Fifty Years In The Northwest
completed to Ely, a distance of twenty miles.
Emigration during the years 1886-7 to this county has been very
extensive. The two counties, Lake and Cook, have many features in
common. They are similar in geological formation, produce the same
metals in the same generous abundance, and being in the same latitude,
and bordering upon the same lake, differ in no wise in climate and but
little in productions. Large quantities of pine timber may be found in
these counties, and saw mills are located along the lake shore where
an accessible harbor can be found. There are several harbors between
Duluth and Thunder Bay that might be improved by the government,
greatly to the advantage of the country.
The silver mines of Isle Royal and along the national boundary are
extensive, and yield rich returns to the companies working them.
TWO HARBORS,
A flourishing village located on the shore of Lake Superior, takes its
name from two small harbors bearing that name. The Vermillion Iron
Company have built extensive piers into the lake to facilitate the
shipping of ores. They have large shops for railroad purposes, with an
electric light plant. The company employ about two hundred men. Two
Harbors is the county seat of Lake county.
COOK COUNTY.
Grand Marais is the county seat of Cook county. It is a round,
land-locked harbor. It has a lighthouse, and the government has built
a breakwater four hundred feet long, thus making it a harbor of
refuge, so that boats can lie with safety in any storm. Grand Marais
is one hundred and ten miles from Duluth, on the north shore of Lake
Superior. It is the best harbor that Minnesota has except Duluth. It
is thirty miles south of the international boundary line, and
forty-five miles northeast of the line by Lake Superior. It is the
natural outlet for the mineral deposits north. There are large
quantities of iron ore within thirty-five miles of the harbor. A
railroad line has been run, and men are now at work on the iron
deposits with a view of shipping the ore from Grand Marais to points
where it is wanted for smelting purposes.
Grand Marais was in early days one of the Northwest Fur Company's
trading posts, but of late years has been used as a fishing station.
Streets in the town are now being laid out, and from present
indications Cook county, with its pine lands, iron ore and other
mineral resources, will be one of the most thriving counties in the
State, with Grand Marais as not only a harbor of refuge, but one of
the competing ports for the shipment of iron ore.
H. Mayhew, to whom we are indebted for items of interest concerning
Cook county, is the oldest resident of Grand Marais, and one of the
town proprietors.
CHAPTER XIX.
HENNEPIN COUNTY.
Hennepin county was organized March 6, 1852. Prior to the organization
of Minnesota Territory it was in Clayton county, Iowa. At the
organization of the Territory, in 1849, it was included in Dakota
county, and so remained until set off in 1852. Hon. Bradley B. Meeker
held the first court within the present limits of the county, at the
old government mill, in 1849. Taylor Dudley was clerk of court,
Franklin Steele, foreman of grand jury. The first board of
commissioners were Alex. Moore, chairman, John Jackins and Joseph
Dean. The first election was held Oct. 21, 1852, at the house of Col.
John H. Stevens, on the west side. The county is a rich agricultural
region, abounding with beautiful lakes, of which Minnetonka is the
largest and finest. The county is bounded on the north by the
Mississippi river and Wright county, on the east by the Mississippi
river and Ramsey county, on the south by the Minnesota river and
Carver county, on the west by Wright and Carver counties. It is
subdivided into the following towns: Bloomington, Brooklyn, Champlin,
Crystal Lake, Corcoran, Dayton, Eden Prairie, Excelsior, Greenwood,
Hasson, Independence, Maple Grove, Medina, Minneapolis, Minnetonka,
Minnetrista, Osseo, Plymouth, Richfield, and St. Anthony.
FORT SNELLING.
Fort Snelling owes its origin to the encroachments of British traders
on our northern frontier. As early as 1805 Lieut. Zebulen Montgomery
Pike, United States Army, was sent with a detachment of troops to
explore the Upper Mississippi river to expel British traders who might
be found encroaching upon our territory, and to secure by treaty a
military reservation. Sept. 21, 1805, he encamped on Pike island, at
the junction of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers, and, being
pleased with the situation, forthwith made a treaty with chiefs of the
Sioux nation to include all that tract of land lying from below the
confluence of the two rivers, up the Mississippi, including the falls
of St. Anthony, nine miles in width on each side of the river. The
price paid was $2,000. The reserve thus purchased was not used for
military purposes until 1819, when a detachment of the Fifth United
States Infantry, commanded by Lieut. Col. Henry Leavenworth, was sent
to occupy the reservation and build a fort. The building of the fort,
with its various stone and wooden buildings, was the work of years.
The site of the fort was selected in 1820, by Col. Josiah Snelling,
who named it Fort St. Anthony, but at the suggestion of Gen. Winfield
Scott, in 1824 the name was changed to Fort Snelling as a worthy
compliment to its founder and builder. Notwithstanding the treaty made
by Col. Pike in 1805, the Indian claim to the reservation was not
extinguished until the treaty of 1837, ratified by the senate in 1838.
In 1836, before the extinction of the Indian title, many settlers
located on the reservation on the left bank of the Mississippi. These
were forcibly removed by the United States government in 1840, under
the act of March 3, 1807, an act to prevent settlements being made on
ceded lands until duly authorized by law. The reservation was reduced
from time to time, portions being sold. In 1857 Franklin Steele
purchased the entire reservation, with the exception of two small
tracts, including the fort itself, for the sum of $90,000, to be paid
in three yearly installments. The first payments were actually made,
the troops were withdrawn, and Mr. Steele assumed possession. Default
having been made in the two remaining payments, the government resumed
possession of a small portion of the reservation and fort in 1861. The
year following, by act of Congress, the reservation was reduced. In
1870 it was permanently reduced to 1,531.20 acres. A suit at law
between Mr. Steele and the United States government was compromised by
releasing him from further payments and granting him a large tract of
land lying along the right bank of the Mississippi, north of the fort,
with a portion of Pike's island.
Maj. Plympton and other officers of the fort, in company with Franklin
Steele, made the first land claim, by permit of the government, at
East St. Anthony, in 1838. They built a shanty and hired a Frenchman
to occupy it. Steele bought out the interests of the officers
associated with him and in 1848 secured a title from the United
States. The first saw mill built on this claim was commenced by Mr.
Steele, in conjunction with Boston parties in 1847, but was not
completed until the following year.
The next land claim on the river was made further up, by R. P. Russell
and S. J. Findley. This was sold to Bottineau and afterward passed to
other parties. The land claim adjoining Steele's, below, was
purchased of a Frenchman by C. A. Tuttle in 1848. This claim is now
partially occupied by the State University. W. Henry Cheever made a
claim south of Tuttle's, on which, in 1849, he built a hotel and a
huge wooden tower or observatory, nearly one hundred feet in height,
over the entrance to which was a rhyming couplet:
"Pay your dime
And climb."
Franklin Steele, before completing his mill and dam, became sole owner
of the water power on the east side of the river. During the periods
following the property has often changed owners, and sometimes the
change has resulted in unprofitable litigation. James J. Hill, in
later years, has become the owner of most of the water power of
Nicollet and Hennepin islands and of the east shore, and is making
valuable improvements.
ST. ANTHONY FALLS.
St. Anthony Falls was platted as a village in 1849, and was included
in Ramsey county until 1856. In 1861 the legislature established
satisfactory boundaries, annexing part of town 29, range 24, to
Hennepin county.
Among the first settlers of the Falls was Ard Godfrey. The first white
child born here was a son of C. A. Tuttle, millwright. The Luther
Patch family, consisting of four sons and two daughters, was the first
resident American family at the Falls. Mr. Patch's sons were Edward,
Wallace, Gibson, and Lewis; the daughters, Marion, who became the wife
of R. P. Russell, the first marriage at the Falls, Oct. 3, 1848, and
Cora, who became the wife of Joseph Marshall. An earlier marriage was
celebrated at Fort Snelling May 27, 1835, that of Lieut. Edmund A.
Ogden and Eliza Edna Loomis; Rev. Thos. S. Williamson officiating.
This was the first marriage north of Prairie du Chien. The first store
was opened by R. P. Russell in 1847, the second, in 1849, by Joseph
Marshall. We find Jacob Fisher, of Stillwater, here in 1847, building
the dam from Nicollet island to the east shore. Among the operators of
the mill who have been prominent citizens of St. Anthony Falls are
Sumner W. Farnham, John Rollins, Caleb W. Dorr, John McDonald, and
Robert W. Cummings. Some of these men brought their families here. The
building of the mill was somewhat delayed by the sinking in the Erie
canal of the boats containing the machinery, hardware, etc. Standing
pine to be used in the mill was purchased of Hole-in-the-Day, a
Chippewa chief, cut and floated down from Sauk Rapids to the Falls.
Some timber was also brought from Rum river, the first cut on that
stream, except for government use. At the land sale in 1848, Mr.
Steele secured all the land above Tuttle's to the north limits of the
city. Amongst the settlers in 1848 were the Getchells, Smiths, Rogers'
and Huse. In 1849, at the organization of the territory of Minnesota,
a number of others arrived, among them Judge B. B. Meeker, Dr. John H.
Murphy, John W. North, J. P. Wilson, and John G. Lennon. During this
year the west half of sec. 14, range 29, was surveyed and platted into
town lots by W. R. Marshall, B. W. Bronson and S. P. Folsom. Anson
Northrup commenced the erection of the first hotel, the St. Charles.
John Rollins was elected to the territorial council, W. R. Marshall
and Wm. Dugas to the house of representatives. The district was
comprised of St. Anthony Falls and Little Canada.
The first school was taught by Miss Electa Bachus, in the summer of
1849. A post office was established and Ard Godfrey was appointed
postmaster. There were occasional mails brought in John Rollins'
passenger wagon. In 1850 Willoughby & Powers ran a daily stage line
from St. Paul and the mail thenceforth was carried regularly. John W.
North built a dwelling on Nicollet island, which became a social
centre, and was made attractive by a piano. In 1850 a public library
was established, the first in Minnesota. Rev. E. D. Neill, the
historian of Minnesota, delivered the first public lecture and
preached the first sermon in 1849. The following year, the Baptists,
Methodists, Congregationalists and Presbyterians organized societies,
and in 1851 the Episcopalians and Universalists. Amongst the
accessions to the population were Judge Isaac Atwater, W. W. Wales, J.
B. Bassett, C. W. Christmas, and Joseph Dean. Col. Alvaren Allen
opened a livery stable. The St. Anthony _Express_, the first