Fifty Years In The Northwest by William H. C. Folsom
1867. In 1885 they removed to California.
3240 words | Chapter 130
JAMES S. NORRIS.--James S. Norris was born in Monmouth, Kennebec
county, Maine, in 1810. He was married at Newport in 1845 to Miss
Haskell. Mr. Norris came to St. Croix Falls in 1839, removed to
Washington county in 1842, where he settled on a farm at Cottage
Grove, and lived continuously till his death, March 5, 1874. He raised
the first crops in Cottage Grove, and though he made farming his chief
business, his abilities were such that his fellow citizens intrusted
him with many official positions, in all of which he acquitted himself
with honor. He acted as county commissioner, was a member of the first
territorial council, member of the sixth and seventh territorial house
of representatives, and speaker of the sixth, a member of the
Democratic wing of the constitutional convention, and of the twelfth
state legislature (house).
LEWIS HILL was born at Hollis, Maine, in 1822. In 1843 he came to the
valley of the St. Croix and located at St. Croix Falls. In 1844 he
came to Cottage Grove and engaged in farming, and, excepting a few
years spent in Dakota county, has resided there since. He was married
to Abbie Welch in 1854. Their living children are Emma C., Jessie L.
and Frederick E. G.
JACOB MOSHIER was born in Nova Scotia in 1820. He removed with his
parents in 1829 to Canada West. In 1839 he removed to Illinois, in
1843 to St. Croix Falls, and in 1845 to Cottage Grove, where he still
resides. He is a house carpenter, and has also been engaged in
farming. He was married in 1854 to Maria Shatto. Their children are
Annie F., Mahala, William, Addie, Grant, Laura, and George.
WILLIAM FERGUSON came to Cottage Grove in 1844, and made a claim in
section 26.
JOHN ATKINSON was born in Lewiston, Maine, April 4, 1805. He remained
in his native town until 1833, resided in Pittsfield until 1844, when
he came West and located in Cottage Grove. He pre-empted eighty acres
of land, purchased additions to it from time to time, and made for
himself a very attractive home, where he resided thirty years. Mr.
Atkinson was twice married, first to Hannah Moore, at Lewiston, Maine,
who died in 1874, then to Mrs. A. B. Fiske, of Baytown, at which place
he now resides, an aged, much respected citizen. His first wife left
four sons and two daughters.
DENMARK.
This town is located on the point of land between the Mississippi
river and Lake St. Croix, and includes the territory lying south of
Afton, and between Cottage Grove and Lake St. Croix, fractional
townships 26 and 27, range 20. The surface is elevated, somewhat
rolling, without lakes or streams, and the soil rich and well adapted
to agricultural purposes. The early history of the town is
substantially that of its earliest settlement, Point Douglas. It was
organized in 1858. Supervisors, John Shearer, Thomas Wright and David
Hone.
POINT DOUGLAS.
Levi Hertzell and Oscar Burris, young men, located in 1839 on the
extreme point of the delta between the Mississippi and St. Croix lake,
where they cut wood and sold it to the steamboats. They built a log
cabin and store, under one roof, and traded with Indians, discharged
soldiers and French settlers. They were diligent and industrious, and
prospered. In 1846 they built a frame store building. Their trade
increased and they grew wealthy. Messrs. Levi Hertzell, Oscar Burris
and David Hone, in 1849, platted the village of Point Douglas, Harvey
Wilson acting as surveyor. It was named in honor of Stephen A.
Douglas.
The following settlers came to Point Douglas prior to 1850: Wm. B.
Dibble, the Truaxes, Harley D. White, David Barber, E. H. Whittaker,
James Shearer, Martin Leavitt, Simon Shingledecker, H. A. Carter,
Thomas Hetherington, Geo. W. Campbell, John Allibone, Mark Wright,
John H. Craig, John O. Henry, and George Harris. The first post office
north of Prairie du Chien was established in 1840, on the site of
Prescott, at that time known as "Mouth of St. Croix." This office was
removed to the opposite side of the lake in 1841, and Levi Hertzell
was appointed postmaster. The first school was taught in 1850, by
John Craig. Rev. Joseph Hurlbut, a Methodist minister, preached here
in 1848. In 1656 Rev. T. Wilcoxson, Episcopalian, established "St.
Paul's Parish." Mr. Woodruff erected a saw mill in 1851. The
enterprise was not successful. A. J. Short built a saw mill in 1858,
which eventually passed into the hands of John Dudley. The first road
to Point Douglas was the Stillwater county road, located in 1847. The
Point Douglas and Lake Superior military road was built in 1849. A
ferry was established in 1851 from Point Douglas to Prescott, which
was chartered in 1856, and controlled by W. B. Dibble, who also
established a ferry from Point Douglas to Hastings in 1857. The first
marriage was that of Oscar Burris to Amanda M. Henry, Nov. 14, 1847.
The first birth was that of Emmet M. Hone, born in 1845, son of David
and Mary G. Hone.
LEVI HERTZELL came to Point Douglas in 1839, and was quite successful
in business. In 1846 he was married to Rhoda C. Pond, an adopted
daughter of Cornelius Lyman, of Stillwater. In 1849, in company with
Burris and Hone, he platted the village of Point Douglas. In the
spring of 1856, while in New York, whither he had gone to purchase
goods, he mysteriously disappeared, and nothing has since been heard
from him. Mrs. Hertzell and her three children were left in a
dependent condition, she being able to realize but little from the
property held in Point Douglas. She soon after married again. Of her
subsequent history nothing is known.
OSCAR BURRIS, associated with Levi Hertzell as one of the first
settlers of Point Douglas and pioneer merchants and traders, left in
1849 for California.
DAVID HONE.--The following statement was given me, on request, by Mr.
Hone himself: "I was born in Cherry Valley, Otsego county, New York,
April 5, 1808, and was married to Mary Henry in 1835. We came by stage
over the mountains of Pennsylvania to Pittsburgh and by steamboat from
there to Cairo, Illinois, and stopped at the Marine settlement until
Sept. 10, 1838. At that time I embarked on the steamboat Ariel, at St.
Louis, and in twenty-five days reached the head of Lake St. Croix,
from which point I proceeded on a flatboat, propelled by poles, to St.
Croix Falls, the trip occupying two days. I made a pine timber claim
on an island opposite the mouth of Kettle river. On my return, which
was made with eight companions in birch canoes, I stopped at Marine
and made a claim where the Marine mill now stands, intending to build
a saw mill. We then proceeded in our canoes to Galena, where we took
passage on the Ariel for St. Louis, landing there November 10th, after
an absence of two months, more than half of which had been spent on
the water. We reported favorably, and, organizing a company of
thirteen at Marine settlement, Illinois, with a capital of $26,000,
got our material together at St. Louis during the winter, and embarked
on the Fayette, May 4, 1839, for the point afterward known as Marine
Mills, Minnesota. We arrived May 13th and commenced at once to work
upon the projected mill, which was completed Sept. 1, 1839. I remained
at the mill until March, 1841, when I removed to Gray Cloud. I made a
claim at Point Douglas in 1843, and moved upon it in April of that
year. In 1844 I built the Union House, the first frame house built in
the territory now embraced in Minnesota. At Gray Cloud I acted as
justice of the peace. I was appointed deputy sheriff by Sheriff R. D.
Lester of Crawford county, and held the office until Minnesota
Territory was organized. My first wife died in November, 1864, leaving
three sons, Edwin A., John H. and Emmet M. In 1865 I was married to
Electa Barnes, of St. Paul. In 1872 I removed to Hastings, my present
home." Mr. Hone died at Hastings, July 11, 1887.
WILLIAM B. DIBBLE was born in the state of New York in 1815. He spent
part of his early life in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Alabama and Illinois.
He came to the St. Croix valley in 1839, and was one of the founders
of Marine, Minnesota, from whence he removed to Point Douglas in 1844,
and established ferries across Lake St. Croix to Prescott, and across
the Mississippi river to Hastings. He also engaged in farming. He was
twice married, first in 1844, to Eliza McCauslin, who died in 1847,
then to Mary Wright, who, with nine children, survives him. Mr. Dibble
died in 1884.
GEORGE HARRIS was born in Pennsylvania in 1824. In 1827 his father
removed to Illinois and was killed during the Black Hawk War while
acting as sentry. At the age of eight years George commenced working
on a farm, and continued nine years. He then removed to Missouri and
remained until 1845, when he came to Stillwater and engaged in
lumbering. Soon afterward he settled on a farm near Point Douglas,
where he still resides. His family consists of a wife (formerly Alice
White) and seven children.
HARLEY D. WHITE was born in Orange county, Vermont, in 1812; came to
Prairie du Chien in 1840 and engaged in selling goods; removed to Red
Rock in 1844 where he sold goods in partnership with Daniel Hopkins,
and settled on a farm at Point Douglas in 1847. Some years later he
removed to Beattie, Kansas. He was married to Mrs. E. Tainter, of St.
Croix Falls, in 1849. She died in 1850, leaving a daughter, who was
adopted into the family of W. H. Tinker, of St. Paul. This daughter
became a teacher and taught in the public schools of St. Paul for a
period of eighteen years, and with her earnings purchased a home for
her foster parents. Mr. White married a second time and reared two
sons, one an editor, now residing in Alameda, California. The other is
engaged in farming in Kansas. Mr. White died in April, 1888.
THOMAS HETHERINGTON was born in Northumberland, England, in 1818; came
to Canada at the age of sixteen years and to Point Douglas in 1849 and
settled on a farm at Basswood Grove, where he died in 1885, leaving
his family in good circumstances. He was held in great esteem as an
upright man by those who knew him.
JAMES SHEARER was born at Palmer, Massachusetts, Oct. 30, 1815. He was
engaged in the mercantile business from 1837 to 1843, when he sold out
and went to Canada. He came to Point Douglas May 8, 1849, and engaged
in farming. He held various offices of trust in the county and town.
He served as county commissioner for 6 years, postmaster 2 years,
chairman of town board of Denmark for 4 years, and town treasurer 12
years. Mr. Shearer was married to Minerva J. Taylor, March 6, 1866.
Their children are Marcus, Martha and Irvin.
SIMON SHINGLEDECKER was born in Germany in 1815; came to America in
1831 and located in Ohio, where he worked nine years as a farmer. He
removed thence to Illinois, then to St. Louis, and in 1845 came to
Hudson, Wisconsin, where he engaged in lumbering. In 1848 he located
on a farm near Point Douglas, which is still his home. In 1850 he was
married to Margaret Truax. They have eight children.
CALEB TRAUX was born in Mohawk valley in 1810. He became a citizen of
Montreal and was there married to Elisabeth Morehouse. He removed to
Point Douglas in 1849, where he followed the business of farmer and
house carpenter. He was a representative in the fourth territorial
legislature. He died at his home in 1878, leaving seven sons and three
daughters.
ABRAHAM TRUAX was born in Brooklynn, Canada West. He came to Point
Douglas in 1848; removed to Hastings in 1850. While there he was
elected sheriff of Dakota county. He returned to Point Douglas in
1859, where he still resides. He was married to Mary Lahey in 1859.
Mrs. Truax died in 1867, leaving five children.
GEORGE W. CAMPBELL was born in Canton, New York, April 8, 1810. He
received a common school and academic education. His father died in
1826, leaving to George W. the care of the family and the management
of the estate. He was married in 1832, at Cornwell, Canada West, to
Margaret Harriet Robinson. He came to Point Douglas in 1848, where he
has lived since, engaged in farming and lumbering. He was a
representative in the first state legislature, 1857-58. Mrs. Campbell
died at her home in Point Douglas in 1886, aged seventy-four years.
She had been a member of the Episcopal church for sixty years. Six of
her seven surviving children with the aged husband and father attended
the funeral. Mr. Campbell died in 1887.
FOREST LAKE.
This town includes township 32, range 21. The surface was originally
covered with hardwood timber, interspersed with wild meadows; the
western part with oak, maple, poplar and tamarack. The first settlers
were Louis Schiel, Wilson, Rice and Cyrus Gray. Later came Simmons,
Posten, Marsh, York, and Banty. The first marriage was that of Francis
Cartwright to Mary Long, in 1865. The first child born was Rebecca
Simmons. The first death was that of Frederic Veith, in 1867. In 1873
the first school district was organized. A Methodist church was
organized in 1876 by Rev. Adam Ringer. The Forest Lake Lodge, I. O. G.
T., was organized in 1879. A post office was established in 1868;
Michael Marsh, postmaster. The town of Forest Lake was organized in
1874; W. D. Benedict, A. C. York and George Simmons, supervisors;
Louis Schiel, clerk.
FOREST LAKE VILLAGE
Was platted May, 1869, in the northwest part of the town, by Luther
Mendenhall, agent of the Western Land Company, and surveyed by B. W.
Brunson. It is beautifully located on the shore of Forest lake and is
rapidly becoming a popular place of resort for summer tourists and
pleasure parties. The lake is almost separated into three distinct
parts by points or capes. It is five miles from the northwest to the
southeast extremity and is nearly two miles wide at the widest point.
Its shores are well timbered and approach the water's edge in gravelly
slopes. The indications are that the lake was once much larger. In the
south lakes the water is deepest, averaging twenty feet. The south
lakes have also higher banks. The lake covers territory in sections 8
to 15, inclusive, of township 32, range 21.
CAPT. MICHAEL MARSH is a native of Wesemburg, Germany, and has resided
at this lake nineteen years. He has done much to make it attractive as
a place of resort. He has built a hotel with seventy-five rooms for
the accommodation of summer visitors, and has placed a steamer, the
Germania, upon the lake. Capt. Marsh was married in Germany and has a
family of two sons and three daughters.
GRANT.
This town was organized in 1858, under the name of Greenfield. In 1864
the name was changed to Grant. It comprises township 30, range 21. The
soil is a sand and clay loam, with clay gravel subsoil. The surface
varies from undulating to rolling, and was originally well timbered
with white, black and burr oak. White Bear lake lies partly within the
township, occupying about 1,200 acres. Other and smaller lakes are
Pine, Stone Quarry, Deep, Ben's, and Long.
The first officers of the town were: Moderator, Joseph Crane; clerk,
Jesse H. Soule; supervisors, Albion Masterman, James Rutherford and
Joseph Crane. The first settlers were Albion Masterman and William
Rutherford, in 1849. Soon after came James Rutherford, Thomas Ramsdell
and George Bennett. Albion Masterman built the first house, and his
wife, formerly Eliza Middleton, was the first woman in the settlement.
The first public highway through the town was the Rum river road. The
first child born was Castinea O. Rutherford. The first death was that
of James, son of James Rutherford. The first school house was built in
section 1, in 1856. Joseph Crane taught the first school. The first
sermon was preached by Rev. ---- Hamlin, a Free Will Baptist, but the
first religious organization was that of the German Protestant
Lutheran. Rev. Siegrist was the first pastor. The church building is
in section 2, and was built in 1872. The Spiritualists had an
organization in 1868, of which Jesse H. Soule was president, and
George Walker secretary. Summer meetings were held, and lecturers from
abroad invited to address them.
DELLWOOD VILLAGE
Was platted in September, 1882, on the line of the Stillwater & White
Bear railroad, on the shore of White Bear lake; Augustus K. and Carrie
Barnum, proprietors; Simon & Morton, surveyors.
EAGLE CITY
Was platted in 1854; proprietors, K. Starkey and Chas. G. Pettys;
surveyor, Daniel S. Turpen. It is located in the southwest quarter of
section 27.
MAHTOMEDI
Was platted in July, 1883; proprietors, Mahtomedi Assembly; surveyors,
Hone & Holland. White Bear lake has become a noted resort for tourists
and pleasure parties. A steamboat plies regularly upon its waters
during the open months, and the Stillwater & White Bear, the St. Paul
& Duluth and the Wisconsin Central railroads render it easy of access.
It is made attractive by the beauty of its scenery, the clearness and
brightness of its waters and its convenient distance from St. Paul,
Minneapolis and Stillwater. The Mahtomedi Association have erected
here a fine hotel, assembly houses and numerous cottages for the
accommodation of summer visitors. Summer schools are held here under
the auspices of the Chautauqua Association. The grounds are also
adapted to camp meetings, conventions and military parades.
WILDWOOD PARK
Was platted in 1883, by the Park Association; Elmer & Newell,
surveyors. It is located on White Bear lake, on the line of the
Stillwater & White Bear railroad.
WILLIAM ELLIOTT was born in Ireland in 1825. His parents removed to
New Brunswick in 1830, whence he came to Minnesota in 1850, and
located in Grant in 1862, devoting himself to farming. He had been a
pilot and a lumberman. His second wife was Mary Crawford. They have
eight children.
FREDERICK LAMB was born in Prussia in 1825; served three years in the
Prussian Army, traveled some time for a manufacturing firm in Germany
through Switzerland, France, England, and Italy; came to America in
1848, and to Stillwater in 1849. For some time he was unsettled as to
his location, but in 1852 made his home in Stillwater, where he
remained until 1866, when he located in Grant. He was married in 1851
to Lena Laroche. A son and a daughter lost their lives by accident.
Three daughters are living.
JAMES RUTHERFORD was born in the parish of Elsdon, Northumberland
county, England, in 1812. In 1818 he came with his parents to America.
In 1849 he came to the valley of the St. Croix and located in what is
now the town of Grant. He built a flour mill on Brown's creek. He
engaged in farming and also in lumbering for many years. He was
married to Elisabeth Smith in 1836. He died at his residence Sept. 14,
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