USA > Minnesota > Washington County > History of Washington County and the St. Croix Valley, including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota > Part 39
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The population of St. Croix county in 1860, was 5,394.
At a meeting of the county board, held June 8th, 1860, an act to organize the town of St. Jo- seph, was adopted, viz : all that portion of the late town of St. Joseph, in township 30, ranges 19 and 20 west, and which was by an act of the leg- islature approved April 2d, 1864, attached to, and miade to become a part of the town of Somer- set, and all of that portion of said town of St. Joseph, being in township 29, ranges 19 and 20 which was by said act attached to, and made to become a part of the town of Hudson, is hereby set off from said town, to which they were so attached, and organized as, and made to constitute a town to be known as St. Joseph; the election for the re-organization to be held at the store of J. R. Brown, June 27th, 1860. Ata meet- ing of the board, held June 18th, 1860, an act was passed, attaching the east one-half of town- ship 28, of range 16 west, to the town of Rush River. At a meeting of the board, held June 9th, 1860, the following act was passed, that all of township 28 north, range 16 west, is hereby detached from the town of Rush River, and at- taced to Eau Galle in said county.
At a meeting of the board, held November 23d, 1860, the following act was passed, viz: that sections 1, 2, 11 and 12, township 30, range 17 west, now forming a part of the town of Cylon, be detached from Cylon and attached to the town of Erin Prairie; said act to take effect the 1st
Monday in April, 1861. An the same date the following act was passed, that township 30, ranges 15 and 16, now forming a part of the towns of Erin Prairie and Cylon, be, and is hereby de- tached from said towns and organized into a new town to be called Emerald; the first election to be held the first Tuesday after the first Monday in April, 1861, at the house of Thomas Ross, in sec- tion 20, township 30, range 16.
At a meeting of the board held November 12th, 1861, an act was passed that all of township 29, ranges 15 and 16, now forming a part of the town of Hammond, be, and is hereby detached from said town and organized into a new town, to be known as Springfield, the first election to be held at the school-house in district number 4, the first Tuesday in April, 1862. At a meeting of the board held December 2d, 1864, it was voted to change the name of that portion of St. Croix known as Malone, in township 20, range 18, to Kinnickinnic. At a meeting of the board held December 30th, 1870, the following act was passed: township 31 north, of range 17 west, of the fourth principal meridian, being a part of Star Prairie, is hereby detached from said town of Star Prairie and formed into a new town to be known as Stanton; first election to be held the first Tuesday in April, 1870. At the same meet- ing the board voted to divide the town of Eau Galle, and all of township 28 north, of range 16 west, of the fourth principal meridian, to be formed into a new town called Cady; election for the organization to be held the first Tuesday in April, 1870, at the school-house in district No. 1, township 29, range 11.
At a meeting of the board held December 4th, 1872, it was ordered that a certain district, known as township 29 north, of range 16 west, being a part of the town of Springfield, be set off from said town and formed into a new town to be known as Baldwin; first meeting to be held on the first Tuesday in April, 1873, in school-house in joint district No. 4. At a meeting of the board held December 16th, 1880, it was ordered that all of township 31, range 15, now a part of Cylon, be detached and form a new town called Forest; first meeting to be held the first Tuesday in April, 1881.
We have given the legal divisions and the boundaries of the twenty towns of the county.
15
226
HISTORY OF SAINT CROIX COUNTY.
The county has thirteen whole congressional townships, except township 31, a portion of which lies on the west side of the river. The meander- ings of the river leaves a fraction of townships 29, 30 and 31 on the east side of the lake, which gives the county about 850,000 acres of land. The general features of the county are the same . as other counties bordering on the lake. The bluffs along the lake are irregular and broken, and present some fine, romantic scenery, with here and there a river or creek flowing from the interior down through deep ravines, shaded by heavy foliage on their entrance to the lake, pre- senting some most beautifully arranged views, while at other points the landscape slopes more gently down to the water's edge. From the river eastward the country is broken and somewhat hilly, while in the eastern part it becomes more level. In the central portions are rolling prairies on which are opened some very fine farms. The eastern tier of townships were formerly covered with a heavy growth of timber, and was known as the Big Woods, extending through the county north and south. The timber is composed of walnut, butternut, and red, black and white oaks, and maple, with some white pine in the north- east.
The soil is mostly of a clayey loam. In some portions, however, it becomes more sandy, and well adapted for all kinds of grain. Some fine qualities of lime and sandstone crop out from the hills in different parts of the county.
The drainage of the county is fine. Numerous rivers and creeks, having their rise in the north and east flow across the county and empty into the lake. Apple river, the largest in the county, has its rise in Polk county, enters St. Croix in section one of Star Prairie township, passes diagonally south-west across the township, enters Somer- set township from section thirty-one, makes a long sweep to the north then to the south and enters the Lake St. Croix between ITudson and Osceola. Willow river, the next in size, has its rise in Cylon township in the north-east, extends through the south-east corner of Stanton town- ship, thence through the north of Erin Prairie, thence into Richmond, south-west, and enters the lake between North and South Hudson. Hay river has its rise in Emerald and Springfield town- ships, extends toward the south-east and enters
the Red Cedar river in Dunn county. Kinnic- kinnic river in the south has its rise in Warren and Pleasant Valley townships, flows south-west and enters Lake St. Croix from Pierce county. Rush river rises in Rush River and Eau Galle town- ships, and flows south into Lake Pepin. These streams, having their supplies from springs and small lakes, have an abundance of water, which flows rapidly along, thereby furnishing good pow- ers for manufactories, mills, etc. Several small lakes in different parts of the county are well supplied with fish. The Bass, Twin, Bell Perch and Cedar lakes are fine little bodies of water, and furnish fine resorts for the tourist ..
HUDSON.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
INCORPORATION-MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS-FIRST PHYSICIAN-GREAT FIRES OF 1866 AND 1872 -FIRE DEPARTMENT -- BANKS-FLOURING MILLS-THE PRESS-NEW BLOCKS.
The name first given to this town was Buena Vista. It was organized in the spring of 1849, laid off by act of the board of county com- missioners, at a meeting held at the house of Philip Aldrich, February 28th, of the same year. The name of Buena Vista was suggested by Joel Foster, at the time it was laid out. He had just come to the settlement, and had been in the bat- tle of Buena Vista. The excitement over the victory made it a popular name, and it was ac- cordingly adopted. By an act of the legislature in the winter of 1851, the name of the town and all villages therein were changed to Willow River, under which title it remained until November 9th, 1852, when by petition of the citizens it was changed to Hudson.
The first settlement in the county was made at the mouth of Willow river, by Louis Massey and Peter F. Bouchea, a Frenchmen, followed soon
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INCORPORATION OF HUDSON.
after by W. Steets and Joseph Sauperson, known as Joe Lagrew. The four men and their fami- lies were the first settlers on the land that is now occupied as Hudson city. In 1846, Capt. J. B. Page with his family, from the Mormon settle- ment of Nauvoo, landed on these shores and made a claim .. Next came Mr. Perrington, who with Mr. Paye, built a saw-mill in 1847, at this point.
Thus began the settlement of this wild and ro- mantic country, which was destined to be one of the finest in St. Croix valley. About that time J. W. Stone and the Nobles brothers came. In the spring of 1848, Philip Aldrich, Ammah An- drews, Moses Perrin, James Sanders and Joseph Mears, joined the settlement. The nearest store and post-office was at Red Rock, on the Missis- sippi river. The enterprise of the new settlers was not long in overcoming these inconveniences. In 1848, James Stone erected a store and kept a general stock of goods ; also opened a law office in connection. A mail was received once in two weeks from Prairie du Chien, Philip Aldrich, act -. ing as post-master. About the same time Moses Perrin built an hotel. Mrs. Page in connection with her other duties practiced medicine, Thomp- sonian. Substantial dwellings sprang up all over the site of this then wild spot, which had but a short time before been occupied by the wig- wam of the Chippewa. The records tell us that Louis Massey entered his claim August 23d, 1848, the east half of the south-west quarter of section 24, township 29, range 20. This claim of Louis Massey was first occupied by him in the spring of 1838, and when finally entered for record, in 1848, was the first recorded in the county.
At the same time, Peter F. Bouchea made a claim of the west half of the north-west quarter, of section 25, township 29, range 20. September 15th, 1848, a portion of Mr. Massey's claim was layed out and platted as Buena Vista. June 3d, 1850, Messrs. Gibson, Henning, Bouchea, Stone and Crowns, layed out and platted twenty acres adjoining Buena Vista, and called it Willow River.
At this time the settlers began to make this an objective point. The same year Dr. Otis Hoyt appeared on the scene with his surgical instru- ments and medicines, and the settlement was provided with a physician.
The early settlers, not forgetting the advanta- ges which they enjoyed in their far-off homes in
the east, began to think of their children and to make arrangements for the improvement of their minds. The subject of schools was discussed, and a district called number one was formed September 22d, 1849. A meeting was called . at the house of M. V. Nobles, and the district or- ganized by the election of the first board of offi- cers, as follows: Moses S. Gibson, director; F. P. Catlin, treasurer; Pascal D. Aldrich, clerk. The first school was taught by E. P. Pratt in what was known as the stone house. S. C. Simonds taught the school in the winter of 1853-'54. It was no small matter to maintain a school in those days. Money was scarce and teachers not very plenty, who wished to teach at the small wages settlers could pay. At the next annual meeting, September 30th, 1850, Ammah Andrews was elected director and J. J. Putman treasurer; P. D. Aldrich clerk. The meeting voted $40 tax to pay for a six months' school.
Miss Charlotte Mann took charge of the school for about eight years, and by industry, culture and high character obtained a reputation among the settlers as valuable in her more limited spliere as that of Horace Mann, the great champion of public education.
In the winter of 1851-'52 two separate plats, or villages, of Buena Vista and Willow River were united and changed in name to Willow River. The next spring the first church was es- tablished, which was the First Baptist under the ministry of Rev. Mr. Catlin.
As the village increased and the town back from the river became more thickly settled the people became dissatisfied with the name of the village and township. A vote was taken which resulted in a petition being presented to the board of county commissioners to have the name of the town and villages therein contained changed to Hudson, which name was suggested by Alfred Day.
Additions were made to the original plat from time to time until quite a large city, on paper, stretched from the banks of the lake back up the sides of the bluff and along the more level valley of the Willow river. In the winter of 1856-7 a charter was procured and the first municipal elec- tion was called for the first Monday in April of the same year. The following officers were elected:
228
HISTORY OF SAINT CROIX COUNTY.
Mayor, A. D. Gray; aldermen for the first ward, James B. Gray, J. M. Fulton, M. V. Nobles; aldermen for Second ward, Alfred Day, R. A. Gridley, C. E. Dexter ; aldermen for Third ward, Chas. Thayer, H. P. Lester and, N. Perry.
The first meeting of the city council was called at Hendee's Hall, May 4th, 1877, his honor the mayor presiding, J. B. Gray, clerk pro tem. The election of the minor officers was made by ballot with the following result: City clerk, O. Bell; city attorney, Cyrus T. Hall; city surveyor, Michael Lynch.
On motion, the council fixed the bonds of the city treasurer at $5,000, with three good sureties; the same to be approved by the council. It was voted to appoint a committee to draft by-laws and ordinances; J. B. Gray, Charles Thayer, O. Bell and J. M. Fuller were appointed as said committee. It was voted to appoint Day, Nobles and Lester committee on printing. On motion, Dexter, Gray and Day were appointed to draft laws for the regulation of the council. On motion, it was voted to fix the salary of the city clerk at $250 per year; voted to fix the salary of the city surveyor at $5 per diem for the time actually engaged; voted to fix the sal- ary of the city attorney at $200 per annum; also voted that the city engineer receive $1.50 per day. On motion, it was voted that the following shall be the standing committees of the council, claims, ways and means, streets, fire department, printing, health, taxes and licenses. The mayor made the following appointments: on claims, Day, Fulton and Perry; ways and means, Grid- ley, Gray and Lester; health, Thayer; fire depart- ment, Nobles; taxes, Gray, Dexter and Lester ; on printing, Day, Nobles and Lester; on licenses, Fulton, Gridley and Berry. On motion, a committee was appointed to procure rooms for the meetings of the council, and Nobles, Gridley and Thayer were appointed said com- mittee. The subject of establishing grades was discussed and referred to committee on streets. On motion, it was voted to hold the council meetings at city hall the first Tuesday of each month, at 7:30 p. m. At a meeting of the council hield May 13th, 1857, it was voted to charge the following rates for licenses: for hotel keeper to sell intoxicating liquors, $50.00; bowling allies, with saloon, $25.00 in addition to
the other license charged; wholesale dealers, $200; billiard saloons, $25 for each table, aside from any other license charged. The first license issued by the city was to John Cyphers; said Cyphers to receive license on presentation of a receipt signed by the treasurer for $40 for whole- sale, $100 for saloon and $24 for two billiard tables. At its organization the city was divided into three wards, as follows: all that portion o the city lying south of a line drawn through the center of Walnut street, from the west to the east boundary of said city, shall constitute the First ward; all that portion of said city being north of said line and south of a line drawn through the center of Division street, from the eastern to the western boundary of said city, shall constitute the Second ward, and all that portion of said city lying north of the Second ward shall constitute the Third ward. The cause of education has so advanced that at this time they have three fine graded schools. The first school house was erected in 1855, in the Second ward, a large two story-house, at an expense of about $1,000. Two wings larger than the original have since been added to the building. A new school house was built afterward in the First ward. At the organization of the city, the follow- ing officers for school commissioners were elected: J. W. Peers and M. A. Fulton for the First ward; S. C. Simonds and A. D. Gray, for the Second ward; Charles Thayer and H. F. Bond for Third ward. The steady onward progress of school interests in the city has brought them to a very favorable showing. On August 31st, 1879, the report was: amount on hand, $2,022.08; tax for school purposes, $4,004.38; tax levied by county superintendent, $229.95; state school fund, $250.40 ; total, $6,506.70. During the school year amounts paid for male teachers, $800.00 ; paid for female teachers, $2,410,00; school fur- niture, $120.00; for all other purposes, $1,323.98; total paid out during year, $4,653.98; amount on hand August 31st, 1880, $1,852.78.
At the enumeration of 1880, it was found that there were children in the city over four years and under twenty: Males, 355; females, 323; total, 678. In the public schools over four and under twenty, 590.
From the files of the Star and Times of May
229
DESTRUCTION BY FIRE.
24th, 1866, we clip the following description of the great fire that occurred May 19th, 1866:
"Terrible confiagration-the city in ruins-six- ty-four business houses in ruins and twenty-five families homeless-only one store left standing- total loss, $325,000-insurance, $75,000. The fire broke out at 1:30 p. m., in the rear of H. A. Tay- lor and Company's building, used for furniture rooms and printing offices. No fire had ever been used in the shed. It was supposed to have origi- nated by sparks from the saloon or the pipe of a drunken man, found lying where the fire origi- nated, and barely saved from burning with the building. The rapidity with which the flames spread was almost impossible to believe. Not even the books and personal effects from the Star and Times office were saved. Merchants in the adjoining stores had barely time to secure their valuable papers. The wind blew a gale. The flames seemed to break in every direction. The City hotel was enveloped in flames before the alarm was hardly given. The family and guests escaped with only what they had on. In an hour the scene was terrific; the billows of flame and the blinding smoke with the explosion of gun- powder; the piles of goods hastily moved only to be destroyed; the approaching darkness, which caused uncertainty, terror and despair; the blackened ruins of what a few moments before were marts of merchandise and elegant homes; the crowds of toiling, anxious men and terror- stricken women; all formed a scene alike terrible and grand.
"In about two hours the fire fiend had done its work. What at noon was the mart of a thriving city, at sundown was a blackened ruin, with only one standing store. The proceeds of years of toil, the abundance which brought affluence and elegance, the little that had been saved from the proceeds of toil, all perished and gone. It is due to the business men to say, no men ever bore losses with more fortitude, or set to work with more cheerfulness and energy to retrieve their losses. Most were able to go on without any very serious embarrassment. The fire had not ceased before the work of re-building was planned, and the city rose from the ashes with finer pro- portions than before."
The hook and ladder company was first organ- ized in 1860, with Joseph H. Harrington foreman,
John Bartlett assistant foreman and A. Freer sec- retary. There were thirty members at its organ- ization. In 1865, the company established a free library for the use of its members. The company was well equipped and did efficient work at the great fire.
The city had hardly recovered from the first great conflagration, when it was once again visited by the fire fiend, destroying a large part of the busi- ness portion. This time the fire broke out in the Chapin Hall hotel, standing on the present site of the Chapin Hall house at 12 o'clock, noon. Every effort was made by the fire company and citizens to keep the fire from spreading, but to no avail. It seemed as though the city must be en- tirely destroyed again. It was found impossible without assistance from abroad to check its mad career. It was also impossible to get assistance in time to do much good, when the fire was at last subdued, it was found that about thirty dif- ferent firms had lost more or less. The aggre- gate loss estimated at $100,000, with only $15,000 insurance. Misfortune never comes single-handed, so with our devoted city. The smoke of this great conflagration had hardly subsided when the alarm was once again sounded. This time the seat of the fire was in the elevator and the ware- house of Coon and Pratt, with their contents. The elevator contained about 30,000 bushels of wheat. The warehouse of C. D. Powers was also destroyed. The total amount of the loss dis- tributed among several parties, was $60,000, with $16,355 insurance.
The city authorities began at this time to see the necessity of supplying some means of pro- tection against the devouring elements. In Sep- tember of the same year, the city purchased their present fire engine, which was place in the hands of the old hook and ladder company. In March the old company was disbanded and a new com- pany organization effected, under the title of the Hudson City Fire Company, with the following officers : M. Whitten, chief engineer; G. Ander- son, first assistant; J. B. Martin, second assistant; M. D. Aldrich, secretary; D. W. Coon, treasurer; George W. Willis, in charge of engine. The company is well equipped with a good machine and all necessary additions to enable them to cope with a fire. The city has a fine building for the engine house, centraly located, with fine
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HISTORY OF SAINT CROIX COUNTY.
rooms above for the use of the city council, where everything is kept in fine order by J. A. Bunker, city clerk, who, in 1870, was elected to the position. He was also in 1873, elected secretary of the fire company. The library of the old hook and ladder company was transferred to the new fire company, November, 1872. January, 1877, the city was once again visited by fire and the Dippo block destroyed, with a loss of $5,000 and no insurance.
The First National Bank was organized under the general banking law with a capital of $50,000 and the following officers: John Comstock, presi- dent ; A. E. Jefferson, cashier. The original di- rectors were L. P. Wetherby, Alfred Goss, Wm. H. Crown, John Comstock, Amos E. Jefferson, Alfred I. Goss. The bank deals in foreign ex- change and transacts a general exchange and col- lection business. A safe and thriving business is being done at this time under the management of the following gentlemen: John Comstock, president ; A. E. Jefferson, cashier ; H. A. Tay- lor, John C. Spooner, T. D. Harding, A. L. Clarke, and Jas. A. Andrews, directors.
The Hudson Savings Bank, formerly the Na- tional Savings Bank of Hudson, was organized October, 1870, with Alfred Goss, president, and A. J. Goss, cashier, having two departments, general banking and exchange, domestic and foreign bills bought and sold. Savings depart- ment; deposits of one dollar and upwards re- ceived and interest paid, compounding every six months.
The Willow River flour mills, Comstock, Clarke and Company, proprietors. The south mill was built by D. A. Baldwin in 1868, 30x40, three stories, purchased by Comstock, Clarke and Company, in 1877, rebuilt in 1880, by Messrs. Com- stock, Clarke and Company, with a fifty six inch Leffel wheel, 130-horse power, one set of corru- gated rollers, one pair of Smith rollers, two Smith purifiers, and turns out seventy-five barrels of flour per day.
The north mill was built by D. A. Baldwin in 1867, of wood 40x60, three stories above base- ment, with four run of stone. In 1877 it was purchased by Comstock, Clarke and Company, who enlarged and rebuilt, and added an eleva- tor, with a capacity of 15,000 bushels. The pre- sent mill is 54x60 feet, with a sixty-six inch
American turbine water wheel of 160-horse power. It has all the latest improved machinery for a rol- ler mill, which consists of thirteen sets of corru- gated rollers, ten pair of Smith rollers, and four run of stone, and thirteen Smith purifiers, with all other machinery necessary for a first class mer- chant mill ; capacity 300 hundred barrels per day. The past year it was overhauled and improve- ments made, which make it a first class mill with a capacity of 450 barrels per day.
The St. Croix Valley mill was built by L. D. Bartlett, about 1861 and used as a warehouse un- til 1870, when it was purchased by Hall and Com- pany. In 1873 they placed in the building a forty-five horse power engine, one feed mill and corn-sheller. In 1875 they added four run of stone with other machinery for manufacturing new process flour. In 1880 the mill was over- hauled and new machinery added, which consisted of five sets of corrugated Stevens rollers, three sets Smith rollers, two run of stone, seven Smith purifiers, and other machinery for a first-class mill. The mill is 50x100 feet on the ground, three stories high and is a frame structure. The engine room is of brick and stone, 26x40 feet, one story high. The mill has a capacity for pro- ducing 100 barrels of flour per day, and furnishes employment to fifteen men, The property is owned by Hall and Goss, the mill being operated by A. W. Hall.
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