Red Wing sentinel. [volume] (Red Wing, M.T. [i.e. Minn.]) 1855-1861, 1856-01-05
RED WING MINNESOTA TERRITORY, JANUARY $ 1856
MINNESOTA WINTERS.


In 1854, Isaac l. Stevens, Governor Of
Washington Territory, made an explora-
ton and survey Of the Northern Pacific
Railroad, under the express instructions
| from the General Government. He has re-
Gently made an elaborate and Interesting re-
port; and from it We make the sulioined
extracts. Being official, they must be very
nearly, If not wholly correct.
"M"ch attention has been given to the
circumstances of the SHOWS and freshets of
the whole countrysp passed over, both by in-
quiries from all reliable sources, and from
actual Observations by winter parties. l am
able to give conclusive reasons to show
that no distractions whatever need be ap.
pretended from SEQ" at any point Of tile
route. From the plateau Of the Bois de
Sioux and the Red River of the North to
Lake Superior, two feet is a large quantity
Of snow, though winters have been known
when the snow was considerably deeper
The winters are dry, the weather clear and
bracing, with little or no wind. The mer.
curry, though occasionally Il falls to very
low point, is seldom below zero. The cold
est day Of the winter le52-53, February
8, the mercury fell to 25 deg. below zero,
and the winters are from four to four and
: half months long. Frosts seldom occur
before October. The fall climste is re-
markably fine.
"The Hom H: N: Rice, the delegate
from Minnesota, has often travelled in win
ter from St. Paul to Crow Wing, a distance
Of one hundred and fifty miles, s.ul, a SIM
gle horse and sled, and without track
and has never found snow deep enough to
impede his progress. From Crow Wing
he has gone to the waters of Hudson's
Bay on foot, without snow shoes. During
one winter he travelled through that region
finding the snow seldom over nine, and
never over eighteen inches deep. For sew
eral years he had trading posts extending
from Lake Superior to the Red River Of
North, from 46 to 40 deg. north latitude,
and never found the snow to deep to pre-
vent supplies from being transported from
one part to another on horses. Orc tiin-
ter, north Of Crow Wing, in latitude Al
deg, he kept sixty head Of lorscs and cat
tlv without feed Of any kind, except what
they could procure themselves under the
snow. Voyagers travel all winter from
Lake Superior to the Missouri with horses
and sleds, having to construct their own
roads; yet. with heavy loads,are not deter
red by SHOWS. Lu,nbermen, in great num-
bers, winter in the pine regions Of MINES
ota with their teams; and the snow is never
too deep to prosecute their labor. Occa-
sional winters the snow is not over six
inches deep. The average close of naviga-
tioa Of the upper Mississippi for the last
five years is November 26, and the average
first spring arrival April 8.
The Hot. H. H. Sibley, the last dele. |
gate from Minnesota, also most experien-
ced voyager, states chat the snow seldom
exceeds fourteen or fifteen inches, and he
has known two or three winters in success
sion when there was not snow enough for
toierable sleighing.
Alexander Culbertson, Esq, the great
voyager and fur-trader Of the upper Mis-
souri,, and who for the last twenty years,
has made frequent trips BY land from St.
Louis to Fort Benton, has never found
the snow drifted enough to interfere with
travelling. The average depth Of snow is !
twelve inches. and frequently thesuow does
not exceed six inches.
At St. Paul, the coolest days of six
winters aro &c fcl)ov,e.