St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1859-10-06

This town is situated on the Sioux " oodriyer,
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 Fed river: the valley Of the
Red river is about twenty miles wide on either
side Of the stream, and ao,t Eve Hundred miles
long; the surface is e> 9! att r.lleu by nu1acr
Gus streams which are sk;rtc,: with elm ash
bass wood. white U>:.l =:] pine oi tho largest
growth, the rcle;:>?cr II the valley is }r:.;, IL.
composed Of rich, ll,4t; !>um free from sand
harrcns or sWamps. H.? river is deep, SOW
stream, las no islands, @.nd bars or snass to
Distract nayi CATION; the banks are about Is
feet high, and not sub Jet to overflow many
Of the tributaries Of the Red river are strongly
impregnatcd with salt, and Indications Of
iron and coal are numerous in the vicinity
The farmers Of the valley Of the Red river
gave to Major Wood as the average of their
crops; wheat 80 to 40; barley 40 to 80; oats
40 So; and potatoes 200 to 800 bushels to the
inridge,) ex-Gov. Ramsey says, son 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."
(see 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; the whole valley Of the Red river is
rapidly filling up with an energetic and intel
ligent population; the country being exceed
ing'y 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 manufacture
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 it's 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 we'll as the lands
donated to it,.
Breck;nridge is also at the point where Gov.
Stevens survey Of route for the Pacific rail
road crosses the Sioux Wood river, IN exami
nation CT the Western States, and reference
| to the writings Of Gov Stevens, ex-Gov. Ram
say or the Congressional documents containing
| 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 north west
highway Of nations.
| Breckenridge is now being improved by the
Preprietors;,who are erecting dwellings for
themselves, hotel, grist mill, saw mill, q
single and lath machine, &c.
For further particulars enquire of
HENRY 7. WELLS, Minneapolis,
! - + CHUTE, st. Anthony ::
CHAS. N. M'KUBBIN, st. Paul.
Executive Committee !;
Or, to GEO: F: BR0TT, Breckenridge.
=: May 10Th, 1853 If ..us..u =