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

YNH1S town is situated on the Sioux
i Wood river, and is the Western termi-
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 are -skirted with elm, asb, boss
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 OF snags to
obstruct navigation; the banks are about IS
feet high, and not snbject to overflow: many
Of the tributaries OF the Red river are strong
ly 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 so to 49, barley 20 to so; oats
10 so and potatoes 200 to $40 bushels to the
acre. AT Pembina, 200 miles north of Brock
enridge,l 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 Agricultu-
raj Society, Oct, 10th, 1856. Two large set
Elements have long existed on Red river
Pcmbina and Selkrk, both Of which yearly
raise large surplus Of the products of the
| farm ; the whole valley of the Red river is
rapidly filing up with an energetic and intel
ligent population; 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 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 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 Cd Of March, 1857,
or forfeit its franchise as well as the lands do
mated to it. =.9S~ s5i- zss@+ III ~ - =
Breckenridge is also at the point where Gov
oSteven's survey OF route for the Pacific rail-
road crosses the Sioux Wood river, an exami-.
nation Of the Western States, and reference
the writings Of Gov. Stevens, ex-Gov. Ram.
say or the Congressional documents containing
the reports Of Maj. Long and Capt. Pope, cam
not fail to convince that such is the geograri
ical position of Breckenridge; that: all that
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. Il a I'd
breckenridge is now being improved by the
Proprietors, who are erecting dwellings for
themselves, a hotel, grist MILL, saw mill, .
single and lath machine, SC. n
Fl For further particulars enquire of IL
5,... HENRY T. WELLS, Minneapolis,
R. CHUTE. St. Anthony,
vt,s.a CHAS. N. M'KUBBIN. St. Paul, :,
.at. Executive Committee, y
Or to GEO. F. BRoTT, Beeckinridge.
May 10, 1858. # =