The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-09
WHEAT IN RED VALLEY
STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY LIS
TENS TO A REVIEW OF AGRI-
CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
ANNUAL ELECTION IS HELD

ANNUAL ELECTION IS HELD
Three New Members Are Elected to
the Executive Council, Hiram f.
Stevens, w. III. DunwOody and
phere Presented an Interesting
Historical Paper.
Alexander Ramsey. one of the two sur
viving charter members of the Minnesota
State Historical society. presided over It's
annual meeting held last night In the
quarters at the state capitol building. The
election Of officers was deferred one
month to await the action of an execu-
tive council elected for the ensuing year.
as follows:
Reelected: Russell Blakely. j; " Brow
P. Clough. John Espy. c. E. Flandrau. H.
a,l Fa r b William grant James j.
W H Lightner, J. D. Ludden. e, c.
ander Ramsey. John B, Sanborn. Chan
ham. NJ. K. Armstrong. st. James; James
III. Baker. Duluth: g. II. Daggett, Minne-
apolts; William G. LIZ Due. Hastings; N.
tons 1o fSa haara p,eh me III new elec
thirty. were: Hiram F. Stevens. st. Paul;
w. H. Dunwoody. Minneapolis. and VIII
liam e. Lee. of Long Prairie.
Those present at the annual meeting
We're: VIM. e. Lee. Long Prairie: Capt,
E. w. Durant. Saltwater: Gen. VIM. G.
lie Due. Hastings: Prof N. H. Winehell.
head: Rev. NJ N. Adams. Archbishop Ire.
land, VIM. F: Murray. Judge Greenleaf
Clark. Capt. Peter Berkey. Capt. Russell
Blakely, Hon. H. L. Moss. William II.
r. p Upham. Rev. p. c. Mitchell. ex-
Gov. Ramsey. Col w. P. Clough. Hon.
]. D. Luddin. Gen. j. B. Sanborn. Thos.
Langford. Prof. q. L. Arndt. M. r. Com
able. Arthur M. Wickwire. John McCloud.
After listening to the report of the tell
ers appointed to count the vote on tho
elections to the executive council. the So
ciety adjourned to the hall Of the house
OF representatives. where the public meet
ing was held. Hon. Alexander Ramsey
again presided. and. after few remarks
concerning the occasion Of tho session.
read the following paper.
'Only q few weeks ago. on Nov. 10. We
celebrated our flftteth anniversary, as the
past year, 1899, was the jubilee both OF this
as a territory and state The Historical
society enters on its second half century
in q condition of steadily advancing pros
perity and usefulness. The number of
readers using the library, and the number
Of visitors to the museum. have increased
from year to year. The library. museum.
and portrait collection, are open daily.
and are free to all. The librarians well
come and aid all readers and fnquirerS
for Information.
within the year 1899 the library has
received and catalogued ,432 bound books
and 1919 pamphlets. Its present number of
bound volumes is 1880 and of unbound
volumes, 32,4o7. The total is thus 64,GT
volumes. representing very fully the his
tory Of this state, of each one Of the
United States. and, to a considerable de-
gree, the history. biography. and progress
of industries and sciences. In every part
Of the world.
past year many donations of books.
pamphlets. maps and aliases, manu-
scripts. portraits. and articles for the
museum, for all Of which extend, in the
In behalf Of, our newspaper depart
ment. also, wish to add again our yearly
thanks to the editors Of Minnesota, who
have donated their newspapers to this
society. We are now receiving regularly
AL daily, weekly and monthly papers
published In this state; and they are a
most valuable part of this great library.
bound during the past year was 416. and
the total number Of our bound newspaper
volumes Is now 1905. This department of
present and future historians. showing the
development of every county and town in
Minnesota.
During the past year. the society has
received twenty-five new members. 1t has
lost by death two honorary members.
five corresponding members, and five life
members. in total, twelve The increase
Of membership during the year is there
fnrn fan - roll arrf
bers 274. The five life members who have
died within the year 1899 were Alexander
Il: Cathcart. Samuel s. Eaton. Charles D.
MEl defcrt Charles aries E Mayo and Deles
city, having come here in their early
manhood. and were among the prominent
business men who have built up the COM
merciaI and Industrial interests of our
city and state.
'The addresses at our society's annual
meetings. for several years past. have
treated Of the history Of our leading in
dustries, as agriculture, mining, lumber
ing and transportation"
George N. Lamphere, of Moorhead gave
the principal address, on the History Of
Wheat Raising in the Red River Valley"
speaking in part as follows:
The beginning Of wheat raising In
north Of the boundary line. near Fort
Garry, in 1920. The methods Of cultiva-
ton In that settlement. during many
grain was cut with scythes or sickles,
the bundles tied with willow withes.
failed the barn floor, and
cleaned in the winds. women and chill
DDS were still IN use when Charles CaVa-
Tier. Of Pembina, In 1851, visited the Sell
kirk settlement. From Fort Garry to the
lower fort he found a happy. prosperous,
Engl1sh-speaking people, mostly of
Scotch descent from the immigrants sent
over by Lord Selktrk. There was not
family that was not well off as to all the
wants of life. The latch-strfng was on
the outside, and any who called were wei 4
come to the best the larder contained, and
when leaving were asked to come again.
The barn yards were filed with large and !
bountiful stacks of wheat and barley,
and stack or two of oats and peas, and
it was a rich sight.
The land system of the Seikirk settle
ment, which gave. strip. of land six
and extending back two miles. gave the
settlement the appearance of long,
struggling village along the road from
dwellings, barns. and stock were In close
view all the way. the picture was most
beautiful one. such as Is not seen else
where In the states and rarely even In
old Europe. Wheat was ground In large
windnillS, bolted fine and clean and
made excellent bread.
Thus the Selkirkers, with the simplest
and rudest implements were always
prosperous. Through them 1t was learned
that the Dakota lands We're not the bar
rem waste and bowling desert that the
early Biographies taught. and that the
Red river valley contained a mine of
greater wealth than any discovered mine
of silver or gold.
No wheat was grown south of the inter-
national boundary line prior to 1871. In
that year, or 1872. Charles Bottfneau, who
had titled ten acres as q garden seeded
It to wheat, and claims 1t to have yielded
fifty bushels to the acre. His place was
four miles from Neche. one the north side
or Pembina river. Two years later
Charles Grant, two miles west Of Penn,
bina, raised a small field of wheat and
claims baVe rncoivad .