St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1859-06-30
.RECKINRIDGE

80
and is the Western termination Of the Minneso.
IA and Pscifc railroad; the point laid dowa by
capt. Pope on his map - the head Of steam
aav;ssstioa on the Red river; the valley of the
Rcd river u sbost twenty miles vide on s::::he.
AIDE OF the stream, and about five hundred i:iles
long; thssurface j. level and drained by numer-
ous streams which ore 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 swamps. Red river is . deep, slow
| stream, has no islands, sand bars OF snags to
| obstruct navigation; the banks are about Is
feet high, and not subject to overflow; many
df the tributaries Of the Red river are strongly
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 Majer Wood ~ the average Of their
crops; vheot 80 to 40; barley 40 to 80: oats
40 So; and potatoes 200 to 800 bushels to the
acre. At Psmbina, GOO miles north of Brock.
inridgs,) e1-Gov. Ramsey says, "on the I'd
October, 1851, water melons and c.ntelopes
were served to US for dessert, and the frst frost
that occurred vas on the night Of that day.
lsee address before the Minnesota Agricultural
Society, Oct. 10th, 1860 Two large set-
Elements have long existed on Rcd river
Pembina and Selkirk, both Of which yearly
raise large surplus of the products Of the
farm f; the whole valley Of the Red river is
rapidly filling up with On energetic and intel
ligent popuis:;on; the country being exceed
ingly healthy, and should tho indications of
iron and coal lead to the discovery of those
minerals - large as 10 anticipated, this valley
will soon be swarming with . population en-
gagged in agriculture, mining and manufactur
ing, supplying eastern Minnesota, Wisconsin,
fnvo 'opA N;oao,,rs <ho- >o4,,>&o -
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. @ 1911 TX
Breckenridge is also at the point where Gov
Stevens survey Of 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, e1-Gov. Ram
say or the Congressional documents containing
not fail to convince that such is the ReoRraph
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, . hotel, grist mill, saw mill,
single and lath machine, SC. *
For further particulars enquire of ~ 9aa4
5s*sGlT 80 HENRY 7. WELLS, Minneapolis,
IT, : r CHUTE, St. Anthony S a9.,z
s>* CHAS. n. M'KUBBIN, St. Paul,
p a Executive Committee );
Or, to GEO. F. BROTT, Breckenridge. "a
May 10th, 1858 If .74{2.s- q