USA > Minnesota > Hennepin County > Minneapolis > Personal recollections of Minnesota and its people : and early history of Minneapolis > Part 17
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Dr. A. E. Ames, foreman ; Joseph Dean, Eli Pettijohn, Moses Starr Titus, Edwin Hedderly, H. Fletcher, Wm. G. Jones, John Jackins, John S. Wales, Allen Harmon, John Bedue, John C. Bohannan, Lorenzo B. Warren, John S. Mann, Waterman Stimson, William Hamilton, A. L. Cum- mings, Augustus P. Thompson, and R. B. Gibson.
Pettit-jury : Geo. N. Wales, William Dwinels, David H. Smith, Elijah Austin, Norman Jenkins, Simeon Odell, John Smithyman, J. M. Snow, John P. Miller, Charles Hoag, Solo- mon K. Shultz, John Wass, Hiram Prescott, Hiram Burling- ham, Francis Knott, Joseph C. Hutchins, Willis G. Moffett, John Gairty, Wm. G. Tuttle, Calvin Church, James Brown, Silas Pease, John Mitchell, Allen L. Goodrich, Edward Stanley, David Bickford, William Chambers, William Jones, James Mountain, Charles Moseau, and Wm. W. Getchell.
The court was in session for one week, awaiting the action of the grand jury, who were mostly engaged in ferreting out many supposed violations of the liquor-license law. There were no civil cases of moment tried before the court, and only three criminal matters ; one an indictment the grand-jury brought against Hiram Armstrong for wilfully and maliciously
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injuring the personal property of a neighbor ; and two indictments against Edmund Bresette, one for selling whisky to the Indians, and the other for introducing whisky into the Indian country. Isaac Atwater, who was the lawyer for both the alleged criminals, cleared them on trial before the court. These were the first indictments ever found by the grand jury in Hennepin county ; and so far as civil cases were concerned it was too early for litigation. The citizens of the county had not sufficient business relations with each other, previous to holding the court, for the incubation of disputes ; and besides, they were not generally disposed to lawsuits. In the absence of courts they had followed the precepts of those who had preceded them into the territory ; and if credit had been obtained, it was considered a debt of honor. As a general rule, the first settlers of the new county were not abundantly supplied with this world's goods, and they felt too poor to resort to lawsuits, even if a sufficient cause existed for such a course. In those early days people could not afford to be dishonest with each other in their dealings. If a person pur- posely committed a mean act in his relations with his neighbor, public opinion and public scorn were so strongly expressed against him that the punishment administered in this manner was worse than if he had been tried and convicted in a court and imprisoned.
The lawyers in attendance at the first court were John W. North, Isaac Atwater, D. A. Secombe, E. L. Hall, Abraham R. Dodge, Geo. W. Prescott, Jas. H. Fridley, and A. D. Shaw, all of St. Anthony. Hennepin county had .at that time only a solitary resident lawyer, Warren Bristol, who represented the county as its attorney.
Immediately on the adjournment of court, a fearful and unprecedented snow-storm raged with great violence.
On the 10th of April Orrin W. Rice, then a merchant in St. Anthony, was appointed postmaster in the place of Ard Godfrey. Mr. Rice was a brother of Hon. H. M. and E. Rice, of St. Paul. His wife was a daughter of J. H. Brown, of St. Anthony. Mr. Rice was unusually esteemed by the people of that village. His death in early life from that dread disease, consumption, was greatly regretted by his numerous acquaintances.
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Immigration was very heavy this spring. The recently ceded Indian land in Hennepin county received its full share. As usual, the class of immigrants were of a very superior order.
A singular accident occurred at Captain Tapper's ferry on April 20th. Joseph N. Barber, one of the new settlers in Minneapolis, had purchased a choice yoke of oxen. In crossing the ferry they backed out of the boat and were carried over the precipice. No part or parcel of the oxen were ever found. A log chain was fastened in the staple of the yoke on the oxen. It is supposed the hook of the chain became attached to a rock down in the deep water, at the immediate foot of the precipice, and held the poor brutes some forty feet below the surface of the water. In most instances, when animals were carried over the Falls, their bodies would be seen immediately after the occurrence in the rapids towards Spirit island.
A MAN GOES OVER THE FALLS.
So far as known only one man was ever carried over the Falls who came out alive. In this instance not a hair of his head was injured. Even a bottle of whisky he had in his pocket at the time was not broken. The name of the man was Michael Hickey. He was engaged in working for Anson Northrup, on Boom island. Hickey used to cross Captain Tapper's ferry every morning on his way to Boom island, and recross every evening on his way to Mr. Northrup's residence. He was occasionally given to his cups, and would once in a while punish a glass of whisky, perhaps half a dozen of them with great rapidity. One Saturday evening, while on his way home, in passing a saloon in St. Anthony, he suddenly became imbued with the idea of securing a bottle of whisky to take to his home in Minneapolis for Sunday use. The more he considered the matter the more determined he became to do so. He visited the saloon for the purpose of ratifying his conclusions. The whisky was purchased, paid for, and deposited in his pocket. The saloon-keeper treated Mike for calling on him. Then Mike treated the saloon- keeper and drank, himself, on the occasion. Others came in just at that time. Mike treated them and they treated Mike. By midnight Mike was full and en route for his home over
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the river. On arriving at the ferry, he found that Captain Tapper had retired for the night. He knew of no reason why he should not take one of the captain's small boats and ferry himself over the river. He launched the boat, but instead of making the west-side landing, he was carried over the Falls. Early next morning a band of Winnebago Indians in making the portage of the Falls, discovered a white man, or his ghost, on Spirit island. They immediately informed Mr. Northrup and myself of their discovery. Captain Tapper had just informed me that some one had stolen one of his boats during the night. We sent for the captain, and all three proceeded down to the Falls. There stood Mike on the bank of Spirit island, without a blemish. Sending for ropes, we safely landed one on the island. Mike made it fast to himself, and we hauled him safely ashore. After he was landed, he thought of his bottle of whisky, which was in his pocket. He had not, during his imprisonment on the island, remem- bered that such a luxury was on his person. Taking the bottle from his pocket, and drawing the cork for the first time, he said : "Wasn't it lucky the cratur (meaning the whisky ) recaived no harm in making the bloody trip !" evi- dently thinking that his escape from injury was second in consideration to that of the whisky. Poor Mike ! He was an honest, faithful servant. He has been dead for more than a score of years.
On the 6th of May Mr. Richard Rogers completed his mill for grinding wheat. It was small, but perfect. Mr. Rogers, being a millwright, superintended the building of it in person. This was the first flour mill erected at the Falls, if we except the old government mill on the west side of the river. From this small effort of Mr. Rogers in 1853, what a vast expansion in the flour industry around the Falls ! From that small beginning the milling interest of the Falls to-day excels that of any portion of the known globe.
Another dreadful snowstorm visited us on the 18th of May, fortunately without serious injury to the growing crops.
The spring of this year was a very paradise to those who had money to loan. Real-estate doubled in value so rapidly that the interest of money ruled high. For instance, the Express of May 20th says : "Money is growing scarce. It
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can be obtained on undoubted real-estate security at five per cent per month. Good paper endorsed with responsible names at sixty and ninety days, discounts at ten per cent per month." It was claimed that money could be made by pay- ing such excessive rates of interest ; but never having had any personal experience in borrowing or loaning money in those days, I cannot speak definitely in regard to the results, further than that those who loaned the money almost invari- ably at the proper time received the interest and principal from those who had borrowed. Even if a loss should occa- sionally occur, the money loaned had received such high rates of interest they could afford to lose.
The new postmaster had hardly warmed his seat in the office before the all-absorbing topic of the failure of the arrival of the mails commenced being discussed. On the 18th of May a public meeting convened in Central hall, with Jona- than Estes in the chair, and Dr. C. L. Anderson, secretary, for the purpose of devising plans to secure the mails from St. Paul when due. Of course the postmaster was not to blame for the failures. He entered a protest to the department, as his predecessor had done, at the failure of the contractors to supply the office with mail matter. On an investigation it appeared there were rival stage companies between St. Paul and St. Anthony, and the one that had the contract to carry the mail was afraid, if they stopped at the St. Paul office to get it, the other company would secure the passengers. This game was shortly effectually blocked, and the complaints in " relation to the failure of the mails ceased, and with few exceptions, thereafter so long as St. Anthony had a postoffice, the mails were delivered promptly.
The new crop of logs commenced coming into the St. Anthony mill-boom as early as the 18th of May, which was . several days ahead of the usual time. There was a good stage of water in both branches of Rum river, as well as in the Mississippi, for driving logs this season, and rapid work was made in landing them in the boom. What is unusual, a clean drive was made.
The Express of May 27th announced the arrival of a full- blooded Devon bull and a cow of the same breed, imported from the east into Hennepin county. These animals were
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the property of Messrs. J. H. Stevens and John P. Miller. They paid two thousand dollars for them. This was the first importation of pure blooded stock into Hennepin connty. The beneficial results expected in improving the breed of cattle in the county, in this instance at least, failed to mate- rialize. From that day I have never believed that the Devon was a good breed of stock to propagate in Minnesota. Such, however, was not the opinion of Hon. Joseph Haskell, one of the pioneer farmers of Washington county. He imported choice Devon stock previous to the importation into Hennepin county, and met with a good deal of encouragement in breed- ing them. While the Devon is the most ancient of all pure- blooded stock, as a general rule there are other breeds that seem to do better in this climate.
On June 3d S. M. Tracy of St. Anthony was appointed judge of probate of Ramsey county in place of Judge Wm. H. Welch who had received from President Pierce the important judicial appointment of chief justice of Minnesota. Judge Welch had resided in St. Anthony for over a year at the time of his elevation to the supreme bench of the territory. He came to Minnesota from Michigan. His appointment was received with much satisfaction by his fellow-citizens in St. Anthony. He was an able jurist, and a pure, impartial judge. He was the father of Major Abraham E. Welch, one of the most promising young officers in the volunteer service, who commanded the Third Minnesota regiment at the battle of Wood lake, September 23, 1862, in which engagement he received a serious wound. Both the father and his brave son died many years since.
President Pierce, soon after his accession to the Presidency, March 4th, made the following Federal appointments for Minnesota : Governor, Willis A. Gorman, of Indiana ; Secre- tary, J. Travis Rosser, of Virginia ; Chief Justice, Wm. H. Welch, of St. Anthony, Minnesota; Associate Justices, Moses Sherburne, of Maine, and Andrew J. Chatfield, of Wisconsin. In the assignment of the different judicial districts of the territory to the new judges, Hennepin county was made a part of the Third judicial district, and Judge Chatfield was selected to preside over it. Judge Chatfield proved to be a very popular judge. For many sessions, when holding court
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in Minneapolis, he was a welcome guest in my house, and was considered by my family almost as one of their most favored members. Chief Justice Welch was assigned to the Fourth judicial district, which necessitated his removal with his family to Red Wing. Judge Sherburne was assigned to the Second judicial district, with headquarters at St. Paul. He also proved to be an able, impartial judge. He was father-in- law of Hon. Geo. W. Prescott, one of St. Anthony's most respected citizens, who subsequently became editor-in-chief of the. Northwestern Democrat, the second newspaper that made its appearance in St. Anthony, July 13th, 1853. Mr. Prescott became clerk of the United States court on the admission of the state into the Union, which office he held for many years.
To Hon. Wm. W. Wales, one of the most cherished of St. Anthony's earliest citizens, were the people indebted for the introduction of early vegetables in the vicinity of the Falls. As early as 1852 he proved, by experimenting in his garden, that there was no necessity for the importation by the steam- boats from the lower country, in the late spring and early summer, of such vegetables as asparagus, lettuce, radishes, and other varieties, so welcome on our tables after the long winter. Mr. Wales, aside from being an accomplished horti- culturist, has proved by his long and useful life at the Falls, to be a philanthropist, and a Christian gentleman, who com- mands the entire respect of his fellow-citizens. For many years he was postmaster in St. Anthony. He was also one of the most cherished members of the territorial legislature, having been elected to the council in 1856. He is always engaged in working for the benefit of his fellow-men.
In the Express of June 17th appeared the following : " Im- "portant changes have taken place in the Falls of St. Anthony "during the past two years. An immense mass of rock, " about the center, was broken off last winter and fell, making "a sort of rapids, rather than actual Falls, in that part of the "cataract. The theory, that in course of time the Falls of "St. Anthony will so wear away as to become only rapids, " seems highly probable from what is now taking place from "day to day." It was supposed at the time mentioned that the large number of logs running over the Falls was one
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cause of the breaking off of the rock. They would jam up on the precipice, almost damming the current, and when removed by the pressure of high water a portion of the rock on which the millions of feet of logs were lodged would go with them ; making an explosion not unlike an earthquake.
Several fearful thunder-storms, with heavy wind, passed over the twin villages at the Falls in the early summer of this year. On the 14th of June Rev. Mr. Chamberlain, rector of the Episcopal church, was struck by lightning, in his house, which came near terminating fatally. During the same day the dwelling-house of Geo. W. Prescott was badly damaged by the electric storm. This was the first time that any of the citizens of St. Anthony, or any of their houses, had received serious injury from the storms that were so frequent in the territory at an early day.
On the 18th of May the colony, under the auspices of Geo. M. Bertram, of Grand street, New York, arrived at Excelsior, on Lake Minnetonka. On the 14th of June the members held their first meeting in the embryo village, with their president, Mr. Bertram, in the chair. He congratulated the members on their safe arrival at their new home. A com- mittee consisting of Messrs. Lemuel Griffiths, James Phillips, C. B. McGrath, H. Birmingham, S. C. Staples, and H. Blake, was appointed on resolutions. In making their report the committee referred to the great beauty of the location, and the extreme fertility of the soil, expressing a hope that in the near future the banks of Minnetonka lake would be settled by an industrious people.
A rapid journey from St. Paul to Chicago is recorded on the 6th of July. It was made in scant three days. The editor who copied the item recording the incident, from the Chicago journal, added the incredulous words, " That will do !" While the journey is now made with ease in palace sleeping cars in less than twelve hours, or in about one-sixth of the extraordinary time then recorded, the usual time from St. Paul to Chicago, in those days by river to Galena, and stage to Chicago, was about four days, though frequently the jour- ney would be extended to five days. During the portion of the year when there was no navigation on the river it of course required a longer time to make the journey.
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On the 9th of July, Judge A. G. Chatfield, the newly- appointed judge, held a special term of court in the little parlor of my house. The only business transacted was the discharge of two soldiers from the army stationed at Fort Snelling. They enlisted in the service before they were of suitable age, at an eastern recruiting-office. They belonged to families in the highest walk of life, and joined the army under peculiar circumstances. Their names were H. O. Billings and Wyman Williams. Their parents followed them out west and secured their discharge through the agency of the United States court. While the commanding officer at Fort Snelling, Colonel Francis Lee, was convinced that Judge Chatfield's decision was correct according to law, he and the other officers stationed there at that time were greatly dis- turbed at the frequent discharge, by the court, of soldiers at the Fort. Heretofore these discharges had occurred in Ram- sey county. These were the first that took place in Hennepin county, and it was, too, the first occasion of Judge Chatfield appearing in a judicial capacity in the county.
The county of Hennepin, during the second week in July, through the agency of the New York Excelsior colony, received several permanent settlers of great merit. Among them were Rev. Mr. Nutting, and his brother Gen. Levi Nutting, now of Faribault, Rev. H. M. Nichols, Hon. Arba Cleveland, Geo. M. Powers, H. M. Lyman, and Joshua Moore, all from Mas- sachusetts ; and Burritt S. and Wm. S. Judd, from Ohio ; and Rev. Chas. Galpin, and his brother Rev. Geo. Galpin, natives of Connecticut ; and Peter M. Gideon, who has since become so widely known as a pomologist, and several other men of moment, who have occupied high positions in the country's history. Mr. Bertram, the leader of the colony, was a native of Scotland, but for many years previous to his coming to Minnesota, had been an enterprising business man in New York. He certainly accomplished a good work for Minnesota by introducing so many good men into the territory.
The Winnebagoes were particularly restless during this early summer. They could not be confined to their reserva- tion at Long Prairie. From their long association with the whites in the lower country many of them could speak Eng- lish. They would complain of their hard lot to every settler
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they met. In some instances they resorted to violence in their ill-will to the whites. On June 14th they attempted to kill Mr. Berry, a resident up the river a few miles above St. Anthony, with an ax, and they came pretty near carrying their design into execution, as Mr. Berry was only rescued by the timely arrival of neighbors. He received severe wounds from their hands. This lawless tribe of Indians, previous to the unprovoked attack on Mr. Berry, had dis- charged a gun at Mrs. Leonard, the wife of Chas. E. Leonard, the village justice of the peace, in north St. Anthony. That excellent lady fortunately escaped injury, but the Indians shot a choice cow belonging to Mr. Leonard when they found they had failed in the attempt to kill his wife. This was a most unprovoked attack upon the life of Mrs. Leonard, as the Indians had frequently received many favors from her hus- band who, with his family, were among the most respected persons in the territory ; Mr. Leonard having frequently received the unanimous suffrages of the voters for different offices in their gift, which he always filled to their entire sat- isfaction. Similar outrages committed by this tribe of Indians on the white settlers occurred during the summer.
The commencement for the building of the first bridge that ever spanned the Mississippi was heralded in the several news- . papers of the territory in the following historical announce- ment, dated St. Anthony, June 17th, 1853 :
"Notice is hereby given, that books will be opened at the " office of Isaac Atwater, St. Anthony ; and at St. Paul, at the " office of Rice, Hollingshead & Becker, on the third Monday "of July next, for the purpose of receiving subscriptions to "the capital stock of the Mississippi river bridge company, "incorporated March 4th, 1852." Signed Isaac Atwater, D. E. Moulton, John H. Stevens, John Rollins, Calvin A. Tuttle, Incorporators. The first day that the books were opened, sufficient subscriptions were made to the capital stock to insure the success of the enterprise, and from that date to its completion the work was prosecuted with vigor.
While we could not expect to make rapid progress in build- ing in Minneapolis, situated as we were, not being able to sell lots, or even to give a warrantee deed if we should sell them, still every week some forward steps were taken.
CHAPTER XXIX.
HISTORY OF THE FIRST MINNEAPOLIS BELL TOLLED.
The first bell in Minneapolis was the generous gift of east- ern friends to the first Presbyterian church. The society held meetings in the public hall over the store, near the ferry, a block or two distant from my house. Rev. J. C. Whitney, the pastor, and elders A. E. Ames, D. M. Coolbaugh, and J. N. Barber, consented to have the bell placed on a tower outside the building. The few of us on this side of the great river remember well the first tolling of that pioneer bell, on the west bank at the Falls of St. Anthony, on that quiet Sabbath morning, late in the summer, announcing the hour of religious services. The undulating sound of that bell seems to come down to me through thirty-six years of space, mellowed by time, as soft and sweet and pure in tone as the cradle-song of a young mother to her first-born. As I am nearing another ferry, to cross another river, its tender throbbings vibrate with the well-remembered pulsations of the familiar church- going bells of my early youth in a far-away eastern home. From that day church-bells have heralded, above the roar of the cataract, the hours of public worship to all around the Falls of St. Anthony, and proclaimed the highest type of civili- zation. That primitive bell is in Minneapolis to-day, where there is a population now nearly a thousand times greater than then. That pastor, too, is with us, deservedly now a man of material wealth, as well as of moral worth and influence for good in the community. He continues a member of the same church.
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The hall in which religious meetings were held was also used for sessions of the United States and district courts, and for public gatherings generally. On the ground-floor was a room suitable for a store.
Hennepin Lodge, U. D., was organized and worked under the first dispensation granted by the grand lodge of Minnesota. The officers were D. M. Coolbaugh, master ; J. N. Barber, senior warden ; E. A. Hodson, junior warden ; S. W. Case, secretary ; E. Case, treasurer ; Edward Murphy, senior deacon ; Anson Northrup, junior deacon ; Chesman Gould, tyler. The meetings were held at the house of Anson Northrup.
Another benevolent society, the Odd Fellows, was organized in July, with Charles Hoag at its head.
August 1st we had a flourishing church society, a district school, a county court, and a claim association, with an agri- cultural society soon to be organized.
The saw- and grist-mill on the west bank at the Falls, erected by Hon. Robert Smith and his partners, under the superintendency of Calvin A. Tuttle, were finished the first week in August. Both mills were small, but answered every purpose for the trade of that day. The boom privileges for holding logs on this side of the river were inefficient, hence the saw-mill was run under great disadvantages ; but we were proud of the little mills.
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