GEOGRAPHICAL.

The State extends from 43½ deg. of north latitude to 49 deg., and from 89 deg. 29 min. to 97 deg. 5 min. of west longitude. The northern boundary is the British Possessions, and the southern, the State of Iowa; on the east the State of Wisconsin, and on the west Dakota Territory. The estimated area of the State is 84,000 squares miles, or about 53,760,000 acres.

Geographically, Minnesota is situated almost in the centre of the continent, nearly midway between Hudson's Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It is the summit of the continent also. From its surface the lakes flow northward, eastward, southward and westward. The source of the Mississippi, in its centre, is 1680 feet above the sea.

SURFACE OF THE COUNTRY.

The general surface of the State is undulating, composed mostly of gently rolling prairies, but quite, well intersected with streams, valleys, flats and “bluffs.” Near the larger streams there are some broken lands and deep ravines, but there is but a small proportion of the land that is not tillable. There are no mountains in the State, and no hill or bluff over 400 feet in height. The area is all well drained, however, and there are no flat, swampy regions of any considerable extent.

THE SOIL.

The soil of Minnesota is a rich, warm loam, and its fertility is attested by its remarkable crops. It withstands long continued droughts without affecting its productiveness, while in wet seasons the rolling nature of the country gives natural drainage. It is possessed of a strong, forcing nature, that in the growing season hurries crops to maturity with surprising rapidity, so that although the seasons sometimes commence late, crops ripen at the same date as in States several degrees farther south. The land requires no manure—even those tracts which have been cropped continuously for twenty-five years.

RIVERS AND STREAMS.

The Mississippi, the principal navigable stream in the State, rises in Lake Itasca, and flows in a south-easterly direction for 900 miles, of which 732 miles were wholly within the State. The Mississippi is navigable for large boats to the mouth of the Minnesota river, and above the Falls of St. Anthony for a smaller class of boats for some 300 or 400 miles farther.

The Minnesota River rises in Big Stone Lake, and sweeping in a south-easterly course for 300 miles, heads in a north-easterly direction, which it holds until it empties into Mississippi at Fort Snelling. It is navigable for boats of considerable size, during a good stage of water, for 295 miles from its mouth.

The Saint Croix River rises in the northern part of Wisconsin and flowing southwardly, forming a part of the eastern boundary of the State empties into the Mississippi 55 miles below the Falls of St. Anthony. It is navigable for steamers 60 miles from the mouth.

The Red River of the North rises (through one of its branches) in Lake Traverse, and flows northward, forming the western boundary of the State for over 300 miles. It is navigable for steamers as far up as Breckenridge, at the mouth of the Bois de Sioux River, and they can descend with but one interruption, to Hudson's Bay.

The Cannon and Zumbro Rivers emptying into the Mississippi, it is said can be made navigable with slight improvement.

0107

The St. Louis River, emptying into Lake Superior, is navigable as far as its Falls for steamers.

Among the larger streams not navigable, but valuable for lumbering, are the Rum (or St. Francis,) Elk, Sunrise and Snake; for manufacturing, the Vermillion, Cannon, Crow, Root, Blue Earth, Le Sueur, Watonwan, Sauk, &c. All these rivers have smaller tributaries, the latter in turn fed by numerous creeks, penetrating every section of the State, and furnishing abundance of water power everywhere.

LAKE COAST.

Minnesota has also 150 miles of lake coast, connecting her with the great system of northern lakes. Duluth, the terminus of the Lake Superior and Mississippi R.R., and soon to be a large and flourishing city, has no one of the best natural harbors and breakwaters on any of the lakes.

LAKES.

In addition to her splendid system of rivers and streams, Minnesota contains innumerable lakes of every size, thus rendering her the best watered State in America. The number of these lakes is incredible. In some sections of the State one is never out of sight of them. They are found in the open prairie and in the heavy forest, and constitute everywhere a beautiful and picturesque feature of the landscape, thus giving Minnesota its pre-eminence of lovely scenery. They have every variety of shape outline and size. Generally, however, they have a smooth pebbly beach, and hard bottom, with clear cold water of great depth. They all abound in the finest fish, and are the resort of myriads of wild fowl, making them thus the favorite spot for sportsmen.

TIMBER-THE PINERIES.

Though generally called a “Prairie State”, few Western States are better supplied with timber than Minnesota. Its Pineries are very extensive, and constitute an important element of its wealth. The pine forests cover a large part of the State, and reach in a heavy body from Lake Superior west to Otter Tail Lake, and as far south as lat. 46 deg. Such extensive pineries 0118must constitute a source of wealth for generations. A large amount of capital is embarked in the lumbering business. In 1868 there were exported 249,267,918 feet of logs, and the market value is estimated at $3,750,000.

The “Big Woods,” as they are termed, is an immense forest of heavy timber, in the central part of the State, covering an area of about 5,000 square miles. Other large bodies of timber exist in various portions of the State, and nearly all the streams are fringed with timber. Much of what is called prairie is in reality “oak openings,” or thin timber, with wood sufficient for settlers' use. The prevailing varieties are oak, walnut, (white and black) elm, cottonwood, maple, hickory, ash, &c. Great quantities of maple sugar are made from th forests of maple that abound everywhere. Wherever prairie fires are checked, forests spring up spontaneously.

CLIMATE.

The climate is the principal boast of Minnesota. It is claimed to be “the healthiest in the world.” The testimony of thousands of cured invalids, and the experience and statistics of twenty years, confirm this.

The eminent Dr. Horace Bushnell, of Hartford, Conn., after spending a year in Cuba and another in California, without any permanent benefit, spent a year in Minnesota, and recovered. In a published letter he says: “I have known of very remarkable cases of recovery there which had seemed to be hopeless. One, of a gentleman who was carried ashore on a litter, and became a hearty, robust man. Another who told me he had even coughed up bits of his lung of the size of a walnut, was then, seven or eight months after, a perfectly sound-looking, well-set man, with no cough at all. I fell in with somebody every few days who had come there and been restored.”

Many of our most prominent business men, whom no one would now take for invalids, belong to the above class. Almost any one who has resided here for any length of time can refer to numbers now enjoying ordinary health, who on first coming here were considered hopelessly gone with consumption, or other chronic disease.

0129

Minnesota is entirely exempt from malaria, and consequently from the numerous diseases known to arise from it, such as chills and fever, autumnal fevers, ague cake or enlarged spleen, enlargement of the liver, &c., dropsy, diseases of the kidneys, affections of the eye, and various billious diseases, and derangements of the stomach and bowels.

Diarrhea and dysentery are not so prevalent as in warmer latitudes, and are of a milder type. Pneumonia azd typhoid fever are very seldom met with, and then merely as sporadic cases.

The cholera which almost decimated cities lower down on the Mississippi in 1866, was unknown here.

Actual Mortality. —the census of 1860 showed the mortality of Minnesota to be 1 in 155; Oregon 1 in 209; California 1 in 102; Wisconsin 1 in 108; Utah 1 in 102. These are the healthiest States in the Union, and were it not for the large number of invalids who come here too far gone to recover, and die here, Minnesota would show less mortality than Oregon.

In the City of St. Paul, containing eighteen thousand people, according to the report of Dr. Mattocks, health officer, there were in the year 1867, 272 deaths, being one in 66, or 1.51 per cent, a ratio less than that of any city in the universe! The St. Paul Pioneer, in publishing the mortality of the year, says.—“When we consider that our city is a hospital for invalids, even these figures rob it of its real meed of praise. A very large proportion of the persons dying in the city are strangers, who have come here sick and almost dying, to receive the benefits of our salubrious climate, but only to linger a few months and then cease the struggle. The city is constantly filled with them in all stages of disease. Excluding these (and they should be excluded) from our table of mortality, and counting only the deaths in our regular residents, would reduce the deaths to less than 1 per cent. of the population.”

Causes of Healthfulness. —Fist may be cited the absence of malaria; 2d. The invigorating prairie breezes which keep the air pure and dry, and relieve the oppressive heats of summer; 3d. Dryness of the atmosphere. Moisture is a powerful agent in generating disease. The winters are cold, and dry and steady in 01310temperature. The mean annual deposit of moisture in Minnesota is 25 inches; Wisconsin 30 to 49; Iowa 25 to 42; Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri, 42 to 48; Kentucky, Tennessee, 50; Canada 34 to 36; New England and New York 32 to 45; Pennsylvania 36; Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi 55 to 63; Delaware, Maryland and Virginia 40 to 42.

The Winter Temperature. —The popular impression that the further north you go the colder it gets, is an erroneous one. The rule is open to many exceptions. The configuration of the earth is such, that owing to mountain ranges, vast sandy plains, large inland bodies of water, &c., the isothermal, or heat lines, are deflected several degrees north or south, thus giving places a thousand miles apart the same temperature. Thus places in the same latitude of the Saskatchewan river, (latitude 51 deg.N.) enjoy the same annual mean temperature as places in the latitude of Forth Union, (latitude 37 deg N.) a thousand miles south of it. Minnesota, owing to the large lakes east and north of it, and the vast arid plains, extending from latitude 35 deg. to latitude 47 deg. west of it, enjoys a mean spring temperature of 45 deg., warmer than Chicago 2½ deg. south of it, and equal to Southern Michigan, Central New York, and Massachusetts.

AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES.

Blessed with her fine even climate and rich soil, Minnesota is favorably situated for agriculture, and her harvests are unusually large. The yields the past three years (as near as can be ascertained from the assessors' returns) are as follows:

1866. 1867. 1868. Whole No. acres under cultivation 895,412 1,092,593 1,382,690 No. acres in wheat 547,581, 683,784 908,500 Total product of wheat 7,221,442 10,014,828 16,125,875 No. acres in corn 88,183 100,648 115,170 Total product of corn 2,056,747 3,216,010 4,598,760 No. acres in oats 187,028 162,722 174,500 Total product of oats 4,372,477 5,620,895 6,103,510 No. acres in potatoes 16,297 17,647 17,500 Total product of potatoes 1,851,696 1,788,053 1,593,900

Total number of acres cultivated, 1,382,690. In 1868, the assessors found 83,709 horses, 235,426 cattle, 146,598 sheep, 914,680 hogs. In 1868, 10,000,000 bushels of wheat were shipped. This in a State which up to 1857 imported a good share of its breadstuffs.

RAILROADS.

The State is now becoming traversed in every direction with railroads, chiefly the results of magnificent land grands made by Congress in 1857 and 1864. The roads in operation and running are as follows:

First Division St. Paul and Pacific, (St. Paul to Sauk Rapids) 81 miles.

Main Line do., (St. Paul to Big Stone Lake, or Red River,) finished to Maple Lake, 51 miles.

St. Paul & Sioux City R. R., (from St. Paul to Sioux City, Iowa,) completed to Mankato, 90 miles.

Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, (McGregor, Iowa, to St. Paul,) the Minnesota Division is completed, 131 miles.

Winona & St. Peter R. R., (from Winona to St. Peter,) completed to Waseca, 106 miles.

Southern Minnesota R. R., (from La Crescent to western boundary of State,) completed to Lanesboro, 50 miles.

Lake Superior & Mississippi R. R., (from St. Paul to Duluth, on Lake Superior,) completed to Wyoming, 30 miles; balance to be completed this year, 156 miles.

Hastings & Dakota R. R., (from Hastings to Red River, via Shakopee and Glencoe,) completed to Farmington, 20 miles.

Whole No. miles of railroad in operation in Minnesota 550

Whole amount projected 2,000

POPULATION.

The growth of population in the State has been very rapid. The following table gives the number of inhabitants at each census:

1849 4,049

1850 5,354

1855 40,000

1857 150,037

1860 172,022

1865 250,000

The population of Minnesota to day, estimated by reliable methods, must be quite 450,000, and when the decennial census of 1870 is taken, will be fully half a million.

TAXABLE PROPERTY.

The taxable property of the State has increased fully as fast as its population. Commencing only twenty years ago with no appreciable property, its increase is as follows: 01512

1849 $514,936

1850 806,437

1851 1,282,123

1854 3,508,518

1855 10,424,157

1856 24,394,395

1859 $35,564,492

1861 38,712,427

1864 40,000,000

1866 57,974,000

1868 75,795,000

At the present rate of increase, fostered by the rapid growth of population, railroads, &c., it will require but three or four years to bring it up to $100,000,000.

THE STATE INSTITUTIONS.

Most of the State charitable, reformatory and educational institutions are now organized and in successful operation. Their location is as follows:

State University St. Anthony

State Reform School St. Paul

Insane Asylum St. Peter

Deaf, Dumb and Blind Asylum Faribault

State Prison Stillwater

Agricultural College St. Anthony

Normal School First Winona

” ” Second Mankato

” ” Third St. Cloud

NATIVITY OF THE POPULATION

The character and general features of the population may be inferred from the following census of nativity:

Born in the U. S. 112,227

Great Britain, Canada, &c 26,078

Germany 17,943

Norway and Sweden 11,693

Switzerland 1,150

Other Foreign Countries 1,860

Classified by language, those speaking the

English 80.90 per cent

German 11.36 per cent

Scandanavian 6.95 per cent

BANKS.

There are sixteen National Banks in Minnesota, with a capital of $1,700,000. Besides these, there are private banks in every considerable town, affording abundance of capital and facilities for business.

EDUCATION.

The unusually liberal facilities for education possessed by this State, are its chief boast. Minnesota took the subject of education in hand at an early stage of her settlement, and now possesses the most munificent endowment for educational purposes of any State in the Union. Two sections of land, 1,280 acres, in every township, are set apart for sale or lease in aid of common schools, amounting in all to three million acres.

In the message of Governor Marshall to the Legislature of Minnesota, January 7th, 1849, upon this subject, he says:

“The sales of school lands during the year 1868 have been 76,910 acres, producing $464,840.61, which sum added to the former accumulations of the permanent school fund, makes the magnificent fund of two millions seventy-seven thousand, eighty-two dollars!” The State Land Commissioner estimates that the land granted to the State for school purposes will amount to three million acres when the Government Surveys are completed. But little more than one-tenth of the whole has been sold—making allowance for inferior lands there will ultimately be derived from these lands the grand sum of sixteen million dollars for the perpetual use of common schools. What an inheritance for the children of Minnesota!”

From the able report of the Hon. M. H. Dunnell, State Super-intendent of Public Instruction, I take the following facts:

Whole number of school districts in the State in 1868, was 2,353; whole number of children in the State by the returns for 1868, 129,103, an increase for the year of 14,682 over 1867; whole number of Teachers in 1868, 3,276; value of the school houses in the State in 1848, $1,091,559.42. His report says Minnesota has a larger number of school houses than any other State in the union of the same population and taxable property. Her total expenditures for school purposes during the last two years exceed $1,500,000, and her school houses have already cost over one million dollar! These facts constitute a record of which our young State may well be proud.

MINERALS.

Extensive veins of gold-bearing quartz have been discovered on Vermillion Lake, north of Duluth, at the west end of Lake Superior. Imperfect assays made show that the quartz is as rich 01714as that of Nevada, or any of the Pacific gold-bearing States. Several companies have been organized, and are commencing to work the veins with the best machinery. The north shore of Lake Superior abounds in copper mines, that will at some future time prove a source of great wealth. Iron, said to be of superior quality, is found near Portage and Pigeon Rivers.

Limestone of the very best quality for building purposes, is found nearly all over the State. Granite in immense beds exists near Sauk Rapids, and is found to be of the finest quality. The Custom House at Saint Paul is being built of it, and other buildings partially so. Brick clay abounds everywhere, some of it of the choicest quality. Sandstone is found near Fort Snelling, but we believe nowhere else. Sand capable of making the finest glass abounds everywhere. A very large Tripoli bed, nearly pure, exists near Stillwater. Salt springs, owned by the State, exist in the Red River Valley. Large Slate beds exist on the Saint Louis River, and quantities of mineral paint have been found near Red Wood Falls. Extensive beds of peat are found in every part of the State, and other mineral deposits are believed to exist, which a thorough geological survey might determine.

GOVERNMENT.

The Government of Minnesota is similar to that of most northern States, being divided into the three usual branches—Legislative, Executive and Judicial. The Legislative is vested in a Legislature, the two branches being styled Senate and House of Representatives. The former is composed of 22 members, the latter of 47, the State being re-districted after each quinquennial census. The Legislature annually in January, and can sit only sixty days. The members receive $5 per diem for that time.

The Executive Department consists of a Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State Auditor, State Treasurer and Attorney General, with a Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The Judicial power is vested in a Supreme Court, of three Judges; District Courts, there being eight Judicial Districts; Courts of Probate, and Justice's Courts.

The Constitution provides that every male person twenty-one 01815years of age who has resided four months in the State may vote, if naturalized.

There are fifty nine organized counties in the State. They are subdivided into townships, each of which has a board of supervisors, and town officers. The affairs of the county are controlled by a board of three or five commissioners, and the officers are those usual in other States.

HOW TO GET A HOMESTEAD.

No State in the Union offers such facilities for getting a comfortable and valuable homestead as Minnesota. It is almost the only State possessing much agricultural land that can be secured by “squatters.” Under the U. S. Homestead law any head of a family, or single man twenty-one years of age, can obtain 160 acres of public land by paying twelve dollars for it at the local U. S. Land Office. Title is perfect at the end of five years. During the five years the settler must, in good faith, “inhabit” and “cultivate” the tract. No particular amount or value of improvement is required; but the settler is to cultivate the land to the extent that his circumstances will reasonably admit of. Nor is he obliged to live on it all, or even the greater part of the time, especially if he is a single man and needs to work out to procure the means that will best enable him to develop his farm.

These lands are situated all over the State, in district well watered and timbered, where the mails and express are now extended, and railroads and telegraphs rapidly pushing their way. Thousands are coming into Minnesota annually to secure good farms for themselves and their families—farms that will, in a few short years, be in the midst of cultivated neighborhoods, with churches and school-houses arising at every hand, amid all the surroundings of civilization and progress.

LAND OFFICES.

The land offices for the several land districts of Minnesota are located at the following places:—St. Peter, Nicollet County; Greenleaf, Meeker County; Winnebago City, Faribault County; St. Cloud, Stearns County; Taylor's Falls, Chicago County; 01916Duluth, St. Louis County; Alexandria, Douglas County. Persons desiring information as to Government Lands can address the “Register and Receiver” at the above Land Offices.

THE TOURIST AND SPORTSMAN.

Minnesota offers extraordinary attractions for the tourist and sportsman. Her beautiful scenery, fine climate, the plentiful facilities for traveling about, and the abundance of game of all kinds, give the tourist and sportsman a fine field. Outfits can easily be procured at any of the larger towns. Guns of the finest quality, and fishing tackle, are sold at Eastern prices. Guides, dogs, boats, tents, &c., are all easily obtained everywhere, at reasonable rates, and even a tyro at hunting can have plenty of sport, and secure plenty of game.

The fall is the best time for hunting. During September and October the woods are full of game—deer, pheasants, pigeons, &c, and the lakes covered with geese wild ducks and game. The pleasantest way is for four or five persons to make up a party, get a tent and camp equipage, some provisions, &c, and a boat, and encamp beside a lake. It is a sport fit for a prince, and costs but little. Hotel keeper are generally well informed as to the the best resorts for hunting and fishing in their localities, and will take pleasure in directing strangers to them.

HISTORICAL SKETCH.

Though only settled by white men within the memory of many now living, Minnesota has a “history”, romantic and full of interest, reaching back nearly two centuries.

THE EARLY EXPLORERS—HENNEPIN.

The first explorations were made by the French, who, in common with the Spanish, claimed the region by “right of discovery.” The chivalrous and resolute LaSalle organized an expedition in 1679, in Canada, to finish the exploration of the Mississippi River. He embarked is a vessel, with Father Louis Hennepin, a Franciscan missionary, and thirty men. They landed at Green Bay, Wisconsin. In the spring of 1680 he dispatched 02017Father Hennepin with two servants across to the Mississippi. They floated down the Illinois in a canoe, and thence up the Mississippi, being the first white men who had ascended the upper waters of that stream. On Lake Pepin they were made captives by the Sioux, and carried to a spot believed, from Hennepin's description of it, to be the present site of St. Paul. The savages here abandoned the canoes, and journeyed over land to their villages at Mille Lacs, where Hennepin and his voyageurs were kept prisoners several months.

DU LUTH.

In the fall of that year Sieur Du Luth, a French explorer of emterprise and influence, who had before penetrated the region of the Upper Mississippi, by way of Lake Superior, reached the Indian village. Hennepin and his voyageurs accompanied him back to Canada, the Indians having “consented”, he says. They floated down the St. Francis (Rum) River to the Mississippi, and down that river. He claimed afterward to have discovered and named the Falls of St. Anthony. He published several editions of his work in France, but some portions of his accounts are discredited by historians. It is now believed that Du Luth was the real first explorer of Minnesota.

EARLY FRENCH FORTS.

Notwithstanding these discoveries, France laid no formal claim to the country until 1689, when Nicholas Perrot by command of the King planted the cross and set up the arms of France on the west shore of Lake Pepin, where he built a rude fort. A second post was soon established by LeSueur. He explored the Minnesota in 1770, wintered at Mankato, and took a quantity of what he supposed to be mineral to France, but it proved worthless.

JONATHAN CARVER.

In 1727 another Fort was built on the west shore of Lake Pepin, and continued until 1763, when France ceded the country to England. In 1776, Capt. Jonathan Carver, a Connecticut officer in the Provincial army, explored the recently acquired regions, 02118and spent several months in Minnesota. He wintered near New Ulm. In May, 1767, he made a treaty with the Naudowessies in the “Great Cave,” now called Carver's Cave, in St. Paul, when they ceded to him a large tract of land. Congress never recognized his right to it, however, though urged by Carver's heirs.

LIEUT. PIKE.

The treaty of 1783, with England, conveyed all the territory cast of the Mississippi to the United States. That portion west of it, however, was not acquired until 1803, by the “Louisiana purchase, “as it was called, from France. Shortly after this, the Government sent a small military expedition to explore the region, and make treaties with the Indian tribes. Lieut. Z. M. Pike commanded this expedition. In September, 1805, he held a treaty at the mouth of the Minnesota River, and purchased from the Dakotas two districts or reservations for military posts. On the one of these Fort Snelling was afterward built.

FORT SNELLING BUILT.

In 1819, a body of soldier under Col. Snelling were sent to build the Fort at the mouth of the Minnesota. They arrived in the autumn, and wintered in cantonments at Mendota. The next spring the Fort was commenced, and completed so as to be occupied the next year (1821.) It was at first called Fort St. Anthony, and in 1824 ordered by Gen. Scott, who visited it, to be named For Snelling.

For over twenty years this post was the only place of importance above Prairie du Chien. In 1823 the first steamboat ascended to the Fort. Traders and others began to settle in the region, and it became more known. Gov. Lewis Cass, Schoolcraft, Maj. Long, Fremont, Nicollet, Featherstonhaugh, Beltrami and others explored the country at various times, and their published works form an interesting collection on the early history of Minnesota.

THE TREATY OF 1838.

In 1838 a treaty was made with the Sioux, by which all the land east of the Mississippi was ceded to the United States. As 02219soon as the news was received at Fort Snelling, several traders and others at once made claims. St. Paul, St. Anthony and Stillwater were then squatted on by claimants. On the site of their hovels, the flourishing cities above named now stand.

TERRITORY ORGANIZED.

Michigan, under whose territorial government the region had been, was admitted as a State in 1836. The rest of the region was organized as Wisconsin Territory. Iowa Territory was organized in 1838, and Wisconsin admitted as a State in 1848. This left what is now Minnesota without a territorial government, but still called Wisconsin Territory. Gen. Sibley was elected as a delegates to Congress in 1848, was admitted to a seat, and during the winter procured the passage of an Act organizing the Territory of Minnesota, with St. Paul as the capital.

ITS TERRITORIAL CAREER.

Hon. Alex. Ramsey, of Penn., was a appointed Governor, and on June 1st, 1849, issued a proclamation announcing the Territorial government organized. Population flowed in rapidly. In 1851 another impetus was given to it by a treaty with the Sioux, in which they ceded all the land west of the Mississippi to the Government. The progress of the Territory was now very rapid. Towns and village sprang up everywhere. The rapid increase in the value of property and the fortunes made by land speculators produced great inflation; a spirit of speculation infested the whole people. This was at its height in 1857 when the panic occurred, and suddenly all fictitious values collapsed. Men before deemed wealthy were ruined, and cases of actual distress occurred. It was a year or two before business resumed its usual course and immigration again commenced.

ADMITTED A STATE.

In July,1857, a convention was held in St. Paul, and State constitution framed, which was adopted by the voters in October following. In May, 1858, Minnesota was admitted as a State, and the State government organized.

THE WAR OF 1861.

The war for the Union fell with great force on Minnesota, a peaceful frontier State, engaged in agricultural pursuits, yet she responded to all calls, and furnished 24,263 soldiers to the army, while in 1861 her total population was only 175,000. No State has a better record than this.

THE SIOUX MASSACRE.

In August, 1862, occurred the terrible massacre by the Sioux of more than 500, women and children, on our western frontier. Several counties were depopulated, and hundreds of houses burned, besides two entire towns. It was probably the most fiendish, awful and widespread massacre American history records. The Indians were finally defeated by our troops under Gen. Sibley, and the prisoners rescued. The Sioux were afterward driven from the State, and since 1863 not a hostile Indian has been seen in Minnesota. Her career since the close of the war has been one of unabated prosperity.

GREAT SEAL OF MINNESOTA 1849.

024

JOHN B. COOK. ISAAC W. WEBB.

COOK & WEBB, LIVERY AND SALE STABLE, And Carriage Repository, Third Street, [Opposite Merchants Hotel,] ST. PAUL, MINN.

Are Prepared to turn out the best Horses, Carriages and Buggles in the State, Also keep for sale Carriage, Buggles, Lumber Wagons, Horses &c,

LADIEs' RESTAURANT.

C. SCHILLER & SCHMIDT, Have fitted up a LADIEs' RESTAURANT, 242 Third Street, SAINT PAUL, Where meals can be had at all times and in the most reserved manner, They also keep a large assortment of CHOICE CONFECTIONERY, CAKES, FRUITS, &C. Parties and Families supplied with Cakes and Ice Creams on short notice.

WEBB & McHARG, Manufacturers and Dealers in BOOTS & SHOES, 190 Third Street, ST. PAUL, MINN.

025

EDWARD HOGAN, DRY GOODS AND CARPETS, 164 Third Street.

A splendid stock of Dress Goods, Laces, Embroideries, &c.

We make a Specialty of HOUSEKEEPING GOODS in connection with our CARPET DEPARTMENT.

We offer Carpets at Chicago or New York prices, freight added, making an inducement for all to buy of us.

SECOND NATIONAL BANK OF ST. PAUL. United States Depository. CAPITAL, $200,000. E. S. EDGERTON, D. A. MONFORT, President. Cashier.

DIRECTORS.

E. S. Edgerton,

John Nicols,

C. H. Schurmeier,

I. C. George,

Peter Berkey,

J. B. Braden,

C. M. Dailey,

B. Presley,

Isaac Staples.

F. R. Smith,

J. H. Stewart,

S. Colhoun,

F. B. Farwell,

Dunleith.

Dunleith is the northern terminus of the Illinois Central Railroad. It is a village lying on the east bank of the Mississippi River, directly opposite Dubuque, with which it is connected by a steam ferry. There is a fine depot, a grain elevator, a few stores and shops. Population about 500.

Dubuque.

Dubuque is one of the principal cities of Iowa. It is situated on the west bank of the Mississippi River, on an elevated and handsome site. Dubuque is one of the oldest places in Iowa. It was settled in 1832, and incorporated as a city in 1847. Its population is about 20,000. The city contains a number of fine public and private buildings, several fine schools, about twenty churches, several fine hotels, and numerous manufactories. It is situated in the midst of the Lead Region, which is very rich. It is distant 360 miles from St. Paul.

Taking the fine steamers of the North-Western Union, or the Northern line, the tourist soon finds himself traveling up the Mississippi, amid the most delightful and varied scenery on the continent. The first stopping-place is

Potosi, Wis.

This is a thriving town, fifteen miles from Dubuque. The population is about 2000. The town is in the midst of a rich lead region, which gives it its principal trade.

Buena Vista, Iowa,

Thirty miles from Dubuque, is a village on the west bank of the river.

Cassville, Wis.,

is a flourishing town thirty-four miles from Dubuque. Population about 1000. Cassville was once called Edwardsville, and was for a short time the capital of Wisconsin Territory, which then included Iowa, and one session of the Legislature was held here. Large quantities of lead and produce are also shipped from here.

Guttenberg, Iowa.

This is town of 1400 inhabitants, situated 44 miles above Dubuque, in Clayton county. It was founded by a colony of Germans, and is a thriving place. It is the depot for a rich mining district, and also a fertile farming region.

Clayton, Iowa.

Twelve miles further on, we come to the busy town of Clayton, a place of 1000 inhabitants. This town is the market and shipping place of a rich farming district. Lead mining is also carried on to a considerable extent. Two miles from Clayton is a landing called Wyalusing.

McGregor, Iowa.

This is one of the most important points on the Upper Mississippi. It is 67 miles from Dubuque, and almost opposite Prairie du Chien. The town was laid out by Alex. McGregor (from whom it takes its name) in 1845, but it grew very slowly for some years. It is now, however, rapidly increasing in population and trade, having received a great impetus from the completion of the McGregor Western R. R., now Milwaukee & St. Paul R. R. It contains several fine hotels, two banks, and several manufacturing establishments. Its population is about 2500. But a small part of the town is visible from the steamboat landing. A steam ferry-boat plies between this point and Prairie du Chien.

Prairie Du Chien, Wis.

This is another of the important points on the Upper Mississippi River. It is one of the oldest settlements in the North-West, its history reaching back over a century. It is beautifully located on a level prairie several miles in extent, about four miles above the mouth of the Wisconsin River. Prairie du Chien is the western terminus of the Milwaukee & Prairie du Chien Railroad, as it was formerly called, now the Prairie du Chien Branch of the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, and is a shipping point of considerable importance, as much of the wheat of Minnesota and Iowa is brought here in barges and transferred to 02926cars, and a large amount of merchandise transhipped from the cars to steamers, for points on the Mississippi. All the packets of the various lines stop here, both on up and down trips, and a large passenger trade is also done. The population is about 4000. The town contains six churches, several fine hotels, good schools, &c. It is 71 miles from Dubuque, 292 miles from St. Paul, 194 miles (by rail) from Milwaukee.

[For railroad route from Prairie du Chien, or McGregor, to St. Paul, see another chapter of the Guide Book.]

Lansing, Iowa.

The next place of any importance we pass is Lansing about 100 miles above Dubuque, This is a flourishing town of about 2000 inhabitants, its principal business derived from the transihpment of wheat and other produces, from the rich farming region around it. After leaving Lansing, we pass De Soto, Victory and Bad Axe, all small places, the latter being only memorable as being the site of the “Battle of Bad Axe,” in the Black Hawk War.

Brownsville, Minn.

The first landing we make in Minnesota is Brownville, in Houston County. This is a thriving point, 12 miles below La Crosse and 200 from St. Paul, and is shipping port for a rich farming region back of it. The town was laid out in 1853, and was for some time the county seat and land office, both of which have been removed. Population about 800.

La Crescent, Minn.

This town, now called “Grand Crossing,” is just opposite La Crosse and is the eastern terminus of the Southern Minnesota Railroad. Its population is about 600, and rapidly growing. It is destined to be a point of considerable importance.

[For route from La Crescent, or :“Grand Crossing,” west, see another chapter.]

La Crosse.

The city of La Crosse, Wis., is one of the principal cities of the Upper Mississippi. It is 1995 miles distant from Milwaukee by rail and 200 miles from St. Paul. La Crosse is the western terminus of the La Crosse Division of the Milwaukee and St. Paul 03027Railroad, a facto which it owes much of its importance, as it has grown to be a principal point for the shipping of merchandise up river, and for the receipt and transhipment of wheat, there being two elevators here. As a commercial point, La Crosse ranks among the first on the Upper Mississippi. It has a large trade with the region surrounding it, and has quite a jobbing trade with the valleys of the Black and Chippewa Rivers. The Southern Minnesota Railroad has also opened a new field for its trade, in the towns of that part of the State, and as that road progresses this trade must increase. The depots, freight houses, &., are extensive and numerous.

The commerce of the Upper Mississippi is also of great value to the city. The boat of the North-Western Union Packet Co., is located here, employing a large number of men, and steamers are constantly arriving and departing. There is considerable manufacturing done at La Crosse, there being two large foundries, a threshine machine factory, a fanning mill factory, planing and saw mills, sash and wagon factories, breweries, &c.

La Crosse is well supplied with schools and churches. A court house to cost $40,000 has just been built, and the city, which is handsomely laid out, bears the evidence of thrift and progress. Its present population is 9 or 10,000

At La Crosse the traveler from the East takes one of the fine steamers which ply on the waters of the Upper Mississippi, and is soon on his way up the river.

Richmond, Minn.

This is small village in Winona county, about eighteen miles above La Crosse. but is not a point of much importance, and boats seldom stop here.

Trempeleau, Wis.

The scenery near Trempeleau is very fine. The town itself is picturesquely located. It is a flourishing village of about 1000 inhabitants, and is the river port of a rich agricultural region. It is 23 miles above La Crosse, and 17 below

Winona.

Winona, the Queen City of Southern Minnesota, is situated on a beautiful level prairie on the west bank of the Mississippi, 40 03128miles from LaCrosse, and 178 below St Paul. It is the county seat of Winona county, one of the largest and richest counties in the State, and is the eastern terminus of the Winona and Saint Peter Railroad. Winona is one of the chief commercial points on the Upper Mississippi, and enjoys a large trade with the rich region back of it.

Winona is the largest wheat market in the State, and several million bushels are annually exported from this point its lumber trade is also very extensive, while its manufactories have become an important feature. Carriages agricultural implements, sash, doors and blinds, furniture, machinery, &c., are all largely manufacture, and sold to the surrounding country.

Winona has fine public schools, and the First State Normal School is located here. An elegant building, to cost $100,000, is now in course of erection for its use. It has also several fine churches, and a number of costly ad substantial business blocks and elegant private residences. The principal hotel is the Huff House, whose card may be found elsewhere.

Winona was settled in 1851, and the town laid out into lots in 1852-3. Its growth was very rapid. In 1855 its population was 813; in 1860 2,468; in 165 4,900; in 1868 7,000. It was incorporated as a city in 1857.

Winona will ere long be quite a railroad centre. The Winona and St. Peter Railroad is now operation 105 miles west, and will soon be computed to the Minnesota River. It connects at Owatonna with the Milwaukee and Saint Paul R R. A road is now in progress from La Crosse, Wis., to a point opposite Winona, where a costly bridge is to be built; while the Saint Panl and Chicago Railway, (yet unfinished) running down the west bank of the river, connects Winona with St. Paul and intermediate cities directly.

[For guide to the Winona and St. Peter Railroad , see subsequent chapter.]

Fountain City.

Twelve miles above Winona we come to the village of Fountain City, Wis., river port for the region surrounding it, Population 500.

Minneiska.

This is thriving town on the west bank of the river, at the mouth of the Whitewater. It is 30 miles from Winona, and 130 from St. Paul Minneiska is considerable grain exporting point, as it lies in the midst of rich forming region. Population 600.

Wabashaw.

The next place of any note is the flourishing city of Wabashaw, Minn., on a beautiful prairie, 54 miles above Winona, and 114 below St. Paul. It is the county seat of Wabashaw county, one of the finest grain growing districts in the Northwest. Immense quantities of wheat are annually shipped from Wabashaw, and the trade of the city with the interior is very large. It also does a large business with the Chippewa Valley the mouth of that river being opposite the city, and is the terminus of the protected Wabashaw & Green Bay Railroad. Wabashaw was settled as a trading post in 1833, and laid out in 1854. Its present population is about 2,000.

States leave Wabashaw for Rochester and intermediate points. The City Livery Stable at Wabashaw will furnish anything you want in that line.

Reed's Landing.

Four miles above Wabashaw, in a picturesque location under the high buffs, is Reed's Landing, or Rewed's as it is now called. It is at the foot of the Lake, and for a week or two during spring is the head of navigation, as the lake never opens for a number of days after the river below is navigable. The mount of the Chippewa is also opposite here from which a large lumbering trade comes; and being navigable for steamers, Red's is the natural point of departure and transfer for that river, as the eastern shore is low and liable to overflow. A large business is transacted here, and it is a point of considerable importance. Population 700.

Lake Pepin.

Shortly after leaving Reed's, the river widens into Lake Pepin. This is a lovely sheet of water about thirty miles in length, with an average width of about three miles. Its waters are so clear 03330that fish may be seen sporting many feet below the surface on a calm day. The scenery is grand, the bluffs towering up on each side, several hundred feet in height, resembling old castles such as abound on the Rhine, with numerous promontories, capes, headlands, bays, &c., with forests sweeping down to the water's edge, and occasional glimpses of prairie through the valleys between the bluffs. There is no finer scenery in America than on Lake Pepin. Its cool waters and fresh breezes have health-giving qualities, and the towns along its banks are crowded every summer with invalids.

North Pepin, Wis.

This town is beautifully situated on the east shore of the lake about two miles above its foot. It was laid out in March, 1855, and has grown very rapidly. It is quite a business place, and has a population of about 600.

Lake City, Minn.

This is a handsome town, picturesquely situated on a level prairie on the west bank of Lake Pepin. It is 93 miles from St. Paul, and 113 from LaCrosse. The site of Lake City is historic. Near here, in 1689, Perrot built a stockade. Carver'speaks of the plain on which it is built, in 1766, and says he there saw “the largest buffaloes of any in America.” The town was not laid out until 1856, but has grown rapidly. It has now fully 2,500 inhabitants. It is the river port of a rich and thickly settled farming district back of it, and hundreds of thousands of bushels of wheat are annually shipped from here. The trade of the town is considerable. Churches and schools abound, and the population is noted for its temperance principles.

Maiden's Rock.

A little above Lake City is a bold, picturesque promontory, known as “Maiden's Rock.” The rock is 409 feet from the water's surface of its summit, and is one of the most noted and romantic spots on the Upper Mississippi.

“The rock received its name from a melancholy incident which occurred about the beginning of this century. A young Dakota maiden, named Winona, of the tribe of Wabashaw, formed an 03431ardent attachment for a young hunter by whom her love was reciprocated. Her parents, however, preferred to have her unite her hand with a young warrior, who had signalized himself in battle against the Chippewas. The warrior's suit being rejected by the daughter, her father threatened that she should be united to him on that very day. The family were then accompanying a party on an excursion up the Lake, and were encamped near this rock. The maiden ascended to the summit, and with a loud voice upbraided her friends below for their cruclty to the young hunter, whom they had driven into the forest, and to her, in compelling her to wed one she loved not. She then commenced singing her dirge, and regardless of the entreaties of her friends, who promised to withdraw their opposition, he threw herself from the dizzy edge of the precipice, and was dashed to pieces on the rocks below!”

Quite a village has sprung up at this point, called Maiden's Rock.

Frontenac, Minn.

At the upper end of the valley which lies along the Minnesota shore of Lake Pepin, and six miles above Lake City, is the charmingly situated village of Frontenac, a favorite place of resort for tourists and invalids, on account of its fine bathing, hunting and fishing, and picturesque scenery. The village lies almost opposite Maiden Rock, and from the towering summit of Point-no-Point, close by, is the finest view on the lake. A fleet of row and sail-boats affords ample sport. The fish in lake Pepin are very large, while there are numerous trout streams near by and just across the river in Wisconsin. Wild fowl are also to be found in the marshes and lagoons, and deer are plenty in the forests across the river. There is a bathing house for ladies on the beach. Prairie chickens are to be found in great numbers on the prairies near by, and good sport is found the entire season. There are two churches at Frontenac.

Red Wing.

This thriving city is located at the head of the Lake, 64 miles from St. Paul. Its site is very handsome, being on a level plateau at the foot of high and picturesque bluffs. The town was named 03532after an Indian chief, whose name, translated, means Red Wing. It was formerly an Indian village, and the tepees of the Sioux stood there as late as 1855. The town was laid out, however, in 1853. Red Wing is the county seat of Goodhue county, a rich farming region, and the principal river port for the shipment of its immense grain crops; consequently Red Wing enjoys a large trade, and is a flourishing place. It is the seat of “Hamline University,” a Methodist College, amply endowed and in full operation. It has also a number of manufactories, saw mills, foundries, planing mills, a fanning mill factory, breweries, &c., all operated by steam. The town has six churches, an elegant public school building, some costly business blocks, and a number of fine residences. The present population is about 4,000, and growing very fast. “Barn Bluff,” just below the city, is a notable landmark here. It is 200 feet high.

Prescott, Wis.

This town is situated at the mouth of the St. Croix River. It is built on a high bank, sloping back from the river's edge to the summit of the bluffs in the rear of the town. It is the county seat of Pierce county, and the river port of quite an extensive and well settled region behind it. Its population is about 1,500. Steamboats run from this place to Taylor's Falls, on the St. Croix, distant 60 miles. [For guide to this route see subsequent chapter.]

Point Douglass,

Opposite Prescott, is a small village in Washington county, Minn., for the traveler must remember that the Mississippi River now runs wholly in the State of Minnesota, having bidden adieu to Wisconsin at Prescott.

Hastings, Minn.

Hastings, the county seat of Dakota county, is handsomely built on a beautiful level site, 32 miles below St. Paul, and 4 miles above the mouth of the St. Croix. The town was not laid out until 1856, but has grown rapidly and is an important and thriving business point. It is the market and shipping port for a very large and fertile wheat growing district, embracing nearly 03633the entire county. Hundreds of thousands of bushels of wheat are marketed here every season, and hundreds of teams may be seen in the streets at once any day during the fall. The Vermillion River empties into the Mississippi here, falling 110 feet in half a mile, thus affording an unsurpassed water power for manufactures, which is being improved to a large extent. Hastings contains about 3,000 inhabitants. It has several churches and schools, and a number of tasty private residences. The St. Paul & Chicago Railroad crosses the river at this place. The Hastings and Red River of the North Railroad is now in operation from Hastings westwardly 20 miles to Farmington, where it connects with the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway.

After passing Nininger, Grey Cloud, Pine Bend, Merrimac, Newport, and some other villages of no importance, the steamer soon arrives at Paul, the terminus of the route. Here you give your baggage to the reliable agent of Cook & Webb's City Omnibus Line, and are soon driven to your hotel.

PARK PLACE HOTEL.

This commodious and picturesquely situated hotel has recently been leased by Col. Johnson, a veteran landlord, who has completely re-furnished it, and is keeping it in first-class style. For the feeble invalid or weary tourist, no place be more delightful. It is built on the brow of a hill overlooking the city, amid a grove of fine trees, and where the cooling breezes are always felt. We recommend it to the traveler as a first-class house.

VERMILLION FALLS.

038

GEORGE PALMERS, Draper and Tailor, 49 THIRD STREET, ST. PAUL, MINN.

MANKATO HOUSE. Corner of Front and Hickory Street, Mankato, - - Minn.

G. C. BURT, Proprietor.

SOMETHING NEW! Simonton's Patent STEREOSCOPE AND VIEW HOLDER,

This Stereoscope has all the light of the Holmes instrument, holds two doz. Views, and packs as closely in a trunk as a book.

IS THE BEST THING OF THE KIND OUT, Also Simonton's Patent VEST POCKET STEREOSCOPE,

This invention is remarkable for its diminutive size and compactness which enables it to be carried in a pocket as easely as a pair of spectacles and yet is a complete stereoscope.

Orders received by E. H. BURRITT & CO. 144 Third Street.

For Agencies or particulars address T. D. Simonton, M. O. Box 1519.

039

WILLIAM GOLCHER, Manufacturer of and dealer in all kinds of Muzzle and Breech Loading.

SHOT GUNS & RIFLES,

Which for style and workmanship cannot be excelled if equaled, in any part of the United States.

Also a full supply of MATERIALS FOR GUN MAKERS USE, AMMUNITION, METALLIC AND WIRE CARTRIDGES,

Fishing Tackle, Base Ball Bats, Pocket Cutlery, Skates, Steel Traps &c. &. Notarial and County Seals made to order. Repairing Promptly attended to.

Orders from any part of the state will receive prompt attention.

180 Third St. St. Paul, Minn.

SOUTH SHORE HOUSE, White Bear Lake, L. C. DUNN, - - Proprietor.

A delightful summer resort for Travelers, Pleasure Seekers and Sportsmen.

Fine stuation, shady and cool, with accomodations for Day and Week Boarders greatly extended.

Row Boats and Fishing Tackle, also the largest and best sail boats in the State.

PICNIC GROUNDS ADJOINING, Carriages to and from the Depot.

THE LEIP HOUSE, AT WHITE BEAR LAKE,

The largest and best accomodations in the State. Large and comfortable rooms newly furnished. The table always supplied with everything the season affords.

Sail Boats with experienced sailors, Row Boats and Fishing Tackle always ready,—Wines Liquors and Cigars of the choicest qualities.

BILLIARD ROOM ATTACHED TO THE HOTEL.

ITS HISTORY.

Saint Paul is one of the oldest settlements in the State. Father Hennepin, a Jesuit Missionary, visited its site in 1680. Jonathan Carver visited it in 1766, and made a treaty with the Naudowessies, in Carver's Cave, which is fully described elsewhere. From time immemorial the site of the city was known to the Dakotas as Imminijaska, or White Rock, from its high bluff of white sandstone, a prominent landmark on the river.

On September 20, 1837, a treaty was made with the Sioux, by which the lands east of the Mississippi were thrown open to settlement. The treaty was ratified by Congress the following year. As soon as the news was received at Fort Snelling, Pierre Parrant, a Canadian voyager, at once made a claim on the present site of Saint Paul. He built a log cabin near Fountain Cave, in the upper part of the city, and opened a whiskey shop. Parrant had but one eye and that a crooked one. He generally went by the name of “Old Pig Eye,” and finally the epithet attached to the settlement as a nickname, which it bore for years. Parrant sold his claim 1839, for $30, and made another on the lower levee, 041

SAINT PAUL IN 1852.

04239which he afterwards sold to Louis Roberts, and left the country.

In 1840, Vetal Guerin made a claim in what is now the centre of the city, and built a log cabin where Ingersoll's Hall now stands. Mr. Guerin is still a citizen of Saint Paul and our oldest living settler.

This same year Father L. Gaultier, a Catholic missionary, arrived at St. Paul, and built a small log chapel on the present site of Catholic Block, Third street. He named the church “Saint Paul's,” from which the little hamlet received its name—one that it yet wears.

From this date the village grew slowly, until the organization of the Territory in 1849, when the location of the capital here gave it a new impetus. In the spring of that year there were only thirty buildings on the town site, but at the close of the season St. Paul contained several hundred people. The town was incorporated in November of that year. In 1854 St. Paul was incorporated as a city. Its present area is 3200 acres.

Its growth in population for a few years was perhaps unsurpassed by any city in the Union. In 1838 it had only three white inhabitants. In 1846, 10; in 1848 about 50; in 1849, 400; in 1850, 1,112; in 1857, 9,073; in 1860, 10,277; in 1805, 19,110. The present population is fully 20,000 people, and rapidly increasing.

The growth of the city in business and wealth has been full as great. In 1849 the entire business of the town was only $131,000. In 1854, $5,868,500. In 1864, $10,000,000. In 1867, $30,000,000. There are now nearly 700 licensed firms and houses doing business in the city. There are ten exclusively wholesale grocery firms. One of these alone sold $600,000 of goods last year.

The valuation of real and personal property in 1849 was $149,000; in 1855; $2,380,467; in 1865, $5,000,000; in 1869; $7,500,000. There are three National Banks in St. Paul, with a capital of $900,000.

The public schools of the city are well managed and rank high, They cost about $20,000 annually. Over 2,000 scholars are enrolled 04340rolled. There are also several private schools and seminaries of a high order.

There are eighteen church edifices in the city, most of them handsome structures, and twenty organized congregations.

Three daily papers are published in St. Paul, and seven weekly papers (three in German.) There are three public libraries, with an aggregate of 15,000 volumes. The Free Masons, Odd Fellow, Good Templars, Druids, and other secret orders, are all largely represented in St. Paul. There are also a number of musical, literary, benevolent and religious societies. There is one free hospital, under the control of the Sisters of St. Joseph, and a Catholic and Protestant Orphan Asylum, having in the aggregate about 100 orphans. The State Reform School is located near the city.

Saint Paul is perhaps the most healthy city in the Union. From statistics furnished by the health officer last year, the percentage of mortality for the year was only 1.30 per cent., and this too including all the invalids who came here and died.

HOW TO SEE THE CITY.

Having secured a good carriage, with a driver, (and here let us recommend the Livery Stable of Cook & Webb, opposite the Merchants' Hotel, as the best place in the city to procure livery,) the best point from which to obtain a good view of the city, is from Dayton's Bluff, on the eastern side of the city, at which point a magnificent panorama of the whole city, and river and bluffs opposite, is spread out before you. Here are also some elegant residences, those J. E. Thompson and Capt. Wm. F. Davidson especially. Near by is a group of old Indian mounds worth visiting.

04542

DRIVES AROUND THE CITY.

Having “done” the city, the next thing is to visit points of interest near it. Of course you will go to

White Bear Lake. —This is the greatest pleasure resort in this region, and no one should think of returning East without visiting it. It is twelve miles north of St. Paul, and though many go there by carriage, the cheapest and quickest route is by the Superior Railroad.

The lake is a noble sheet of water, about three miles in diameter, with the most picturesque shores, and a thickly wooded Island in the centre, a favorite resort for pic-nic parties. The lake is celebrated for its fine fishing, sailing and bathing. There are two excellent hotels at the lake, the Leip House and the South Shore House, and it is a good place to spend a few days in the heat of the summer. There is fine hunting in the neighborhood also, during the whole year.

Other Lakes. —There are other lakes near St. Paul, famous for fishing and sailing. Lake Como, two and a half miles distant; Bass Lake, six miles distant; Pehlan's Lake, two and a half miles; Lake Johanna, seven miles; and a number of smaller ones; are all full of fish, and boats can generally be had for sailing.

05047 05855

McGregor.

The eastern terminus of the McGregor and Western Railroad, and the Minnesota Central, now called the Milwaukee, St. Paul and Minneapolis Railway.

[For full description of McGregor, see page 25.]

North McGregor.

One mile from McGregor City. It is a small village of about 500 inhabitants. It was settled in 1863. There are, besides the railroad buildings, two hotels, three or four stores, a foundry, and several manufacturing establishments.

Giard Station.

This is a station for the use of the town of Giard, 2½ miles to the southeast. It contains only about 200 inhabitants. From this station the grade commences to ascend, sometimes 65 feet to the mile.

Monona.

Fourteen miles from McGregor we come to Monona, a flourishing town in the midst of a fine agricultural region, with which it has a large trade. It has five stores, two hotels, several manufacturing establishments, and three churches.

Luana.

Eighteen miles from McGregor is Luana, an incipient town, growing fast, but as yet small.

Postville.

A town twenty-six mile from McGregor—a substantial and prosperous place. It contains about 600 inhabitants, and has a number of stores and shops.

Castalia.

Thirty-three miles from McGregor. It is a small village containing one hotel, several stores and three churches.

Ossian.

A town of about 500 inhabitants, forty miles from McGregor. It was laid out in 1864. There are nine stores, three hotels, and several factories. There is a large amount of produce shipped from this station, as the region hereabouts is very rich.

Calmar.

Seven miles from Ossian is Calmar, a thriving village, containing two hotels, several stores, a church and one or two manufacturing establishments.

Conover.

This town, fifty miles from McGregor, was laid out in 1865, but has had a rapid growth. It now numbers 1,000 inhabitants. It has four hotels, two livery stables, eight or ten stores, and a steam elevator.

Ridgeway.

A station eight miles beyond Conover, in a rich agricultural region.

Cresco.

Sixty-six miles from McGregor we come to the important town of Cresco. It is in a finely timbered region, and is a shipping point for a large amount of produce. The town was laid out in 1866, and there are now 200 buildings, and 1,000 inhabitants. It has four hotels, eight or ten stores, and a number of shops and other business establishments. A steam elevator has also been built here.

Lime Springs.

A small village located on the left bank of the Upper Iowa River. It has a church, flouring mill, and one or two stores.

Chester.

This is the last point in Iowa, and soon after leaving it we enter Minnesota. The first stopping place after crossing the line is

Le Roy.

This is a small village in the southeast part of Mower county. It is pleasantly situated on a small stream of water, which affords water power for turning two mills. There is a hotel here, and several stores.

Beyond Le Roy are wide prairies thinly settled, and only one or two important stopping places, until we arrive at

Adams.

This young town is 11 miles north of Le Roy and 15 miles Southeast of Austin. It is the headquarters of the Northwestern Stage Company, and stages leaye here for Stacyville, St. Ansgar, Mitchell, Osage, Floyd, Charles City, Nashua, Waverly, &c., connecting with the Dubuque & Sioux City Railroad.

Austin.

This town, which is the county seat of Mower county, is 110 miles from McGregor and 103 from St. Paul. It is located on the west bank of Cedar River, in the midst of a fertile farming region. The town was laid out in 1855, and has since grown very rapidly. The present population is about 1,000. Austin has a large trade with the surrounding country, and some parts of Northern Iowa, and is becoming one of the most important interior towns in the State. It has two or three hotels, five churches, a fine school house, a number of stores and manufacturing establishments. At this point the Southern Minnesota Railroad, to be completed this summer, is expected to cross the St. Paul & Milwaukee.

Lansing.

Six miles beyond Austin is the town of Lansing, containing about 300 inhabitants. It has several stores and shops, and is rapidly becoming a thriving town.

Blooming Prairie.

A station 15 miles from Austin and 88 miles from St. Paul. It is a small village in a prairie region.

Aurora.

A station 9 miles from Blooming Prairie, and 9 miles south of Owatonna.

Owatonna.

The county seat of Steele County, is situated at the junction of the Milwaukee & St. Paul and the Winona & St. Peter railways. It is, by the former, seventy miles south of St. Paul and 114 miles from McGregor. By the latter, it is ninety miles from Winona, the eastern, and forty miles from St. Peter, the western terminus. Situated so favorably, Owatonna is thus an important railroad town. It is built on the east bank of the Owatonna or Straight River, which here flows northward. The town was laid out in 1856, but as lumber had to be hauled over fifty miles, the the town did not grow much until the completion of the two railroads in 1866, since which it has increased rapidly. The population now is about 3,000. There are five churches, a fine school 06865house that cost $25,000, and a number of fine stores, dwellings and other substantial buildings, besides an elevator and two depots and freight houses.

Clinton.

A flag station four miles from Owatonna. The town of Clinton Falls lies about half a mile from the railroad.

Medford.

Six miles from Owatonna is Medford. It lies on the east bank of Straight River, and has about 250 inhabitants. There are several stores, one or two churches, and a fine school house.

Faribault.

The flourishing young city of Faribault, the county seat of Rice County, is located at the confluence of Straight and Cannon Rivers, fifty-five miles south of St. Paul. It is one of the largest cities in Minnesota, and contains about 4,000 inhabitants. The town was the site of an old trading post, kept by Alexander Faribault since 1826. The first frame house was built in 1854, by Mr. F., and the town was laid out in 1855. Since the completion of the railroad in 1865, it has grown rapidly.

The two rivers between which it is situated furnish an abundant water power, by means of two dams across Straight river and three across the Cannon, which operate five flouring and several saw mills, and other factories, besides which several are run by steam.

Faribault is a city of churches and schools. The Episcopalians have here their College for boys, the “Shattuck Grammar School and Seabury Mission,” and a young ladies' seminary, St. Mary's Hall—both excellent Colleges. There is also the Central High School, of stone, costing $30,000, and four primary schools.

The Episcopal Cathedral, a magnificent edifice, will cost when finished $100,000. Right Rev. H. B. Whipple, Bishop of this Diocese, resides here. There are six other churches, the Catholic, on a high hill, being especially prominent.

The State Asylum for the Deaf, Dumb and Blind is located here, on the bluff east of the city. It cost $53,000, and is a substantial building.

06966

Faribault has several hotels, and a large number of business houses, and does a large trade with the surrounding country.

Dundas.

Eleven miles from Faribault we come to Dundas, a pleasant village on the Cannon river. The town was laid out in 1857 by the Messrs. Archibald, who built a dam and erected a flouring mill. There are several stores, two or three churches, two hotels, and one or two manufactories here. Population about 500.

Northfield.

Three miles from Dundas is Northfield, built on the east bank of the Cannon river. It is 38 miles from St. Paul. The town is handsomely located, on the edge of a rolling prairie, and near extensive forests. The town was laid out in 1855, by J. W. North, after whom it is named. Since the completion of the railroad it has grown very rapidly, and now numbers 2000 inhabitants. There are a large number of stores, mills and factories, four churches, and a fine hotel. The Congregationalists have established a College here, with an ample endowment, and a fine edifice is being erected for it.

Castle Rock.

A station six miles beyond Northfield. It takes its name from a lower of white sand rock which rises forty feet above the prairie, plainly visible from the cars, about a mile east of the track. It is a remarkable curiosity.

Farmington.

A village in Dakota County, twenty seven miles south of St. Paul. It was laid out only in 1865, but has grown to be a considerable town in that short time. There is here a hotel, a fine school house, churches, grain elevator, several stores, &c., and a population of several hundred. Farmington is the junction of the projected “Hastings, Minnesota River & Red River Railroad” with the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. It is in the midst of one of the great wheat growing districts of Minnesota, and the traveler can here see some fine prairie farms.

Rosemount.

A station twenty-one miles from St. Paul, located on the prairie.

Westcott , six miles further, is also a station and small village.

Mendota.

Six miles from St. Paul, the intersection of the St. Paul & Sioux City Railroad (formerly the Minnesota Valley Railroad,) with the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. [See description of Mendota in a previous chapter.] At this station passengers for Minneapolis and those for St. Paul separate.

THE FIRST DIVISION OF THE St. Paul and pacific RAILROAD COMPANY.

This Company now offers For sale ONE MILLION ACRES OF LAND along their Main Line, viz: from Minneapolis via Crow River, Waverly through Meeker, Kandiyohi and Monongalia Counties to the western boundary of the State; and HALF A MILLION ACRES OF LAND along their Branch Line via from St. Paul via St. Anthony, Anoka, St. Cloud, Sank Rapids, to Watab, on the Upper Mississippi. The lands comprise Timber, Meadow and Prairie Lands , and are all within easy distance of the Railroad, and in the midst of considerable of the Railroad, and in the midst of considerable settlements, convenient to Schools and Churches. The prices range from five to ten dollars per acre, and terms are made easy by long credit.

For further information apply to the local agents at Anoka, St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids, Lake Ripley, or to the Land Commissioner

First Div. St. Paul & Pacific R. R. Co., St. Paul. Office on Levee near Railroad Station.