The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1857-06-13

Lumber is worth from Is to % dollars
according to kind and quality. We have
the best Of hard wood lumber for all me-
ehanical purposes.
WATER.
This is one Of the best watered sections
in the West. Besides the Mississippi and
st. Croix, there are the Willow, Kinnic-
kinnic, Rush, Trimbelle and Big rivers,
and plenty of smaller streams. Large
springs are very numerous. The quality
of the water needs no other recommends
ton, than the fact, that it is filed with
the finest kind of speckled trout.
FRUIT.
'Can you raise fruit?" eagerly asks the
new conner. We answer, yes. Apple trees
do well here.A Plums of all varieties,
which for size and flavor compare favorably
with the cha:eeA ssfSeh are raised east
grow wild in the creates; abundance
All Of the smaller fruits grow profusely.
We now proceed to speak more partic-
ularly of our own location, the village of
RIVER FALLS.
River Falls is situated on the Kinnic-
kinnic River six miles east Of Like ST.
CroiX, twelve miles North East from
Prescott, and ten miles South East from
Hudson. For beauty Of situation and su-
perior natural advantages it i unrivalled
The ''Pierce Co., Review" published in
Jan. 1856, thus speaks of it:
"The village of River Falls, IS deserving
of special notice on account of It's superior
natural advantages as a commercial and
manufacturing town. It is situated in a
charming valley at the junction ofthe bran
ches Of the Kinnickinnic. The North fork
falls by a succession of decliyitics some
seventy five feet, and thesouth fork about
forty feet, both forming a water power
sufficient for driving any kind andamount
OF machinery, and in all respects acknowl-
edged to be the best in the 81, Croix
valley
The first settlement here WIS made
by Joel Foster in the autumn of
l949. There is much of romance CON
nected with the settlement of the West,
and River Falls has its share. Mr.. Foster
hearing party of Land Surveyors talk
ing about the Falls, and their value, i'm
mediately made presumption covering
most Of the water power. Nature kindly
furnished him with dwelling, more snug
than capacious. Like the comics, he had
his ''hole in the rocks" In a. rugged
bluff, just below the principal fall is a
small cave, where he. and q negro boy
"kept house" during the winter. Hison-
y immediate neighbor was wild goose,
VIII 0 resided in another stone block just
above. Mr.. Foster has now pleasant
residence near his former abode, and as
he has sold his presumption for the snug
sum of $4,000, he reflects with quite
feelings on his first winter in
River Falls. He was followed by Messrs
n. n. q o. S. Powell, who in the fall
If 1854 laid out their farm into village
OTIS. Others have since laid out large
additions to the village and it has now
five or six proprietors, though most of
.he water power is owned by Powell &
Go.
We pass over two or three succeeding
years, and speak of the village in its pres
INT state.
1t now contains four dry goods and
grocery stores, one tin and sheet iron
store, a fine tavern and a large frst-class
house, one large Touring and
yrist mill, a three story turning and
claiming mill, one saw mill, one wagon
shop, two cabinet and furniture shops,
one livery stable, q cooper shop, boot and
shoe shop, printing office, two blacksmith
shops, a painter, two or three masons
and good supply of carpenters. There
IS large school house and fine and
,ommodious academy for both males and
,emales. The academy is under the
charge of Prof. B. Wilcox, an able and
successful teacher, who has long been at
he head of one best institutions in New
\ orl and affords the best opportunities
or acquiring a thorough English and
classical education. There is Congre-
yational Church with about seventy mem
oers and settled Pastor, and also Bap-
ist Church, who support regular min
ster.
a large, lime kiln supplies tho country
With tae best of lime and brick yard is
nearly completed. The town is settled
With enterprising farmers mostly from the
East. The support of two ministers, a
inc village library, the large number of
literary papers received at the Post Office,
The building Of the academy and the lib
eral support extended to the local papers,
IS sufficiently indicative of the moral and
intellectual character of the place. Of its
natural beauty-its charms for the poet
zeal eye, we viii not now speak, but SIM
ply say to all who are looking for
pleasant home in the West, come and
Saa VIC