The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-14
MINNIE An INFANT
When A. N. Lincoln Was Here Is
Years Ago.
HE MARvELS AT CHANGES NOW
to Seek More Peaceful
Fields.

This town appears to have grown some
since was here forty-tive years ago."
said a gray-haired man as he stood watch
ing the passing show at Nicollet avenue
land Fourth street. 'It seems hard to be-
lieve, but 1 could have bought large
chunk of property in those days, right in
the heart of what is now the CITY, I guess,
for $500. AS I remember, there was only
one long, struggling business street. when
| was here but for the life of me l
couldn't locate it now"
The speaker was A. N. Lincoln of Chi
cago, who is visiting his son, E. E. Lin
coin, 5361a Westminster street, st. Paul.
He came up the river on the famous old
steamer Gray Eagle to ST.. Paul in the
summer of 1857. He spent two weeks in
st. Paul, which was then busting little
city of 10000 people, and incidentally Wis
| tied Minneapolis, which then boosted
about 1000 souls. He was here for day
and had not seen the city since until yes
| terday, when he looked upon the Won
| drous transformation wrought during his
| absence.
| Mr.. Lincoln came west from Boston in
! the spring of 1857, and located in Chicago.
| He had considerable ready money With
him, and remembers that he loaned $4,000
| to "a Geneva party who wanted him to
| take several lots in the vicinity of Mich
igan' avenue and Thirty second street,
|
| to speculate in windy city real estate,
most of which was uninviting swamp land
| at the time He now regrets the lack of
| foresight which kept him from getting a
foothold in Chicago at an early date.
| He had heard so much about the north
! west country that in the summer of 1857
he Boarded train on the only road which
ran west of Chicago, now a part of the
! North Western system, to Galena and
Chicago Union and finally to Dunleath,
on the Mississippi river, 250 miles away.
/ The Gray Eagle, in charge of the veteran
river man, Captain Harris, brought Mr..
! Lincoln to St. Paul, making the run in
| forty hours. -s-...- .--......- .. -.
Why He Didn't Stay Here.
| 81 was thinking strongly of locating
| in the state,'' he went on. 81 wanted to
get hold of some farm land, and would
have settled down here but for an UNI
pleasant experience which caused ten
derfoot like me to leave Minnesota in a
hurry. Steamers used t6 make regular
! trips UP the Minnesota river. 1 wanted
to have look at the country, and took
passage on an old stern Wheeler-think
! they called her the Favorite-for ST.
Peter She drew considerable water and
! they had to haul her over the rapids
\ somewhere up river: From st. Peter l
! went across country TO Fort Ridgley
their first big rampage and settlers scalps
| were in great demand. The troops were
:! victorious in the scrimmage near Ridgely
They killed old Ink pa doo-ka and recap
tured several white prisoners, among
/ them a Mrs. Gardner That was all the
i Indian lighting 1 wanted. l paid $1S for
j a stage to take me back to st. Peter, and
the women went with me. -..
! 4 Warm Trip Down the River. .
! maybe we didn't have a lively time
coming down the Minnesota. We were
under fire from the banks of the stream
most of the time after leaving st. Pete,
! until We began to approach Fort Smelling
when the redskins gave up the chase
i Most Of us took shelter in the stoke hole
] and we were a scared lot when we go1
back to st. Paul, I tell you. The pilo
had to barricade his lookout with shee
iron and lay low. Several bullets pierced
the pilot-house, but no one was hurt
I didn't get over the shock for some years
and think that was what scared me Our
Of Minnesota
=, Mr.. Lincoln is a lxinsman of Abraham
, Lincoln. He is 70 years old. ..