Fifty Years In The Northwest by William H. C. Folsom

the finest of which are those in the shelter of the Apostle islands, on the northeast. The country is covered with dense growths of evergreen and hardwood timber. Numerous streams flow into the lake on the north, and into the tributaries of the St. Croix on the south. The Chippewa Indians formerly occupied the country. The Red Cliff Indian reservation is located at Buffalo Bay, a short distance north of Bayfield City. The territory of Bayfield county has been successively in the bounds of Crawford, St. Croix and La Pointe. By subsequent subdivisions Douglas and Ashland counties were set off from La Pointe, and the Apostle islands given to Ashland, and the remaining part of La Pointe was organized as Bayfield county, with the county seat at Bayfield, in 1868. Aside from traders and adventurers and the occasional advent of a missionary, the first settler was Elisha Pike, who came with his family in 1855, and settled in section 21, township 50, range 4, not far from Bayfield. Bayfield was named in honor of Admiral Bayfield of the British Navy, who made a survey of Lake Superior in 1822-23. BAYFIELD. The village of Bayfield was platted in 1856, by H. M. Rice. It has since been incorporated. It is beautifully situated. The site slopes gently from high timbered regions to the shores of the bay. The waters of the bay are deep, clear, and, from the shelter afforded by the Apostle islands, almost unruffled. The harbor thus afforded is among the best on the lake. Bayfield was made a port of entry in 1858. The city is well supplied with stores, mills, hotels, school houses, and churches. There are many pleasant homes, with fountains playing in front, lawns, shade trees and ornamental shrubs. The landscape, especially to those residing in the rear of the city on the higher grounds, is exquisitely beautiful. There are many beautiful trout brooks and ponds in the suburbs. As a summer resort Bayfield is becoming every year better appreciated. The Bayfield _Press_, established in 1874, is the local newspaper. It is edited and published by Currie C. Bell. WASHBURN Is a new town on the west side of Chequamegon bay. It is the lake terminus of the Omaha railroad. It has a fine harbor, large mills and other enterprises that mark it as a growing town. DRUMMOND, PRATT AND MASON Are prosperous manufacturing villages, with large saw mills, located on White river, on the line of the North Wisconsin railroad. CABLE STATION, On the railroad, in township 43, range 7, contains about a dozen buildings. Mathews, Olson & Co. are working a silver mine near Cable which yields twenty-three dollars per ton. There are several other villages and stations on the line of the two railroads passing through this county. DOUGLAS COUNTY. This county occupies the extreme northwestern corner of the State, having a frontage of six townships on the lake by six on the Minnesota state line, making a total of thirty-six whole townships and five fractional, the latter lying along the lake. The northern part of the county is drained by the tributaries of St. Louis river and Lake Superior, the principal streams being the Nemadji, Middle and Brule rivers. The southern part is drained by the St. Croix and tributaries. The Omaha railroad intersects the county from south to north, having its northern terminus at West Superior. The Northern Pacific crosses the upper tier of towns, having its principal station at Superior. Thriving villages are growing up along these lines of railroad, and the county is being rapidly settled. It was organized as a county in February, 1854, from territory originally belonging successively to Crawford, St. Croix and La Pointe counties. The first election was held Nov. 7, 1854. The following officers were elected: County judge, J. A. Markland; sheriff, Asa A. Parker; district attorney, R. R. Nelson; register of deeds, F. A. Whitaker; county treasurer, Bradley Salter; supervisors, Frank Perfect, Chas. H. Kimball and Alexander Paul; supervisors' clerk, C. H. Kingsbury; superintendent of schools, J. J. Post; coroner, R. H. Barrett. Judge J. A. Markland held the first term of court, June 4, 1854. The first deed filed in the county was from William Herbert to Geo. L. Becker, being a warranty in section 14, township 47, range 14. Consideration, $250. The deed was recorded February, 1854. At the organization of the county, Superior was made the county seat. SUPERIOR CITY. The site is on a beautiful plateau originally covered with pine, lying on the southern shore of Lake Superior, separated, however, from it by the waters of Superior bay, a fine natural harbor shut in from the lake by tongues of land called Minnesota and Wisconsin Points. These approach within a half mile of each other, the space thus left being the original outlet of the bay. Between Wisconsin Point and the main land lie the waters of Allouez bay, extending in length a distance of three miles, and in width in its widest part about one mile. The Nemadji river flows into Superior bay near its outlet. The bay of St. Louis finds an outlet into Superior bay between Rice's Point and a tongue of land a mile or more in length, projecting from the Wisconsin main land. Minnesota Point, which separates Superior bay from Superior lake, is a strip of land seven miles in length, with an average width of seven hundred feet, beautifully fringed with pines. At the outlet of Superior bay two piers have been constructed, extending into the lake three-fourths of a mile. On one of these piers is a forty-day lighthouse, constructed by the government. The bay forms one of the finest harbors in the world. The plateau on which Superior City is located is about thirty-five feet above the waters of the bay. The site occupies the triangular space lying between St. Louis bay and the bays of Allouez and Superior, and has at least eleven miles of frontage on these bays, along which numerous docks and piers have been built and projected, some of them costing as much as $200,000. The government surveys were made in 1853, by George R. Stuntz. In July of the same year J. Addison Bulmer made a location on Allouez Point. In August, John T. Morgan settled at the mouth of the Nemadji river. They were followed by Wm. H. Newton, George E. Nettleton, Benjamin Thompson, Col. D. A. Robertson, R. R. Nelson, and D. A. J. Baker, of St. Paul. In September the Roy brothers and ---- Cadott came. The same autumn Frank Roy, Abraham Emmuit and Louis Souvenard made pre-emptions of frontage on Superior bay. Several buildings were erected. Mr. Roy and others give to Col. Robertson the honor of building the first house in Superior. It is still standing. In the fall of 1853 mineral explorations were made, and mines were worked during the ensuing winter. An Indian trail was widened and a road opened into the St. Croix valley by which supplies were brought from St. Paul. This road was not wide enough for wagons, but was traveled during the winter in dog sledges and on snowshoes. The winter following the opening of the road, Messrs. Robertson, Nelson and Baker went over it to St. Paul on foot. In the spring of 1854 Newton and others made additional surveys of the town site of Superior City, and the same was recorded Nov. 6, 1854. Settlers came in rapidly. O. K. Hall built a hotel. At the organization of Douglas county, in 1854, Superior was made the county seat, the proprietors donating twelve acres of land for county buildings. Two lots for every eight blocks were donated for schools, twenty lots for churches, and a square for a park. A weekly mail to and from St. Paul was established in July of that year. A saw mill was erected. A land office was established at Superior that year. Rev. David Brooks, a pioneer Methodist minister, preached the first sermon, using a carpenter's shop as an audience room. An old settlers' association was organized September, 1855, known as the Fond du Lac Historical Society. Its officers were: R. B. Carlton, president; W. H. Norton and E. F. Ely, vice presidents; E. W. Perry, secretary. The Superior _Chronicle_ issued its first number June 12,