The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-01-19

One OF the Oldest Settlers in nIinne
r. sofa.
L. lSt. Paul Dispatch, Jan. lO.1
Benjamin. Gervais, one of the Oldest
white residents of Minnesota, if not the
Oldest one living at the time of his de-.
cease, died at his home in New Canada,
on Saturday, aged 80 years.
Benjamin Gervais was born at Riviere
de Loup, Canada. July Is, 1880 About
the year 1903 he went to Red River, in
company with several Canadian families,
who settled there. Gervais did not him
self settle there that year, but made
trading voyages back and forth to Can
ada until the year 1912, when
he took up his residence there, and was
in the employ of the Hudson Bay Com.
pany for several years. On September
20, 1923, he was married at Fort Garry,
by Bishop Provencher, to Miss Genevicve
Larans, native Of Berthier, Canada, and
went to farming at place called La
Pointe, about mile and half below Fort
Garry. Their story is that of ali the
Red River re(ugees-the foods, grass.
hoppers, untimely frosts, hard winters.
&C., drove them away to more habita-
bic region, and, in 1897, Mr.. Gervais,
with his wife and three children, proceed.
ed to Fort Smelling, near which they set
tied by permission Of the commandment at
that time. That officer subsequently
$685., by orders from Washington, drove
all the settlers away from the reserva.
ton on the west side. Gervais, with his
brother Pierre Gervais, who died in 1872
then settled outside Of what they thought
was the east line of the reservation, neat
the cave in upper town. Abraham Perry
had located here shortly before. Benz
Gervais, who had several stout boys. soor
opened comfortable farm and was thus
the earliest settler on the site of St. Paul
and, before his death, the oldest living
'squatter," ante.dating Clerrett. Nous
seau, Evans, Rondo and others.
| Gervais lived near the cave in peace fol
two years, when, in 1910, the Secretary
Of War commanded that the houses of al
settlers on the Reserve should be tori
down and the people driven off: Gervais
on the destruction Of his second home
came two miles lower down and pur
chased of Pierre Parrant, or "Old Pigs
Eye,'' an old squatter who
sold liquor at howell about where the
foot Of Robert street now is his shanty
and claim. He paid for this the sum Of
$40! The land and buildings on it arc
now worth nearer ten millions! Gervais
lived here 4 years, and III 1914 sold to
Louis Robert his claim, and with his
family went to Little Canada, Of which
town they were the first settlers. The next
year, 1885, he built mill on the stream
that runs through Little Canada-the
first grist mill owned by private parties,
in Minnesota. It ran for some years.
Mr.. Gervais was, in 1910, appointed, and
soon afterwards elected county commits.
sioner, being as such over two years.
Though without education, he
had good business judgment,
and in the early days of this
county was quite influential in politics.
In his village at New Canada he was quite
patriarch. He had children and over
40 grand children, some Of the latter of
adult age. His son Basil Gervais, was
the first white child born in St. Paul.
On Sept. 20, 1873, he and his wife, who
still survives, had a "Golden Welding, -"
at which most of the early settlers of the
county attended. The aged couple
then octogenarians danced gai]y at
that festival and indeed, only
few months ago. Mr.. Gervais walked to
St. Paul and back, saying that riding
made him nervous. The past year he
failed rapidly.
The name Of Ben. Gervais must always
occupy prominent place in the annals
of our pioneer days. He was a good,
honest, industrious and amiable man,
and some of his descendants are occupy
ing responsible official positions in this
county.
Thus, ono by one, our oldest settlers
are disappearing. 1t is fortunate that
the facts Of our earliest history, which
they alone knew, were preserved in time
by a writer interested in that subject,
and will be published during the present
month.
The Inebriate Asylum Law pplies to
Druggists
Mahlon Black, auditor Of Hennepin
county, recently addressed letter to the