USA > Minnesota > Stearns County > History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume I > Part 59
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Five years later, in September, 1874, another movement of the same char- acter had its origin in Minneapolis and another Upper Mississippi Navigation Company was organized, this time with a eapital of $75,000. Its business was to transport goods from Minneapolis to St. Cloud and the various points along the Upper Mississippi. The incorporators were Dorillus Morrison, George A. Brackett, Richard Chute, Paris Gibson, D. N. Goodwin, and E. M. Wilson, all men of wealth and influence, but this company, like its predecessor, never got beyond the stage of incorporation and both were equally fruitless. In the meantime the railroad eontinned to operate, making gradual reductions of freight rates until the feeling of dissatisfaction waned, if it did not altogether die out.
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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY
STAGE AND EXPRESS LINES.
The Minnesota Stage Company was formed in 1859 by J. C. Burbank, Rus- sell Blakely, Alveran Allen and Charles L. Chase, all of St. Paul. During the three years prior to this Allen & Chase had been running a stage line into the Upper Mississippi country. The four-horse coaches of the Minnesota Stage Company furnished the means of reaching, during all seasons of the year, not only St. Paul and Minneapolis, but the towns farther up the Mississippi river and up the Sauk Valley northward and westward to the state boundary. In 1860 the interest of Allen & Chase in the stage company was purchased by John L. Merriam, and the business was subsequently carried on by the firm of Burbank, Blakely & Merriam. The routes they covered were far-reaching, and at one time they had in their employ over two hundred men with more than seven hundred horses.
The first coach from St. Cloud to the Red river made the trip in the spring of 1859, leaving St. Cloud June 21. Captain Russell Blakely, one of the pro- prietors, went through, and it was at that time that the two Scotch lassies, whose romantic journey is told on another page, went on their way to western Canada.
The trip from St. Cloud to St. Paul was a tedious one at the best. The start was made in the early morning, with breakfast at Clearwater. If all went well, St. Paul was reached about nine o'clock in the evening. If all did not go well it was reached-when the coach got there. In winter, when the snowdrifts were deep, the journey would be one of days, but that condition has not been wholly unknown in the days of steam locomotives. With the extension of the line of railroad beyond St. Cloud the stage business was crowded further and further toward the frontier, until finally the coaches were entirely superseded by the railway cars.
The carrying of express matter was then as now closely allied to the trans- portation of passengers. J. C. Burbank, of St. Paul, was the father of the ex- press business in Minnesota, making his initial trip in 1851. The same men who controlled the stage company organized the Northwestern Express Com- pany, which did a large business during the time when the stages were in oper- ation. The mails were also carried by the coaches, and upon their arrival the people of the frontier towns were dependent almost wholly for all means of communication with the outside world.
The express company advertised in 1857 that it would undertake "the safe and speedy transportation of money, valuables and light freight, collection and payment of notes, drafts, bills and accounts, and all the business of general express forwarding." At that date it made semi-weekly trips from St. Paul to Anoka, Itasca, St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids, Watab and Fort Ripley, this being what was known as the Upper Mississippi River route. At that time S. B. Lowry was the company's St. Cloud agent.
The stage route agents and express messengers will be remembered by the older settlers. Among the former were Henry Gager, John Bingham and R. A. Waite, the latter holding his post until the era of stage coaches had closed, and among the others, Henry Baldwin, Math Schaefer and N. Q. Puntches.
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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY
They were all jolly, big-bodied, big-hearted men, full of fun and jokes, willing and accommodating, and prime favorites with travelers and all who had busi- ness with them.
ROADS.
Even while settlements were sparse the necessity for a means of communi- cation with markets, for the obtaining of needed supplies and the disposal of such surplus products as the cultivation of the fields might afford, became mani- fest, and legislative action in the matter of laying out roads was invoked. The first road affecting the interests of Stearns county, which was then in- cluded within the extensive boundaries of Cass county, was provided for in an act of the territorial legislature approved February 23, 1854, by the terms of which Washington Getchell, Anson Northrop, of Hennepin county, and David Gilman and Asa White, of Benton county, were appointed commissioners to lo- cate and mark a territorial road "commencing at the west end of the site selected for the Mississippi bridge, on the west side of St. Anthony Falls; thence on the most practicable route to a point opposite the center of the pres- ent village of Sauk Rapids;" the expenses to be paid by the counties through which the road should pass.
One year later two more territorial roads were provided for, both by acts approved February 27, 1855. By the first Lewis Stone, John L. Wilson, Pierre Bottineau and John H. Stevens were appointed commissioners to "lay out and establish a territorial road from St. Cloud, in Cass county, by way of Manhattan and Monticello to Minneapolis, in Hennepin county; also, a branch of the same to run by the way of the mouth of Crow river. Except as regarded the provision for a branch this road would seem to be practically the same as that provided for in the bill passed the year before. The second of these roads was to be established on the most feasible route, from St. Cloud, in Cass county, via Red Cedar Island lake, to Henderson, in Sibley county, John L. Wilson, Jeremiah Russell and S. B. Lowry being the commissioners.
A few days later, March 3, 1855, an act was approved providing for the fourth road, which was to run from St. Augusta street, in the town of St. Cloud, by the most feasible route, to intersect the old river road north of Sauk river. The commissioners, Joseph Demel, James Keough, and Robert B. Blake, were instructed to report the location on or before September 1, 1855.
At the following session of the territorial legislature in 1856 commissioners were appointed for the location of two more roads. By the first act, approved February 13, Pierre Bottineau, S. B. Lowry, and Albert Sarjent were given authority to locate and mark a territorial road from St. Cloud by way of the mouth of the Sioux river to Pembina, a copy of the map of the survey of the road to be deposited with the register of deeds of each county through which the road should pass, the expenses of the location to be paid out of the terri- torial treasury. The act providing for the second road, approved March 1, 1856, appointed David Gilman, H. G. Fillmore, John L. Young, and John W. Tenvoorde commissioners to locate and establish a territorial road from St. Cloud to Fort Ripley by the most feasible route. In this instance it was directed that the cost of location should be paid by the counties through which the road passed.
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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY
When the first state legislature met in 1858 roads were laid out with an unstinting hand, the rapid increase in population having created a wide de- mand for greater facilities for inter-communication. The needs of Stearns county appear to have had the industrious consideration of its representatives. By an act approved February 6, James Phillips and Lewis Harrington, of Mc- Leod county, and E. E. Payne, of Stearns county, were appointed commis- sioners to locate a state road from Glencoe by way of Paynesville, to St. Paul. But single bills proving to be too slow a method to meet the exigencies of the situation, an omnibus bill was introduced and approved March 19, providing for ninety roads in different parts of the state. Six of these were of more or less interest to Stearns county, or would have been if all had been built. Peter Grant, George Day, Martin Smith and M. C. Tollman were appointed commis- sioners to locate a road from Winnebago to Ottertail City; M. C. Folleman (Tollman), Anson Northrop, Winslow Libby and William Kinkead to locate a road from Winnebago to Breckenridge; W. D. Davis, Joseph Dam and Seth Turner to locate a road from Maine Prairie to Cold Spring, on Sauk river; Joseph Dam, Z. Caswell and W. H. Davis to locate a road from Clearwater via Maine Prairie, and Manannah to Columbia; Asa Libby, Martin Smith, Martin Higby and Abijah Walker, from Winnebago to Kenebec; J. S. Perry, John McLeod and William Mills to locate a road from St. Peter via Arlington and Glencoe to St. Cloud. A bill approved the following day took care of a road which would appear to have been overlooked in the general apportionment. It named E. Abbott, Samuel M. Bruce and Samuel Wakefield commissioners to locate a road from St. Joseph, in Stearns county, via Richmond to Long Prairie, in Todd county. Philip Beaupry (Beaupre), Winslow Libby and William Mc- Neal, by an act approved July 7, were appointed commissioners to locate a road from St. Cloud by way of Winnebago to Olean. Another omnibus bill, ap- proved August 5, made provision for twenty-eight state roads, of which four were for Stearns county, as follows: W. H. Davis, John Farwell and Seth Turner, commissioners to locate a road from Clearwater via Senterville to Cold Spring on Sauk river; O. S. Senter, O. Farwell and Alexander Moore to locate a road from Senterville via Sauk Centre to Westport; F. W. Wilson, Wheeler and M. C. Ireland to locate a road from Clear Lake, in Sher- burne county, to Richmond, via St. Augusta; John McLeod, J. M. Fuller and O. Farwell to locate a road from some point in the town of Clearwater to Marine (Maine) Prairie.
One of the most important roads provided for at this session of the legis- lature was that covered by a bill approved February 8, 1858. By this bill John Ball, William Kinkead and J. (T.) H. Barrett were appointed commissioners to lay out, mark and establish a state road, commencing at St. Cloud, running thence by the most direct and feasible route, in their judgment, to Brecken- ridge, on the Red river of the North. The commissioners were directed to meet at the Stearns house, in St. Cloud, on the first of May, 1858, or at such time as they might agree upon, and establish said road, complete the same, and file a plat thereof in the office of the registers of deeds of the organized counties through which said road should be located, within one year from the date of the passage of the act. The expenses of the survey were to be paid by the
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counties through which the road should pass, the commissioners being entitled to receive $3.00 per day for their services while actually employed on the work. This road became the main thoroughfare, as it is today, between St. Cloud and the Red river of the North, passing through Melrose, Sauk Centre, Alexandria, Fergus Falls and many other important cities and towns in north- ern Minnesota. The line of the Great Northern Railway runs practically paral- lel with it the entire distance, showing that the commissioners in charge of the location of the road acted wisely in selecting "the most direct and feasible route."
A resident of St. Cloud, who is probably the sole survivor of the party which located this road, in speaking of its personnel and experiences, says : "The three commissioners were men of the highest character and all were identified with the war for the preservation of the Union. Theodore H. Bar- rett, of St. Cloud, fought the last battle of the war in Texas, and retired with the rank of brigadier general. Returning to Minnesota, after filling several large government contracts for land surveys in the territories, he was elected a member of the Minnesota legislature and was also a member of the board of managers of the St. Cloud Reformatory. He opened up and managed a large farm in Grant and Stevens counties, near Herman. John Ball, of Winona, was a member of the First Minnesota Regiment, being chosen second lieutenant, and was afterwards promoted to be lieutenant-colonel of the Eleventh Minnesota Infantry. He took part in many of the hard-fought bat- tles of the war, including Bull Run, Bale's Bluff, Yorktown, Gettysburg, and others. A wound received at the battle of Bristol, undoubtedly hastened his death, which occurred September 26, 1875. The John Ball Post, G. A. R., at Winona, was named in his honor. William Kinkead, who was one of the early settlers of Douglas county, being especially interested in Alexandria, removed afterwards to St. Cloud; enlisted in the Minnesota Second Battery of Light Artillery in 1862; was taken prisoner in 1863, exchanged a few months later, and in 1864 transferred to the Adjutant General's office in Washington. He became a victim to consumption, returning to St. Cloud, where he died. At the time this survey was made no one of this trio of noble souls had scarcely more than passed his majority. The surveying party left St. Cloud May 13, 1858, spending the first night at the Nathan Lamb farm, on Sauk river. After leav- ing St. Joseph they plunged into woods which were an interminable succes- sion of windfalls, making progress so difficult that on some days but little more than a mile of the proposed road was located. No means for the trans- portation of supplies had been provided, each member of the party carrying not only the tools or instruments his duties rendered necessary, but "packed" a part of the cooking and sleeping equipment. Both were of the very simplest character. There was no tent, and when the rains fell and the floods came there was neither escape nor protection from the down-pour. Camp fires were built, around which the tired party gathered for the night's rest, the howls of the wolves, which infested the woods, being the lullaby for their slumbers. While these beasts came within easy speaking distance they did not make any trouble. The cooking utensils consisted of a frying pan, a "dutch oven," in which to bake the biscuit which served for bread-stuff (flour being more easily
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transported than baked bread), tin plates and cups, knives, forks, and spoons. The menu included salt pork, fresh biscuit, tea, sugar and little else, milk be- ing secured on the rare occasions when we came to a farm house. Supplies had been sent to Sauk Centre and such other towns as lay along the proposed route. When Alexandria was reached we had a regular feast-baked beans, fresh meat, real bread and butter, with dried apple pie for dessert, and I doubt if the Waldorf-Astoria ever set out a banquet which was more heartily rel- ished. From Alexandria settlers were fewer and fewer, but we enjoyed the beauty of the lake country through which we passed-the park region of Min- nesota. Pelican lake gave evidence of the appropriateness of its name in the presence of myriads of these great white-feathered birds, with the capacious pouches under their bills, which gathered in flocks on an island in the lake or circled around by the hundreds and hundreds. It was a novel sight even for those days, when pelicans were not so rare as they are today. When we reached the Ottertail river our supplies were entirely exhausted, but we found a hospitable welcome at the home of Matthew P. Wright, who had located a townsite which he called Dayton. Ill-fortune followed Mr. Wright's efforts at securing a water power at his location, one dam after another being car- ried out by the force of the water he was endeavoring to curb. The family has an interesting history. One of the sons, Edward, and another man, who were acting as escort for messengers sent from Fort Abercrombie to St. Paul for aid during the Sioux War in 1862, were ambushed and killed by the Indians and their bodies mutilated. One night afterwards the Indians set fire to some hay just outside Fort Abercrombie and while the men at the fort were busy putting out the fire two Indians managed to get into the horse barn and were leading out some horses as Edwin M. Wright and a man named Steele came upon them. It was dark and the Indians fired first; Steele was killed and Wright was hit in the shoulder. However, he returned the fire, but missed. One Indian ran out of the back door and was shot by other men stationed there; the other backed into a corner of the stable trying to hide. In the mean- time Wright had fixed his bayonet to his old Harper's Ferry musket-there being no time to reload,-and ran the Indian through. Edwin Wright removed to St. Cloud the following year, engaging in the practice of law, and was elected county attorney of Stearns county, and also a member of the legisla- ture. In 1873 he removed to Fergus Falls, which was his home until his death in 1893, at the age of 58 years. Captain Oscar Taylor married the oldest daugh- ter, Caroline Wright, at Dayton, in 1862, this being the first marriage in Otter- tail county. They located in St. Cloud, which was for many years their home, and where Captain Taylor became a leading citizen. Mrs. Taylor, a widow, now resides with her only son in Kansas City. A younger sister, Miss Martha Wright, who spent a number of years in St. Cloud, now Mrs. D. N. West, lives at Thomas, Washington. Matthew P. Wright died in Fergus Falls, at the home of his son, Albert M., in 1889, aged 90 years; Mrs. Wright died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Taylor, in St. Cloud, in 1894, at the age of 81 years. Although some surveying and grading had been done with a view to making Dayton a town, after the Dutch bond-holders got hold of the road, through the efforts of George B. Wright (a different family), the line was
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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY
changed to Fergus Falls, five miles further np the river, and Dayton became simply a farm, until about three years ago, when the Ottertail Power Company developed the fine water power there and it is now used to light Fergus Falls, Breckenridge and Wahpeton. It may be interesting to note that in this im- mediate vicinity is the continental divide, the rain falling on one side of the hill going via the Red River of the North to the Arctic Ocean and on the other side via the Pomme de Terre river to the Gulf of Mexico. After being well cared for and furnished with a day's supplies, we left Dayton the next morn- ing, for Breckenridge, the Red river terminus of the road, about 25 miles dis- tant, leaving the line to be located on our return. Nothing could have ap- peared more hopeless, from an agricultural point of view, than did the "flats" over which we passed that day. Their dead-level alkaline surface was broken only by the mirages which tantalized us with the hope that surely we must come to a lake at which our thirst could be quenched, but no mirage with its deceptive show of rippling waters, ever resolved itself into a real lake. It did not seem possible that this dreary stretch could be converted into the suc- cession of fertile farms which occupy its surface today. The boomers who were booming Breckenridge erected a large hotel, purchased the machinery for a saw mill, which was afterwards left scattered along the road for miles westward from St. Cloud, but never reached its destination, and made other large expenditures of money in their efforts to convert their embryo settle- ment into a city, to reap only the result of so many similar undertakings- failure. After spending several days there feasting on Red river cat fish and living in comparative luxury, we took a fresh lot of supplies and started on our return. We reached St. Cloud June 25, the trip having occupied about six weeks. The surveyed line of road was approximately 140 miles, and some 30 miles shorter than the "Old Red river trail," which had been the route previously traveled.
The experiences of this party did not differ probably very materially from those of other parties engaged in locating roads in the newer parts of the state, except as this road was of greater length than most, if not any, of the others.
After the county had been organized the establishing of roads was among the matters to first engage the attention of the commissioners, and it may be desirable to make reference to those located during the decade which fol- lowed. The first county roads were established at a meeting held July 5, 1855, when Joseph Demal and George Eich were appointed examiners for a road commencing on the territorial road (the point of beginning not being designated) ; thenee running north between James Keough's, John Ferseh- weiler's and H. G. Fillmore's elaims to interseet with the old Red river road at the most feasible point. At the same meeting Albert Evans and Benjamin Davenport were appointed examiners for a road commencing at St. Cloud; thence running due west, or nearly west, on the south side of Sank river to Farmington; thence erossing said river and intersecting with the old Red river road at the most feasible point. Jacob C. Staples was appointed road supervisor in and for Farmington. Washington avenne and St. Angusta street were adopted as country roads.
At an extra session held August 15, Peter Loso and Harvey Wiltzheimer
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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY
were appointed to examine a proposed road from St. Cloud to St. Joseph ; thenee to continue as far as Coldwater Creek. At this session the report as to the examiners for the St. Cloud and Farmington road was approved as far as to the latter-named place, but no further; and the county surveyor was instructed to survey and establish the Keough-Ferschweiler-Fillmore road. He was anthorized to employ one axman and a team to haul stakes, ete., while engaged in surveying county roads.
At another extra session held August 28, the road from St. Cloud to Farmington and from St. Clond to Coldwater Brook via St. Josephi were or- dered to be surveyed and laid out. John Lohr and Ivery Staples were ap- pointed to examine a road from Farmington to intersect with the St. Joseph road.
At the session January 10, 1856, H. E. Collins and J. B. Sartell were ap- pointed examiners for a proposed continuation of the St. Cloud and Minne- apolis road to the northern boundary of Stearns county.
At the April 7, 1856, session of the board petitions were received for six new roads, and "it appearing to the satisfaction of said board that those roads were necessary," examiners were duly appointed. Two roads were petitioned for, said roads "to eommenee on the north and south side of the mouth of Sauk river and terminate at St. Joseph," Michael Lauerman and Thomas Dibb being appointed examiners. For a road to run from St. Cloud to Clear- water via Waterville, G. J. Tenvoorte and H. Walterman were appointed ex- aminers. Another road was to run from Clearwater to Forestville, for which Peter Neidhart and George Lafond were appointed examiners. A road to start from St. Cloud and run to Richmond via Forestville was approved, and Vineent Sehindler and John Hanson were appointed examiners. The sixth road was to have St. Cloud for its starting point and "running" via John Schwartz's terminate at Forestville. Henry C. Waite and John Schwartz were named as examiners. Notice was given that on and after that date, April 8, 1856, "all petitioners petitioning for eounty roads shall view, survey and locate said roads at their own expense." Anton Kepper was appointed road supervisor for Farmington preeinct.
At a session held May 10, the county surveyor was instrueted to survey and locate the continuation of the St. Cloud and Minneapolis road, and when the board met in regular session July 8, the county surveyor was instrneted to survey and locate the St. Cloud and Richmond road via Forestville.
October 30 a petition for a road from St. Cloud to White Oak brook, com- meneing at St. Germain street, in St. Cloud, running through the elaim of T. Tomley, between Spinneweaver and Schaefer, and thenee through the claim of G. Seifer and terminating at White Oak brook, was received and granted, and Peter Neidhart and Bernard Edelbrock were appointed examiners.
The road from St. Cloud to Farmington as surveyed by R. B. Blake was accepted, as was the road from St. Cloud to Forestville surveyed by Mr. Bar- rett, and the county surveyor was ordered to survey the road from Farm- ington to Richmond. The report on the St. Cloud and Territorial road was accepted, but the petitioners were notified to survey and locate it at their own expense, which smacks somewhat of discrimination.
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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY
At the January, 1857, session George Nibler and John Stokel were ap- pointed viewers for a road to begin at or near the Catholic Church on Jacob's Prairie to pass the Prairie settlement and run thence by the head of Cold- water brook and intersect the St. Cloud and Pembina road. L. Schulte and Michael Lull were appointed to view a road beginning at St. Joseph and run- ning thence by the farms of A. Kepper, John Schulte, N. Leisen, John Vincent and Eller. J. W. Sanders and John G. Smith had a similar appointment for the road from Fremont city to Fair Haven. John McDonald and M. D. Campbell were appointed to view the road from St. Cloud to Fremont city, said road to terminate at the north end of Fremont street in said city of Fre- mont.
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