The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-11-07
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
OF GEORGE II. MARSH.

the steamboat "West Newton. on the
23d day of September, 1858.
At this time st. Paul contained
only one brick building the store of
Steere & Hunt. After looking about
st. Paul and st. Anthony a few days,
Mr.. Marsh started on the first day of
October to go with party of four to
Manksto. in lumber wagon, over
the Dodd road or trail When thirty
miles from st. Paul one of their horses
died, and the remainder of the journey
was made on foot, with very little to
eat. The party slept one night in an
Indian teepee, near lake, where a
party of Sioux Indians were hunting,
and Toasted on boiled ducks and wild
rice.
They arrived in Mankato at noon on
October 9th, 1853. Mankato then
consisted of about ten log houses and
two frame houses, and was inhabited
by many Indians and a few whites.
Within two weeks Mr.. Marsh. who
was then less than twenty years of
age, decided to locate in Mankato, pur
chased a lot and began preparations
for building store, for the purpose
of carrying on general merchandise
ing business. to supply the wants of
the settlers that might come into the
new country. At this time there was
no store in the Minnesota valley above
Fort Smelling, except some Indian
trading posts.
The first goods that he had sent on
from Boston, Cor sisted of ready made
clothing, boots, shoes, etc., arrived at
Galena. ILL.,, after navigation had
closed, and had to remain there until
the following spring. During the
winter he arranged with his brother,
j. Q. A. Marsh, to come on from the
east and join him in conducting a
general store. By the spring of 1854
the supply of provisions in the market
was exhausted, and on the Goth dav of
May the long wished for steamboat
came to the landing in Mankato and
brought general stock of merchan-
disc, provisions. etc., belonging to the
Marshes and J. Q. A. Marsh came
with them. The goods were immedi-
ately rolled into an old shell of a
warehol ee and brisk trade started at
once. This business continued many
years, being enlarged as the settle
ments in the vicinity increased. At
one time the settlers from as fara way
as Spirit Lake, Iowa, came to Man
kato for their supplies of all kinds.
Mr.. Marsh, with partner, con-
tracted to carry the mail from st.
Paul to the Missouri river at Sioux
City, when most Of the route was
without settler. Tue scene of the
Inkpaduta massacre in March, 1857,
was near this route, and for some
months the only person that they
could get to take the mali through
was Winnebsgo half-b breed, named
David Twiggs.
Mr.. Marsh was register Of deeds for
Blue Earth county in 1855 and 1857,
but never again run for any public
Office, being unwilling to practice the
and trickery in vogue among |
flee seekers. He regarded party poll
tics SO being merely scramble for
official plumber, and was an independ-
emit in the fullest sense of the term. |
always voting for the best men regard
bless of party. He often took an active
part in trying to defeat bad men and
bad measures at local elections. and
was a vigorous advocate of sound
money and the gold standard. He Was
for many years engaged in the
real estate business, mostly handling
his own property.
In September 1853, he married
Cornelia M. Darling, of Chesterfield,
N. a., whose ancestors were in the
French and revolutionary wars.
For the last twelve years Mr.. and
Mrs. Marsh lived in pleasant home,
surrounded by a beautiful grove, in q |
house built by them on the site of a |
former one, where they had lived
since 1850.