USA > Minnesota > Washington County > History of Washington County and the St. Croix Valley, including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota > Part 33
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A company was at once formed, consisting of Franklin Steele, W. S. Hungerford, Dr. Fitch, James Libbey, B. F. Titcomb, James Livingston and W. S. Holcombe as members, with the last named member, Mr. Holcombe, as general mana- ger.
Mr. Steele, however, both by the advice of Gen- eral Jackson before setting out, and his own judgment after viewing the country, had deter- mined to secure if possible, the more valuable lo- cation, at what is now the city of Minneapolis. Succeeding in this his original plan, he disposed of his interests at St. Croix, and transferred his energies to the development of the interests at the falls of St. Anthony.
Pending the ratification of the treaty, opera- tions at St. Croix were delayed, but in 1838, W. S. Hungerford, Livingston and company, began the work with energy, and in 1840, finished the mill. The old steamer Palmyra, Captain Hol- land, from St. Louis, had brought up men, stores and mill machinery, and a general supply for the lumber camp.
She arrived at St. Croix, July 17th, 1838 ; prob- ably the most important part of her cargo, large though it was, consisted of the news budget, of which the sum total and that which embraced all was the official notice of the ratification of the treaty made at Fort Snelling the previous year, and ratified by the senate on the 15th of June.
This force not only built the mill, dam and water-race, but buildings were soon going up at different points on the townsite. Stores and sa- loons were built, and around them congregated Indians and half-breeds, besides the mechanics and laborers occupied in building the future city. Wages were high and all was bustle and activity. Among those engaged in the work were J. L.
Taylor, H. N. Setzer, J. W. Ludden, Patrick Fox, William Colby, Elam Greeley, John Mc- Kusick, Jacob Fisher, Elias Mckean, Martin Mower, D. B. Loomis, and others whose names are enrolled among the pioneer aristocracy of Minnesota.
We give below a letter written by J. M. Mul- len, of Taylor's Falls, as a fitting introduction to some early settlers and descriptive of things as they were in 1840 on the St. Croix river.
"It was in April, 1840, nearly forty-one years ago, that the old steamer Tennessee could have been seen lying at the landing at St. Louis with steam escaping from her steam-pipes, and the black smoke rolling from her chimneys. The crew was busy engaged in taking on board a large supply of stores, mill machinery and general merchan- dise. About eighty passengers were on board, the boat having been chartered by the St. Croix lumber company for a trip to the falls of the St. Croix, then the new "Eldorado," the pine re- gion of the then territory of Wisconsin. Every- thing being aboard, the lines were let go, the last tap of the bell was heard, and the steamer slowly moved from her moorings into the stream and was headed on her course. The city was soon passed and lost sight of by the bends in the river; almost every nook and corner was covered with freight. The cooks were busy preparing meals for passengers and crew, while the clerk had regis- tered on his books the names of W. S. Holcombe, Dr. Fitch, W. S. Hungerford, J. L. Taylor, W. S. Libby, J. W. Furber, Daniel McLean and W. O. Mahoney, names that have since become historic in the St. Croix valley. But few small towns were seen along the lone banks of the Mississippi, and after passing the little town of Dubuque the evidences that they were beyond the bounds of civilization, and near the haunts of the red man, were plainly visible. Frequently would be met a lot of natives in their birch-bark canoes, hideous in their war paint, and as the steamer passed they would make the woods ring with a savage war whoop.
"After a voyage of fourteen days the boat en- tered Lake St. Croix, an event that pleased all on board, glad that the journey was so nearly ended. The steamer glided swiftly over the lake's smooth surface, and soon reached its head, at which place was a trading post kept by Joe. Brown.
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STARVING TIME.
About twelve miles up the river could be seen a lone cabin. As the steamer approached the land- ing, the entire population was on hand to greet the boat, among them Orange Walker, Hiram Berkey, Asa Parker, David Hone, William Dibble, Samuel Burkleo and others. Mrs. David Hone, the only white lady in the place, was stand- ing in her cabin door. They were at work get- ting the frame ready for a new saw-mill; a por- tion of the machinery had arrived some time be- fore. After passing Marine Mills, not a habita- tion of any kind was seen along the river. It was evening when the Tennessee reached the dalles, and her passengers gazed with wonder on the high, perpendicular rocks which rose majes- tically on either side. As the escape of steam from the pipes of the boat could be heard for miles, the entire population was on hand and looked with amazement at the steamer. It was indeed a mixed crowd, white, Indians and half- breeds. Soon all hands had climbed the high cliffs, and took the trail that led to the village of St. Croix Falls.
"The arrival of the Tennessee was the opening up of civilization, and the lumber business on the St. Croix."
CHAPTER XXXV.
DISTANCE FROM POST-OFFICE-STARVING TIME -FIRST FARMERS-FIRST COURT- FIRST SUR- VEY-SUSPENSION OF BUILDING AT FALLS OF ST. CROIX-SAW MILLS-JUDGE JOEL FOS- TER.
In the spring of 1840 the inhabitants of St. Croix numbered only twenty men; at Marine were found ten or twelve. These settlers had no post- office nearer than Fort Snelling, sixty miles away. Indeed, the post-office at the fort was the only office in the whole north-west above Prairie du Chien, and received its mail monthly, carried by half-breeds in canoes, on sledges or on their backs. Letters for the whole valley were therefore ad- dressed to Fort Snelling, and the fortunate or un-
fortunate man to whom a letter came, got it as he could and made reply subject to the same incon- venience. This continued until 1843, when offices were established both at Point Douglas and St. Croix.
At this date only two shipments of supplies were received during the year; these came up the river, spring and fall, and it demanded good hus- bandry on the part of settlers to make provisions and supplies hold out. Fortunately game was abundant and enabled pioneers to extend their supplies; at times, even this was their only de- pendance. It sometimes happened that a steam- er, loaded with supplies, would be prevented by the ice of an early winter from reaching the up- per country. It happened more than once that not a pound of flour or pork could be purchased above Prairie du Chien.
In the winter of 1844 such a scarcity of pro- visions occurred, ending in what was called at St. Croix the "starving time," though actual starva- tion was not reached, for the pluck of a few was sufficient to cut a road in the spring, fifty miles to Fort Snelling, haul shingles through and obtain in exchange condemned army pork. It is even reported that they imitated the rag-pickers of our cities in sorting over heaps of garbage around the fort, carrying such refuse back with them.
George W. Brownell, engaged in a geological survey for the United States government, passed through this valley while the inhabitants were in this sad predicament and dispensed to the suffer- ing settlers all the provisions at his disposal. This starving time lasted about two months be- fore the first steamer from below arrived with supplies. Usually, however, fish in the streams, and large and small game on the land sufficed to tide over such times of scarcity. The Indians were always friendly, except on rare occasions when the whisky of the white man made them entirely reckless and irresponsible.
Gen. Furber says: "We often came in contact with their war parties, but always on the best of terms, both tribes being anxious to keep the good will of the white man, from whom they received many favors. I have been upon some of their battle grounds, even before they were cleared of their carnage, but in all my early contact, I never but once felt that my personal safety was in dan- ger and on that occasion the danger was wholly
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194
HISTORY OF THE SAINT CROIX VALLEY.
caused by the dealing out to the Indians of whis- ky by a trader. White man's whisky was the cause, as it generally has been, of all the trouble."
Although Lieutenant Camp, of Fort Snelling in 1823, had proved the fertility of the soil of Min- nesota, and proved too, that owing to the rapid- ity of growth, ordinary crops would come to full maturity in spite of the short season, still the set- tlers of the valley were long incredulous on the subject. It would seem, too, that observation of the Indians who raised corn in considerable quan- tities would have stimulated experiments in farm- ing among the early settlers, but facts prove them 1 intent on lumbering, and as previously in- timated, they seem to have entertained no idea of permanent settlement, but planned to slash the timber, snatch what could be made imme- diately available and abandon the land.
Honor is due to Joseph Haskell and J. S. Nor- ris for exhibiting a different spirit and inaugurat- ing genuine farming in the valley. Indeed they were the first men who cultivated land in Min- nesota to a sufficient extent to be worthy the name of farmer. Joseph Haskell settled at Afton, now in Washington county, in 1839, and the fol- lowing year broke the first land, becoming thus the pioneer farmer of Minnesota. J. S. Norris, a brother-in-law of Mr. Haskell settled at Cottage Grove, a neighboring town, and began breaking his farm in 1841. These first farms were about six miles apart. The business of farming having been inaugurated, it increased as is usual in set- tlements and created new demands. The first mill for grinding corn and grain in Minnesota, aside from the old government mill at the Falls of St. Anthony, was built in 1843 by Samuel Bowles on Bowles creek. This was a small mill, having one pair of eighteen-inch stones, but without a bolt- ing apparatus. The custom of farmers in the vi- cinity at this time, was to carry their small grists- of wheat to the mill, where it was crushed; after- ward at home it was sifted and, reports say, made admirable bread. In 1846, Mr. Bowles introduced the first bolting cloth, and it can be said of this, as of his mill, that it was the first introduced north of Prairie du Chien.
The first court held in the county, was at Still- water, in June, 1847, with Charles Dunn as judge; Joseph R. Brown, clerk; M. S. Wilkinson, prose- cuting attorney. This court was held in accord-
ance with an act passed by the legislature of the territory of Wisconsin of the same year, by which the county of St. Croix was established for judicial purposes with the county seat at Still- water.
In 1848 General Sibley was appointed delegate to congress for the territory of Wisconsin, after the state of Wisconsin had been admitted. As a portion of the original territory of Wisconsin, which included all the land lying between the Mississippi and the St. Croix was not embraced in the state of Wisconsin as organized in 1848, it appeared plain to the citizens that it was either entirely without government, left out in the cold,, or the jurisdiction of the old territory of Wiscon- sin still continued in force. Much discussion en- sued, but Governor Sibley was appointed delegate, and after much dispute at Washington, was ad- mitted to his seat, as delegate for the territory of Wisconsin. To his efforts, while such delegate, is due the act organizing the territory of Minne- sota. The first survey in this territory was be- gun in August, 1847, by the United States gov- ernment, with the following force of surveyors: Henry A. Wiltse, contractor for the survey on the fourth meridian, and third correction line; James M. Marsh, in charge of survey under Wiltse, and also contractor for survey of township lines; subordinate employes, Mahlon Black, John Mobley, John Smith, I. Seeley, John Bothwell, A. B. Howland.
The instructions of the war department, under whose direction the survey was made, since at this date there was no department of the interior, were to make a lineal, topographical. and geologi- cal survey of the country, and submit a full report. It was found, however, that this was impracticable, as the special knowledge required, exceeded the province of the surveyors, though skilled in their own special branch of service, and the department finally assigned the geological department to Hon. Robert Dale Owen, who with a corps of assistants, accompanied the expedi- tion taking charge of his special part. Mr. Owen had at this time acquired a wide reputation in literature, and as a social reformer; following the example of his father the distinguished social reformer of Scotland, and sustaining the reputa- tion of the family name.
From 1843 to 1847 he represented the first dis_
195
TOWNSHIP SURVEY.
trict of Indiana in congress, acting with the dem- ocratic party. He took an active part in the settlement of the north-western boundary ques- tion, serving as a member of the committee of conference on that subject. His subsequent career is familiar to the reading public.
The fourth principal meridian had already been extended from the mouth of the Illinois river north to township twenty-four. This. sur- vey extended the line to the mouth of the Mon- treal river, and established a monument on Lake Superior July 4th, 1848; this monument to be the termination of the fourth principal meridian. After completing this meridian line the party de- scended the Chippewa river in canoes as far south as practicable, when they traveled easterly across the country until they found the north line of town- ship thirty, on said meridian as established. They then run the north boundary of thirty, this being the third correction line, extending the same west from the fourth principal meridian to the Missis- sippi river.
The purpose at that time was to make a land line the division of states; for the valley of the St. Croix was from the nature of its settlement and the unity of its interests, well situated to form one intergal section. It was also supposed that jealousies would arise in case of a disruption in consequence of the rivalry that usually springs up between two adjoining enterprising and grow- ing states. Of course the result is known; the val- ley is divided, and the anticipated jealousies have to some extent arisen.
This was a detached survey for the purpose of reaching the pineries of the north-west, and the contract for the township surveys made with Mr. Marsh, included all west of range fifteen and south of the north boundary of township thirty- two north, and west to the Mississippi river; a triangular section including the settlements on the lake and river St. Croix, Point Douglas, Still- water and Marine and on the Mississippi, St. Paul and St. Anthony, the northern boundary crossing Cedar Bend on the St. Croix river.
This was the limitation of the original survey, and was eight months in progress, ending with the meandering of White Bear Lake, the last item in the survey, December 25th, 1848, when the surveying party was disbanded.
This area was thus townshiped and sub-divid- ed and ready for sale.
By this survey the department at Washington supposed that the great bulk of the pine lands of the north-west would be included and opened for occupation and settlement, whereas it proved that only a small portion was thus embraced. This fact shows at what a recent date the to- pography and resources of the north-west were unknown even to the departments at Washington. Much more was it an unknown land to the citi- zens at large.
This ignorance of the country was further ex- hibited by the surveying party, for, misjudging the length of the meridian line first run, and making the point of departure a base of supplies, they started with such outfit and supplies as they deemed necessary to accomplish the object of reaching Lake Superior. Provisions, however, failed and the party were subjected to great hard- ship. Abandoning their line and subsisting on the saliva of trees, they struck directly for the lake. The point at which the line was abandoned was just south of Porcupine mountains, and ascend- ing the high land in crossing, they joyfully saw the lake, apparently quite near. It proved, how- ever, to be fifteen miles from this water-shed be- tween the waters of the St. Lawrence system and that of the Mississippi to Lake Superior. From this high land they could plainly see the Madeline islands in the lake, though twenty-five miles dis- tant, and saw some object not clearly distinguish- able, which proved to be the schooner Napoleon sailing into the harbor of La Pointe.
They proceeded in a random course from the mountains and reached the upper falls of the Montreal river, where they discovered a miner's shanty on the opposite side of the river from them. Wading over they discovered it to be va- cant and locked, but, their hunger proving too great for ceremony, they burst in only again to be disappointed, for only a little rude furniture and bedding was found, and no provisions. A trail from the shanty, however, led them in a di- rection where they heard the barking of a dog, and soon found an occupied shanty ; but a man seen in the distance, ran in and locked the door, for one sight was enough. Our gentleman sur- veyors were in a sad plight, clothes nearly torn of by their scramble through the brush, and drabbled
196
HISTORY OF THE SAINT CROIX VALLEY.
with mud and water from wading, they were more frightful than Indians in war paint. After some persuasion, admittance was gained, and with still greater reluctance provisions to a small amount were furnished. The cabin was occupied by two men as claim keepers for the Michigan Copper Mining Company. Thus furnished our adventurers pressed on to the mouth of Bad river, half way to La Pointe, where they camped, and next day reached a point on the river, opposite La Pointe, built a signal fire, by which a relief party from the fort were attracted, and obtained transportation to the station on the other side-this was a trading station of Borup and Oakes, an ancient post on Lake Superior. Provisions and equipage were here obtained that enabled the little party to resume their line and complete the survey.
At this time our party saw the Julia Palmer, the first steamer on Lake Superior, which had re- cently been transferred over the ways of the Sault St. Marie. Three schooners were at this time plying on the lake. They met Hon. Henry M. Rice and party, who went up by canoes to meet at La Pointe, Gen. H. Dodge, the governor of the territory of Wisconsin, for the purpose of making a treaty with the Chippewas. The In- dians were present in large numbers and pre- sented a remarkably fine appearance, clean and in good clothing.
Financial embarassment, and at last insolvency, interrupted operations at St. Croix Falls. The changes in ownership of stock brought in James Perrington, an experienced lumberman from Maine, as a member of the company, and in 1847 Caleb Cushing, the distinguished lawyer, politician and author from Massachusetts, be- came interested in the enterprise. The circum- stances attending his connection with the com- pany were as follows: while on a western tour he fell in with Mr. Perrington on a steamer on Lake Superior, as the latter was returning from a trip East, and was induced to accompany him up the Brule and down the St. Croix.
Mr. Cushing was delighted with the falls, and determined to make an investment in the stock of the company. A new company was then formed with a capital stock of $60,000, and business was once more resumed. The new company was composed of Isaac I. Green, Caleb Cushing,
William S. Hungerford, James Perrington and J. T. Christy. Soon, however, the financial crisis came on, and in 1848 lumber would not bring half its cost.
The company was, therefore, forced to suspend, and litigation followed between the members of the firm, growing out of the claim itself, which not only stopped all operations, but ended in the general demolition of the works. St. Paul about this time took its start, and attracted many who had been interested at the Falls of St. Croix. In 1857 a new start was taken under Colonels Bodfish and Murphy. They made some valuable improvements, but continued only about a year, leaving the United States marshal, sheriff and constable to sell off a large part of the lands and some personal property.
The property then continued idle until 1870, when with a great swell came a Swede nobleman, Count Taub, with some two or three hundred workmen, whose purpose seemed only to defraud his confiding victims. After getting a few months' labor out of the poor immigrants, and what he could otherwise of portable property, he returned to Sweden.
Though the company at St. Croix was the first organized, a number of energetic men from Marine, Illinois, induced by reports made of this timber country by Lewis S. Judd and David Hone, from exploration made by them in the fall of 1838, organized a company in Illinois, and May 13th, 1839, began work at the point now known as Marine Mills, named from the original home of its members, and in the fall of the same year, started their muley saw, thus becoming the pioneers in lumber in the St. Croix Valley.
The saw-mill at Stillwater was the third, built in 1844, by John McKusick and Company. In 1845, the next was built at Osceola, Wisconsin, by Wm. Kent and others. In 1847, one at Arcola, by Mr. Mower; in 1849, one at Hudson, by east- ern capitalists; in 1850, one at Hudson by Joseph R. Brown; in 1850, one at Stillwater, by Sawyer and Heaton; in 1852, one in Lakeland, by Moses Perrin; in 1852, one at Arcola, by Mr. Mower; in 1853, one at Baytown, by Nelson, Carlton and Company, two in Stillwater, in 1854, one of which was built by Hersey, Staples and Company, and the other by Schulenberg and Company, and one at Prescott.
197
LUMBERING OPERATIONS.
The six mills first built were operated by water- power; of those mentioned, the water-power mill last built was that at Hudson, in 1849. The year 1850, marks the era of steam-mills in the valley; during that year two were built, and of the eight mentioned, the remainder were built in 1852-3 and '4. The business began with the simple flut- ter wheel and single sash saw of the old Marine mill, but increased business soon compelled the introduction of improved machinery. Little by little the business has increased in dimensions. In 1855, fourteen mills located in the valley op- erated fifty gang, four rotary and twenty-nine sash saws with an annual cut of 34,900,000 feet of lumber, with thirteen lath saws making 18,- 500,000 lath. The largest at that time, was the mill of Hersey, Staples and Company, with its thirty saw gang and an annual cut of 12,000,000 feet.
To facilitate lumbering operations the St. Croix boom company was incorporated February 7th, 1851; capital stock fixed at $10,000 with the priv- ilege of increasing it to $25,000; incorporators, Orange Walker, John McKusick, George B. Judd, Levi Churchill, Socrates Nelson, Daniel Mears, W. H. C. Folsom and William Kent. In 1856, the St. Croix Boom Corporation into which the pre- vious company was merged, was incorporated hy Martin Mower, W. H. C. Folsom, Isaac Staples, Christopher Carli and Samuel Benkles. The capital stock of this company was fixed at $25,- 000 with the privilege of increasing it to $50,000.
The privilege was subsequently obtained to in- crease the capital to $100,000, of which amount $97,000 has been subscribed. The amount of logs rafted by the St. Croix Boom Corporation previous to 1865, did not exceed in any one year 50,000,000 feet. In 1865 the amount rafted amounted 105,000,000 feet. Since that date the amount has been about 150,000,000 feet annually, and for the last five years the amount shipped has been nearly 200,000,000 feet.
During the year 1865 the entire amount of the lumber business of the St. Croix Valley is epito- mized in the following statement of the business of the St. Croix Boom Corporation, through which are passed the whole amount of logs which go to or below Stillwater, also of the amount rafted at or held in other booms, and of the amount sawed during the year.
The boom company began its operations April 15th, closing October 15th, employing a force of eighty men.
During this period they passed through the boom 100,000,000 feet of logs and 40,000 cedar posts; logs run through Folsom's boom 10,000,000 feet; on hand in the spring of 1865, 10,000,000 feet; sawed by Schulenburg, Boeckeler & Co. at Stillwater, 11,700,000 feet; sawed by Hersey, Staples & Co. at Stillwater, 5,000,000 feet; run in brails to be sawed at Hudson, Afton, Glenmont, Prescott, Hastings and Red Wing, 9,000,000 feet; total amount of logs 155,700,000 feet; logs left in the booms at the time of the close, October 15th, 1865, 22,000,000 feet. Deducting from the total amount scaled the logs remaining on hand, the remainder 133,700,000, went to market in the form of lumber and logs. Of this amount 22,550,000 was sawed on the St. Croix and 110,950,000 was exported in the form of logs.
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