Fifty Years In The Northwest
estate. In 1873 he returned to Minneapolis. He was married to Mary D.
McLain in 1851. He died in August, 1887, leaving a widow and two
children.
JOHN H. STEVENS.--Col. Stevens traces his ancestry to the Moors who,
during the wars of the Alhambra were carried captive to France, where
they became known as Huguenots. Driven by persecution from France to
England, they emigrated thence with the Puritans on the Mayflower to
America. Col. Stevens was born June 13, 1820, in Lower Canada, whither
his parents had emigrated from Vermont. His father gave him an
excellent education.
At an early day John H. came to the lead mines of South Wisconsin.
During the war with Mexico he served as a soldier, and after the war,
in 1849, came to the Northwest and located on the west bank of the
Mississippi, at St. Anthony Falls, where he built the first frame
house on the west side, on ground that afterward became the site of
the union depot. He was a member of the lower house of the legislature
of 1876, and has filled other public positions with honor to himself.
He has been influential in municipal affairs, and always a staunch
advocate of the interests of his city, county and State. He is the
author of a book of "Reminiscences of Pioneer Life." He was married at
Rockford, Illinois, in 1850, to Frances Helen Miller. They have one
son, Francis H. G., and three daughters, Orma, Sarah and Kittie D.,
wife of P. B. Winston.
CALEB D. DORR was born at East Great Works, Penobscot county, Maine.
He became a practical lumberman, and, coming to the Falls in 1847,
bought of Hole-in-the-Day, a Chippewa chief at Swan River, one hundred
trees at five dollars per tree, for St. Anthony Falls improvements,
the first timber floated down the Mississippi above the mouth of Rum
river.
Mr. Dorr was in the employ of the government for ten years, locating
state and school lands. He has followed the business of scaling logs,
and has also been boom master. He was married to Celestia A. Ricker,
of Maine, March 4, 1849.
REV. EDWARD DUFFIELD NEILL, the well known author of the "History of
Minnesota," was born in Philadelphia Aug. 9, 1823. He was educated at
the University of Pennsylvania and Amherst College, Massachusetts,
graduating from the latter in 1842. He studied theology at Andover
Theological Seminary, Massachusetts, and in 1847 preached as a
missionary amongst the miners in and around Galena, Illinois. He was
transferred to St. Paul in April, 1849, where he organized a society
and erected the first Protestant church building in Minnesota not on
mission grounds. It was situated on Third and Market streets. He also
built for himself, on the corner of Fourth and Washington streets, the
first brick house in the city. In 1855 he organized the House of Hope
society and acted as its pastor five years. He was also the prime
mover in establishing the Baldwin School. In 1855 he secured the
building of the St. Paul College, for some years conducted as a
classical school and afterward consolidated with the Baldwin School.
He was the first territorial superintendent of public instruction, in
1851-2, and served as state superintendent from 1858 to 1864. He was
called to fill many educational trusts.
April 29, 1861, he was appointed chaplain of the First Minnesota
Volunteers, and served as such over two years. He was with his
regiment at the battles of Bull Run, Fair Oaks and Malvern Hill.
President Lincoln appointed him hospital chaplain, he became one of
the president's private secretaries, and continued in that relation
during the presidency of Andrew Johnson. In 1869 President Grant
appointed him United States consul at Dublin, where he resided two
years. Returning to Minnesota in 1871, he removed to Minneapolis and
conducted the Baldwin School and St. Paul College, under the title of
Macalester College, and located his school in the old Winslow House,
Minneapolis. In January, 1874, Mr. Neill connected himself with the
Reformed Episcopal church.
Mr. Neill has been a busy worker in literary, chiefly historical,
fields. Editions of his "History of Minnesota" were published in 1858,
1873 and 1878. He has published many other valuable historical works.
He is a ready and versatile writer, and is an authority on the
subjects concerning which he treats. Mr. Neill was married to Nancy
Hill, at Snow Hill, Maryland. Their children are Samuel Henry, Edward
Duffield and John Selby Martin.
JOHN WENSIGNOR, a native of Switzerland, was born May 22, 1825; came
to America in 1833, to St. Anthony Falls in 1849, and engaged
successfully in mercantile pursuits. Mr. Wensignor has been a generous
man to the poor, and although public spirited, has persistently
declined office. Mr. Wensignor died in 1886.
ROBERT H. HASTY was born in York county, Maine, Dec. 12, 1823. He came
to Stillwater in 1849, and engaged in lumbering. He was surveyor
general of the First district two years. He enlisted in Company I,
Sixth Minnesota, at the organization of the regiment in 1862, was
commissioned second lieutenant, promoted to first lieutenant, and
resigned Jan. 15, 1865. In 1881 he removed to Crystal Lake, Minnesota.
STEPHEN PRATT, a native of Penobscot county, Maine, was born, in 1828;
came to St. Anthony Falls in October, 1849, where he followed
lumbering until 1858. He was a member of the First Minnesota Cavalry
during the Rebellion. In 1864 he removed to a farm. He died in 1887.
CAPT. JOHN TAPPER was born in Dorsetshire, England, March 25, 1820;
came to America in 1840, and to Prairie du Chien and Fort Snelling in
1844. He served as a soldier during the Mexican War. He was the first
toll collector on the St. Anthony Falls wire suspension bridge. He
finally located on Steele's farm near Minnehaha falls, and is now
living in Clayton county, Iowa.
R. W. CUMMINGS was born in Lycoming, Pennsylvania, June, 1825. He
settled at Cottage Grove, Minnesota, in 1845, and in 1848 made a claim
in St. Anthony, and improved it as a farm until the city required it
for lots, since which time he has been engaged in the real estate
business.
ELIAS H. CONNER was born in New Sharon, Maine, in 1824. In 1848 he
came to Lakeland, Minnesota, and in 1849 to St. Anthony Falls, where
he had charge of the work on the first suspension thrown across the
Mississippi at that point. He also built the first bridge that spanned
the St. Croix at Taylor's Falls. In 1855 he was married to Hannah
Rollins.
C. F. STIMSON was born in Maine, April 19, 1822. He came to Stillwater
in June, 1848, and thence to St. Anthony Falls, where he followed
lumbering. He was treasurer of Ramsey county for one year. In 1879 he
moved to his farm near Elk River. He has a wife and two children.
WILLIAM DUGAS was born in Three Rivers, Canada East, May 17, 1809. He
came to New York in 1831. He spent some time traveling, visiting
Africa, New Orleans, Indian Territory, Iowa, and Illinois, and other
places more or less remote. He came to Minnesota in 1844, and was a
representative in the first territorial legislature. Later he removed
to St. Anthony Falls. He afterward removed to Dayton, Minnesota. He
was married at Prairie du Chien in 1844.
DAVIS GORHAM was born in Quebec; came to Virginia, where he spent two
years, and thence to Maine, where he lived twelve years. In April,
1849, he came to St. Anthony Falls, and made valuable land claims near
Lake Calhoun. He followed lumbering for about twelve years. In 1864 he
started for California, but was driven back by the Sioux Indians. In
1867 he settled in Plymouth, where he has been supervisor for ten
years.
EDWIN HEDDERLY was born in Philadelphia in 1814. In 1849 he came to
St. Anthony Falls and in 1851 made a claim of one hundred and sixty
acres west of the river, within the present bounds of Minneapolis. He
served on various committees for selecting a name for the new city and
its streets, and until his death was ever active and influential in
all matters pertaining to the welfare of the city. He was married to
Mary J. Kennard, of Philadelphia. Eight children of this union survive
him and are residents of the city. Mr. Hedderly died in 1879.
LOUIS NEUDECK, born December, 1821, came to St. Anthony Falls in 1849.
He subsequently lived in Missouri, Illinois and at Stillwater, but in
1855 returned to the Falls. He died in 1864. He was supposed to have
been killed by Indians while absent in Montana, the only clue to his
sad fate being the recovery of his revolver having his name inscribed
on it, from an Indian. He left a widow and five children.
ANDREW J. FOSTER was born in Cooper, Maine, June, 1827, and came to
the Falls in 1849, where he engaged in the lumbering, grocery,
gardening, and real estate business. He married Mrs. Mary Averill, of
Stillwater. Their children are Ada, William, Owen and Elmer.
A. D. FOSTER, a Pennsylvanian, born in 1801, came to St. Anthony Falls
in 1848. He assisted in building the Gov. Ramsey, the first boat above
the falls. He has engaged in fruit culture and merchandising. He was
married in Pennsylvania and has three children; Josiah, resident in
Indianapolis; Lysander, a physician in Minneapolis; and a daughter,
married.
CHARLES E. VANDERBURGH, a native of Clifton, Parke county, New York,
born Dec. 2, 1829, graduated at Yale College an 1852, and served for
awhile as principal of Oxford Academy, New York. He studied law and
was admitted to practice in 1855. In 1856 he came to Minneapolis,
which has since been his home. In 1849 he was elected judge of the
district court, which at that time embraced all the territory west of
the Mississippi from Fort Snelling to the north boundary line. He has
been continuously re-elected, an evidence of the high estimation in
which he is regarded by his fellow citizens.
Judge Vanderburgh has been twice married. His first wife, Julia M.
Mygatt, wedded Sept. 2, 1857, died April 23, 1863, leaving two
children, William Henry and Julia M. His second wife was Anna Culbert,
married April 15, 1873. They have one child, Isabella McIntyre. His
daughter Julia was accidentally drowned Sept. 12, 1871.
DORILLIUS MORRISON was born at Livermore, Oxford county, Maine, Dec.
26, 1816. He received a common school and academic education. He
taught school awhile, and then engaged in the mercantile business, the
last eleven years at Bangor, when in the spring of 1853 he came to
Minneapolis, where he became prominent as a business man, following
lumbering, dealing in real estate, milling and railway building. He is
one of the projectors and proprietors of the Minneapolis Mill Company.
He is also sole owner and proprietor of a cotton mill costing
$100,000. He was deeply interested in the Northern Pacific railroad.
He was the first mayor of Minneapolis, in 1867, and served as senator
in the sixth legislature in May, 1840. He was married to Harriet
Putnam Whitmore, a descendant of Gen. Israel Putnam. They have three
children, Clinton and George Henry, residents of Minneapolis, and
Grace E., the wife of Dr. H. H. Kimball, of Minneapolis.
H. G. O. MORRISON, brother of Dorillius, was born in Livermore, Maine,
Jan. 24, 1817. He graduated at the Bangor high school. He worked at
printing in his youth, read law and was admitted to practice in 1838,
locating afterward at Sebre, Maine. He was a member of the Maine
senate in 1841. In 1855 he came to St. Anthony Falls. He moved to
Dakota county soon after, and represented that county in the state
legislatures of 1860-61. He resided in Dakota county for twelve years.
He was assessor of internal revenue from 1869 to 1873, during which
time he lived in St. Paul. In 1873 he removed to Minneapolis, where he
has since resided. He has been twice married. His second wife was
Rebecca Newell. They have three children, Daniel W., Samuel B. and
Stanford.