St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1859-01-20
BRECK-ENRID

E;CkE1NE RIDGE
TNHlS town is situated On the Sioux
i Wood river, and is the Western tcrn,i-
nus Of the Minnesota and Pacific railroad
the point laid down by Capt. Pope on his
map as the head OF steam navigation on the
Rcd 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 sl1irted with elm, ash, !oss
wood white wood and pine Of the lalg esE
growth, the remainder Of the valley is prairie,
composed Of rich, black loan free from sand
Larens or swamps. Red river is deep, slow
stream, has no islands, sand bars Or snags to
obstruc ra:,; cation; the banks arc about 70
feet high: an: hot subject to overflow many
Of the ,,E.:;:,ies Of tie Red river III strong
~ impIeclo Cd with salt, AID Indications Of
iron and coal are numerous III the vicinity.
The farmers Of the valley Of the Red river
gave to Ma cr y cod as the average Of their
crops; wheat SO to 40 barley 10 to 50: oats
70 SO; and potatoes 900 to 800 bushels 10 the
acre. At Pembina: 200 miles north OF Brock
cnridgc, ex-Gov. Ramsey says, ''on the ID
October, 1851, water melons and cantelopes
were served to US for dessert, and TIE first frost
that occurred was OH the night OF that day."
sec address before the Minnesota Agricultu-
raj Society, Oct, 10th, 1856. Two large set
Elements have long existed on Red river
Pcmbina and Sckjrk, 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 an energetic and intel
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 population en-
gagged in agriculture, mining and nlanutactur.
ing supplyi ing 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 Two 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
o1teyen's survey of a route for the Pacif: ,Hl
road crosses the Sioux Wood river, an exaEli-
nation Of the Western States, and a refer. ace
the writings Of Gov. Stevens, ex-Gov. ham.
say or the Congressional documents containing
the reports of Maj. Long and Capt Pope, can
not fail to convince that such is the geogra'i:-
ical position Of Breckenridge: that all that
poftlon VI tAc Territory VI tht OAIteu olaleS
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
mcrcial 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
Proprictors, who are erecting dwellings for
themselves, a hotel, grist mill, saw mill, a
single and lath machine, &c.
| For further particulars enquire of
HENRY T. WELLS. Minneapolis,
R. CHUTE. St. Anthony,
CHAS. N. M'KUBDIN. St. Paul,
| Executive Committee,
Or to GEO. F. BROTT, Beeckinridge.
! May 10, 1858. tt