History of Ramsey County and the city of St. Paul, including the Explorers and pioneers of Minnesota, Part 31

Author: Warner, George E; Foote, Charles M., joint author; Neill, Edward D. (Edward Duffield), 1823-1893. Explorers and pioneers of Minnesota. 1n; Williams, J. Fletcher (John Fletcher), 1834-1895. Outlines of the history of Minnesota
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Minneapolis, North Star Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 684

USA > Minnesota > Ramsey County > St Paul > History of Ramsey County and the city of St. Paul, including the Explorers and pioneers of Minnesota > Part 31

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Says Neill, in his History of Minnesota: "Un- der the influence of a vile class of whisky-sellers, that infested the neighborhood of what is now the capital of Minnesota, the Dakotahs, a few years before this, were a nation of drunkards. Men would travel hundreds of miles to the ‘ place

where they sell minne-wakan,' as they designated St. Paul, to traffic for a keg of whisky."

Dr. John Dewey, who settled in St. Paul in the summer of 1847, relates that soon after his ar- rival here, two Indians from Little Crow's band came to St. Paul, and, becoming intoxicated, their squaws attempted to get them home, and succeeded so far as to get them to their canoes on the bank of the river, where they quarrelled and one killed the other. Nothing was ever done about it.

At times, a whole band of Indians would agree on a general drunk, those near would be notified of their intentions, the squaws would conceal their weapons, and the debauch would begin. Among the most notorious of these dealers in " fire-water " was 1

PIERRE PARRANT,

a disreputable Canadian, who had been ordered " not to enter the Indian country in any ca- pacity." At " Fountain Cave," in upper town, in 1838, he erected a hovel for the sale of liquor, and it was in all respects an infamous den. In the fall of the same year, he borrowed ninety dollars of William Beaumette, of Mendota, to secure which he gave a judgment note, as fol- lows:

"SAINT PETER'S, 12th November, 1838.

"On the first day of May next, I promise to pay Guillaume Beaumette, ninety dollars, for value received, without defalcation.

his

" PIERRE M PARRANT, mark.

"Witness:

A. M. ANDERSON,

H. H. SIBLEY.

"Know all men by these presents, that I, Pierre Parrant, residing near the entry of the Saint Peter's river, and in Wisconsin territory, do hereby make over, transfer, and quit claim to Guillaume Beaumette, of said Saint Peter's, all my right, title, and interest in and to all that tract or portion of land which I, the said Par- rant, now reside upon and occupy, at the Cave, so called, about four miles below Fort Snelling, to have, and to hold the same to the said Guillaume Beaumette, his heirs and assigns for- ever.

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HISTORY OF RAMSEY COUNTY.

"Provided always, and it is hereby expressly understood between the parties, that if the said Pierre Parrant shall pay or cause to be paid on or about the first of May next, to the said Beau- mette, the sum of ninety dollars, amount of a certain note of hand given by me, the said Par- rant, to the said Beaumette, then this transfer to be null, and of no effect, otherwise to remain in full force and virtue."

his PIERRE PARRANT, (L. S.) mark.

Signed, sealed and delivered in presence of H. II. Sibley and A. M. Anderson.

The above document now in existence, was drawn up by H. H. Sibley, then, or soon after a justice of the peace, of Clayton county, Iowa, with a jurisdiction extending from the present north line of Iowa to the British possessions.

Before the note became due, Beaumette sold it to John Miller, of Mendota, who soon after sold it to Vetal Guerin of the same place in payment of a debt of $150 due to Guerin, who never got possession of the claim. It was jumped by a party who was among those driven off the re- serve by the government as before stated.

After losing his place at the Cave, Parrant "se- lected a tract just east of Sergeant Hay's claim, fronting on the river, extending from Minnesota street to Jackson street, approximately, and thence back to the bluff." On Bench street near the foot of Robert, he erected his saloon, which he occupied about one year.

Parrant was blind in one eye, and from his al- leged resemblance to a pig, he was nicknamed "Pig's Eye," a name which was subsequently at- tached to the locality of his residence, and at a later period when he moved to a point on the bot- tom lands on the east side of the river, about three miles below his former residence on Bench street, then that place in time became known by the same name. In 1840, Parrant sold his claim in St. Paul to Benjamin Gervais for $10. Ile un- doubtedly little dreamed that it would ultimately be worth millions.

THE FIRST MARRIAGE, BIRTH AND DEATHI

among the settlers, each occurred in the year 1839. On September 4th, Benjamin Gervais, youngest son of Basil Gervais, was born, he hav-

ing the distinction of being the first white child born on the land, now part of St. Paul, then but a wilderness, there not being even a post-office in existence. The first christian marriage also took place in this year on April 4th, it being that of. J. R. Clewett to Rose Perry, and was solemnized by Rev. J. W. Pope, who was the Methodist mis- sionary at Kaposia.

The first recorded death of a white-man here, sad to relate, was that of the murdered John Hays, for even in those early days, when lands were so plenty, and settlers so few, murder was in the land. Edward Phelan, John Hays, and Wm. Evans, all natives of Ireland, were discharged soldiers from the Fifthı Regiment at Fort Snell- ing, and all took claims in what is now St. Paul. While in the army Phelan was regarded by his superiors as a bad, unscrupulous man. He boasted that before entering the army he had been lawless and a criminal. IIe and John Hays were partners, and the circumstances were such as to leave no doubt that Hays was murdered by Phelan. The latter was arrested, examined be- fore II. H. Sibley, and sent to Prairie du Chien for trial, where, in the following year, the grand jury failing to find a bill against him, he was dis- charged, and soon found his way back to the settlement.

On Phelan's return he found Vetal Guerin in possession of the Hays claim, which he pretended to own by reason of his partnership with Hays, and at once demanded possession, which Guerin refused. Phelan was a man of fine physique, and threatened violence to Guerin, who was a small man, in case possession was not given by a specified time. Guerin represented the case to some of his friends at Mendota, who came to his shanty, where cards and whisky made them con- tented. At the appointed time Phelan appeared with ax in hand, sleeves rolled up, and threaten- ingly demanded possession of the claim, which was again refused. This made Phelan very angry. At this juncture Guerin's friends came out of the house and told Phelan that if he did not go away they would "pitch him over the bluff," and that if he ever molested Guerin they "would lynch him." Knowing that these men were not to be trifled with, Phelan resorted to the law and brought suit before Joseph R. Brown, justice of the peace, at Gray Cloud Island, twelve

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INDIAN BATTLES.

miles below St. Paul, who examined the case and told Phelan that as he had been absent from the claim over six months at one time, he had lost all title to it, and that Guerin could not be ejected. Guerin was tlen left in peaceable pos- session of the claim.

On January 26th, 1841, Vetal Guerin was mar- ried to Adele Perry, who became a bride at the age of fourteen years. She was the daughter of Abraham Perry, and about two montlis after marriage commenced house-keeping with her husband, on the ground where Ingersoll's store now stands, a part of the Hays claim. As an illustration of the then primitive state of affairs here, it may be stated that their house was about sixteen feet by twenty, built of logs cut from trees near by, and had a chimney of clay. Their bridal couch was made of boards. They had no sheets, and their spread was a red blanket. Their table was Guerin's chest, and their chairs were three-legged stools. Though they ultimately be- came rich and worth over a million dollars, yet such was their humble beginning. We will fol- low the remarkable history of this couple a little farther.

A squaw and her brother had been in the habit of calling at Guerins and getting food, which was never refused them. One Sunday she was seen approaching the house, but as she had evidently been drinking, the door was closed against her. She then broke in a window with a stick, where- upon Guerin went out, took the squaw around her waist, and was carrying her out of the yard, when her outcries brought some half a dozen Indians, who were camping near by, to her aid. These Indians had also been drinking, and Guerin soon fled into the house, where two arrows followed him before the door could be closed. The drunken and infuriated Indians then attempted an en- trance at the broken window, where sash and all had been smashed. Mrs. Guerin and her two children fled under the bed for safety, while Guerin seized the ax, with which he intended to knock out the brains of the first intruder. For- tunately, at this alarming crisis, a sober and friendly Indian came to their relief, and enabled Guerin and his family to escape to a neighbor's, their friendly deliverer deeming it unsafe for them to remain in their house. In the evening the Indians returned, and fired barbed arrows at

Guerin's cattle, but fortunately none were killed. Mrs. Guerin, now fifty-four years of age, with seven of her fourteen children, still resides in St. Paul, in excellent health, and it is believed that she is the only person now in St. Paul, who re- sided here in 1841.

In the spring of 1841, Kaiboka, a Dakotalı chief, his son and another Indian were waylaid, killed and scalped near Fort Snelling by three Chippewas, who escaped unharmed with their ghastly trophies. Enraged at this wanton act, a war party from Little Crow's band at Kaposia, among whom were three of Little Crow's sons, headed by Little Crow himself, set out intent on revenge. Near the St. Croix Falls they met the Chippewas, and in the encounter two of Little Crow's sons were shot dead, whereupon the party returned. In return for this raid, in 1842, the Chippewas decided to attack Little Crow's village at Kaposia. For this purpose, a war party, con- sisting of about forty braves, was organized at Fond du Lac, and on the march received acces- sions from the Mille Lacs and St. Croix bands, swelling their number to about 100. About 10 a. m., they arrived at the bluff back of Pig's Eye unheralded and unnoticed, and halted in a ravine known as Pine Coolie, just back of the old poor-house. From this point, some half-dozen Indians were sent out to reconnoiter and entice the Sioux into ambush. Seeing two women at work, they fired at them, killing one and mor- tally wounding the other, who was picked up by her husband and carried into the house, where they were followed by Chippewas, who scalped the dying woman in her husband's arms, and fled, one of the party receiving a wound in his leg. In their flight, meeting a young child, they cut of his head.

In the meantime, the Sioux across the river had been advised of the attack by a messenger, as well as by the noise of musketry. They were in the midst of a drunken revelry, nearly all intoxi- cated, and their arms had been concealed by the women. But this sudden attack tended to sober them; the arms were soon found, and the Sioux hastened across the river to meet the enemy. Soon after, the entire force of Chippewas ap- proached the river opposite Kaposia, at a point near where the quarantine grounds now are, where the severest conflict cocurred, including

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HISTORY OF RAMSEY COUNTY.

hand to hand encounters, while the bluffs echoed with their demoniacal yells and the reports of fire-arms, which were distinctly heard in St. Paul. After a spirited contest of about two hours, the Chippewas began to fall back, and were followed some miles toward Stillwater.

In this conflict, the most severe Indian battle in this region of which we have any authentic record, the Sioux lost eighteen or nineteen lives, including the mortally wounded. Six bodies were buried in one grave near the mission house. The Chippewas also lost heavily, nine or ten bodies were found on the field, while some may have been concealed. It is probable, also, that they carried off their wounded, according to In- dian custom.

After the battle, the Sioux women amused themselves by hacking the mutilated dead of their enemies, whose scalps had already been taken. It is said that " Old Bets," well known to all old settlers here, pounded their heads with a huge club. One of her sons, wounded in this battle, in consequence, was subsequently called Ta-opi, or wounded man.

Mrs. Thomas Odell, now a resident of St. Paul, was a pupil at Red Rock when the fight occurred, and remembers it distinctly. Mr. Odell at the time was a soldier at Fort Snelling, and, with others, was dispatched to put a stop to the con- flict, passing down to Pickerel lake in boats, and thence to Kaposia by land, but did not arrive at the scene of conflict in time to interfere.

Prior to the establishment of Little Crow's village at Kaposia, they were located in what is now McLean township, about where the St. Paul pest house now is, and opposite Kaposia. It is supposed that they occupied Kaposia, for better protection against the Chippewas.

As incident to the Indian battle of Kaposia- it sould be stated that Little Crow was angry with the whites that they did not give him and his band warning of the contemplated attack of the Chippewas, and this becoming known in St. Paul some fifteen families took refuge on Mississippi island, now occupied by the St. Paul Boat Club, where they spent the night in great alarm. Word was sent to the fort and troops were despatched to St. Paul for their protection.

In the same year that this battle took place, through the instrumentality of the Rov. Lucian

Galtier, a Catholic Chapel was erected and dedi- cated to the honor of St. Paul. This event gave to the site a name which has since remained. This was the first church edifice of any kind in this region with the exception of that built in 1841, at Lac-qui-Parle, by Dr. Williamson and Rev. S. R. Riggs, the Presbyterian missionaries at that point.

In this year also, two brothers, who afterwards occupied a prominent position in the affairs of the district, first arrived and became residents. They were Pierre and Severe Bottineau. From Benjamin Gervais they obtained, by purchase, a small tract of land on what was subsequently known as Baptist hill.

EVENTS OF 1842.

On June 9th, 1842, Henry Jackson, from whom Jackson street is named, landed in St. Paul and soon after purchased a small tract of land in the block now bounded by Jackson, Robert, Bench and Third streets, where he built a cabin and opened a stock of goods suitable for the Indian trade and built up a prosperous business. In the following year he became justice of the peace, the first to serve in that capacity in St. Paul. In 1846 he beame its first postmaster.

Sergeant Richard W. Mortimer also settled in St. Paul this year, purchased of Joseph Rondo eiglity acres of his claim, fronting on the river, and bounded on the east by St. Peter street, and on the west by Washington street. He built a good log house and is said to have died of deliri- um tremens in January, 1843.

Stanislaus Bilanski settled in St. Paul this year, and purchased a claim and cabin between Phe- lan's creek and Trout brook, near the present St. Paul and Duluth railroad shops, where he lived several years. In 1859 he was poisoned by his fourth wife-he having another wife then living -an account of which may be found among the events of that year.

In 1843, John R. Irvine purchased of Joseph Rondo, the balance of the Phelan claim for $300. There was an excellent log house on the property, located about where the north-west corner of Third and Franklin street now is, which was occupied by Mr. Irvine for several years.

This year, Norman W. Kittson purchased

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POST-OFFICE ESTABLISHED.

Clewett's claim, and the latter purchased Labris- nier's claim.

The new settlers for the year were-

John R. Irvine, Antoine Pepin, Ansel B. Coy, Alex. Mege, James W. Simpson, David Thomas Sloan, William Hartshorn, Jo. Desmarais, A. L. Larpenteur, S. Cowden, jr. (or Carden), Alex. R. McLeod, Charles Reed, Christopher C. Blanch- ard, Louis Larriveer, Scott Campbell, Xavier Delonais, Alexis Cloutier, Joseph Gobin, Francis Moret.

During the winter of 1843 and '4, snow fell to an unusual depth, and the weather was extremely severe.

During this year, Little Canada was settled, a more extended account of which will be given in the sketch of that township, in a later part of this work.

Parrant sold his claim on the lower levee, made subsequent to the sale of his cabin and land to Gervais, to Louis Robair or Robert, and took lıis fame, trade, name and carcass to what is now known as " Pig's Eye."

In May of this year, Father Galtier was trans- ferred to another field of labor, and thereafter Father Ravoux officiated in St. Paul and Mendota, spending one Sunday in the former to two in Mendota.

In 1849, the Catholics still continuing to in- crease, Father Ravoux "determined upon spend- ing two Sundays in St. Paul and the third one in Mendota." At Mendota, he preached in both the French and English languages, but he says, it was not till 1848 or 1849, that "we had in our congregation" at St. Paul, "some members who did not understand French."

The settlers of this year were Louis Robert, Thomas McCoy, Charles Bazille, Joseph Hall and William Dugas.

In the beginning of the year 1845, it is esti- mated that there were about thirty families liv- ing in or near St. Paul besides a floating popula- tion of laborers, mechanics, trappers and adven- turers. The larger portion of the inhabitants were Canadian French, refugees from the Sel- kirk settlement in the Red River valley and their descendants.

There were three, or not more than four, purely American families in the settlement. Most of the French were intermarried with the Indians,

and not more than half the families in the place were white, and English was spoken by but few.

1846-St. Paul had now become quite a point on the river, and during the season of navigation, steamboats landed here with some regularity. But there was no hotel here, and strangers who landed were usually entertained by Henry Jack- son without charge. His hospitality was a dis- tinguishing trait, and he kept a tavern without making a bill. He was a justice of the peace, a merchant, and a saloon-keeper. Being well liked, his place became one of popular resort, and the mail for settlers was left with him by nearly every boat that landed, because there seemed to be no one else to receive it. He kept the letters piled up on a shelf, and when any one called for mail, the pile was thrown down and the expectant helped himself to such as he wanted.

It was evident that a post-office was needed here, and a petition was accordingly forwarded to the post-office department at Washington, favor- ably considered, and on April 7th, 1846, a com- mission was issued to Henry Jackson. It does not appear that he had a competitor for either the honor or emoluments of the office. But the salary then was not a perquisite of $4,000 per annum, with an elegant office for the lucky recipient.

Mr. Jackson constructed a rude case about two feet square, containing sixteen pigeon holes, la- belled with initial letters, which, rude as it was, answered the purpose for some years. Fortu- nately it is still preserved by the Historical So- ciety, and on looking at it, one can but be im- pressed with the changes thirty-five years have wrought. This was the first post-office estab- lished in Ramsey county.

David Faribault had one hundred and forty feet fronting on Third street, next to Jackson, and extending through to Fourth street. The south half of this claim, and seventeen and a half dollars he gave A.L.Larpenteur for a horse valued at $80. Referring to the subject, in a recent interview, Mr. Larpenteur said "Faribault would undoubt- edly have given the entire one hundred and forty feet for the horse and call it an even trade, but I was poor, seventeen and a half dollars was an object, and he 'did not want so much land.' "

During the same year Mr. Larpenteur built on this property what he believes to have been the

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HISTORY OF RAMSEY COUNTY.

first frame residence in St. Paul. It was subse- sequently enlarged and became the Wild Hunter hotel, now standing in its original position on Jackson street. The lumber was purchased at Stillwater for ten dollars per thousand and brought to St. Paul by boat at a cost of three dollars per thousand. Mr.Larpenteur built a store, made some further improvements on the property, and before the war was offered $75,000 for it. In 1864, he sold the property for $26,500. It is now worth over $150,000.

The settlers of this year were: James McC. Boal, Thomas S. Odell, Wm. H. Randall, Harley D. White, Wm. Randall, Jr., Joel D. Cruttenden, E. West, Louis Denoyer, David Faribault, Joseph Montenr, Charles Rouleau.

This year St. Anthony gave promise of its future and Pierre Bottineau was induced to sell his claim on Baptist Hill on June 16th, for $300 and remove to St. Anthony where he bought a considerable tract of land for $150. This subse- quently became Bottineau's addition. He built the second house in that place.

The claim which Bottineau sold on Baptist IIill, he described in the deed as "bounded east by Kittson, north by Clewett, west by Hartshorn and Jackson, and south by Louis Robert," "con- taining one hundred acres."

In 1847, the Rev. J. S. Williamson, M. D., then a missionary with Little Crow's band . at Kaposia, a few miles south of St. Paul, in writ- ing to ex-Governor Slade, president of the board of national popular education, gave what is be- lieved to be the first written description of the hamlet of St. Paul. The following is the letter in full:

"My present residence is on the utmost verge of civilization, in the north-western part of the United States, within a few miles of the principal village of white men in the territory that we sup- pose will bear the name of Minnesota, which some would render ' clear water,' though strictly it sig- nifies slightly turbid or whitish water.

" The village referred to has grown up within a few years in a romantic situation on a high bluff of the Mississippi, and has been baptized by the Roman Catholics, by the name of St. Paul. They have erected in it a small chapel, and constitute much the larger portion of the inhabitants. The

Dahkotahs call it, " Im-ni-ja-ska (White Rock)" from the color of the sandstone which forms the bluff on which the village stands. This village has five 'stores,' as they call them, at all of which intoxicating drinks constitute a part, and I sup- pose the principal part of what they sell. I would suppose the village contains a dozen or twenty families living near enough to send to school. Since I came to this neighborhood I have had fre- quent occasion to visit the village, and have been grieved to see so many children growing up en- tirely ignorant of God, and unable to read his word, with no one to teach them. Unless your society can send them a teacher, there seems to be little prospect of their having one for several years. A few days since I went to the place for the pur- pose of making inquiries in reference to the pros- pect of a school. I visited seven families in which there were twenty-three children of proper age to attend school, and was told of five more in which were thirteen more that it is supposed might at- tend, making thirty-six in twelve families. I sup- pose that more than half the parents of these children are unable to read themselves, and care but little about having their children taught. Possibly the priest might deter some from attend- ing, who might otherwise be able and willing.

" I suppose a good female teacher can do more to promote the cause of education and true reli- gion than a man. The natural politeness of the French (who constitute more than half the popu- lation) would cause them to be kind and courteous to a female, even though the priest should seek to cause opposition. I suppose she might have twelve or fifteen scholars to begin with, and if she should have a good talent for winning the affec- tions of children (and one who has not should not come), after a few months she would have as many as she could attend to.

"One woman told me she had four children she wished to send to school, and that she would give board and a room in her house to a good female teacher for the tuition of her children.

"A teacher for this place should love the Sav- iour, and for his sake should be willing to forego, not only many of the religious privileges and ele- gances of New England towns, but some of the neatness also. She should be entirely free from prejudice on account of color, for among her scholars she might find not only English, French

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GOVERNMENT SALE OF LAND.

and Swiss, but Sioux and Chippewas, with some claiming kindred with the African stock.

"A teacher coming should bring books with her sufficient to begin a school, as there is no book store within three hundred miles."

Governor Slade referred Dr. Williamson's let- ter to Dr. C. E. Stowe, husband of Harriet Beecher Stowe, who forwarded it to Miss Cather- ine Beecher at Albany, New York, where she was instructing a class of young ladies, among whom was a Miss Harriet E. Bishop who was be- lieved to possess the requisite qualifications. The letter was accordingly handed to Miss Bishop, who accepted the mission and three days later received her commission, which covered the en- tire extent of territory "between Wisconsin and the Rocky Mountains, north of Iowa up to the North Pole." She started at once on her peril- ous journey, and in July, 1847, landed at Kaposia from the steamer "Argo," of which Capt. Russell Blakely, now of St. Paul, was then clerk. After spending a few days with Dr. Williamson, on the 13th of the same month she started for St. Paul, a few miles distant, in a canoe manned by two squaws and the missionaries for companions. Arriving at her destination, she says, "a cheerless prospect" greeted her. "A few log huts com- posed the town-three families, the American population. With one of these (J. R. Irvine), distant from the rest, a home was offered me. Theirs was the dwelling-the only one of respect- able size, containing three rooms and an attic."

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