The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1852-05-08
GOVERNMENT ROADS IN MINNESOTA.


GOVERNMENT ROADS IN MINNESOTA.
! Pursuant to resolution of the House
of Representatives, report of the Topo-
graphical Bureau, by Col. j. ]. Albert, in
respect to this subject, was transmitted
by the Secretary Of War in December
last. Accompanying Col. Abert's report,
is appended the annual report of First
Lieut.. j. H. Simpson, dated, St. Paul,
September l5, 1851, giving full account
of his operations as superintendent, hav-
ing the general charge Of the survey of
all the roads, from which we make the
following extracts, being of general in
terest to the reader:
The route from Point Douglass to Fort
Gaines runs entirely on the east side of
the Mississippi river, and with but two
or three exceptions within mile or two
of the river. The country through
which it passes, is an interminglement of
prairie and oak openings the prairies
aggregating about sixty-tour miles of the
distance, and the oak openings about
eighty-two. The prairies, as we'll as the
oak openings, generally approach plain
surface; the country between Point
Douglass and ST. Paul, however, forming
an exception, the prairie and oak open
ings in this interval being highly rolling.
The sell, both of the prairies and Of
the oak openings, except between Cottage
Grove and Saint Paul, a distance Of six
teen miles, is black sandy loan.
Between Cottage Grove and Saint
Paul, the soil Of the oak openings, is
more or less of hard pan gravel; of the
prairie, of marty argillaceous character.
The principal rivers to be crossed are,
Coon creek, forty eight and half feet
wide, distant from Point Douglass, forty
five miles; Rum river, one hundred and
thirty-six feet wide, distant from Coon
creek, six miles; Elk river, one hundred
and two feet wide, distant from Rum
river about twelve miles; Rock river,
thirty-three feet wide, distant from Elk
river about forty-four miles Platte riv-
err, eigty-eight feet wide, distant from
Rock run about ten miles.
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the bridging the streams named, and the
construction Of the roadway at the follow
ing points: Between Red Rock and
Saint Paul, about four miles of the dis
lance; between Saint Paul and Saint An
thony, about half a mile of the distance 5;
between Rice creek and Coon creek, all
the way near five miles; between Benton
City and Watab, six miles; between
Platte river and the mouth of Swan riv-
er (Aitkins,) six miles of the distance !;
in all about twenty-one and a half miles
Of road. A rigid estimate of the cost of
the road it will not be possible for me to
give, till all the data of the survey can
be examined in the office but approx
mating it now in the best way am able,
l should place the cost, including the
bridgs and all other kinds of work, at
not exceeding $2S,032, or at tie average
rate of 1892 per mile.
In regard to the road from Point Doug
lass to the rapids or falls of the Saint Louis
river, it runs entirely on the west side of
the river Saint Croix, keeping as far as
Sunrise river, (Mennokag river on Nicol-
let's map) distance Of about seventy
eight miles, with the exception of the
portion about Cottage Grove, within
mile or two of its banks. Thence it runs
generally about northwest to Snake riv-
or, distance of twenty -four miles, cross
ing it just below the mouth of the Lake
Pokegomag; thence along the east side of
Lake Pokegomag, distance Of about
eight miles thence in direction gener-
ally N. 800 E. to Kettle river, a distance
of about forty miles and thence in about
the same general course to the falls or
rapids of the Saint Louis river, dis
lance of about fifty miles making the
whole probable length Of the road, two
hundred miles.
From Point Douglass to Saltwater, a
distance of twenty-four miles, the country
through which the road passes is prairie,
more or less rolling. From Saltwater to
Otis, three miles beyond Marine Mills,
or for distance of fifteen miles, it is
brush and oak openings, with occasional
ly section Of prairie. From Otis to
the Saint Louis river, it is dense timber,
the greater portion of which is traversed
by extreme marshy and tamarack swamps.
The cost Of the road through the prai-
ries and oak and brush openings, except
when deep ravines intervene, as between
Cottage Grove and Saltwater, and except
when steep activities occur, as at Still
water, will be but moderate !; but through
the thickly timbcred, swampy and marshy
portion, which includes about three-quar-
tiers Of the whole road, it cannot be less
than four hundred dollars a mile. l
would, therefore, in the absence of the
data necessary to predict rigid estimate,
state that the cost of this road will not fall
much short Of seventy-three thousand
dollars, or at an average rate of three
hundred and fifty dollars per mile.
In regard to the importance of putting
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