uui neighbors, except those across the swift-
nmning river. It is difificult to imagine the
conditions under which this young married
couple went to housckcei^ing on the site of
Minneapolis less than sixty years ago. Their
32
A HALF CENTURY OF MINNEAPOLIS
house stood on the river bank on the site
of the Union passenger station, and quite
near the water. It was on a shelf or ter-
race about twenty feet above the water,
but considerably below the general level of
the ground farther back from the river, so
that when approaching the house from the
COLONEL STEVENS' HOUSE.
Erectcti In 1849-50; the first on the west side of the river.
(From a drawing hy A. Fournier in Stevens' Personal
Recollections.)
west only its roof and upper portions were
visible. And this was the only dwelling
inhabited by white people between the Falls
of St. Anthony and the Rocky Mountains.
Of Indians there was no lack. The illus-
tration, showing a group of Indian tepees,
with Col. Stevens' house in the background,
was reproduced from what was undoubtedly
the earliest ])hotograph taken on the site of
Minneapolis and shows, much more grajjh-
ically than words can (k'scriht-, the abso-
lutely primitive conditions uihUt which the
first family west of the Falls lived. The
Indians' camp was about on the spot now
known as Bridge Square — the common foot
of Nicollet and Hemu'])in avenues. l'"rom
this point westward extended the almost
unbroken wilderness. In his ''Recollec-
tions" Col. Stevens says of tlif Indians:
The difTercnt tribes of Indians were never so
numerous in the neighborhood as in 1850. A
constant stream of Winnebagoes were coming
and going. The different bands of Sioux re-
mained in camp several niontlis on tlic high-lands
just above the falls. They did not interfere with
my stock, but made sad havoc with my garden.
As a general rule the Indians respected the pri-
vate property of the whites residing outside of
their own lands, but would occasionally confiscate
the property of the missionaries. There can be
no question but that the cussedness of these sav-
ages was frequently annoying to the missionaries.
Of a particular visitation from the red
men, Col. Stevens writes :
The two lake bands of Indians, so called be-
cause they formerly lived on the shores of lakes
Calhoun and Harriet, but then residing at Oak
Grove (now Bloomington), encamped on the
high land above the Falls for several weeks in
July and .\ugust. They had considerable money
left that they had received at the Traverse des
Sioux treaty held a few weeks previous. They
had brought their own canoes down the Min-
nesota river, and then up the Mississippi to the
foot of the rapids, at which point they constantly
crossed the river to the St. .Anthony side for the
inirpose of trading. The Indians during their
encampment were constantly on the alert, fearing
an attack from the Chippewas, but they were so
fond of trading, and the money they had left
luinu'd in their pockets to such an extent, that
iIkv were willing to risk their scalps at that
lime for the pleasure they experienced in ex-
changing their money for goods. They had
previously given me the name of Mi-ni-sni — cold
water — and were always friendly, supplying my
family, at the proper season of the year, with
game in abundance, but expecting, and always
receiving pay therefor. To the credit of the
traders in St. Anthony, there was never a drop
of strong drink sold to the Indians, and as a
consequence there was never any of them in-
toxicated.
Col. Stevens' recollections of the early
months at the first home in Alinneapolis
arc (if special interest; the folbiwing are
extracts :
The only way we could reach the house from
St. Anthony was by taking a small boat, with two
sets of oars, above Nicollet Island. Tlie volume
of water was so great, and the current so strong,
we were fortunate if the landing was made any
considerable distance above the rapids. Captain
John Tapper, witli his sinewy arms, required a
strong assistant, with a capacious pan for bailing
purposes, to make a sure crossing above the
cataract. Pioneer housekeeping was not new to
me, for I had long kept bachelor's hall in the
lead-mines, but it was a novelty to my wife, who
had been accustomed to the refining influences
and conveniences of a well regulated New York
household. Sometimes for weeks we would not
sec a white person: our only visitors were In-
dians. Mosquitoes surrounded the house in such
swarms that smoke would not !)anish them. We
usually received our letters and papers once a
week. Fortunately I had a pretty good library,
and Mrs. Stevens had a piano and other musical
34
A HALF CENTURY OF MINNEAPOLIS
instriimcnls, which had a tendency to banish
from the little house most of the lonesomcness
naturally incideni tn i)ioncer life so far from
neighbors.
(iriii;u i-:arln- siciTLiius.
Next in order after Col. Stevens" claim
came that of Charles iVIoseau, who obtained
])erniission from the military authorities in
the winter oi 1849, ^^^^ '•ook up 1"^ ''^'^i"
deuce t)ii the southeast shore of Lake Lal-
houn. Soon afterwards, the Rev. E. G. Gear,
chaplain at Fort Snelling, made a claim on
the east shore of Lake Calhoun. John P.
.Miller, in .\ui;ust, 1851, secured the second
claim lurar the falls — ido acres immediately
adjoining' Col. Stevens' location. On this
claim he l)tiilt a good house and farm build-
ings, although he had no title other than a
permit from the war department. Dr. Heze-
kiah Fletcher, John Jackins, Isaac Brown,
Warren Bristol, Allen Harmon, and Dr. A.
K. Ames made claims during 1851, and were
soon followed by Edward Murphy, Anson
Xorlhrup, C_'harles Hoag, Martin Layman,
John G, Lennon, Benj. B. Parker, Sweet
W'. Case, Edgar Folsom, Iliram Van Nest,
Robert Blaisdell and others, all of whom
secured permits from the military authori-
ties. Prominent claim holders just outside
the military reservation were Joel B. Bas-
sett, Emanuel Case, Charles W. Christmas.
Waterman Stinson, William I'.yrnes, Ste-
])hen and Kufus Prall. all of whom took up
land in what is now .\nrth Minneapolis.
During 1851, 1832 and if^.^.^ many claims
were occupied, although still wilhout title
or immediate i)rospect of title. It was even
necessary to guess at boundaries (in the
absence f)f all stir\-eys by government) but
Mr. Christmas, who was a surveyor, ran
lines as he belie\ed the government sur-
veyors would make them. 'I'hese informal
boundaries i)roved to be sttljstantially cor-
rect when the tinal survcvs were made in
1854.
During three or fonr \ears, the utmost
confusion ])re\';iilrd. I'.esides those who
obtained |)ermits from the army ol'ticials
were other si'ttlers who had no shadow of
authoritv, and the cl;iini shaiuies of these
"s(|uatters" were fre(|tiently destroyed l:)y
the officers and their builders ejected from
the reservation. The administration of this
authority was radical and was claimed to
be tyrannical and charges of bribery were
frequently madi', .\lthough there was prob-
.'ihly much less corruption of ofificials th;in
was cliarged, it seems iiidtibitable that the
i;civi:i:.\iiu wii.i.i.wi i;. .\i.\usiiALi.
administration ol the ainiv nfficers was tar
from just, anil that inlhiences cil some sort
or other were active in securing opin irtuni-
ties for favored settlers. So unsellleil was
the situation that the claimlioldeis liiially
organized an association with Dr. .\. 1',.
\mes, as president ;ind t harles lloag as
secretary, and an e\ecnli\e committee com-
])osed of the leadittg ukii of the settlement.
W'eekh- nu'etings were lield in (nl. SIcmmis'
honse. riu- assoei.ation was IrankK com-
mitted to frontii-r justice: there w.is no
Law, anil il was |irii|ioseil to asst'n the
rights of bona tide settlers and claimants on
the basis of justice ami ecptity as voted by
the majority, .So thorottgh was the organi-
zation, and so completely was it respected,
THE PERIOD OF EARLY SETTLEMENT
35
FROM THE S#eET COLLECTION
BRIDGE SUUARK, MINNEAPOLIS. IN 1S51.
Colonel Stevens' house is in the background,^ partly concealed by the bluff. The Indian tepees stood about where
Bridge Square is now located.
tliat only one instance of severe measures
is recorded. One claim jumper received a
well-merited flogging, and promptly disap-
jieared from the region. However, there
were a number of cases of disputed claims
which were settled by compromise before
possession could be secured.
At the close of the year 1852 there were
only a dozen houses on the land included
in the original town site on the west side
and there was as yet no appearance of a vil-
lage. The buildings were all farm houses
or claim shanties and of necessity were
located on the land claimed by the inhab-
itants ; and were thus scattered over a wide
area. This state of afTairs continued for a
while longer, for Congress passed a law-
reducing the Snelling reservation l)ut made
no provision for a survey and entry of the
land. And it was not until the spring of
1S35 that the claimants were enabled to pay
their land fees and secure llu- hmg expected
titles to their property.
PROGRESS OF ST. .\XTlIO.N\'.
Meanwhile the village on the east liank of
the Mississippi river was growing rapidly
although it was conceded even then that
the west bank must be the location of the
greater part of the future city. .\s has been
noted, the opening of the saw mill in 184(8
started a miniature boom in building. Dur-
ing that year the population reached about
three hundred. W'ni. R. .Marshall, whose
arrival has been referred In. surveyed the
town site, a post-office was established, the
first school was opened (in a log cabin) and
religious services were commenced by the
Rev. E. D. Neill, a Presbyterian clergyman
who had located in St. Paul. Mr. Neil! exer-
36
A HALF CENTURY OF MINNEAPOLIS
cised a most salutary influence upon the
young settlement. He was a man of educa-
tion and refinement and at the same time
quite able to turn his hand or mind to any
of the needs ni the frontier community —
teaching school, lecturing, taking part in
politics and serving the conimunil}' in an)-
capacity where his abilities were needed.
Col. Stevens records the following arrivals
at St. .\nthony in 1841; :
John W. North. Dr. John H. Alurpliy, Rculjeu
Bean, Judge Bradley B. Meeker, Dr. Ira Kings-
ley, Elijah Moulton, Charles Kingsley, James
McMullen, Joseph M. Marshall, John Jackins, Wil-
liam P. Day, Silas and Isaac Lane, Francis Hnot,
1.. Bostvvick, Owen McCarty, Moses W. Getchell,
Isaac Gilpatrick, J. G. Spence, Lewis Stone, Rufns
Farnham, senior, Rnfus Farnham, junior, Albert
Dorr, William Wortliington, Elmer Tyler, L. N.
Parker, William Richardson, Eli F. Lewis,
Charles A. Brown, A. J. Foster, Charles T.
Stearns, Stephen Pratt, William W. Getchell,
Isaac Ives Lewis, J. Q. A. Nickerson, Ira Bur-
roughs, Samuel Fernald, William H. Welch, F.
X. Creapeau, N. l^ieautcau, John Bean, and Amos
Bean.
(iradually the young community took on
the appearance of an eastern sillage. From
log cabins the style changed to the white
painted cottages of New England, where
most of the settlers began life. One by one
stores and shops were opened until the ordi-
nary needs of the villagers were supplied
by local business enterprise. In 1851 the
first newspaper made its appearance — the
St. Anthony Express, published by Elmer
Tyler and edited by Isaac Atwater, a young
lawyer who had reached Minneapolis in the
previous year and who was destined to be-
come a justice of the supreme court, and a
]jrominent citizen of Minneaijolis for nearly
sixty years. Churches of several denomi-
nations were organized ])revious to 1853,
The state university, provided for by the
first territorial legislature, was organized —
on paper — and a board of regents was
appointed.
The arrivals in 1851 included A. II. Young,
afterwards for main- years a judge of the
district court, George A. Camp, |)r(iniincnt
in the lumber business, John T. r.laisdell,
Hiram Van Nest, William W. Wales, who
had a large part in the affairs of the young
city and lived to see it become a metropolis,
Joel B. Bassett, a pioneer lumberman and
long a well known citizen, Leonard Day and
his sons, identified with lumbering for two
generations, Dr. A. E. Ames, Emanuel Case,
Sweet W. Case, Samuel Thatcher, Wm. (I.
Moffett, David A. Secombe and many others.
Ti) enumerate all the arrivals is beyond the
â– ^CMpe of this work.
L.WI.N'G OUT MIXXE.VPOLIS.
.Many of the settlers recorded as coming
to St. Anthony only made it a stopping
place until they could secure a foothold on
the west side of the river. Col. Stevens was
the first, and most of these mentioned in the
preceding paragraph moved to the west side
as soon as they could make claims. Some
spent ]iart of their time in St. Anthony and
part on their ])otential farms. There was no
opportimity for business on the west side
while trade was brisk on the east shore.
The situation made Col. Stevens uneasy and
he was constantly importuned for permis-
sion to build upon his farm. At last in the
spring of 1854 he employed Chas. W. Christ-
mas to survey a town site of over 100 acres.
This survey covered the larger part of the
present business center of Minneapolis of
today and determined the general direction
of the streets and their width. Col. Stevens
Ii.mI been familiar with New Orleans and
l)attcrned the new Minneapolis after the
English portion of that city as it was in the
early days.
X.\>ri.\c; THE CITY.
Immediately after the sur\'e}' Col. Stevens
began lii> liberal ])olicy of giving away lots
to people who woidd build and within a few
months there was a \illage of parts centered
about the jiresent Bridge Square — then
knr)wn as llridge .Street. The transfers of
real estate were \'erbal. Col. Stevens iiad
no title and could give none. Afterwards,
wdien his j)reemplion was completed he gave
deeds to each lot owner. lUit though the
peo[)le of the young city had no right to the
ground 1 'U wliicli they were building they
had bv this time secured a name. From the
first there had been much discussion of this
interesting matter. For a time All Saints
seemed to be in favor, while Col. Stevens
at first preferred Hennepin. Winona was
THF. TEKIOD OF EARLY SETTLEMENT
37
considered as were Lowell, Albion, Adas-
ville and other more or less suitaldc titles.
When the Fort Snelling reservation was
rednced in 1832 Hennepin County was or-
ganized with, a ciinnty seat on the west side
of the falls — but there was no name for the
county seat. The county commissioners
selected the name Albion aiT<I it was so re-
corded but there was a great protest from
the people and a few weeks later Charles
providing for the incorporation of the town
of Minneapolis and it was more than two
years afterwards, on July 20, 1858, that a
town government was organized under the
name.
It thus remains a matter of indisidual
choice or opinion whether ^Minneapolis had
its birth with the erection of the old mill of
1820, the cabin of the Pond's in 1834, the
Stevens house of 1849, the choice of a name
hv the inhabitants in iR^z. the act providing
ST. ANTHONY IN ISSl.
Hoag invented and proposed the name
"Minnehapolis" — a combination of Greek
and Sioux. This name met with instant
favor and — with the letter "h" eliminated —
was formally adopted by the citizens of the
village at a meeting held in CuI. Stevens'
house in December, 1852. But thougli thus
adopted the name was not sanctioned by
government until some time later. It was
in 1856 that tlie legislature passed an act
for incorporation in 1856 or the actual or-
ganization of government in 1858. But it
is certain that the spirit of Minneapolis, as
it has been known in later years, began to
1)C manifest about the middle of the decade
of 1850-60 when the settlers obtained actual
title to their lands and when improvements
of a permanent character began to be made.
Then did the town first assert itself and give
definite promise of its great future.
CHAPTER V.
THE FORMATIVE PERIOD
-^ ~^ XlTHlX tlK' (Iccadc of 1855-65 the Eastman, Fred L. Smith, the Rev. J. F.
\/\/ \-ilIa,t;cs at llie I'alls of St. An- ChatTee and others hiter to hecome promi-
T T ihiMU- reiH-i\cd intn llicir ]H>]iula- ncnt in tlir affairs of the city, cast in their
li'in nian\ i>\ llie imn whn were a few _\'ears IhIn with the frontier vilkige and ,L;a\e tiieir
hiler to make the n.iine nf MinneapoHs fam- hest efforts to hnilding up the place, 'hhose
ous through tiieir cnminereial achie\enients. were days wlien pubhc spirit was rife; wlien
I'he foundations of man\ of the nlder l)anks ex'eryhody in .Minneapolis worked for Min-
and business lionses were laid; definite plans neai)olis.
for future commercial enterprises and trans- It is said of this time that "tlie families
pirtation routes wire niade.T^ ( )f course, who came here, from 1S54 to i8(x>, and laid
|i!aiis were crude .'ind incumplete ; hut, on the foundations (>f the ]\Iinneapolis to he,
the whole, the men of this ])eiio(l had a \ cry were in character and culture the choicest
fair conce|)lion of the main lines along which pi'oduct of the east. No new settlement
Miiuieapolis was to develop in later years, ever showed a larger proportion of college
It was during this decade that John S. Pills- men and cultivated women. Indeed, it luay
Iniry came to Minnea])olis and started a he doiihled whether the official and iutellec-
hnsiness which lives until the present time; tual status of Minneapolis has ever since
that W'illiaiu 1). \\a>hl)iirn commenced the averaged as high as during those six earliest
improvement of the water power on a scale years."
and with a comprehension which laid the Kkinoixi; Tin-; Mississippi.
foundations for a great milling industry; One of the first ways in which the spirit of
that that enthusiastic pioneer. Colonel Stev- Minneapolis was luanifested was in the con-
ens, gave away lots now worth millions, for struction of a bridge across the Alississippi
the good of the town; that such men as H. river. The h'ather c.f Waters had not, up
T. ^Velles. C. 11. i'ettit, K. J. Mendenhall, 1,, ii,is time, been bridged at any point from
.\nthony Kelly, luigcne M. Wilson, tieorge its s,,in-ce to its mouth. 1-ranklin Steele,
.\. r.rackett, Daniel R. l',:ii-ber. Richard aii'l c.l. Stevens. Judge .\twater and dthers
S. H. Chute, John I'.. Cilfdl.in, S. C. Gale, |,,rmed a com|ian\- fi.r the construction ..f a
('. 11. 1 lef'felfinger, T, A. Il.irrisnn, Hugh G. siisi)ensi( m bridge and in good time the
Harrison, F,. S. Jones. W illiam S. King, 1, ridge was completed and opened — January
William l.ochren. Ch.uKs .\l. I.nring. Dor- _,,^ 1855— when the event was ceiel)ratcd
ilus Morrison. W . W. McNair. J. I\. :nid v, itli a p.ir.-ide .ind bani|uet ;it llie new St.
H. fl. Sidle, R. J. I'.aldwin, h'.. I'.. Ames, ( Parle- li-itel. This was not i<u\\ the first
Paris Gibson, I,. M. Stewart. William !'. l,ii,|oe t, , >pan the Mississippi but . oie .if the
.Ankcny, .\sa I'., f'.artou, I). .M . Clough. W. f,,-si l.,iig suspension l)ridges tn be con-
H. Lauderdale. James W. Lawrence. I\ R. ^nucted in the countrw
E. Cornell, Co]. Cyrus .\ldrich, Wimilbury
l-'iske, C\rus lleede, George k.. Ilue\, I )r.
AS I iir; i \ i\ AiTi; \i.;i;i) 1 \ 5(1.
A recent hi^t.irical sketch 1)\ ibe Rew
P. L. Il.alch, S. C. Robinson, ( ). ('. Merri- , •, 1,1 \i ,. .,,, 1,.,. ii,:, ,,;;,,,,-. .- o,„
I _ ( liarles 1.. .Morgan has this pictnie iil tlie
man. I. E. P.ell, the Rev. D. 11. Knick
er-
\il),'ige of Minneapolis in 1856:
backer, C. E. VandeiTnrgh. 'rhnm.as Hale ,,.,^,.,,„ ,„„. „,|| ,^, „,^, g^,,,;,,, ^.^^^^ -p^j,p^,,.
W'illiams, J. C. Reno, S. I'. Snyder. W . W. ci'is^rd llu- llicn brand-new suspension bridge
we
THE FORMATIVE PERIOD
39
and passing at its western end the home of Col.
Stevens, the very first house built in the village,
we climbed what was then a veritable hill past
a few one-story buildings into the space long
known as Bridge Square.
Bridge S'luarc was then a rolling prairie, ex-
tending between what were later Nicollet and
Ifcnnepin Avenues, and doited witli oaU trees.
At Second Street there was a dcpressidii which,
Brothers, but the whole tract from the Iiridgc to
Third St. in the center of which the Nicollet
House now stands was then an unbroken pasture
where a herd of cows and one or two savage
bulls held undisturbed possession.
The village at this linie had three centers, so
to speak, which were each struggling for su-
premacy; the earliest was in '"lower town" where
was the Land OHice and Post Office, the second
THic Fii;fc'T .sL~rt:.\.-iii.\ liuiin.i;.
FrniK a Daguerreotype made soon after tlte ereetion of llie l)ri(lge.
usually hlled with water, served in spring for
the navigation of rafts and in winter for a skat-
ing pond. Thence there was a gentle up grade to
Third St., where began a heavy growth of woods
extending over the ridge whose meandering
wagon track became later known as Fourth St.
Upon Bridge Square there was already one two-
story brick building with "Law Office" conspic-
uous on its upper story and an irregular row of
one and two-story stores extending part way be-
tween First and Second Streets, — or what be-
came Second street in later years, — for at this
time no street was more than a wagon track or
path an<l all the naines were long since changed.
,\t a point between Second and Third streets on
the south side stood the livery st.abic of the Goff
in the vicinity of Washington St. .iiid Seconil
Ave. South; and the third anil nmri' rapidly
growing on account of the bridge, in Bridge
Square.
Just beliinil the cellar on I'ourth St. where
my father's house was soon to rise, we foimd
the still smoking embers of an Indian camp of
the night before.
FOl"ND.\TI(>\S OI^ SCHOOL SVS-ll'.M.
The piiljlic school system of .\iiiiiR'a|)nlis
had its real he.iiiitiiiii.i;- at a iiieetiiiti- held dii
Novendier 28, 1S55, when Ji)hn II. Stevens.
F. J\. Iv Cornell and J. X. I'.ariier were
elected schnnl tntstees and the legislature
40
A IIM.F CENTURY OF MINNEAPOLIS
was i)etitioned for power to leavy a tax to
raise funds for the erection of a building.
This led to the purchase of the site now
partly occupied by the court house and city
hall and the erection of the first "union
school" which was succeeded, after a fire in
1864, by the ^^'ashington School, remem-
bered by many men and women of Minne-
ajjolis as the building in which they received
their first schooling. At about the same
time the iiromotion of the state university
was taken up in earnest and plans were
made for the erection of permanent build-
ings. On Alay 16, 1859. the first meeting
for the formation of a library association
was held. From this grew the ^linneapolis
.-\lhenaeum and the present public library.
Coincident with these efforts for educational
advancement there was a vigorous growth
of the religious life of the community. ATany
churches were organized and cliurcli build-
ings were erected with much zeal and
boundless liberality. Newspapers were es-
tablished but as yet the older papers at St.
Paul, ha\ing the ad\-antagc of location at
the political center of the state and in an
older community, overshadowed the jour-
nals published at the l-'alls of St. Anthony.
COM.\rF.Kri.\l. .\CT!\'ITY.
I i)niu-(liately upon the perfectinn of the
title to the towi'i site Minneapolis experi-
enced its first real estate "Ijoom" accom-
panied by a period of business activity
which almost swept the jiromoters of the
village off their feet. Inmiigratidn intn
Minnesota was just beginning to assume
great proportions; the lands ceded Ijy the
Sioux in 1851 were now open to settlement
and the ])eo])le woidd occu])y them, fni- ilir
belief that Minnesota was a frozen .nid
miinhabitable rt-gion was passing away. It
was evident to the new comers that .Minne
apolis was to be a commerci.'fl center fur the
new country and they made liaste to invest in
building lots. The first real estate office was
o]icned by Snyder & McFarlane in a small
frame l)uilding on Bridge Scpiare near the
end of the sus])ensirin bridge. C. H. Pelt it
established a bank and land agency; 1\. j.
Mendenhall entered the banking business as
did Rufus J. P)aldvvin, the Sidles and others
of lesser prominence. ^Mercantile establish-