The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-04-28

and street-in whose reedy banks the duck
Destled-or the musk rat built his lodge.
As late as 1910, Indians used to shoot
ducks in the lakes which overspresd some
Of the most valuable property Of st. Paul.
From the bold escarpment Of sandstone,
cleaning white, which terminated the upper
pla teaux upon the rivers brink-it derived
its primitive Indian name Of I'm nija-ska, or
White Rock"
HISTORY or SAINT PAUL.
The history Of the present site OF Saint
Paul, divides itself into three distinct Pc
RODS marked by corresponding changes Of
names.
/. The period of Indian occupancy till
l838-when it was known as lminjaska.
2. The period of squatter settlement
from 1888 to l849-when it was known by
the Indians as the place where they sell
whisky, aud by the whites as Pigs Eye.
3. Since l84o-when it was selected as
capital Of the Territory OF Minnesota, by
the name Of st. Paul.
THE FIRST WHITE MAN IN SAINT PAUL.
Louis liennepin, whose name is immor-
tally associated with the history Of Mime
sofa as the first who assembled the Misss.
sippi within its borders, and as the discov-
erer Of the St Anthony Falls, was undoubt.
eddy the fist white man who ever set foot
upon the site of Saint Paul.
HennepiD, an adventurous Dutch priest.
had accompanied La Sale from Europe,
aud following him on his expedition to the
Illinois river, was selected in February 1850,
to explore the unknown regions Of the Up.
per Mississippi. On the 10Th Of April,
Hennepin embarked at Fort Creve Coeue on
bis voyage Of discovery, ia Z canoe with
two traders. Detained by floating ice at
the mouth ofthe Illinois, it was not till the
middle Of March that be commenced tho
ascent of the stream.
On the Both day Of April, one hundred
and seventy-nine years ago, Hennepin, q
captive in the hands OF a war party of Da-
kotahs-on their way to Mile Lac, landed,
as near as VIC can judge from his descrip-
ton, at the little cave at the mouth of Trout
Brook, near Dayton's bluf-a half mile
from where the Pioneer and Democrat Of
fee now stands. Mr.. Neil fixes the locality
farther down on the fats, opposite Kaposia.
But the extract which be quotes from Hen.
nepu's Journal, fixes the place of landing
definitely within the limits Of st. Paul,
The Journal says: Having arrived on
the 10Th day Of our captivity, five leagues
below st. Anthony Falls, these Indians
landed as in bay, broke our canoe to pic
ces and secreted their own in TIE reeds
The distance by water, which was subse.
quently ascertained by Hennepin, indicates
the eastern verge Of st. Paul, while the
other details Of the description accord with
the locality we have pointed out. Further
more, the place described by the historian,
for the landing in question, is eminently I'M
favorable as place Of departure for Mile
Lac, involving q wide land detour which
would be entirely avoided by the landing at
st. Paul, the head Of navigation on The Mis-
sssppi. then, a. now. and from the habtual
practice Of Indians It is reasonable to be-
lieve that it would therefore be so avoided
10 this case.
We prize too well the sacred dust Of an
tiquity which with each succeeding age
ripens into diamonds around the footprints
OF the first explorer, to relinqush. except for
urgent reasons, the charm Of historic asso
citation that links Saint Paul with the ad-
vent Of the discoverer OF Saint Anthony
Falls. The tale Of Hennepins captivity
among the Mdwakantonwsn OF Mile Lac.
in which tor the first time in Minnesota, was
witnessed the collision of European civilza-
ton with the niexible preposscssions Of the
savage, Is IN all It's details romance which
fills the scenes of adventure with tran
scendeut interest, and yet there is not copy
OF Hennepin's book in the library Of the
Minnesota Historical Society.
THE FIRST AMERICAN IN ST. PAUL.
Eighty seven years pass from the arrival
OF Hennepin. Perrot has built French
fort on Lake Pepin and planted the arms OF
France in Minnesota lie Sueur has eX-
plored the Minnesota and given it the name
OF his friend the gallant Capt. st. Pierre.
The Dakotas have been driven from the
northern lakes by the Chippewas, and Min
neso,a, by the treaty Of Versailles, has Just
passed from the dominion Of France to the
flag Of England when on one fine morning
in November. 1866 keen and practical
~ 81, g., - l., -.