The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-05-31
CUT THE FIRST WHEAT.
The Man Yet Living Who Harvest d the
First Minnesota Wheat Crop.
Minneapolis Journal


Minneapolis Journal:
1t seems incredible that the man
who "cradled" the first crop of wheat
sown in Minnesota is still living, and
hale and hearty. 1t is fact, however,
that Hugh Hoy, now living at 81 Hoag
avenue, Minneapolis, is the man who
with James Brophy cut the first wheat
on Governor Ramsey's farm just west
of the site of the new capitol in St.
Paul. This same wheat was the first
ever sown in Minnesota. which, with
in the lifetime of living man, has
become one of the greatest wheat pro-
ducing territories of the world. Cover
nor Ramsey had much trouble in find
ing some one to garner his crop. Mr..
Hoy says it was one of the finest bits
of standing wheat he has ever seen,
coming up breast-high on the Graders
who at that time used the regulation
hand implement for cutting the golden
grain.
Mr.. Hoy was in st. Paul the other
day to call on his old employer, Gov
ernor Ramsey, ''He looked fine,' said
Mr.. Hoy. 'Have you seen him lately?
His face is still without a wrinkle. -
Mr. Hoy had a hand in excavating
and hauling and placing the stone for
the foundation of the first house on
the above farm. Mike Lynch and
William Grace and Mr.. Hoy worked
| together on the job. Governor Ram
sey, about that time, offered to sell
Mr.. Hoy farm entirely within the
limits of st. Paul and give him
twenty years in which to pay for it.
He has many stories to tell of how he
didn't take the governors advice as
to purchasing property. One of his
friends who had ''long head" is now
receiving $3.50 month from the rental
of buildings on land which was re-
garded as almost worthless back in the
ffties. A man named Ryan purchased
for $40 the block on which the G. K
Davis house now stands at the sum
NIT Of st. Anthony hill. At that time
it was wilderness. 81 missed it,
said Mr.. Hoy today, ''when 1 didn't
take the governors advice when he
offered me the present TOWNSHIP of
Carver. 1 farmed in Carver county
for thirty years at later date and
saw the town grow up. Where the
Boston block now stands in Mime
apolis could have bought quarter
acre lot for 81 and block further
down town land was selling for So.
Mr.. Hoy was born in the town and
county of Longford, Ireland, in 1899.
He left in 1S49, at the time of the
great famine, when not so much as
potato was grown in the Green ISLE
One of the most precious of Mr.. Hoy's
belongings is his naturalization papers,
issued by Richard B. Connolly, clerk
of the court of common pleas of New
York, Aug. 6. 1868.
Mr.. Hoy was attracted by the gold
craze in California, and started west,
getting as far as Council Bluffs
While in st. Louis. later he saw plas-
tered all over the town posters detail
ing the beauties of the new town of st.
Paul. They told of it's magnificent
site and the great advantages accruing
to those who would go there at once.
He started for the north by way of
the river, coming up on the first boat
that got through Lake Pepin that sea-.
son.
Mr.. Hoy's recollections of the town
/ at that time are far from pleasant.
He saw one hut on top of the hill.
Two boarding houses were in exist
ence, one in the upper town and one
in the lower village. His experiences
with thieves and pillagersrT are. mot
pleasing to recall. He remembers COM
ing up the river In canoe TO tine site
of Minneapolis, where there were no
houses, and being compelled to return
to st. Paul for something to eat. He
saw the first Catholic church erected
in st. Paul. 1t was very small affair,
made of tamarack poles.
Mr.. Hoy lived in st. Paul four years,
and has been resident of Minneapolis
fourteen He has retired from bust
ness. He married in Anoka forty five
years ago, when very few houses
marked the site of the present thrifty
town. Mrs. Hoy is still living, as
well as three sons and four daughters.
Two boys and two girls have died.
Mr.. Hoy was a member of company
L, Second Minnesota regiment and
two months after he enlisted he was
assigned to duty on the plains, where
for an entire year he campaigned
against the Indians. His company
suffered much more from cold and pri-
walton than from the depredations of
the Indians. The fact that he saw flour
sold at st. Peter for $35 a barrel, with
an active demand, shows what it cost
to live in those days, when -four was
| brought from Ohio and Indiana.