History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume II, Part 112

Author: Mitchell, William Bell, 1843-
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago : H. S. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1110

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The first sale of lots from the new town was made by Mr. Wilson, Feb- ruary 24, 1855, to Dr. L. C. Kenney, of St. Paul, the sale including twenty- five lots, the consideration being $250. This deed was the first recorded in the county of Stearns, which had just been organized, and for this reason is deserving of fuller mention. The property conveyed was described as fol- lows: "Commencing at a point on Washington Avenue four rods south 43 degrees east, from the northwest corner of Block "B," thence south 43 de- grees east, along the side of said avenue eight rods; thence at right angles with said avenue to the Mississippi river, being a strip of land eight rods wide in Block "B" in the town of St. Cloud, County of Stearns, 'late Cass,' according to the plat and survey thereof made by John L. Wilson, surveyor, and on file in the office of the Clerk of the County of Benton." This is the block on the north end of which the present water works station is located.

When Bergeson, who had been a member of a government surveying party, made his claim he built a log cabin on that part of it known as the upper levee. This Mr. Wilson occupied, first keeping "bachelor's hall." The first settler with a family to arrive in St. Cloud was Anton Edelbrock, who came in 1854. He rented this house from Mr. Wilson, who remained with him as a boarder, and in this kept St. Cloud's first hotel, although after a very primitive fashion, many of his guests having to sleep out of doors or in their wagons.

In order to attract newcomers and have them become permanent resi- dents, Mr. Wilson was very generous with his lots, some of those most valuable today being given away. To Anton Edelbrock he gave four lots where the Grand Central hotel now stands and who built there the Central house. To Jo- seph Edelbrock, who came in 1855, he gave the lots on the opposite corner, on

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which was erected the first general merchandise store building. J. W. Ten- voorde was given the lots on which the First National bank building with others adjoining it stand, where Mr. Tenvoorde also in 1855 erected a store building, occupying the lot on which is the P. E. Kaiser residence. On the remaining corner in this locality Mr. Wilson himself later built the Wilson · store building, with a public hall occupying the second floor, which is the only one of the original buildings still remaining. Lots were given to other busi- ness enterprises and to those who would erect dwellings, as well as to a num- ber of the churches.

The first frame house built in Stearns county was built by Mr. Wilson in the fall of 1855 when he was about to be married. The lumber had to be brought with much difficulty from Little Falls, so that from necessity it was of small dimensions-15 by 20 feet, with 11-foot studding. It was located on the present Empire park, where it stood until the land was purchased by the city in 1880 from Lewis Clark, who had become the owner, and was then removed to Second street south between Fifth and Sixth avenues, being oc- cupied as a tenement until about three years ago when it was torn down to give place to a fine residence.

While occupying the log building on the original Bergeson claim, in the summer and fall of that same year, 1855, Anton Edelbrock built a frame hotel, which he called the Central house, on the lots given him by Mr. Wilson. It was so far completed that season that a term of the United States district court was held there, and until the Stearns house was opened was regarded as a first-class hotel. For a time it was business headquarters. Town meet- ings were held and the county business was transacted there, and when the stages from St. Paul and St. Anthony Falls first began to arrive it was the northern terminus. This hotel has the unusual history of having had, in more than half a century, fewer than half a dozen landlords. Anton Edel- brock's successors were J. Lusky, J. A. Willis and L. B. Silsby until 1861, when the property was purchased by J. E. Hayward, who was the proprietor until his death, when the hotel-the Grand Central-became the property of his son, D. S. Hayward, who is still the owner.

A company of Germans who became well known arrived in St. Cloud May 9, 1856, having left Cumberland, Md., April 13. The party comprised B. Rosenberger, Joseph Emmel, Sebastian Reichert, Anton Schmitt and Ste- phen Steinbaur, all of whom located with their families in the new city. At St. Louis they were joined by M. Luebbesmeyer and family who also became residents of St. Cloud. The late Henry I. Rosenberger, then a lad of eleven years, speaking in after years of their landing at the upper levee from the steamer Alexander Ramsey said: "Going up the hill from the levee, with practically no wagon road, we found the John L. Wilson house in Empire Park. J. W. Tenvoorde occupied a log house about where the Kaiser house now stands. Joseph Eich, L. Lodomeier and Joseph Niehaus occupied small log houses. Joseph Edelbrock had a frame house, and Anton Edelbrock oc- cupied the Wilson house, but was building a hotel on the Grand Central corner. Mr. Tenvoorde agreed to keep us over night but no longer, as immi- gration was coming fast. So my father set out at once the next day to build

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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY

a shanty and we moved into it the same day, living in it until fall, when our permanent residence was ready to be occupied."

In the summer of 1855 George F. Brott and Owin Curtis platted St. Cloud City and organized the St. Cloud Townsite Company. The lots were divided into twelve equal parts, the other members of the company being C. T. Stearns, J. P. Wilson, H. T. Welles, J. C. Moulton, H. C. Waite, John H. Taylor, George Curtis, Franklin Sisson, J. H. Seymour and Leland Cram, the latter's interest being afterward taken by Rev. A. B. Cram, who became sec- retary. The addition of "city" to the name was doubtless intended to give it a tone of metropolitan superiority over its neighbors. Mr. Wilson deeded to this company that part of his claim lying south of the ravine in return for the relinquishment to him of a tract north of the ravine and along the river where the McClure-Freeman residence now stands. The survey was made by T. A. Curtis and the plat was filed for record October 13, 1855.

These gentlemen were "boomers" in the most modern sense of that word, the appellation being especially applicable to George F. Brott, who was all vigor and push and optimism. Every inducement was offered to secure per- manent residents in the new town, and the results were very gratifying. The year 1856 witnessed many important improvements, in the way of business buildings, mills, shops, factories and dwellings. The Stearns house, a three- story structure, was the largest, best and most attractive hotel north of St. Anthony Falls. The business buildings generally were on the west side of First avenue south, facing the river. C. F. & W. Powell occupied with a stock of hardware one side of a double-two-story building owned by F. Sisson, the other half being occupied by Cutter & Bradley, dealers in groceries and general merchandise. Next to the south was H. Z. Mitchell's general store and dwell- ing and next C. & J. H. Taylor's store and dwelling-these being between Ninth and Tenth streets. Below Tenth was J. E. West's store and adjoining it a large store building he afterwards erected-now on Fifth avenue, the property of the John Cooper estate, near the public library. A small building next to the south was the office of the Northwestern Fur Company, and was occupied in the spring of 1858 by the St. Cloud Visiter when the plant of that paper was destroyed. The last building on that side was Thomas Jones's blacksmith shop. On the east side a little further down was Bridgman's saw mill and Raymond & Owen's sash, door and blind factory.

A year later a small grist mill was built by N. N. Smith at the mouth of a little creek which emptied into the Mississippi river near the present dam and did a thriving business. At the same time Miller & Swisshelm and H. Z. Mitchell built and occupied a large double store building-the former with a stock of groceries and the latter with dry goods and clothing-which was burned in 1889.

On the west side of First avenue, north of the buildings first described, was a small building occupied first as a real estate and loan office by Alden & Sisson, and afterwards by J. M. McKelvy as a law office. Further north were S. Marlatt's drug store and E. C. Smith's boot and shoe store. F. Tal- cott first had his jewelry store in a small building owned by Mrs. Brady, but soon built a store on the opposite side of the street about where J. E. Jenk's

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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY

residence stands. North of that was a small frame building occupied during the fall and winter of 1856-7 by Dr. B. R. Palmer, H. Z. Mitchell and Henry Swisshelm as "bachelor's quarters." Between this and the Stearns house stood a small log building in which was printed Stearns county's first news- paper, the Minnesota Advertiser. The only building remaining of those · erected in 1856 is the little cottage at the corner of First avenue and Eighth street. The two-story building to the south was erected in 1858 by C. F. & W. Powell.

Two other of the 1856 buildings are below "the hill," one built by John Ball, and still in good condition from excellent care, and the other directly op- posite it, built by Joseph Noel.

In the fall of 1855 a portable saw-mill, run by steam, was brought from St. Anthony Falls and erected at lower town, being operated by John Ball. During the following winter some logs cut out of the ice were manufactured into lumber for the use of the settlers.

In 1856 a company composed of George F. Brott, C. T. Stearns, J. P. Wilson and H. T. Welles employed Sidney C. Raymond to building a sawmill on the banks of the Mississippi in Lower town, about where the dam is now located. It soon thereafter burned, but was rebuilt, and afterwards pur- chased by Torbet, Inman & Co., who later sold it to Owen, Cook & Bridgman. In 1860 Bridgman bought Owen's interest and two years later that of Cook also, becoming the sole owner of the mill, which became known as Bridg- man's upper mill.

Another saw mill built somewhat lower down the river in 1865 by E. M. Tobey was bought in 1868 by C. Bridgman and was called Bridgman's lower mill. Both mills were at later dates lost by fire. Raymond & Owen's sash, door and blind factory was established in 1857. In 1862 Lewis Clark operated the first machine shop in St. Cloud, at the same time selling threshing ma- chines and other farm machinery. Dr. W. R. Hunter built a shingle mill at the mouth of the ravine. In 1863 F. H. Dam and W. T. Clark built a planing mill, and in 1867 Mr. Dam bought Mr. Clark's interest in the plant, which he greatly enlarged, adding sash, door and blind machinery. D. H. Spicer, who started in business in St. Cloud in 1855, patented a kitchen cabinet which he manufactured extensively, as also furniture. A number of other manufac- turing plants were established during the early days, most of which pros- pered.

In the first years of the history of St. Cloud the greater growth was in Lower town. The inhabitants were almost entirely from the New England and Middle States. The Visiter of March 4, 1858, rather boastfully declared : "Lower St. Cloud has all the machinery-a grist mill, a saw mill, a planing mill, a sash and blind factory, two churches, the Everett school and library, a large temperance hotel open and another to be opened in a few weeks, over a hundred dwellings and stores and a fine lyceum."

But this boasting was not for long. The land on which Lower town was located was claimed by Mr. Brott under the provisions of a mail contract, before the government had made a survey, but after the survey it was found to be in an odd section and therefore was also claimed by the St. Paul and

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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY

Pacific railroad company as being included in its grant. This so clouded the title that men were loath to make improvements on lots of uncertain owner- ship. By 1860 a number of the business houses located in the lower part of the town were moved bodily to Middle town, the Wilson entry, made entirely under the provisions of the town-site act, being the only one having an un- clouded title, a contest having been also filed against the land included in Lowry's addition. This migration continued until in the course of a com- paratively few years there was not a single business house in Lower town.

Middle town had other advantages besides that of title. It was centrally located, it was readily reached from the settled parts of the county, and as the majority of the people in these tributary parts were Germans, they nat- urally preferred to barter and trade with business men of their own nationality.

The litigation over the Brott title continued through a number of years, involving decisions by the commissioner of the general land office, the secre- tary of the interior, the State and United States courts and an act of congress, until in September, 1866, the St. Cloud land office was directed by the commis- sioner of the general land office to allow Mr. Brott to enter lots 1, 2, 3 and 4, the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter and the northwest quarter of the south west quarter of section 13, township 124, range 28, being all of Lower St. Cloud, 224.62 acres. In November following, this land was entered by H. T. Wells as attorney for George F. Brott. The patent was issued July 1, 1871, and recites that "in pursuance of an act for his relief, approved May 26, 1861," this patent for the land described above is given to George F. Brott, of Cameron county, Texas. It further recites that "whereas said tracts were, on the twenty-second of June, 1864, erroneously certified and on the twenty-fifth of June inadvertently approved to the State of Minnesota for the use of the branch line or route of the Minnesota and Pacific railroad as per list," yet the United States "does give and grant unto the said George F. Brott" these lands, "the aforesaid approval to the contrary notwithstanding."

A case involving this title having come up in the district court for Stearns county, Judge Baxter, March 30, 1888, filed a decision in favor of the railroad company. The case went to the supreme court of the state which held, August 8, 1889, that "Brott's pre-emption claim must be regarded as having attached to this land prior to the definite location of the railroad in December, 1857, so that their title did not pass under the assignment grant to the state." The case of C. A. Weeks vs. Coleman Bridgman, which had been appealed to the supreme court of the United States, was decided by that court in November, 1895, the Great Northern Railway company being an interested party. The decision sustained the supreme court of the state, which had been in favor of Bridgman and against the railroad company and Weeks, thus finally clearing the Brott title to the Lower town entry. But prior to this a number of lot owners had purchased quit-claim deeds from the railroad company.

In the spring of 1853 General S. B. Lowry, who had been in charge of a trading post with the Winnebago Indians located at Watab, took down one of the log buildings at the sub-agency at Winnebago Prairie, on the west

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side of the Mississippi, which he had been occupying as a storehouse and bachelor quarters, and floated it down the river to a new claim he had made some distance below the mouth of the Sauk river. The logs were taken out and the building re-erected in a beautiful location under the bluff and among the trees on the bank of the river, about half a mile north of the present residence of C. A. Gilman. This claim was laid out as a town-site, the survey being made by T. H. Barrett and the plat filed, as Lowry's Addition, June 20, 1856. A previous survey of Arcadia, by which name the town-site was first known-a name given by Judge B. B. Meeker-had been made by J. L. Wil- son, but the plat was never filed.

A number of buildings were soon erected, stores and warehouses, near the river bank, where the steamboats landed and where the ground was level. Further back, on the higher ground, were the dwellings. As Lower town was settled almost wholly by people from the New England States and Middle town by Germans, Upper town drew its settlers mainly from the south, that having been General Lowry's home. The houses were characteristic of the southern clime, low, one-story structures, with wide verandas, in many re- spects better suited to Minnesota's summer than winter months. (A print on another page shows how this part of the town looked in 1860.) In 1855 and as late as 1858 slaves, brought from the south, were with their masters in some of these houses. When the land office was removed from Sauk Rapids to St. Cloud in the spring of 1858 it first occupied a building in Lowry's Addition.

It was not long before the rapid growth made by Middle town, follow- ing the removal of so many of the business houses from Lower town-these distinctive designations have long since disappeared-to the central part, had its effect on this locality also, and one by one the stores and warehouses sought the more attractive part of the town. Before many years business of all kinds had been centralized in Wilson's survey, the north and south wings becoming residence districts, and this condition still exists.

Prior to 1855 the Mississippi river was crossed during the spring and summer seasons in boats or canoes or by fording. The crossing place of the Red river carts was at Sixth street north, this being where the "trail" reached the river. During the summer months the river was fordable at many places, and at times it was possible for persons on foot, by stepping from rock to rock, to pass from one side of the river to the other dry shod. In May, 1855, two ferries were swung, one at lower town, which came to be known as Fowler's ferry; the Wilson ferry, built by John L. Wilson and run by a son of Anton Edelbrock, Alexius, who afterwards became Abbot Alexius Edelbrock, O. S. B., St. John's Abbey; and later another ferry was launched in charge of P. Beaupre. The locations of the ferries were changed from time to time until the building of the St. Germain street bridge provided a more rapid and convenient method of crossing the river.

H. C. Waite, writing of the social conditions which prevailed during the first winter of St. Cloud's history, that of 1855-56, says: "The winter passed away and there was much merriment among the people. Nearly all were strangers to each other; all were poor beginners in life's struggle; social

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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY

equality existed everywhere. There were no attempts to ostracise this one on account of nationality, dress or lack of education. The barriers of so- called civilization were obliterated; at least they were wholly absent during that first winter's sojourn in St. Cloud. We had our social gatherings, games, dancing, etc., but there was no card playing as an amusement. It was a democracy of individuals and ideas brought together from all parts of the country."

In the fall of 1856 two large head of buffalo came from the far Northwest to the head of Sauk river and there passed the winter. They were the last buffalo seen in this part of the territory.

On the East side of the river, almost directly opposite the Normal school campus, was a hotel known as the Emerson House, kept by Col. John Emer- son, a unique character of that day. A swing ferry, which made its first trip May 22, 1855, brought the stage coaches, as well as men, animals and teams wishing to cross, to the west side of the river. A road close to the water's edge wound around the bluff to the present Tenth street, where a single street led to the Stearns house and on to Middle town. This road was obliterated, covered deep out of sight, when the dam was built. But before this occurred three small wooded islands which were a short distance from the shore had gradually wasted away by the slow action of the current.

The only copy of the Minnesota Advertiser, St. Cloud's first newspaper, known to be in existence is of date August 27, 1857, a little past the middle of its first year's publication. A review of its columns will be interesting as showing who were here at that time-at least some of those who were here- what they were doing and what they were saying.

An extended editorial article favored the removal of the United States land office from Sauk Rapids to St. Cloud, for the reason that "nineteen- twentieths of the business done at the office is with people living west of the Mississippi." Senator Stephen A. Douglas was in St. Paul and was expected in company with the Hon. H. M. Rice, to visit this part of the territory. The suicide of Senator Rusk of Texas as the result of depression caused by exces- sive drinking, was made the text for a strong article on the evils of intem- perance.

A meeting was held at the Everett schoolhouse on the evening of August 25 to organize a militia company to be known as the St. Cloud Rifle com- pany. Col. George Barstow was called to the chair and Henry Swisshelm elected secretary. Remarks were made by Morris, Inman, Barstow, Cutter, Alden, Berlin, Gorton, Mitchell and others, after which the Rev. T. E. Inman was elected captain by acclamation. The other officers chosen were: John H. Taylor, first lieutenant; T. C. Alden, second lieutenant; C. W. Kelly, or- derly sergeant; W. W. Hendricks, first sergeant. There were sixty signers, and a committee was appointed to present to Governor Medary a request for the necessary arms and equipment. Whether this company was to be organized in prophetic anticipation of the civil war or the Indian uprising or just on general principles was not stated.

A post office had been established at St. Augusta with C. W. Wilson post- master. Wild pigeons were very numerous. J. J. Ladd advertised brick of

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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY

a superior quality for sale, with the statement that "the kiln is now open for the inspection of the curious." West & Mason (J. E. West and J. N. Mason) announced that they have removed their stock of dry goods, clothing, boots, shoes, hardware, etc., to their new store-building one door south of the old stand. E. Curtis's "new flour and feed store" was located on River street, just at the ferry, Lower town. C. & J. H. Taylor, corner of First avenue and Curtis street, immediately at the lower ferry, offered a complete stock of dry goods, clothing, boots and shoes, groceries and provisions at the lowest cash prices. W. H. Bradley & Co. (W. H. Bradley and G. W. Cutter) were prepared to do a wholesale as well as a retail business in groceries, provisions, dry goods, clothing, boots, shoes, etc., at First street, Lower St. Cloud. The same firm also advertised a lumber yard. C. F. & W. Powell had received at the St. Cloud Hardware store a full line of stoves and tinware, shelf and heavy hardware, of all kinds, and were also prepared to do all kinds of work in the tin, sheet-iron and copper department. E. C. Smith announced to the public that he had just arrived from the East with a large stock of boots and shoes, also clothing and furnishing goods. W. R. Hughes, a practical shoe- maker, was prepared to take care of custom work. S. B. Lowry & Co. (S. B. Lowry and R. W. Jones) acted as forwarding and commission merchants, and were dealers in grain, flour, pork, bacon and provisions generally. "Goods stored for the east side of the river above crossed free of charge." Store in Upper town. W. R. Hunter, M. D., physician, surgeon and dentist; office on Fifth avenue street. F. Talcott, watchmaker and jeweler, offered clocks, watches, jewelry, music boxes and other choice and precious articles at his store on First street, opposite the Stearns House.

C. T. Stearns called attention to his "new and beautiful hotel situated on the bluff just above the lower ferry." At the same time J. A. Willis in- formed the public that his hotel, the Willis House-by which name the Grand Central was for a time known-located at the corner of Washington avenue and St. Germain street, had been "recently repaired, refitted and refur- nished." It will surprise many of those who knew L. A. Evans only in later years to learn that in these days he was merchandising, dealing in groceries, provisions, wines, liquors and cigars, his location being under the Masonic Hall, opposite Proctor & Clarke's, Upper St. Cloud. The attorneys at law were C. C. Andrews, in Upper town; J. C. Shepley, also land agent, with an office in Gen. Lowry's new building in Upper town; and Henry W. Cowles, in Lower town, fire insurance as well as law being included in his line of business. R. A. Smith & Co. advertised "a full supply of lime constantly on hand at their kiln in Lower St. Cloud." Also, called attention to their paint shop, on River street, one door east of West & Mason's. Clark & Carlisle, carpenters and joiners, had their shop on Cliff street, near Lowry's landing. J. V. Litchfield, carpenter, was located on First street, near the Stearns House. H. G. Fowler, carpenter and joiner, was also in Lower town.

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History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume II, Part 112

Author: Mitchell, William Bell, 1843- Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Chicago : H. S. Cooper Number of Pages: 1110

Author: Mitchell, William Bell, 1843-
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago : H. S. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1110