The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1853-12-08
MINI ESOTA PION E Err,
ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.
Thursday, December 8. 1858.
Roads in Minnesota,

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! Until the expiration Of the fourth year Of the
existence of Minnesota Territory, the settlements
were confined to the of the Mississippi A vast
portion Of the Territory, embracing millions Of acres
Of rich soil, heavy timber and beautiful praircs living
west of that river. locked up by Indian title
During that period the settlements, although Of ne
cessi,y confined that portion o; our Territory east
of the Mississippi, increased with great rapidly, and
the subject OF roads, always important the settle
ment Of country, became the great object Of
interest. Our able Delegate in Congress, backed by
the memorials of the Legislature and people of the
Territory, secured appropriations for the survey and
construction Of very important roads, opening to the
Farmers conyenent MAJ kets and 10 the hardy and
enterprisins umbermen great facies for carrying on
Their numbering operations.
Although Congress, being at that time the owner Of
nearly all the land within the Territory, east of the
Mississ ppi ought to have done much more towards
opening the different sections Of the country the
immigrant, or Delegate, through his untiIing
tons. secured ior this ohect than could
ably have been expected considering the sparing hand
with which MONIES for such objects usually appro-
pr,ated by our National legislature.
The appropriations, with but isolated and I'M
important exceptions, for roads Of the Mis-
sissirpi. owing, We have before stated the fact
that the settlements did not extend TO the west. Now
matters greatly changed. BY treaties negotiated
in 1851, and which consummatcd about one
year ago, the United States have extinguished the
Indian title many millions of acres of land west Of
the Mississippi rver designed by for agrcul-
tuta insults, which has settled and is now settling
with rapidty unkaown in the settlemen of agrcuI-
tural lands. The fertility Of the soil, the with
which brought under cultivation, the man, tracts
Of heavy tmbered lands, surrounded BY beautiful and
extensive prairies, the ample supply of good water,
the natural meadows, and above all the healthy and
invigoratng properties Of Minnesota climate, have
combined to settle the Sioux lands, and since the adj
journment of the last Congress, the immigration
those lands has been unprecedented. Towns have
been built, at important points, with almost gica
rapidy, extensive farms have been opened, and the
arts and sciences cultivated in a region which hut
sery recently was owned and occupied only by race
alike Ignorant Of, and opposed to, the progress of
civilization.
SNueitSs, ds Nets OWNS All Tue idnIB west OF me !
Mississippi to which the Indian title has been extin
guished, and the true policy of the Government is to
facilitate the settlement Of this immense tract of the
public domain, and tie promptness with which the |
indians have been removed from it. coupled with an
avowed determination 10 keep them away from the
white settlements, indicates that be the policy the
Government will pursue. Next in Importance the
al r. ,ba I,l;a IL Il
roads, making the lands in the interior, equally
cessible to the immigrant those in the vicinity Of
nav gable streams.
1t is weli-known fact that many farmers who de-
sire to locate in Minnesota. anxious to bring With
thcm their stock, their teams, and the agricultural
implements they have Oh hand. To do this, they
wish 10 come 10 the Territory BY land Many cannot
afford 10 pay the expenses Of Transporting property Of
this kind, on steamboats, and il they could probably
it would be difficult for them reach the location
they may have selected, it distant from steamboat
navigation. 1t is due to the prosperity Of the Terri
tory, to the convenience Of the immigrant and to the
interests OF the Government that these difficulties
should he obviated by the earl construction of roads
10 the cou.try west o: the Mississippi that will open
We believe that the settlement west of the Mis-
sssippi the past summer although surprising the ex-
pectatlons of the most sangune, but an imperfect
indication of the immense food Of immigration which
will take place next season. Those already located
have made known the many advantages the country
possesses for agricultural and pursuits VI
is longer problem, it a fixed fact that The late
Sioux purchase offers superior inducements for per
manent settlement, to any other lands owned by Coy
eminent, and the tide Of immigra alton to those lands
will be propotionate to the general know ledge Of
that fact
We hold. therefore, that Congress SHOULD, at the
session, appropriate literally for roads
west Of the Mississippi, that the Element of the
country may not be retarded by inudicious refusal
by government to make expenditures that will add an
incalculabe value to the government lands and event
iry be returned the treasury with an hundredfoId
increase.
In addition to the roads already surveyed probablv
those most desirable are, road from the foot of
Lake Pepin, to Fort Ridgeley, ON the Minnesota, a
road from the Iowa line near the waters Of the Red
Cedar, to ST. Paul, which would cross the former
road almost at right angles, and another road from
Fort Smelling to Fort Ridgeley.
The first Of these roads would connect, near Lake
Pepin, with the Government road from MENDOZA to
"abashaw, would the road from Mendoza to
The mouth of the Sioux River. and crossing the Min
ne'ota, would open the valley west and north Of that