Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1856-09-13
- csussp a, Of III. Times.
l1Is9ssy = =. lstkssy.

- ~ Ycsr.ps Ia a d III. Times.
nstssy = = 4sskssy.
4 81. AnsgosS Exzxi, Sept. 6, 1856.
DsA1 Tnss: hon ths hssl time since my srri-
yal = This city, hsvs bsgd1to look around me :
little, and 70 shjoy : plsassnt time in perusing
ny sNotes ~ the. Rosd."
v The route from 81. Paul 70 tha Falls Of St.
Anthony begins ct the head Of St. Anthony street,
and passes through ~ fne . country az can be
found anywhere. It mostly lies through rich
farming country, (Prairie), With narrow belss of
Oak openings. Starting from the top Of the bluffs,
there is good level road the whole distance. On
both sides Of the road are farms in high state
OF Improvement. This season, the crops generally.
have suffered great deal from the drought,
though the few showers we have had lately have
helped vegetation q little. The wheat crop in
this part Of the country is fine, considering the
dryness Of the weather. The straw was rather
short, but it headed well. Corn has suffered most,
though some fields. look very well, and although.
our Southern friends believe Minnesota is &C too
cold for craps" the yield bids fair to be good
one. One small field we saw, was already riue.
cut and stacked. Potatoes and other crops are
also fair. ~ -
One thing which will strike the traveller to
st. Anthony, is the number Of sHalf-way Houses.
One can be found at every half mile till within
four miles Of the Falls. The Franklin House,
near the Cemetry, is properly in St. Paul; beyond
that, half mile, is Schubert's Cottage Home; a
mile further is Cicotte's Roseville House, a neat
place. Next is the Brighton House, a handsome
building. -This is the +" Halfway House," Then
further on is Denoye's Travellers Home, and old
stand. Immediately opposite this, little off the
road, is the Garden aud Nursery Ground of Ford
& Huganin, well known as the Groveland Farm.
The exact length OF the road is eight and three
quarter miles. And now, without further stop.
ping, l will drive through town and make nv
headquarters at the American House, and pro-
coed with my % 4@ =
HISTORY OF THE CITY OF ST. ANTHONY
Within the last few years several short sketches
of St. Anthony and Minneapolis have been before
the public, which at that time were sufficient. for
the wants of new. settlers in this Territory; but
changes SO rapid and 80 great are continually
taking place, that a later notice of these sister
cities becomes necessary. In Offering such
sketch to the public, we will endeavor to give the
latest and most reliable information, hoping that
it may tend to the developement of country,
which, though in its infancy, offers more advan-
tages to the Farmer, Mechanic, Merchant and
Professional man, than any other in the Union.
Nothing was known of the Falls of St. Athony,
till the year 1880, when Father Henaepin, a Ro-
man Catholic priest, while on missionary tour,
discovered them, and named them St. Anthony,
in honor of his patron saint, Anthony of Padua.
The Sioux or Dacotah name for these falls is
Minne-a-wah. failing water). The Ojibwas style
them Rakahbihah. (the broken rocks).
The hostility of the French and Indians effec-
tually prevented the extension of White emf
grafton to this country for years. For over CEN
fury and half the wild Indian chased the feet
deer through the "Big Woods" or hunted the
buffalo on the wide prairiss of Minnesota. But
so beautiful spot was not doomed to neglect.
The axe of the Pioneer was to be heard as with
vigorous blows, the hardy pioneer Ieveled the
pride of the forest. In the year 1887 Fr. Steele,
Esq, commenced the first improvements on the
East side of the Mississippi at the Falls of St.
Anthony. He built log house opposite the one
which now stands at the foot of the bluff, opposite
the Falls. At that time numbering was already
profitable business on the St. Croix, but with
this exception, Mr.. Steele's house was the only
sign of the presence of the white man in what
was vast wilderness. During the same year
small house was built opposite the upper end of
Hennepin Island, and shortly after another near
Nicollet.
No further improvements were made till the
| spring of 1888, when some seven or eight acres
lying along the foot of the bluff, extending from
| the present site Of the Mills about sixty rods
down the river, were broken and cultivated for
Mr.. Steele.
In 1874 the log house near Mr.. Edwards new
building, was erected. After Mr.. S. had struck
the first blow towards settling the town, others
soon followed his example. At about this time
NJ. s. Findley made claim on that part of the
city which lies between the north limit of the city
and the bridge which leads to Nicollet Island
This claim Mr.. Steele soon after purchased fol
500. Joseph Reache, Frenchman, also ssstucl
his stakes" on that part Of the present city ex
tending from opposite the lower part of Hennepir
Island to the bluff where the new bridge is build
ing, and from the riverto to the eastern limit Of
the town. This he sold to Mr.. Steele for $3.50
In 1843. Mr.. Pierre Bottineare, an individual
who has taken prominent part in the early his.
tory of Minnesota, settled in st. Anthony. Mons.
Bottineare is native of Pembince, a half blood
Chippewa, his mother having belonged to tina,
tribe. His father was native of Canada, OF
French descent. In 1910, Mr.. Bottineare, through
his connection with the American Fur Company,
settled in st. Paul till 1s45, when he came here
He purchased Of Messrs. Russell and Findley
their right to the tract of land now known Of
ssBottineare's addition" for the sum Of $3.50
On this he built the second house in St. Anthony.
In 1916, Mr.. Steele bought Of Peter Quinn biz
claim to the upper end of town and ssBoom Is
land." For this he gave $3.50. sThs same yeal
Mons. Dejulais, also from Pembina, built tn,
third house on the town site. Mr.. Littlejohr
also lived in e log house on the spot where Mr.,
Tuttle's house stands at the foot of Oheever'a
hill. This gentleman came to st. Anthony in
the fall Of lS47, and for some time resided in
this log house. About the same time, Mr.. Russo
came to the place and opened store in the old
4 log house. In this house the first American wo-
man in the place, Mrs. Patch and daughter, resid.
| ed. The old block house, better known as the
ssMess House" was built about the same time
The same year the first movement toward
| putting up mills was made, but Of this we shall
descant at length at some future day. iba
i In 184S, the house occupied by Mr.. Godfrey
1 at the foot Of the bluff, that occupied BY Mrs