CHAPTER II.

STILLWATER AND ST. CROIX COUNTY.

In September, 1844, reluctantly I bade adieu to Prairie du Chien with

its picturesque bluffs and historic associations, and embarked on the

steamer Highland Mary, Capt. Atchison, to seek a home and more

salubrious climate further north. The voyage was without incident

worthy of note, till we reached St. Croix lake, in the midst of a

crashing thunder storm and a deluge of rain, which did not prevent us

from eagerly scanning the scenery of the lake. The shores were as yet

almost without inhabitants. The home of Paul Carli, a two story house

at the mouth of Bolles creek, was the first dwelling above Prescott,

on the west side of the lake. A few French residences were to be seen

above on the west side. On the east bank, below the mouth of Willow

river, where Hudson is now situated, were three log houses owned by

Peter Bouchea, Joseph Manesse, and Louis Massey. On the high hill

west, nearly opposite Willow river, stood the farm house of Elam

Greely, and on the same side, on the point, in full view of

Stillwater, stood the farm house of John Allen. With the exception of

these few dwellings, the shores of the lake were untouched by the hand

of man, and spread before us in all their primitive beauty. There were

gently rounded hills sloping to the water's edge, and crowned with

groves of shrubby oak, amidst which, especially at the outlet of

streams into the lake, the darker pines stood out boldly against the

sky. We passed on over the clear, blue expanse of water on which was

no floating thing save our boat and the wild fowl which were scared

and flew away at our approach, till we reached the head of the lake at

Stillwater, the end of our journey. November 30th my family arrived on

the steamer Cecilia, Capt. Throckmorton.

STILLWATER IN 1845.

We landed just in front of the store of nelson & co. just below the

landing was a clear, cold spring, bubbling out of the earth, or the

rock rather. It was walled in and pretty well filled with speckled

trout. On the opposite side of the street Walter R. Vail had a house

and store; north of Vail's store the house and store of Socrates

Nelson. Up Main street, west side, stood Anson Northrup's hotel and

Greely & Blake's post office and store. One street back was the

residence of John E. Mower, and north of this the mill boarding house,

and in the rear the shanty store of the mill company, where the Sawyer

House now stands. Up a ravine stood the shanty residence of John

Smith. In a ravine next to Nelson & Co.'s store was the residence of

Wm. Cove. On Main street, opposite Greely & Blake's store, was the

residence of Albert Harris. On the shore of the lake, north of

Chestnut street, was John McKusick's saw mill. Sylvester Stateler's

blacksmith shop stood just south of the mill. In Brown's Dakotah, now

Schulenberg's addition, near the old log court house, was a log hotel,

kept by Robert Kennedy. This was Stillwater in 1845.

ST. CROIX COUNTY.

From 1819 to 1836 this valley was under the jurisdiction of Crawford

county, Michigan, there being no white inhabitants save Indian

traders. There was no law dispensed in this region, excepting the law

that might makes right. In 1836 the territory of Wisconsin, comprising

all of Michigan west of the great lakes; also all that portion of

Missouri Territory out of which was formed the state of Iowa, which

was organized as a territory in 1838, and admitted as a state in 1846;

also that portion of Minnesota which lies west of the present

state--yet unorganized--known as Dakota, was organized.

The year 1837 forms a new era in our history. Gov. Henry Dodge, of

Wisconsin, on the part of the national government, was appointed to

negotiate with the Ojibways. They met at Fort Snelling. A treaty was

made, the Indians ceding to the United States all their lands east of

the Mississippi, to near the headwaters of the St. Croix and Chippewa

rivers.

A deputation of Dakotas at Washington, the same year, ceded all their

lands east of the Mississippi to the parent government, thus opening

to settlement all this portion of Minnesota and Wisconsin. But few

adventurers made their way into this far off region, however, for many

years. A steamer once in two months was the only mode of travel,

excepting by birch canoe.

In October, 1837, at Prairie du Chien, I met a party who had ascended

the Mississippi and the St. Croix as far as St. Croix Falls. According

to their account they had found the place where creation ended, where

a large river, capable of bearing a steamer, burst out of a rock like

that which Moses smote. They had seen "the elephant with his quills

erect," and were returning satisfied to their New England home. They

had entered the since famous Dalles of the St. Croix, located at the

head of navigation on that river.

In the year 1838, being the year succeeding the purchase of the lands

bordering on the St. Croix river and a portion of her tributaries, may

be dated the commencement of the settlement of the St. Croix valley;

but with the exception of the Hon. Joseph R. Brown, the parties that I

shall enumerate as opening business, came here for the purpose of

lumbering, and in no instance as permanent settlers. The valley was

considered too far north and the soil too sterile for cultivation, but

many of those who came here in 1838 found out their mistake and made

choice of the valley for their permanent homes. They were afterward

abundantly satisfied with the healthfulness of the climate and the

fertility of the soil. Several companies were formed this year for the

ostensible purpose of lumbering, many members of which became

permanent settlers.

The first dismemberment of the St. Croix valley from Crawford county

was by the organization of the county of St. Croix. Joseph R. Brown

was elected representative to the legislature, from the north part of

Crawford county. His residence at that time was Gray Cloud, now in

Washington county. Mr. Brown introduced the bill for the organization

of St. Croix county, which passed and was approved by the governor of

Wisconsin, Jan. 9, 1840. The writer of these sketches was employed by

Messrs. Brown and Brunson (the representatives from this district), in

December, 1839, to take them with a team from Prairie du Chien to

Madison. One of the indispensable requirements for traveling in those

days was a large "Black Betty," which was the butt of much wit and

humor. Mr. Brown said the contents of Old Betty must establish a new

county away up in the Northwest. The deed was done--the act did pass.

I don't know whether Old Betty came back to assist in organizing the

county or not. It is well to say Mr. Brown acquitted himself with

honor to his constituents, and was successful in the one great object

for which he sought the election. This was the precursor to coming

events--a shadow cast before. For it was under this organization that

Northwest Wisconsin and Minnesota first obeyed the mandates of law and

order.

Under the provision of the act of organization, Hazen Mooers, of Gray

Cloud, Samuel Burkelo, of Marine, and Joseph R. Brown, of Dakotah,

were constituted a board of county commissioners with county seat

located at Dakotah.

This town was located at the head of Lake St. Croix, on the west side,

on unsurveyed government lands, known as "Joe Brown's Claim." When the

Wisconsin legislature of 1840 made this the county seat of St. Croix

county it was named Dakotah.

JUDGE IRWIN'S COURT IN 1840.

The first district court north of Prairie du Chien was called at

Dakotah, St. Croix county. This county had been assigned to Judge

Irwin's district (Green Bay). The time assigned for the court was

June, 1840. Judge Irwin wended his way up Fox river to the portage,

down the Wisconsin to Prairie du Chien, up the Mississippi to St.

Paul, and across from St. Paul to Dakotah with guides. At Dakotah the

regular officers were all absent, but he found at the court house two

young men named Brown and six Frenchmen from St. Paul and Little

Canada, summoned as jurors by Sheriff Lawrence. Judge Irwin remained

one night, slept in deer skins in the county building, subsisting

meanwhile on venison and bear steak. No calendar was to be found and

the judge and jurors left for home.

The first commissioners' meeting was held Oct. 5, 1840. At this

meeting much important work was done. An acre of ground at the county

seat was selected for county buildings. A contract to erect a court

house according to specifications was let to J. R. Brown, he to

receive for the same eight hundred dollars. The parties agreed upon a

deed or conveyance of ground, a synopsis of which we append. The

conveyance cites and reiterates a Wisconsin legislative law

establishing St. Croix county, giving to the people the right to

locate the county seat by vote and to the county commissioners power

to erect county buildings, the selected location to be the permanent

seat of justice of said county. It further provides that the county

commissioners shall carry into effect the law of Congress of the

United States, entitled "An act granting to counties or parishes, in

which public lands are situate, the right of pre-emption to one-fourth

section of land, for seats of justice within the same." Approved May

20, 1824. It then cites the vote taken Aug. 5, 1840, locating the

county seat at "Brown's warehouse, at the head of Lake St. Croix."

Further conditions are set forth in compliance with the law,

confirming the location on Joseph R. Brown's land claim. This is the

first recorded deed in St. Croix county.

Thirty dollars was allowed to J. R. Brown and W. B. Dibble, each, for

carrying election returns to Prairie du Chien. The first abstract of

votes polled in St. Croix county was for delegate to Congress and for

county officers. For delegate to Congress the following vote was cast:

Henry Dodge, seventeen; Jonathan E. Arnold, ten. Samuel Burkelo, Hazen

Mooers and W. B. Dibble were elected county commissioners; William

Holcombe, county treasurer and register of deeds; Phineas Lawrence,

sheriff; J. R. Brown, county clerk and clerk of court, and Philander

Prescott, assessor.

The first recorded deed of property in Stillwater was from Walter R.

Vail to Rufus S. King, transferring for a consideration of $1,550 a

tract bounded east by Lake St. Croix and south and north by lands

owned by Churchill and Nelson.

Three election precincts had been established in this portion of

Crawford county prior to the organization of St. Croix county:

Caw-caw-baw-kank, embracing the county adjacent to St. Croix Falls;

Dakotah, the county at the head of Lake St. Croix, and Chan-wak-an the

Gray Cloud settlement, on the Mississippi.

On July 5, 1841, the commissioners held a meeting and established

voting precincts as follows:

_Gray Cloud_--Judges of election, Hazen Mooers, David Howe, Joseph

Haskell.

_Mouth of St. Croix Lake_--Judges of election, P. Prescott, Oscar P.

Burris, John Burke.

_Marine Mills_--Judges of election, Asa Parker, Samuel Burkelo, T.

Harrington.

_Falls of St. Croix_--Judges of election, Joseph W. Furber, Joshua L.

Taylor, Jesse Taylor.

_Pokegama_--Judges of election, Jeremiah Russell, E. Myers, E. L. Ely.

Feb. 2, 1844, St. Paul and Stillwater were made election precincts by

the Wisconsin legislature, and Stillwater was made the county seat.

The constituted authorities were not successful in making out

assessments and collecting county revenues. The first estimate of

expenditures for the county was for 1842, and amounted to $482. This

included the estimate for holding one term of court. Up to the time of

changing the county seat to Stillwater much dissatisfaction existed as

to the manner in which the county finances had been managed, and there

was a general revolt, a refusal to pay taxes. In consequence, the

county building at Dakotah remained unfinished and was finally

abandoned by the county authorities. J. R. Brown lost on his contract

on account of this failure and abandonment. The first successful

collection of taxes in St. Croix county, considered legal, was in

1845. Capt. Wm. Holcombe acted during this period as clerk of the

commissioners, and register of deeds. In 1846 he deputized W. H. C.

Folsom as deputy clerk and register of deeds, and transmitted the

records from St. Croix Falls to Stillwater.

[A]

EARLY HISTORY OF STILLWATER.

In the spring of 1843 Jacob Fisher made a claim on unsurveyed lands at

the head of Lake St. Croix, immediately south of Dakotah, spotting and

blazing the trees to mark the limits of his claim. Mr. Fisher thought

it a good site for a saw mill, and made an offer to Elias McKean and

Calvin F. Leach of the entire claim on condition that they would build

a mill. McKusick and Greely were looking for a mill site; Mr. Fisher

referred them to McKean and Leach. It was agreed that the four should

take the claim and erect the mill. Greely improved and held the

claim, while McKusick went to St. Louis and procured mill irons and

supplies. McKean and Leach operated in the pinery. By April 1, 1844,

the mill was finished and in operation. This was the first frame

building erected in Stillwater. It stood on the lake shore, east of

Main street, lot 8, block 18. The second frame building was McKusick's

boarding house, west of Main street, on block 18. John Allen's family

was the first to locate in Stillwater. Mr. Allen came in the spring of

1844, and subsequently removed to California. The second family was

that of Anson Northrup coming soon after. Mr. Northrup built a public

house on the west side of Main street, just north of Nelson's alley.

Soon afterward came widow Edwards and family from Ohio, relatives of

the Northrups; Mrs. Northrup being a daughter of widow Edwards.

Socrates Nelson came about this time and built the first store in

Stillwater. His family joined him soon afterward. The first marriage

was that of Jesse Taylor and Abbie Edwards, J. W. Furber, Esq.,

officiating justice. The second marriage was that of William Cove to

Nancy Edwards in May, 1845. The first white child born was Willie

Taylor, son of Jesse Taylor, in 1845. A daughter, Maud Maria, was born

to Mr. and Mrs. Paul Carli in Dakotah (Schulenburg's addition to

Stillwater), in 1843.

Stillwater derives its name from its appropriate location on the banks

of the still waters of Lake St. Croix. A post office was established

in 1845, and Elam Greely was appointed postmaster. The first business

partnership was that of the saw mill company, already noted. We give

here in full the articles of agreement as the first written and the

oldest on record in Washington county. This document is important not

only as fixing a date for the origin or founding of Stillwater, but as

an important event, as it thus early laid the foundation of the future

prosperity of the city, and indicated the direction in which its

energies should be chiefly turned:

[_Copy of Agreement._]

This agreement, made and entered into this twenty-sixth day of

October, Anno Domini eighteen hundred and forty-three, by the

following named individuals, viz.: John McKusick, Elias McKean, Elam

Greely, and Calvin F. Leach, for the purpose of building a saw mill

near the head of Lake St. Croix, Wisconsin Territory, and for carrying

on the lumbering business in all its various branches.

_Article first_--It is understood by this agreement, that the

heretofore named individuals form themselves into a company to

continue and exist by the name of the Stillwater Lumber Company.

_Article second_--It is agreed to by the heretofore named individuals,

that the whole amount of property owned and business done by the

aforesaid company shall be included in fifteen shares, and to be

divided and owned by each individual of the aforesaid company as

follows, viz.: John McKusick, five-fifteenths; Elias McKean,

three-fifteenths; Elam Greely, four-fifteenths; and Calvin F. Leach,

three-fifteenths.

_Article third_--It is furthermore understood, that each proprietor of

the aforesaid company shall pay his proportion of all the expenses

arising from all the business done or transacted by the aforesaid

company, and to continue the same ratio, so long a time as said

company shall exist and continue to do business under the present

form, and likewise any gain or loss, arising or accruing from any or

all of the business done by the aforesaid company, shall be shared or

sustained by each proprietor of the aforesaid company, in the same

ratio as above named, in proportion to each above named proprietor's

share of stock owned in the aforesaid company.

_Article fourth_--It is furthermore agreed to, that the whole amount

of money or property that each or either of the proprietors of the

aforesaid company shall invest, advance, or pay for the benefit or use

of the aforesaid company, the same amount shall be credited to the

separate credit of the proprietor or either of the proprietors of the

aforesaid company making such investments, on the books of accounts

kept by the aforesaid company.

_Article fifth_--It is furthermore understood, that for the amount of

money or property that any one of the proprietors of the aforesaid

company shall invest, advance, or pay for the benefit or use of the

aforesaid company, more than his proportional share of the whole

amount of money or property invested by the aforesaid company, the

same amount of money, with interest, shall be paid or refunded back to

said proprietor by the aforesaid company, out of the first proceeds

arising from the business done by the company aforesaid.

_Article sixth_--It is furthermore understood, that in case any one of

the aforesaid proprietors should at any time hereafter be disposed to

sell, transfer or dispose of his share of stock owned in the aforesaid

company, he shall first pay to said company all the liabilities or

indebtedness of said share of stock, and then give said company the

preference of purchasing and owning said share of stock, at the same

rates by which said proprietor may have an opportunity to sell said

shares of stock.

_Article seventh_--It is furthermore understood that the proprietors

of the aforesaid company, individually, shall have no right, or power,

to sign any obligation or due bill, make any contract, or transact any

business of importance in the name of, or binding on, the aforesaid

company, except some one proprietor of the aforesaid company should

hereafter be fully authorized by the aforesaid company to act and

transact business as agent for the aforesaid company.

In testimony whereof, we hereunto set our hands and seals this

twenty-sixth day of October, Anno Domini eighteen hundred and

forty-three.

JOHN MCKUSICK,

ELAM GREELY,

ELIAS MCKEAN,

C. F. LEACH.

Attest: C. SIMONDS.

This agreement and dates are taken from the original book of records

in the possession of John McKusick.

After this agreement was signed, until Mr. McKusick became the sole

owner, the business was conducted by mutual agreement, there being no

constituted agent, except in case of an emergency.

The mill boarding house, a two story building, erected in 1845, was

burned in 1846, and immediately rebuilt. In 1846 J. H. Brewster built

a small store. McKusick's store was built the same year, on the

southwest corner of Main and Myrtle streets. Some smaller buildings

were erected this year.

In 1845 a verbal agreement was made with regard to land claims, by

which Brown's claim was recognized as extending along the lake shore

north of Battle Hollow, where the Minnesota state prison now stands.

South of Battle Hollow, along the lake shore to Nelson, extending

three-fourths of a mile west, was the claim of the mill company,

originally held by Fisher. South of Nelson's alley, one-half mile down

the lake, three-fourths of a mile west, was S. Nelson's claim. When

the government survey was made these claims and lines were amicably

adjusted and confirmed. A congressional law was in existence making

provisions for villages and cities built on unsurveyed lands, that

such lands should be equitably divided and surveyed into lots, and the

actual settler or occupant should be protected in his rights.

In May, 1846, a desire was expressed by citizens of St. Paul and

Stillwater for the opening of new roads between these cities. The

traveled road up to that time was by Haskell's and Bissell's Mounds.

Louis Roberts and the writer examined a route by White Bear lake. A

road was established south of this route in June.

In July I started up the St. Croix river with Joseph Brewster, in a

batteau, to put up hay for Elam Greely on Kanabec river. We poled our

batteau with outfit and camped where now stands the village of

Franconia. The next morning early we entered the picturesque Dalles of

the St. Croix, then cordelled our boat over Baker's falls, and landed

at the village of St. Croix Falls. This village, the first American

settlement on the St. Croix, had one large mill with six saws. The

water power was utilized by means of a permanent dam with massive

piers. A warehouse was perched in a romantic situation amidst the

cliffs of the Dalles and furnished with a tramway or wooden railway

extending to the summit of the cliffs, for the transportation of

goods. A boarding house dubbed the "Barlow House," another the "Soap

Grease Exchange," and a few small tenement houses, constituted the

village. The leading business men were James Purinton, Wm. Holcombe,

Joseph Bowron and Lewis Barlow. We spent half a day in making a

portage around the St. Croix falls. The wind being fair, on the third

day we sailed as far as Sunrise island. At Wolf creek we passed an

Indian trading post. In front of Sunrise island and on the west side

of the St. Croix river, a little below the mouth of Sunrise river,

stood the trading post of Maurice M. Samuels, long known as one of the

most remarkable and notorious men on the frontier. He was a Jew, but

had married a Chippewa woman, claiming that he had married one of his

own people, the Indians being, according to his theory, descendants of

the Lost Tribes of Israel.

On the sixth day we came to the farm of Jeremiah Russell, on Pokegama

lake. We found him a pleasant gentleman, engaged as an Indian farmer.

We paddled across the lake to the Presbyterian mission. Mr. Boutwell,

the superintendent, was absent. The mission was pleasantly located,

the management was excellent, the crops were in fair condition, and

well cultivated. Everything about the mission betokened good

management. Next day we went to a hay meadow opposite the mouth of

Ground House creek, where we put up on this and adjacent meadows sixty

tons of hay. We left on the twenty-fourth, camping the first night at

Chengwatana. On the morning of the twenty-fifth, while passing down

Kanabec river, our ears were greeted with some most horrible and

unearthly noises. On turning a bend in the river we saw a large body

of Indians cutting indescribable antics, in the river and on the

shore, chasing each other, reeling and staggering to and fro, yelling

and firing guns. They seemed a lot of Bedlamites turned out as if to

dispute our passage down the river. Pass them now we must. It was too

late to retreat. Our batteau was light. I was in the bow, Brewster was

in the stern. The yelling and uproar grew each moment more horrible.

Brewster said: "Keep the bow in the best water and pass them in a

hurry." He was of great strength; every set of his pole would almost

lift the boat from the water. While we were passing several guns were

leveled at us, but such was the noise that if any were fired we did

not hear them. We were glad when we passed out of range and hearing.

While passing we caught a glimpse of the cause of the unusual

disturbance, some whisky barrels, and drunken savages around them,

staggering, fighting or lying on the ground in drunken stupor. Landing

at Samuels' camp, we learned of him that one Myers had hidden a couple

of barrels of whisky on Kanabec river, that the Indians had found

them, and the jollification we had witnessed would last till the

whisky was all gone. We arrived at Stillwater without further

adventure.

In July I made another visit to Prairie du Chien. The mail packet for

Fort Snelling, on which I expected to return, broke her shaft and

returned to St. Louis for repairs. The postmaster at Prairie du Chien

offered me seventy dollars to carry the mail to the Fort, which offer

I accepted. I bought a skiff, blankets and provisions, hired one man

and started. We poled, paddled and rowed against a strong current, the

low water compelling us to keep near the centre of the river. We

arrived at Bully Wells' on Lake Pepin on the fifth evening and

politely asked the privilege of stopping with him and were promptly

refused. It was raining very hard at the time. We drew our skiff up on

the shore, turned it over for a shelter, and crawled beneath it with

the mail. As it was a cold, wet night, we suffered severely. As we

were passing an island above Red Wing, the day following, we saw some

Sioux Indian wigwams, and, as we had no firewater and no food to spare

we kept close to the opposite shore. We were, however, observed. An

Indian appeared on the shore near the wigwams and beckoned to us to

cross over. We made no reply but kept steadily on our course,

observing, meanwhile, that the Indian, with his gun, was skulking

along through the brush, apparently bent on overtaking and waylaying

us. We kept a respectful distance, and fortunately were able to

increase it, but not till we were beyond rifle shot did we dare to

pause for rest. That night we camped without striking a light, and

next day arrived at Point Douglas. I went no further. The hardship and

exposure of this trip brought on a severe illness. Mr. David Hone, at

whose house I remained for two weeks, under the care of Dr. Carli, of

Stillwater, took the mail to Fort Snelling. Soon as able I returned to

Stillwater.

In May of this year I had made a claim of government unsurveyed land,

covering springs sufficient for a water power. While I was sick at

Point Douglas, Joseph Brewster, Martin Mower and David B. Loomis

formed a company to build a mill and carry on a logging business. They

had agreed upon me as a fourth partner and to build on my claim; Mower

and Loomis to attend to getting logs, Brewster and Folsom to build the

mill. We moved to our claim Oct. 6, 1846, and went to work in earnest.

We agreed upon the name of Arcola for the new settlement. The mill was

not finished until April 3, 1847, at which time Brewster and Folsom

sold out their interest and returned to Stillwater.

STILLWATER IN 1846.

Living in Stillwater, Jan. 1, 1846, were the following married men:

Cornelius Lyman, Socrates Nelson, Walter R. Vail, Robert Kennedy,

Anson Northrup, Albert Harris, John E. Mower, William E. Cove, John

Smith, and W. H. C. Folsom. Among the unmarried men were: John

McKusick, C. Carli, Jacob Fisher, Elam Greely, Edward Blake, Elias

McKean, Calvin F. Leach, Martin Mower, David B. Loomis, Albion

Masterman, John Morgan, Phineas Lawrence, Joseph Brewster, John

Carlton, Thomas Ramsdell, William Rutherford, William Willim, Charles

Macey, and Lemuel Bolles.

Here follows a list of the pioneers of the St. Croix valley, in 1846,

not mentioned elsewhere: Nelson Goodenough, who became a river pilot

and settled at Montrose, Iowa; James Patten, Hugh McFadden, Edwin

Phillips, a millwright, an ingenious, eccentric man, who left the

valley in 1848; Joseph Brewster, who left in 1848, and settled in

Earlville, Illinois; Sylvester Stateler, blacksmith, who removed to

Crow Wing county, Minnesota, and O. H. Blair, who followed lumbering,

a man of talent, but eccentric. He died in 1878. The first school was

taught in 1846, by Mrs. Ariel Eldridge, formerly Sarah Louisa Judd.

The second school was taught in 1847, by Mrs. Greenleaf; the third in

1848, by Wm. McKusick. A school house was built in 1848. Rev. W. T.

Boutwell, a Presbyterian minister, preached occasionally in the

reception room of Northrup's hotel. Rev. Eleazer Greenleaf, an

Episcopalian, came the next summer and established regular services.

Prior to the organization of Stillwater, Rev. J. Hurlbut, a Methodist

minister, had preached in Dakotah, St. Croix Falls and Marine, but

organized no societies.

The winter of 1845-46 was very open. All teaming business was done on

wheels, except for a few days in December, in which there was snow

enough for sledding. A new feature in the trade of the valley this

year was the rafting and running of logs to St. Louis.

In December, 1845, Dr. Borup, of La Pointe, and others went by ice and

overland with teams to Prairie du Chien, I accompanying them. The

first day we came to Point Douglas, at the confluence of the St. Croix

and the Mississippi. Between Stillwater and Point Douglas, on the

route we followed, some distance west of the lake, we found but one

settler, Joseph Haskell. At Point Douglas there were David Hone, a

hotel keeper; Hertzell & Burris, merchants, and Wm. B. Dibble, farmer.

We reached Red Wing the second day. At this place lived the famous

Jack Frazier, a Sioux half-breed and Indian trader, one Presbyterian

missionary, Rev. ---- Denton, and a man named Bush. James Wells, more

familiarly known as "Bully Wells," lived with an Indian squaw on the

west shore of Lake Pepin, where stands the town of Frontenac. On the

third day we went as far as Wabasha, on the west side, three miles

below Lake Pepin, where we found several French families. We stopped

at Cratt's hotel. On the fourth day we reached Holmes' Landing, now

Fountain City. There were then but two houses, both unoccupied. About

noon we passed Wabasha prairie, now the site of Winona. It was then

covered with Indian tepees. At Trempealeau, in the evening of the

fifth day, we found two French families. On the next day we reached La

Crosse and found there two American families. Two days more brought us

to Prairie du Chien. On the way we passed a few French families, and

these, with those previously named, constituted the entire white

population between Stillwater and Prairie du Chien.

We started on our return with four two horse teams. We took the river

road, passing over the ice. In our company was one Tibbetts, from Fort

Crawford, and Jonathan E. McKusick, emigrating from Maine to St. Croix

valley. They were a social, jovial pair. At Capilaux bluff, Dibble's

team was ahead, and my team second. At this place all halted to allow

the thirsty an opportunity of liquoring up, which was done at the rear

team. Dibble, in going back, left his team unfastened, and while he

was "smiling" with his jovial companions the team ran away. The horses

soon broke loose from the sled. One horse made for the shore, the

other plunged into an air hole in the ice. The entire company rushed

to the rescue, and with ropes and poles managed, at last, to float the

horse upon the ice in an unconscious condition. All the whisky left by

the "smiling" throng was poured down the horse's throat, but in vain.

The animal was dead. No other event of interest occurred except some

difficulties experienced in the transportation of the first cat ever

brought to Stillwater. "Tom" was caged in a narrow box, and the

confinement so chafed his proud spirit that he sickened and at one

time was reported dead. At the inquest held over his remains by Capt.

McKusick, signs of life were discovered, and by liberal blood-letting

the cat was restored to consciousness and lived several years

afterward, a terror to the rats in Stillwater.

STILLWATER IN 1847.

For about a year the writer had been officiating as justice of the

peace with but little official business, but now and then a marriage

to celebrate. On one occasion I walked to Marine to marry W. C. Penny

to Jane McCauslin. The marriage was celebrated at Burkelo's boarding

house. The wedding supper consisted of cold water and cold pork and

beans. The following morning I did not wait for breakfast but returned

to Stillwater as I had come, on foot. Another day I rode to Bissell's

Mounds and united in marriage John Kenny and a mulatto woman. Friend

Kennedy threatened to disown me for thus aiding miscegenation. "Such

things are intolerable," he said, but from aught I have ever known to

the contrary the couple were well assorted.

TERRITORIAL ELECTION.

On the sixth day of April an election was held for the ratification or

rejection of the constitution adopted by the late territorial

convention for the anticipated state government; also a resolution

relative to negro suffrage, and an election was ordered for sheriff.

The vote resulted as follows:

For the constitution, 65; against, 61. For equal suffrage to colored

persons, 1; against, 126. For sheriff, Walter R. Vail, 58; W. H. C.

Folsom, 72.

There were five precincts that held elections--Stillwater, St. Paul,

Gray Cloud, Marine, and St. Croix Falls.

I immediately gave bonds and qualified as sheriff, and the same day

took charge of two criminals, Chippewa Indians, who had been committed

by me for murder, while acting as justice. I had previously deputized

Ham Gates to take care of them. While in Stillwater they were confined

in the basement of the post office building. Their names were Nodin

and Ne-she-ke-o-ge-ma. The latter was the son-in-law of Nodin. They

were very obedient and tractable, and I treated them kindly, for which

Nodin repeatedly told me he would show me a copper mine on Kanabec

river. Nodin died not long after his trial, and before he could redeem

his promise. The copper mine is yet undiscovered. Fort Snelling was,

at that time, the receptacle for criminals in this region, and to the

Fort I carried these prisoners with a team,--Ham Gates being

driver,--unshackled, unbound, my only weapon a pistol without a lock.

In May I summoned jurors and visited Kanabec river to procure

witnesses in the case against Nodin and Ne-she-ke-o-ge-ma for the

murder of Henry Rust. The first night I stopped with B. F. Otis, on

the St. Croix, where Taylors Falls is now situated. On the second day

I crossed the river and proceeded up the east side to Wolf creek,

thence crossing to the west side, up as far as Sunrise river. There

was no inhabitant, Samuels having vacated his shanty. I crossed the

river with great difficulty. The water was high, the current was

strong and swift, and I could not swim. I found a fallen tree, partly

under water, cut a pole, waded out as far as I could into the current,

and then by the aid of the pole floated down some distance, until by

pawing and splashing I was able to reach the other shore. That night I

stopped with an old Indian trader, Mr. Connor, who, with his Indian

wife, welcomed me to his bark shanty, divided into rooms by handsome

mats, and made me quite comfortable. He had plenty of good food, and

entertained me besides by a fund of anecdotes, incidents in Indian

history, and adventures of traders, trappers and missionaries in the

Lake Superior and St. Croix region. He was a very intelligent and

genial man. Next day I went to Russell's farm, paddled a canoe to

Ground House river, and traveled thence on foot to Ann river, where I

found the parties of whom I was in quest, Greely, Colby, Otis and

others, a jolly log driving crew, with whom I spent a very pleasant

evening. On the return journey, about two miles above the mouth of

Ground House river, I saw the ruins of the trading house in which

Henry Rust was killed. Rust, at the time of his murder, was selling

whisky for Jack Drake. Rev. W. T. Boutwell gives the following account

of the murder: "In the winter of '46 and '47 I visited the camps of

Kent & True and Greely & Blake. On one occasion I met Rust, and asked

him to come and hear me preach. He did not attend. On this day I

preached at three camps. On the following night, at Greely's camp,

came a midnight visitor with word that Rust had been shot.

Seventy-five men armed themselves with all kinds of weapons, proceeded

to the scene of the tragedy, removed the body of Rust and all

valuables from the house, knocked out the heads of two whisky barrels

and fired the house, the whisky greatly aiding the combustion. I

removed the body to Pokegama and buried it there. Forty men attended

the funeral. They held a meeting and resolved to clear the country of

whisky. They commenced by destroying two barrels of it for Jarvis. He

begged hard for his whisky, saying he was a poor man, and in debt to

Frank Steele at Fort Snelling. The response was, 'Out with your

whisky,' and it was destroyed before his eyes. The whisky of two other

trading stations followed. For a brief period there was peace, but the

whisky soon put in an appearance again."

The first term of district court held in Minnesota, then Wisconsin,

was convened in Stillwater, the county seat of St. Croix county, June

1st. It was held in the upper story of John McKusick's store,

southwest corner of Maine and Myrtle streets, Hon. Charles Dunn

presiding. The session lasted one week. The bounds of St. Croix county

then included Crawford county, Wisconsin, on the south, Brown county,

Wisconsin, and the Lake Superior country on the east, the region as

far as the British possessions on the north, and to the Mississippi

river on the west. The jurors were found within a circuit of a hundred

miles.

The grand jury was composed of the following gentlemen:

Jonathan McKusick, J. W. Furber, J. L. Taylor, W. R. Brown, Chas.

Cavalier, J. A. Ford, Hazen Mooers, C. Lyman, C. A. Tuttle, Hilton

Doe, Elam Greely, Martin Mower, Jr., Edward Blake, W. B. Dibble,

Harmon Crandall, Jerry Ross, James Saunders, Joseph Brown, J. R.

Irving, J. W. Simpson, John Holton, Pascal Aldrich, and Albert Harris.

Joseph R. Brown acted as clerk of court, Jonathan E. McKusick as

foreman of the grand jury, and Morton S. Wilkinson as prosecuting

attorney.

The attorneys present were: M. S. Wilkinson, of Stillwater; A.

Brunson, of Prairie du Chien; Ben C Eastman, of Platteville, Crawford

and Frank Dunn, of Mineral Point. There were but few civil cases.

Nodin and Ne-she-ke-o-ge-ma were indicted for murder, tried and

acquitted on the ground that the killing was the result of a drunken

brawl.

This season, in addition to attending to my duties as sheriff, I went

to St. Louis with a raft of logs. The steamer War Eagle, Capt. Smith

Harris, towed through the two lakes, St. Croix and Pepin, a fleet

containing ten acres of logs. During the winter of 1847-8, I was

engaged in logging. It was difficult to get supplies to the pineries

before the swamps were frozen over. This season my goods were taken by

batteaus from Stillwater to Clam lake.

AMUSEMENTS.--SOCIETY BALL IN STILLWATER.

A writer in the Stillwater _Lumberman_, April 23, 1877, gives a

sketchy account of an old time ball, from which we select a few items:

Anson Northrup kept what we called a first class hotel. If a man had

blankets he could spread them upon the floor and sleep till the bell

rang. If he had none he spread himself on the floor and paid for his

lodging by tending stove and keeping the dogs from fighting. It was

one of the aristocratic rules of the house that a man who slept in

blankets was not to be disturbed by dogs.

At one time our popular landlord got up a ball. He sent round a copper

colored card,--a half-breed Indian boy,--to tell all the folks to

come. Everybody was invited. At the appointed hour they began to

assemble. Soon all in town arrived except one Smith. Frequent

inquiries were made for Smith, and at last a deputation was sent to

inquire the cause of his absence; when it transpired that he had

broken his leg. He said he was helping the landlord roll a barrel of

whisky from the landing when the barrel slipped, and, rolling back on

his leg, broke it. Northrup said that he had bet him one gallon of

whisky that he could not lift the barrel to his lips and drink from

the bung. In attempting to do this the barrel had slipped from his

grasp with the result before mentioned. The wife regretted the

accident very much, and said that if it had not been for that barrel

of whisky, or some other whisky, they might have both attended the

dance. She could have put out the fire, locked up the house, tied up

the dog and taken her nine days' old baby with her. "There would be

younger babies at the dance," she said.

Everything was ready. The ball opened with three "French fours," or

two over. They danced a French two, the music consisting of one old

violin with three strings, played by a half-breed from St. Croix

Falls. He played but one tune and called it, "Off she goes to

Miramachee." This carried a "French four" well enough, but when we

danced a cotillion or hornpipe there was a great deal of rolling

around instead of dancing. We often called for a new tune. "Oh, yes,

gentlemen, you shall have him," but when we got him it was the same

old "Off she goes." He worked hard to please the company and the sweat

rolled down his manly cheeks like the droppings from the eaves of a

saw mill; but all this would not do; it was the same old "Off she

goes." There were twenty-four couples at the ball. The ladies brought

with them their babies, fourteen in number, and ranging from six weeks

to six months old. The night passed merrily, uproariously, but without

tragic incident. The fiddler became at last so tipsy that he could no

longer play "Off she goes to Miramachee," and staggered off to that

locality himself. The only thing direful occurred at the breaking up,

about five o'clock in the morning. The fourteen babies had been laid

to sleep on a bed, but some malevolent genius during the dance mixed

them up and changed their wraps, so that the mothers, in the hurry of

their departure, gathered and took home with them each one some other

mother's darling, and this deponent saith not that the snarl has ever

been untangled and the babies restored to their rightful mothers.

With the year 1848 a new era dawned upon Stillwater and the valley of

the St. Croix. Great changes had taken place in the little town. There

were many new citizens, new buildings had been erected and the streets

were much improved. Slabs had been placed over the quagmires on Main

street. A stage route had been established to St. Paul, on which

stages ran regularly. This was the first stage route in Minnesota.

The correction lines of the government survey had been run in 1846-7,

chiefly in the latter year. Township, range and section lines were run

in 1847, and in the early part of 1848. Prior to this claims had been

made and were held subject to the limitations of the first legal

survey. The creation of the new state of Wisconsin and the

prospective organization of Minnesota Territory, the development of

the lumbering business and the formal opening of the government lands

to entry, gave an impetus to immigration. Stillwater profited largely

by this immigration, it being an objective point. Population

increased. The village was regularly surveyed and platted in the fall

of 1848, Harvey Wilson, surveyor. Stillwater, although it never

aspired to be the future capital of the Territory, became a

headquarters for political characters and a place for public meetings

for the discussions of territorial and other public questions. It was

convenient of access, and contained up to that time a greater

population than was to be found in St. Paul, and it seemed likely to

become the commercial metropolis of the Territory.

FOOTNOTES:

[A] For the facts in this history I am indebted to John McKusick,

Jacob Fisher, Elias McKean, and Elam Greely.