St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1859-06-23
BRE1CKINRIDGE

This town is situated en- the Sioux Wood river,
and is the Western termination Of the Minneso-
ia and Pacific railroad ;;the point laid down by
Capt. Pope on his map as the head Of steam
navigation OH the Red river; the valley Of the
Red river IS about twenty niles vide oneither
side Of the stream, ana about five hundre;, miles
long; the surface is level end drained BY .u1ner-
Qua streams which are slzirted 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 swamps. Red river is a deep, SLOW
stream, has no islands, sand bars or snags to
obstruct navigation the banks are about 25
feet high, and not subject to overflow many
Of the tributaries of the Red river, ore strongly
lmpregnated with salt, and Indications Of
iron and coal are numerous in the vicinity.
The farmers Of the valley of the Red Eriver
gave TO- Majsr Wood as the average of their
crops; wheat 80 to 40; barley 40 to 80; oats
40 So; and potatoes 200 to 500 bushels to the
acre. At Pcmbina, goo miles north Of Brock.
inridge, ex-Goy. Ramsey says, "on the I'd
October: 1851, water melons and cantelopes
were served to us for dessert, and the first frost
that occurred was on the night of that day."
(sec address before the Minnesota Agricultural
Society, Oct. 10th, 1860 Two large set
Elements have long existed on Rcd river
Pembina aud Selkirk, both of~which yearly
raise large surplus Of the products Of the
farm; the whole valley of the Red river is
rapidly filling up with On energetic and intel
ligcnt populations 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 o population en-
gagged in agriculture, mining and manufactur
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 terms of its charter it must
be finished from Saltwater to st. Anthony with
in two years, and completed to Breckenridge
within ten years from the Sd Of March, 1857,
or forfeit its franchise as well as the lands
donated TO it, ] = = g g 3 & ri 9H 80 ~
Breckenridge is also at the point where Gov,
Stevens survey Of a route for the Pacific rail
road crosses the Sioux Wood river, = an. exami
nation of the Western States, and reference
to- the writings of Coy Stevens, ex-Goy Ram
say, or the Congressional documents containing
the reports Of Maj, long and Capt. Pope, can
not fail to eonvincc, 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
Iaercials centre for the northwest, but will
forever be the gate city on the great northwest
highway Of nations. ss%.5.
Br &c Il is now being improved by the
Projectors, who are erecting dwellings, for
themselves = hotel, grist mill, saw min, a
shingle and lath machine, &c. 5st%t:s arg l.. =
Z For further particulars enquire of. *;
- HENRY T. WELLS, Minneapolis J.
s. 30 a$4asR aCHUTE, st. Anthonyfaz1z Is
49,. ~C1AS. n M''KUBBIN, st. Paul,
60 y I. r. Executive Committee;
Or, to GEO. F. BRoFT, Breckenridge.
May 10th, 1883 If ~ 'S'.s@ -