Washington County, Minnesota - Settlement Ny I1akkk and Taylor - First Deed Recorded in St. Croix Valley - In¬ Corporation of Village - Hr I Doe and, 1881

Village Of Franconia

In the year 1838, soon after the news of the ratification of the treaty with the Indians was received, old Jesse Taylor came up from Fort Snelling, by direction of B. F. Baker, to what is now Taylor's Falls, and finding a Frenchman occupying the land near the falls, dispossessed him and located, making out a claim. Three separate companies about this time began oi>eralions in the valley, viz.: the Marine Company, mentioned elsewhere as manufacturing the first lumber; the St. Croix Company, the next in order; and the Baker's Falls Company, as the one lo¬ cating at what is now Taylor's Falls, was then known. This also gave the name Baker's Falls to the place, by which it continued to be known for many years. The name Taylor's Falls was Hist used in any official document April 7lh, 1851, in naming the county school board. The company, consisting of Baker and Jesse Taylor, proceeded to erect a mill, build a dam, black¬ smith shop and make other improvements, in 1839. The mill was fitted with the common flut¬ ter-wheel and two sash-saws, $10,000 or $15,000 being spent in the enterprise. Before the mill was completed, the death of Mr. Baker occurred at St. Louis in 1840, and caused a complete stay of operations, for Mr. Baker's capital was wholly depended upon in the work. The mill never started, and from the date of Mr. Baker's death nothing was done, the entire enterprise being allowed to die.

The property was subsequently transferred by Jesse Taylor to J. L. Taylor, now a resident at Taylor's Falls, in whose hands that portion of the property which still survives continues. The deed of transfer bears date Stillwater, November 7th, 1846, and is as follows: "Know all men by these presents, that I, Jesse Taylor, of the county of St. Croix and territory of * Wisconsin, have this day sold and conveyed unto J. L. Taylor, of the aforesaid county and territory, all my light, title and interest in a pre-emption claim situated on the west side of Baker's Falls, so called, on the river of St. Croix, being about one mile south of the Falls of St. Croix on said river.

"And I do hereby covenant and convey unto the said Taylor, his heirs and assigns forever, all my right and interest in said claim for and in consideration of the sum of two hundred dollars (+200), the receipt of which I hereby acknowl¬ edge, together with all appurtenances thereunto belonging. In witness whereof I herewith set my hand and seal. Signed, Jesse Taylor. Wit¬ ness, Joseph W. Furber. Recorded at the office of the register of deeds at Stillwater, St. Croix county, Wisconsin territory, November 7th, 1840. W. II. C. Folsom, deputy register of deeds."

This deed is the first recorded for the valley of St. Croix. Thus transferred, this claim con¬ tinued until the government survey and land entries for this region, when the pre-emption was made by Joshua and N. C. D. Taylor jointly in 1840.

The town site of Taylor's Falls was surveyed in April, 1851, by Theodore M. Parker, recorded November 24th, of the same year, in the county of Washington. Additions were subsequently surveyed, the first, July 12th, 1854, by O. A. Clark, recorded in the county of Chisago.

The oldest evidences of settlement exist in ruins, found as such when the first settlement of which any present knowledge remains, at what is now called Milltown, a little hamlet near Tay¬ lor's Falls. Here is seen the ruins of an old chimney, and other traces of very ancient occu¬ pation, what are conjectured to have belonged to a trading post, perhaps as ancient as that at LaPointe, on Lake Superior.

built a house, and located on what is known as the Morton place. In 1849 Lewis Barlow built a house near the falls, and during the same year W. E. Bush, and Jacob Mackey also built resi¬ dences.

For a long time the old log house built during the operations of Mr. Baker was the only house at Taylors Falls. Here Mr. Jesse Taylor lived, selling off item by item the moveable portions of the works. The mill was finally sold, and re¬ moved to Osceola, and the shops burned. A few timbers seen at low water, still remain to mark the location.

In 1851, Ansell Smith and Samuel Thomson built the Chisago house, which was rebuilt in 1876, and is now known as the Dalles house, under the management of II. Netterfield. This is kept as a first-class house.

In. 1853 George Folsom built a house, after¬ wards sold to S. J. Smith; Taylor and Fox built their store-house; Dr. L. B. Smith built an office and dwelling combined; Mr. Munch built a house; the first school-house and other buildings were erected during this year. The house and office of Dr. Smith, built during this year, was the Beene of a peculiar excitement in later years, when occupied by one Bush.

There were two sisters, Cerille and Mahala Thomas, one of whom was married to Bush; the other, Mahala. in the natural course of events, was wooed, won and married by one James Paine, without the knowledge of the self-ap¬ pointed guardians, her sister and brother-in-law. As soon as they ascertained the fact, they enticed the girl to their house, and locked her up with the determination to send her away and annul the marriage. A band of indignant citizens gathered to the aid of Paine, for the rescue of the girl and delivering her to her rightful husband. Assault- ing the house, they broke down the door, utterly regardless of a pistol discharged within by the Bush family. As the door went down, under the pressure of the heavy plank and force from without, Bush was caught under it, as though it were a deadfall, gun in hand. James Smith wrested the gun from his grasp, and at¬ tempting to break it by striking it on the rock, the gun was discharged, the charge passing under his arm and grazing his side. No serious damage was done, however, and James Paine obtained his wife.

The village of Taylor's Falls was incorporated and the first meeting of the council held January 3d, 1859. The 11 ret officers were Patrick Fox, president; W. II. C. Folsom, Levi B. Folsom and E. D. Whiting, trustees; II. II. Newberg, recorder.

The Chisago mills were built by L. Kingman and company, in 1856, on block numl>er 123, and were equipped with two rotary saws and a lath machine. In 1858 W. II. C. Folsom bought the concern, and in 1865 raised it four feet, replaced the old foundations and sills with new, and put in a double rotary saw. In 1875 Andrew Iloltr man bought the property, run it a few years, and then, in the nighttime, to avoid paying taxes, re¬ moved all the machinery except the boilers Since, the concern has been allowed to go to decay'

Clark Brothers' steam mill was built by James II., Rufus W., and Charles F. Clark, in 1868 This mill, 35x60 feet, two stories, contained a ro¬ tary saw, besides a shingle machine and stave mill, manufacturing staves being the larger part of the linn's business. The brothers run the es¬ tablishment until 1880, when the firm was dis¬ solved by the death of Rufus W.

The carding mill of Isaac Van Vleck, was orig¬ inally built for a feed mill by II. F. and L. P. Day, of Francofiia, N. C. D. Taylor and W. II. CFolsom. It contained one run of stone, which was driven by a twenty- four foot overshot wheel. After running two years, Taylor and Folsom be¬ came sole owners, and in 1867, they sold to Erastus Good and John C. Carlson, who converted it into a carding mill, capable of carding 15,000 pounds of wool during the summer. In the spring of 1875, the present proprietor bought it, and in 1880, put in a new twenty-four foot over¬ shot wheel.

ter in April, 1854. The incorporators were W. II. C. Folsom, Patrick Fox, J. L. Taylor, W. S. Ilungerford, W. Kent, N. McCarthy, John Dobney, William Colby, Orange Walker, F. W. Lammers and N. C. I). Taylor. The bridge was built under the supervision of W. S. Sewall, of St. Paul, in the winter of 1856, and is al»out 150 feet in length; it was rebuilt in the winter of 1870-71. It is a wooden arched bridge. The present offi¬ cers are E. D. Whiting, president; W. Connor, secretary and treasurer; L. K. S tan nard, Orange Walker, J. L. Taylor and Cyrus Bradley, direc¬ tors.

St. Croix Dam Company was chartered by the legislature of Wisconsin, and organized in 1860, as the Nimokogan and Totogatic Dam Company. In 1870, the name was changed to that by which it is now known, and a new charter granted, al¬ lowing it to enlarge the number of dams from two to nine. This number 1ms again been in¬ creased to sixteen, twelve of which have l>een built. The object is to facilitate log driving, for which twelve men, one at each dam, are em¬ ployed. The rates charged from the most distant dam is forty cents per thousand feet. The com¬ pany passes through its dams from forty to sixty million feet annually, and greatly facilitates driv¬ ing operations. The charter memliers of the company were A. M. Chase, J. F. Nason, Wil¬ liam Kent, II. D. Barron, and A. B. Dresser. The present officers are J. F. Nason, president; A. M. Chase, secretary and treasurer; J. F. Na¬ son, L. E. Toriuus and William Kent, directors.

The Taylor's Falls Copper Mining Company was organized December 15th, 1874, with the fol¬ lowing officers: W. II. C. Folsom, president; George W. Seymour, secretary ; Levi W. Folsom, treasurer; D. A. Caneday, mining agent. The company sunk a shaft of 130 feet; but ceased op¬ erations for the lack of means although the indi¬ cations are good. The company still exists with the same officers excepting the treasurer, that po¬ sition being now filled by Casper Hauser.

The City brewery, Joseph Sliuttmueller proprie¬ tor, was built in 1856 by Joseph and F. S. Shultmueller. Originally 20x30 feet, but in 1800, it was enlarged to its present size 20x60 feet, two stories and basement. It uses one thousand bushels of barley per annum, employing the labor of two men.

The Dalles house was built in the fall of 1851, by Ansel Smith and Samuel Thomson. Thom¬ son became sole owner the next year and in the fall of 1852 he sold to Benjamin S. Wall. Since that year the house has been owned as follows: W. W. Folsom and J. F. Fuller, in 1853 ; W. W. Folsom, from '54 to '66 ; W. J. Webb, from '50 '62 ; S. Trussed the next three years ; then fol¬ lowed Webb, E. C. Winslow, Charles Leonard, William Gilmore, Joseph Comelison, who gave it the name now bears, and M. J. Webb. In 1870 Dr. E. D. Whiting forclosed a mortgage upon the property, and made some needed improve¬ ments, and leased it to the present proprietor. The house has twenty chambers, sample room, ofilce, parlor, dinning room, kitchen and store rooms.

The Union House was built in 1852, by W. II. C. Folsom for A. A. York. In I860, A. N. Holm bought it, nnd the next year doubled its size, and again in 1875, made another addition, enlarging it to the present size. The house contains twelve chambers, parlor, office, dining-room and kitchen.

The Taylor's Falls post-office was established in 1851, and N. C. D. Taylor, appointed postmaster. Being absent most of the time, Mr. Taylor ap¬ pointed W. II. C. Folsom, deputy. Mr. Folsom beginning business the next sping, took the office to his store. Porter E. Walker next took charge and conducted it until 1856, when Edward P. Wyman, a clerk for W. II. C. Folsom was ap¬ pointed in his place. From '58 to '61, George W. Seymour held the office; from '61 to '08, Oscar Roos. N. M. Humphreys' was appointed in 1808. The next three years, the office was in the build¬ ing now occupied by Dr. Murdock. In 1871, he built an office 16x24 feet, in which it has since remained. The amount of business transacted in 1880, was $40,210.01.

The Taylors Falls Reporter was started in 1860, by F. II. Pratt; it was a seven column, four page sheet, printed entirely at home. S. S. Fifield, now state senator from Ashland, Wisconsin, and E. II. Folsom were taken into the office to learn printing. In 1802, the paper was sold to D. A. Caneday, who changed the name to St. Croix Monitor. In 1863, E. II. Folsom purchased the paper and changed the name to the Reporter. Ilis brother Charles W. becoming his partner; E. II. was then fifteen years of age and Charles W., but seventeen. They ran the enterprise until 1869, when E. II. retired. Charles conducted it until his death in 1872. E. II. then run it until 1873, then sold to P. B. Walker and II. E. Barlow, who enlarged it to nine columns and changed the name to the Journal. In 1876, J. II. McCourt purchased, reduced it to seven columns, and in 1877 sold to E. II. Folsom, who has since con¬ ducted it.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Taylor's Falls was organized March 27th, 1859, Rev. Silas Bolles acting as leader. Under the leadership of A. A. York, the membership was thirty-five.

The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized April 22d, I860, with twelve members. The same year they built a church 26x36 feet, to which, in 1880, they added sixteen feet. The membership at present is one hundred and twen¬ ty-five, with ltev. M. Spangberg as pastor. The first pastor was ltev. C. A. Iledengren, and the first trustees: Andrew Anderson, Daniel Nelson and C. M. Carlson.

First Presbyterian Church of Taylor's Falls organized April 1st, 1866, with nine members. The first pastor was Rey. J. Q. Ilall, who re¬ mained until April, 1871. Then came Rev. J. A. McGowan, who, at the end of two years, was succeeded by Rev. J. E. Miller. At the expira¬ tion of Mr. Miller's term, the pulpit was vacant for three years. The present pastor, Rev. Joseph Lanman, late of Boston, took charge in the spring of 1880.

The Taylor's Falls Library Association was organized November 8th, 1871, with the follow¬ ing officers: Dr. E. D. Whiting, president, and Rev. J. A. McGowan, secretary. There are about sixty members at present. The library consists of one thousand and seventy-one vol¬ umes, besides about three hundred volumes of unbound matter, is in L. W. Folsom's office. The present officers are: A. J. Murdock, president; I). M. Woodbury, secretary, and J. J. Folsom, librarian.

The first school-house in the village was built in 1852 3, by private subscription and taxation. The first teacher in this building was Miss Harriet Stevenson, now Mrs. L. K. Stannard. In 1866 the village purchased Chisago seminary for a public school, and in 1870 erected another build¬ ing in the northern part of town. By act of the legislature, Taylor's Falls was organized into an independent district March 3d, 1871. The first meeting under the new regime was held April 3d, 1871, and the following board elected: L. W. Folsom, president; J. A. Fair bairn, sec¬ retary; Andrew Clendening, treasurer; Casper Hauser, L. K. Stannard and J. B. Griswold. The board at present is composed of L. K. Stannard, president; L. F. Bullard, secretary; A. J. Murdock, treasurer; E. II. Folsom, G. S. Con¬ nor and Joseph Shuttmueller.

Chisago Seminary. A charter was granted by the legislature of 1857, providing for the location of a seminary at Taylors Falls, where the higher branches of education might be taught. It was built by W. II. C. Folsom and conducted rather as a public than private enterprise, and for that purpose he secured the charter. The building was erected in 1857, and was 28x40 feet, two stories high. In 1858 the institution was opened with a roll of sixty students, A. A. York princi¬ pal, and Mrs. York, assistant. In 1859, Mi's. Gustavus Munch was secured to teach modern languages. The school had an average attend¬ ance of from sixty to eighty scholars, until the breaking out of the war, took away most of the young men, together with Professor York, who enlisted in 1861. The seminary dragged out a a precarious life until 1864 when its existence ceased.

The United States land office, more fully de¬ scribed elsewhere in this history, was located at Taylor's Falls, October 1st, 1861, under the ad¬ ministration of G. N. Stickney. Succeeding Mr. Stickney, the appointments of registers have been as follows: December 25th, 1864. Charles B.