USA > Minnesota > Hennepin County > Minneapolis > Personal recollections of Minnesota and its people : and early history of Minneapolis > Part 25
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At a meeting of the Board of Regents of the State Univer- sity, on the 26th of May, Franklin Steele, president, in the
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chair, on motion of Hon. H. H. Sibley, seconded by John H. Stevens, it was resolved that bonds be issued for fifteen thousand dollars in sums of not less than one thousand dollars each, with interest not to exceed twelve per cent per annum, to be used for the erection of buildings, and to purchase more land adjoining the University site. The building committee. consisting of Judge Meeker, John H. Stevens, S. Nelson, A. M. Fridley, and Isaac Atwater, were instructed to solicit plans for the building. The Board of Regents of the Uni- versity of Minnesota, in May, 1856, were Franklin Steele president, Fort Snelling ; Ex-Governor Ramsey, Hon. H. M. Rice, and Rev. J. G. Rheildaffer, St. Paul ; John H. Stevens and Isaac Atwater, Minneapolis ; Judge B. B. Meeker, and A. M. Fridley, St. Anthony ; Hon. A. Van Vorhis, Socrates Nelson, and Mahalon Black, Stillwater, and H. H. Sibley of Mendota. This was the commencement of the steps taken to erect the buildings necessary for the University.
On the 29th day of May the site for the union school- house of Minneapolis was selected by the trustees and voters. It was the northwest half of block 77. The purchase was made from W. D. Babbett for two thousand five hundred dollars. In 1887 this same ground was sold to the county to be occupied, with the other half of the block, by county buildings, for more than one hundred thousand dollars, not counting the school building on it. Something of an increase in value during the thirty-one years. The trustees immedi- ately proceeded to erect a double brick school-house which, when completed, was the best building of the kind north of St. Louis. It was destroyed by fire in 1864. In this old building the celebrated Professor Stone for years presided, and graduated as good scholars as any teacher in the west. Many of our present best business men were instructed in that old house, such as Clinton Morrison, Ira Murphy, the Ames boys, the Hedderleys, and many others. Nor should we neglect to mention that many of the daughters of the pioneers of Minneapolis, who are now the first ladies of the city, and proud mothers of interesting children, were edu- cated under the humble roof of that old school-house. This was the first union school in Minnesota and the memory of it and its first principal, is fondly cherished by the hundreds
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who were educated there, as well as by their parents and guardians. More than a score of stately school edifices at this time adorn Minneapolis, for the education of some eight- een thousand children, but there was more pride in the first union school-house, humble as it was, than in any that have been built since.
As a matter of record, I will mention that the 13th of June 1856 was the coldest day for the season of the vear ever known by the pioneers. Stoves were replaced and fires built. Cold as was the season, there was a good crop in the territory.
MURDERS AND OUTRAGES.
Many crimes were committed in June. On the 11th a young married woman, Mrs. Mary Jane Hathaway, wife of John A. Hathaway, was murdered at their home on Crow river, in what is now Hassan township. The family had recently settled on their claim. The unfortunate lady was shot through the head with a pistol. Her little child, about fourteen months old, was found playing in its mother's blood.
Every effort was made to discover the murderer, but to this day the brutal fellow seems to have escaped punishment. Mrs. Hathaway was unusually respected by the few settlers at that time on Crow river. On the 12th, Susan, a Dakota girl, aged about ten years, an adopted daughter of M. S. Whallen of Oak Grove, while her foster-mother, a neighbor, Mrs. Ames, and three little children, one of whom was Susan, were in the sitting-room, several Chippewa Indians entered, threw little Susan out of the door, cut her throat, scalped her, and fled before the men who were near by could reach the house. This Dakota girl had been given to Dr. Williamson by her parents at Kaposia, when she was five or six years old. She had lost the little knowledge she once had of her native language, and only her marked Indian features remained to indicate her origin. Mr. Pond, of blessed memory, her neigh- bor and pastor, saw in. her evidence of Christianity. Mrs. Whallen, under whose care she was making good progress in all that was desirable to prepare her for usefulness and hap- piness here and hereafter, loved her as a daughter. Two other residents of Hennepin county had recently met violent deaths, and so strong was the feeling of the citizens of the county in regard to these brutal murders, that a mass meet-
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OF MINNESOTA AND ITS PEOPLE.
ing of citizens was held on June 17th, in Barber's hall, to take energetic action to punish the perpetrator. Rev. A. A. Russell was called to the chair, and Dr. A. E. Ames was appointed secretary. John H. Stevens, Isaac Brown, Samuel Hidden, Dr. H. Fletcher, and J. H. Spear, were appointed a committee to express the demands of justice in these trying events which have clouded the good name of the county. John H. Stevens reported the following, which was unani- mously adopted :
"This county, for the first time in its history has, during " the past week, been visited with wilful and malicious mur- " ders, attended by a barberous and fiendish spirit, which call " loudly for a decided expression of the sentiment of the "people ; that it is the duty of every law-abiding citizen and " every lover of justice, to use his utmost endeavor to bring " the perpetrators of these foul crimes to punishment ; that "while we cannot restore the lost lives, or blot out the out- " rages that have been inflicted upon individuals, or the wrongs "to their families and citizens generally, we can and will "take measures to punish the guilty ; that we have full con- " fidence in the power of the civil authorities to impartially " administer the laws, and to legally punish all crimes ; that "we deprecate any attempt on the part of individuals to " resort to violence, or to take the execution of the law into " their own hands."
Other crimes, of the worst character, were committed at this time. Though thirty-three years have passed, none of the murderers have been apprehended or brought to justice, and probably they never will be. Mr. S. A. Jewett, father- in-law of Dr. Keith, and brother-in-law of our respected citizen, J. S. Johnson, paid a high tribute of respect to the memory of one of the murdered men, John P. Allen. There were no other depredations committed upon the lives of citizens of the county for many years.
THE STATE FAIR.
The executive committee of the Minnesota Agricultural Society met on the 16th of June and decided to hold a fair in the fall. Hon. H. H. Sibley, chairman of the committee, headed the movement by contributing fifty dollars to the enterprise. Other members of the society signed liberally.
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Some twelve hundred dollars was raised by the citizens of Minneapolis to pay premiums. Simon P. Snyder was chosen treasurer in place of J. W. Selby, resigned.
On the 24th of June the Minnesota Historical Society held a meeting to lay the corner-stone of the society's hall. The address on the occasion was by Lieut. Maury, U. S. Navy. Unfortunately the building was never completed.
The contract for building the court-house was let on the 25th of June to Charles Clarke, recently from Steuben county, New York. Mr. Clarke and his accomplished family were valuable additions to Minneapolis. The late Hon. Charles W. Clarke, so prominent in agricultural matters, was the eld- est son of Mr. Clarke.
The caravan from Red river arrived ahead of time this year. It was exceedingly rich in furs and pemmican.
The Northwestern Democrat had, up to this time, been an uncompromising democratic paper. The issue of July 5th came out a strong Republican sheet. It created a good deal of excitement. From that period Major Hotchkiss, the editor and proprietor, never swerved from what he considered his political duty, and for the next year or two made it lively for his old democratic friends.
A contract was let July 3 to Messrs. Stone, Boomer & Boy- ington, to build a new bridge over the Mississippi, in the lower town, for $46,000.
On the 6th of July, through some unknown agency, the projecting rock broke from the precipice over which the water pours on the west side of the Falls, which destroyed the mill-race and suspended all operations of the saw-mills.
The first real, live observance of the Fourth of July by the united twin cities iook place in a grove on Nicollet Island. Free access to the island was generously granted by the Bridge company. George E. H. Day presided. The Divine blessing was asked by Rev. A. A. Russell. Dr. George H. Keith gave the address ; followed by C. C. Gray and Rev. Mr. Nelson.
Secretary J. Travis Rosser resigned his office in conse- quence of the ill-health of his wife.
A Mr. Dillon established a fishery near thr lower ferry. For years he supplied us with fresh fish.
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OF MINNESOTA AND ITS PEOPLE.
Minneapolis was no longer a village. On the 12th of July, 1856, Isaac I. Lewis had a capital of forty thousand dollars employed in his trade. Messrs. Ames & Bascomb, from Hennepin, Illinois, had thirty thousand dollars invested in their dry-goods business, and Messrs. Jackins and Wright had as much more money in their store, while Samuel Hidden, L. C. Elfelt, John H. Spear & Co., J. B. Atkinson, Joseph LeDuc, Tufts, Reynolds & Whittemore, A. L. McGhee, Mar- tin Ferrent, Bibbins & Bigelow, L. W. Henry, Savory & Hor- ton, S. S. Crowell, and E. H. Davie, employed a large capital and enjoyed a large trade. Messrs. Snyder & Mc- Farlane had a capital of $180,000 in their land-agency and banking outfit. Hon. C. H. Petit had a capital of $150,000 in his bank and land-agency. Hancock & Thomas, Carlos Wilcox, Dan R. Barber, and Delano T. Smith, all had many thousands of dollars at their command.
There were early in July the following contractors who had all the work they could possibly do : Chas. N. Daniels, Joseph Dean, Reuben Robinson, J. E. Patterson, A. K. Hartwell, J. B. Ferrin, D. M. Foss, John L. Tenney, Arnell & Wilson, and Kingsbury & Ward.
Of the many booms that have passed over Minneapolis since the land sales in 1855, there was none that exceeded that in the summer of 1856. Many who arrived that summer became prominent citizens. The city was favored with such men as Rev. D. B. Knickerbocker, now Bishop of Indiana, Chas. E. Vanderburgh, D. Y. Jones, S. H. Jones, Daniel R. Barber, Erastus N. Bates, Adolphus Bradford, Robert R. Bryant, Daniel Bassett, and C. A. Weidstrand.
A union board of trade was organized the first of July with the following officers ; Hon. D. Morrison, president ; Richard Chute and John Jackins, V. P .; I. I. Lewis, corresponding secretary ; N. H. Hemiup, recording secretary ; R. P. Upton, Treasurer ; Edward Murphy, R. P. Russell, S. Hidden, Sam- uel Stanchfield, and Daniel Edwards, directors. Committee on commerce, Richard Chute and John Jackins.
A military company was organized at the Falls of St. Anthony, called the Falls City Light Guards, on the 15th of July. The following officers were commissioned by the Gov- ernor : Captain, H. R. Putnam ; lieutenants, J. J. Clarke,
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and J. Hollister. Many of the members of this company became distinguished soldiers during the war for the Union. Some of them attained high military appointments. This was the first organization of a military company at St. Anthony.
I have already alluded to the first school-house built in Minneapolis, but as a matter of history in regard to it I copy the following notice, which appeared in the Democrat, in Minneapolis, August 2d, 1856 :
"Sealed proposals will be received until 6 o'clock p. m., " August 15th, 1856, for building a school-house in Minne- " apolis, according to the plans and specifications to be seen "at the office of Dr. C. L. Anderson, in Savory & Horton's " drug-store, Helen street, Minneapolis. (Signed) John H. "Stevens, F. R. E. Cornell, C. L. Anderson, Board of Trustees."
Andrew Jackson Morgan, an editor, and a pioneer of Min- nesota, died at St. Paul August 25th. Mr. Morgan was a native of Ohio, and was an early and good friend to Minne- apolis. I had known Mr. Morgan's brother, Gen. Geo. W. Morgan, in Mexico. His mother was a sister of one of the secretaries of the United States Treasury, and gave my sec- ond daughter her name. Mr. Morgan was only twenty-eight years old at the time of his death.
On the 21st of August Dr. A. E. Johnson, of St. Anthony, discovered nearly four feet of the remains of a Dikelocephulus Minnesotansis, immediately below the Falls, where workmen were blasting for the mill of Rogers & Co. The specimen was a very large and perfect one. It was taken from a piece of rock that had occupied about the middle strata of the upper magnesian limestone. Owens, the geologist, speaks of this rare and imperfectly-known species of fossil as being first found ninety or one hundred feet below the base of the lower magnesian limestone near the margin of Lake St. Croix above Stillwater.
A tri-weekly stage-line was established August 25th between Minneapolis and Monticello, by Messrs. Hanson & Libbey. It was a great convenience to the citizens residing on the line of the route, as well as to the people of Minneapolis and Mon- ticello.
The farm of Mr. Christmas was laid out and platted as
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OF MINNESOTA AND ITS PEOPLE.
North Minneapolis. Isaac I. Lewis and Captain John C. Reno purchased an interest in the new town-site. Messrs. A. Wolcott & Co. purchased a block of land on the bank of the river from the proprietors of North Minneapolis, and com- menced the erection of a large steam-mill.
A postoffice was established at Moffett & Pettijohn's mill, near Minneapolis, and James A. Dinsmore appointed post- master. The name of the postoffice was Harmony. This is the same postoffice that is now called Richfield. At the time the postoffice was established the town was known as Rich- land. Afterwards, by a vote of the citizens, it was changed to Richfield, and then the postoffice took that name, and remains so to this day.
On the 11th of September Thomas Warwick, a pioneer, and one of the best citizens of Hennepin county, was married to Miss Mary E. Smith.
The Democrat speaks of a herd of short-horns brought from Kentucky for Messrs. Hoag and J. H. Stevens. They paid a large price for some thirty head, but the agricul- ture of the territory was not sufficiently developed to make it profitable to raise blooded stock. A scrub would bring as much in market, those early days, as a short-horn, unless it . was for beef.
The Republican party was thoroughly organized in Henne- pin county. Dr. H. Fletcher headed the party in Minne- apolis, and H. G. O. Morrison in St. Anthony. The following were the original Republicans in Minneapolis : J. B. Bassett, A. K. Hartwell, T. Pettijohn, Wm. G. Moffett, John M. Styles, J. H. Spear, Joseph LeDuc, J. M. Anderson, Lyman Case; Joseph H. Canney, W. H. Rouse, Samuel Franklin, Simeon K. Odell, Allen Harmon, E. A. Hodgdon, E. S. Jenks, Zelotes Downs, S. Clarke, T. W. Pierce, Delano T. Smith, Henry C. Keith, Z. M. Brown, Asa Keith, W. A. Hotchkiis, A. Crain, F. Duhren, Josiah Orthoudt, and Alfred Murphy. Such men as Judge Cornell and others soon fell into line.
The original Republicans in St. Anthony were H. G. O. Morrison, Lardner Bostwick, Dr. J. H. Murphy, S. W. Farnham, William Spooner, Dr. C. W. Le Boutillier, G. G. Loomis, Alonzo Leaming, Richard Chute, Henry Meniger, .
1
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PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS
Geo. P. Baldwin, J. C. McCane, James M. Jarrett, E. W. Cutter, J. C. Johnson, John Glass, Casper Kopp, Geo. A. Nourse, R. P. Upton, Wm. H. Townsend, Thomas T. Newell, J. H. McHerron, John Lucksinger, Stephen Cobb, C. Keller- man, Martin Conzet, H. Webber, T. Smith, J. W. Gillam, Francis Swett, R. W. Cummings, Dan S. Balch, E. Lippin- cott, William Lashelle, Dr. H. W. Gould, J. B. Hix, M. W. Getchell, J. Macomber, and David A. Secombe.
This was a formidable list of prominent men in the two cities. The Whigs and Democrats were about equally divided as to those who composed the new party. Such old Whigs as Isaac Atwater, and A. M. Fridley, became Democrats. John W. North had left his home in St. Anthony and taken up his residence in the new town of Northfield. This accounts for the omission of his name in the St. Anthony list.
In Richfield the original Republicans were Gen. R. L. Bartholomew, J. H. Perkins, R. Robinson, William Finch, William and James Dinsmore, Denison Townsend, George Gillmore, C. Couilard, Job Pratt, Jesse Richardson, R. Van Valkenburg, and Samuel Stough. In Bloomington, William Chambers, R. B. Gibson, S. A. Goodrich, M. S. Whallon, and J. Harrison. In Eden Prairie, W. C. Collins, Captain Terrell, J. S. P. Ham, and A. D. Rouse. In Excelsior, Ste- phen Hull, O. Wilcox, P. M. Gideon, and Rev. C. Galpin. In Minnetonka, S. Bartow, James Shaver, jr., and H. S. Atwood. In Wayzata, W. B. Harrington, John S. Harring- ton. In Brooklyn, Rev. J. W. Dow, A. H. Benson, Captain John C. Plummer, C. D. Kingsley, J. M. Durman, A. B. Chaffee, Rufus Pratt, and Dea. Palmer. In Champlin, W. W. Cate, W. W. Woodman, W. Hayden, John Walker, and J. M. Mullholland. In Maple Grove, W. E. Evans, G. B. Brown, and Dea. R. R. Woodward. In Dayton, S. Anderson, J. B. Hinckley, N. Herrick, A. C. Kimball, and A. Clarke. In Hassan, H. S. Norton, and J. McLenlock.
It should not be supposed that the above list contains all of the original Republicans in the several towns, but those led off in the new party. The citizens in the new counties of Carver and McLeod also became deeply interested in the Republican party. The leaders in the former county were Isaac Burfield, Robert Miller, John S. Letford, George M.
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OF MINNESOTA AND ITS PEOPLE.
Powers, Henry M. Lyman, A. W. Adams, Theo. Bost, L. H. Griffin, H. H. Williams, S. D. Hurd, and A. Keller. In the latter county James Phillips, R. A. Grimshaw, Lewis Harring- ton, A. J. Bell, W. W. Pendergast, William S. Chapman, Henry Elliott, B. E. Messer, C. L. Snyder, James Chesley, James Pollock, A. J. Snyder, John Hubbard, and U. Wilson.
Many in the above list have occupied high positions in both the civil and military history of the Northwest.
The second annual territorial fair came off in Minneapolis October 8, 9 and 10. Governor Alexander Ramsey, the pres- ident, gave the annual address. The fair was a success in every department. It was attended from all parts of the ter- ritory. The fair grounds were on what is now Tenth street, Minneapolis. Over two thousand dollars were paid out in premiums. At least half of this money was received at the gates ; the other half was made up by the citizens of Minne- apolis, as follows : Steele & Stevens $50, Henry T. Welles $25, Parsons & Morgan $25, Snyder & McFarlane $25, L. W. Henry $25, W. G. Murphy $25, Savory & Horton $25, T. L. Bibbins & Co. $25, Lewis & Bickford $25, E. H. Davie $25, James Hoffman $25, E. Case $25, Isaac Atwater and Richard Martin $25, Hancock & Thomas $25, E. H. Crane $25, John H. Spear & Co. $25, A. E. Ames $25, Martin McLeod $25, R. Chute $25, R. P. Russell $25, Edward Murphy $20, Charles Hoag $25, M. L. Olds $30, William Hanson $15, F. R. E. Cornell $15, Charles Hepp $10, S. S. Crowell $10, Martin Ferrant $10, Allen Harmon $10, Alex Moore $10, John George Lennon $10, M. L. Cook $10, Richard Stout $10, E. S. Jones $10, W. D. Babbitt $10, Henry Chambers $10, B. F. Baker $10, A. K. Hartwell $10, Henry S. Plummer $10, Francis Morrison $10, George D. Richardson $10, M. C. Baker $10; George W. Chowen, George E. Huy, Sweet W. Case, William Dickie, Smith & Charlton, H. S. Birge, C. C. Berkman, Wil- liam D. Garland, H. G. O. Morrison, C. W. Borup and C. H. Oakes ten dollars each ; Delano T. Smith $15, Carlos Wilcox $15, Alexander Ramsey $25, H. H. Sibley $50, W. A. Gorman 10, and Calvin A. Tuttle $15 ; A. L. Moore, J. B. Atkinson, C. L. Anderson, Calvin Church, J. R. Webb, N. E. Stoddard, E. Hedderley, George A. Nourse, R. P. Upton, David Edwards, J. P. Wilson, John L. Tenney, W. W. Wales,
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J. J. Kennedy, Tufts & Reynolds, Albert Webster, Robert O. Neil, E. F. Parker, Norman W. Kittson, and Isaac Van Etten, five dollars each. The list is only given that the present generation may know the liberality of the pioneers of Minneapolis.
The officers elected at the annual meeting for 1857 were Henry H. Sibley of Dakota county president, and a vice- president from each county in the territory. Dr. Ames, Secretary ; S. P. Snyder, Treasurer.
A large party under the auspices of Dr. C. L. Anderson and several citizens of Minneapolis, explored the country west of Glencoe this fall. They discovered the Kandiyohi lakes, and named several bodies of water, which names are retained to this day. Lake Lillian took its name from the wife of E. Whitefield, the artist of the expedition.
The total number of votes polled in Hennepin county this year was 1,761, against 73 four years previously. This exhib- its the remarkable rapidity with which the county has become populated.
A fatal explosion occurred at the large steam saw-mill of Pomeroy & Bates, at the mouth of Bassett's creek, this fall, killing Mr. Hays the engineer. This was the first accident of the kind that ever occurred in Minneapolis.
The real estate transactions were lively in both the cities at the Falls during the late fall and early winter. Judge Bas- sett sold his entire farm, consisting of 140 acres, to William D. Garland and A. Bradford. The price was two hundred and fifty dollars per acre. J. S. & D. M. Demmon purchased eighty acres from Francis Morrison, at good round figures. The citizens on the east side of the Falls subscribed sixty-five thousand dollars for the building of a railroad from the Falls to St. Paul.
Ivory F. Woodman & Co. established a pork-packing house in Minneapolis. This was the commencement of the pork business in Minnesota.
Hartwell & Co. opened a wood-yard in the city, the first enterprise of the kind at the falls.
E. F. Crain, proprietor of the city jewelry-store, had built in the upper story of his new block a prominent cupalo in which he placed a town clock, the first in the territory.
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OF MINNESOTA AND ITS PEOPLE.
Minneapolis received a large addition to her population this year, men of great merit, and some of them became well known throughout the Union. Among them were Colonel Cyrus Aldrich, Judge C. E. Vanderburgh, Rev. D. B. Knickerbocker, now Bishop of Indiana, Eugene M. Wilson, William S. Heath, H. A. Partridge, John H. Hatton, Fred Chalmers, C. W. Paulding, S. P. Spear, William B. Cornell, T. M. Linton, H. L. Birge, L. M. Kiefer, R. J. Mendenhall, Thomas G. Barnes, G. H. Hamlinton, M. C. Smith, William A. Todd, Adolphus Bradford, Geo. H. Woods, H. C. Smith, David Charlton, L. W. Henry, Thomas Hale Williams, J. C. Sher- burne, George D. Richardson, J. Russell Webb, Winslow T. Perkins, John H. Spear, Charles K. Sherburne, C. D. David- son, and J. C. Reno.
W. M. Barrows arrived in St. Anthony this year. His brother, Fred C. preceded him the previous year. The brothers have accomplished much in the lumber business. Frank Beebe cast his lot with the people of Minneapolis, and became one of the leading lawyers in this state. Daniel R. Barber, long an influential citizen, came this year. Dr. A. L. Bausman, one of the pioneer dentists, was a valuable addi- tion this year. John and his brother Nicholas Bofferding also became residents of Minneapolis, as did T. M. Bohan of St. Anthony. Other residents this year were R. R. Bryant, Josiah H. Chase, R. P. Dunnington, August Ende, Harlow A. Gale, Thomas K. Gray, Elias H. Moses, J. W. Munson, Peter Rauen, Godfrey Scheitlin, and O. T. Swett. Many of these names became prominent in the history of the neigh- borhood of the Falls.
There were two new church buildings erected during the year ; the Episcopal, Rev. D. B. Knickerbacker, rector ; and the Methodist, Rev. W. H. St. Clair, pastor. Rev. Mr. Rob- inson succeeded Rev. C. G. Ames as pastor of the Free-will Baptist church, and on the organization of the Congrega- tional church Rev. Norman McLeod was chosen its first pastor. Mr. McLeod was a brother of Martin McLeod, and is a man of great ability. The trustees of the church were Charles Clarke, E. N. Bates, Samuel Hidden, B. F. Baker, L. P. Chase, W. K. McFarlane, Dr. W. H. Leonard, C. E. Van- derburgh, and Mr. Walcott.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
REMINISCENT REVIEW OF EVENTS OF THE PAST.
The year 1856 was a prosperous one, not only for the citizens of Hennepin county, but for those of the whole territory. The two lovely sister towns, St. Anthony and Minneapolis, so fair to look upon in their youth and rural beauty, had expanded into thriving cities. As I cannot in detail further follow the progress and marvelous development of the now united cities I will merely repeat that Minneapolis proper was first settled in 1849, but there were only a few families here for several years thereafter ; and I will add that the first settlers were as happy in their poverty as their descendants now are in their wealth. The pioneers were as contented in their rude cabins, with plain surroundings, coarse clothing and homely fare, as others who now live in elegant mansions, with costly furnish- ings, cradled in luxury, and reposing on couches of ease. It required fortitude to meet the trials incident to a new country, but the frontier life had its charms. The hardships incident thereto strengthened us for good deeds and unselfish work, that made us better citizens. All were seemingly on a level. Those were happy days of free and cordial social life and charming simplicity. There were no schools, but most of the children were babes, and they had refined and educated moth- ers. There were no ministers of the gospel, but we observed the sabbath. Far away from the sound of the church-going bell, we yet rested from our labors one day in seven at least. On Sunday wives were particular in having each one of the family tidy. Our clothing, though coarse, was substantial and comfortable. Compared with the more ample dress and costly vestments of recent date, our raiment would now be unfash-
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