Itlnitificd Willi .Minncajolis froiii J.s;9 wl.tn she wa.s bioiighl to
Fort Snelling, an infant, b.v lier parents Lieut, and
Mrs .\atliali clarli.
ZICriL'I.O.N MO.N'TGUMKItY V\V.V..
II Wini^or's Narrative and Crllleal Htslorj- nf America !)>â–
permission of tiie publisiiers. HouglUoii, MitTlin & Co.
traders and expelled them or secured [)rom-
ises of allegiance. Difficulties among the
traders continued, however, for many }'ears.
Not long after Pike's expedition the sec-
ond war with lireat IJritain l)roke out and
the atteiUiou of government anil the military
deiiarlment was diverteil fi"om the north-
west and it was not niilil 1817 that an offi-
cial representati\e of llie L'nited -States
\ isiled the b'alls. In this year Major
.Stephen II. I-oiig of llie h'.iigineer Corps
ascended the ri\er and nii his n.-tniii ga\ f a
\ fr\' complele descriplinn of the liu'alit\
about the b'alls of St. .\iuhony and of the
b'alls themsel\-es. wliich he referred to as
"a majestic cataract."
In 1819 the government determined to es-
tablish a military ])ost 1 ni llie reservation
secured by Capt. Pike and during the sum-
mer of that year an e\i>edilioii arri\ed at
the mouth of the Minnesota river. Next
year Fort Snelling was connnenced. This
was an c'\eiit nf much mninent to the future
FROM SAVAGERY TO CIVILIZATION
23
JMinneapoIis. Fort Snclling' was within
eight miles of St. Anthony Falls and no one
who reached the ])Ost on military or civic
errand failed to visit the falls. In this way
the fame of the locality and its possibilities
as the site of a future city became widely
known ; wdiile on the other hand, the pres-
ence of a garrison insured a certain degree
of safety to intending settlers.
Occupation by the white men was de-
ferred, however, on account of the con-
tinue<I possession of the lands by the In-
being a part of the Fort Snclling military
reservation. It tiius came about that .Min-
neapolis, though standing" on the most ad-
vantageous site for a city in the whole re-
gion, was retarded in development until
practically the wlmle state of Minnesota
had been opened to the immigrant.
WHAT MICIIT II.WI'. lli:iC\.
Just what might ha\e been the result
of difTerent action cm the part of the go\-
ernment it is now impossible to determine
From a Daguerreotype made in
OLD FORT SNELLIXG.
ilays aii'l lelieved to be the earliest pliotopraplii<
view ill existenfe.
ilians. It was ntjt until 1S3- that Gq\'.
Dodge's treaty opened the way for settle-
ment east of the Mississippi: while the
country west of the river was not secureil
until 1S51 when the famous treaties of Tra-
\erse Des Siou.x and Mendota obtaineil for
the settler all of what is now southern and
central Minnesota.
The wav for the settlement nf a great
state had now been opened by successive
treaties but the site of the larger part of
Minneapolis — on the western bank nf the
Mississippi — ^till ronained uuawiilable. it
but it i.-. iib\iiius that a change in the
chronological Drder nf the land openitigs
â– would have made a \ast ilifferencc in later
urban (le\ eh ipmeiit in this locality. The es-
tablishment of the Vnvt Snclling military
reser\ation at an early date prevented set-
tleiuent on the west bank of the .Mississippi
at the Falls of St. Anthony and Indian
rights delaved settlement on the east bank
until 1837 and on the west bank outside the
military reserxation until 185 r. This order
of e\ents led to the settlement of St. Paul,
nil the east side of the river, in 1838, where-
24
A HALF CENTURY OF MINNEAPOLIS
\ OF TKAVKItSK DES SIOl'X.
ni'liKi.liiceil from the paliiliiiB liy Prank B. Mayer (owiieij by t1:e Minnesota HiKlcir hiil Sn.riety) fnim liis original
slieU-lies made (luring tlie (-(nnu-ils and treaty in lsr,i.
as ilif li.j^nal Incatioii foi ilir iifw Uiwii was tinn hccii opeiuMl as thus sus-.LjTstcil tin- earlv
al Mrmlcpla (ni iIk' wrsl l)aiik' wiiciT ( irii. Al iniica|)iili'- \v( Mild have stretclieil alnii- tlic
IL II. Sil)ley liad Imill liis tia.liiiii- Iidusc west rivei- l.aiik lioiii \l iiiiiclialia li> ihc
some years earlier. I'.iii .Meiiil.ita was shut l^'alls cif ."^i. .\iilliMiiy with scam nccupat i. m
off liy lack of a treaty iiiilil 1S51 hy which ,if the "east side." And it a settlement hail
time St. i'atil had made such progress that heen made later iit (he site <if St. i'aid it
com]ieliti(.n was nut ,,f the tuiesti.ni. I'.iit, \v..uld. in all ]iruhal.ilit \ . ue\er ha\e at-
had the upper pan ..f the iiiilitary reserva- ,.,;„,,,, ,,,„^.|, j,„|„„.,
tiiiu been upeueti lur settlement in iSji 1 , , â–
', heen a Ljreal ailmm
wlicn I'ltrt Snelliu" was founded neither ' , , , , . ^ .
,r , , I- â– ,, , ,, , , eciiiKinn tlnMU"h the cc iuceiitralKin of m-
.Meiulola nor St. I aiil would ha\e heen : '. , , . .
thonnht of. Setlleuienl would have heen '^''â– ^'^'^ '" ""^' ^"">' 'â– "''^â– '' "''"' '' 'I'^^'fati-.n
made natnrallv hetween the hurt an.l the "^ ^■"^■'->' •'^'"' C.xpenditurc between two
J~alls and l)y the lime the Indian treaties I'''""'"' hut ..pinions will probably differ as
were made in 1S37 an<l 1S51 i1k- site of the '" ''"' desiiabililx of sutdi concentration as
only city in the viciint\ wunld ha\f been opposed to the ad\aidaj.;es of competition
irrevocabl}' determined. Ilad the reserxa- and ii\aliy.
nice. Tliert' w 1 mid h i\ e
slratixe and commercial
CHAPTER IV
THE PERIOD OF EARLY SETTLEMENT
THE exact date of a cit3-'s Ijirtli is nut
always easily deteniiiiied. There is
often a choice between the date of
the erection of the first temporary dwelling
or camp and the first permanent settlement.
And these ilates are frequently confused by
changes and extensions of boundaries which
in later days bring within the city limits
places or buildings not originally considered.
Minneapolis enjoys a full measure of uncer-
tainty surrounding its birthday.
It has been customary to fix the date of
the beginning of this city at the time of the
erection of Col. John H. Stevens' dwelling
in 1849; but the old government mill of 1820
was undoubtedly the first structure built
by white men within the present limits of
Minneapolis. This mill was built by the
soldiers stationed at Fort Snelling to supply
lumber for the post and was in no sense a
settlement. It stood upon a government
military reservation, and no one had the
right to settle in the vicinity. A dwelling
was erected, however, in connection with
the mill for the use of the soldiers detailed
to the care of the place and here a soldier
lived with his wife during some of the early
years. Near the mill was the farm where
grain was raised and cattle pastured for the
use of the post.
THE PONDS AT LAKE CALHOUN.
The second building to be erected on
ground now within the limits of Minneapolis
was the rude log hut of the Pond brothers
at Lake Calhoun. - iSanuiel \V. Pond and
(iideon H. Pond arrived at Fort Snelling in
the spring of 1834 with the purpose of
engaging in missionary work among the
Indians. They were young men, reared
in a Cf)nnecticut home and with no experi-
ence in the hardships of frontier life, but
with the most complete consecration to
their difficult work7_^ C)btaining the permis-
sion of the commandant at Fort Snelling
they built their log house on the high bluff
overlooking Lake Calhoun from the east
on a spot afterwards occupied for years by
a summer hotel, and now the site of a
beautiful home. The eligibility of the site
in the eyes of the Ponds was in the fact
that it adjoined an Indian village which
occupied the ground lying between Lakes
Calhoun and Harriet. At about the time
of its erection one of the brothers drew a
rough chart of the region about the falls
and fort which is probably the earliest map
a^orth
St. c/ln^on^ Falls
THE FIRST .MAP OF MIN.N'E.\POI,IS.
Sketch of the vicinity of tlie Falls of St. Anthotiy and Fort
Snelling, drawn by Rev. S. W. Pond in IS-ll. Reproduced by
permission from "Two Volunteer Missionaries Among
the Dakotas." by S. W. Pond, Jr.
26
A HALF CF.NTURY OF MINNEAPOLIS
of the district now comprised in ]\Iinnc-
apolis. About five years later the caliin at
Calhoun was pulled down to furnish log;
for an Indian defense against expected
enemies. In ujoS a tablet conimeniorating
the I'onds and tlu-ir work was erected in
llu- \icinity nf the original site (if the cabin.
S'ri-Al'.XS W I.AKl'. llAKKIl'.r.
In iS.;^5, line year after the I'lmds' arrixal,
the Rev. 1. D. Stevens came to Minnesota
as a missionary to the Indians and selected
a iocatiim on the m iiihwestern shore nf
Lake llarriel where Iwn buildings were
erecU-d. 'Jdiese structures — a missinn house
and a school — stixid Iml a slmi't distance
from the site of the ])reseiU amnsement
]ia\ilion. The school was the first building
in Minnesota erected for educational ]iur
poM's. At the old mission house occnned
the lirst wedding within the ]iri->ent limits
of Minneapolis — thai of the Rev. S. \\ .
I'oud to Miss Cordelia T'Iggleston, a sister-
in-law of the Rev. Mr. .Stevens. This was
on Xovember 22. iS.v'^- W ith the removal
of ihe Indians from the reservation in 1840
the mission buildings became useless and
tlie\ were torn down and the hnnbt'r used
in llie construction of new linildings on
ihe .Minnesota i'i\cr.
K.NKI.'i S(.ir.\rTKK CL.M.MS.
As yet no iiermanent settlement had been
made. The land upon the west l)ank of the
Mississipjii still rt-mained a |iarl o| (he I'Urt
Snelling military reservation and until 1837
that on the east side was unceded by the
Indians. In 183(1 Major l'l\in]iton, an of-
licer stationed at b'ort .'^nelling. made a
claim on the east side of the falls and put
u]j a log cabin, but as the lainK were not
open for settleiuent the claim bad no \-aluc.
.\ similar claim was made in the following
\(.ar liv Sergeant fariieuter. I'.ul diu-ing
1837 the Dodge treaty was niaile, li\ which
the (hippewa lands between the .Mississippi
and .St. Croi.K rivers were ceded, and S(|uat-
ter claims at once gave jiroiuise of being
effectixe. The news of the trealv did not
REV. GIDKON II- I'OND.
THE PERIOD OF EARLY SETTLEMENT
27
reach Fort Snelliiig until June i8, 1838;
and then occurred the first "land rush" in
Minnesota. The contestants were few Init
the outcome was momentons fur Alinne-
ajiolis. l-'ranklin Steele, then sutler at Fort
Snellin.s::, outstripped his competitors and
making a night march to the falls Iiad a rude
cabin erected and a claim staked out when
the other would-be town site promoters
arrived on the ground.
FR.\NKI.IX STKICI.IC'S INFI.fENTF..
It was extremely fortunate for the ecnning
city that this particular claim fell into the
hands of such a man as Mr. Steele. Of
much more than ordinary ability, of good
family, and with social and business con-
nections among the prominent people of
his native state of Pennsylvania, ]\Ir. Steele
came west, at the suggestion of President
Jackson, with the purpose of building up
his fortunes in what he believed to be a
part of the country offering great oppor-
tunities. His api^ointment as sutler came
from President \'an F>uren. In those days
this position was regarded as one offering
excellent opportunities for young men in
the new country where army posts were
established ; and a sutler, if a man of merit,
was on a social equality with the officers
with whom he was associated. Mr. Steele,
in accepting the position, had a definite
purpose. And this he accomplished through
the claim at the Falls of St. Anthony and
his subsequent remarkable business achieve-
ments in the development of the water
power and niantifactures. and in commercial
enterprises and real estate investment. Col.
John H. Stevens says of him : "At the
commencement of my acquaintance with
Mr. Steele (1849) 'i^ "^^'^^ the foremost busi-
ness man in this part of the northwest.
His numerous enterprises were distributed
from the head of Lake Superior to the Iowa
line and from the Mississippi to the Mis-
souri. Gentlemanly and generous, every
member of the community was his friend."
It was a man of this type who had much
to do with the destinies of Minneapolis.
For the ne.xt decade Mr. Steele could
make little progress with his claim at the
Falls; for the government, alllmugh cjwning
the hind, delayed in opening it for legal
entry. Through this period Mr. Steele's
title was only that of a squatter, maintained
by actual occuiiation and defense against
claim jumpers. l''(_)r years he hired a sub-
stitute t(] "hold tlown" his claim and in
several instances the owner was obliged to
buy off trespassers who had slipped in and
taken possession during the absence of the
rightful occupant. P.ut Mr. Steele vv'as the
kind of man to maintain his position. The
ye;ir 184;: f(juiid him still in possession, and
at last he jiaid the guxcrmnent fees and
obtained undisputed title.
r lERKli r.OTTI NEAU.
Meanwhile there had been manv other
claims made and lost in the vicinity. Car-
penter's claim of 1837 seems to have been
recognized by later comers for he sold it
in 1838 and it passed through various hands
until it was purchased by Pierre Bottineau
in 1846. This claim lay iinmediately north
of Mr. Steele's, but like all the early claims,
was quite indefinite as to boundaries. Bot-
tineau, though living in Minneapolis but a
comparatively short time, was one of the
most interesting characters connected with
the early history of the city, and was very
widely known throughout the northwest.
Born in 1817 at a trading post on the Da-
kota prairies of a French father and Indian
mother, he grew up a hunter and plains-
man by inheritance and training. At a very
early age he became a guide and until the
railroads penetrated (lie northwest con-
ducted many of the prominent parties of
explorers and prospectors. After his mar-
riage in 1836 he spent more time in the
settlements for a while and in 1843 came
to the Falls, living in the village until 1854
when he moved to a farm in Hennepin
ciiunty. A man of sterling character, ener-
getic, and of rare ability as a ])lainsman,
he made and held many friends, and during
the early days was one of the prominent
men of the community. In fact, when the
east bank of the Mississippi was finally
opened f(ir legal entry of land, he. with Mr.
Steele, held the entire river frontage in the
\icinity i>\ the I'alls. Claims had also been
made by Juseph Kondci. I'ctil John, and
28
A HALF CENTURY OF MINNEAPOLIS
rilK GOVr.RN.MENT MILLS OF 1S20-3.
Reproduced from the painting by James Fatrman in the Minnesota Historical Society Galleries.
otlicrs and there was more or less trading
in the uncertain titles of these squatters,
Init the transfers were questionable as to
legality, the considerations small, and the
effects upon the development of the future
\illage inconsc((uential. 'I'lie Petit John
claim covered the present site of the Uni-
versit)' of Minnesota. At one time it was
owned by Bottineau but later came into the
hands of Cal\-in A. Tuttle, one of the early
|)ioneers. Immediately below this was a
claim niaile liy Pascal and Sauverre St.
Martin, two brothers of Canadian French
birth. Their land included a part of the
pif-.eni I "iii\ersity campus and extemled
down the river rather indefinitely. This
land afterwards became the ]iroperty of W'il-
liam A. Cheevcr and Judge B. B. Meeker.
PIONEEI^S OF '47 AND '48.
Previous to 1847 'i^ t-''^ claims about the
Falls of St. Anthony were occupit-il only
by half-breeds or Cauadi.iu French. lAen
Franklin Steele continued to live at b'ort
Snelling and emi)loyed the woodsmen or
voyageurs to hold his claim. Several au-
thorities credit Charles \\'ilson with being
the first American settler, but Wilson seems
to have matle his home at Fort Snelling.
He was employed as a teamster by Franklin
Steele and does not appear to have made
aii_y claim of land. In June of 1847 William
A. Cheever arrived from Boston and pur-
chased the claim already mentioned. He
was soon followed by others — Calvin A.
Tuttle, Sumner W. Farnham, Caleb D.
Dorr, Luther Patch and his son Edward,
John Rollins, Charles W. Stimpson, Daniel
Stanchfield, John McDonald, Samuel Fer-
rald, Robert W. Cummings, J. M. Marshall,
Wm. R. Marshall (who afterwards became
governor) and R. F. Russell. The last men-
tioned had been a trader at Fort Snelling
for several years, and he became the first
merchant of Minneapolis through the open-
ing of a small stock of goods at the Falls
in 1848. This store was in one of the rooms
of the house occupied by Luther Patch and
his familv, and Mr. Russell shortly after-
wanls married Miss Marian Patch, their
wedding being the first to be celebrated on
the east side of the river.
M.\NUFACTURING BEGINS.
As soon as he secured title to his lands
Mr. Steele set about improving the water
<::^^^^^^^^^^i^ ^^f^:^^^
30
A HALF CICXTURV OF AlJXNEAI'OLIS
power. He sent to Maine for Ard. God-
frey to build a dam and sawmill, l)nl with
characteristic cncr},'y, commenced opera-
tions before the mill\vright"s arrival. The
lower end of .Xicollet Island was denuded
of a grove of elms and maples, and tindicr
was hewed out by hand to construct the
dam and mill frame. ( )thcr tinil.icr was
])roughl ijown the rix'cr in the spring, and
earl}- in the _\ear 1S4S the first merchant
sawmill at the l''alls of St. .Anthony was put
in operation. This was the signal for a
rapid growth of the village, 'i'he settlers
of the previous _\ear hail been obliged to
build log houses or haul their lumber over
land from the St. Croi.\ river. The govern-
ment sawmill on the west side had supplied
a little luml.'cr. but its capacity was very
limited. During this year of 1848 such men
as I'.radJcy P.. Meeker, Anson Northruj).
Ji.hii W. Xortii. S. W. b'arnham, Washing-
ton ( Ictchc-ll anil 1 )r. John H. Murphy, all
later prominent in the young city, arrived
at the I'alls. Surveys were commenced and
I'IKItUK IIOTTI.N'KAU.
plans for a city discussed among the ]5rom-
inent settlers. Investigations of the pine
lands north and northwest were made: the
agricultm-al ])ossil)ilities of the countr\- w-ere
looked inlo and the probal)3lities of the
opening of the region west of the .Missis-
sippi riser sifted. L'pon such opening
depeniled the future of the village at the
{"'alls. The lands upon the east side of the
ri\er were not regarded as of as much agri-
cultural \alue as those on the west; and
on the east there were already the settle-
ments at .St. Paul and Stillwater — rival mar-
kets for the coming settlers. It was to the
west that a tributary farming country must
l)i' ilexeloped.
COL. STEVENS ARRIN'ICS.
The earlier settlers cast longing eyes at
the immediate bank of the Alississippi on
the west — still a prohibited country, it will
be remembered, on account of the ar]>itrary
maintenance of the military reservation by
the government. This west shore was the
most natural site for the city. Beyond it
lay the beautiful country, stretching away
towards the west — the now famous "park
region" of .Miiniesota — fertile, well watered
and offering subsistence for hundreds of
thousands. The first successful attempt to
obi.'iin a foniholi] mi the west side was made
b\ the I bin. Kobert Smith of Alton. 111.,
who ibroiigli political inlluence obtained
permission lo occup\ the old go\-ernmcnt
mill ;inil the bouse connected with it. .Mr.
Smith seemed possession in .May, 1849, but
ne\er lived on ihe property in person. Some
time later he st-nl ;i re|)resentati\'e who acted
,is miller; and b\ Unilier exercise of inllu-
iiiie 111.' was eii.ibU'il alter a lew \ e.irs to
secure .'i cl;iim ol land. In the meantime
ibei'e h.-nl .irnxeil ,ii the b'allsof .^l. .\nthony
a \oung HKUi ol iwent\-nine, coming of
sim-dy Xew F,ngl;ind aui-estry, trained in
the school of sell-ieli:ince in Ihe new West,
and seasoned in ihe .Mexican war — ,'i born
])ioneer and promoier. Tliis was Juhn II.
Stevens, known to ilie older ])eople of Min-
nea])olis as "t'olonel Ste\ens." He was of
the type of men who sjjcnd their lives in
the promotion ,if the interests of the manv —
the builders who build for the lo\ e of build-
THE PERIOD OF EARLY SETTLEMENT
31
iiig, nut fur the liupe of gain. Like many
others since, Col. .Stevens came to the nurth-
west in search of health. It was his pur-
pose to take 111) lanil and become a laiiiici'.
lie reached St. I'anl on April 24th, 1841J,
and came to the Falls of St. Anthony three
da_\s later, on his way up the Mississippi
river to select lands. His party proceeded
sunie distance up the river, hut finding no
lands to their likini;- returned to .St. Paul,
and some of the nieniliers went back to their
eastern homes, liut Col. Stevens remained
and entered the employment of iM-anklin
Steele in his business establishment at Furt
Snellinfj. \\'ithin a month a plan for mak-
ing a claim on the west side at the Falls
was arranged, and during that sunmier the
consent of the Secretary of War was ob-
tained and Col. Stevens formally occupied
the land lying immediately north uf tlie
Smith claim on the west shore. During
the succeeding fall he commenced the erec-
tiiin uf his house and completed and occu-
pied it un August 6th, 1850.
THE STEVENS HOUSE.
This first permanent dwelling in Minne-
apolis proper was a story-and-a-half frame
structure with a wing of one story — a sim-
ple and unpretentious farm house, l)uilt as
a home for a young married couple, and
without a thought uf the varied purposes
fur which it wuuld be used, ur that it would
l.)e preserved in a |jublic park in after years,
as a relic of the early days of a great city.
When it was built its owner had no title to
the land on which it stood. He simply had
permission from the Secretary of War to
occupy the land on condition that he main-
tained a free ferry across the Mississippi
river for government troops and supplies.
There was, of course, the understanding
that if the lands west of the river were ever
thrown open for settlement, Col, Stevens'
claim would be recognized : but for si.x
years he had not a line of writing sn])porting
any claim of ownership.
I'.ut ITanklin Steele, Col. Stevens and
other leading men in the settlement were in
touch with influential men at Washington,
and it soon became evident that it would
be the policy of congress to reduce the
size of the militarv reservation ; while a
treat}- with the Indians for the cession of
their whole country west of the Mississippi
ri\er in Minnesuta was almost certain of
inunediate consnniinatiun. Pressure was
brought tu bear from every direction U>
accomplish these two measures. And, while
these negotiations were going on Col. Stev-
ens set about furnishing an object lesson
which >h<juld help the cause by enlisting
the assistance and approval of every visitor.
In the summer uf 1830 he "grubbed" and
bruke up about forty acres of land on the
west river bank immediately above his
huuse. and tlK' next summer raised crops
of wheat, oats and corn which would have
done credit, he said, to central Illinois.
Every one visiting the falls crossed to the
west side to secure the view and was con-
fronte<l. immediately upon mounting the
ri\er bank, by fields of waving grain. These
fields, Cul. Stevens claimed, settled the
destination of many an immigrant. They
demonstrated the possibilities of western
Minnesuta and removed all doubts as to the
fertility and productiveness of the region.
Col. Stevens" farm was the first on the west
bank of the Mississippi north of the Iowa
line. He introduced the first herd of cows
west uf the Falls, excepting those held for
the use of the troops. During the following
year William \V. Wales demonstrated in
his own garden that all kinds of vegetables
could be successfully raised in this climate.
These things seem trivial at this day, but
in the early fifties — when the northwest was
still regarded as almost uninhabitable — they
were of the utmost importance. It was nec-
essary fu demonstrate by actual ])roduction
that the crops of the middle states could be
grown in Minnesota; utherwise the pros-
pective settler could not be convinced.
PIONEER LIFE AT THE F.\LLS.
Col. Stevens and Miss Frances H. Miller
were married at Rockford, Illinois, on May
10, 1850, and as soon as their house was
cumideted, moved to the west side of the
balls, where they !i\'ed at first entirely with-