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

WASHINGTON COUNTY. The early history of Washington county is to be found in the history of St. Croix county, Wisconsin, of which it was a part until the organization of Minnesota Territory in 1849. At the first session of the territorial legislature Washington county was established in full for county and judicial purposes. It included all that part of the Territory lying east of the range line between ranges 21 and 22 and north of the Mississippi as far as the British possessions and fractional parts of townships 29 and 30, range 22. The courts held prior to this organization are referred to elsewhere. The first territorial court in Washington county was held Aug. 13, 1849, Judge Aaron Goodrich, presiding; Judge David Cooper, associate. It continued in session six days. There were sixty cases on the calendar. Harvey Wilson was clerk of court; A. M. Mitchell, of St. Paul, United States marshal; Henry L. Moss, district attorney; John Morgan, sheriff. The lawyers present were H. L. Moss; M. S. Wilkinson, M. E. Ames, A. M. Mitchell, L. Babcock, and David Lambert. The second court house (the first under the new organization) was built in Stillwater, corner of Fourth and Chestnut streets, in 1849, at a cost of $3,600. This was the first court house in the territory of Minnesota. The lot was donated by John McKusick. In this building were held all the courts from 1849 to 1867. In that year Churchill & Nelson donated a city block on Nelson Hill, a fine location overlooking the city and lake, and the county erected upon it a fine stone structure costing $60,000, including jail and ground improvements. The first election was held Nov. 26, 1849. The following board of county officers was elected: Commissioners, John McKusick, Hiram Berkey, Joseph Haskell; treasurer, Socrates Nelson; register of deeds, John S. Proctor; judge of probate, Harvey Wilson; sheriff, Jesse Taylor. At the same election the following persons were elected justices of the peace in their various precincts: St. Croix Falls, Jerry Ross; Point Douglas, Martin Leavitt; Stillwater, Albert Harris and H. K. McKinstry; Marine, James Moore and W. H. Johnson. The territory of the county has been from time to time divided and subdivided for the organization of new counties. Washington county, however, was divided but once. In 1852 the county of Chisago was set off in the north, since which time its boundaries have been, Chisago on the north, the St. Croix river and lake on the east, the Mississippi river on the south, Anoka and Ramsey counties and the Mississippi river on the west. It includes the following townships: From 27 to 32 inclusive, ranges 20 and 21, and fractional parts of townships 31 and 32, range 19, and fractional part of township 26, range 20. AFTON Was organized as a town in 1858. Joseph Haskell, G. W. Cutler and H. L. Thomas were the first supervisors; Minor H. Thomas, clerk. It includes a fractional part of township 28, range 20. It is well watered by Bolles and Valley creeks, streams tributary to the St. Croix. The southwestern part of the township is rolling prairie, the remainder somewhat broken. The soil is all productive and the streams afford good water powers. The township had French settlers as early as 1837,--Baptist Fornier and others. Joseph Haskell commenced his farm in 1839. Prior to 1850 A. Mackey, L. Bolles, P. J. Carli, T. F. Randolph, E. Bissell, N. H. Johnson, James Getchell, and A. McHattie located in the town. The first crops were raised by the French settlers. The first marriage was that of Andrew Mackey to Mrs. Hamilton, in 1844. The first child born was Helen M. Haskell, daughter of Joseph Haskell. The first death was that of Paul J. Carli, in 1844, accidentally drowned in the lake. The first road was located between Stillwater and Point Douglas, in