The Mankato free press., 1902-06-30
1852
MANKATO, HEWED OUT OF THE
PRIMEVAL FOREST.


sofa may have been at that time much !
further north than it is now, following
the course of the bluffs, and if so, the !!
elevated plateau at the eastern ex-J
tremity of the town site of South !
Bend, seems to be the spot approach
ing nearest in its confguration and
situation to that designated as the site
of the fort.
This was the first white mans occu-
patton of Mankato, 300 years ago. LIE
Sueur collected quantity of the
green earth, which he sent to France,
and in May, 1701, he returned down
the Mississippi, leaving the fort in
charge of thirteen of his party, who
occupied it till the spring of 1902
when it was finally abandoned.
Let us now examine the features of
the country selected by LIE Sueur as
the theatre of his operations, and
which is now the site of the city of
Mankato, and the fourishing county of
Blue Earth. On the north was the
st. Pierre or Minnesota, large and
navigable stream. Into it from the
South flowed the Mahkato or Blue
Earth with it's numerous branches,
now known as the LIE Sueur, the
Maple, the Cobb and the Watonwan,
spreading out east, south and west
over the territory now comprised in
the county of Blue Earth, and with
their smaller branches, and the almost
innumerable lakes, covered the whole
region with an intricate network of
wafer courses, meandering through
dense forests, or bordered with beauti-
full groves in the midst of fertile
prairies, so that in after years the
explorer, Nicollet, struck with admir-
alton of the scene, gave it the poetic
name of the Undine Region, connect
ing it in his fancy with the famous
German romance of the water nymph.
It is still the most beautiful and the
most fertile portion Of the great state
of Minnesota.
To the east of the fort lay the
ground where, after a hundred and
fifty years had elapsed, city was to
be built. The Minnesota rolled along
its northern border. A long expanse
of gently rising ground, partially
covered with trees, and surrounded by
noble amphitheatre of hills clothed
with thick forests. Here was favor
ite resort of the Indians Wild plums,
grapes and berries grew in abundance.
An unbroken forest lay to the east and
north east, we'll supplied with game,
while south and west the winding
streams were lined with groves, and
between, broad strips of rich prairie.
The rivers and lakes were we'll stocked
with fish.
Thus the land remained, inhabited
only by savages, occasionally visited
by wandering explorers, till in the
spring of 1869, century and half
after the abandonment of the old fort,
there came to this spot two men,
Henry Jackson and P. K. johnson,
with the design of forming perma-
nent settlement. Since the brief
residence of LIE Sueur and his COM
rades, the French war had given Can
ada and the vast territory about the
Ohio and the great lakes to England; ;
the American colonies had achieved
their independence by the war of the
Revolution. The great province OF
Louisiana had been sold by Napoleon
to the United States. The star of en-
pire, pursuing it's westward course, had
crossed the Mississippi, and the time
had come when this fair land, the
home of the water nymph of the
German legend. celebrated in poetry
and romance, should receive its right
full owners and become consecrated to
civilization and the useful arts.
A townsite company was formed,
consisting of Henry Jackson, P. K.
Johnson. D. A. Robertson, Samuel
Leach, J. G. Ramsey, J. M. Castner,
J. s. Hinckley, D. F. Brawley, Robert
Kennedy and William Hartshorn. The
townsite was surveyed and named
Mankato, from the Mahkato or Blue
Earth river. The land was still in the
hands of the Sioux Indians, but a
treaty was made with them in the
spring of 1868, at Traverse de Sioux,
in consequence of which they were re-
moved about thirty miles to the west,
and the land on which was the town
site became the property of the United
States.
| Settlers now began to arrive George
Maxfeld, James Hanna, George E..
Van Brunt, T. d. Warren, John Hen
derson, Robert Wardlaw, ]. @. A..
and George Marsh, Chris. Roos, Peter
Frenzel, Henry Jackson, James Rab-
lin, P. z. Johnson, Evans Goodrich.
John Trenheiser, Ephraim Cole. Philip
Krummell, G. Kron, the Sontag
brothers, John Holland, Minard Mills
and Doctor Adams composed the
neucleus of the new town. Mrs
Mills, now Mrs. Lullsdorf, was the
first white woman in Mankato. Log
houses were Immediately built. P.
K. johnson built on the southeast
corner of Main and Front streets
Henry jackson little further south
/ between Main and Walnut streets
George Maxfeld opposite the
foot of Walnut street on the
Ilevee; Evans Goodrich on block
| fifteen, north of Main street; Minard