The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1852-04-01
Minnesota Territory.


III a printed form, because of The want OF
time TO reply otherwise TO many letters Of
inquiry | receive almost daily with regard
10 the condition and prospects of Minnesota
Territory, from PERSONS aud associations
who are Gesrous of enisrating to that re-
gion. In this paper | shal! endeavor to
give. IN rs condensed a shape MS possible,
such information as may suffice to convey
10 tho reader, general and correct idea
OF the state OF things as they exist among
us, aId such Il description of the county as
accortiS with my own views and knowledge
OF facts. shall mbody therein SO much
ot communications. written 10y myself
IN the winter OF 1880, upon The same
subject, ami which was eXtcns Ively COpii
IN the newspapers of the country, as may
he appropriate, IN view Of the great changes
which TWO years have wrought IN The affairs
Of the Territory.
That part OF Minnesota which lies cast
Of the mississippi river constituted pOr-
tion of Wisconsin Territory, before the ad-
mission OF the STATE oi that name, with cur
tailed boundaries. Ii is estimated to con
tain about 29, 900 square miles. The 81.
CroiX, ami line drawn from the main
branch o!' that stream 10 the Falls of the
ST. Louis river of Lake Superior, row di-
vide Wisconsin from Minnesota. On The
west of the Mississippi, The PARALLEL Of
43S 50 is the line OF division between the
State Of Iowa and Minnesota west TO the
Missouri river. All The country up the lat
ter stream, above the point Of intersection
Of that liue to lis Junction with the White
earth, and along that river to the BRUSH
posse s. ions. thence eastwardly, following
the boundary Of 40 > north lntitude to the
extreme north west point of the State of
Wisconsin III Lake Superior, apperlalns to
Minnesota Territory. The area embraced
within these Iiniits contains between l4O,
000 aud lC0, ,C00 square miles, equa! IN eX-
tent to New York, Virginia, and Pennsyi-
vania combined.
This immense region is GOuntitu!!y wa
tered hy the Mississippi, Minnesota, and
Missouri rivers, and the Red river of the
North, and their numerous tributary streams,
which traverse ii IN every part. There are
also nnumerabe bodies Of fresh water,
which abound in fish OF various kinds-lhe
white fish especially being found III grea.
numbers in the more northern and larger
lakes. The general character Of Mime
sofa is that of high rolling prairie; but the
streams and lakes are bordered with heavy
bodies of timber, which contain every spe-
below, except beach and sycamore. Al q
point about seventy or eighty miles above
the Falls of ST. Anthony, west of the Mis-
!sissippi, commences IA large and remarka-
Ible forest, which extends to the southwark
nearly at a right angle across the Mnueso-
til river, to the branches of the Nah kahto
or Blue Earth river. This vast body OF
woodland is more than one hundred and
twenty miles ir length aud from fifteen 10
forty IN breadth, Many beautiful lakes Of
iinpid water are found within lis limits,
which are the resort OF myriads OF Wild
fowl, including SWANS, geese, aud ducks
These dense thIckets along ITS border afford
places of conceanent for the deer, which
are killed in great numbers by the lndIans
The numerous grovts of hard maple afford
70 the latter, al the proper season, the
means Of making sugar, while the large
cotton woods and butternuts are converted
by them into canoes, for the transportation
of themselves and their families along The
water-cuurses and lakes. At The approach
of winter, the bands Of Dako,as OF Sioux
save those " no rely exclusively upon bntla
Io for subsistence, seek the deepest rcce,se.
OF The forest, To hunt the bear the deer, au'
sinaIlet fur bearing animals, nlnong whici
may he enumerated the raccOou, the fisher
and The niarten. In thrS beautiful country
are TO be found all the requisites to susiai.
a deure population. The soil IS of grea
fertility and unknown depth, covered as !
is with The mould of II ttous and years
The Indian is here in his forest home
hitherto secure from the Intrusion OF th
pale faces; bur the advancing tide of cIvili
,zation warns HIM that the time has arrive.
" hen he must yeld Up ihe title 10 this fai
. domain, and seek another and u s,rang'
dwelling place.
This charming region is embraced within
! the cession made TO the Government by tn
Sioux Indians in the two treaties made wit
them by The commissioners Lea and Ram
, sey, in July and August last, and which ar
+ now before the Senate for It's consideration
The amount OF acres in the purchase, in
f Guiding the hali-breed tract at Lake Pepin
J but not embracing the reservation made Ia
the Indians, is s5, SIG, $40, or about 44, ,G5
, square acres. OF this quantity, about 3
600, 900 acres are within the State Of Iowa
The limits of the country c,ded by thes
treaties have been so widely noticed in th
public journals, that ii Is hardly nece .ar
to repeat them here. Let it, therefore, sui