St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-14
BY T. NJ. NEwsoN.
Article XVII.
HON. II. NJ. R1cE-vARIoUs OFFICES HE HAS
HELD.

Article XVII.
HON. II. NJ. RICE-vARIoUS OFFICES HE HAS
HELD.
Mr. Rice was born in Vermont in 1916.
His grandfather on his mothers side, was
taken prisoner during the French war of 775,
at the burning OF Royalton, VT, but after
wards ransomed. Young Rice attended
common school, also the academy at Bur-
lington, Vermont, and studied law at Rich
mond, Vermont; emigrated to Detroit, Michf-'
gan, in 1885; in 1887 he left Michi-
gan for the West, and with his pack Travelled
on foot over two hundred miles. Then there
were only few white settlers, but good
many Indians the country was almost bar
rem wilderness where now are cities, and
towns, and villages. Before leaving Michi-
gan he was employed in the survey
which finally terminated in the location
of the Saut Ste Marie canal and
other important works under the direction of
the state of Michigan came to FortSnelling,
Minnesota, in 1899, and was connected with
the suffers department at that post in 1910
was appointed sutler at Fort Atkinson; be-
came connected with the house of Pierre
Chouieau, Jr., IL Co., Of st. Louis; had charge
of the trade of this house with the Chippewas
and the Winnebagoes; controlled trading
posts throughout the Chippewa country, and
had great influence with the traders and In
dams from Lake Superior to Red Lake, and
from thence to the British Possessions; in
| 1916 was appointed Il delegate in the place of
! q Winnebago chief, to negotiate treaty with
the United States for their reservation in
Iowa and in negotiating for another reser-
walton Mr.. Rice secured the sale of land
which greatly aided white settlement; in 1S47,
in company with General Verplank, he pur-
chased various lands Of the Chippcwas, and in
1917, same year, of the Pillager Indians and
! in 1851 and 4, and in 1868, and at other
times, aided in making treaties with the
Sioux and Chippewas, whereby the greater
portion of our state was coded to the whites.
| In 1S4S he purchased of John X. Irvine,
! eighty acres of land lying between seven
! corners and st. Peter street, from the river
back, comprising part of Rice and Irvine's
addition to Saint Paul, paying about $500 for
| it-worth now SO, ,000-and thereby be-
came a town site owner; erected warehouses,
hotels, business blocks; induced men of
capital to come here; gave away land for
! churches, schools, parks, and other purposes;
assisted General Sibley in getting through
as territory; and in hundreds of
other ways greatly aided the material inter
ests of our city and state. He was also the
founder of Bayfield,, Wisconsin, in 1856. In
| 1853 Mr. Rice was elected a delegate to con-
gress, and was reelected in 1855. Williams,
in his notice of him, says: "He procured
legislation extending the presumption system
to unsurveyed lands; also opening certain
military reservations to actual settlers. Land
offices were to be established, post routes
opened, and postotfices created; immense
| tracts to be purchased from the Indians and
| thrown open to settlement. Besides, there
were countless requests from private indi-
viduals for favors to be secured at the de-
partments, or for special legislation, so that
one can form some idea of the work Mr..
| Rice accomplished. Indeed, only those who
lived in Minnesota during that PERIOD can
know what it really owes to him for much of
| its material progress"
''In 1857 ME Rice procured the passage Of
the act endowing our first land grant roads,
with the land which has alone secured their
! construction and resulted in the rapid devel-
opement of the state. Also, establishing here
a surveyor generals office, and, more import
ant in some respects than all, was the en-
aiding act, authorizing Minnesota to form
| state government Mr.. Rice's term as dele
gate closed in 1857, but he was at once elect
ed senator for six years, by the first state
| legislature. During this term the rebellion
broke out and considerable numbers of Min
nesota troops were stationed at Washington.
Mr.. Rice's kindness and lberality to our
soldiers will long be remembered. His home
| in Washington was always open, as
well as his purse, to the sick and
| ;f,1fo l.;
term he served on several very important
committees, among others, ON finance, on
military, on post roads, ON public lands, and
the special committee to report some mode of
averting the threatened rupture between the
north and the south"
Mr.. Rice's political career virtually ceased
when he left the United States senate, al
though he was elected Treasurer for Ramsey
county, for three terms, by handsome major
tiles. He did not serve out his last term,
| but resigned on account of i'll health. He
made q popular and faithful treasurer.
| In addition to the above, Mr.. Rice was the
president of the chamber of commerce for
several years; also member Of the board of
public works, and part of the time president;
president Of the first Society for the Relief of
the Poor; president of the Old Settlers Claim
association; member of the board of regents
of the State university; president of the His
torical society: director in five railroad COM
panies; introduced the first bill and made
the first speech in favor of the Northern Pa
cifc railroad in 1858; was one of the four
incorporates of that road allowed to Min
nesota, and the first Democratic convention
in the Territory met at his house.
LIBERAL DONATIONS.
| Among other donations which Mr. Rice
has from time to time made to the city of
Saint Paul, is Rice park, worth now many
thousand dollars. The record also shows,
that he gave to the st. Joseph's Hospital, a
little over two acres, upon which is now the
large German Church, Hospital and schools,
and this property is worth near million.
| He also presented Rice county, named
after him, with a splendid library of political
| and historical works, relating to the govern
ment, from its foundation up, and valued at
several thousand dollars. Many other dona-
tons Of money and of land have been made
by Mr. Rice, for churches, schools, public
improvements, &C., &C., SO that he can
very Justly be placed among the most liberal
| of benefactors to the growth of Saint Paul
and Minnesota.
Mr. Rice was married to Miss Matilda
| Whitall, at Richmond, Va, March 30, 1S49,
whose house at Washington was the centre of
attraction for the best society.
MATERIAL AID TO OUR CITY AND STATE.
Of the many men who have acted
conspicuously in the past history
of our city and state, Mr.. Rice was not only
the first to come to st. Paul to reside per-
manently, in the carly part of 1S49, but is
pre-eminently the one most entitled to the
| of+J for 4ba q
forts he has always made to advance our ma
terial interests. He not only invested his own
money here, but he induced his southern
friends and others to secure interests in the
coming great city, and by various means
| rnrs11adad nanita lists To come in and talra