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

JAMES S. NORRIS.--James S. Norris was born in Monmouth, Kennebec county, Maine, in 1810. He was married at Newport in 1845 to Miss Haskell. Mr. Norris came to St. Croix Falls in 1839, removed to Washington county in 1842, where he settled on a farm at Cottage Grove, and lived continuously till his death, March 5, 1874. He raised the first crops in Cottage Grove, and though he made farming his chief business, his abilities were such that his fellow citizens intrusted him with many official positions, in all of which he acquitted himself with honor. He acted as county commissioner, was a member of the first territorial council, member of the sixth and seventh territorial house of representatives, and speaker of the sixth, a member of the Democratic wing of the constitutional convention, and of the twelfth state legislature (house). LEWIS HILL was born at Hollis, Maine, in 1822. In 1843 he came to the valley of the St. Croix and located at St. Croix Falls. In 1844 he came to Cottage Grove and engaged in farming, and, excepting a few years spent in Dakota county, has resided there since. He was married to Abbie Welch in 1854. Their living children are Emma C., Jessie L. and Frederick E. G. JACOB MOSHIER was born in Nova Scotia in 1820. He removed with his parents in 1829 to Canada West. In 1839 he removed to Illinois, in 1843 to St. Croix Falls, and in 1845 to Cottage Grove, where he still resides. He is a house carpenter, and has also been engaged in farming. He was married in 1854 to Maria Shatto. Their children are Annie F., Mahala, William, Addie, Grant, Laura, and George. WILLIAM FERGUSON came to Cottage Grove in 1844, and made a claim in section 26. JOHN ATKINSON was born in Lewiston, Maine, April 4, 1805. He remained in his native town until 1833, resided in Pittsfield until 1844, when he came West and located in Cottage Grove. He pre-empted eighty acres of land, purchased additions to it from time to time, and made for himself a very attractive home, where he resided thirty years. Mr. Atkinson was twice married, first to Hannah Moore, at Lewiston, Maine, who died in 1874, then to Mrs. A. B. Fiske, of Baytown, at which place he now resides, an aged, much respected citizen. His first wife left four sons and two daughters. DENMARK. This town is located on the point of land between the Mississippi river and Lake St. Croix, and includes the territory lying south of Afton, and between Cottage Grove and Lake St. Croix, fractional townships 26 and 27, range 20. The surface is elevated, somewhat rolling, without lakes or streams, and the soil rich and well adapted to agricultural purposes. The early history of the town is substantially that of its earliest settlement, Point Douglas. It was organized in 1858. Supervisors, John Shearer, Thomas Wright and David Hone. POINT DOUGLAS. Levi Hertzell and Oscar Burris, young men, located in 1839 on the extreme point of the delta between the Mississippi and St. Croix lake, where they cut wood and sold it to the steamboats. They built a log cabin and store, under one roof, and traded with Indians, discharged soldiers and French settlers. They were diligent and industrious, and prospered. In 1846 they built a frame store building. Their trade increased and they grew wealthy. Messrs. Levi Hertzell, Oscar Burris and David Hone, in 1849, platted the village of Point Douglas, Harvey Wilson acting as surveyor. It was named in honor of Stephen A. Douglas. The following settlers came to Point Douglas prior to 1850: Wm. B. Dibble, the Truaxes, Harley D. White, David Barber, E. H. Whittaker, James Shearer, Martin Leavitt, Simon Shingledecker, H. A. Carter, Thomas Hetherington, Geo. W. Campbell, John Allibone, Mark Wright, John H. Craig, John O. Henry, and George Harris. The first post office north of Prairie du Chien was established in 1840, on the site of Prescott, at that time known as "Mouth of St. Croix." This office was removed to the opposite side of the lake in 1841, and Levi Hertzell was appointed postmaster. The first school was taught in 1850, by John Craig. Rev. Joseph Hurlbut, a Methodist minister, preached here in 1848. In 1656 Rev. T. Wilcoxson, Episcopalian, established "St. Paul's Parish." Mr. Woodruff erected a saw mill in 1851. The enterprise was not successful. A. J. Short built a saw mill in 1858, which eventually passed into the hands of John Dudley. The first road to Point Douglas was the Stillwater county road, located in 1847. The Point Douglas and Lake Superior military road was built in 1849. A ferry was established in 1851 from Point Douglas to Prescott, which was chartered in 1856, and controlled by W. B. Dibble, who also established a ferry from Point Douglas to Hastings in 1857. The first marriage was that of Oscar Burris to Amanda M. Henry, Nov. 14, 1847. The first birth was that of Emmet M. Hone, born in 1845, son of David and Mary G. Hone. LEVI HERTZELL came to Point Douglas in 1839, and was quite successful in business. In 1846 he was married to Rhoda C. Pond, an adopted daughter of Cornelius Lyman, of Stillwater. In 1849, in company with Burris and Hone, he platted the village of Point Douglas. In the spring of 1856, while in New York, whither he had gone to purchase goods, he mysteriously disappeared, and nothing has since been heard from him. Mrs. Hertzell and her three children were left in a dependent condition, she being able to realize but little from the property held in Point Douglas. She soon after married again. Of her subsequent history nothing is known. OSCAR BURRIS, associated with Levi Hertzell as one of the first settlers of Point Douglas and pioneer merchants and traders, left in 1849 for California. DAVID HONE.--The following statement was given me, on request, by Mr. Hone himself: "I was born in Cherry Valley, Otsego county, New York, April 5, 1808, and was married to Mary Henry in 1835. We came by stage over the mountains of Pennsylvania to Pittsburgh and by steamboat from there to Cairo, Illinois, and stopped at the Marine settlement until Sept. 10, 1838. At that time I embarked on the steamboat Ariel, at St. Louis, and in twenty-five days reached the head of Lake St. Croix, from which point I proceeded on a flatboat, propelled by poles, to St. Croix Falls, the trip occupying two days. I made a pine timber claim on an island opposite the mouth of Kettle river. On my return, which was made with eight companions in birch canoes, I stopped at Marine and made a claim where the Marine mill now stands, intending to build a saw mill. We then proceeded in our canoes to Galena, where we took passage on the Ariel for St. Louis, landing there November 10th, after an absence of two months, more than half of which had been spent on the water. We reported favorably, and, organizing a company of thirteen at Marine settlement, Illinois, with a capital of $26,000, got our material together at St. Louis during the winter, and embarked on the Fayette, May 4, 1839, for the point afterward known as Marine Mills, Minnesota. We arrived May 13th and commenced at once to work upon the projected mill, which was completed Sept. 1, 1839. I remained at the mill until March, 1841, when I removed to Gray Cloud. I made a claim at Point Douglas in 1843, and moved upon it in April of that year. In 1844 I built the Union House, the first frame house built in the territory now embraced in Minnesota. At Gray Cloud I acted as justice of the peace. I was appointed deputy sheriff by Sheriff R. D. Lester of Crawford county, and held the office until Minnesota Territory was organized. My first wife died in November, 1864, leaving three sons, Edwin A., John H. and Emmet M. In 1865 I was married to Electa Barnes, of St. Paul. In 1872 I removed to Hastings, my present home." Mr. Hone died at Hastings, July 11, 1887. WILLIAM B. DIBBLE was born in the state of New York in 1815. He spent part of his early life in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Alabama and Illinois. He came to the St. Croix valley in 1839, and was one of the founders of Marine, Minnesota, from whence he removed to Point Douglas in 1844, and established ferries across Lake St. Croix to Prescott, and across the Mississippi river to Hastings. He also engaged in farming. He was twice married, first in 1844, to Eliza McCauslin, who died in 1847, then to Mary Wright, who, with nine children, survives him. Mr. Dibble died in 1884. GEORGE HARRIS was born in Pennsylvania in 1824. In 1827 his father removed to Illinois and was killed during the Black Hawk War while acting as sentry. At the age of eight years George commenced working on a farm, and continued nine years. He then removed to Missouri and remained until 1845, when he came to Stillwater and engaged in lumbering. Soon afterward he settled on a farm near Point Douglas, where he still resides. His family consists of a wife (formerly Alice White) and seven children. HARLEY D. WHITE was born in Orange county, Vermont, in 1812; came to Prairie du Chien in 1840 and engaged in selling goods; removed to Red Rock in 1844 where he sold goods in partnership with Daniel Hopkins, and settled on a farm at Point Douglas in 1847. Some years later he removed to Beattie, Kansas. He was married to Mrs. E. Tainter, of St. Croix Falls, in 1849. She died in 1850, leaving a daughter, who was adopted into the family of W. H. Tinker, of St. Paul. This daughter became a teacher and taught in the public schools of St. Paul for a period of eighteen years, and with her earnings purchased a home for her foster parents. Mr. White married a second time and reared two sons, one an editor, now residing in Alameda, California. The other is engaged in farming in Kansas. Mr. White died in April, 1888. THOMAS HETHERINGTON was born in Northumberland, England, in 1818; came to Canada at the age of sixteen years and to Point Douglas in 1849 and settled on a farm at Basswood Grove, where he died in 1885, leaving his family in good circumstances. He was held in great esteem as an upright man by those who knew him. JAMES SHEARER was born at Palmer, Massachusetts, Oct. 30, 1815. He was engaged in the mercantile business from 1837 to 1843, when he sold out and went to Canada. He came to Point Douglas May 8, 1849, and engaged in farming. He held various offices of trust in the county and town. He served as county commissioner for 6 years, postmaster 2 years, chairman of town board of Denmark for 4 years, and town treasurer 12 years. Mr. Shearer was married to Minerva J. Taylor, March 6, 1866. Their children are Marcus, Martha and Irvin. SIMON SHINGLEDECKER was born in Germany in 1815; came to America in 1831 and located in Ohio, where he worked nine years as a farmer. He removed thence to Illinois, then to St. Louis, and in 1845 came to Hudson, Wisconsin, where he engaged in lumbering. In 1848 he located on a farm near Point Douglas, which is still his home. In 1850 he was married to Margaret Truax. They have eight children. CALEB TRAUX was born in Mohawk valley in 1810. He became a citizen of Montreal and was there married to Elisabeth Morehouse. He removed to Point Douglas in 1849, where he followed the business of farmer and house carpenter. He was a representative in the fourth territorial legislature. He died at his home in 1878, leaving seven sons and three daughters. ABRAHAM TRUAX was born in Brooklynn, Canada West. He came to Point Douglas in 1848; removed to Hastings in 1850. While there he was elected sheriff of Dakota county. He returned to Point Douglas in 1859, where he still resides. He was married to Mary Lahey in 1859. Mrs. Truax died in 1867, leaving five children. GEORGE W. CAMPBELL was born in Canton, New York, April 8, 1810. He received a common school and academic education. His father died in 1826, leaving to George W. the care of the family and the management of the estate. He was married in 1832, at Cornwell, Canada West, to Margaret Harriet Robinson. He came to Point Douglas in 1848, where he has lived since, engaged in farming and lumbering. He was a representative in the first state legislature, 1857-58. Mrs. Campbell died at her home in Point Douglas in 1886, aged seventy-four years. She had been a member of the Episcopal church for sixty years. Six of her seven surviving children with the aged husband and father attended the funeral. Mr. Campbell died in 1887. FOREST LAKE. This town includes township 32, range 21. The surface was originally covered with hardwood timber, interspersed with wild meadows; the western part with oak, maple, poplar and tamarack. The first settlers were Louis Schiel, Wilson, Rice and Cyrus Gray. Later came Simmons, Posten, Marsh, York, and Banty. The first marriage was that of Francis Cartwright to Mary Long, in 1865. The first child born was Rebecca Simmons. The first death was that of Frederic Veith, in 1867. In 1873 the first school district was organized. A Methodist church was organized in 1876 by Rev. Adam Ringer. The Forest Lake Lodge, I. O. G. T., was organized in 1879. A post office was established in 1868; Michael Marsh, postmaster. The town of Forest Lake was organized in 1874; W. D. Benedict, A. C. York and George Simmons, supervisors; Louis Schiel, clerk. FOREST LAKE VILLAGE Was platted May, 1869, in the northwest part of the town, by Luther Mendenhall, agent of the Western Land Company, and surveyed by B. W. Brunson. It is beautifully located on the shore of Forest lake and is rapidly becoming a popular place of resort for summer tourists and pleasure parties. The lake is almost separated into three distinct parts by points or capes. It is five miles from the northwest to the southeast extremity and is nearly two miles wide at the widest point. Its shores are well timbered and approach the water's edge in gravelly slopes. The indications are that the lake was once much larger. In the south lakes the water is deepest, averaging twenty feet. The south lakes have also higher banks. The lake covers territory in sections 8 to 15, inclusive, of township 32, range 21. CAPT. MICHAEL MARSH is a native of Wesemburg, Germany, and has resided at this lake nineteen years. He has done much to make it attractive as a place of resort. He has built a hotel with seventy-five rooms for the accommodation of summer visitors, and has placed a steamer, the Germania, upon the lake. Capt. Marsh was married in Germany and has a family of two sons and three daughters. GRANT. This town was organized in 1858, under the name of Greenfield. In 1864 the name was changed to Grant. It comprises township 30, range 21. The soil is a sand and clay loam, with clay gravel subsoil. The surface varies from undulating to rolling, and was originally well timbered with white, black and burr oak. White Bear lake lies partly within the township, occupying about 1,200 acres. Other and smaller lakes are Pine, Stone Quarry, Deep, Ben's, and Long. The first officers of the town were: Moderator, Joseph Crane; clerk, Jesse H. Soule; supervisors, Albion Masterman, James Rutherford and Joseph Crane. The first settlers were Albion Masterman and William Rutherford, in 1849. Soon after came James Rutherford, Thomas Ramsdell and George Bennett. Albion Masterman built the first house, and his wife, formerly Eliza Middleton, was the first woman in the settlement. The first public highway through the town was the Rum river road. The first child born was Castinea O. Rutherford. The first death was that of James, son of James Rutherford. The first school house was built in section 1, in 1856. Joseph Crane taught the first school. The first sermon was preached by Rev. ---- Hamlin, a Free Will Baptist, but the first religious organization was that of the German Protestant Lutheran. Rev. Siegrist was the first pastor. The church building is in section 2, and was built in 1872. The Spiritualists had an organization in 1868, of which Jesse H. Soule was president, and George Walker secretary. Summer meetings were held, and lecturers from abroad invited to address them. DELLWOOD VILLAGE Was platted in September, 1882, on the line of the Stillwater & White Bear railroad, on the shore of White Bear lake; Augustus K. and Carrie Barnum, proprietors; Simon & Morton, surveyors. EAGLE CITY Was platted in 1854; proprietors, K. Starkey and Chas. G. Pettys; surveyor, Daniel S. Turpen. It is located in the southwest quarter of section 27. MAHTOMEDI Was platted in July, 1883; proprietors, Mahtomedi Assembly; surveyors, Hone & Holland. White Bear lake has become a noted resort for tourists and pleasure parties. A steamboat plies regularly upon its waters during the open months, and the Stillwater & White Bear, the St. Paul & Duluth and the Wisconsin Central railroads render it easy of access. It is made attractive by the beauty of its scenery, the clearness and brightness of its waters and its convenient distance from St. Paul, Minneapolis and Stillwater. The Mahtomedi Association have erected here a fine hotel, assembly houses and numerous cottages for the accommodation of summer visitors. Summer schools are held here under the auspices of the Chautauqua Association. The grounds are also adapted to camp meetings, conventions and military parades. WILDWOOD PARK Was platted in 1883, by the Park Association; Elmer & Newell, surveyors. It is located on White Bear lake, on the line of the Stillwater & White Bear railroad. WILLIAM ELLIOTT was born in Ireland in 1825. His parents removed to New Brunswick in 1830, whence he came to Minnesota in 1850, and located in Grant in 1862, devoting himself to farming. He had been a pilot and a lumberman. His second wife was Mary Crawford. They have eight children. FREDERICK LAMB was born in Prussia in 1825; served three years in the Prussian Army, traveled some time for a manufacturing firm in Germany through Switzerland, France, England, and Italy; came to America in 1848, and to Stillwater in 1849. For some time he was unsettled as to his location, but in 1852 made his home in Stillwater, where he remained until 1866, when he located in Grant. He was married in 1851 to Lena Laroche. A son and a daughter lost their lives by accident. Three daughters are living. JAMES RUTHERFORD was born in the parish of Elsdon, Northumberland county, England, in 1812. In 1818 he came with his parents to America. In 1849 he came to the valley of the St. Croix and located in what is now the town of Grant. He built a flour mill on Brown's creek. He engaged in farming and also in lumbering for many years. He was married to Elisabeth Smith in 1836. He died at his residence Sept. 14,