The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1854-02-23
Correspondence oi the Pioneer.
MANKATo, Feb. 3. 1854.


DEAR SIR:--Your note Of Nov -. WA. r.
ceised duly, in which you ask information in re-
gard to thus end Of the Territory, past, presea
and future; as II requires but short time to fur
hish you with history Of this county, compl,
with your request First and foremost Ga. a mai
ter Of cOurse,) is Mankaio, the county seat Of
Blue Earth county. Mankato numbers 20 fami-
Hes; the precinct Of Mankato, has now 100 legal
voters. AT the last election the most Of our in,
habitant. were not voters, not having resided 6
months in the Territory. We have about 20
ouhd'hgs IN Inc village, among which is IA very
respectable sized hotel, 30 by SO, with wing, &C.
The people are mostly sed in farming. The
Town supports school, with very competent
teacher, Miss llama, from Licking county, o.,
~ scholars; we have one minister-Old School
fresbyterian-who will not suffer by comparison
IN point Of talent and piety with any one; We
haye also two lawyers.
We have various kinds OF mechanics here,
carpenters, masons, plasterers, l saddIer, tail
ors, mll-wrisht, &c; stores. 2 hotels 4
miles from here on The LeSueur River is u very
substantial saw mill nearly completed. 1t j.
owned by George Van Brun,; it is has an excel
lent water power, and the tlmbcr nexl,austible
iO miles below here is Babcock's mill. . Babcock
has recently laid ont a town, KasOia, and offers
lots reasonably. He has an excellent mill which
IS DONG good business. People are fast setting
IN there; there is store here, physician, and
mechanics, one or two farms opened and mos Z
preparing their fields with fences, &e, for next
season. Three miles above here, the other side
OF Blue Earth river, new town is laid out called
South Bend; the captain uf the steamer Clarion
IS one Of the proprieors. They have a good
landing, and a very pretty place it is. Eight
miles above South Bend or the opposi side q:
the Minnesota, is Eureka, (Which am tod b,
scholarly is Greek word, and means, | have
iouud II; the ouy object ion have 10 the place
IT Is IN Nicoleit county, ard most tco Gar from,
Henderson, bui really it is the finest Place know
OF anywhere. They have good saw mill there,
II looks business like-peopic are fockng into
this point, by land, from W isconsin, Illinois and
OHIO.
Considering this county was only organized one
year ago, and two years ago rot solitary white !
lnhabnant, you will agree " ilh me | think, that
It Is some, and destined to become one of the |
best and richest counties in Minnesota. In your
enquirers, you ask, "Whai has been done, what
Is going on, and what We intend to do TIE |
Two frat terrogatories, have in Il hurried and |
imperfect manner answered. Thirdly and lastly /
(to use minister's pkrase) our hopes and aspra-
lions run high. We have raised d high sta ndard !
OF morals, cultivate a taste for reading, and con-
slier good democratic paper good for the weary
Alter The abors and turInos Of the day, We
have advocates for the Maine Liquor Law, and
those who oppose The enactment Of such law. |
few wings have straycd up here, they resemble /
lost sheep. We have various members of the t
Iterent secret societies here, the 1901 stands out
the most prominent, before us. In Il word. our
4 i'm has been, and is TO he decent people, 1--we
soberly and righteousy and when the annual
election comes round vote, (by The way how is
ii about that Shakopee Convention) the regular
ticket.
Yours truly,
r