USA > Minnesota > Ramsey County > St Paul > History of Ramsey County and the city of St. Paul, including the Explorers and pioneers of Minnesota > Part 33
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Early on the 27th of May, a day resplendent with the beauties of spring, and made gorgeous by the morning's sun, Alexander Ramsey, with his wife, arrived in St. Paul, to enter on his duties as governor of the territory. Mrs. Ram- sey had not risen, and as the bow of the steamer ran into the shore, a little east of where Jackson street now is, Governor Ramsey landed, climbed over the high bluff bordering the river, and found his way to the St. Paul house, a log struc- ture, with an addition standing where the Merchants' hotel now is, and then the leading hotel of St. Paul. The accommodations as to rooms and table were both scant and primitive, and the house was crowded. The immediate prospects were not cheerful, more especially when he thought of his young wife, who had been
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ARRIVAL OF GOVERNOR RAMSEY.
reared amid the abundance and refinement of the East, and had experienced none of the privations of frontier life. The governor walked up what is now Third street, for there was no Third street then, where he saw a story and a half white house. In answer to an inquiry, a boy said: " That is for the governor," a remark of which he did not understand the full significance until after his arrival at Mendota. then called St. Peter's. Returning to the boat, the clerk per- suaded him to go to St. Peter's, saying that every one went there who came to St. Paul. On arriv- ing at St. Peter's, the governor and his wife were met by H. H. Sibley, and became his guests for near a month, until suitable quarters could be provided for them in St. Paul. The white house, before referred to on Governor Ramsey's landing at St. Paul, had been occupied as a saloon, but the tenant being unable to pay his rent, had va- cated the premises. Houses were scarce, and rea- soning correctly that the governor must have a house, it was held for him and became his first residence in St. Paul.
Furniture was ordered from St. Louis, and on the 25th of June, Governor Ramsey and Mr. Sibley rode to St. Paul on horseback, passing through several sloughs, the horses floundering to the saddle girths in mud. In the meantime, Mrs. Ramsey, servant and child came to St. Paul in a birch bark canoe, landing at the foot of what is now Eagle street, where they were met by a French cart drawn by oxen, and conducted to the executive mansion, on the south side of what is now Third street, two doors east of Robert street.
The following year Governor Ramsey built a commodious and comfortable residence, on the site of his present mansion (220 Exchange street) on a knoll fourteen feet above the present grade. Not another house was near them, and for a long time their new residence was only reached by an Indian trail. In 1857, this house was moved to an adjoining lot, and is now occupied by Horace R. Bigelow.
On June 1st, in a small room in the St. Paul ITouse, the territorial officers drew up what is known as "The First of June Proclamation," formally announcing the organization of the ter- ritorial government.
" To commemorate this event, the formal birth 13
of Minnesota, the Old Settlers' Association of Minnesota hold their annual meetings on June first of each year, and their annual banquet at the Merchants Hotel, the successor of the historic St. Paul House, the corner-stone of whose new structure was laid by the Association, on June first, 1870." -- [Williams.]
Gen. R. W. Johnson, now of St. Paul, passed through the town in 1849, on his way to Fort Snelling, as lieutenant in the army, and relates the following anecdote :
" The boat had tied up at the levee. Taking advantage of the delay, I wended my way to the Pioneer office, and was kindly received by Mr. Goodhue. During the conversation, I observed a hen on her nest under the table, and ventured to ask him if he designed raising his own poultry. He replied that he had eaten all her eggs, 'and the old fool is sitting on a couple of brickbats, and if she hatches out a brick yard, you may bet your last dollar that hen is not for sale !'"
The territorial census, which was taken this year, showed that the St. Paul precinct contained 540 males and 300 females, a total of 840.
The election of councillors, representatives and delegates, was on August 2d. Wm. H. Forbes and James McC. Boal were elected to the coun- cil, and Benjamin W. Brunson, Henry Jackson, Dr. John Dewey and Parsons K. Johnson, were elected from the St. Paul precinct. Capt. John Rollins was elected to the council by the Falls of St. Anthony precinct and the Little Canada settlement. William R. Marshall and Wm. Dugas were elected delegates to the house.
The Register, referring to the election says: "They were successively placed on a small-sized 'go-cart' and hauled through the streets by the enthusiastic crowd, at a speed rather prejudicial to whole necks. The vehicle finally broke down, but the boys were not to be stopped in their re- joicings. So they carried their successful friends to the hotel, where such cheering took place as we scarcely ever heard before."
The session of the first territorial legislature was held in "The Central House," on the corner of what is now Minnesota and Bench streets.
During this session the first struggle took place for the permanent location of the capital, which was not fully determined until the following year, "when a compromise was effected by which the
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HISTORY OF RAMSEY COUNTY.
Capitol was to be at St. Paul, the State Universi- ty at St. Anthony and the Penitentiary at Still- water."
The legislature was in session sixty days and adjourned November 3d, 1849.
By act of the legislature, approved October 27th, Ramsey county was created, with boun- daries heretofore given. On the adjournment of the legislature Gov. Ramsey appointed county officers to hold their positions until the first of January following. The formal election of coun- ty officers was held on November 26th.
The first term of court was held April 28th, 1850, with forty-nine cases on the calendar; Chief Justice Goodrich presiding. There were thirteen indictments, mostly against gambling house keepers. 'As there was no jail, prisoners were sent to Fort Snelling for safe keeping.
The federal census of this year showed that Ramsey county had 1,337 males and 860 females -a total of 2,197. Number of dwellings, 834. Number of acres improved, 458. Number of families, 257. It should be borne in mind that at that time Ramsey county included nearly all of Minnesota on the east of the Mississippi, except the St. Croix valley.
Vetal Guerin gave the county a block for coun- ty buildings. On January 16th, the county com- missioners advertised for plans for a court house and jail. Dr. David Day furnished the most ac- ceptable plan for a court house, for which he was paid ten dollars. To raise money for the erection of county buildings, bonds were issued to the amount of five thousand dollars, drawing ten per cent. interest, and this sum covered the entire cost of our old court house, except that a trifling ad- ditional compensation was allowed for "winding stairs." At no time since could the building have been erected for that sum.
A Mr. Taylor, who purchased Franklin Steele's interest in the St. Anthony Water-power Com- pany, said he could negotiate the court house bonds in Boston. They were accordingly drawn up, and signed by Benjamin Gervais, Louis Roberts, and R. P. Russell, the two former mak- ing their marks. These bonds were offered in the Boston market, but the good people would not purchase bonds thus signed. They were ac- cordingly returned, by some means duly signed, (of course by proxy), and Mr. Russell paid the
money for them. The court house was com- menced in November of this year, and completed the year following.
Several months after, the building of the jail was commenced, and was the first prison erected in Minnesota. It was built of logs, weather boarded, and stood till 1857.
From about the 1st of April, 1850, the Missis- sippi began to rise, and on the 13th, the lower floor of a warehouse, then occupied by William Constans, at the foot of Jackson street, was sub- merged. For a purse of $200, the steamboat Anthony Wayne passed above Fort Snelling to the Falls of St. Anthony, having Governor Ram- sey and others on board.
On the 15th of May, the chief " Hole-in-the- Day " secreted his canoe in the gorge leading to " the cave," and with two or three of his braves crossed the river, and while almost in sight of St. Paul, attacked a party of Sioux, killed one man, took his scalp, and made a safe retreat. This daring act produced great excitement in Little Crow's band, a number of whom soon after ap- peared running to and fro in the streets of St. Paul, naked, but armed " and panting for the scalps of their enemies." It is said that to ac- complish this daring act, and make good his re- treat, " IIole-in-the-Day " marched eighty miles in twenty-four hours.
The great event of 1851 was the treaty with the Dakotahs, whereby they sold their birthright, and were to be henceforth intruders when on their native soil. Upto 1851, '2 and '3, their dead might be seen on platforms in West St. Paul, and settlers there found the near presence of the Indian dead so offensive, that complaint was made to Governor Gorman, who ordered their removal.
The Democrat of September 30th, says: "The country is full of bears. A band of Sioux In- dians killed, in two days, in the neighborhood of Rice Lake, twenty-five bears. Two were seen within a mile of our office on Saturday." .
The same paper under date of December 24th, says: "Plenty of delightful weather, plenty to eat, plenty to drink, but not a word of news from the states for two weeks past."
On October 27th, 1852, an Indian, near Holmes- ville, shot a German woman, whose remains were brought to St. Paul and buried. The murderer,
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RESERVATION SOLD.
Yu-ha-zee, was pursued and arrested. He was taken to Fort Snelling, indicted two days later . by the grand jury of Ramsey county, tried, con- victed of murder, and sentenced the same week, but was not executed until December 29th, 1854. He was publicly executed on St. Anthony hill. This was the first execution in Ramsey county.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
SALE OF RESERVATION-REPORT OF BROWN- REPLY OF RICE-TAXES-ANNEXATION OF WEST ST. PAUL -- FUTURE PROSPECTS-OFFI- CIAL ROSTER.
We now approach some of the most stirring events connected with the history of Ramsey county. It has before been stated that the mili- tary reservation of Fort Snelling included the present town of Reserve and a part of the present city of St. Paul. Settlers had made homes on the reservation from time to time until 1853, when all the lands of the reserve, east of the Mis- sissippi were taken by claimants, though without the sanction of law. In anticipation of the offer- ing of these lands for sale, a Claim Association was organized for the purpose of mutual protec- tion. Henry M. Rice was elected the first presi- dent, and William S. Combs, secretary of the as- sociation, which held a meeting in the open air, on the grass, about where the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha machine shops are now being built.
The claims of the settlers frequently over- lapped, and the first business of the association was to settle these claims among themselves, and then to present a united front against any new comer who might attempt to get possession of the lands by jumping claims, buying of the govern- ment, or otherwise.
On July 1st, 1854, the association held a meet- ing, in anticipation of the sale of the lands which was to occur on the 11th of September, following. Mr. Rice in the mean time having taken his seat in congress as delegate from the territory of Minnesota.
It should be stated that at that time the gov- ernment required all public lands, when offered for sale, to be put up at auction and sold to the highest bidder, though at a price of not less than $1.25 per acre.
At the meeting before referred to, a series of nine resolutions were adopted, a few of which we give with their numbers.
3. " Resolved that we repair to the land sale en masse, to protect our homes from the bids of wealthy and sordid speculators, the homes and improvements which have cost so many of us long years of toil and labor, and the expenditure of all our means, the homes which shelter our wives and little ones, the homes doubly endeared to us by the privations, cares and anxieties which we have all experienced in their security, the only spot in fact which we can justly call our home, upon this fairest portion of God's foot- stool, and which we will protect from the ruth- less hands of those who would eagerly tear them from our possession."
7. "Resolved that our brethren of Minneapolis and Brownsville land district be respectfully and cordially invited to be with us at Stillwater on the 11th day of September next, and that we do pledge ourselves to return the favor at their re- spective " land sales " on the 18th of September next."
9. " Resolved that a copy of these resolutions be sent to every editor in the territory, and that they be respectfully requested to give publicity to the same .??
The resolutions were signed by Wm. Noot, president, and J. D. Williams, secretary, and were published in the papers of the territory, thereby giving due and public notice, that no competition in the purchase of the lands of the reservation would be allowed.
Wm. R. Marshall was appointed to bid off the lands on the day of sale, in trust for the claim- ants.
On the day appointed for the sale, according to the Daily Democrat, a thousand people were on the ground at Stillwater, ready to act decisively, had occasion required. The claimants dressed in red shirts, all armed, and having clubs in their hands, were arranged in a circle so large as almost to prevent outsiders from being heard, even if disposed to bid. One outsider only made
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HISTORY OF RAMSEY COUNTY.
an attempt to bid, and he was soon disposed of. The sale commenced at nine a. m., and was finished in three-quarters of an hour. The re- mainder of the day was consumed in making out the papers for the purchasers, who were congratu- lated on being released from their long suspense, and getting lands so valuable to them and the territory, at the government price of $1.25 per acre, "without disturbance or violence of any kind."
One week after the sale of lands at Stillwater, the register and receiver of the land office united in a letter to the commissioners of the general land office at Washington, in which they repre- sented that they offered "at public sale, according to law, so much of the original military reserva- tion, at Fort Snelling, as is within this land dis- trict, and lying on the left bank of the Mississippi river, being in township 28, north, of range num- ber 23; that the whole of said lands were offered during the day, and sold at the minimum price of $1.25 per acre, there being four thousand five hundred and three and eighty-nine one hund- redths acres, amounting to $5,629.861; and that we believe a combination existed which prevented the said lands from being sold for more than the minimum."
The authorities at Washington received infor- mation corroborating the statements of the land officers.
On the 4th of October, the land officers at Still- water were instructed to report the facts and circumstances going to show the existence of a combination, with the testimony they might be able to procure on the subject ; to which, on the 9th of December, those gentlemen replied that their "belief in the existence of the aforesaid combination was based mainly upon public ru- mor," and " that the utmost harmony prevailed during the sale."
The commissioner at Washington, in a letter dated February 2d, 1855, censured the officers at Stillwater for having in their communication of September 18th, " by implication, at least, charged the purchasers at the sale therein referred to, with being guilty of an offence against the laws of the country, for which, if convicted, each would be liable to a fine of one thousand dollars and two years' imprisonment, and that, too, on a mere
rumor, which, upon investigation, seemed to be without any tangible foundation."
But the commissioner was finally induced to appoint J. Ross Brown, then a traveler and wri- ter of some note, with instructions to visit Min- nesota, investigate and report on the facts. Mr. Brown, accordingly, as a secret agent, visited Minnesota, where he remained some weeks. The people and claimants not only did not deny the existence of a " combination," but freely admitted it. Mr. Brown found an abundance of moral evi- dence going to show the truth of the charges, but, save a protest signed by Lyman C. Dayton, he obtained very little positive proof until on his re- turn trip.
William S. Combs, the first secretary of the Claim Association, with others, started east over- land, and were pleased to have Mr. Brown as one of their party, knowing him as a traveler and writer, but in entire ignorance of his mission. They carried his satchel for him, gave him the best bed at night, and as he manifested an inter- est in the "Claim Association " and their late transactions, some of the party told him all they knew about it with ample embellishments. On the information thus obtained, together with what he learned in Minnesota, under date of March 28th, 1855, Mr. Brown reported that in- timidation had been resorted to, and that if the " sales were confirmed the government would be defrauded out of $300,000, which of right be- longed to the people of the United States," and that the actual value of the lands was from forty to three hundred dollars per acre, and that the average value of the whole tract was "at least eighty dollars per acre." He submitted a copy of a protest signed by Lyman C. Dayton, which he found filed in the general land office, showing that on the 8th day of August, a month prior to the sale, "Charles R. Rice sold to said Dayton forty-seven acres of land within the reserve, for the sum of $1,937, which land the said Rice bought at public sale on the 11th of September for $1.25 per acre, or about $60."
In the agreement accompanying the protest, a copy of which was also submitted, Mr. Rice bound himself " to the amount of the considera- tion paid to him to use his influence and do every thing for the protection and securing of the claim to said Dayton, as if he alone was interested, and
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BROWN'S REPORT ON SALE OF LAND.
it was also agreed that the said Dayton pay, or cause to be paid, a pro rata expense of obtaining the lands, he to incur all the risk in the premises, and possession to said land to remain in said Rice until title is obtained as aforesaid."
Further on in his report, which fills two solid columns in the papers of the day, Mr. Brown says: "I submit in this connection a list of the lands sold and the names of the purchasers, taken from the records of the general land office, together with copies of the St. Paul Democrat and Weekly Minnesotian, containing the business notices of most of the speculators therein named."
"The principal purchaser, Wm. R. Marshall, is a merchant and speculator. Alpheus G. Fuller is an Indian trader and speculator, George L. Becker is a member of the firm of Rice, Hollins- head and Becker, Henry M. Rice is the delegate to congress from Minnesota, Charles L. Emerson, who obtains five acres of land purchased of C. L. Rice, is editor of the Democrat, known as the 'Rice organ' and member of the firm of Emerson and Case, land agents and speculators; George W. Biddle is a dentist and speculator; W. S. Combs is a bookseller and land speculator. All these gentlemen are residents of St. Paul, and none of them now occupy or ever actually occupied or lived on these lands."
Mr. Brown concluded his report by recommend- ing that "an investigation of all the facts and cir- cumstances connected with the settlement and sale of lands within the Fort Snelling reservation should be instituted; and that all patents for the land now pending in the general land office, should be suspended until an official report" could "be made on the subject, accompanied by the necessary testimony."
Mr. Brown's report was referred to in the Min- nesota papers of the day as the "Report of the Government Spy." The day following its publi- cation in Minnesota, Lyman C. Dayton published a card denying certain statements it contained, and Governor Gorman with others, were moved to publish cards denying imputations as to their complicity with Mr. Brown, who, in his report made frequent reference to Hon. H. M. Rice and others, the nature of which is so clearly indicated in extracts from the incisive reply of Mr. Rice, which
we give, that we forbear further extracts from the report of the government's agent.
The report on its face was conclusive as against the alleged purchasers of the reserve, and had it been confined to well established facts, the result might and probably would have been different.
On the receipt of Mr. Brown's report by the sec- retary of the interior, he sent a copy to Hon. H. M. Rice, then in Washington, who the same day, under date of April 9th, 1855, made a lengthy and caustic reply to Mr. Brown's report, from which we make the following extracts:
"He sets out by charging that there was an un- lawful and fraudulent combination among a large number of persons, to defraud the govern- ment of the value of these lands; that this com- bination succeeded by force and violence in pre- venting competition at the public sale; that the government was defrauded of more than three hundred thousand dollars; that the punishment prescribed by law for this offence, is a penalty of one thousand dollars and imprisonment for two years; that Henry M. Rice, the delegate in con- gress from Minnesota; was one of the purchasers at that sale, who, among the guilty parties pur- chased a part of the said military reservation at $1.25 per acre, and thus defrauded the govern- ment by preventing competition, etc .; that IIenry M. Rice, the delegate from Minnesota, wrote a letter that these sales were virtually 'confirmed and congratulated the hardy pioneers,' etc., etc .; and in conclusion refers anew to a list of names of the purchasers, and reiterates that 'among which will be found that of Henry M. Rice, the present delegate from Minnesota.'" To all this Mr. Rice replies:
"Fortunately the records of your own depart- ment convict Mr. Brown of falsehood on every material statement he made against me. The records of your own department as well as the records of the land office at Stillwater, where the sale took place, prove that I did not purchase any land at the sale. The same records prove that the lands mentioned by Mr. Brown as having been purchased by me at that sale had been en- tered and paid for by me at that same office, near three years previous. The same records prove that that tract of land, which Mr. Brown says be- longed to the military reservation of Fort Snell- ing, did not belong to that reservation, and
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HISTORY OF RAMSEY COUNTY.
was not embraced within its limits. The same records prove that the tract of land in question was never purchased by me at public sale at any time; but that after having been of- fered at public sale at $1.25 per acre, there was no pretext for a combination, that no one would bid, was struck off to the government, and sub- sequently entered by me at a private sale in the usual manner.
"It is true, as Mr. Brown alleges, that some of these lands had been cultivated and occupied for 'several years past,' and it is also true that the land is now very valuable! But who made them so? The settlers themselves, by the introduction of industry, capital, and civilization into that new and distant region. Seven years ago St. Paul and St. Anthony did not exist, and but lit- tle more than six years since the sites upon which they are erected were entered at $1.25 per acre. much of which is at the present time worth from $10,000 to $50,000 per acre; therefore, according to the reasoning of this special agent, the gov- ernment has been defrauded in the purchase, of an enormous sum of money, and it can not be perceived why he did not also ask to have those entries cancelled. He does not believe that ' land speculators throughout Minnesota were prevented from bidding by motives of personal friendship for the claimants holding possession of the land.' Neither do I. But a sense of honor prevented any but rightful claimants from bid- ding. There is a bond stronger than any law, which makes honest men respect the rights of their neighbors, and I am glad that that bond is so universally respected throughout Minnesota."
"Your agent submits a copy of a protest and agreement, etc., given him by Lyman C. Dayton, by which it appears that Charles R. Rice agreed to sell to said Dayton, forty-seven acres of said land for $1,927, which the said Rice bought for about $60. It is to be regretted that Mr. Brown, while examining into the private affairs of the citizens of Minnesota, did not ascertain what the improvements on the lands cost Mr. Rice. It is well known to every man the least conversant with the West, that claims are sold every day, and that improvements are constantly changing hands upon both the surveyed and unsurveyed lands, and are regarded as property by the local laws. Nor do I know any law, human or divine,
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