St. Cloud visiter [sic]. [volume] (St. Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1857-1858, 1858-06-17

E2ECKEN RIDGE
Il His Town is situated on the Sioux
/ Wood river, and is the Western terni-
nus Of the Minnesota and Pacific railroad
the point laid down by Capt. Pope on his
mapas the head Of steam navigation on the
Fed river; the Valley of the Red river is
about twenty miles wide on either side of the
stream, and about five hundred miles long
the surface is level and drained by numerous
| streams which are skirted with elm, ash. bass
wood, white wood and pine Of the largest
growth the remainder Of the valley is prairie,
| composed of rich, black loan free from sand
barrens or swanrs. Red river is a deep, slow
| stream, has NO Islands, sand bars or snaSs to
obstruct navigation the banks. are about 25
feet high, and act sub est to overflow many
OF the tributaries Of the Red river are strong
~ impregnated with salt, and indications Of
iron and coal are numerous in the vicinity.
The farmers Of the valley Of the Red river
gave to Majo Wood as the average Of their
crops; wi eat 80 to ~; barley 4U to 80; oats
~ 81; and potatoes 900 to 800 bushels to the
acre. At Pembina, 200 miles north of Ereck-
enridge, ex-Gov. Ramsey says, 'on the I'd
October, 1851, water melons and cantelopes
We're served to us for dessert, and the first frost
| that occurred was on the night of that day."
see address before the Minnesota Agricultu-
raj Society, Oct, 10th, 1861 Two large set
Elements have long existed on Red river
Pembina &hd Sekirk, both of which yearly
raise q large surplus of the products of the
| farm j.; the whole valley of the Red river is
rapidly filing up, with an energetic and intel
|ligent population : the country being exceed
ingly healthy, and. should the indications Of
iron and coal lead to the discovery Of those
minerals as large as is anticipated, this valley
will soon be swarming with aepopulat;en en-
Z
ing, supplying eastern Minnesota, Wisconsin,
Iowa and Missouri with the products Of their
labor and skill; the Minnesota and Pacific
railroad will be placed Immediately under
contract as by the terms Of its charter it must
be finished from Saltwater to St Anthony with
in NO years, and COMPLETED to breckenridge
within ten years from the Sd Of March, 1857,
or forfeit its franchise as well as the lands do
mated to it.
Breckenridge is also at the point where Gov
Stevens survey Of q route for the Pacific rail.
road crosses the Sioux Wood river, an exami-
nation Of the Western States, and reference
to the writings Of Gov. Stevens, ex-Gov. Ram
say or the Congressional documents obtaining
the reports of Maj. Long and Capt. Pope, can
not fail to convince that such is the geograph-
ical position of Breckenridge; that all that
portion Of the Territory of the United States
which lays west of the Mississippi and north
of the head waters Of the Minnesota rivers
must forever be tributary to that city, and
that Breckenridge is to be not only the COM
mercial centre for the northwest, but will
forever be the gate city on the great northwest
highway of nations
Breckenridge is now. being improved by the
Proprietors, who are erecting dwellings for
| themselves, a hotel, frist mill, saw mill,
single and lath MACHINE, &c.
l. Fon a,S,%l
HENRY T. WELLS, Minneapolis,
Il. r CHUTE. st. Anthony, 81
So CHAS. n. M'KURBlN. St, Paul,
Executive Committee,
Or to GEO. F. BROTT, Breckenridge.
| May II, 1853. IT,