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

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, register of deeds 8 years, register of the land office 5 years, and county treasurer 8 years. He is engaged in exchange, loaning money, etc., and has a branch office in Centre City. He was married to Hannah Swanstrom in 1870. SAMUEL THOMSON, a Pennsylvanian by birth, came to Taylor's Falls in 1851, and in company with Ansel Smith built the Chisago House, a notable enterprise at that time, as neither the resources of the village or surrounding country had been developed in such a way as to give any assurance of success. Mr. Thomson removed in 1854 to Polk county; and settled on a farm in Osceola, where he made himself an attractive and pleasant home. His farm has long been celebrated for its trout pond. Mr. Thomson has given much attention and been quite successful in fish culture. The farm was sold in 1885, and Mr. Thompson removed to Arkansas, where he died Nov. 5, 1886. SUSAN THOMSON, sister of Samuel Thomson, taught the first school in Taylor's Falls, in 1852. She had just come from Pennsylvania, and had traveled on horseback from Stillwater, there being no carriage roads above Marine. She was married to Daniel Mears, of Osceola, in 1852. GEORGE DE ATTLY, a native of Virginia, came to St. Croix Falls with his family in 1847, and removed to Taylor's Falls in 1851, locating in section 25, and making a pre-emption. He was a carpenter. He raised a large and respected family. One son is in the Black Hills, Dakota Territory. His oldest daughter is the wife of Wm. F. Colby, of Taylor's Falls. His second daughter was the widow of Jacob Markley. His third daughter is the wife of Alvah Brown. One son, George, resides in Taylor's Falls. Mr. De Attly died in Nebraska. JACOB MARKLEY came from Virginia to the St. Croix valley in 1847, settling first at St. Croix Falls, and in 1851 locating at Taylor's Falls, where he pre-empted the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 24. He went to Montana in 1869, where he died a tragic death. His widow and two children reside in the Black Hills, Dakota. JOHN DOBNEY was born in England in 1820; came to America when a child, to Stillwater in 1845, and to Taylor's Falls in 1852. He followed logging for many years, and made himself a permanent home on a farm in Amador, on the banks of the St. Croix river, in 1858. He was married to Eveline Page, in Michigan, in 1859. WILLIAM DOBNEY, younger brother of John, came to Taylor's Falls from Michigan in 1852, and engaged, with characteristic energy, in lumbering and selling goods until his death, which was the result of an accident, he having been thrown violently from a wagon which he was driving, in the spring of 1871. He was married in 1855 to Fanny M. Gray, who with two children survives him. The oldest, a son, is married and resides in Minneapolis. The daughter is the wife of Dr. Greely Murdock, of Taylor's Falls. HENRY H. NEWBURY came to St. Croix Falls in 1849, and to Taylor's Falls in 1852. Mr. Newbury is a practical surveyor and explorer. He served as county surveyor and commissioner many years. He was married first to Sarah Ayers, widow of E. R. St. Clair, who died in 1874. In 1880 he was married to Fanny M. Gray, widow of Wm. Dobney. EMIL MUNCH was born in Prussia in 1831; came to America in 1849, and to Taylor's Falls in 1852, where, until 1857, he worked at the carpenter's trade, when he removed to Chengwatana, Pine county, and engaged in lumbering and dealing in pine lands. He served as register of deeds in Pine county, and represented Washington, Chisago, Pine and Kanabec counties in the house of the third legislature in 1861. He enlisted at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, Oct. 16, 1861, as a private in the First Minnesota Battery, and was chosen captain on the following month; was wounded at Shiloh, April 5, 1862; returned to his battery in September of the same year, took part in the battle of Corinth, October 4th and 5th, and in the after campaign was appointed chief of artillery, in October, 1862, and from effects of exposure on the march was forced to resign in the December following, but again entered the service to fight the Sioux Indians on the Minnesota frontier in May, June and July, 1863. He entered the Veteran Reserve Corps in August,