Fifty Years In The Northwest
for copper. Their superintendent, Mr. Crosby, located a mineral permit
at Pine island, one mile above St. Croix Falls, where he found rich
specimens. Citizens and operatives at St. Croix Mills gave liberally
to aid the enterprise, but Mr. Crosby's health having failed he left
expecting to spend the winter in Cuba, but sickened and died at New
Orleans, and the mining enterprise of the Galena company was never
resumed.
In 1847, a Boston company, composed of Caleb Cushing, Robert Rantoul,
Dexter and Harrington, and others, of Boston, and some other
capitalists, located a mineral permit one mile square at St. Croix
Falls, and another of the same dimensions on the St. Croix and Kettle
River rapids. This proved to be a speculative scheme of Boston and
Washington capitalists and politicians.
In 1848, David Dale Owen, a prominent geologist, made an exploration
of the territory now included in Minnesota and Wisconsin and published
a report. His work being done at the order of the government, he was
accompanied by a corps of scientific men, and had time and means to
make thorough investigations. He reported that the trap rock ranges of
the St. Croix, a continuation of the copper ranges of Superior, are
rich in specimens of copper. These ranges crop out every few miles in
a southwesterly direction from Superior. The most southerly are those
known as the Dalles of the St. Croix, including as a part the
Franconia ledge three miles below. The Kanabec river range crops out
near Chengwatana. The Kettle river range crosses the St. Croix further
north.
In 1865 the Minnesota legislature placed the sum of $1,000 in the
hands of N. C. D. Taylor for the purpose of examining and reporting
the different mineral prospects on the St. Croix and its tributaries.
He reported the Kettle river veins as being very promising. Mr. Taylor
sunk a shaft in a locality in Taylor's Falls to a depth of forty feet
and found excellent indications of copper, and some good specimens. He
reports most of the rock in the St. Croix valley above Taylor's Falls
to be of the different kinds of trap rock, with belts of conglomerate
running through them in a direction from northeast to southwest, the
conglomerate being most abundant on the Kettle river. There are
limited patches of sandstone which in places contain marine shells,
but no rock in place. Prof. Hall says of the Taylor's Falls vein that
it is a very distinct vein and shows quite equal to the early showing
of many of the best paying mines of Superior. He regards the Kettle
river vein as one of the most promising yet found in the country.
Other veins have been discovered in the vicinity of the St. Croix
Dalles. Considerable money has been spent in prospecting and
development, but more capital is needed than miners have yet been able
to obtain.
Taylor's Falls Copper Mining Company was organized Dec. 15, 1874, W.
H. C. Folsom, president; Geo. W. Seymour, secretary; Levi W. Folsom,
treasurer; David A. Caneday, mining agent. They sunk a shaft one
hundred and thirty feet deep and found good indications. This mine was
worked in 1875-76, at an expenditure of over $5,000. Excellent
specimens were found but not in paying quantities. The rock increased
in richness as the shaft sunk in depth. The work was suspended for
want, of material aid. There is but little doubt that as the valley
becomes known and populated, that as wealth increases, the mineral
resources of the country are better known, mining will become a
prominent and profitable industry.
REMINISCENCES OF REV. JULIUS S. WEBBER.[K]
We reached Stillwater, June 3, 1850, and moved into the Elfelt house
on North Hill. The village contained at that time about thirty
dwellings, two hotels, three stores, and a number of saloons. Three
religious denominations held services each Sabbath, the missionaries
in charge alternating through the successive Sabbaths, and supporting
in addition a union prayer meeting and Sabbath-school, of which Capt.
Wm. Holcomb was the first superintendent. The meetings were held in a
school house on Third street.
My appointments outside of Stillwater were at Willow River, Kinnikinic
and Prescott, Wisconsin, and at Cottage Grove and Point Douglas in
Minnesota. In 1852 Rev. S. T. Catlin was appointed to that part of my
field lying east of the St. Croix river, and I formed appointments at
Arcola, Marine, Taylor's and St. Croix Falls. We organized a Baptist
society at Stillwater, Oct. 26, 1850, consisting of eight members;
Rev. J. P. Parsons and wife, Dean A. H. Cavender and wife of St. Paul,
J. S. Webber and wife, constituting a council of recognition. Rev. J.
P. Parsons preached the sermon of recognition, and J. S. Webber
extended the right hand of fellowship. The first baptism by immersion
in the county was administered in a large spring just below Nelson's
store, Jan. 30, 1853, the waters of the spring being free from ice.
The candidate was Margaret Towner, of Pembina. In 1853 I made a tour
of the Minnesota valley to Mankato. On the first day, September 23d, I
traveled from Fort Snelling to Shakopee and saw not a human habitation
nor a human being on the trail. At Shakopee I found a home with Judge
Dowling. On the next day I traveled to Le Sueur. On Sabbath morning I
preached at Traverse des Sioux, and in the afternoon I went to
Mankato, and stopped at the house of Mr. Hannah, where I preached in
the evening, to a congregation that had come together hastily from the
neighborhood, the first sermon preached in Mankato. On the
twenty-sixth I preached the first sermon at Le Seuer, and the first
sermon at Shakopee on my return.
In 1854 I opened on the South Hill, known later as Nelson's addition
to Stillwater, a school known as Washington Seminary, which received
liberal patronage from the citizens of Stillwater and surrounding
country. In May, 1855, I sold the school to Mr. Kent, and it passed
into the hands of an Episcopal clergyman. I returned to New York where
I have since lived, pursuing my calling, which has suffered thus far
no interruption from sickness or infirmities.
The remembrance of my association with the people of the St. Croix
valley is pleasant. Amongst the most pleasant of my recollections are
those of the lumbermen of St. Croix, who often made up a large portion
of my congregation. They were kind and courteous, attentive hearers
and valued as friends and associates.
AN AMUSING INCIDENT.
An amusing incident occurred in Carver county, in Judge E. O. Hamlin's
district (an account of which was published in "The Drawer" of
Harper's _Monthly_, some years after it occurred). Judge Hamlin,
going to Chaska to hold his first term of court in Carver county,
found the sheriff absent, and his deputy, a foreigner who could speak
English very imperfectly, ignorant alike of his duties and of the
language in which they were to be performed, confessed his entire
ignorance of "how to open court," but said he could read writing.
Therefore Judge Hamlin wrote out the form for opening court, and
instructed him when the order was given for "the sheriff to open
court," to stand up and read distinctly the form prepared for him.
This was in the usual terms, beginning "Hear ye, hear ye, all manner
of persons having any business," etc., etc., and ending with "come
forward and give your attendance, and you shall be heard." At the hour
fixed the court room was reasonably well filled. Parties, witnesses
and jurors, together with the district attorney (who at that time went
with the judge over the whole district) were in attendance. The judge
was on the bench, and the deputy sheriff, fully conscious of the
dignity of his office, awaited the order of the judge. Upon being told
to "make proclamation for the opening of court," this officer arose,
and holding the written form before his eyes, roared out in stentorian
tones: "_Here we are! Here we are!_" and running through the remainder
of the form closed with "come forward and give your attendance, and
you _will be sure to be here_!" The air of importance with which it
was said, together with his self complacency in the discharge of his
new duties, was scarcely less amusing than the mistake he had made.
Its effect may be better imagined than described.
THE OLD SETTLERS ASSOCIATION.
By an act of the legislature approved May 33, 1857, the "Old Settlers
Association" was incorporated with the following charter members: H.
H. Sibley, Socrates Nelson, Franklin Steele, A. L. Larpenteur, Wm.
Holcombe, Wm. H. Randall, Wm. Hartshorn, Cornelius Lyman, Lorenzo A.
Babcock, J. D. Ludden, David Olmsted, H. M. Rice, Alex. Ramsey, Wm. R.
Marshall, Jos. R. Brown, Chas. W. Borup, Henry Jackson, Martin McLeod,
Norman W. Kittson, Vetal Guerin, J. W. Selby, Aaron Goodrich, and
Philander Prescott. These members, with those whom they might
associate with them, were duly empowered to buy, sell, hold property,
to sue or be sued, to receive donations, to keep a common seal, and to
enjoy all the franchises incident to a corporate body.
It was provided that no person should be eligible to a membership who
had not been a resident of the Territory prior to Jan. 1, 1850. The
seal of the association was devised by Aaron Goodrich. On the two
sides of the seal were represented the past and the future. In the
background of the side representing the past is delineated a plain; in
the distance are seen the last rays of the declining sun; nearer are
seen Indian hunters, their lodges, women and children, and a herd of
buffalo.
Prominent in the foreground of the side representing the future stands
an aged man with silvered hair; he leans upon his staff; he is in the
midst of a cemetery; the spire of a church is seen in the distance; as
he turns from a survey of the various monuments which mark the resting
place of departed old settlers, his eye rests upon a new made grave.
It is that of his last associate; _he is the last survivor_; his
companions have fallen asleep. A group of children in the foreground
represents the rising generation of Minnesota which shall reap the
fruits of the pioneer's toil.
ORGANIZATION.
The first meeting of the Old Settlers Association was held, in
pursuance of public notice, at the hall of the Historical Society of
Minnesota, in the capitol, in St. Paul, on Saturday, Feb. 27, 1858.
On motion of Judge Goodrich, his excellency Henry H. Sibley was
unanimously elected president. Hon. Aaron Goodrich and Hon. L. A.
Babcock were unanimously elected vice presidents, A. L. Larpenteur,
Esq., secretary, and J. W. Bass, Esq. treasurer. After which Gov.
Sibley addressed the meeting in a manner able, pertinent and feeling.
Several other members spoke.
On motion a committee of three was appointed by the chair to report
by-laws for the government of the association. Also a committee of
three to report such measures as shall be deemed best calculated to
effectuate the objects of the charter.
The president appointed H. L. Moss, L. A. Babcock and T. R. Potts
committee on by-laws, and Aaron Goodrich, B. W. Lott and Chas. S. Cave
committee on charter.
Judge Goodrich said this occasion was one of deep and abiding interest
to the pioneers of Minnesota; that there were epochs in our history
that should be commemorated. He desired that the first day of June be
fixed upon as the day for the future meetings of the association; he
named this day for the reason that on the first day of June, 1849, the
local organization of this Territory took place.
The following resolution was adopted:
_Resolved, That the annual meeting of this association be held_ on the
first day of June, providing that when said month shall commence on
the Sabbath, said meeting shall be held on the following Monday.