The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-04-13
Red " 0ed Falls aud keA W OOd COunty. .

The following extracts are from F.,
letter Of Col. L. b: Buroh, editor O
the Chicago Commercial Adversi.er
written to his paper few weeks ago
The Col. spent few days il our Town
hEDwooDF ALLs,
the capital OF Redwood County 1t ha.
4 population Of TOO and is the larges,
town, above New UIm, in the Mime.
sofa Valley. 1t is located 1t tho faIla
aud dalles Of the Redwood, two aud i
half miles above the Minnesota river
forty miles above New UIm, in the
very heart Of the Central Minnesota
Valley. 1t il within the bounds Of the
old Sioux reservation. ~
The county and village are settled
mostly by Americans and the social
life is excellent. The population Of
the county is about three thousand.
The county is out Of debt, has = sur
plus in the treasury, its official affairs
are managed with great economy, and
taxation is merely nominal. Tue
:: :>.s,->, AaRIcuLTURE
of this region is 90 solid footing aud
is rapidly advancing. 100000 bushels
Of wheat were raised in the county last
year, and with 4 railway along this
great valley, this amount would be
quadrupled in two years The reader
will remember that Redwood County is
on the frontier, and that it's agricu!.
so far has been only modest test OF
It's immense producing capacity. Ten
years hence it will export 100000,
bushels Of wheat annually. Thir-
ty bushels Of wheat per acre is no
uncommon yield here. Corn is a good
and sure crop, producing forty bushels
upon highlands and sixty to eighty
bushels upon the bottoms. 1t is never
killed by frosts, as in the country
further south. Oats, barley, broom
corn, and the coarser vegetables do
splepdidIy, Grasses are in great vari
ETY. and prolusion. are highly nutritious,
aud with the ample water supply will
make cattle, sheep. and s~iue raising
and dairy farming very profitable. :.
There are only about twelve hundred
sheep in the county, but they are
handled with great profit, and there is
a growing demand 70: them. They
seem entirely exempt from disease, aud
intelligent care Of them will be reward.
ed with ample returns. =
The entire valley, from the head of
Lag Qui parlc to St. Peter, distance
Of 100 miles, is a natural corn6eld.
Aud
THE OLD SIOUX RESERVATION
lying along the westerly side Of the
Minnesota River, ten miles vide and
one hundred aud twenty miles long,
at New UIm and extending
to the foot Of Big Stoo. Lake, is as
foe body of land, for general farm
purposes, M can be found iu the north
western. States. It is abundently sup
piled with timber, is admirably water.
ed, has the finest natural meadows l
have ever seen, abouuds with the
loveliest landscapes, has great wealth
Of water power, aud is capable Of pro
duciug $4,000, 600 bushels of surplus
wheat annually and driving the mills
to grind it AL Two or three lines Of
Railway and a dozen commanding
towns viii occupy this old reservation
~ithin the next decade: and the beau
.itul lands, that now range from the
price to SIS per acre, will
from $50 to $40 pc. acre.
1t is the same process which has
the advance Of settlement, pro.
ductioa and material values all the way
from the lakes to the Missouri River.
THE WOODLANDS
Of Redwood County will probably GOV
er 6fteen thousand acres. Heavy bod.
les lie along the Minnesota, and ire
quent groves are found along the Red
wood, Cottonwood and other streams.
Oak, linden, elm, maple and cotton.
wood are the more common varieties.
Red cedar is abundant along the lower
part Of the Redwood, especially in and
about the village = =
For beauty Of location, the purity Of
its waters. elegant building sites, aud
healthfulness, no village in western
Minnesota outrarks Redwood Falls.
Its social life is free from the petty
strites jealousles, and divisions SO oom-
mon in villages. They have social
unity in high degree. The Masous
have 6ne lodge aud are. dour;shiny.
The county Agricultural society is out
of debt, has held three successful exit
bitions and is doing much to advance
local agriculture Twenty thousand
acres Of land are in cultivation within
the county, and It is safe to estimate
an addition Of six thousand more the
present season. One thousand acres Of
wheat were sown in the warm, open
weather Of January, and nearly the
.ln~k ,1.n<:n- nT <ho oo~oou