The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1854-07-08
For the Minncsotian
Territorial Road from St. Paul to the Iowa
Line.

Will the editors of St. Paul allow the follow
ing report of our expedition to locate Terri
torial Road from the Mississippi river, opposite
ST. Paul, to the Iowa line, through the valley
OF Straight rivera place in their columns, for the
benefit of many distant readers, who are wish
ing to emigratc to our Territory by land:
Mr.. A. Il. French and myself, with Mr. Fro
dericks as assistant left. ST. Paul June 18th, for
the residence of Mr.. Faribault, on the Owo-
tonna or Straight river, which is the south fork
OF the Cannon. Between the upper crossing of
the Cannon and Mr.. Faribaults, a distance of
10 miles, we found several houses in process
of erection, and II emgrant wagons that had
just como on to the trail from the south, hav-
ing been as many weeks as they would have
been days, had they come by the road which
we have now marked Wandering through
prairies and belts Of timber, crossing streams
and sloughs, without any guide or definite
mark, is a rather slow and discouraging bust
ness to the emigrant. They all, however,
seemed to be in good spirits and satisfied with
the country. and are no doubt before this time
building houses, ploughing the rich prairie,
and making butter and cheese. All the emf
grants We saw on the route had good cattle and
horses. abundance of COWS, agricultural imple-
mcnts, &c. Many of them were from Wisconsin
with their whole stock Of cattle, sheep poultry
hogs. &c, &c. We found Mr.. Faribault unable
to accompany us, on account of recent injury
and concluded to return. but OH reflection, we
decided to 20 through and mark road from
the settlement on Straight river to- the Cedar
river settlement, leaving the measurement and
definite location of the road for a future time
We passed up Straight river, then across least
of south) to the Cedar river, then down the
Cedar, 10 miles, to the first house, which is II
miles this side of Iowa, then miles, to the up
per falls of the Cedar, where Messrs. Leverichs
Il Nichols are erecting a saw mill The last
house which we left on Straight river, Mr.. San
bOrn's is in Sec. Il, town. los. range 20 and
the first house on the Cedar, j. Miller's, is in
sec. p, town. l03, range Is; making Mllcrs
81 miles south and II east of Sanborn's, frac-
ton over 81 miles in a straight line, and about
40 by the road which we marked on our return
The country between the settlements is first
rate, well timbcrcd and watered. All except %
miles Of the route already claimed, the claim
ants leaving notice on their stakes that they
should be on their claims in July. The Cedar
river settlement built its first house in Mime
sofa less than one year since, and now numbers
Is or 20 families, all in comfortable and pros
porous condition. They gave us q hearty well
come as brother Minnesotians, and with true
Minnesota spirit, left their own work to assist
us in our explorations. During our stay the
infant town was chrstcncd Austin. From Aus
tin down the Cedar to the Iowa line, there is
good plain road, with settlements the whole
distance; and from the State line good roads
divcrgc in different directions to Fort Akin
son, Dubuque, and all the points on the Missis-
sippi. This we learned from the settlers and
from Mr.. l.. W. Watrous, who had just come
through, and gave us the following schedule of
distances from Dubuque to the terminus of orr
road at the point where the Big Cedar leaves
our Territory on its long journey through Iowa
to the Mississippi:
From Dubuque to Shermon's 81 miles
Shermon's to Smiths II
Smiths to Strawberry Point Is
Strawberry Pt. to Robinson's
ford Il