The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1850-01-09
By the Junior Editor Of the Pioneer
Minnesota.
First, the name


Is MINNESOTA, not Minnesota, as most
journals have it, and most people pronounce
it. The Territory has strong claim to It's
photography and will have it i'll their own
way. am satisfied that the name means,
muddy water-the characteristic of the
Minnesota (now St. Peters riyer.) Most
people inquire, "where is Minnesota Z"
'sAny where near the Salt Lake they tell
on?'' GLOW near is it to the gold dig
gins? SC.
Minnesota, previous to its organization
by Congress into a distinct Territory. Oh
the third of March last, was the North
Western part of Wisconsin territory, and
the Northeastern part of Iowa territory.
Its boundaries are the British possessions
and the Western extremity Of Lake Superb
or on the North, Wisconsin on the East,
Iowa and the Missouri river on the South,
the Missouri and White Earth rivers on the
West. Its general direction is n. w. and
S. F., with the direction Of the Missouri,
Mississippi and ST. Croix rivers. II is some
600 miles from North to South, and 400
miles from East to West. do not pretend
to accuracy in any of these statistics.
The face Of the country .-i'.
Is probably about half prairie, one fourth
oak openings and one fourth rather dense
timber The prairie is rolling and we'll
drained. The oak-openlngs generally COW
er the most uneven sections. The heavy
timber grows upon the river bottoms, ex-
cept pine, which covers lnrge surface in
the heart Of The country, on soil peculiar
to its growth.
The soil,
Except in the prairies Is almost precisely
like that of Wisconsin and upper Illinois.
black and ailuvial. 1t rests upcn lime
stoue formation, and, Of course, is strongly
hnpregnuted with lime. 1t produces every
thing that grows in Wisconsin. Wheat,
potatoes, and roots generally. grow to a
greater perfection Of quality than in those
States. The cabhages Of Minnesota are too
large to he credible to your readers. We
pass around then. "fT3 poc ~.
The prairies
Are smaller than in Illinois, and TO our eyes
more beautiful. They are So froned with
in margins of oak openings, that each prai-
rie presents finished scene Of its own.
The prairies are from one to ten miles wide,
and from one to forty miles long The
settlers shelter their houses amid the nat.
ural colonnade of timber, and map their
fields in front. - =
.t.u..t The oak openings sa.. 49,
l.. a grass covered prairie with sprinkIina
of burr-oaks rs thick as an orchard. The
burr-oak is sure index Of good soil for
wheat. This soil has large interinixlure
of black sand. Indeed, the soil of Min
ne1ota, generally, has more sand than the
soil Of Illinois. The sand renders the
growth of vegetation very quick and seems
pEoviden,ially peculiar to that high la,i-
tude. t .-.rf. 81
Ta The natural productions hi
Are pine, of which there is vast extern. on
tie branches of the Mississippi and ST.
Croix rivers, copper ore in the Nothern
parts, probably lead ore in the Southern
parts, and cranterries. of which some So,
900 worth were exported this season.
TIE climate.
Is similar to that of the White Mountains,
shorn of its North Feast storms. Minnesota
is in the latitude of the State Of Maine:
but being remote from the sea, it is milder
in temperature. Its prevailing storms are
from the South. Ii has no agne, no cholera
no disease peculiar to the country, ans! very
few cnses of sickness. The people wear
no Western. sallow look, nor NOPE about
with sluggish teams. Life is active there,
buoyant and vigorous. 7ss1Q.fta2 n95
-" The ,chite settlements
At present cover only the section East OF
the Mississippi river-less than half the
territory. The CITIZEN population is 4, 500.
The settlers upon the prairies, the lMmber-
men ia the pineries and at the Falls Of st.
Anthony and 81. CSoix, are more of them
probably from Maine than from either State
in the union. In the town Of St. Paul, the
capital, they are as diverse as the mass
meeting at rentccost-Yan ces, Southern