Fifty Years In The Northwest Part 65

1860. John S. Prince.

1862. John S. Prince.

1863. J. E. Warren.

1864. Dr. J. H. Stewart.

1865. J. S. Prince.

1866. J. S. Prince.

1867. George L. Otis.

1868. Dr. J. H. Stewart.

1869. J. T. Maxfield.

1870. William Lee.

1871. William Lee.

1878. William Dawson.

1879. William Dawson.

1880. William Dawson.

1881. Edmund Rice.

1882. Edmund Rice.

1883. Edmund Rice.

1884. C. D. O'Brien.

1885. Edmund Rice.

1886. Edmund Rice.

1887. Robert A. Smith.

1888. Robert A. Smith.

MISCELLANEOUS STATISTICS.

Number of churches 105 Value of school property $1,500,000 Value of stockyards, West St. Paul 1,000,000 Value of products manufactured 40,000,000 Amount of lumber sales 5,318,000 Capital of thirteen banks 8,498,000 Aggregate post office business 4,289,102 Bonded indebtedness 4,168,725 Annual valuation of city property 100,000,000

WEST ST. PAUL.

The flouris.h.i.+ng suburb of West St. Paul is rapidly approaching metropolitan dimensions. The original settlement took place almost simultaneously with that of St. Paul, but its growth until late years has not been rapid. It was originally within the limits of Dakota county, but that portion included in its plat has been annexed to Ramsey county, and West St. Paul has become a part of St. Paul and has been placed under the munic.i.p.al government of that city. The city is connected with St. Paul by two free bridges for carriages and pedestrians and by several railroad bridges.

TOWNS OF RAMSEY COUNTY.

After the state organization in 1858, Ramsey county was subdivided into the following towns: Little Canada, McLean, Mounds View, Reserve, Rose, St. Paul, and White Bear. From year to year the city of St. Paul has made encroachments upon the towns adjacent--Little Canada, McLean, Reserve, and Rose--until they have been in part or wholly absorbed. Of the remaining towns we shall refer only to White Bear, which, owing to the beauty of its lake scenery and its attractiveness as a place of popular resort, deserves special mention.

WHITE BEAR.

White Bear, the northeastern towns.h.i.+p of Ramsey county, contains thirty-six sections. Its surface is agreeably diversified with lakes.

About six sections in all are occupied by these lakes, of which there are several large and beautiful ones, among which may be mentioned White Bear, Bald Eagle, Pleasant, Lambert's, Vadnais, Birch, Goose, Otter, etc. The surface is undulating, and in no place actually hilly, while there is much level and very desirable land. Extensive meadows border some of the lakes, and are found in most of the intervales watered by running streams. These produce enormous crops of hay.

Portions of these marshy localities are thickly grown with tamaracks, which were invaluable to the early settler, furnis.h.i.+ng him with a supply of logs and poles for his improvements. The timber consists princ.i.p.ally of red, white and black oak, sugar maple, tamarack, poplar, elm, elder, and ash.

The towns.h.i.+p derives its name from White Bear lake. This lake was so named, it is a.s.serted, by the Dakota Indians, a tradition existing amongst them that a grizzly bear once made its appearance on the island, with which one of their bravest hunters engaged in mortal conflict, each slaying the other. The Indians called this a grizzly, polar or white bear, and named an adjacent locality "Mah-to-me-di" or (M'de), _i. e._, Mahto, gray polar bear, and M'de, lake. It is not probable, however, that a polar bear ever reached this spot, and a visit from a grizzly is nearly as improbable. Indian legends are very frequently made to order by those who succeed them as owners of the soil.

Not much is known of White Bear prior to 1851. No human habitations, save those of Indians, were to be seen. There were no roads to this region, and none nearer than Little Canada. The lake itself seems to have been little known to white men.

J. Fletcher Williams, in a sketch contributed to the _Pioneer_, and to which we are indebted for many of our statements, says that Hugh I.

Vance, a typo employed in the _Pioneer_ office at that time, was probably about the first settler of White Bear; that in the spring of 1851 he wended his way to this region in search of a claim, selected a piece of land on Bald Eagle lake, erected a cabin, resided here with his family several years, and was probably the first man to drive a plowshare in this locality. Mr. Vance joined the Union Army in 1861, and with his two sons was killed in Missouri the year following. In the spring of 1851 V. B. Barnum selected a tract on the south sh.o.r.e of White Bear lake, and hired Geo. O. Nichols to run out the lines. Mr.

Barnum entered one hundred and seventy-five acres. On this land he built a cabin near the present Leip House, which burned down in 1857.

Jas. B. Clewett, one of the pioneers of St. Paul as early as 1840, drove his stakes at White Bear in the spring of 1851. He afterward built a house on the island, where he yet resides, a mile north of the lake. Soon after Wm. Freeborn and B. F. Hoyt entered a tract of land in sections 13 and 14. Isaac Banta built a cabin on it, near the point by the island, resided there three or four years, and moved to Forest Lake. This land was afterward bought by the Murray family. Thomas Milner came in about the same time. Daniel Getty came and located on the east side of the lake at a later day, becoming a resident of the village proper, of which he is now postmaster, superintendent of the Sunday-school, elder in the church, school trustee, etc.

Mr. Barnum opened a hotel, which he kept till 1856, and then sold out to John M. Lamb. In 1855 James F. Murray, his three sons and O. R.

Stratton settled at White Bear. W. W. Webber, John Aubery, Joseph Freeman, Ross Wilkinson, Frank Perfect, Fred Whittaker, George Starbuck, Duncan Ross, Charlie A. Morgan, and others came here in 1857. The early settlers were much disturbed by roving bands of Chippewa and Sioux Indians. White Bear being debatable ground, and sometimes a battlefield between hostile parties. The Sioux claimed the right, under the treaty of 1851, to hunt, fish and gather berries and rice in that region. In the fall of 1855 a party of Sioux from Kaposia went by the lake on a hunting expedition. Near Oneka lake, a few miles above, they fell in with some Chippewas, one of whom they killed and scalped, but had two of their own number mortally wounded. Returning, they camped on Goose lake, just about where St. John's church was first built, and had a scalp dance, lasting two days and nights. It was from time immemorial a grand battle field for them. Hardly a foot of the soil around the lake but what has been ensanguined with the blood of the hereditary foes. Many are the tales told of their encounters. "Spirit Island" seems to have been the hardest fought spot, and to this day it is honeycombed with the remains of rifle pits, redoubts and earth works made by the contending parties, while innumerable bodies of the slain have enriched its soil. It is a perfect Golgotha--an island cemetery. If but a fraction of these savage combats and sieges were truly narrated, no romance could equal it in thrilling interest. These fierce combats continued as late as 1855.

Miss Mary Stiles, daughter of William Stiles, was the first white child born at White Bear. Miss Mary E. Barnum was married to Richard McLagan--being the first wedding which occurred at White Bear. 'Squire Jacob J. Noah, justice of the peace of St. Paul, tied the knot.

The first death was that of Clara Murray, aged four years, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Murray, in July, 1856. J. G. Riheldaffer preached at the funeral service at Mr. Murray's house the first sermon in the settlement.

A lay Methodist named Hoffman held services on the Sabbath several times at Barnum's hotel.

A Baptist clergyman from Diamond Bluff, Wisconsin, named Messer, also occasionally held services in the early days, at the school house, a log house built in 1857.

The Episcopal church of St. John in the Wilderness was built in 1861 and consecrated in August of the same year. It was located at the lower end of the lake, but in 1874 was moved to its present site on Clarke avenue.

The Presbyterian church was organized May 28, 1864, with eight members, two of whom were elected ruling elders, James F. Murray and Daniel Getty. The corner stone of the present church edifice was laid Nov. 8, 1871, and the foundation laid in the following spring. The church was completed in 1872.

A Catholic church was built in 1879, on a block between First and Second streets and Bald Eagle avenue, in which services are held every two weeks.

The post office of White Bear was established in November, 1859, and J. C. Murray appointed postmaster.

The towns.h.i.+p of White Bear was organized May 11, 1858, with the following officers: Clerk, G. Schnabel; supervisor, J. F. Murray; a.s.sessor, V. B. Barnum; justices of the peace, J. R. Clewett and Alex.

Pepin.

The village is easy of access, and abundantly supplied with railroad facilities. The St. Paul & Duluth Railroad Company has built a double track to St. Paul. This company built a road to Stillwater known as the Stillwater & White Bear railroad. There is in addition to this road an extension to Minneapolis known as the Minneapolis & White Bear railroad. The Sault Ste. Marie pa.s.ses through the north part of the village.

WHITE BEAR LAKE

Is one of the most famous pleasure resorts in the vicinity of St.

Paul. Its clear waters, gently sloping wooded sh.o.r.es, and the entire absence of marsh or swamp lands adjoining, render the situation at once pleasant and salubrious. It has an extreme length of 6-1/2 miles, and a width of 2-3/4. It has, according to survey meanders, a sh.o.r.e line of over 20 miles, and its area is 3,940 acres, or 62 square miles.

Beautiful parks surround the lake. Prominent among these are Wildwood Park and Mahtomedi, the latter renowned as a camp ground, and later as the site of a summer school, modeled after that at Chautauqua, and one of a system of schools of which the Chautauqua school is the princ.i.p.al and central inst.i.tution. Spirit island, connected with the mainland by a bridge, is also a charming resort.

The lake sh.o.r.e is crowded with hotels and cottages for the use of summer visitors. Among these the Leip House is especially worthy of mention, the proprietor having beautified the grounds and built around the hotel a small village of cottages for excursionists. Other houses are the Ramaley, the Williams, the Chateaugay, the Dellwood, etc., with pleasant surroundings. The appearance of this resort during the summer months is one of great animation. Tourists and summer visitors crowd the hotel, or gather in groups along the lake sh.o.r.e, while the lake is dotted with their sailing vessels. A small steamer makes regular trips to points of interest about the lake.

White Bear Lake village was incorporated by the legislature in 1881, the following being chosen as the first officers under their charter: Daniel Getty, chairman of council; James C. Murray, Luke H. Bacon, Abel E. Leaman, and Fred W. Benson, councilmen; B. E. McGurk, recorder; H. K. Getty, treasurer; Wm. Clark, village justice; Reuben Clewett, marshal.

DANIEL GETTY was born in the north of Ireland in 1826. His ancestors were Scotch-Irish. He came with his parents to Philadelphia in 1832; was educated in the common schools, and learned the trade of a cabinet maker. He came to White Bear in 1855, and opened the first store in the place. He has four sons a.s.sociated with him in business. He has done much to promote the prosperity of White Bear, and by enterprise and close attention to business, both as a merchant and a dealer in real estate, he has been successful.

SOUTH ST. PAUL

Is located in the northeastern corner of Dakota county, four and a half miles below St. Paul, the site of the Presbyterian and Methodist missions of old Kaposia. It is situated on a plateau considerably above high water mark, in the rear of which the grounds rise gradually to a rich agricultural plain. It is connected with St. Paul by an hourly motor line of cars. It has communication with St. Paul by the Chicago, St. Paul & Kansas City railway, and also has communication by water.

The famous St. Paul Union Stockyards are located here, and occupy two hundred acres of land. This great enterprise was founded by A. B.

Stickney and Ansel Oppenheim, president of the company. W. M. Littell is general superintendent; Arnold Kalman, secretary and treasurer. The stockyards were located here in 1886, and now (1888) possess a capital of $1,500,000 in grounds and necessary buildings pertaining to such an enterprise. There are eight miles of railroad track upon the grounds.

The stock is brought from Montana, Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa by railroad.