Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1857-07-09
Correspondence Of the Tribune Telegraph.
A Visit to Minnesota Territory, and what
was seen from Railroad, Stage
and Steamboat.
ST. ANTHONY. Jun


Dear Tribune
Thinking your readers may be getting impa-
tent at the slow progress make in getting up
the river, will hurry right on. as fast as the
Haska will take me, promising to make but few
halts, Waubesha and Redwing are very pleas
ant places on the west bank, the one below, and
the other above the lake. A natire poet thus
immortalzes Redwing. 1t would all be very
nice if the ideas were original:
six years ago where Redwing now stands,
The Sioux masters of these lovely lands,
The Indian hunter DER these prairies strayed
And in the woodland wooed his dusky maid
Lake Pepin is nothing but the river expanded
into a sheet of water, some thirty miles in length
by five in width. Singular as it may appear,
the wind is always blowing, and consequently
in hot summer weather it must be a delightful
place to pass away the burning days of July
and August The shores far and near are lined
with pine timber logs, which have come down
the river and lodged here. The lumber trade is
very excessively carried on on the Mississippi
river, it being foated down its tributaries in
large quantities and stopped by booms at differ
ent points. After running as far down as lake
Pepin it is usually collected together and made
into large RATS, and then fioated down to Du-
buque st. Louis, and other river towns for a
market Some of these RATS are very large
containing acres in them. In the center is
erected small house from which the smoke is
sues, and around the door of which sit groups
OF men as much at home on this floating island
as if in their own cottage on land. These men
are all dressed in red flannel shirts which give
them quite an unique appearance.
The next points of Importance are Prescott
and Hastings-the former on the Wisconsin and
the other on the Minnesota side of the river
They both look active, well located and thriv-
ing. Prescott is located at the confluence of the
Saint Croix with the Mississippi, which here
spreads out into broad open lake as the latter
closes into lake Pepn. Prescott must of nee
essity from its local position, command the en-
tire trade which here concentrates to and from
the Valley of the Saint Croix. The business
part of the town is below on the levee while
many of the private residences are built on the
high bluffs in rear, giving to the place very
picturesque appearance. Although Hastings is
but six miles disant, yet it will be no rival to
Prescott from the fact that its trade and business
will come from up the river and the large area
of spledid farming country directly in its rear
Prescott has but one rival and that is St. Paul.
who affects however, not to notice her.
No town on the river presents a more pleas
ant appearance than Hastings. 1t is very SINH
larly located, as we'll as having many of the at
trative features which have already won for Ke
nosha the appropriate name Of Park City. The
levee in front of the town is ample and suii-
cient for all the necessary purposes of shipment
From here the ground rises in a graceful curve,
and stretches back in gentle fluctuations until
it reaches the broad and fertile praries of the
country. These hills, slopes and platcaus afford
very desirable places for private residences; and
these that are already built show that their own
ers not only have much taste but abundant
means to crafty it. The business part of the
city which now numbers some three thousand,
Indicates that there is among its inhabitants en-
terprise, capital, and commendable spirit not
to be out-distanced by any rival town. Several
saw mills, machine shops, warehouses, large
stores and public houses were in plain view. |
am told by those who know, that there are few
places in the west where better class of public
Improvements, institutions of learning and 9TH
er enterprises that advance more the moral. So
clal and intellectual character of the inhabitants
than Hastings.
From Hastings to Saint Paul it is some forty
miles by water, and about half that distance bv
land. Majestic forest trees whose tops seem so
high that tt.ey are almost crushed by the vapory
clouds, line the banks on either side ana be-
tween thei: huge bodies long aisles terminate in
the dsts nee like the vistas seen through the nil
lars OF some vast Egyptian temple. Here soil
tnde reIgEs supreme; yet in the human heart
its own pulsation beat time with gentle nature
! or the truly great poets, such spot is full of
inspiration, poetry and music.
For them there il an eloquent voice in all
The sylvan pomp of woods, the golden sum-
hefloWers the leaves, the river on its way,
Blue skies and silver clouds, and gentle winds
The swelling upland, where the sdelong sun
Aslant the woo led slope at evening, goes,--
Groves, through whose broken roof the sky looks
in,
The distant lake. fountains, and mighty trees,
In many lazy syllable repeating"
Their old poetic legends to the wind
Saint Paul is the present Capitol of the Terri
tory of Minnesota is The largest city in it, and
has the largest amount of capital as well as po-
litieal power. 1t is situated in latitude 43 so.
on the east side of the river ON a high and COM
handing eminence, and has population at the
present time, variously estimated from ten to
fifteen thousand inhabitants The scenery
around, from the great height of the site of the
city is very picturesque and wild. To use the
words of another in describing it, it is situated
''arnid lofty turrets and battlements, worked out
by the ancient architect, time, with his tools of
frost, air and water-that guard the Mississippi
on each bank for hundreds of miles" 1t wa.
named Saint Paul by the Rev. Father Galtier a
Roman Catholic priest who had caused to be
erected some years ago Roman Catholic church
built of logs. This was the origin of the name.
Previous to lSi8, Saint Paul was nothing bnt
a small trading post, composed of few log huts,
inhabited by half breeds and voysgers in the en-
ploy Of Indian traders. But few white settlers
came there, however, until after the opening of
navigation next year Since that time it has
been advancing with almost fabulous strides
In walking through the streets one could hardly
imagine that SO brief a time mas passed since the
held his poe ,ooc( scalp dance)
here, and the woods echoed the sounds Of the
bloody war whoOp. Still it is so. On all sides
are seen evidences of Anglo Saxon genius and
enterprise. | was prepared TO sec large viii
lage with its hastily thrown up buildings, new
streets with the stumps still in the ground, set
tiers who were rough and everything correspond
inc with Whit Is usurallY seen among snnattnrs