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

CITY SCHOOLS. Graded schools were established in 1859. They have ever maintained an excellent reputation. In 1860 Charlotte Mann was chosen principal, and taught the eight ensuing years. A new school building was completed in 1887 at a cost of $25,000. This building is devoted to high school purposes. The schools of the city are graded. There are eleven departments and twelve teachers. Each ward of the city has a separate building. The school fund amounts to about $5,000 per annum. The schools are under the control of six commissioners. A MILITARY INSTITUTE Was organized at River Falls by Prof. J. R. Hinckley, and shortly afterward removed to Hudson, and a building worth $7,000 erected for its accommodation. In 1880 it was purchased by the Catholics, and it is now known as St. Marys Academy. MILLS AND MANUFACTORIES. The first saw mill, as already noted, was completed in 1850. It was known as Purinton's saw mill. Other saw mills were built, but destroyed by fire. We have no record of ownership and losses, but estimate the aggregate of the latter as near $100,000. The Willow River mills, built in 1867, consist of two flouring mills, with a capacity of four hundred barrels per day. Connected with these are a large elevator and cooper shop. The present proprietors are Cooper, Clark & Co. The invested capital is $150,000. The Hudson Lumber Company, in 1883, built a saw mill, below the steamboat landing. This mill has a capacity of 18,000,000 feet per annum, and has a planing mill attached. It is complete in all its departments, manufacturing all classes of lumber, from timber to mouldings. The capital stock amounts to $100,000. The officers are H. A. Taylor, president; C. R. Coon, vice president; M. Herrick, secretary; F. D. Harding, treasurer; S. W. Pierce, superintendent. The Hudson Foundry and Machine Shop was established in 1870. The North Hudson Foundry and Car Shops are doing a fine business. The Hudson Carriage Works were established in 1885, and the Hudson Furniture Manufactory in 1883. The amount invested in this enterprise is $180,000, and it furnishes employment to one hundred men. C. R. Coon is president of the company. There are two breweries--Moctreman's, established in 1857, and Yoerg's in 1870. BANKS. The St. Croix Valley Bank was organized in 1855. It was a bank of issue, payable at Gordon, Wisconsin. It closed in 1857. The Hudson City Bank, organized Sept. 10, 1856, went into operation under the general law of Wisconsin, capital stock $25,000, secured by Michigan and Missouri state stocks. J. O. Henning was president and M. S. Gibson, cashier. It soon closed. The Farmers and Mechanics Bank, a state bank, went into operation in 1857 and closed the following year. The Hudson First National Bank was organized in 1863, with a capital of $50,000. The first officers were John Comstock, president; Alfred J. Goss, cashier. The officers in 1888 are John Comstock, president; A. E. Jefferson, cashier. The surplus fund is $53,000. The directors are H. A. Taylor, H. L. Humphrey, John C. Spooner, A. L. Clark, F. D. Harding, A. T. Goss, and W. H. Crowe. The Hudson Savings Bank was organized in 1870, with a capital stock of $50,000. Alfred Goss, president; A. J. Goss, cashier. Alfred Goss died in 187--, but the bank is in successful operation, the son still retaining his father's name as head of the firm. THE OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES HOSPITAL. [Illustration: OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES HOSPITAL.] The beautiful private hospital which takes the name of America's popular poet, Oliver Wendell Holmes, was opened June 7, 1887. The credit of this hospital scheme is entirely due to Dr. Irving D. Wiltrout, of Hudson, who for some years has been assiduously at work maturing the plans. The owners are Dr. Wiltrout and the Johnston Brothers, of Boardman. The site is upon a beautiful wooded slope of Willow river, about a mile from its mouth, overlooking Lake Mallalieu, an expanse of the river, and a broad sweep of the St. Croix with its undulating banks, commanding the most delightful and extensive views. The building is lighted by the Mather self regulating, incandescent system of electricity. The dynamo, engine and boilers are located in a fireproof brick structure, some distance from the building proper, communicating with the hospital by an underground passageway. The hospital is under the direction of the following board: President, A. J. Goss; first vice president, John Comstock; second vice president, John E. Glover; secretary, Thomas Hughes; treasurer, Rev. M. Benson. WATER WORKS. The Hudson water works, supplied from Lake St. Croix, are situated upon Liberty Hill, in the rear of the southern part of the city. They are owned by W. S. Evans. The hill is two hundred and seventeen feet above the lake, and commands a magnificent view of the surrounding country. The summit is easily accessible. The city is also well supplied with water from artesian wells, which were sunk to a depth of five hundred feet, and afford a flow of two hundred gallons per minute. HOTELS. The principal hotels are the Chapin House, first built in 1867, but twice destroyed by fire. The last structure was erected in 1879, by H. A. Taylor. The Tracy House was built in 1867, the Seely House in 1873, the Commercial Hotel in 1875, and the Central House in 1876. THE GREAT FIRE. May 19, 1866, Hudson city was visited with a destructive conflagration. Sixty-four business houses and twenty-five residences were destroyed. It was probably the result of accident or carelessness. It commenced in the rear of H. A. Taylor's furniture rooms and printing office, and spread with such rapidity that it was with the greatest difficulty that merchants and others were able to save their valuable papers. The wind blew a gale and the flames spread and caught in every direction. The fire occurred fortunately in the daytime or it might have been attended with a frightful loss of life. As it was, there were many narrow escapes. The total losses from this fire were $325,000, on which there was but $75,000 insurance. A destructive fire occurred in 1872, destroying the Chapin Hall House, valued at $50,000, and other property to the value of $35,000, on which there was but $15,000 insurance. During the same year another fire occurred, destroying 30,000 bushels of wheat and the furniture of the Chapin Hall House, which had been saved from the previous fire. The loss was estimated at $60,000 with $16,355 insurance. SOCIAL AND BENEVOLENT ORGANIZATIONS. St. Croix Lodge, A. F. and A. M., founded 1855; Colfax Lodge, No. 85, I. O. O. F., founded 1856; Hudson City Lodge, No. 486, I. O. G. T., founded 1867; Ladies' Library Association, founded 1868; St. Croix R. A. Chapter, founded 1874; Y. M. C. A., founded 1875; Nash Lodge, I. O. G. T., founded 1877; Temple of Honor, founded 1877; St. Croix Commandery, founded 1879; St. Croix Lodge, A. O. U. W., founded 1880; Equitable Union, founded 1880. In addition to the foregoing there is a volunteer fire company, a boat club, an old settlers' club, a bible society, a building and loan association, and a cemetery association. BIOGRAPHICAL. LOUIS MASSEY came of a long-lived French-Canadian family. His father lived to the age of one hundred and seven and his mother to one hundred and five and he himself lived to the age of ninety-nine years. He was born in Canada, near Montreal, in 1788. In 1805 he left home to enter the service of the British fur traders at Detroit. In his eventful life he had many adventures and passed through many perils. He was once arrested with his employer by the American authorities and once made prisoner by the Indians. In 1812 he entered the employ of the notorious Col. Dickson, and, while with him, made a trip from Detroit by way of Mackinaw, Green Bay, Fox and Wisconsin rivers to Prairie du Chien in a birch canoe. He made two trips in mackinaw boats from Prairie du Chien to New Orleans and return. In one trip he was four months making his way from New Orleans to St. Louis. He made one voyage in a birch canoe from Montreal via Ottawa river, Georgian bay, Lake Huron, St. Marie's river and Lake Superior to Fond du Lac, at the mouth of St. Louis river, via Sandy lake and the Mississippi river to Lake Winnibagoshish, and another from Fond du Lac to Brule river, across to St. Croix river, thence to the Mississippi, and by way of St. Peter's river to Lake Traverse by canoe. In 1818 he entered the service of the American Fur Company, and lived at Fond du Lac, the headquarters of the company, for ten years. There he was married to a sister of Peter Bouchea. In 1828 he settled on the reservation near Fort Snelling, where he was held in such estimation that, on the expulsion of the settlers, the officers of the Fort assisted him in his removal to Willow River, whither he came in 1838 with Peter Bouchea. Wm. Steets and Joseph Lagroo soon followed them. These four were the first settlers in Hudson. Mr. Massey lived at his old home with a son-in-law, Richard Picard, until his death, Oct. 14, 1887. His only child living is Mrs. Picard. PETER BOUCHEA was born at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, about 1815. He spent his early life in the neighborhood of Lake Superior, was married to a daughter of ---- Bruce, and came to the mouth of Willow river in