Fifty Years In The Northwest
Cecilia Ring, Ansel Smith, justice of the peace, tying the knot. Wm.
Colby was the first white child born in the village. The first death
was that of a three-year-old daughter of Ansel Smith, in 1852. Rev. W.
T. Boutwell preached the first sermon, in 1851. In 1852 three young
Episcopal ministers, Revs. Breck, Myrick and Wilcoxson, alternated in
holding services, but did not organize a society. Rev. Julius S.
Webber, Baptist, preached occasionally in 1852 and 1853; Rev. W.
Miner, Congregationalist, in 1856 and 1857 became the first resident
minister. In April, 1859, Rev. Silas Bolles, a Methodist, organized a
society, the first in the village. In June, 1859, Rev. A. M. Torbet
organized a Baptist society and served as pastor four years. The
society built a church in 1861 at a cost of $3,000.
In 1860 the Swedish Evangelical Lutherans built a church on the corner
of Mulberry and Government streets, at a cost of $1,500. Rev. C. A.
Cedarstam was pastor in 1871-72-73, Rev. ---- Tornell the three
succeeding years, and three other pastors have served since. In 1866
Rev. John G. Hall organized a Presbyterian society, and built a church
in 1868, on the corner of River and Chisago streets, at a cost of
$1,500. Mr. Hall served as pastor four years. The Roman Catholics
erected a church on the corner of Walnut and Centre streets in 1873,
at a cost of $1,000. They have as yet no settled priest or parish
school.
The St. Croix Bridge Company was organized in 1854. The incorporators
were W. H. C. Folsom, Patrick Fox, Joshua L. Taylor, W. S. Hungerford,
Wm. Kent, Nelson McCarty, John Dobney, W. F. Colby, Orange Walker,
Fred W. Lammers, and N. C. D. Taylor. The bridge was built in 1856; W.
S. Sewall, St. Paul, was the engineer. The capital stock amounted to
$4,925, and was divided into 197 shares at $25 each. The bridge was
rebuilt in 1870, on the same plan, and in 1884 was replaced by an iron
bridge, at a cost of $6,253. The bridge has a span of 150 feet and is
a light and graceful structure. It was the first bridge that spanned
the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers.
The Chisago County Bank was organized in 1858, under the state banking
law; capital stock, $25,000; Levi W. Folsom, president; S. C. Gould,
cashier. It was closed in 1859.
The Taylor's Falls Copper Mining Company was organized Dec. 15, 1874;
W. H. C. Folsom, president; George W. Seymour, secretary; L. W.
Folsom, treasurer; D. A. Caneday, mining agent. The operations of this
company extended to sinking a shaft to a depth of one hundred and
thirty feet.
The Kahbakong Cemetery Association was organized in 1853. The first
board of officers were W. H. C. Folsom, president; Joshua L. Taylor,
secretary. The cemetery is located a mile and a half from the village
and contains fifteen acres of ground beautifully located.
Zion Lodge, No. 55, A. F. &. A. M., was organized March 3, 1866.
Sherman Post, No. 6, G. A. R., was organized in July, 1882, Caspar
Hauser, commander. Taylor's Falls Library Association was organized
Oct. 8, 1871, E. D. Whiting, president; J. A. McGowan, secretary.
Within two years the library numbered 1,000 volumes and since that
time the number has been increased to 1,500.
In 1858 the village of Taylor's Falls was regularly incorporated with
the following board of officers: Trustees, Patrick Fox, president; W.
H. C. Folsom, E. D. Whiting, L. W. Folsom; recorder, H. H. Newbury;
treasurer, Wm. Comer.
AN INDIAN DANCE.
The last Indian dance in Taylor's Falls was given by a party of
Chippewas in 1856. They had come down the St. Croix in birch canoes
with furs and cranberries to exchange with Samuels in St. Croix
village for "scootawabo," or whisky. They remained about a week,
drinking and carousing in their peculiar style. One Sabbath, and when,
for a wonder, they were quite sober, they visited Taylor's Falls and
gave a series of grotesque and laughable dances in the street,
opposite Folsom's store, after which they called for presents as
tokens of friendship and appreciation, kindly and gravely shook hands
and recrossed the river.
"Thus departed Hiawatha."
CHAPTER XIII.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
JESSE TAYLOR, the first permanent settler of Taylor's Falls, came to
the Falls in 1838, as narrated in the general history of the village.
Nothing is known of his life before coming to the Falls, except that
he was originally from Kentucky, and lived at Fort Snelling, where he
was employed as a stonemason. By the death of his associate, B. F.
Baker, he came into possession of the mill property and its
belongings. This he sold to Joshua L. Taylor in 1846, and removed to
Stillwater, where he took a contract for stone work on the prison
walls. His name appears as a member of the house from Stillwater in
the territorial legislature for 1851 and 1852. He was married in 1844
to Abigail, daughter of widow Edwards, of Stillwater. He left
Stillwater in 1853.
JOSHUA L. TAYLOR was born in Sanbornton, New Hampshire, in 1816. In
1836 he removed to Alton, Illinois, where he lived until 1840, when he
came to Taylor's Falls in the employ of the St. Croix Falls Lumber
Company. In 1846 he purchased the property of Jesse Taylor. He engaged
in logging until 1849, meanwhile pre-empting portions of the site of
Taylor's Falls. In the fall of 1849 he went to California, and was
fairly successful in his mining ventures. He returned to Taylor's
Falls in 1852, where he has since resided. He was married in October,
1856, at Skowhegan, Maine, to Clarinda Wyman. Mrs. Taylor died May 4,
1860, leaving no children. Mr. Taylor built a fine residence in 1856,
on block 1, River street, Taylor's Falls, commanding a beautiful view
of the river. Mrs. Gilmore, a sister of Mr. Taylor, and her daughter
Mary, lived with him many years. Mrs. Gilmore died in 1868. Mary
Gilmore was married to D. G. Sampson in 1881 and now lives in Ashland.
Mr. Taylor had many opportunities of entering public life, but, with a
solitary exception, declined them. At the organization of the
territory of Minnesota, in 1849, he was appointed United States
marshal, but declined. He was afterward appointed warden of the
penitentiary at Stillwater, and served two years.
NATHAN C. D. TAYLOR, elder brother of Joshua, was born in Sanbornton,
New Hampshire, in 1810; removed to Alton, Illinois, in 1832 and was
for several years in the employ of Godfrey, Gilman & Co., merchants of
Alton. Mr. Taylor came to St. Croix Falls in 1846. He was one of the
original pre-emptors of the site of Taylor's Falls. In 1852 he engaged
with Patrick Fox in the mercantile business. They carried on an
extensive trade in goods and logs until 1858. The firm of Taylor & Fox
erected a good store building on lot 16, block 15. He was a member of
the house in the fifth and seventh territorial legislatures, and
speaker of the fifth. In 1866 he was elected county treasurer of
Chisago county, and thereafter to the same office continuously for ten
years. Mr. Taylor never married. He died at Taylor's Falls, March 20,
1887.
THOMAS F. MORTON was born in South Carolina. He came to St. Croix
Falls in 1840. In 1850 he settled on a farm adjoining Taylor's Falls,
known as the Jerry Ross claim. He pre-empted the southwest quarter of
section 25. In 1852 he was married to Mrs. Margaret Boyce, his second
wife, mother of Silas Boyce, of Amador. He followed farming
successfully a few years, and in 1862 enlisted in his country's
service, as a private in Company C, Seventh Minnesota Volunteer
Infantry, and along with his friends Colby and Guard did noble
service, participating in several battles, in one of which, the battle
of Nashville, he was wounded by the bursting of a shell. He remained
with the regiment, however, until, disabled by his wound and by
sickness at the siege of Spanish Fort, he was compelled to return
home. He never recovered his health, but in 1867 peacefully passed
away. He was a good man, a brave soldier, and an exemplary Christian.
HENRY N. SETZER.--Mr. Setzer is a descendant of a North German family.
He was born in Montgomery county, Missouri, Oct. 6, 1825, and received
his education at home, which he left at the age of fourteen years,
and afterward at St. Charles College, Missouri. In 1843 Mr. Setzer
came to the St. Croix valley, where he engaged in lumbering for
himself and others, and devoted some time to public affairs. From 1843
to 1854 he resided alternately at Stillwater, Marine, Taylor's Falls
and Chengwatana. Mr. Setzer represented the Fourth district, including
Marine, Rush Lake, Rice River and Snake River precincts, in the house
of the first territorial legislature, and the First district,
including the counties of Washington, Itasca, Chisago, Superior and
Doty, in the council of the seventh and eighth territorial
legislatures. He was a member of the Democratic wing of the
constitutional convention in 1857. In 1857 he was appointed warden of
the state prison at Stillwater, which position he held until 1860,
when he was appointed register of the land office at Cambridge, Isanti
county. He held this position until April,1861. Having devoted his
leisure time to the study of law, and having been admitted to practice
in the supreme court of Minnesota, he concluded to devote himself
entirely to practice. He established a law office in Taylor's Falls
with L. K. Stannard. He removed to Superior City in 1869, to Duluth in
1874, and returned to Taylor's Falls in 1877. He has served as town
and county attorney in Chisago county for many years, and has an
extensive practice in the higher courts.
PATRICK FOX was born in Tipperary county, Ireland, in 1819; came with
his parents to America in 1823, and to Davenport, Iowa, in 1836. In
1841 he came to St. Croix Falls, where he lived three years, moving
thence to Stillwater, where he engaged in logging until 1851, when he
removed to Taylor's Falls and engaged in lumbering for a year, then
entered into a mercantile partnership with N. C. D. Taylor. The firm
closed business in 1858. Mr. Fox has been a public spirited citizen,
contributing freely of his means for the improvement of the village,
aiding in opening roads, building levees and bridges, and school
houses, before such enterprises could be paid for out of tax revenues.
Mr. Fox represented Chisago county in the second legislature, 1860.
Mr. Fox is a good neighbor, industrious and temperate. He was married
at Davenport, Iowa, to Elisabeth Riley. They have three sons and two
daughters. The eldest daughter is the wife of Clarence Peaslee; the
second daughter became the wife of Winfield P. Larcy, of Dakota, in
1886.
W. F. COLBY was born in Whitefield, Maine, June 12, 1818. In his early
life he was a sailor. He came to St. Croix Falls in 1843. He was
married to Salina De Attly in 1849, and removed to the west side of
the river, where he located on the Otis farm which he had previously
bought. He followed lumbering and farming and kept a lodging house for
travelers. He built a good house, and the first frame barn in Chisago
county. He sold his property, consisting of one hundred and sixty
acres and improvements, for $8,000. In 1862 Mr. Colby enlisted in
Company C, Seventh Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, and served until the
close of the war as sergeant. Mr. Colby is a bluff, square, outspoken
man, hearty in his manner, and somewhat sailor-like in his expressions
though almost a lifetime has passed since he trod the deck of a
vessel.
OSCAR ROOS was born in West Gothland, Sweden, in 1827. He came to
America in 1850, and located in Taylor's Falls, where he has since
resided continuously, taking an active part in public affairs, and a
deep interest in everything pertaining to the growth of the village
and county. Mr. Roos was postmaster at Taylor's Falls 8 years,