Washington County, Minnesota - Chapter 35: Distance from Post-Office - Starving Time, 1881

Vey-Suspension Of Building At Falls

DISTANCE FROM POST-OFFICE - STARVING TIME - FIRST FARMERS - FIRST COURT - FIRST SUR¬ VEY-SUSPENSION OF BUILDING AT FALLS OF ST. CROIX - SAW MILLS - JUDGE JOEL FOS¬ TER.

In the spring of 1840 the inhabitants of St. Croix numbered only twenty men; at Marine were found ten or twelve. These settlers had no postoffice nearer than Fort Snelling, sixty miles away. Indeed, the post-office at the fort was the only office in the whole north-west above Prairie du Chien, and received its mail monthly, carried by half-breeds in canoes, on sledges or on their backs. Letters for the whole valley were therefore ad¬ dressed to Fort Snelling, and the fortunate or un- fortunate man to whom a letter came, got it as he could and made reply subject to the same incon¬ venience. This continued until 1843, when offices were established both at Point Douglas and St. Croix.

At this date only two shipments of supplies were received during the year; these came up the river, spring and fall, and it demanded good hus¬ bandry on the part of settlers to make provisions and supplies hold out. Fortunately game was abundant and enabled pioneers to extend their supplies; at times, even this was their only dependance. It sometimes happened that a steam¬ er, loaded with supplies, would be prevented by the ice of an early winter from reaching the up¬ per country. It happened more than once that not a pound of flour or pork could be purchased above Prairie du Chien.

In the winter of 1844 such a scarcity of pro¬ visions occurred, ending in what was called at St. Croix the "starving time," though actual starva¬ tion was not reached, for, the pluck of a few was sufficient to cut a road in the spring, fifty miles to Fort Snelling, haul shingles through and obtain in exchange condemned army pork. It is even reported that they imitated the rag-pickers of our cities in sorting over heaps of-garbage around the fort, carrying such refuse back with them.

George W. Brownell, engaged in a geological survey for the United States government, passed through this valley while the inhabitants were in this sad predicament and dispensed to the suffer¬ ing settlers all the provisions at bis disposal. This starving time lasted about two months be¬ fore the first steamer from below arrived with supplies. Usually, however, fish in the streams, and large and small game on the land sufficed to tide over such times of scarcity. The Indians were always friendly, except on rare occasions when the whisky of the white man made them entirely reckless and irresponsible.

Gen. Furber says: "We often came in contact with their war parties, but always on the best of terms, both tribes being anxious to keep the good, will of the white man, from whom they received many favors. I have been upon some of their battle grounds, even before they were cleared of their carnage, but in all my early contact, I never but once felt that my personal safety was in dan* ger and on that occasion the danger was wholly caused by the dealing out to the Indians of whis¬ ky by a trader. White man's whisky was the cause, as it generally has been, of all the trouble."

Although Lieutenant Camp, of FortSnellingin 1823, had proved the fertility of the soil of Min¬ nesota, and proved too, that owing to the rapid¬ ity of growth, ordinary crops would come to full maturity in spite of the short season, still the set¬ tlers of the valley were long incredulous on the subject. It would seem, too, that observation of the Indians who raised com in considerable quan¬ tities would have stimulated experiments in fann¬ ing among the early settlers, but facts prove them intent on lumbering, and as previously in¬ timated, they seem to have entertained no idea of permanent settlement, but planned to slash the timber, snatch what could be made imme¬ diately available and abandon the land.

Honor is due to Joseph Haskell and J. S. Nor¬ ris for exhibiting a different spirit and inaugurat¬ ing genuine farming in the valley. Indeed they were the first men who cultivated land in Min¬ nesota to a sufficient extent to be worthy the name of farmer. Joseph Haskell settled at Afton, now in Washington county, in 1839, and the fol¬ lowing year broke the first land, becoming thus the pioneer farmer of Minnesota. J. S. Norris, a brother-in-law of Mr. Haskell settled at Cottage Grove, a neighboring town, and began breaking his farm in 1841. These first farms were about six miles apart. The business of farming having been inaugurated, it increased as is usual in set¬ tlements and created new demands. The first mill for grinding coin and grain in Minnesota, aside from the old government mill at the Falls of St. Anthony, was built in 1843 by Samuel Bowles on Bowles creek. This was a small mill, having one pair of eighteen-inch stones, but without a bolt¬ ing apparatus. The custom of farmers in the vi¬ cinity at this time, was to carry their small grists of wheat to the mill, where it was crushed; after¬ ward at home it was sifted and, reports say, made admirable bread. In 1848, Mr. Bowles introduced the first bolting cloth, and itcan be said of this, as of his mill, that it was the first introduced north of Prairie du Chien.

The first court held in the county, was at Still¬ water, in June, 1847, with Charles Dunn as judge; Joseph R. Brown, clerk; M. S. Wilkinson, prose¬ cuting attorney. This court was held in accord¬ ance with an act passed by the legislature of the territory of Wisconsin of the same year, by which the county of St. Croix was established for judicial purposes with the county seat at Still¬ water.

In 1848 General Sibley was appointed delegate to congress for the territory of Wisconsin, after the state of Wisconsin had been admitted. As a portion of the original territory of Wisconsin, which included all the land lying between the Mississippi and the St. Croix was not embraced in the state of Wisconsin as organized in 1848, it appeared plain to the citizens that it was either entirely without government, left out in the cold, or the jurisdiction of the old territory of Wiscon¬ sin still continued in force. Much discussion en¬ sued, but Governor Sibley was appointed delegate, and after much dispute at Washington, was ad¬ mitted to his seat, as delegate for the territory of Wisconsin. To his efforts, while such delegate, is due the act organizing the territory of Minne¬ sota. The first survey in this territory was be¬ gun in August, 1847, by the United States gov¬ ernment, with the following force of surveyors: Henry A. Wiltse, contractor for the survey on the fourth meridian, and third correction line; James M. Marsh, in charge of survey under Wiltse, and also contractor for survey of township lines; subordinate employes, Mahlon Black, John Mobley, John Smith, I. Seeley, John Bothwell. A. B. Howland.

The instructions of the war department, under whose direction the survey was made, since at this date there was no department of the interior, were to make a lineal, toi>ographical. and geologi¬ cal survey of the country, and submit a full report. It was found, however, that this was impracticable, as the special knowledge required, exceeded the province of the surveyors, though skilled in their own special branch of service, and the department finally assigned the geological department to Hon. Robert Dale Owen, who witli a corps of assistants, accompanied the expedi¬ tion taking charge of his special part. Mr. Owen had at this time acquired a wide reputation in literature, and as a social reformer; following the example of his father the distinguished social reformer of Scotland, and sustaining the reputa¬ tion of the family name.

trict of Indiana in congress, acting with the dem¬ ocratic party. lie took an active part in the settlement of the north-western boundary ques¬ tion, serving as a member of the committee of conference on that subject. Ilis subsequent career is familiar to the reading public.

The fourth principal meridian had already been extended from the mouth of the Illinois river north to township twenty-four. This sur¬ vey extended the line to the mouth of the Mon¬ treal river, and established a monument on Lake Superior July 4th, 1848; this monument to be the termination of the fourth principal meridian. After completing this meridian line the party de¬ scended the Chippewa river in canoes as far south as practicable, when they traveled easterly across the country until they found the north line of town¬ ship thirty, on said meridian as established. They then run the north boundary of thirty, this being the third correction line, extending the same west from the fourth principal meridian to the Missis¬ sippi river. '

The purpose at that time was to make a land line the division of stales; for the valley of the St. Croix was from the nature of its settlement and the unity of its interests, well situated to form one intergal section. It was also supposed that jealousies would arise in case of a disruption in consequence of the rivalry that usually springs up between two adjoining enterprising and grow¬ ing states. Of course the result is known; the val¬ ley is divided, and the anticipated jealousies have to some extent arisen.

This was a detached survey for the purpose of reaching the pineries of the north-west, and the contract for the township surveys made with Mr. Marsh, included .all west of range fifteen and south of the north boundary of township thirtytwo north, and west to the Mississippi river; a triangular section including the settlements on the lake and river St. Croix, Point Douglas, Still¬ water and Marine and on the Mississippi, St. Paul and St. Anthony, the northern boundary crossing Cedar Bend on the St. Croix river. ' -

This was the limitation of the original survey, and was eight months in progress, ending with the meandering of White Bear Lake, the last item in the survey, December 25th, 1848, when the surveying party was disbanded.

By this survey the department at Washington supposed that the great bulk of the pine lands of the north-west would be included and opened for occupation and settlement, whereas it proved that only a small portion was thus embraced. This fact shows at what a recent date the topography and resources of the north-west were unknown even to the departments at Washington. Much more was it an unknown land to the citi¬ zens at large.

This ignorance of the country was further ex¬ hibited by the surveying party, for, misjudging the length of the meridian line first run, and making the point of departure a base of supplies, they started with such outfit and supplies ns they deemed necessary to accomplish the object of reaching Lake Superior. Provisions, however, failed and the party were subjected to great hard¬ ship. Abandoning their line and subsisting on the saliva of trees, they struck directly for the lake. The point at which the line was abandoned was just south of Porcupine mountains, and ascend- ing the high land in crossing, they joyfully saw the lake, apparently quite near. It proved, how¬ ever, to be fifteen miles from this water-shed be¬ tween the waters of the St. Lawrence system and that of the Mississippi to Lake Superior. From this high land they could plainly see the Madeline islands in the lake, though twenty-live miles dis¬ tant, and saw some object not clearly distinguish¬ able, which proved to be the schooner Napoleon sailing into the harlxir of La Pointe.

They proceeded in a random course from the mountains and reached the upper falls of the Montreal river, where they discovered a miner's shanty on the opposite side of the river from them. W'ading over they discovered it to be va¬ cant and locked, but, their hunger proving too great for ceremony, they burst in only again to be disappointed, for only a little rude furniture and bedding was found, and no provisions. A trail from the shanty, however, led them in a di¬ rection where they heard the barking of a dog, and soon found an occupied shanty ; but a man seen in the distance, ran in and locked the door, for one sight was enough. Our gentleman sur¬ veyors were in a sad plight, clothes nearly torn of by their scramble through the brush, and drabbled with mud and water from wading, they were more frightful than Indians in war paint. After some persuasion, admittance was gained, and with still greater reluctance provisions to a small amount were furnished. The cabin was occupied by two men as claim keei>ers for the Michigan Copper Mining Company. Thus furnished our adventurers pressed on to the mouth of Bad river, half way to La Pointe, where they camped, and next day reached a point on the river, opposite La Pointe, built a signal fire, by which a relief party from the fort were attracted, and obtained transportation to tl:e station on the other side - this was a trading station of Borup and Oakes, an ancient post on Lake Superior. Provisions and equipage were here obtained that enabled the little party to resume their line and complete the survey.

At this time our party saw the Julia Palmer, the first steamer on Lake Superior, which had re¬ cently been transferred over the ways of the Sault St. Marie. Three schooners were at this time plying on the lake. They met lion. Henry M. Rice and party, who went up by canoes to meet at La Pointe, Gen. II. Dodge, the governor of the territory of Wisconsin, for the purpose of making a treaty with the Cliippewas. The In¬ dians were present in large numbers and pre¬ sented a remarkably fine appearance, clean and in good clothing.

Financial embarassment, and at last insolvency, interrupted operations at St. Croix Falls. The changes in ownership of stock brought in James Perrington, an experienced lumberman from Maine, as a member of the company, and in 1847 Caleb Cushing, the distinguished lawyer, politician and author from Massachusetts, be¬ came interested in the enterprise. The circum¬ stances attending his connection with the com¬ pany were as follows: while on a western tour he fell in with Mr. Perrington on a steamer on Lake Superior, as the latter was returning from a trip East, and was induced to accompany him up the Brule and down the St. Croix.

Mr. Cushing was delighted with the falls, and determined to make an investment in the stock of the company. A new company was then formed With a capital stock of $60,000, and business was once more resumed. The new company was composed of Isaac I. Green, Caleb Cushing, '

William S. Ilungerford, James Perrington and J. T. Christy. Soon, however, the financial crisis came on, and in 1848 lumber would not bring half its cost.

The company was, therefore, forced to suspend, and litigation followed between the members of the firm, growing out of the claim itself, which not only stopped all operations, but ended in the general demolition of the works. St. Paul about this time took its start, and attracted many who had been interested at the Falls of St. Croix. In 1857 a new start was taken under Colonels Bodfish and Murphy. They made some valuable improvements, but continued only about a year, leaving the United States marshal, sheriff and constable to sell off a large part of the lands and some personal property.

The property then continued idle until 1870, when with a great swell came a Swede nobleman, Count Taub, with some two or three hundred workmen, whose purpose seemed only to defraud his confiding victims. After getting a few months' labor out of the poor immigrants, and what he could otherwise of portable property, he returned to Sweden.

Though the company at St. Croix was the first organized, a number of energetic men from Marine, Illinois, induced by reports made of this timber country by Lewis S. Judd and David Ilone, from exploration made by them in the fall of 1838, organized a company in Illinois, and May 13th, 1839, began work at the point now known as Marine Mills, named from the original home of its members, and in the fall of the same year, started their muley saw, thus becoming the pioneers in lumber in the St. Croix Valley.

The saw-mill at Stillwater was the third, built in 1844, by John McKusick and Company. In 1845, the next was built at Osceola*, Wisconsin, by W m. Kent and others. In 1847, one at Areola, by Mr. Mower; in 1849, one at Hudson, by east¬ ern capitalists; in 1850, one at Hudson by Joseph R. Brown; in 1850, one at Stillwater, by Sawyer and Heaton; in 1852, one in Lakeland, by Moses Perrin; in 1852, one at Areola, by Mr. Mower; in 1853, one at Baytown, by Nelson, Carlton and Company, two in Stillwater, in 1854, one of which was built by Hersey, Staples and Company, and the other by Schulenberg and Company, and one at Prescott.

Lumbering Operations

The six mills first built were operated by water¬ power; of those mentioned, the water-power milj last built was that at Hudson, in 1849. The year 1850, marks the era of steam-mills in the valley; during that year two were built, and of the eight mentioned, the remainder were built in 1852-3 and '4. The business began with the simple flut¬ ter wheel and single sash saw of the old Marine mill, but increased business soon compelled the introduction of improved machinery. Little by little the business has increased in dimensions* In 1855, fourteen mills located in the valley op¬ erated fifty gang, four rotary and twenty-nine sash saws with an annual cut of 34,900,000 feet of lumber, with thirteen lath saws making 18,- 600,000 lath. The largest at that time, was the mill of Ilersey, Staples and Company, with its thirty saw gang and an annual cut of 12,000,000 feet.

To facilitate lumbering operations the St. Croix boom company was incorporated February 7th, 1851; capital stock fixed at $10,000 with the priv¬ ilege of increasing it to $25,000; incorporators, Orange Walker, John McKusick, George B. Judd, Levi Churchill, Socrates Nelson, Daniel Mears,W. II. C. Folsom and William Kent. In 1850, the St. Croix Boom Corporation into which the pre¬ vious company was merged, was incorporated by Martin Mower, W. II. C. Folsom, Isaac Staples, Christopher Carli and Samuel Benkles. The capital stock of this company was fixed at $25,- 000 with the privilege of increasing it to $50,000.

The privilege was subsequently obtained to in¬ crease the capital to $100,000, of which amount $97,000 has been subscribed. The amount of logs rafted by the St. Croix Boom Corporation previous to 1865, did not exceed in any one year 50,000,000 feet. In 1865 the amount rafted amounted 105,000,000 feet. Since that date the amount has been about 150,000,000 feet annually, and for the last five years the amount shipped has been nearly 200,000,000 feet.

During the year 1865 the entire amount of the lumber business of the St. Croix Valley is epito¬ mized in the following statement of the business of the St. Croix Boom Corporation, through which are passed the whole amount of logs which go to or below Stillwater, also of the amount rafted at or held in other booms, and of the amount sawed during the year.

During this period they passed through the boom 100,000,000 feet of logs and 40,000 cedar posts; logs run through Folsom's boom 10,000,000 feet; on hand in the spring of 1865, 10,000,000 feet; sawed by Schulenburg, Boeckeler & Co. at Stillwater, 11,700,000 feet; sawed by Hersey, Staples & Co. at Stillwater, 5,000,000 feet; ran in brails to be sawed at Hudson, Afton, Glenmont, Prescott, Hastings and Bed Wing, 9,000,000 feet; total amount of logs 155,700,000 feet; logs left in the booms at the time of the close, October 15th, 1865, 22,000,000 feet. Deducting from the total amount scaled the logs remaining on hand, the remainder 133,700,000, went to market in the form of lumber and logs. Of this amount 22,550,000 was sawed on the St. Croix and 110,950,000 was exported in the form of logs.

Nearly all this lumber was manufactured at Stillwater; Schulenburg, Boeckeler & Co. manu¬ facturing 11,700,000 feet of lumber, 1,350,250 shingles, 2,449,300 lath; Hersey, Staples & Co., 5,987,217 feet of lumber, 1 ,009,645 shingles, 1 ,699,- 880 lath. The estimated value of logs passed through the booms, added to the value of manu¬ factured lumber at market prices, gave a total for the year 1865, of about $1,400,000, according to the most reliable information within reach.

The lumber product of 1870 amounted to 191,- 677,776 feet of logs scaled by the surveyor gene¬ ral; total value of the product, $2,126,848.62.

The product of 1871 amounted to 149,777,235 feet scaled, valued at $2,122,139, showing that the product fell off 41,800,541 feet from that of the preceding year, but the total value, owing to increased price of lumber, was nearly as great as that of the former year.

In 1872, the logs from the St. Croix boom amounted to 205,000,000 feet; total value, $2,358,- 000. The prices obtained were as follows; logs, $10.50 per thousand ; manufactured lumber, $14.00 per thousand.

We clip from the North Star, in regard to lum¬ bering business of the St. Croix in 1872: "The lumbering establishments on the St. Croix are seventeen mills and two booms, with a capital invested of $500,000. These mills are capable of turning out 35,000,000 feet of lumber, 10,000,600

In 1877 the logs scaled by the surveyor general amounted to 153.373,869 feet. For once in the history of the St. Croix lumber trade no logs re¬ mained on hand, either in the boom at Stillwater, or down the river. In 1878 the cut was 130,189,- 265 feet of lumber, 43,007,200 shingles and 20,- 664,400 lath.

The total amount of logs run through the Still¬ water boom during the year 1880 was 207,100,000 feet. Logs scaled and recorded at the surveyor general's otlice during the year, 1,008,106, scaling 212,239,721 feet. The following is the summary of the lumber cut in the St. Croix Valley during the year 1880: Total amount of lumber, 32,307,- 000 feet; shingles. 9,157,000; lath, 5,367,000.

We have been kindly furnished by Judge Joel Foster, of ltiver Falls, with an account of his first acquaintance with this valley, and since it sets forth in familiar language, incidents and scenes of early days in a very interest ing manner, as only an eye witness could descril>e them, we offer it here entire, believing that it should be preserved and will be enjoyed and cherished by our readers:

Judge Joel Foster was born in Meriden, Con¬ necticut, December 15th, 1814, half way between New Ilaven and Hartford, on the old original road from New York to Boston, where he spent the earlier years of his life on a farm, until De¬ cember 30th, 1830, when he with his brother George, and brother-in-law, Lewis, started for the then far western wilds of Illinois, their objective point being East St. Jjouis, or Marine, a short distance l>elow, on the Illinois side of the liver. They made the trip across the country with two teams, in wagons, reaching East St. Louis some¬ time in February, 1831. From that point they went to Marine, where their brother Isaac was located. J<»el then attended school for a short time and then engaged with his brother in a store until the spring of 1832. when he commenced to open up a farm on government land, a short dis¬ tance from the village of Marine, lie continued on the farm for three years, when be removed to Alton, Illinois, and took charge of the steam ferry across the Mississippi river at that point, which belonged to his brother. His ambition at this time was to run a river steamer. Hut a steam saw-mill company at East St. Louis, per¬ suaded him to take charge of their engine, which he did, and remained with them one year. The mill was engaged in getting out railroad timber. At the expiration of this time he removed to Edwardsville, Madison county, Illinois, and en¬ gaged with another mill company until the spring of 1846, when lie enlisted for the Mexican war. He took this step partially on account of failing health, and furthermore, with a view to change of occupation. His military service, together with the climate of the table lands of Mexico, proved favorable, and he recovered, and was promoted in consequence of merit to the office of second lieu¬ tenant in the Second Illinois Volunteeis, Col. llissell's regiment. During the summer of 1847, he returned to St. Louis, and, the winter follow¬ ing, visited New England. From this point we will allow the judge to tell his own story.