USA > Minnesota > Stearns County > History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume I > Part 60
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At the meeting held April 7, 1857, John Farwell and J. M. Kemble were appointed viewers for a road from Neenah to Marysville.
Road supervisors were appointed at the session in April, 1857, for the several road districts as follows: Michael Lauerman for the Farmington dis- trict ; John Kraus, for the St. Cloud precinct; Vincent Shindler, for the Rich- mond precinct ; Anton Emhold, for the St. Augusta precinct ; Truman Parcher, for the Clearwater precinct. For a road to run from the Territorial road, com- mencing at a point between the claims of Herman Schreifels and Mathias Bloomer and running to St. Joseph, Mathias Schindler and Philip Beather were appointed viewers.
The petition for a road from St. Cloud to St. Augusta was granted July 6, 1857, and J. L. Wilson, W. D. Davis and C. A. Wyate were appointed view- ers. The following day a petition was received and granted praying that that part of the road leading from Lower town (St. Cloud city) via John Schwartz's to Forestville, lying east from Schwartz's to Lower St. Cloud, be vacated, and that said road begin at the west end of St. Germain street, thence running southwest via Schwartz's. Franklin Sisson and A. Scofield were ap- pointed viewers.
At the extra session September 24, 1857, Michael Walker and Moses Adley were appointed viewers for a road from Cold Spring city to Sauk lake.
The only business transacted at the regular session October 6, was the granting of two road petitions, one for a road from the Meeker county line in township 122, range 29, and leading south of Pearl lake (so-called) through Maine Prairie and Marysville to intersect with the road laid out from Marys- ville to Neenah, with A. B. Greely and A. H. Spahles viewers; the other for a road from Marysville to St. Cloud, withi S. Dickson and William Milligan view- ers. The board thereupon adjourned until November 3d, and the importance with which the laying out of roads was regarded will be appreciated when we see that the only business again transacted was the accepting of the report of the viewers for the road from Cold Spring city to Sauk Centre via Richmond, which the county surveyor was instructed to locate at once, and the granting of the petition for a road from St. Joe to the Watab bridge, with James Keough and Malcolm Smith viewers.
January 5, 1858, J. C. Staples was appointed road overseer for the Rock- ville precinct. A petition for a road from St. Cloud via Neenah on the south
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side of the marsh to connect at Plum creek with the road running from St. Cloud to Clearwater was granted, with the condition that "the petitioners give bonds to save the county against all liabilities for locating the same;" L. C. Johnson and E. A. Wiatt being appointed viewers. John L. Wilson and Jolin Rengel were appointed viewers for the road from St. Cloud to the south line of Frank Remeley's claim.
J. H. Linneman and Moses Morrison, at the January 25, 1858, session gave bonds to cover the expense for surveying and laying out a road from D. Woods via St. Joseph to the claim of Har, J. Payne and Leonard Frud being appointed viewers. At an extra session February 22, Moses Morrison and Anton Edelbrock were appointed county road commissioners.
The county board of supervisors ordered September 14, 1858, that the road from St. Joseph to Long Prairie, as surveyed by Henry Dixon, be adopted as a state road.
A re-survey was ordered September 16, 1859, to be made by Nicholas Smith, of the old county road, between St. Cloud and St. Joseph, as surveyed by R. B. Blake, in 1855, and adopted by act of the legislature approved August 2, 1858, as a part of the state road from St. Cloud to Breckenridge.
It was not until September 7, 1860, that T. H. Barrett's bill of $45.50 for his services as commissioner, and $54.00 for his services and the services of John Ball as surveyors on that part of the state road from St. Cloud to Breckenridge, which lay in Stearns county, and $35.00 for platting the same, was allowed.
The re-location of the St. Joseph and Long Prairie road from the 28 mile stake to the northwest corner of seetion 3, township 123, range 31, as surveyed by James H. Place, was approved and the supervisor of the town of St. Joseph was directed, by order of the commissioners June 26, 1863, to open it.
At the regular September meeting, the petition of citizens of St. Augusta for the vacation of a part of the St. Cloud and Minneapolis territorial road, commencing at or near the center of section 1, township 123, range 28, and terminating at or near Harries' place in the town of Lynden, was granted, and Henry Krebs, Joseph Capser and Joseph Edelbrock were appointed viewers.
At the June, 1867, meeting the county board gave approval to a state . road, provided for by act of the legislature, running from Sauk Centre, in Stearns county, via Burbank city and Forest lake in Monongalia county, to a point on the Minnesota river opposite the Lower Sioux agency.
A petition for a county road to begin at a point on the state road running from St. Cloud to Breckenridge in section 36, township 125, range 30, thence in a southerly direction to a point on the county road between St. Cloud and Cold Spring, in section 11 or 12, township 123, range 30, was granted at a mect- ing of the board January 9, 1868. A county road was ordered September 3, to be laid out between the towns of Clearwater and Maine Prairie, running through the towns of Fair Haven and Lynden, starting from a point in sec- tion 32, township 123, range 27, near the house of Adam Bunt, where the township roads intersect and terminating at a point in section 18, township 122, range 28, to intersect with the St. Cloud and Fair Haven road.
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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY
BRIDGES.
The year following the organization of the county the board took up the matter of providing bridges over the streams traversed by the more important roads, the only means of crossing these streams having been by fording, and at certain seasons of the year this was both difficult and dangerous. The steps for the construction of the first bridge were taken at the regular session of the board of commissioners held March 8, 1856, at which time the clerk was directed to advertise for the building of a bridge across the Sauk river on the county road leading to St. Joseph; this bridge "to consist of at least four bents with proper abutments twelve feet in width and finished fit for public travel; said bridge to have four stringers covered with hardwood two-inch plank; also, railing on the top." At the July 8 session, notice was given that sealed proposals would be received until August 11, for "the building of a bridge across Sauk river on the county road from St. Cloud to Cold Spring" (this undoubtedly being the same bridge as that referred to above), in ac- cordance with specifications to be seen at the office of the clerk of the board of county commissioners. At an extra session held October 30 and 31, a con- tract was made with Anton Edelbrock to build the bridge across Sauk river on the road leading from St. Cloud to St. Joseph for the sum of $600, of which amount $300 or more was to be collected by subscription and the balance paid in county orders on the completion of the bridge; the work to be fin- ished on or about April 15, 1857, and the bridge to be kept by the contractor in good traveling order for two years from the date of its completion. At the same meeting it was agreed to pay Batist Arseneau $30 for bridging and cordu- roying Coldwater brook.
John L. Wilson and Peter Loreing, who had been appointed a committee to examine the Sauk river bridge, built by Anton Edelbrock, reported to the board at a meeting held April 7, 1858, that the bridge was completed except the railing, whereupon the board made settlement with the contractor by giv- ing him a Stearns county bond, in the sum of $500, payable four years after date with interest at twelve per cent. The private subscription list amount- ing to $188.50, made to aid in the building of the bridge, was given to the sheriff for collection, the proceeds to be covered into the county treasury.
At the session beginning March 25, 1859, an appropriation of $300 in county orders was made by the board for a bridge across Sauk river where the Long Prairie road struck said river at Richmond, conditioned on the town of Munson appropriating an equal amount.
It was not until more than two years afterwards that bridge matters re- ceived further consideration, the next bridge provided for being one across Sauk river at or near Hays' mill in the town of Tecumseh. It was at a session held April 2, 1861, that the commissioners voted $200, again to be paid in county orders, with the further stipulation that the township expend an equal amount, for the building of this bridge.
The same year, September 3, the sum of $30 was voted to aid in building a bridge across Sauk river, at Cold Spring, and if the bridge corresponded to
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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY
the amount of aid given, as doubtless it did, it must have been a very primi- tive affair.
The township of Le Sauk having raised $200 toward the building of a bridge across Sauk river below the Sauk City Mill, an appropriation of an equal amount was made by the county board January 7, 1864, to be paid when the bridge should be built and be accepted by the township supervisors. A report was made to the board July 11, that the bridge had been satisfactorily completed and had been accepted.
Henry Gager was allowed $50, January 5, 1865, for plank furnished by him for a bridge across Sauk river, near Sauk Centre. An appropriation of $100 was made October 15, 1865, for a bridge near Johnson's, in the township of St. Augusta, and an equal amount was appropriated January 3, 1866, for a bridge across Sauk river at Richmond, on the Glencoe and Paynesville state road. On petition of Michael Hanson $60 was appropriated March 16, follow- ing to re-plank the bridge across Mill creek in the township of Rockville, and April 17, on a petition from J. B. Sartell, Joe Bailey and others, $70 was ap- propriated for erecting and repairing bridges in the township of Le Sauk.
An appropriation was made September 7, 1866, of $350 toward the ex- pense of building a bridge across Sauk river near Cold Spring city on the mail route from St. Cloud to Cold Spring, provided the total cost of said bridge should be $1,200 or more; if less than $1,200 the county appropriation should be proportionately reduced.
At the meeting January 5, 1867, an appropriation of $250 was made to assist the supervisors of Oak to plank Stewart's bridge over Sauk river and the bridge over the same river near New Munich; $25 to assist in planking the bridge over Gager creek, and $25 for the bridge over Stony creek, in the town of St. Martin. An appropriation of $300 was made March 15, following to the township of Munson to aid in the construction of a new bridge across Sauk river at Richmond, provided the township appropriated $500 for the same purpose. At a meeting held April 24, an additional appropriation of $650 was made for the bridge across Sauk river at Cold Spring, the entire cost being estimated at $2,000. The bridge across Sauk river, on the road from St. Cloud to St. Joseph, having been swept out by high water, an appro- priation of $1,600 was made May 7, toward a new bridge to cost $2,400. Ap- propriations as follows were made September 5: To the township of Sauk Centre, $150 to assist in building a new bridge across Sauk river near Sauk Centre; $100 additional to the town of Munson for the bridge at Richmond; $200 to the town of Grove, in addition to the appropriation of January 5, 1867 -$100 to be applied at New Munich and $100 at the Stewart bridge; and $100 to the town of Le Sauk in addition to the appropriation of April 17, 1866, to which a further addition of $150 was made January 7, 1868. An appropria- tion of $100 was made to the town of Paynesville, January 9, 1868, to assist in building a new bridge over the north fork of Crow river, near the house of W. P. Bennett. At the same time $250 additional was appropriated for the New Munich and the same amount for the Stewart bridge in the town of Grove, and $50 additional to Sauk Centre.
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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY
FERRIES.
As their large cost rendered bridges across the Mississippi river out of the question at this early date provision was made for the transporting of passen- gers and freight, from one side of the river to the other, by means of swing- ing ferries. As early as March 6, 1852, at the third session of the territorial legislature a bill was passed granting to R. P. Miller the exclusive right for six years to keep and maintain a ferry across the Mississippi river, in the county of Benton, at a point near the mouth of the Crow Wing river, no other ferry to be established within half a mile either above or below.
The first ferry license granted by the board of county commissioners of Stearns county was issued April 10, 1855, to Joseph P. Wilson, George F. Brott, L. B. Hammond and O. Curtis, to keep and maintain a ferry across the Mississippi river at or near St. Cloud city (lower town) for a term of ten years, the fee payable to the county being $10 per year. The following scale of charges was fixed, these being substantially the same as in all subsequent ferry licenses issued : For each foot passenger, 10 cents; each horse, mare or mule, 25 cents ; each cow or ox, 25 cents; each two-horse, two-ox or two-mule, team, loaded or unloaded, with driver, 50 cents; single horse carriage, 35 cents; each additional horse, ox, cow, or mule, 15 cents; each swine or sheep, 5 cents ; all freight of lumber, merchandise or other articles not in teams, at the rate of 10 cents per barrel, 50 cents per thousand feet of lumber and 5 cents per hundred pounds of other articles.
The same day a license was issued to John L. Wilson and Joseph P. Wil- son, to maintain a ferry across the Mississippi river at St. Augusta.
By a legislative act approved February 13, 1856, S. B. Lowry, his heirs and assignes, were given the privilege for fifteen years to keep and maintain a ferry across the Mississippi at or near Ferry street, in the town of St. Cloud, no other ferry to be established within half a mile of this location either above or below. The said Lowry was required at all times to keep his boats in good repair, and sufficient for the accommodations of all persons wishing to cross the river, and to give prompt attention to passengers and teams. Double fare could be charged persons crossing after eight o'clock at night.
St. Augusta very soon afterwards obtained legislative consideration, a license being granted, by an act approved February 26, 1856, to Reuben Rich- ardson and John L. Wilson to construct and maintain a ferry across the Miss- issippi river at St. Augusta, the right being exclusive for a period of twenty years, and no other ferry to be operated within a distance of one mile.
A license was granted by the board of county commissioners April 7, 1857, to John J. Dusk, to run a ferry across the Mississippi river, at the foot of St. Germain street, St. Cloud, for a period of ten years.
January 22, 1862, A. W. Libby was granted a license to operate a ferry across the Mississippi river opposite the saw mill in the town of Watab, Ben- ton county, for one year, with a fee of $10.
A license was granted H. J. Fowler, March 15, 1865, to keep and run a ferry across the Mississippi river, opposite St. Cloud city, for the term of six years, the annual fee to be $10.
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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY
Two licenses were granted March 14, 1866, for ferries across the Red River of the North, opposite the town of Georgetown, in the county of Clay (an unorganized county, attached to Stearns county, for judicial and other purposes), the one to R. C. Burdick and the other to J. P. Wilson, each license being for the term of six years, subject to the payment of an annual fee of $10 to the county of Stearns.
A Sauk river ferry fever would seem to have broken out in July, 1867, as at the session of the county board on the twenty-ninth of that month three applications were presented-one from L. W. Collins, for a ferry across Sauk river on the road from St. Cloud to Breckenridge, near the house of Chester Waite; one by W. A. Knowles and C. W. Trosten for a ferry across Sauk river at New Munich, and a third from B. Pirz, for a ferry across Sauk river at Rich- mond. All were granted for a term of one year each.
At a session held May 12-14, 1885, a license was granted to Henry Goedker to run a ferry across Sauk river, at Arnold's mill.
At a session held May 13-15, 1890, H. B. Smart was granted a license to run a ferry across the Mississippi river in the town of Brockway.
CHAPTER XXVII.
RAILROAD DEVELOPMENT.
Land Grant Roads-Five Million Dollar Loan-William Crooks-James J. Hill-First Railroad to St. Cloud-Minneapolis & St. Cloud-St. Cloud & Wilmar Branch-Removal of Headquarters-Railroad Strike-North- ern Pacific-Crossing into St. Cloud-Brainerd Branch-Twin City and St. Cloud Connection-Agents-Statistics-Station-"Soo" Line-Other Proposed Roads.
Before the admission of Minnesota as a state, in 1858, many railroad com- panies had been chartered by the territorial legislature. The first recorded effort was by J. W. Selby of St. Paul, who gave notice of the introduction of a bill on March 2, in the session of 1852, to incorporate the Lake Superior & Mississippi River Railroad Company. It passed in the house, but failed in the council ; but it actually became a law March 2, 1853, by a subsequent legis- lature. The second charter was granted to the Minnesota Western Rail- road Company, March 3, 1853; and the third to the Louisiana & Minnesota Railroad Company March 5, 1853. Not less than twenty-seven railroad com- panies were authorized and chartered from 1853 to 1857. But there was no life in any of them till March 3, 1857, when congress made a magnificent grant of lands "for the purpose of aiding in the construction of railroads in the territory of Minnesota." Then the scene changed, and on May 22, 1857, the territorial legislature passed an act granting these congressional lands to four corporations. The lines designated in the granting act were as follows :
From Stillwater, by way of St. Paul and St. Anthony, to a point between
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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY
the foot of Big Stone lake and the mouth of the Sioux Wood river, with a branch, via St. Cloud and Crow Wing, to the navigable waters of the Red River of the North, at such point as the legislature may determine. This road was known as the Minnesota & Pacific Railroad Company, changed to the St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Company.
From St. Paul and from St. Anthony via Minneapolis to a convenient point of junction west of the Mississippi to the southern boundary of the ter- ritory in the direction of the month of the Big Sioux river, with a branch via Faribault to the north line of the state of Iowa, west of range sixteen. This was the Minneapolis & Cedar Valley Railroad.
From Winona via St. Peter to a point on the Big Sioux river south of the Forty-fifth parallel of north Latitude-the Transit Railroad Company, changed to the Winona & St. Peter Railroad Company.
From La Crescent via Target lake up the valley of the Root river, to a point east of range seventeen-the Root River Valley & Southern Minne- sota Railroad Company.
The road first named was created by this act; the latter three had been previously organized.
The state constitution, adopted October 13, 1857, provided in Art. 9, Sec. 10, as follows: "The credit of the state shall never be given or loaned in aid of any individual, association, or corporation." But on March 9, 1858, the state legislature passed an act submitting to the people an amendment of this section of the constitution, so as to permit the loaning of the credit of the state to the land grant railroad companies to the amount of five million dollars; and it was adopted by popular vote on April 15. Grading on each of the recognized lines began, and Gov. Sibley delivered to each of the roads such bonds as they had earned under the conditions of the grant.
The railroad companies, however, failed to pay the interest on the bonds; work on the lines was practically suspended, and the five million loan amend- ment was repealed by a nearly unanimous popular vote, November 6, 1860. During the year 1860, the state enforced its lien on each of the lines, and became the owner of the franchises, lands and roadbeds. Subsequently, in 1862, the state made new grants of these franchises and lands to other com- panies, thus infusing new life into these dead railways.
The first company to get the benefit of this new effort to revive the lapsed roads was the Minnesota & Pacific, which reappeared with a new name, the St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Company. The franchises of the old line were con- ferred, March 10, 1862, on Dwight Woodbury, Henry 'T. Welles, R. R. Nelson, Edmund Rice, Edwin A. C. Hach, James E. Thompson, Leander Gorton, Richard Chute, William Lee, and their associates and successors. A con- tract was made with Elias F. Drake, of Ohio, and V. Winters, to construct that portion of the line between St. Paul and St. Anthony, and it was completed and running June 28, 1862, and was the first railway in operation within the limits of this state. The establishment of this line gave an impetus to railway matters in Minnesota. Edmund Rice was the first president of this road. The first engine was named "William Crooks," and was run by Webster C. Gardner. President Rice went to Europe about this time, to solicit the
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first foreign capital in aid of railways in our state. He shipped back 3,000 tons of rails, and work was pushed on toward Breckenridge.
Story of William Crooks. The effiorts through and by which the con- struction of this ten-mile stretch of railroad, the first piece of road built and operated in Minnesota and the beginning of the present magnificent Great Northern system, are fully described in the following interesting paper from the pen of Colonel William Crooks, who had a prominent part in securing these fortunate results :
"The Minnesota & Pacific Railroad Company was succeeded by the St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Company, and afterward passed under control of the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railroad Company, which in turn be- came the Great Northern Railway Company. The St. Paul & Pacific Company also controlled a line from St. Paul to Winona, in the valley of the Mississippi.
"After the territorial legislature had given the charter, and congress a land grant in aid of the construction of this railroad, the company by ruling of the Interior Department at Washington, under the grant to Minnesota, was declared entitled to one hundred and twenty sections of land, in advance of construction.
"In 1857 the line of railway was located from Stillwater by way of St. Paul and St. Anthony Falls to a point near Big Stone lake, on the western boundary of the state, then about to be admitted to the Union, and was also located from the Falls of St. Anthony to Crow Wing by the way of St. Cloud.
"In 1858, under a contract with Selah Chamberlain, of Cleveland, Ohio, sixty-two and a half miles of the road from St. Paul north were graded and bridged, and the cross ties for a large portion of the line were delivered. The right of way was, in the main, secured by the company. This work, how- ever, was suspended owing to a battle made by interested or badly disposed people against the faith and credit of the state of Minnesota, rendering pow- erless the grantees of the state's credit, who held its bonds under the pro- vision of the $5,000,000 Loan Bill, so called.
"Matters remained in a condition of uncertainty as to the prosecution of the work upon this and other lines of railroad in the state, until the.people, having lost faith, were turning their faces eastward in abandonment of their instituted settlement. It appeared necessary at such a time to make an ap- peal to the legislature in order to keep alive the franchise of the company by providing against forfiture or merger of its privileges. The company took this appeal in the winter of 1860-61, and the legislature granted to it an ex- tension of time.
"In the meantime, negotiations had been conducted by the Hon. Ed- mund Rice, who was the head and front, and the heart and soul, of every effort put forth to rescue the state from a condition which simply meant ruin to all. It was to J. Edgar Thompson, who at that time was president of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and to the associates of that gentleman, that Mr. Rice presented plans which sought to induce the active support and co-operation of these gentlemen in carrying the projected lines to a successful issue; and, as a result thereof, Oliver W. Barnes, a distinguished civil engi-
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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY
neer, was sent to Minnesota to examine into the condition of the partially con- structed railroad, as well as to equip himself with reliable information con- cerning the value of the enterprise as a whole.
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