Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1861-03-27
Written for the ". R ChronicIsl
SKETCHES FROM THE VALLEY OF
THE ST. CROIX.
NUMBER ONE.

HUDsoN, (WIs y MAR. 18th, 1861.
MEssRs. EDITORs.-Knowing that yer
many of the numerous readers of you
paper are either directly or indirectly il
terested in this section of the Great West
and believing that hundreds of other
within the range of your circulation ma
find something to interest them in sketche
of this beautiful valley-its climate, it
resources or its Inhabitants design (witl
your permission, to call their attention
from time to time to such matters as
trust will interest them and you
The ST. Croix valley proper, extend.
from the Mississippi river about hun
dred miles north, towards the head water:
of Lake Superior, and is thirty to fifty
miles in width The st. Croix Lake and
river is the dividing line between the
States of Wisconsin and Minnesota. The
Lake extends about twenty-eight miles
from the Mississippi and averages a mile
in width; it is merely widening in the
river, but moves with very slow current,
at the rate of a halfmile per hour, perhaps
The scenery along the banks of the st.
Croix is very fine, it is surpassed nowhere
upon the Mississippi. From the deck of
a steamboat the eye meets a succession of
the grandest views. Here a continuous
chain of bluffs, there level prairie, dot
ted over with oak-openings, an occasional
farm house peeping out from among the
trees, like New England cottage from an
apple orchard, forming a natural panora-
ma which the pencil of the artist would
fail to improve.
The three principal towns, incorporated
cities,) in the valley, are, Prescott, at the
junction of the ST. Criox with the Miss is
sippi; Hudson, twenty-five miles north, and
Saltwater, at the head of the Lake, six
miles above on the Minnesota side. Hud-
son is upon the 4j parallel, being the same
degree of latitude as Halifax; is sixteen
miles from ST. Paul the capital of MINES
Ota and three miles further north than that
city. The town is pleasantly situated on
the banks of the Lake and is partially
surrounded by moderate sized bluffs
Willard River, a tributary of the ST. Criox,
empties at this point, forming the most
convenient site for city on the Lake.
At the distance of three-iuarters of
mile from the ST. CrOix eastward, We reach
the level prairie and oak-openings which
extend twenty to thirty miles before reach
ing the climber" is partially improved,
and believed to be unsurpassed as an ag-
country, in support ofwhich be-
lief shall devote future sketch.
The settlers are mostly from the
Eastern and Middle States, with a very
respectable delegation from the Emerald
Isle, Norway, and Western New York
is ably represented, and there are over
hundred persons in his county from "0ld
Frumbulr' who could not be induced to
return to their old home. While they ac-
knowledge the superiority of your butter
and cheese, they claim to have found
place where they can raise more wheat,
oats, potatos, sc. with half the labor, and
live healthier and happier than before
Numerous small streams of the purest
water wend their way across the prairies
from the hundreds of never failing springs
in which the country abound. These
brooks are filled with speckled trout. and
them, you know, is the ''crowning
glory of a spOrtsman's ambition. There
are also very small lakes, from one acre, to
two. and even five hundred acres in extent,
scattered all over the interior, arranged by
nature with special view to the beautiful
as well as to the accommodation of man.
Few of these lakes have any visable out
lets, but are very deep, pure, and contain
great quantities of fish, from the NAM
moth pike and pickeral down to the small
est species Camping for week or two
upon the banks of one of these lakes in
summertime and engaging in the sport of
shooting ducks and geese fishing, &c. is
delightful manner of realizing the truth
Of Heaven here below" which L am
confident that nine-tenths of the human
race fail to conceive. J. S. L.