
1870. January 7th, Horace Austin inaugurated as governor. Railway to Benson completed.
August, railway completed from St. Paul to Duluth.
1871. January, Wm. Windom elected United States senator.
In the fall destructive fires, occasioned by high winds, swept over frontier counties.
October, railway reached Red River of the North at Breckenridge.
Hon. George L. Becker, president of the rail- road, gives invitations to the old settlers to an excursion to the Red River.
1872. January, Governor Austin enters upon a second term.
1873. January 7th, 8th and 9th, polar wave sweeps over the state, seventy persons perishing.
May 22d, the senate of Minnesota convicts state treasurer of corruption in office.
September, grasshopper raid began and con- tinued five seasons.
Jay Cooke failure occasions a financial panic.
1874. January 9th, Cushman K. Davis in- augurated governor.
William S. King elected to congress.
1875. February 19th, S. J. R. McMillan elected United States senator.
November, amendment to state constitution, allowing any woman twenty-one years of age to vote for school officers, and to be eligible for school offices.
Rocky Mountain locusts destroy crops in south- western Minnesota.
1876. January 7th, John S. Pillsbury inaugur- ated governor.
January 12th, State Forestry association or- ganized.
September 6th, outlaws from Missouri kill the cashier of the Northfield Bank.
1879. November, state constitution amended, forbidding public moneys to be used for the sup- port of schools wherein the distinctive creeds or tracts of any particular Christian or other relig- ous sect are taught.
J. H. Stewart, M. D., elected to congress.
Biennial sessions of the legislature adopted.
1878. January, Governor Pillsbury enters upon a second term.
May 2d, explosion in the Washburn and other flour mills at Minneapolis.
One hundred and fifty thousand dollars appro- priated to purchase seed grain for destitute set- tlers.
1880. November 15th, a portion of the Insane Asylum at St. Peter was destroyed by fire and twenty-seven inmates lost their lives.
1881. March 1st, Capitol at St. Paul destroyed by fire.
HISTORY
OF
RAMSEY COUNTY.
CHAPTER XXXII.
BOUNDARIES-CARVER'S SPEECH-PIKE'S VISIT -- PIERRE PARRANT -- SETTLERS - FIRST SCHOOL LAND SALE-TERRITORY ORGANIZED.
Ramsey county was created by act of the terri- torial legislature, approved October 27th, 1849, with the following boundaries: "Beginning at the point on the Mississippi river where the town- ship line between townships 27 and 28 north, of range 22 west of the fourth principal merid- ian intersects said river, thence up said river to the intersection of range line between ranges 25 and 26, west of the fourth meridian in township No. 32 north, thence dne north along said range line to its intersection with the northern boun- dary line of township 36, thence in a line due north to its intersection with the Mississippi river, thence up said river to its intersection with the southern boundary line of Itasca county, thence in a south-easterly direction along said boundary line to its intersection with the western boundary line of Washington county, thence south along said western boundary line to its intersection with the township line between townships 27 and 28 north, of range 22 west of fourth meridian, · thence west along said township line to the place of beginning."
It will be seen that the county originally in- cluded several times its present area, being all the present county of Ramsey lying east of the Mississippi and all of the present counties of Anoka, Isanti and Kanabec, as well as a portion of the counties of Washington, Pine, Carlton, Ait- ken, Mille Lacs and Hennepin. St. Anthony was in Ramsey county when it received its first city charter, in 1855. 12
The visit of Father Hennepin to this region in 1680 and of Jonathan Carver in the years 1766 and '77 are so fully given by Mr. Neill, in this work, that for information concerning them we refer the reader to preceding chapters and espe- cially to chapter XI, page 64, wherein is given a somewhat extended account of Carver's visit, a description of "the great cave," two translations of Schiller's celebrated poem, etc., all of which properly belong to the history of Ramsey county. Carver's alleged grandiloquent speech, which he claims to have made during his last visit at the cave, was as follows:
CARVER'S SPEECH TO THE INDIANS.
" My brothers, chiefs of the numerous and powerful Naudowessies ! I rejoice that, through my long abode with you, I can now speak to you (though after an imperfect manner) in your own tongue, like one of your own children. I rejoice, also, that I have had an opportunity so fre- quently to inform you of the glory and power of the great king that reigns over the English and other nations; and who is descended from a very ancient race of sovereigns, as old as the earth and the waters, whose feet stand upon two great islands, larger than any you have ever seen, amidst the great waters of the world; whose head reaches to the sun, and whose arms encircle the whole earth; the number of whose warriors is equal to the trees in the valleys, the stalks of rice in youder marshes, and the blades of grass on yonder plains; who has hundreds of canoes of his own, of such amazing bigness that all the waters in your country would not suffice for one of them to swim in, each of which have great guns, not small like mine, which you see before (177)
.
178
HISTORY OF RAMSEY COUNTY.
you, but of such magnitude that a hundred of your stoutest young men would with difficulty be able to carry one. And they are equally surpris- ing against the king's enemies when engaged in battle; the terror they carry with them your language lacks words to express. You may re- member the other day, when we were encamped at Wadapaw-menesoter, the black clouds, the wind, the fire, the stupendous noise, the horrible cracks, and the tumbling of the earth which then alarmed you, and gave you reason to think your gods were angry with you, not unlike these are the warlike implements of the English when they are fighting the battles of their great king.
" Several of the chiefs of your bands have often told me in times past, when I dwelt with you in your tents, that they much wished to be counted among the children and the allies of the great king, my master.
"You may remember how often you have de- sired me, when I return again to my own country, to acquaint the great king of your good dispo- sition toward him and his subjects, and that you wished fur traders from the English to come among you.
"Being now about to take my leave of you, and to return to my own country, a long way to- ward the rising sun, I again ask you to tell me whether you continue in the same mind as when I spoke to you in the council last winter, and as there are now several of your chiefs here who come from the great plains toward the setting of the sun, whom I have never spoken with in coun- cil before, I ask you to let me know if you are willing to acknowledge yourselves the children of my great master, the king of the English.
" I charge you not to give heed to bad reports, for there are wicked birds flying about among the neighboring nations, who may whisper evil things in your ears against the English, contrary to what I have told you. You must not believe them, for I have told you the truth.
" As for the chiefs that are about to go to Michilimackinac, I shall take care to make for them and their suits, a straight road, smooth waters, and a clear sky, that they may go there and smoke the pipe of peace, and rest secure on a beaver blanket under the shade of the great tree of peace. Farewell !"
Though it may be doubted that such a speech
was ever made by Mr. Carver, its grandiloquence will be readily admitted.
To this speech, the principal chief, speaking for the eight bands of the nation, is said to have re- plied that he believed Carver's statements touch- ing the king and his power, and requested Carver to say to him that they " wished to be counted among his good children," and to have traders sent among them.
In 1806, Pike searched in vain for the cave. Major Long visited it in 1817, and in 1835, Feath- erstonehaugh found its entrance closed with de- bris. Nicollet explored the cave in 1837, and said Carver's description of it was "accurate." It pre- sents about the same appearance to - day as when visited by Carver, save that no " map " or " hiero- glyphics " are to be found. It contains a beautiful pond of clear water, varying from a few inches to six or eight feet in depth. The river division of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railway passes near its entrance.
Prominent among the early explorers of Min- nesota was Lieutenant Zebulon Montgomery Pike, subsequently General Pike, who fell in the battle of York, now Toronto, Upper Canada, in the war of 1812. He came to this region in 1805, with twenty men under instructions to visit the Indian tribes and expel the British traders. He kept a journal of his expedition, from which we gather the following: September 21st, he break- fasted with Little Crow's band at Grand Marais now Pig's Eye, and the same day passed up the river to the island which now bears his name op- posite Fort Snelling, on the north-east part of which he pitched his camp. On the following day which was Sunday, Little Crow, of the Ka- posia band, arrived with one hundred and fifty warriors, and from the point now occupied by Fort Snelling, fired a salute with balls according to their custom.
On the following Monday he made a treaty with the Dakotas. We quote the first two articles.
Article 1. " That the Sioux nation grant unto the United States, for the purpose of establish- ment of military posts, nine miles square, at the mouth of the St. Croix, also from below the con- fluence of the Mississippi and St. Peter's, up the Mississippi to include the Falls of St. Anthony, extending nine miles on each side of the river, that the Sioux nation grants to the United States
179
PIKE'S TREATY-INDIAN LEGEND.
the full sovereignty and power over said district forever."
Article 2. "That, in consideration of the above grants, the United States shall pay (filled up by the senate with $2,000.")
This grant included the present township of Reserve, a part of Rose township, and a part of St. Paul.
Lieutenant Pike was well adapted to the duties of his expedition, and his visit had a most salu- tary effect on the Indian tribes, including botlı the Sioux and Ojibwas. In his journal of March 18th, 1806, the following anecdote is found:
"In the course of the day, observing a ring on one of my fingers, he (the chief) inquired if it was gold, he was told it was the gift of one with whom I shall be happy to be at that time. He seemed to think seriously, and at night told my interpreter, "that perhaps his father (as they all called me) felt much grieved for the want of a woman, if so, he could furnish me with one. IIe was answered, that with us, each man had but one wife, and that I considered it strictly my duty to remain faithful to her. This he thought strange, (he himself having three,) and replied that he knew some Americans with his nation who had half a dozen wives during the winter. The interpreter observed that they were men without character, but that all our great men had each but one wife. The chief acquiesced, but said he liked better to have as many as he pleased."
In 1817, Major Stephen H. Long, of the United States army, visited this region for the purpose of exploring the upper Mississippi, sketching its course, and to "designate such sites as were suit- able for military purposes." On the 16th of September, according to his journal, he landed and breakfasted at Carver's cave, of which he gives a detailed description. He also visited and describes Fountain cave, (which is now in the corporate limits of St. Paul), of which men- tion will be made hereafter. On the evening of the same day, he encamped on the east bank of the Mississippi, "just below the cataract." We find the following in his journal of September 27th, 1817.
* * * * *
"This remarkable part of the Mississippi, is not without a tale to hallow the scenery and add
some weight to the interest it is naturally calcu- lated to excite. Our Indian companion, the Shooter from the Pine Tree, related a story while he was with us, the catastrophe of which his mother witnessed with her own eyes. A young Indian, of the Sioux nation, had espoused a wife with whom he had lived happily for a few years, enjoying every comfort of which a savage life is susceptible. To crown the felicity of the happy couple, they had been blessed with two lovely children, on whom they doted with the utmost affection. During this time the young man, by dint of activity and perseverance, signalized him- self in an eminent degree as a hunter, having met with unrivaled success in the chase. This cir- cumstance contributed to raise him high in the estimation of his fellow savages, and to draw a crowd of admirers about him, which operated as a spur to his ambition. At length, some of his newly acquired friends, desirous of forming a connection which must operate greatly to their advantage, suggested the propriety of his taking another wife, as it would be impossible for one woman to manage his household affairs, and wait upon all the guests his rising importance would call to visit him. That his consequence to the nation was everywhere known and acknowledged, and that in all probability he would soon be called upon to preside as their chief. His vanity was fired at the thought, he yielded an easy com- pliance with their solicitations, and accepted a wife they had already selected for him. After his second marriage, it became an object with him to take his new wife home, and reconcile his first wife to the match, which he was desirous of accomplishing in the most delicate manner that circumstances would admit. For this purpose he returned to his first wife, who was yet ignorant of what had taken place, and by dissimulation at- tempted to beguile her into an approbation of the step he had taken. 'You know,' said he, 'I can love no one so much as I love you, yet I see that our connection subjects you to hardships and fa- tigue, too great for you to endure. This grieves me much, but I know of only one remedy by which you can be relieved, and whichi, with your concurrence, shall be adopted. My friends from all parts of the nation, come to visit me, and my house is constantly thronged by those who come to pay their respects, while you alone
180
HISTORY OF RAMSEY COUNTY.
are under the necessity of laboring hard, in order to cook their food and wait upon them. They are daily becoming more numerous, and your duties instead of growing lighter, are becoming more arduous every day. You must be sensible that I am rising high in the esteem of the nation, and I have sufficient grounds to expect that I shall, before long, be their chief. These consid- erations have induced me to take another wife, but my affection for you has so far prevailed over my inclination in this respect, as to lead me to solicit your approbation before I adopt the meas- ure. The wife I take shall be subject to your control in every respect, and will be always second to you in my affections.' She listened to his narration with the utmost anxiety and concern, and endeavored to reclaim him from his purpose, refuting all the reasons and pretenses his duplicity had urged in favor of it, by unanswerable arguments, the sug- gestions of unaffected love and conjugal affec- tion. He left her, however, to meditate upon the subject, in hopes that she would at length give over her objections, and consent to his wishes. She, in the meantime, redoubled her industry, and treated him invariably with more marked tender- ness than she had done before ; resolved to try every means in her power to dissuade him from the execution of his purpose. She still, however, found him bent upon it. She pleaded all the en- dearments of their former life, the regard had for the happiness of herself and the offspring of their mutual love, to prevail on him to relinquish the idea of taking another wife. She warned him of the fatal consequences that would result to their family, upon his taking such a step. At length he was induced to communicate the event of his marriage. He then told her that a compliance on her part would be absolutely necessary ; that if she could not receive his new wife as a friend and companion, she must admit her as a necessary in- cumbrance ; at all events, they must live together. She was determined, however, not to remain the passive dupe of his hypocrisy. She took her two children, left his house, and went to reside with her parents. Soon after she returned to her fa- ther's family, she joined them and others of her friends in an expedition up the Mississippi, to spend the winter in hunting.
" In the spring, as they were returning laden
with peltries, she and her children occupied a ca- noe by themselves. On arriving near the Falls of St. Anthony, she lingered by the way till the rest had all landed, a little above the chute. She then painted herself and her children, paddled her ca- noe immediately into the suck of the rapids, and commenced singing her death song, in which she recounted the happy scenes she had passed through when she enjoyed the undivided affection of her husband, and the wretchedness in which she was involved by his inconstancy.
" Her friends, alarmed at her situation, ran to the shore, and begged her to paddle out of the current, while her parents, in the agonies of de- spair, rending their clothes, and tearing out their hair, besought her to come to their arms. But all to no purpose; her wretchedness was complete, and must terminate only with her existence. She continued her course till she was borne headlong down the roaring cataract, and instantly dashed to pieces on the rocks below. No trace of either herself and children or the boat were ever found afterwards. Her brothers, to be avenged of the untimely fate of their sister, embraced the first opportunity, and killed her husband, whom they considered the cause of her death, a custom sanc- tioned by the usage of the Indians, from time im- memorial."
In 1823, the first steamboat visited this region. It was laden with supplies from St. Louis for Fort Snelling. The vessel was the Virginia, 118 feet long and 24 feet wide. Up to May 26, 1826, fifteen steamers had arrived at Fort Snelling, and there- after their arrivals became more frequent.
In 1836, before the Indian title was extin- guished, settlers had located on the land between St. Paul and Fort Snelling, along the banks.of the river. By the treaty of the Dakotas with the United States in 1837, ratified by the senate June 15th, 1838, the Indian title to this tract was can- celed and in March, 1838, the commander at Fort Snelling selected this land as a part of the mili- tary reservation. For this reason the lands were not open to private entry.
Nearly all the settlers at this time were in the immediate proximity of the fort, and as in those early days whisky was freely indulged in, when obtainable, their presence exerted a bad effect upon the soldiers. In accordance therefore, with instructions from the war department, the United
181
PIERRE PARRANT, PIG'S EYE.
States marshal of Wisconsin was directed to re- move the intruders. A proceeding which the settlers manifested a disposition to resist. Most of them were Swiss, from the Selkirk settlement, where they had suffered severely from grasshop- pers and floods, and they were loath to leave their desirable locations. On the 6th of May, 1840, the troops were called out, the settlers removed, and the following day, to prevent re-occupation, their cabins were destroyed.
The disastrous effects of the abuse of intoxi- cating liquors were by no means confined to the whites. Upon the Indians worse results were en- tailed, and it is a melancholy fact that the same results have everywhere attended the contact of so-called civilization with primeval people. In an article which appeared in the Dakotah Friend in September, 1851, the editor, the Rev. Gideon HI. Pond, says: "Twelve years ago they (the Indians), bade fair soon to die altogether in one drunken jumble. They must be drunk --- they could hardly live if they were not drunk. Many of them seemed as uneasy when sober as a fish does when on land. At some of the villages they were drunk months to gether. There was no end to it. They would have whisky. They would give guns, blankets, pork, lard, flour, corn, coffee, sugar, horses, furs, traps, anything for whisky. It was made to- drink-it was good-It was wakan. They drank it, they bit off each other's noses, broke each other's ribs and heads, they knifed each other. They killed one another with guns, knives, hatchets, clubs, fire-brands; they fell into the fire and water, and were burned to death and drowned. They froze to death and committed suicide so frequently, that for a time, the death of an Indian, in some of the ways mentioned, was but little thought of by themselves or others. Some of the earlier settlers of St. Paul and Pig's Eye remember something about these matters. Their eyes saw sights which are not exhibited now-a-days"
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