The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-01-20

Description OF Central minnesota...
Monongalia, Kandiyohi, and Ad.
Joining Counties.
Several correspondents have asked US
for description of Monongalia, Kandiyohi
and adjoining counties, with reference to
agricultural and stock lands, &C., for
homesteads. We are unable to speak from
personal observation, for We have never
visited that region of country. Many of
our people have, however, and from what
we can learn, the facilities for making
homesteads in that part of the State are as
good as anywhere in the Northwest.
There is large extent OF country lying
between the Mississippi and Minnesota
Rivers, west of the big woods, that has
been written about but very little--gener-
ally having been deemed more inaccessi-
BILE than the lands Immediately on either
river. Probably very few people in st.
Paul would know how to direct stranger
to Glencoe, Hutchinson. Greenleaf or For
est City, and yet the numerous roads lead
ing to the "big prairie " are all as good as
any Of the ordinary wagon roads in Ohio.
or Illinois, and there are plenty of good
stopping places for strangers on any Of
them; and from any of the points above
named the homestead seeker can explore
the entire country west of that range.
There is as good public house at Forest
City as at any country village in the State,
and good stopping places at Greenleaf,
Hutchinson and Glencoe. The soil of all
the region in the interior is black loan,
with sprinkling more or less of sand,
from one to four feet deep, and the most
fertile in the State, or anywhere else
principally smooth prairie, interspersed
with good timber around the lakes timber
enough at moderate expense to last until
the st. Paul & Pacific Railroad shall have
developed the inexhaustable coal fields now
known to exist west and south of the
Kandiyohi Lakes. This country is open
to homesteads in all it's length and breadth
and there is region of almost bound
less extent. At present there is q good
road from Carver to Glencoe, thirty miles,
settled all the way; good aUinter road
from Minneapolis, via Watertown, to
Greenleaf or Hutchinson, sixty.five miles,
partially settled; good road at all times
from Monticello to Forest City, forty-four
miles, sparsely settled, over which the
United States mail is regularly carried in
passenger carriages, and good road at
all times, and well settled, from Clear
water to Forest City, twenty eight miles,
over which carriages run three times
week with passengers and mails; and
prairie road, good at all times, between
Forest City, Greenleaf Hutchinson and
Glencoe, q distance of forty-four miles.
Kandiyohi and Monongalia counties are
approached by good roads from st. Peter
and Henderson, via New Auburn; from
Carver via Glencoe; from Minneapolis via
Watertown; from Monticello via New
Buffalo, Albion and Kingston, to Forest
City; from Clearwater via Fairhaven, and
from st. Cloud via Paynesyille. Routes
enough, one would think, by which to find
any new country. ":r .r-a ~
BY reference to ",sEwAILs Map of Min
nesota," 0he only reliable map of Mime
sofa ever publisbeD our correspondents
will see that the village of Greenleaf is
situated due west from Minneapolis, and
Forest City due west from Anoka, and as
matter of fact we can state, that the st.
Paul and Pacific Railroad has been grad
ed, the past season, fourteen miles west
from Minneapolis and twenty-four miles
west from st. Paul in the direction of the
Kandiyohi Lakes, and. with reasonable pro-
liabilities Of an ultimate road connecting
St. Cloud with St. Peter or Mankato,
crossing the St. Paul and Pacific at Kan
diyohi, tile farmer who secures home
stead on that prairie, viii have more points
of compass for market than those of any
other spot in the entire northwest.
With Railroad to Kandiyohi, emigra-
ton to Idaho and Montana and the Red
River of the north, will naturally take in
"wood, water and provision" on that
rie,-the farmer can also consult the
markets at Superior, st. Paul and Winona,
and the coal fields of Iowa. a.a, ......
With these remarks, any one with half
an eye can see, that such point, with
such soil and such facilities, must ulti-
mately become the agricultural hub of the
| State. s.~ .-,. ,...