USA > Mississippi > History of the upper Mississippi Valley, pt 2 > Part 53
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Not less remarkable than the rapid growth of the place was an act of the Legislature, approved January 11th, 1876, reducing the city organiza- tion, and substituting an ordinary township gov- ermment, in which condition it still remains. It is hardly probable, however, that with the spirit of progress now apparent, the place will long remain without a municipal form of government.
A National Bank Association was formed at this place in August, 1881, with a capital stock of $50,000, and the following board of Directors: William Ferris, H. A. Towne, G. W. Holland, L. P. White, J. A. Davis, C. B. Sleeper, James Gard- ner, C. Abby, G. G. Hartley, Adam Brown, and James Dewar, the first named being chosen Pres- ident.
'The first educational effort was in the early summer of 1872, under the direction of Messrs. Bean, Prescott, and White, who, as a self-consti- Inted committee, purchased of John Hess, for fifty dollars, a building of howed logs near the rail- road bridge, in which Miss Hall was employed as teacher.
During the same season an independent school district was formed, with L. P. White, Clerk; P. D. Davenport, Director; and T. F. Knappen, Treasurer. In 1873, the main part of the present school building was erected, which, with its addi- tions will accommodate two hundred and fifty scholars, arranged in four departments. The only school building in the county aside from this, is located near Crow Wing, in district number one, which embraces all the county outside the town- ship of Brainerd. A building, however, is in con- templation at Brainerd, north of the railroad, for
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an additional primary department, to aceommo- date residents of that locality. The estimated value of school property in the county is $3,055, and the amount expended for teachers' wages in 1880, was $2,250.
The " Brainerd Tribimo," atrendy mentioned, was started by M. C. Russell, and was for some time printed in the "Journal " office at St. Cloud, arriving here Sunday morning by stage. The first issue was opened at the Post-office on Sunday morning, February 6th, 1872, and among the crowd of men who gathered there, six hundred copies were sold at ten cents each. This was the first newspaper on the line of the Northern Paeifie Railroad. After six months Mr. Russell was on- abled to purchase an outfit; and published the "'Tribune " at Brainerd. In 1874, his entire out- tit with the new building but recently occupied, was destroyed by fire, involving a total loss. With searce the loss of a week, a new outfit was procured, and the publication resumed. In April, 1875, W. W. Hartley purchased the office, under whose management it still continues.
ChuRenes .-- The first religions service held at Brainerd, was in 1870, and conducted by Dr. S. W. Thayer, a physician in the employ of the Railroad company, reading the Episcopal service in a log house near the river. Bishop Whipple afterwards visited the place, and in 1871, Rev. J. A. Gilfillan preached in the open air, in front of the Headquarters Hotel, calling his congregation together by means of a small hand-bell. The next year a church edifice was ereeted, the furniture for which was made in St. Cloud, and shipped by rail to this point by way of St. Paul and Duluth. A elmurch was organized with the following officers: C. W. Mead, Senior Warden; F. H. Harvey, Ju- nior Warden; S. W. Thayer, C. T. Hobart, John Blackman, William Lytle, H. G. Coykendall, L. P. White, John Davis, and T. F. Knappen, Ves- trymen. The church was conscerated May 24th, 1873, by Bishop Whipple. Revs. F. R. Mills- paugh, W. Root, and F. J. Hawley have suc- ceeded to the Rectorship, the latter being in charge since May, 1880. -
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Early in 1871, the Rev. James Gourley, a Meth- odist Episcopal Missionary, held religious service here in a log hut near the river, and on the 13th of October, 1872, a Methodist church was organ- ized under the pastoral efforts of Rev. H. J. Crist, with a membership of nine, which has since increased to twenty-five. The same year a
house of worship was erceted at a cost of $1,000. Revs. A. A. Sutton, M. B. Smith, C. H. Dixon, and E. Nelthorpe have been the pastors, the latter now being in charge.
A Baptist church was organized on the 8th of September, 1872, through the efforts of Rev. John Wood, of the Baptist Home Missionary Society, and during the year a church edifice and parson- age were built at a cost of $1,150. The removal of several prominent members soon redneed the society, and led to the omission of regular service from October, 1875, to the present year, when Rev. G. W. Huntley began holding regular ser- vices, and soon -secured the services of Rev. J. Wilkins as Pastor, sinee which the society has en- joyed uninterrupted prosperity.
A Congregational Church was organized on the 13th of August, 1872, with twenty members. A house of worship was built and donated to the church by J. Gregory Smith, whose wife also pre- sented the society with an organ. The church was dedicated on the 22d of January, 1873, and Rev. Samnel Ingham became their first pastor. His successors have been Revs. E. S. Williams, -- Cadwallader, C. C. Salter, C. A. Conant, Adam Simpson, and the present minister, Rev. R. A. Beard, who assumed charge in September, 1879. The church was destroyed by fire on the 7th of January, 1881, and a new one is in course of erec- tion. The present membership is seventy-five.
The Catholies also have a small church edifiec, and the society, which is not numerous, is supplied by the priest located at Little Falls.
SOCIETIES.
MASONIC .- Aurora Lodge No. 100, A. F. and A. M. was organized January 15th, 1879, with the following officers: C. P. Thayer, W. M .; C. D. Wiley, S. W .; B. L. Perry, J. W .: F. Il. Harvey, Sec .; H. G. Coykendall, 'Treas .; George Dow, S. D .; M. C. Kellog, J. D .; and G. Gage, Tyler. The present membership is thirty-nine.
ODD FELLOWS .- Wildey Lodge No. 37, T. O. of O. F., was organized December 5th, 1872, with the following official roster: P. II. Trudell. N. G .; W. M. Falconer, V. G .; J. C. Waller, Sce .; and William Aylmer, Treas. It has enjoyed a pros. perous career, and now numbers sixty-two mom- bers.
Bushworth Encampment No. 19, I. O. of O. F., was organized in the fall of 1879. The charter officers were: E. R. French, C. R .; W. W. Hart- ley, H. P .; H. H. Scobie, S. W .; A. Mahlum, S .;
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HISTORY OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
Thomas Bason, T .; P. M. Lagerquist, J. W .; E. P. McKee, O. S. S,; N. Hiller, I. S. S .; and James Dewar, G.
Brainerd Lodge No. 47, A. O. of U. W. was or- ganized February 14th, 1878, und the following were the first officers of the lodge: W. W. Hartley, P. M. W .; J. O. Congdon, N. W .; James Dewar, Treas .; H. A. Campbell, Sec .; W. A. Smith, R .; and T. P. Cantwell, F.
Brainerd Division No. 144, Brotherhood of Lo- comotive Engineers was organized in 1873, with ten members. The object of the order is the ben- efit of engineers and their families, either in sick- ness or want, and has an insurance department similar to that of other orders. Its first officers were: P. H. Carney, Chief Engineer; James Pe- tergin, First Assistant. The present membership is forty.
Pine City Lodge No. 81, Brotherhood of Loco- motive Firemen, was organized August 17th, 1881. Its object and management is similar te that last mentioned. Its official roster is us follows: F. D. Millspaugh, Master; J. Collins, Treus. and Sec .; L. H. Smith, Fin. See .: und F. D. Millspaugh, Managing Agent. The society now numbers six- teen.
William Tell Lodge No. 15, Herman's Sons, was organized April 1st, 1880. The first officers were: Adolph Schultz, Pres .; Adam Bellmuth, Vice Pres .; E. P. Gassman, Ex-Pres .; Peter Ort, Sec .; and Henry Gunther, Treas. The present membership is twenty-onc.
A Good Templars Lodge was organized in Feb- ruary, 1873, with J. S. Campbell, W. C. T .; Mrs. D. O. Preston, W. V. T .; D. O. Preston, R. S .; H. J. Humphry, F. S .; Mrs. J. S. Campbell, Treas .; S. H. Thorn, Marshal; and Rev. A. D. Williams, Chaplain. Sixteen charter members were enrolled, and for a time the lodge enjoyed a fair degree of prosperity, then ceased to exist.
In October, 1881, a new lodge was organized, . and the first five officers, in the order just named, are: A. E. Loesy, Mrs. Thomas Watts, A. S. Bab- cock, Mrs. Fessenden, and Thomas Watts. The Chaplain is Rev. J. Williams.
NORTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD .- Without in the least detracting from the credit dne the citizens of Brainerd, whose several enterprises have already been mentioned, it is but just to state that this, as well as other flourishing towns along this line of road, owes its existence, and its chief develop-
ment to the Railroad Company, of which a brief history is here given.
Decades have elapsed since the grand scheme of connecting the great Lakes with the Pacific ocean by rail first attracted publie notice, und while the project wus yet in embryo, Mr. Porham, un enthu- siast and n dreamer, with n horde of kindred spirits, thought to grapple with this great project without the aid of either capital, influence, or experience. They believed it an easy matter to find a million of men who would cach take a share, of one hun- dred dollars, and thus a hundred million dollars be obtained with which to build and equip the road. But they were not found, and so this air castle crumbled and perished. Mr. Perham died long ago, and is only remembered as the origina- tor of this fruitless project.
The next were men of different mold, and, ap- preciating the great task to be accomplished, sought aid in the shape of Government bonds, and a bill granting the required aid passed one honse in Congress, and barely failed in the other; but it was no less a failure, and so this second association passed from the stage, and were forgotten. At last there came men of character-men of experi- ence, who unitedly determined upon pushing the enterprise to successful completion. Among these were, J. Edgar Thompson, President of the Pem- sylvania railroad; Thomas A. Scott, its Vice Pres- ident; William B. Ogden, President of the Chicago and Northwestern railroad; J. Gregory Smith, President of the Vermont Central system; B. P. Cheney, of Boston; George W. Cass, President of the Pittsburg and Fort Wayne railroad; with the leading men in the great house of Wells, Fargo, & Co. Through their efforts the banking house of Jay Cooke & Co., were induced to lend their aid; and so at last the work began.
The act of incorporation was approved July 2d, 1864. It named one hundred and thirty-tour in- corporators, among whom were General U. S. Grant, Alexander Mitchell, of Wisconsin, and in this State, Hon. H. M. Rice, Cyrus Aldrich, H. C. Waite, and others. In 1867, the first survey was made under direction of Edmund F. Johnson, Chiof Engineer, und under the personal supervi- sion of General Ira Spaulding, one line being run from the head of Lake Superior to Fort Aber- crombie, and one from Bayfield, Wisconsin, to St. Cloud, and thenee np the valley of the Sank river. Still the work lagged, and it was not until Jan- ury, 1870, when Jay Cooke came to the front and
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raised $5,000,000, that the long delayed start was made. During the latter part of the month tol- lowing, the first dirt was moved at the Northern Pacific Junction near Duluth, and within a year the track was pushed forward to Brainerd, and, scarcely halting, reached westward, until in 1873, trains were running to Bismarck on the Missouri river, covering a distance of four hundred and fifty miles besides one hundred on the Pacific side. But the enormons expense incurred, and the meager returns, proved too much to overcome, and in September there came a general eraslı, plunging the Company into hopeless bankruptcy. Iu the spring of 1875, foreclosure was resorted to as the only means of relief, and in five months the property was sold under a plan of re-organization provided for in the decree of foreclosure.
It is proper here to state some of the obstacles which not only impeded the Company's progress, but contributed to the unhappy condition of af- fairs mentioned. First, the proposition at the out- set, was one of the most gigantic in the history of the Nation, the proposed road with its main line, and branch over the Caseade range, covering a distance of three thousand three hundred miles, eighteen hundred of which was to run through a region unredeemed from the barbarity of the Sav- age, and only policed and garrisoned by a limited number of United States troops. Added to this was the prejudice existing against the region to be traversed. Early geographers marked in this area the "Great American Desert;" General Sully had written disparagingly of the Bad Lands, which he described as " an imaginary hell with the fires put out;" General Stanley pronounced the region only fit for Indians and mules; to which General Hazen added, that land west of the one hundredth meridian was wholly unproductive, and that the whole Northern Pacific belt was a swindle. J. Proctor Knott added the crowning effort in this series of fallacies, in his Duluth speech in 1876, in which, however, the picture was so overwrought that its ultimate effect was beneficial to the Com- pany.
Time has banished the errors of earlier days, and the public have learned that the route trav- versed by this road is one rarely equaled in fertil- ity, and offers many superior inducements to settlers.
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The land grant of the company, in Mimesota, embraces a tract extending twenty miles on either side of the line, with an additional twenty in
which to supply the deficiency cansed by previ- ons sales within the first named limit; and through the Territories west, the regular limit is forty miles on either side, with an additional ten to supply deficiencies. Thousands of settlers have already found homes along this route, and about fifty per cont. is annually added to the cultivated area.
At all principal points on the line are large ele- vators, and at Duluth a monster receptacle has been built by the Lake Superior Elevator Company, with a capacity of one million bushels, and another of like dimensions is now being built.
Since January, 1880, the company has main- maintained an Express company of its own, the net earnings of which for the year ending June 30th, 1881, was $51,579.92. The company also owns the sleeping cars in use on its several lines, on which the net earnings for the last fiscal year were $15,976.86.
The equipment, as shown by the last annual re- port, was one hundred and four locomotives, six- ty-eight passenger, sleeping, mail, and baggage cars; and of freight, including cabooses, boarding and mess cars, three thousand and twenty-one. Eighty-seven more locomotives are already con- traeted for, and large additions are being made to the rolling stock, to mect the inercasing demand in freiglit and passenger traffic.
About one-half the main line is now built and in operation, making, with branch and rented lines, a total of one thousand and sixty-five miles in use at the date mentioned.
In 1876, for the first time in the Company's his - tory, the earnings were in excess of the expendi- tures. Its last report gives the gross earnings at $1,198,965.71, leaving a balance over all expenses, of $969,129.19. The Presidents of the Railroad have been J. Gregory Smith, George W. Cass, Charles B. Wright, Frederick Billings, and the present official, II. Villard. Other officers at pres- ent are: Vice-President, Thomas F. Oakes; Sce- rotary, Samuel Wilkinson; General Counsel, Georgo Gray; Engineer in Chief, Adna Anderson; Treasurer, R. Lenox Belknap; General Auditor, J. A. Burker; General Manager Eastern Division, Herman Hanpt; General Superintendent Western Division, J. W. Sprague.
The headquarters of the company are at Brain- erd, this point having been selected, and work begun upon the arrival of the road in 1871. The first train, a special, reached here March 11th 1871, in charge of Conductor William P. Spal-
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HISTORY OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
ding, who also brought the first regular passenger train through in September following, and on tho 1st of November, 1877, Mr. Spalding brought the first passenger train from St. Paul, by way of Sank Rapids.
The local offices here are in an elegant building latter being a resident partner, and the former in costing $36,000, near which is the Headquarters Hotel, also owned by the company. All the local offices are here except those of tho General Man- ager, Superintendent of Transportation, General Passenger, and Freight, Treasurer, Anditor, Superintendent of Express, Superintendent of Telegraph, Attorney, and Land Office. A new building is in process of construction at the corner of Broadway and Fourth street, St. Paul, which, when completed, will be the best constructed building in the city, if not in the Northwest. Its walls rest upon piles, covered by flag-stone, above which is conerete, and its basement is of St. Paul and Kasota limestone, the whole to be surmounted with brick walls, the face briek shipped from Glen's Falls, New York. The building is 152x62 feet, and of faultless design. The main shops are at Brainerd, where over five hundred men are con- stantly employed, and about twelve hundred will be required the coming year. The shops now in nse cover an aggregate of over forty-seven thousand square feet, and new buildings soon to be completed, willadd over one hundred and fifteen thousand, be- side their new round-house, three hundred and six teen feet in diameter, with stalls for forty-four en- gines. All the new buildings have stone founda- tions, heavy brick walls, and iron roofs covered with slate. Repair shops are also maintained at other points, although this is the headquarters for all the mechanical departments.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
ISAAC W. ADAMS is a native of England, born on the 19th of August, 1859. Ho eame to Amer- ica in 1870, and for four years was employed at cabinet making in Duluth. Then came to Brain- erd and worked in the paint shop of the Northern Pacific Railroad Company till April, 1881, when in company with Mr. Congdon, he commenced the Isiness of house, sign, and ornamental painting.
ALLEN AKERREY, a nativo of New Brunswick, was born in 1848. In 1871, he came to Brainerd, remained a year and returned to his native place, where for four years he was engaged in farming and lumbering. Then went to Pennsylvania for a
year, and in April, 1878, eame again to this place, and earries on a boarding stable, which is con- nected with the Leland House. He also owns a half interest in n livery and sale stable, which was started a few months ago, his partner being George H. Stratton.
REV. R. A. BEARD is a native of Union con- ty, Ohio, born in 1851. He attended a high school, and partly completed a collegiate course, after which he studied law, and was admitted to the Bar on his twenty-first birthday. He prae- tieed his profession two years in Ashley, Ohio, and three years in Columbus. He finally decided to enter the ministry, and in September, 1876, began a course at Oberlin Theological Seminary, gradu- ating and receiving the degree of B. D., in June, 1879. Took charge of the church in this pla which was his first pastorate.
WALLACE BEANE was born in England in 1832. He came to Ameriea in 1840, and lived on farms in different parts of the state of Illinois for ten years. Then came to St. Paul, Minnesota, and en- gaged in hanling merchandise from that eity to the frontier. In 1856, he went to the Chippewa agency, remained four years and came to Crow Wing, where he pre-empted land on which he lived till 1870. In the latter year he came to Brainerd, taking a homestead abont a mile and a half south- west of the village. Mr. Beane was a member of the board of County Commissioners at the time the county seat was changed from Crow Wing to Brainerd.
T. C. BIVINS, a native of Erie county, New York, was born on the 1st of September, 1832. His family moved to Ohio when he was young, but he remained in his native place till 1854. Then came to Minnesota and engaged in driving stage and carrying the mail from St. Paul to Man- kato. After spending two years in the latter oceu- pation, and three in farming, he removed to Hongh- ton, Michigan, and worked in the copper mines of that placo ten years. Then returned to Mankato, and a year later, went to Duluth, where he was employed by the railroad company in hanling sup- plies. In March, 1881, he came to Brainerd in the employ of the Northern Pacific Railroad Company, and is at present timber inspector for that corpora- tion.
JAMES BAIN, a native of Scotland, was born in 1832. He came to America in 1871, resided one year in Duluth engaged nt his trade, (shoemak-
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BIOGRAPHICAL.
ing ) and then came to Brainerd, starting a shop which he still carries on.
LEWIS I. BAKER, present Agent and Postmaster ut Fort Ripley Station, was born in Canada on the 7th of July, 1842. When he was an infant, the fam- ily moved, and at his earliest recollection, were liv- ing at Detroit, Michigan. After living there and in Wisconsin for a time, they returned to Canada in 1854, and two years later, came to Minnesota; thenec to Kentneky, Indiana, and Ohio, where onr subject enlisted in the spring of 1862, in Company K, of the Fifth Ohio Cavalry. At the battle of Waynesboro, Louisiana, in May, 1865, he was wounded, a ball passing through the windpipe, after which he was discharged. In 1868, he camc again to Minnesota, and took charge of the rail- way station at Minneapolis Junction, having full charge of the business of three different organiza- tions till December, 1880. Then came to this sta- tion, where lic also has charge of a-grain house and buys grain for H. A. Sawyer. Mr. Baker was united in marriage with Miss Mary E. Vail, on the 17th of December, 1871, the ceremony taking place at St. Anthony. They have had five chil- dren; two died in infancy, and three are living.
THOMAS R. CONGDON was born on the 20th of October, 1859, at Addison, New York. Since 1875, he has been a resident of Brainerd, being em- ployed the first four years in the paint shop of the Northern Pacific Railroad Company. Ilas since been in the business with Mr. Adams, the firm name being Congdon & Adams.
JOSEPH R. CAVANAGH, a native of England, was born in 1857. In 1869, he came to America, lo- cating in Marshalltown, Iowa, where he was in the employ of the Towa Central Railroad Com- pany; remained in their employ till May, 1881, being for ton years var necountant. At the lat- for dato he came to Brainerd and took the posi- tion of clerk in the car accountant department, which position he now holds.
JOHN C. CONGDON, master painter of the North- ern Pacific Railroad Company, is a native of Nel- son, Tioga county, Pennsylvania, born on the 4th of December, 1842. He learned his trade in' his native town, after which he moved to Illinois, re- mained n year, and then went to Wisconsin for two years, still working at his trade. Aflor nn engagement of two years with the Chiengo, Mil- waukee and St. Paul Railroad Company, he ne- cepted his present employment, remained two years in St. Paul, and came to Brainerd in 1872.
NOBLE H. CONGER was born on the 13th of Oc- tober, 1843, in St. Lawrence county, New York. He received his education at the Lawrenceville Academy, and in 1870, commenced the practice of dentistry in Malone, New York. Two years later he removed to Towa, where he was engaged at his profession four years, then for the same length of time in the United States army. In 1880, Mr. Conger came to Brainerd, opened a dentist office, and also owns a photograph gallery, which is in charge of Mr. McCall.
MISS MATTIE CALEY has conducted the restaur- ant, confectionery, and fruit business since 1879. The business was established by Mrs. C. J. Birch, in 1878, who sold the following year to the present owner.
CHRISTOPHER M. CHILD was born in Bradford county, Pennsylvania, in 1846. In 1871, he re- moved to Michigan, and was employed in a ma- chine shop till eoming to Brainerd, in 1876. Since his residence herc, he was employed two years as fireman, and six months as engineer on the North- crn Pacific Railroad. Then, on account of poor health, he was compelled to leave the engine, and is now. niglit fireman in the round honse at this place.
JULIUS D. CHENEY, a native of Illinois, was born in 1842. Ile was reared on a farm, and at the age of eighteen years, removed to Quincy, Illinois, where he was employed in a drug store. In 1866, came to Hastings, Minnesota, and started in business for himself; sold out after a short time, and for three years resided on a farm. Then, after living on a farm in Stearns county for a time, lic again started in the drug business, to which he has since devoted his time. In 1876, he moved to Sank Rapids, and in March, 1881, to Brainerd, where he keeps a drug and notion store.
JOHN B. CONANT was born in 1827, in the state of New York. He was a resident of Towa from 1855 till coming to Brainerd in 1870, excepting three years service in the war. Mr. Conant owns a farm abont two miles from Brainerd, which he is improving, but resides in the village. He has held several town offices since his residence here; was Justice of the Peace in an early day, and is at present Court Commissioner.
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