USA > Minnesota > Washington County > History of Washington County and the St. Croix Valley, including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota > Part 37
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111
"'January 1st, 1851, Mr. Hayes, debtor, to team to move from town, $1.00.' Mr. Hayes worked for me and his wife kept house until spring, when he moved on to land about half way to Rush river. 'February 14th, 1851-Settled this day with D. McGregor.' This I think is the first settlement made in the Valley. It will be seen that in the spring of 1851 there was quite a rush of settlers to the Valley. March 1st, 1851, Mr. Perrin settled on land now owned by Professor
.
214
HISTORY OF THE SAINT CROIX VALLEY.
Wild. Mr. Cowen selected land near the edge of the woods, the same spring, and still remains. 'April 7th, 1851, Mr. Parks, debtor, to two bush- els of corn, $1.50.' Mr. Parks settled near the Mapes's on the banks of the Kinnickinnic. April 7th, Mr. W. A. Tozer settled on the place now owned by Mr. Spaulding. Mr. Seeley came about this time and settled near the mouth of Rush river. This spring seemed to be a very busy time with us at the 'fort,' as they called it. Among the number that called on us and settled on the road to Rush river was Nelsen, a Dane. Mrs. Nelsen was the first white woman that settled in that section. Mrs. Nelsen was a small woman, but wide awake. She with the other settlers, had her share of my chickens. She said she did not see what an old bachelor wanted with so many hens. I had occasion to visit the French boys, that had settled on the Rush river in the fall, and on the way I called on Mr. Nelsen.
He was away from home. Mrs. Nelsen was very much pleased to see me. I must stop to dinner. I told her I could not wait. ‘But me have one little baby and you must see him.' She went to a short piece of hollow log, split in two, with the bark off and made smooth, so it could rock, and took a fine, healthy child up to show me. 'What is it?' 'One little girl.' I told her that was wrong for a new country; 'Yes, yes, Nelsen want him a boy.' 'Mr. Foster, them chickens you let me have, they all make eggs." ' The one you gave me to make noise, he make egg to.' 'Mr. Nelsen must come and get more." Here was encouragement to a democratic old bachelor, that believed in home resources, and was ambitious to fill up the country and build up a city, to have ladies in the country that would raise settlers right on the ground and make roost- ers lay eggs for supplies."
"Judge Foster was married in 1856, to Miss Charlotte Porch, of Chicago. The fruit of the union was five children. Albert P., Charlotte A., Joel J., Eunice A. and Mary. IIis daughter Charlotte died March 30th, 1869."
CHAPTER XXXVII.
AMUSEMENTS-LYNCHING OF INDIAN MURDER- ER-DAILY MAIL-STEAMBOAT BUILDING-
. NEWSPAPERS-RAILWAYS-CHURCHES.
This history would not give a faithful repre- sentation of the days of yore if the amusements of the time were left out. We all live for happi- ness, and aim at it in all our plans. People differ, however, so much in their estimate of happiness, and the means by which it is attained, that no theory can be promulgated for securing it. The higher the culture the deeper do quiet and unde- monstrative pleasures sink into the soul, while to the savage, happiness comes only from spasms of ecstasy.
It cannot be denied that the habits of our pio- neers verged towards barbarism, and that their pleasures were often derived from what to-day would be called gross amusements. Such were the dances of the day, but we can hardly find heart to condemn the pioneers of so severe a cli- mate for taking advantage of every circumstance for creating diversion. Women were scarce, but squaws were plenty, and dances must be had. Therefore the dark-eyed maidens of the wood, who hung around the villages of the whites, were brought to grace the ball-room.
Mr. Partridge, in "Quail Town," near St. Croix Falls, had quite a large house where he sold liq- uor, and was only too willing to allow a dance to be held, as it greatly increased his business. This place, moreover, liad great attractions for the Indians, who always congregated where liquor could be had. The walls were rude and bare, without ornament, except perhaps the horns of a deer, or a plain rack supporting a gun, present- ing a marked contrast to the elegant dancing halls of modern times. This dance-house was long since demolished by citizens, as the presence of Indians in its vicinity and in tlre village could not otherwise be prevented. While it continued, squaws to fill the sets at a dance were found . abundant.
Dress at these balls was not elaborate, and on the part of the men was the lumberman's uni- form, red shirts under which they wore white
1
215
LYNCHING OF INDIAN.
ones, differing essentially from the swell dress- coat and black pants of modern times.
The squaws wore short, jaunty dresses, deco- rated with such ornaments as they could obtain, and their hair was trimmed with ribbons of all hues. The music emanated from one fiddle in the corner of the room, and amid such charms the hours of many a night that would otherwise have dragged heavily, sped swiftly away, for their spirits were full of health and exuberance, al- though too often exhilarated by the wares of the landlord. Before the dance closed, according to custom, one of the Indian damsels would slyly slip up to one of the men and throw around him a ribbon, as though lassoing a buffalo. This act elected the victim to give the next ball and be- come master of ceremonies. Mem-in-qua-we-an or Butterfly William was one of their favorites; he was also sometimes called Kishetawan, mean- ing hot man, although his true name was William J. Vincent. Daniel Mears was nick-named by them Cesinaboin-a-ninny, or the ribbon man, be- cause he kept a store and sold dry goods. He was sometimes caught in the gay colored lasso. Joshua L. Taylor was also among the gayest of the gay, and entered into these entertainments with his whole soul. Such were the pioneer danc- es of the valley.
In March, 1848, an Indian was hung at the Falls of St. Croix, by a mob. He was guilty of a murder under the following circumstances :
Miller, a whisky dealer and trader, who had long plied his vocation in the vicinity, became jealous of Tornell, a rival who had set up busi- ness in the same line. Determined to rid himself of this competition, he employed this Indian to shoot Tornell. Accordingly, the skulking creature hung about and killed, and secreted the body of Tornell and a blacksmith by the name of McEl- roy. As soon as McElroy's absence from his accustomed post was observed, an investiga- tion was instituted which resulted in the discovery of his body. Suspicion was at once directed to the right individual, and Morris M. Samuels and George Field, acting as detec- tives, ferreted out the rascal and with the aid of citizens of St. Croix, brought him. to jus- tice. He was regularly tried during the day, but though no doubt existed of his guilt, fears were entertained as to his conviction. The
judge perceiving the determination of the crowd to hang the " red devil," judgment or no judg- ment, quietly withdrew during the night, letting matters take their course. The mob, for such the assembly must be called after legal proceedings were abandoned, took the case in hand. The crowd was largely composed of respectable citi- zens from Stillwater, who had come up to see that justice was properly administered. Among them was Hon. M. S. Wilkinson, at that time, and for an indefinite period, holding by appointment, the office of county attorney, a sinecure, with a salary of $200 per annum, who by his official capacity added dignity to the occasion, in consequence of which he has been roughed many a time by his associates. The mob were satisfied not only of the guilt of the Indian in this affair, but that he was the perpetrator of the murder of Jack Drake. They consequently proceeded to business. The executioner upon the occasion was B. B. Cyphers, familiarly known as Bun. Cyphers. Preparations for the final ordeal were in accordance with the general character of the proceedings. A rope was properly adjusted to the villain's neck and swung over the high limb of a tree, under which two barrels were placed standing on end, one on top of the other. When the victim had been placed on the top and the rope tightened, the word was given and Cyphers stationed for the purpose, kicked out the bar- rels with a tremendous force that sent them fly- ing, and in an instant the villainous rascal was kicking in the air.
It appears that they had more respect for the white man than for the red, for the same evi- dence that hung the Indian ought to have been sufficient to hang the white man. The verdict, however, was that Miller should be whipped, and the execution of this sentence was as promptly administered as the other. Pat Col- lins, an enemy of Miller's was assigned the duty and privilege. He prepared himself by stripping off his coat and administered the sen- tence on the bare back of the victim with a good will that savored of old animosity. Miller had been previously tied to the same tree on which the Indian was hung, stripped to the waist.
When released, he was provided by a contribu- tion taken up among the crowd, with fifteen dol- lars in money to pay his expenses down the river,
216
HISTORY OF THE SAINT CROIX VALLEY.
and in charge of the Stillwater party sent away, with the parting injunction never to return to the valley of the St. Croix on the peril of the fate meted out to the Indian.
After 1861 the valley enjoyed a daily mail dur- ing the season of navigation between Prescott and Taylor's Falls and tri-weekly during the rest of the year. After 1864 a four horse coach made trips three times a week from Stillwater. This soon proved insufficient for the fast developing country and in 1866 Burbank and Company took the contract, and connecting at Stillwater with the daily mail from St. Paul, carried the mail through to Taylor's Falls. The steamboats of the river, impeded by freight and encumbered with barges in tow, cannot be relied on for close connection. The mail of the valley is, therefore, much more satisfactorily delivered by the mail coaches which run with regularity to points not provided with railroad connection.
The building of steamboats, barges and other crafts on the St. Croix has been an important in- dustry. The best of material for the construc- tion of boats is found in abundance in the timber regions of this valley in the black oak, a wood very tough and adapted to the construction of first class boats. We give a history of the steamboats built on the St. Croix up to the year 1872: The Os- ceola was the first ; she was built at Osceola by Holmes and Cummings in 1854, and was a small side-wheel steamer. After the wood work was completed she was towed to Davenport, Iowa, where her machinery was put in. After running two years she sunk in the Mississippi. This boat was commanded by Capt. George Hermes, long a resident of St. Croix Falls.
The Fanny Thornton, built at Franconia, by Foster and Thornton during the winter of 1862 and '63, was the second steamer built on the St. Croix. She was a stern-wheeler with one boiler and one engine, commanded by Captain Thorn- ton of Franconia. After a short time this boat was sold and went below.
The Pioneer was built at Osceola by A. Stover, and received her machinery from the old steamboat Staver. The Pioneer was subsequently used towing rafts on the river. The Staver was built in 1861-2 on Green Lake back of Franconia by the proprietors of the stave mill for the car- rying business of their establishment. She was
hauled across from the lake to the river and em- ployed for the purpose intended. Subsequently her hull became a barge and her machinery was transferred to the Pioneer as above stated.
The Viola was built in 1864, at Franconia by Captain Oscar Knapp, one of the most experienced river men of the west. She received her machin- ery at La Crosse and was intended for the trade, between La Crosse and St. Croix Falls and for her construction, a stock company organized under a special act of the legislature of Wisconsin was formed with business men all along the river as stock holders. Oscar Knapp was the first captain, but was soon superseded by Captain Bartlett, of Hudson, in consequence of difficulty arising among the members of the company.
The G. B. Knapp was built at Osceola, in 1866, by Captain Knapp, and received her machinery at Stillwater.
The Dalles was also built at Osceola, in the winter of 1866-7, by Captain Winch, and was furnished with machinery from the old steamer Enterprise, purchased by Captain Winch, the fall previous. After running one season between Prescott and the falls, she was sold to a company at Chester, Illinois.
The steamboat Minnie Will, was built at Os- ceola, in 1867, and commanded by Captain Cyrus Bradley for many years. Captain Bradley was one of the first men on the river that tried to ex- periment to towing logs and proved its expedi- ency.
The steamer Nellie Kent, was built at Osceola, in 1867, and received her machinery at La Crosse, appearing first on the St. Croix in June, 1868. She was built by Captain William Kent, one of the most popular steamboat men on the St. Croix.
The Wyman X, was built at Taylor's Falls in the fall of 1868, by Hon. W. H. C. Folsom, one of the pioneer settlers of the north-west, and at that time one of the most extensive lumbermen on the river. She received her machinery at St. Anthony, and was the best and most powerful on the St. Croix. It is worthy of mention that sbe was the first wholly built and fitted with ma- chinery within the state of Minnesota.
The Helen Marr was built in 1871 at Osceola, by Captain William Kent of that place, and John Dudley, of Minneapolis.
The Maggie Reany was also built in 1875 by
217
NEWSPAPERS AND RAILWAYS.
Captain Kent, at the same point, under an agree- ment with Captain J. H. Reany, of St. Paul, in accordance with which the boat received her name, and three-fourths of the stock was trans- ferred to him.
The Jennie Hayes was built at Osceola, by Captain O. F. Knapp and David Hayes, in 1879, and is commanded by Captain Ben. Knapp. The Ada B. and an ice boat were built at. Arcola.
The newspapers of a country are the means by which its citizens receive not only their daily rations of gossip, but the bulk of their knowledge and education.
They furnish it, truly, in a desultory manner, and can hardly be called good educators, since the attention is rarely drawn out in a continuous line of thought. They bring in, however, a large amount of knowledge of the outside world, and give intelligence if not culture.
In a new country the newspaper is welcomed with the greatest enthusiasm, aud with pride a little town witnesses the. first issue of its local paper. In addition to histories of news- papers in the various towns, found in the town- ship articles, it is interesting to note the first issues in the valley. The palm for priority must be awarded to the St. Croix Union, established at Stillwater in 1854, the first issue appearing November 7th, of that year, F. S. Cable and W. M. Easton editors. The Union continued only three years, and was democratic in politics.
The Stillwater Messenger, first issued in 1856, is, however, the oldest paper. Its first editor was A. J. Van Vorhes, and its present editors are Seward and Taylor.
The Paraclete, afterwards called the Transcript, first published at Prescott in 1855, hy C. E. Young; the Journal, in 1858, at River Falls, pub- lished by Taylor Brothers; the St. Croixian, at the Falls of St. Croix, established in 1860 by J. D. Reymert and Junius Bartlett; the Polk County Press, into which the St. Croixian merged, and the Taylor's Falls Reporter, established in Feb- ruary, 1860, are the most important.
Of the different railways pushing their way north and westward the Tomah and Lake St. Croix railroad was the first to reach the valley of the St. Croix. This company was incorporated in 1863, with power to build a railroad from some point in the town of Tomah to a point on Lake
St. Croix, between townships 25 and 31. A few months after its organization the company passed into the hands of D. A. Baldwin and Jacob Hum- bird, who afterwards commenced the construction of the road from Tomah via Black River Falls and Eau Claire to Hudson, a distance of one hun- dred and seventy-eight miles, which point it reached November, 1871. Soon after its comple- tion to this place its name was changed to the West Wisconsin railroad. The repair shops were established at Hudson the following year. In 1873 the company built the road from Warren's Mills via Camp Douglass on the St. Paul road to Elroy, thereby making connection with the Chi- cago and North-western railroad, and took up the track from Tomah. By the building of the bridge across the Lake St. Croix it makes con- nection with the St. Paul, Stillwater and Taylor's Falls railroad at the junction.
In 1856 a land grant was made by congress to assist in building a railroad from Lake St. Croix to some point on Lake Superior. In 1869 the Lake St. Croix and Lake Superior railroad com- pany was incorporated to build a road from Lake St. Croix to Bayfield on Lake Superior. The land grant was placed in the hands of the state for disposal, with certain restrictions. The com- pany proceeded to build a short distance of the road, which reached New Richmond, forty miles, in hopes to secure the grant, but failed. In 1873 the grant was conferred on the Milwaukee and St. Paul company, but on account of the restric- tions declined. About this time the name was changed to the North Wisconsin railroad, and the grant given to the company, who are now pushing it forward each year.
The Hudson and River Falls railroad was com- pleted October 26th, 1878. The company was organized in the spring of the same year, and was composed of some of the leading citizens of St. Paul, Stillwater, Hudson and River Falls. The road was constructed by the St. Paul, Stillwater and Taylor's Falls railroad. This road is about thirteen miles in length, with a short extension from Hudson across the lake to Stillwater on the west side of the lake. The St. Paul, Stillwater and Taylor's Falls railroad was incorporated De- cember 4th, 1869, and built in 1871, extending from St. Paul to Stillwater and Hudson, a dis- tance of twenty-two miles, the Stillwater branch
1
218
HISTORY OF THE SAINT CROIX VALLEY.
forming a junction three miles south of Stillwa- ter. The West Wisconsin passing over this road to St. Paul as their western terminus. These roads with their branches are operated by the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway Com- pany. The Stillwater branch of the St. Paul and Duluth railroad was built in 1871, running from White Bear Lake to Stillwater, a distance of about fourteen miles.
The Taylor's Falls and Lake Superior railroad was incorporated February 18th, 1875, for a term of fifty years, with a land grant of seven sections to the mile. The road was built in 1880 a dis- tance of twenty miles, and leased to the Minne- apolis and St. Louis and the St. Paul and Duluth railroads on condition that they shall run a con- tinuous line from Taylor's Falls to Fort Dodge, Iowa. The road is operated by the St. Paul and Duluth road, from Wyoming to Taylor's Falls, twenty miles.
The pioneer of the church in the St. Croix val- ley was Rev. W. T. Boutwell, a gentleman of fine culture, who was sent as a missionary by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, to the Chippewas with Rev. Sherman Hall.
They came into the north-western territory in 1831, but first located on Lake Superior. Rev. Mr. Boutwell was commissioned by the mission- ary board to make explorations, which he did in company with Schoolcraft, in 1832. In 1833, he preached on Snake river, and was theretore the first to preach in this valley. It will be impossi- ble here to follow him in his wild and romantic experiences among the fierce people with whom he made his home. In 1838, he joined the mis- sion at Pokaguma, and has since made his home in the valley of the St. Croix. His work among the Indians at Pokaguma was undermined by the white man's whisky, and he was finally induced to seek a more promising field of labor. Accord- ingly in 1847, he removed to Stillwater. In a letter written about this time he said: "IIere is a little village sprung up like a gourd, but whether it is to perish as soon, God only knows."
Although the Rev. Mr. Boutwell had been lo- cated in the north-west about sixteen years, still at this time he was among the pioneers of this valley. Before locating at Stillwater he had previously preached there in 1845, in the dining
hall of John McKusick's boarding house, when on a visit to Cottage Grove.
In 1845, he preached in the dining hall of An- son Northrup's hotel at Stillwater, and was ac- customed to ring the dinner bell belonging to the house, up and down, to summon people to the ser- vice.
In June, 1847, he assumed charge of Stillwater mission, under the patronage of the American Home Missionary Society, preaching at Stillwater and Marine alternately. He soon procured a room over Isaac Staple's meat market, and send- ing to St. Louis, obtained a bell of his own, which the worthy man used to shake up and down as before.
After one year Rev. J. C. Whitney was ap- pointed by the society to take charge of the mis- sion at Stillwater. He preached his first sermon in the school-house, on the corner of Third and Olive streets, and with Revs. Boutwell and E. D. Neill, December 8th, 1849, organized a Presby- terian church with eight members, William Hol- combe and wife, Cornelius Lyman and wife, Ebenezer K. Colton and wife, Mrs. Stover Ly- man and Mrs. Eliza B. Whitney.
William Holcombe, Cornelius Lyman and Ebenezer K. Colton were trustees. The first church building was commenced in 1850, and fin- ished during the summer following. Rev. Mr. Whitney resigned in 1853, and was succeeded by Rev. Henry Nichols, who began his labors in the fall of the same year. During the ministry of Rev. Mr. Nichols, the present church was built. Rev. Mr. Boutwell after this took charge of the missionary field including St. Croix, Point Doug- las and the country between for fifty miles along the river.
For one year's service, about 1848 or '49, he re- ceived in all from this large range of country, $110 for his services, and this was paid in pork and flour, except $5 in cash, there being little money in the country at the time. During this period his two boys took his family in an ox cart to Stillwater, nearly every Sabbath to attend church.
In 1848, and again in 1849, Rev. A. Kent, pas- tor of the Presbyterian church at Galena, Illinois, visited at Stillwater. At his first visit, he found but two church members and a Sunday school of fifteen scholars; at his second visit the church
219
BOUNDARIES OF SAINT CROIX COUNTY.
was organized with eight members and the Sun- day school had increased to forty.
Rev. E. D. Neill preached at the falls of St. Croix, also at the Mills four miles north at White river and at Cottage Grove, eleven miles south.
In the fall of 1850 a friend of Rev. Mr. Whit- ney, named William Putnam of Ohio, sent a bell to the church at Stillwater to be kept in trust, un- der the agreement that when the church did not need it the bell should be sent westward to some feeble church. Mr. Whitney writes that he is grieved to learn that the trust has been abused by allowing the bell to go into the possession of the Roman Catholic Church.
The first mission in the valley was established
under the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, at Yellow Lake, Burnett coun- ty, Wisconsin. Rev. Frederick Ayers and wife, afterward located at Belle Prairie, Minnesota, were in charge of the mission. Miss Crooks was employed as teacher and a school was opened September 24th, with eight scholars.
In February, 1837, Rev. Mr. Hale of La Pointe mission visited Pokeguma and organized a church with seven members, three of whom were na- tives. Eight baptisms were celebrated and two marriages. These were probably the first bap- tisms and marriages in the valley; they do not, however, form a part of the record of any county so far as we have ascertained.
SAINT CROIX COUNTY.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
ORGANIZATION -- FIRST OFFICERS-COUNTY SEAT-VOTING PRECINCTS-LIQUOR LICEN- CES-TOWNS AND VILLAGES-JAIL-TAXES- COURT HOUSE - SCHOOL DISTRICTS-TOPOG- RAPHY-DRAINAGE.
The territorial legislature of Wisconsin, in ses- sion at Madison, Wisconsin, January 9th, 1840, passed an act to take effect August 1st, of the same year, wherein all of the territory of Wiscon- sin, lying west of a line commencing at the mouth of the Porcupine river on Lake Pepin, thence up said river to its first fork; thence on a direct line to the Meadow fork of Red Cedar river; thence up said river to Long Lake; thence along the canoe route to Lac Courte d' Orielle; thence to the nearest point on the Montreal river; thence down said river to Lake Superior; thence north to the United States boundary line, was established a separate county, named and styled the county of St. Croix. The same act called for an election of county officers, and the first
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.