Washington County, Minnesota - Chapter 33, 1881

Chapter 33

No strictly classic grounds exist in the north¬ west. By the aid of the imagination, poets and novelists have been able to formulate from the beautiful legends of Indians, sketches and poems that rank among American classics, but the country is new to literature and not rich in works of art. It bears the impress still of its savage occupancy in every state, county, town, city and village; further, as we sit or walk on the streets of any town we see frequently the coarse black hair, high cheek bones and copper-colored skin of the full-blood Indian, and still more fre¬ quently meet the half-breeds, that resulted from the legal marriages, and illicit habits of the early French voyageurs, many of whom still remain as settlers now occupying the land, while others have passed away, or followed the direction of their reckless habits into new fields, where their semi-barbarism could have free scope.

If any portion of the north-west above Prairie du Chien, and west of Green Bay, is old and rich in reminiscences, it is the St. Croix Valley, as evidence of which, we instance the facts and in¬ cidents that follow in this volume.

What, however, may be lacking in man's work, is amply atoned for by the prodigal hand of Na¬ ture, that has here lavished a wealth of towering rock, noble forests and a magnificent stream, with picturesque rapids and water-falls in the main channel and on its tributaries, that affords scenery rarely equalled in America. Here, too, Nature has set to work her cunning workmen that with slow but unerring stroke have hewed out monuments of her power, and excavated caves and wells, that show what lies within the range of her infinite possibilities, though in the limited view of man, outside the bounds of utility.

By the casual observer it would be supposed that, starting with the Upper St. Croix lake as the head waters of the river, the valley proper would begin, extending on each side of the river, in¬ cluding all the basin from which tributary streams flow. The trend of the surface and more espe¬ cially the dip of the rocks show, however, a par¬ adoxical condition, for the St. Croix river takes its rise within limits naturally drained by the St. Lawrence system and the slope of the surface is for the Upper St. Croix mostly north-westward; while at the same time the inclination and dis¬ charge of the valley is toward the south-west and south. In the upper portion, the direction is south-westward and in the lower directly south. The common distinction of the Upper and Lower St. Croix, though usually indefinite, may, there¬ fore, properly be determined as follows; the Up¬ per St. Croix is that portion whose surface and rocks trend toward Lake Superior and the Lower

Description Of Tee Valley

St. Croix, that which trends toward the Missis¬ sippi basin. The low ridge which separates these two basins appears to cross the valley of the St. Croix near the north line of township thirty-one. Investigations below the surface in the Upper St. Croix ought therefore, to exhibit a similarity to the regions of Lake Superior.

_ Geologists explain the apparent anomaly ex¬ hibited in this water-shed by the deposit of Pots¬ dam sandstone by the advance of the Silurian sea from the south, which formed a new surface sloping toward the Mississippi basin and that the river by its own drainage excavated the basin through which its waters are discharged.

Numerous small depressed areas exist without outlet, and others with such imperfect outlets as to form marshes or lakes. Many of these are utilized for the benefit of the lumbering indus¬ tries carried on extensively. By dams easily formed, the water is checked or discharged for the "drive," and thus the winter's "cut" of logs on the upper streams is easily floated to the river; this becomes more and more important each year as lumbering camps are carried higher and higher up on the small tributaries. These reservoirs, as they may be called, operate to preserve an even flow of water in the St. Croix by means of which the stream always remains within its channel and is guiltless of the lawless violence exhibited by the Minnesota and oilier streams.

The water of the river, owing to the nature of the soil and rocks through which it flows, is soft, but has a yellowish color from the large amount of organic matter held in solution.

The extent of the country drained by the river above the falls, is about 6,000 square miles. Beginning now at the water shed between the Brule and the St. Croix, we find an altitude of about 445 feet and the entire descent of the St. Croix from the upper lake to below the falls, 393 feet. The upper river and its tributaries are swift, breaking out frequently into rapids and water falls, utilized to only a limited extent. At the falls of St. Croix and Taylor's Falls, which are on different sides of the river, the former in

Wisconsin and the latter in Minnesota, an im¬ mense power exists, entirely unused. Here the river pours down violent rapids, though without a perpendicular fall.

There, rapids extend a distance of about seven miles, admitting of numerous dams between the high bluffs on either side, that would, if utilized, afford an almost unlimited power, the descent being about forty feet within a mile.

Some of the tributaries have much greater de¬ scent with occasionally perpendicular falls, al¬ though this river may be called a system of rapids rather than water-falls.

This river in its time has done a great work, cutting inch by inch, its deep channel through this valley, stopping neither for rock nor boulder, but chiseling away, it has secured a bed deep down with high overhanging bluffs, above which, on either side stretch away the level areas, rolling districts and basins of the lakes.

At Taylor's Falls, this erosion exhibits itself in the most marked manner, forming the beautiful dalles admired by the lovers of the grand and beautiful; these are called the Upper Dalles in distinction from others two miles below. A deep canal has been excavated here, cutting down into the solid rock. As the tourist on the little steamer runs up into these rocky fastnesses, he imagines that he has arrived at the head of the river, and that the water pours from the rocks, which appear to meet in a solid front before him. Dalles, derived from the French dalk, meaning a flagstone, is a name given by the voyageurs to deep, rocky chasms, forming a narrow passage for a river. In this passage of the St. Croix, the whole volume of the river is compressed into a narrow space between its rocky sides, only about one hundred feet in width, where the impetuosity of the current from the rapids above is checked to a quiet, deep flow, as in awe of the grandeur around. The high trappean rocks on each side, cut in grotesque forms by the former action of the water, and now left far above, represent stern sentinels, who never desert their post. The rock is a dark brown, with a slight cast of purple, and though porphyritic hi character, is full of seams, as though some material of a softer nature had been interlarded between its adamantine layers, which the action of the water had moved.

been broken into cubical blocks, which bestrewn about their base, at some points tumbling down in huge piles, at others, scattered here and there. The striking features are, however, points where the disintegration has left tall columns formed of these same cubical blocks, piled one on top of the other to which fanciful names have been attrib¬ uted. Ilis Satanic majesty has been especially honored in their nomenclature.

Another feature is striking, the abundance of potrholes, or wells, as they are usually called, of various dimensions, found high up on the rocks, one hundred feet or more above the level of the stream, as well as near the bed of the river. Some are quite small in size and resem¬ ble in internal finish a teacup or small bowl, while others are immense in size and of considerable depth, resembling cisterns, the largest exceeding twenty-five feet in diameter and depth. The walls of some are vertical, some bowl-shaped, smaller at the bottom, while others are like a bean pot, smaller at the top and spread¬ ing out at the bottom. The largest examined was called the Devil's kitchen formed with reced¬ ing sides, having in the middle of the floor a table of the same trap rock with a flat surface adapted, we may imagine, to the convenience of impish fes¬ tivities, though more recently we may hope aban¬ doned entirely to the tourists who here spread their picnics. Passing through a convenient door¬ way the Devil's ice-house is near at hand, exca¬ vated still deeper in the rock, filled as we found in early summer for the coming season. Near by are his caldrons, too, and his wood lot, the en¬ tire sides of the cliff. A little below, at a con¬ venient distance from his, kitchen, is his lofty chair overlooking the damp, gloomy dalles and affording observation up and down the valley, where he might rest his weary feet on a platform far below and lean against the smooth hewed back. His chair is the most striking feature of the "dalles," formed by the piling up of huge cubical blocks of the porphyritic rock.

The pot-holes or wells are supposed, and their form evidently bears witness to the fact, to be formed by the circling eddies of the rapid flowing stream whirling hard boulders against the sides until they are worn smooth, the wearing pebble or boulder being worn out in the process to be

The damp, shaded glen is fertile with mosses and ferns of almost infinite variety, clinging to the sides of the rocks and affording a pleasing re¬ lief to the eye by their varying colors. The at¬ mosphere strikes a damp chill in mid-summer when closed in by full foliage, and associating the weird scenery and damp shades with its imp¬ ish vocabulary, timid explorers are sometimes overawed and repelled.

It would be strange if the Indians with their close observation of nature and awe of the grand, did not associate the wild and picturesque, exhib¬ ited here on all sides, with their pantheistic re¬ ligion. To the savage, that was sublime which to the intruding white man was only beautiful and perhaps simply useful. Evidences exist about the rocks themselves as well as in the testimony of the pioneers, who heard their legends, that here doom was pronounced by the evil spirit upon the cowards of their tribes who were not fit to inherit the happy hunting grounds, reserved only to the brave.

We leave to the tourist these scenes, and rec¬ ommend him to visit the "Colossal Cross," the "Wells," the "Devil's Chair," the "Balancing Rock," "Lone Rock," and the pretty, picturesque bridge over the river, where the rocky sides ap¬ proach so near together, that with a leaping-pole and a place to rest it in the middle, one might be tempted to try a spring across to avoid the "toll;" we, however, paid only thirty cents for the privi¬ lege of crossing and returning.

Of the many light draft steamers that ply up and down the river, it was our good fortune to take the Jennie Hayes, Captain Ben Knapp, and we owe much to the courtesy and information of the captain and officers, who afforded us every facility in their power for extending our know¬ ledge of this interesting region. Passing down, the attention is arrested continually by new feat¬ ures in the remarkable scenery.

We soon reach the Lower Dalles, where a canon similar to that of the Upper Dalles has been formed. Here the walls are vertical, the important difference in their appearance being an indication of more active agency of frost in dis¬ integrating their surfaces. Here much of the surface rock of the gorge, as originally chiseled

Lake Saint Croix

The bluffs remind us occasionally of the pali¬ sades of the Hudson, though on a more modest scale, from the perpendicular walls surmounted by foliage and green herbage that might be im¬ agined closely shaven lawns.

Leaving Franconia on our right, a little ham¬ let of small pretensions, we stopped at the village of Osceola, county seat of Polk county. This village is beautifully located high up on the bluffs, settled by the best stock of old New Eng¬ land, and though it partakes of the retrograde exhibited, throughout the valley, in material pro¬ gress, its citizens maintain the fresh intelligence and culture that belongs to the stock they repre¬ sent.

Here the pleasing acquaintance with the genial Captain O. F. Knapp began, and in his company the remainder of the trip was made enlightened by his intelligent view of things, often suggesting events of the past, with which his long acquaint¬ ance with the navigation of the river, made him familiar. Though not remarkably rapid, the course of the river is very straight.

Soon after leaving Osceola, " Eagle Point " is passed half a mile below, named from the eagle nests above its rocky crags, and, while on the point of rushing to the stern to obtain a longer view of the conspicuous cliff, the captain calls at¬ tention to the Mineral Spring house, half a mile further on, and thus from one thing to another, our attention is enlisted, and again distracted . throughbut the trip. A word about the mineral spring. The water here percolates through lime¬ stone, from which it derives calcareous, mag¬ nesian and other salts, giving rise to the mineral spring for which the town of Farmington is fam¬ ous, and bringing patronage to the Mineral Spring house. As this water surcharged with lime and magnesia pours over the cliffs, a portion of the mineral is deposited, taking the form of a coating of vegetation, especially moss, popularly termed petrified, moss. The water is charged principally with bi-carbonates of lime and mag¬ nesia, together with other ingredients. Here we stop and obtain specimens, and see where lime kilns bum this moss-like deposit, and from it manufactures valuable lime.

broad piazzas and beautiful location, inviting us to stop and be revived by the pure air and min¬ eral water, but we proceed on our way. The sides of the cliffs are covered with timber of small size, and of recent growth we are told, for before settlement fires often swept over, burning the grass, shrubbery and everything of life, causing the bluffs to present a totally bare front.

Near the lime kiln a cave was accidentally discovered, which at some time had been occu¬ pied, prior to the earliest history recorded in the valley. The entrance had perhaps been obstructed for centuries, when operations on the bank dis¬ closed it. Within were discovered bones of ani¬ mals, evidently used for food, and remnants of a fire.

Two miles further and we reach Cedar Bend, where the old cedar projects over the river and marks the ancient division between Chippewa and Sioux.

Ten miles below Osceola is Marine Mills, the pioneer lumbering town of the valley, and so far down that it seems to have escaped the business stagnation of the Upper St. Croix. Here a fine town stands out, conspicuously exhibiting, in its churches, school buildings and industries, that we are again approaching business activity. Our little boat, that has. been impeded all the way by the drive of logs which fill the stream, occasion¬ ally producing a blockade, from which she was obliged to beat a retreat with her two barges of freight hugged to her sides, here finds great diffi¬ culty in making a landing.

The drive usually begins much later, and we meet here the employes of the boom company, and the pile driver, hurrying on the preparations for the logging season, thus precipitated upon them by the rise in the river. June 1st all would be ready, but the logs are coming in large numbers, about three weeks in advance. The steamboat strikes the logs continually, with loud thumps that threaten her sides, and to back is impossible, for the stern paddle wheel picks up the logs and tears off her buckets.

The preparations of the boom company consist in stretching booms on each side of the stream and attaching them to piles, to prevent logs from wandering off into the marshes and lakes which border the stream on both sides, especially dur¬ ing high water. For much of the distance be- tween Stillwater ami the Falls of St. Croix, the banks are naturally protected, but from what has been said of the valley it will be understood that the present channel of the river occupies but a small portion of the ravine cut out in former years by the rapid waters. On each side, at intervals, extensive marshes extend far from the main channel, which formerly caught much of the drive of logs. Operations of the boom com¬ pany have removed this difficulty, and retain most of the logs in the main channel, Frequently, however, the companies are compelled to extricate logs thus caught and return them to the river.

We pass Areola six miles above Stillwater, Titcomb's landing a mile below, and Ilarriman's landing after another mile. General Harriman is an old settler, who has a flouring and saw-mill on Apple river, three miles from this landing, where he ships the product of his mills.

Near Stillwater the main stream is abandoned to logs and their rafting, and a canal excavated by the united capital of the boom company and the appropriations of the general government forms the channel for steamboats.

We are here free from logs, and turning to the left leave the main channel. The logs occupy the river proper from the boom to Titcomb's land¬ ing three miles above, crowding out the steam¬ boats. Reaching Stillwater, we are at the end of the trip of the Jennie, and reluctantly leaving her and her hospitable oflicers, we must seek other transportation. Here a draw bridge spans the Lake St. Croix, into which the river now merges, spreading out a mile in width forming a magnificent channel for steamere from the Missis¬ sippi, affording them depth enough and ample sea room.

The scenery of this lake has been often de¬ scribed and will never cease to interest and de¬ light tourists by its lofty bluffs. Its waters are still and deep, well deserving the name of lake, extending twenty-five miles to the old town of Prescott. This lake from the earliest times, in¬ vited explorers from the Mississippi to its peace¬ ful waters, and it has in consequence been the theatre of some of the earliest events recorded in the north- west. We leave it and turn to the active scences connected with its early set¬ tlement and the valley as a whole.