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

1680. About the first of May Father Louis Hennepin arrived at Mille

Lacs, as prisoner of a Dakotah war party, who captured him at Lake Pepin, while on his way up the Mississippi. He remained at Mille Lacs several months. On his return homeward, after being released, he discovered the falls, which he named for his patron saint, Anthony of Padua. His book, published after his return to Europe, is the first printed account of Minnesota.

← Previous Back to Home Next →

Chapter 1 Ch.1
INTRODUCTION. Ch.2
INTRODUCTION. Ch.3
CHAPTER I. Ch.4
CHAPTER II. Ch.5
CHAPTER III. Ch.6
CHAPTER IV Ch.7
CHAPTER V. Ch.8
CHAPTER VI. Ch.9
CHAPTER VII Ch.10
CHAPTER VIII. Ch.11
CHAPTER IX. Ch.12
CHAPTER X. Ch.13
CHAPTER XI. Ch.14
CHAPTER XII. Ch.15
CHAPTER XIII. Ch.16
CHAPTER XIV. Ch.17
CHAPTER XV. Ch.18
CHAPTER XVI. Ch.19
CHAPTER XVII. Ch.20
CHAPTER XVIII. Ch.21
CHAPTER XIX. Ch.22
CHAPTER XX. Ch.23
CHAPTER XXI. Ch.24
CHAPTER XXII. Ch.25
CHAPTER XXIII. Ch.26
Chapter II, page 32, read Stillwater and St. Croix County, instead of Ch.27
CHAPTER I. Ch.28
1781. Mr. Brisbois lived a stirring and eventful life. He died in Ch.29
CHAPTER II. Ch.30
1845. Capt. Wm. Holcombe acted during this period as clerk of the Ch.31
CHAPTER III. Ch.32
1857. From 1857 to 1869 he was also a heavy logger alone. Mr. Anderson Ch.33
1777. He was married to Hannah Greely, a second cousin, at Hopkinton, Ch.34
1882. His wife survived him but a few months. The bodies of both were Ch.35
1885. She was the last of her family, husband and daughter having Ch.36
1846. As a business man he is capable and shrewd, giving close Ch.37
1838. In 1839 he drove the first herd of cattle through a wilderness Ch.38
1847. He was appointed clerk of the first Minnesota territorial term Ch.39
1848. He engaged in lumbering and scaling continuously. He was born in Ch.40
1820. He spent his youth on his father's farm, and received a common Ch.41
1843. He settled in Stillwater in 1844, and removed to his farm in Ch.42
1844. He came to America in June, 1847, and to Stillwater in 1848. Mr. Ch.43
1815. He was reared during his minority by an uncle, at Cambridge, New Ch.44
1853. In 1852 Gov. Ramsey appointed him territorial auditor. He was a Ch.45
1838. He became a great sufferer in the later years of his life. He Ch.46
1826. He received a good common school education. At the age of Ch.47
1857. Mrs. McPhail died in Stillwater in 1885. They left no children. Ch.48
1845. He was married in 1860 to Miss Jackins. He made his home in Ch.49
CHAPTER IV. Ch.50
1838. Polk county, originally a part of Crawford, in 1840 became a Ch.51
CHAPTER V. Ch.52
1857. The name of Gov. Holcombe will long be remembered in the valley Ch.53
1850. Through untiring industry and honorable dealing he has secured a Ch.54
1884. Mr. Stratton wrote for the Minneapolis papers many interesting Ch.55
1826. He settled on a farm near St. Croix Falls in 1856, where he Ch.56
24. The first sermon in the town of Clayton was preached by Rev. W. W. Ch.57
19. The west part is somewhat broken by the St. Croix bluffs; the Ch.58
1866. Few men have been more active in the opening up of a new Ch.59
1861. A. A. Heald, M. C. Lane and John Hurness were the first Ch.60
1864. Their new house of worship was built in 1870. The first settlers Ch.61
1867. It is situated on the same stream, a few rods above the first. Ch.62
1856. These have been succeeded by Rice, Webb, Clark Brothers, Ch.63
1853. The first white child born was John Francis, in 1847. The first Ch.64
1858. In 1874 he removed to Ashland, Wisconsin, where he died in 1878, Ch.65
CHAPTER VI. Ch.66
1849. James Hughes was appointed in 1850. The first district court was Ch.67
1852. A day was fixed in 1852 to vote on the change of name, Willow Ch.68
20. Wm. H. Phipps. Ch.69
1838. Mr. Bouchea had been educated for the Catholic priesthood. He Ch.70
24. He took a deep interest in the affairs of the pioneer settlement, Ch.71
1847. Mr. Andrews was a carpenter and took some important building Ch.72
1847. He was appointed receiver of the United States land office at Ch.73
1812. His parents were George and Mary Hoyt. Both grandfathers were Ch.74
1814. He removed to Harford, Pennsylvania, with his parents when six Ch.75
1851. He was married to Clarissa A. Day in 1841, who with one son and Ch.76
1850. Mr. Jones died in 1874. Mrs. Jones, five sons and two daughters Ch.77
1827. At eighteen years of age, he went to Weston, New York, where he Ch.78
1881. In 1887 he served again as a member of the assembly. Ch.79
1833. He received a common school and academic education and attended Ch.80
1884. He was a man of eccentric manners, but upright life. Ch.81
14. By industry and perseverance they have become independent, and own Ch.82
1848. In 1830 he was a member of the Maine legislature; in 1849 and Ch.83
1867. He was married in 1867 to Mary J. Stewart, of Pennsylvania. He Ch.84
1858. The North Wisconsin railroad passes through the southeast corner Ch.85
1870. He left a widow and four sons, three of them farmers in Troy. Ch.86
CHAPTER VII. Ch.87
1886. His home business is farming and real estate. He was married in Ch.88
1854. A building for a graded school was erected in 1859. A high Ch.89
19. Trimbelle river drains the eastern portion and the Kinnikinic the Ch.90
1854. Charles Hutchinson was the first postmaster, and the office was Ch.91
1814. He was liberally educated. He came to Edwardsville, Illinois, in Ch.92
1830. He graduated at the Chicago Medical College in 1860, and in 1861 Ch.93
1810. He graduated at Yale College. He came to River Falls in 1858 and Ch.94
1866. The first town meeting was held at the house of J. Prickett. The Ch.95
1871. The first settlers in the order of their coming were James Ch.96
6. It was organized Aug. 15, 1863. Among its first settlers were Ch.97
CHAPTER VIII. Ch.98
19. He built a flour and saw mill, the first in the county, a good Ch.99
1865. He subsequently became the first settler in the town of Ch.100
1877. Millions of feet of pine timber have been gathered and marketed Ch.101
CHAPTER IX. Ch.102
9. It has seventy-five miles of lake shore, with some fine harbors, Ch.103
1855. It was the first newspaper published at the head of Lake Ch.104
CHAPTER X. Ch.105
20. It contains about forty dwellings, three large boarding houses, Ch.106
1874. His seat was contested by John Hallburg, of Centre City. The Ch.107
CHAPTER XI. Ch.108
1883. The first supervisors were Eric Hokansen, John Rines and Haquin Ch.109
1855. He lived there eight years and filled various responsible Ch.110
CHAPTER XII. Ch.111
1703. This fort was in all probability erected on the plateau below Ch.112
1884. There is also a good school house. The village was incorporated Ch.113
1852. Henry married Margaret Smith, daughter of David Smith. During Ch.114
1856. He died in 1874, leaving a widow, two sons and two daughters. Ch.115
1873. They have three children. Elof, John, Elias and Hans are Ch.116
1865. In 1868 he came to Taylor's Falls and engaged in teaching, which Ch.117
1859. The first marriage was that of Peter Abear to Kittie Wickland. Ch.118
26. Mr. and Mrs. Walmarson reared a fine family of children. Nelson Ch.119
CHAPTER XIII. Ch.120
1863. At the close of the war, in 1865, he settled in St. Paul and Ch.121
1865. He died in 1872. Edward H., his second son, for some years has Ch.122
1823. He came to Marine Mills in 1844. For two years he was in the Ch.123
1804. He graduated at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, in Ch.124
1822. In the spring of 1849 he came westward, and engaged in Ch.125
CHAPTER XIV. Ch.126
1847. A military road was surveyed from Point Douglas to Superior Ch.127
1840. In 1843 he opened a grindstone quarry in the soft, coarse Ch.128
1854. The first child born was Nathan, son of John Atkinson, in 1846; Ch.129
1867. In 1885 they removed to California. Ch.130
1874. Four children survive him. Ch.131
1858. In 1874 a large church 50 × 80 feet, ground plan, and with Ch.132
1875. Rev. L. O. Lindh was the first pastor. Oakland Cemetery Ch.133
1858. The Marine flour mill was built in 1856 by Gaskell & Co. The Ch.134
1859. Henry F., a son by his first wife, enlisted in 1862, in the Ch.135
1869. A plat of ten acres, beautifully situated in a natural grove Ch.136
1855. They were followed by Dunn, Barnum, Hatch and Beecroft. Ch.137
1819. He was married to Sarah Blanchard in 1848. Mr. Jackman, with his Ch.138
1849. Their children are Daniel, Thomas, James, Elisabeth, Mary, Ch.139
1826. In 1844 he came with his parents to St. Louis, Missouri, where Ch.140
22. This fragment contains the famous painted rock, now included in Ch.141
1841. He was married in 1846 to Jane Middleton. Ch.142
1815. Mr. Gilbert settled in Woodbury in 1851. In company with Mr. Ch.143
CHAPTER XV. Ch.144
1850. It was organized regularly in 1853 by Rev. T. M. Fullerton. The Ch.145
1878. Two great fires occurred in the penitentiary in 1884. The Ch.146
1850. He was educated at the high school in Bangor. With his brother Ch.147
1829. Part of his early life he spent on a farm, but later he learned Ch.148
1851. In 1858 he came to Stillwater, and in 1861 was awarded the Ch.149
1824. Her parents emigrated to America in 1847 and settled in Ch.150
1886. Mr. Butts was married to Augusta Miller in 1856. Mrs. Butts Ch.151
1828. His parents were natives of Massachusetts, tracing their lineage Ch.152
1836. He came to Osceola, Polk county, Wisconsin, in 1850. In 1859 he Ch.153
1858. He was intrusted with the expenditure of public moneys from Ch.154
CHAPTER XVI. Ch.155
1859. This bank, a private institution, was the beginning of the Ch.156
1820. He came to Minnesota in 1851, locating at St. Anthony, but in Ch.157
1877. The first supervisors were Moses Ripley, George Tisdale and Ch.158
CHAPTER XVII. Ch.159
1854. The proprietors were J. Russell, G. M. Sweet and S. Van Nest. Ch.160
1855. Asa White, D. Gilman, C. W. Borup, N. Myrick, Gen. Lowry, and Ch.161
1827. He served an apprenticeship to a printer in Canada for five Ch.162
1809. He received a common school and academic education, and learned Ch.163
32. It derives its name from a rapid in the Mississippi river, formed Ch.164
1853. One daughter lives in Alabama and his youngest son is a Ch.165
1871. The name, Brainerd, was given to the new town in honor of Mrs. Ch.166
CHAPTER XVIII. Ch.167
1884. The proprietors are the Minnesota Iron Company, of which Ch.168
CHAPTER XIX. Ch.169
1849. A post office was established and Ard Godfrey was appointed Ch.170
1871. Edwin S. Brown. Ch.171
1871. Eli B. Ames. Ch.172
1888. A. A. Ames. Ch.173
1811. He received an academic education, and remained with his parents Ch.174
1814. He was the oldest son of Billy and Phebe (Baker) Ames, whose Ch.175
1818. In 1829 he removed with his parents to Lower Canada, where he Ch.176
1860. In 1862 he enlisted in Company D, Sixth Minnesota Volunteers, Ch.177
1809. He was educated at Princeton College and West Point, graduating Ch.178
1844. He served as a soldier during the Mexican War. He was the first Ch.179
CHAPTER XX. Ch.180
1865. Of Benoit little or nothing is known. The Freeman brothers were Ch.181
1847. Its effects, however, were not greatly felt until toward the Ch.182
1888. Robert A. Smith. Ch.183
1857. The early settlers were much disturbed by roving bands of Ch.184
1886. 1887. Ch.185
CHAPTER XXI. Ch.186
1861. In 1863, before the expiration of his second term, he was Ch.187
1806. He received a thorough classical and medical education. In 1828 Ch.188
1822. He came to La Crosse, Wisconsin, in 1840. The writer first met Ch.189
1820. His father, Otis Bigelow, was a Revolutionary patriot and Ch.190
1842. In 1845 he came to St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, remained at this Ch.191
1820. He studied law with his father, Judge Samuel J. Wilkin, and Ch.192
1858. He was married to Helen M. Olds, in New York, in 1840. Their two Ch.193
CHAPTER XXII. Ch.194
1830. He received a common and high school education and spent one Ch.195
1868. He served as state senator in 1866-67. He has been an Ch.196
CHAPTER XXIII. Ch.197
1817. His early life was passed amongst the Ojibways in the employ of Ch.198
1842. When he came to Gray Cloud island he was accompanied by a Mr. Ch.199
1827. Mr. Berry received an excellent education at the Pittsfield Ch.200
1879. He has been twice married. His first wife was Ellen Brady, of Ch.201
1878. He married a second wife in 1880. His family consists of eight Ch.202
1634. Jean Nicollet ventured into Wisconsin, and explored the country Ch.203
1658. Two fur traders penetrated to Lake Superior and wintered there, Ch.204
1660. Rev. M. Menard with eight companions came to La Pointe, Lake Ch.205
1665. Claude Allouez, an eminent pioneer missionary, succeeded Menard, Ch.206
1669. Father Allouez established a mission on the shores of Green bay, Ch.207
1670. Father Allouez made a voyage of the Fox and Wisconsin rivers to Ch.208
1671. In this year the French took formal possession of the whole Ch.209
1673. Louis Joliet, accompanied by Father James Marquette, discovered Ch.210
1674. Father Marquette coasted Lake Michigan, from Green Bay, by Ch.211
1679. The Griffin, a schooner built by La Salle, and the first to make Ch.212
1680. About the first of May Father Louis Hennepin arrived at Mille Ch.213
1683. Le Sueur made a voyage of the Fog and Wisconsin rivers to the Ch.214
1688. Nicholas Perrot first planted the cross and arms of France on Ch.215
1695. Le Sueur built a fort on Isle Pelee, in the Mississippi, below Ch.216
1700. Le Sueur established Fort L'Huillier, on the Blue Earth river Ch.217
1719. Francis Renalt explored the Upper Mississippi with two hundred Ch.218
1721. Previous to this date a French fort had been established at Ch.219
1727. The French established a fort on Lake Pepin, with Sieur de Ch.220
1728. There was a great flood in the Mississippi, and Fort Beauharnois Ch.221
1751. Sieur Marin, in command at Green Bay, made a peace with the Ch.222
1761. Capt. Balfour and Lieut. Gorrell, with English troops, took Ch.223
1763. The English, under Lieut. Gorrell, abandoned Green Bay in Ch.224
1766. Capt. Jonathan Carver visited St. Anthony falls and Minnesota Ch.225
1774. A civil government was established over Canada and the Ch.226
1786. Julian Dubuque explored the lead region of the Upper Ch.227
1788. There was an Indian council at Green Bay. Permission to work the Ch.228
1793. Lawrence Barth built a cabin at the portage of the Fog and Ch.229
1796. The western posts were surrendered by the English to the United Ch.230
1803. Antoine Barth settled at the portage of the Fog and Wisconsin Ch.231
1809. Thomas Nuttall, the botanist, explored Wisconsin. Ch.232
1814. Gov. Clark took possession of Prairie du Chien. Prairie du Chien Ch.233
1816. Indian treaty confirming that of 1804. Ch.234
1818. State of Illinois was organized; Wisconsin attached to Michigan. Ch.235
1822. The New York Indians purchase lands east of Lake Winnebago. Ch.236
1823. January. Counties of Brown, Crawford and Michillimackinac made a Ch.237
1824. First term of United States court held at Green Bay, Judge Duane Ch.238
1825. Great flood on the Red River of the North; a part of the colony Ch.239
1827. Rush of speculators to lead mines. Ch.240
1828. Fort Winnebago built. Indian treaty at Green Bay. Lead ore Ch.241
1832. Black Hawk War. Ch.242
1834. The portion of Minnesota west of the Mississippi attached to Ch.243
1837. Gov. Dodge, of Wisconsin, made a treaty at Fort Snelling, with Ch.244
1838. The treaty ratified by Congress. Frank Steele makes a claim at Ch.245
1840. St. Croix county established. Ch.246
1847. The Wisconsin constitutional convention meets. The town of St. Ch.247
1848. May 29th, Wisconsin admitted. August 26th, the "Stillwater Ch.248
1850. Great flood on the Mississippi. Minnesota river navigated by Ch.249
1851. Permanent location of the capital of Minnesota at St Paul. Ch.250
1852. President Pierce appoints Willis A. Gorman governor of Ch.251
1854. Real estate mania commenced. Treaty with the Chippewas at La Ch.252
1855. Treaty at Washington, District of Columbia, with the Chippewas, Ch.253
1857. Enabling act to admit Minnesota passed Congress. President Ch.254
1858. Minnesota admitted as a state. State loan of $250,000 Ch.255
1859. Hard times. Work on the land grant road ceases. Collapse of the Ch.256
1861. April 13th. President's proclamation for troops received. The Ch.257
1862. Call for 600,000 men. August 17th, massacre at Acton; 18th, Ch.258
1863. Gen. Sibley's expedition to the Missouri river. July 3d, Little Ch.259
1864. Large levies for troops. Expedition to Missouri river under Ch.260
1865. Peace returns. Minnesota regiments return and are disbanded; in Ch.261
1873. January 7th, 8th and 9th, polar wave sweeps over the State; Ch.262
1876. September 7th, armed outlaws from Missouri attack a Northfield Ch.263
1878. May 2d, three flouring mills at Minneapolis explode; eighteen Ch.264
1880. November 15th, hospital for the insane at St. Peter partly Ch.265
1886. Cyclone destroys Sauk Rapids. Wisconsin legislature adopts Ch.266
1854. Several reservations were set aside in each purchase for the Ch.267
1887. Alvah H. Heald, receiver; Wm. M. Blanding, register. Ch.268
4. Albert Henry Judd, Orange Walker, Samuel Burkelo, Hiram Berkey, Ch.269
5. Martin Mower, David B. Loomis; Lots 7 and 8, Sec. 29, T. 31, R. 19, Ch.270
6. John Allen; Lots 4 and 5, Sec. 2, T. 29, R. 20, west of river; gold Ch.271
7. Eleazer R. Steves; Lots 1 and 2, Sec. 14, T. 29, R. 20, east of Ch.272
10. Himan W. Greely; E. 1/2 of N. E. 1/4, Sec. 22, T. 29, R. 20, gold. Ch.273
21. Himan W. Greely; W. 1/2 of N. E. 1/4, Sec. 22, T. 29, R. 20, gold. Ch.274
1832. This lake is really the source of the Mississippi, though from Ch.275
1888. David Day. Ch.276
1887. Morton S. Wilkinson. Ch.277
1875. The _True Republican_ was established by M. A. Fulton in 1875, Ch.278
1850. He is now a resident of Fleming, Cayuga county, New York. Ch.279