History of Washington County and the St. Croix Valley, including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 82

Author: Warner, George E., 1826?-1917; Foote, C. M. (Charles M.), 1849-1899; Neill, Edward D. (Edward Duffield), 1823-1893. Explorers and pioneers of Minnesota; Williams, J. Fletcher (John Fletcher), 1834-1895. Outlines of the history of Minnesota from 1858 to 1881
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Minneapolis : North Star Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 662

USA > Minnesota > Washington County > History of Washington County and the St. Croix Valley, including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota > Part 82

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Let us now look back a little more than forty years to the time when this little brook was al- lowed torun as it would, and see the condition of things at that time, following the changes up to the present.

The St. Croix Lumber Company was formed

in the winter of 1837, and the steamer Palmyra was chartered at St. Louis to take up men, sup- plies and mill machinery for the enterprise. This steamer, the first on the St. Croix river, landed at St. Croix, July 16th, 1838, and as it brought the pioneer party no improvements were visible at any point on the St. Croix; indeed the same could be said at that date from Prairie du Chien north. One of the party by the Palmyra, L. W. Stratton, took opportunity during the winter fol- lowing to make a claim for himself, and, accord- ingly, stuck the first stake at Marine, December 12th, 1838, which was the first claim. Stratton cleared a portion of his land and put up twenty- five cords of wood for the use of the steamboats, the first work of the kind done, it is said, above Prairie du Chien.

The history of Marine, however, begins with that of the Marine Lumber Company, now Walk- er, Judd and Veazie.

In the fall of 1838, Lewis S. Judd and David Hone of Marine, Illinois, selected this place for their operations, and returning home by the same boat on which they came up, formed a company in their native town, consisting of Orange Walker, Hiram Berkey, A. C. S. Parker, Lewis Judd, George B. Judd, Albert Judd, Dr. Green, Lucius Green, William B. Dibble, David Hone, Joseph Cotrell, Samuel Burkleo and James M. Parker, for the purpose of lumbering. During the fol- lowing winter arrangements were perfected and the company set out in the early spring for the St. Croix. They reached Marine on the 13th of May, 1839, and simply providing a temporary shelter or shanty, began operations on the mill. They were provided with suplies for a year, and the machinery for a new mill, brought with them. Fall found them with the frame of the mill up, one muley saw and flutter wheel in position and some lumber was manufactured. By this means lumber manufacturing in the valley was begun; the fall of 1839 is the date of its beginning and Marine has the honor of inaugurating the busi- ness.

The company were accompanied by McKnight, a competent mill-wright, and Joseph McElroy, blacksmith. During the winter following, '39- '40, two thousand logs or 800,000 feet were cut. Only four men were employed in the woods, all members of the company, Parker, Berkey, Dib-

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MARINE-EARLY EVENTS.

ble and Lucius Green. In the general manage- ment of the business, the work was thus divided; Parker superintended the logging, Berkey the mill, and Walker the store. It should be mentioned here that Marine led the van in St. Croix Valley not alone in the manufacture of lumber, but in trade, for, as above intimated, the company es- tablished a store immediately and sold the first goods, aside from the Indian traders, in the valley of the St. Croix.

During the second season, an overshot wheel was put in, also an additional saw, making the capacity of the mill, 1,000,000 feet per annum. No permanent buildings were erected here until after the government survey in 1847-'48. The first frame building was built by the company on the point as a residence for Samuel Burkleo. This house remodeled to its present style, is owned and occupied by Hiram Berkey. After the building of this house, others soon followed.

The first house, excluding the shanty built on the arrival of the company, was a log house, since demolished, built in the spring of 1840 for a boarding house for men employed by the company. This was 40x28 feet, and was located south of the present[location of Walker, Judd and Veazie's store. The first marriages were; William B. Dib- ble and Eliza McCauslin in the winter of 1842; in 1844, Samuel Burkleo and Susan McCauslin; in April, 1848, B. T. Otis and Mrs. Jane Ann Church. Rev. W. T. Boutwell officiated in all of these occasions.

The first birth at Marine, was that of a son, Orange to Samuel Burkleo, date not ascertained; the second, Henry to the same parents, February, 1847; the third, a child of Mr. Waterman, born May, 1847; the fourth, Flora Ann Otis, now Mrs. McDonald, of Marine township, a daughter of B. T. Otis by his first wife, a half-breed, born in the fall of 1847; the fifth, a daughter of J. K. Meredith, born February 2d, 1848, named 'Mar- tha Jane.

The first death was a child of William Noble, about 1843, in the fall; the body was subse- quently removed to St. Paul; the second, the wife of B. T. Otis, in the winter of 1847. The circum- stances of this death were peculiarly trying. Mr. Otis went to the woods, leaving his wife with James Brown and wife (both women were half- breeds). During his absence Mrs. Otis was sick

with ague and sent by Brown for calomel. On his return he brought two packages resembling each other, but one containing strychnine and the other the medicine required. He put them in separate pockets, changing his memory with their contents. Unfortunately his memory proved treacherous, and the woman received the wrong package and died from the dose taken before re- lief could be obtained. The third death was that of George Leapler, an employe of the company.

Some of the original company died; Lucius Green, about 1845, in the summer; Lewis S. Judd. in December, 1848. Both died at Marine, Illi- nois. Samuel Judd, of the firm Walker, Judd and Veazie, is a son of the last named deceased.

A law suit, said to be the first held in Wiscon- sin territory, west of the St. Croix, was held at Marine; Joseph R. Brown, justice; jury impan- neled: S. Burkleo, Orange Walker, H. Berkey, David Hone, Joseph. Haskell, James Norris, Francis Nason, Alexander McHattie, Andrew Mackey, Hiram Sweezy, and two others. The case was one of claim jumping between Philan- der Prescott and Charles D. Foote; the land in dispute was at Prescott but the case was brought to Marine for trial because a jury could there be obtained. The jury would make no decision without viewing the premises, and for this pur- pose embarked in canoes for Prescott in company with the parties to the suit. At Stillwater the boats were abandoned in consequence of ice in the lake. and the remainder of the journey was accomplished on land. A further inconvenience was encountered on their return, for the birch bark canoes had disappeared and only a little ashes re- mained to indicate their fate.

Arrived at the claim in dispute, the jury dis- agreed and the trouble was settled by Prescott al- lowing Foote eighty acres of the claim.

The first road was the old government road leading from Point Douglas, via Stillwater, Mar- ine and Taylor's Falls, to Superior City on Lake Superior.

The first farming was done by the Marine Lum- ber Company. They broke five or six acres the first season, 1839, and raised corn and potatoes. The second season increased the acreage to about twenty.

Mr. B. T. Otis, the death of whose wife was before mentioned, settled for about six months

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.

on section 19, township 31, range 19, where he made some improvements and built a house. Mr. Otis was the first, aside from the company, to try farming. After the death of his wife, he sold in the spring of 1848, to one Blake, who in turn sold to a man named Harvey. In April of that year, Otis married again, and settled July, 1849, on section 30, township 32, range 19. Here he broke ten acres in 1849, and put in a crop; after an absence in the woods, accompanied by his wife, he returned and put in a second crop in 1851.

Cartwell, a German, also began farming in 1849, on the farm now owned by Abe. Johnson, section 31, township 32, range 19; he remained about five years, after which he returned to his former home at Dubuque.

Edward Von Kuster settled in the spring of 1850 on section 26, where he remained about ten years and sold to Fred. W. Lammers, who still resides on the place. The old house is still standing, though used for other purposes than a residence.

Three Swedes, August Sandahl, O. Roos and Charles Farnstrom followed in farming enter- prise: they settled in section 27, in the spring of 1851, but made small improvements. In the fall of the same year, Daniel Nelson and Magnus Englund opened a farm on section 21. They were married men and made valuable improve- ments on their farm.

John Peterson in 1853 appears to be the next. He settled on section 15, township 32, range 19, and brought a family of eight children with him. The first wheat was raised in 1854 by Hugh Camp- bell on section 31, township 31, range 19. S. V. Anderson is credited with being the second man to raise wheat. His field was on section 35, township 32. range 20. Rye had been produced early by the Swedes, who ground it for use by hand in large coffee mills. The mill, the incipi- ent steps of which were previously stated, con- tinued in the shape in which we left it at 1840 until 1852, when it was torn down and a mill erected, 60x80 feet, by Judd, Walker and Com- pany. The old company had been dissolved and this new one formed. The power of the new mill was derived from a forty foot overshot wheel. Two sash saws, one rotary saw and a lath machine were put in operation. The capacity of the mill as remodeled was 2,000,000 feet of lumber per

annum, and 400,000 lath; twenty men were em- ployed. It was operated by this company until 1863, when Orange Walker became sole proprie- tor. Soon after this change in ownership, the mill was destroyed by fire, and Marine was for a few years without a mill. In 1866 a new com- pany was organized, consisting of Walker, Judd and Veazie, and the mill at once rebuilt; a little lumber was sawed in the fall of 1866.

The new mill was 70x30 feet, furnished with one double circular saw, one bolter, one lath ma- chine, one shingle machine and one edger. The wheel for the new mill was of the same dimen- sions as that of the former. Its capacity when complete was 3,000,000 feet per annum.

In the winter of 1872-'73 the company de- termined to enlarge their mill and business. Ac- cordingly this mill was torn down and a new one constructed 102x56 feet, two stories. A seven- teen and one-half inch Leffel wheel furnishes the power; and a forty-two foot head was secured. An engine was also introduced by which addi- tional power can be furnished. The combined power of water and steam is rated at one hundred and eight horse-power. To the saws employed in the old mill were added a gang-edger and trimmer. A planer and siding machine have since been added, and also a run of stone for a feed mill. The present capacity of the mill is about 75,000 feet per day, or about 9,000,000 per annum.

The mill is under the same management as at the time of its construction-Walker, Judd and Veazie. This company have also a boom at Marine with a capacity of 12,000,000 feet.

The company usually have cut about 9,000,000 feet of logs in the pineries, but during the winter of 1880-'81 it amounted to nearly double the usual amount. Walker, Judd and Veazie have other branches, such as a store, stage, steamboat and telephone. The history of the store may be given briefly in this place.

The original Marine lumber company, as pre- viously intimated, brought some goods with them. They were not, however, well furnished for this branch of business and sold little. In 1842 or 1843 they built the little store now used by C. G. Lindquist, about 14x16 feet, and in- creased their small stock. In 1847 they built a larger building,two stories,and used the lower floor

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MARINE-STORES -- MILLS.

for a store and the upper part for sleeping rooms. In 1850 this gave place to one still larger, 24x40 feet, and two stories, with a warehouse 30x30. In 1862 George B. Judd, Orange Walker and Com- pany became proprietors, continuing in the same store on the south-west corner of block seven. This company dissolved in 1862, Walker forming a partnership with Samuel Judd; George B. Judd and Gaskill then occupied the former store.

Walker and Judd opened a store on the south- east corner of block three. In 1866 they took in a Mr. Veazie as partner, and the firm was styled Walker, Judd and Veazie. In 1870, this last named firm built a new store, the largest at this time in Marine. It is 30x70 feet, two stories and basement, and does a large business in general merchandise and lumbermen's supplies. The company have another store at station Veazie on the Nimikogin river and Northern Wisconsin rail- road, opened in 1871; this is a one and a half story building, 24x30. They also have a hotel at Vea- zie station, 30x30, with an L 20x40 feet, and stable room for two hundred horses. Veazie is their distributing point for the lumber camps. The hotel though twice burned has been promptly rebuilt. In 1875 this company bought a half in- terest in the steamboat G. B. Knapp, and are now joint owners with Smith Ellison, of Taylor's Falls. This boat makes daily trips from Prescott to Tay- lor's Falls.

Stages. Walker, Judd and Veazie run a daily stage from Marine to Stillwater. Abe Johnson, proprietor of the livery stable, also runs a daily stage between the same points.

The company have telephone connection with Stillwater established since August 5th, 1879.

Other stores. Judd and Gaskill, as previously stated, began in 1862. They continued business in company until January 9th, 1864, when the building occupied was consumed by fire, though a large part of their goods were saved. After this, Gaskill joined the army while Judd prepared to build again on the same location, occupying what is now the St. Croix house as a store while his building was progressing. He occupied the new store until his death in 1872, when it passed into the hands of his two daughters, under the management of George F. Sabin. The business was closed out in the spring of 1875.

The Union store was opened in 1871, under

the management of H. F. Boock and Frank N. Peterson. It was burned after two years, and its existence terminated.

Unfortunate ventures. Lund and Holmes opened a store with general merchandise in the fall of 1873. This ended in 1875 in failure.

Ballard, Draper and Company began in 1857, and failed after four years.

Van Lanshute traded in furs and hides for a short time in 1858.

Dyke and Company, in 1857, opened for a short time a store with fancy notions and toys.

A gun shop by A. C. Lull, in 1862, was of short duration.

H. F. Boock and John Swenson, in 1856, were engaged in business only a short time before failure.

H. F. Boock, after the erection of the building which subsequently became the St. Croix house, in 1857, entered into partnership with Axel Youngrein, in general merchandise, in the new building. The concern failed after about two years.

Van Kuster opened a store, and Campbell and Swenson another, which were of short duration.

Marine flour and grist mill was commenced in the summer of 1856 by Gaskill and Company; the company being Judd, Walker and Company. In September, 1857, manufacture of flour was begun. In 1859 the company was styled Judd, Walker and Gaskill ; in 1862 it was Judd and Gaskill, and in 1864 George B. Judd became sole proprietor. In 1872 in consequence of the death of Mr. Judd the mill was carried on by his executors until 1878, when his son, George F. Judd became of age and assumed the business. The mill is 51x56 feet, four stories. As first built, it contained two buhrs but a third was afterward introduced by the orignal company. Its power was obtained from an overshot wheel, and the mill when built was acknowledged to be the best in the state. The mill has been repaired and remodeled by the present owner, receiving one new run of stone, two purifiers, one set of rollers and a thirteen and one quarter inch Leffel turbine wheel, which replaced the old overshot. The fall was increased from forty to sixty feet by conveying the water through a race one thousand feet. This improvement was made in 1879 and from that date high grinding

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.

has been done; the capacity of the mill is forty barrels per day.

The establishment of Rose, Magnusen and Com- pany, general merchandise, is one of the live in- stitutions of the place. Opened by Schmidt and Graf in the spring of 1870, it continued thus to 1879, when Graf removed. In July, 1880, Schmidt sold two-thirds interest to Swen Magnusen and John G. Rose, and the firm continues under the above name. They are increasing their business by the addition of a building 26x46 feet for farm machinery.

Livery is kept by Abe Johnson. The business was begun in 1870 by S. D. Gaskill and Adam Amos, who built the stable. It went into the hands of McKusick and Wagner, and afterward Wagner and McNeal before it was purchased by Johnson, the present owner. He runs a stage, carrying the mail between Marine and Stillwater.

The Marine brewery was started about 1855 by Kaufman, a German from Hudson, on the lot now owned by George F. Sabin. He sold to J. J. Groff and Son, who in 1865 built larger buildings on the present site. They sold in 1870 to Wich- man and Gartner, and in 1880, on the death of Gartner, John F. Wichman became sole proprie- tor. . He manufactures three hundred barrels of beer annually, using nine hundred bushels of bar- ley, employing two men. A saloon in connection is kept by Wichman.

TRADES.

Blacksmithing was begun in Marine by Joseph McElroy, in 1839, under the original lumber com- pany. His tragic end and the hanging of the In- dian murderer, has been previously recorded. In 1845, Zebulon Griffin succeeded. McElroy, but in 1848, he went to Arcola, and thence to California. Edward Keefe followed to 1853, Joseph Solle to 1857, assisted in 1855-7 by Ole Westergren. In 1857, the latter formed a partnership with Walker Judd and Veazie, in the management of this shop, and in 1860, bought the entire business. Mr. Westergren has several times enlarged the shop, until at present he gives employment to three men in a shop forty feet square with four forges.

Wagon-making began in 1860, with Stephen Tollman, followed by P. N. Leveen, and is now

carried on by Peter Palmustein. Nels Falk also conducts a similar business at his residence.

Boots and Shoes. Two shops, one carried on by C. G. Lindquist, and another by Andrew Requist, for manufacture and repair. Each car- ries a stock of harness hardware.

Township 32, range 20, has a blacksmith and wagon-shop, kept on section 23, by Isaac Swan- son and Simon Peterson.

The first physician was Dr. Wright, in 1849. He died suddenly of cholera after two years, at the time of the attack stricken with grief from the death of his sister. Dr. J. K. Reiner came in 1853, and united book-keeping for Judd, Walker and Company with his practice, remain- ing until 1862, with an interim of two years. Dr. E. Cooley practiced from 1857 to 1864. Dr. J. R. M. Gaskill, now practicing at Marine came in 1855, and engaged in milling. After the war, in which he served honorably, he gave him- self to the practice of his profession, and since 1873, has conducted a small drug store in connec- tion with his practice.

George F. Sabin opened a law-office in the fall of 1877, and still continues.

HOTELS.

When travelers first visited Marine, they were entertained at the log boarding-house of the com- pany, located just south of where the store now stands. This old boarding-house was kept by Mr. and Mrs. David Hone. Mrs. Hone was the first white woman in the town. She came with the pioneers of 1839, bringing two children.

The Marine house was the first hotel. This was built by the Marine Lumber Company, in 1840, and was opened iu the fall of that year un- der the charge of Adam Lightner. He was suc- ceeded by Cornelius Lyman, in 1851, William Johnson in 1852, and then Adam Lightner re- sumed. In 1857, M. Welshons bought, but per- mitted it to fall back to Walker, Judd and Veazie, in 1866. William Lowell rented until 1871, when Iliram Berkey bought the property. He sold to S. D. Gaskill, and S. D. Gaskill deeded to Mrs. M. M. Judd; it has since reverted to the estate of S. D. Gaskill. Since 1879, it has been closed as a public house.

The Lightner house was built in 1858 by Adam Lightner. It was transferred to Judd, Walker

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MARINE-POST-OFFICE-RECORDS.

and company and by them to A. C. S. Parker. Walker, Judd and Veazie have since bought the house.

The St. Croix house was built in 1857 by H. F. Boock, and afforded rooms at first for two stores and a dwelling. In the spring of 1868, M. Wel- hons increased the building, adding suitable conveniences and opened a hotel. Subsequent additions were made, and the house has twenty- five chambers; parlor, sitting room, office, sample room and other conveniences.

POST OFFICE,

Fort Snelling was the nearest post-office until about 1845, when an office was established at Marine, called Marine Mills post-office. Previous to this, Philip Aldrich carried the mail monthly between the fort and Marine. The first post- office was in the mill company store, Orange Walker post-master. Adam Lightner succeeded Mr. Walker, and A. C. Lull followed. Mr. Walker then received the appointment again, and in 1869 Samuel Judd succeeded him, and has since held the office. The town-house of Marine was built in 1872, of cut stone, quarried near the place. The lot was generously given by Orange Walker. It contains a lock-up, clerk's office and assembly room.

TOWN RECORDS.

The town of Marine was organized October 20th, 1858, and the first meeting held at the gun shop of A. C. Lull, when the following officers were elected: J. R. M. Gaskill, John E. Mower and B. F. Allen, supervisors; A. H. Wilke, town clerk; A. C. Lull and T. P. Cheney, justices of the peace; Hiram Berkey, assessor ; Orange Walker, overseer of poor; S. B. Clark and Jona- than Lawton, constables; John L. Hill, collector; John E. Mower and M. Welshons, overseer of roads.

1859. J. R. M. Gaskill, J. E. Mower and B. F. Allen, supervisors.

1860. N. C. Draper, Robert Rich and H. F. Boock, supervisors. Voted $100 for town pur- poses.

1861. N. C. Draper, A. Tonngren, C. Ekdahl, supervisors; voted two and one-fourth mills on the dollar for all expenses, and three-fourths of a mill for town expenses.

1862. Robert Rich, H. F. Boock and Charles

Ekdahl, supervisors; voted one mill on the dol- lar for town expenses.

1863. Robert Rich, H. F. Boock and Charles Ekdahl, supervisors; voted two mills on the dol- lar for roads and one and a half for town pur- poses.

March 1st, 1864, the town supervisors ordered bonds issued for $1,000, payable in one, two and three years, with interest at, ten per cent. pay- able annually, for the purpose of creating a vol- unteer bounty fund. August 6th, 1864, another tax of one per cent. was levied, also it was de- termined to issue bonds in sets of three, each $100, payable in one, two and three years, with interest payable annually at seven per cent., and that one set be issued to each volunteer credited to Marine.

1864. J. R. M. Gaskill, J. E. Mower and C. Peterson, supervisors; voted one and one-half mills for town expenses and two mills for roads.

1865. Robert Rich, F. W. Lammers and H. Campbell, supervisors; voted one and one-half mills for highway tax and one and one-half mills for town expenses.

1866. Robert Rich, F. W. Lammers and Ole Westergren, supervisors; voted one and one-lialf mills for town expenses and three mills for roads.

1867. Robert Rich, Hugh Campbell and Erick Faulk, supervisors; voted two mills for roads.

1868. Hugh Campbell, Ole Westergren and John Swenson, supervisors; voted five mills for roads.

1869. H. F. Boock, Charles Ekdahl and J. S. Campbell, supervisors; voted five mills for roads.

1870. H. F. Boock, John Swenson and Jona- than Huntley, supervisors; voted one mill for town expenses and five mills for roads.

1871. M. May, J. Swenson number two, and J. Huntly, supervisors; voted one mill for town expenses, and five mills for roads.

1872. Morgan May, Ole Westergren and Chas. Ekdahl, supervisors; voted one mill for town ex- penses and five mills for roads.

Resolved, that a town house be built of stone or brick for the amount of $2,000, and that bonds shall be issued for said amount, payable at ten per cent. and a sinking fund of $200, provided; voted a tax of two mills to cover first payment and interest. P. E. Walker, H. F. Boock and

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.

M. Welshons were elected building committee. The lot was given by Orange Walker.

1873. F. W. Lammers, Ole Erickson and John Huntley, supervisors; voted two mills for town honse bonds.

1874. F. W. Lammers, Ole W. Erickson and John P. Swenson, supervisors; voted two mills for town expenses, and five mills for roads.

1875. F. W. Lammers, John P. Swenson and Ole W. Erickson, supervisors; voted one mill for town purposes and two mills for roads.

1876. H. Campbell, Ole W. Erickson and John Swenson, supervisors; voted three mills for town expenses and five mills for roads.

1877. Hugh Campbell, Andrew Linn and J. P. Swenson, supervisors; voted two mills for town expenses, two for bonds and three for roads.

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