USA > Minnesota > Hennepin County > Minneapolis > Personal recollections of Minnesota and its people : and early history of Minneapolis > Part 11
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And yet with all the bright prospects of the future, in con-
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sequence of an unfortunate sale of a half-interest in the mills and the landed property to Arnold W. Taylor of Boston, who refused to sell his half of the lots to those who wanted to build houses on them, the village did not make the growth that was expected. In time, however, Mr. Steele purchased back the property from Mr. Taylor, but the village lost while the prop- erty was thus tied up by Mr. Taylor's obstinacy.
FIRST FARMERS.
While the village was thus prospering, several farmers occupied the agricultural lands adjoining it. In 1850 L. C. Timpson and N. O. Phillips made two claims on section six. Lewis Stone and his two sons made three claims near Timp- son's. Mr. Finch, a brother-in-law of Hon. J. W. North, just from New York, made a claim and a valuable farm near the Messrs. Stone's claims. William Dugas and Joseph Reach had good farms just above Bottineau's addition as early as 1847. William Smith and Joseph Libby, natives of Maine, opened valuable farms near the road leading to St. Paul. Judge Meeker purchased from a Canadian-Frenchman the farm just below Mr. Cheever's. This farm had been worked four or five years. Henry Cole opened a valuable farm out a little northeast of the village. Gordon G. Loomis and Cap- tain John Rollins made claims to the hay-lands adjoining on the east of the village. Robert W. Cummings and Henry Angell had claims and improved them north and east of Messrs. Loomis and Rollins. William A. Cheever in laying out St. Anthony city, reserved a portion of his land for farm- ing purposes. Calvin A. Tuttle had a field of forty acres, a portion of which includes the present University grounds, as does the former farm of Mr. Cheever, on which large crops were raised. John Balif once owned Mr. Tuttle's claim ; he afterwards settled on Nine-mile creek. Washington Getchell made a claim on section three, but sold it the following year to Edward Patch. William L. Larned, who was elected to the territorial council in the fall of 1851, made a claim back of the hay-meadow in 1850, and plowed some eighty acres and raised satisfactory crops on it for several years. He resided on his farm. Joseph Potvin made a claim
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and occupied it in 1848 northeast of the village. Mr. Gibbs, who had resided the previous year with Mr. Tuttle, opened his fine farm on the Como road in 1851. There were one or two other claims made into farms up to this time in the neigh- borhood of the village ; but the claimants became discouraged and only occupied their lands for a short time, and then sold out and removed from the country. Most of the farms mentioned above are now included in the east division of the city, and all are valuable, though with few exceptions the first occupants did not realize as much money for their labor as they should. The price of farm products ruled low in the early fifties. I believe Mr. Gibbs is about the only one of those named who occupies and owns at this time the original farm settled on so many years since.
THE FALL ELECTIONS OF 1851.
As the summer passed, the politicians commenced their canvass in regard to the approaching fall elections. Mr. Sibley held over, having been elected the previous fall a dele- gate for two years. A full ticket was to be elected in Ramsey county. . At a Democratic county convention held in St. Paul George F. Brott of St. Anthony received the nomination for sheriff, John W. North for county attorney, and Dr. H. Fletcher for judge of probate, which was deemed a pretty liberal division of the county candidates. Ramsey county retained the nominations for register of deeds, treasurer, sur- veyor, and commissioner. The whigs did not nominate a ticket, but joined the people's party. At a convention of the latter Anson Northrup was nominated for sheriff, and Dr. Ira B. Kingsley for judge of probate. The other candidates were assigned to St. Paul. Mr. Brott and Dr. Kingsley were elected. R. P. Russell held over as commissioner. Thus St. Anthony contained, January 1, 1852, three citizens who held county offices in Ramsey county. At a district convention William L. Larned was nominated for the territorial council. Isaac Atwater was selected as the whig candidate. A lively canvass was made, and Mr. Larned was elected by a small majority. Sumner W. Farnham and Dr. John H. Murphy were elected to the house of representatives from St. Anthony. There were few offices to be filled, but the excitement was greater than at such elections now.
CHAPTER XX.
ENTHUSIASM, FASCINATION, AND ROMANCE OF FRONTIER LIFE.
I was now pretty well acclimated in this new country, and was delighted with all that appertains to the climate. The winters are cold, but pleasant. Cold must be expected in a high latitude during the winter months. They are made for each other. Minnesota would not be real with a tropical winter ; neither would it be desirable. There is no shivering, sickening, milk-and-water cold, such as is frequently felt in a lower latitude, penetrating the bones and marrow with a damp chilliness, and affecting one with gloomy forebodings and des- pondent disagreeableness. Here we know what to depend on. In the lower country one day it is summer-heat, the next rain, may be sleet, the mercury low enough to afford the greatest discomfort to man and beast : taxing the mind, the body and the health ; while here we know just what to expect -- a steady, vigorous, bracing, healthy (with all the word implies ) cold ! We are prepared to meet the winter on his coming. Our houses, barns, stables, and outbuildings are made warm and comfortable.
While the spring months, or at least March and April, are too much like the winter months of the southern states, they are on the whole enjoyable. I have found May to be a par- ticularly pleasant month. Spring days we have when the azure is flecked with fleecy clouds ; the air deliciously soft, moist, warm, and breezy ; the sunshine subdued, mellow, dreamy; the maple in full, fresh leaf; the native oak in tender half-foliage ; and birds are joyous in song : a spring
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resurrection of vegetable life from its winter desolation and death-as refreshing to the spirit as balmy air to the sense.
The summer season is all that we can ask or wish for. The autumns are delightful. The Indian-summer is one of the most charming seasons of the year. It comes late in the fall and is of long duration. A serious inconvenience attending it is the disastrous prairie-fires. In the fall of 1851 the Indians out west of the lakes set fires which, during a strong wind, came sweeping over the prairie, endangering my buildings and the lives of my stock. After such visita- tions the surface of the country had a bleak, desolate, dreary appearance, which remained until vegetation started the fol- lowing spring.
The fine scenery, steel-blue sky, majestic rivers, clear lakes, leaping water-falls, gleeful streamlets, invigorating atmosphere, and health-giving climate of Minnesota-merit the praise of all who have experienced them during the half-century since white men came among the Indian natives of this land of the Dakotas. The dry air of its cold winters, and the cool nights of its hot summers, are a source of perennial pleasure. Because there was water everywhere, Nicollet called the country Undine. Equally may the red-man's Ho ! and Ha-ha ! express the pleasure and surprise of all at sight of the foaming waterfalls and sunny lakes.
Recollecting the youthful enthusiasm I shared with others in those days, as we appreciated the advantages of the soil, climate, facilities, resources, and location of this country, it seems not so great a surprise, as it otherwise would be, that this state has leaped from obscurity and savagery into a blaze of civilized glory. The enterprise of its people, and the energy of its progress, is a theme of world-wide praise. Here is an elevated plateau that may command the world !
CHAPTER XXI.
BLACK BEARS.
During the latter part of summer the country was full of bears. A band of Dakotas in the neighborhood of Rice Lake in two days killed twenty-five of them. They frequented the road-side between St. Anthony and St. Paul. Two were seen within a mile of the Democrat office in the last-named village. Mr. Charles Moseau, who resided on the southeastern bank of Lake Calhoun, came in contact with a huge bear of seven hundred pounds weight. A desperate fight took place between Mr. Moseau and bruin and the bear came out second-best. From that time to this those brutes have never made their appearance in this vicinity.
A WILD DEER ON SPIRIT ISLAND.
Mysteriously a deer was the occupant of Spirit Island, close to the precipice of the Falls, in 1851. The water was so high that year that the island could not be reached, and the animal was not interfered with, but it is supposed made its escape during the extreme cold in the beginning of winter when ice connected the island with the main shore ; but this is only a supposition, as no one seemed to know how it reached or how it escaped from the island.
PIONEER FARMING.
Having grubbed out and broken up, during the summer of 1850, some forty acres of land immediately on the bank of the . river above my house, my youngest brother, Simon Stevens, now of Clearwater in this state, and Henry Chambers (who died some two years since in California ), were engaged during the spring and summer of 1851 in working the farm. Messrs.
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OF MINNESOTA AND ITS PEOPLE.
Stevens and Chambers came to me in 1850. This farm was the first one opened on the west bank of the river, aside from the farms worked by the military authorities at Fort Snelling, and aside too from the Indian, the missionaries, and the Indian traders' farms. It was understood at that time that it was also the first farm that was opened on the west side of the river from the Iowa line to Sauk Rapids. I had a field for wheat, one for corn, another for oats, and several smaller ones for buckwheat, potatoes, and other vegetables. This land makes at this time a thousand times more money for the owners than it did at that time for me, but it was a great advantage to the territory as an attraction to immigrants. Almost every stranger who visited the territory was desirous of seeing the Falls from the west side of the river, and in most instances crossed the ferry. In doing so they were sur- prised, as they reached the western bank of the stream, to see the fields of oats, wheat, and corn, that would be a credit to central Illinois. Those fields of grain decided the destiny of many an immigrant. It put an end to all doubts possibly entertained in regard to the capability of Minnesota soil for producing large crops of grain. It dispelled all fear from the minds of those who were wavering as to the future production of cereals in the territory. As immigration was then the great staple of the country, it accomplished a good work in that behalf.
NEW CLAIMS ON THE WEST SIDE.
Meantime we were endeavoring to secure more neighbors on the reservation. It was evident to the commanding officer at Fort Snelling that Congress was disposed to reduce the large tract of land held for military purposes, and he ceased to be as vigilant in keeping off trespassers as his predecessors were. The reservation extended from the Minnesota river to nearly a quarter of a mile above Bassett's creek, and from the bank of the Mississippi back to the other side of lakes Cal- houn, and Harriet, and Lake of the Woods. On the east side of the river it went down nearly to the cave, and almost up to Denoyer's. It was not necessary for the use of the troops. The officer in command at the Fort at that time was Colonel
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Francis Lee, of the Sixth infantry. In August he reluctantly gave John P. Miller, who came to the country with me, (and the only one of our company that organized in Rockford, Ill., who remained after our up-country expedition in May, 1849, ) a permit to occupy one hundred and sixty acres, which was subsequently known as Atwater's addition to Minneapolis. Mr. Miller took possession of this land in August, 1851. He had since his return from the Rum river expedition, remained in St. Paul working at his trade, that of a carpenter. He had a partner with him in the claim, a Mr. Daniel Steele, who remained for over a year and then sold out his interest in the claim to Mr. Miller. They built a comfortable dwelling- house, barn, and stables, and broke up some eighty acres of land. For a year or two Mr. Miller was the most extensive farmer in the colony. He remained on his claim some three years, when in consequence of uncertainty of obtaining a title to the land, he sold out for a very fair price to his neighbor, Edward Murphy. The latter soon sold to Judge Atwater, who pre-empted it in April, 1855, and subsequently laid it out into lots for building purposes, and it is now covered all over with houses. 1
The Indian lands having been opened for settlers, Mr. Miller made a claim in the neighborhood of Minnetonka mills, from which time to the present day he has been one of the most prominent farmers and citizens of the county. Mr. Miller is a native of Pennsylvania, but had from boyhood lived at Bucuyrus, Ohio, until 1848, when he moved to Rock- ford, Illinois, and from there in April, 1849, to Minnesota.
INDIANS ENCAMPED AT THE FALLS.
The two lake bands of Indians, so called because they formerly lived on the shores of lakes Calhoun and Harriet, but then residing at Oak Grove (now Bloomington ), encamped on the high land above the Falls for several weeks in July and August. They had considerable money left that they had received at the Traverse des Sioux treaty held a few weeks previous. They had brought their own canoes down the Minnesota river, and then up the Mississippi to the foot of the rapids, at which point they constantly crossed the
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OF MINNESOTA AND ITS PEOPLE.
river to the St. Anthony side for the purpose of trading. The Express, for the benefit of eastern readers, thus described the
COSTUME OF THE DAKOTA SQUAWS :
"Their dress is a shirt, leggins reaching to the thigh, a large " blanket and moccasins ; and the men wear breech-cloths, " which is about the only difference in their dress. They are " very fond of ornaments. Their leggins and ornaments are " of divers colors ; some are black, others blue, some red, and "others yellow. Some wear one leggin red and the other " blue or black."
BEHAVIOUR OF THE INDIANS WHILE AT THE FALLS.
The Indians during their encampment were constantly on the alert, fearing an attack from the Chippewas, but they were so fond of trading, and the money they had left burned in their pockets to such an extent, that they were willing to risk their scalps at that time for the pleasure they expe- rienced in exchanging their money for goods. They were not molested, however, during their stay, and when their money was gone they folded their tepees and returned to their village. They, however, appeared again during the fall with large quantities of cranberries, which the merchants and the citizens of St. Anthony were eager to purchase. They had previously given me the name of Mi-ni-sni - cold water-and were always friendly, supplying my family, at the proper season of the year, with game in abundance, but expecting, and always receiving, pay therefor. The only uncomfortable thing in regard to their presence was a fear that the Chippewas might at any moment drop on them," and in the excitement of a battle some of us might be injured by the reckless use they would make of their guns on such an occasion. It was always a relief to us when they had finished their sojourn in the neighborhood of the. Falls. To the credit of the traders in St. Anthony, there was never a drop of strong drink sold to the Indians, and as a consequence there was never any of them intoxicated. Numerous as they were around the Falls, I cannot remember of ever seeing an Indian, whether Winnebago, Chippewa, or Dakota, under the influ-
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ence of mi-ni-si-ca. The St. Anthony dealers should have credit for this, for an Indian, with rare exceptions, will drink whisky when he can get it.
NAMING THE TOWN.
We were agitating the subject of a name for our prospective little town. It was insisted that Mr. Tuttle and myself should select a name for it. The newspapers of the territory sug- gested several names. Goodhue, of the Pioneer, had no patience when any other name than All Saints was talked of. His letters to me were always thus addressed. Following is a specimen, received in September of that year : "I with my "wife and sister, three children and servant-girl, propose to "dine with you to-morrow, Tuesday, at ALL SAINTS." This was a pointer that I could not well misunderstand. Miss Mary A. Scofield, a young lady of much literary merit, had resided in my family for nearly a year. She favored the name suggested by Colonel Goodhue, and dated all her letters and articles for publication from All Saints. and it seemed that this was to be the name. The christening was put off so long that when other settlers came they had suggestions to make ; but they could not agree what the name should be. Hon. Amos Tuck, then a member of congress from New Hampshire, made me a visit during the discussion, and said, "whatever " else you do, give it a suggestive Indian name. It will not be "long before the red-man will have disappeared from the " face of the earth ; bestow a name on your place by which " future generations will know that it originated from a people " who once were its sole owners and occupants ; such names "will be all that the aborigines will be remembered by." We hesitated-and remained nameless.
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CHAPTER XXII.
FIRST CLAIMS ON THE WEST SIDE OF ST. ANTHONY FALLS.
As the autumn months approached, we made strenuous efforts to secure more neighbors on our side of the river. Dr. Hezekiah Fletcher, a native of Maine, with several friends, waited on the commanding officer at Fort Snelling, and received permission to occupy a claim far back, as it was then thought, in the country. It is now. known as J. S. and Wyman Elliott's addition to Minneapolis. He immediately erected a small dwelling on it, which stood on the present site of the mansion of Daniel Elliott, on Portland avenue, between Fourteenth and Fifteenth streets. He remained some two years in peaceful possession of it, when he sold out to John L. Tenny who, in the spring of 1854, disposed of it to Dr. Jacob S. Elliott. Dr. Fletcher received twelve hundred dollars for his interest in the claim, from Mr. Tenny, and the latter obtained some two thousand dollars from Dr. Elliott. This seems a small price for land that is worth so many mil- lions to-day, but it must be remembered that the title to it was in the government, and there was a good deal of uncer- tainty as to when, if ever, it could be obtained. To be sure, a year afterwards the land was pre-empted, and then, of course, it was worth as many thousands as Dr. Elliot had paid hun- dreds for it to Mr. Tenny.
Dr. Fletcher remained on the west side of the river, was elected a member of the territorial house of representatives in the fall of 1853 for the session of 1854, and was appointed register of the United States land-office in 1863. Upon the
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expiration of his office, he moved to Springfield, Missouri. In 1862 Mr. Tenny returned to his native state, Maine. Dr. Elliott is also a native of the same state. Several years since he moved to California, but still has large property interests in the city.
The boundaries of all the claims made in this vicinity up to the fall of 1854 were arbitrary, as the land had not been surveyed, but Mr. Christmas, and other surveyors, traced the lines over from the government surveys on the east side in such a manner as to afford very definite information where the lines would be when the government should see fit to order a survey. In fact the lines Mr. Christmas brought over proved perfectly correct. The government surveys were made in 1854 preparatory to bringing the land into market.
A few weeks after Dr. Fletcher obtained his permit, John Jackins, formerly of Maine, but previous to his settling in St. Anthony for some years a lumberman on the St. Croix, obtained permission to occupy the land immediately in the rear of my claim, and built a house late in the fall on what is now the syndicate block, but he did not occupy it until the following spring. Mr. Jackins pre-empted his land April, 1855.
Isaac Brown, who came from Maine in the spring of 1851, after Mr. Jackins moved on his claim, made some arrange- ment by which he secured several acres of land from Mr. Jackins. Mr. Brown eventually built a large dwelling-house on the corner of Sixth street and third avenue south. He was the first sheriff of Hennepin county, having been elected to that office at the first election previous to the organization of the county. The election was held October 11th, 1852. Mr. Jackins was chosen one of the county commissioners at the same election. Both Messrs. Jackins and Brown laid out their land in lots in 1855. Mr. Brown died many years since. Mr. Jackins was for many years a merchant in Minneapolis. He now resides in California.
Warren Bristol came from New York to St. Anthony in the spring of 1851, and resided with W. L. Larned. Having been admitted to the bar, he was anxious to settle in the territory and practice his profession. Although we had but a small population in the autumn of that year, the prospects were favorable for a large one in a short time.
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OF MINNESOTA AND ITS PEOPLE.
Occasionally requiring aid in the way of advice on matters of law, I solicited the removal of Mr. Bristol to this new village. He responded, and late in the fall received permis- sion from the military authorities to occupy one hundred and sixty acres of land adjoining and west of Dr. Fletcher's claim. During the following winter he built a house on his land. It occupied the site of the high-school edifice, Fourth avenue south, between Grant and Eleventh streets. Before the land came into market, he exchanged his claim for St. Paul prop- erty. He was the first district attorney of Hennepin county. He moved to Red Wing, Goodhue county, and was afterwards a member of the house of representatives, and senator from that county. He was appointed, by President Grant, United States supreme judge for New Mexico, an office which he held for many years. He is still a resident of that territory.
The time had now arrived when it was necessary that we should take earnest measures in regard to the formation of a new county and, if possible, have the boundaries of it fixed so as to secure the future county-seat in our neighborhood. We had been, since the fall of 1849, a part of Dakota county, the county-seat of which was at Mendota. An effort had been made a year before to secure the passage of a bill by the leg- islature making a new county, but it was deemed premature.
The members of the legislature representing this district at the winter session of 1851 were Hon. Martin McLeod of Lac-qui-parle, of the council ; and Alex. Faribault of Mendota, and Benjamin H. Randall of Fort Snelling, members of the house of representative. Mr. McLeod was willing to assist us in the passage of the bill, but it was almost too much to expect that we could rely on the vote of Mr. Faribault, as the formation of a new county, with the boundaries as we wanted it, would interfere with Mendota. Mr. Randall, who had been a resident of Fort Snelling since the fall of 1849, and employed in the sutler's store, would aid Mr. McLeod, but it was deemed best to wait until the next session before making a strong movement in the matter.
As the election of a new delegation to the legislature for the session of 1852 was approaching, we determined to select such candidates as would be favorable to the organization of the new county. All were in favor of the re-election of Mar-
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tin McLeod to the council. We had no difficulty in securing the renomination of Mr. Randall as a candidate for his old seat in the house of representatives, but failed in the nomination of Mr. Eli Pettijohn, of Fort Snelling, who was in favor of the movement : James Mc Boal, of Mendota, being the successful candidate. The latter had moved from St. Paul to Mendota, since the close of the last session of the legislature, having occupied a seat in the council from that city during the two previous sessions. As a nomination was equal to an election, Messrs. Randall and Boal were the members of the house for the session of 1852.
A strong movement was made against us, perhaps by a majority of the people of the district, who were in favor of changing the boundaries of Dakota county as follows : com- mencing at a point on the Mississippi at Oliver's grove-now Hastings-following up the channel of the river to a point opposite the junction of Coon creek with the river ; thence running west a reasonable distance, thence south, crossing the Minnesota river at Oak grove, and so continuing in a south- erly line until a direct line west of Oliver's grove was reached; thence east to the place of beginning. This would make a large county, and fix the county-seat, for a while at least, at Mendota. On the other hand, we wanted a distinctly new county, with the boundaries commencing at the junction of the Minnesota with the Mississippi, then following up the river channel to Crow river ; thence following Crow river up to the forks of said stream ; thence south to Little rapids ; thence down the river to the place of beginning. This would make a good sized county, which would contain plenty of prairie, wood-land, oak-openings, and meadow-land, with a pretty sure prospect of the county-seat remaining on the west bank of the Falls of St. Anthony. It had become very evi- dent that if we expected to secure the passage of such a bill, it must be put through at the approaching session, or post- poned for several years, as the opposition to the movement was becoming stronger every day. We could hardly expect the cordial support of representatives from the larger towns in the territory, because they were fearful the embryo village might be a rival to their interests.
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