The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-09-28

Stevens county lies in the western
and south central part of the state,
thirty miles, at an average distance,
from the South Dakota boundary. It's
location is in the southern portion of
the great and renowned valley of the
Red River of the North, the famous
wheat growing district of America. The
county has an area of sixteen town
ships. or 36S,640 acres, and of this large
extent perhaps not more than a thou
sand acres is not tillable.
The value of the territory now in
cluded in Stevens county was early
known and appreciated, and the county
itself was created by the legislature of
1852. 1t was, however, not completely
organized until in 1871, having, in the
meanwhile, been attached for legal pur-
poses to Pope county. The completion
OF the old st. Paul & Pacific railroad
now the Great aforementioned the
county and the regular running of it's
trains to Morris in August, 1871, gave
great impetus and influence to the i'm
migration into and development of the
country, and brought about the long
delayed political organization. The
county was named in honor of Hon.
John H. Stevens, a prominent Mime
sofa pioneer, who was one of the found
ers of Minneapolis, and who died in
that city, full of years and honors.
few years since. The counties of Big
Stone, Chippewa, Pope and Stevens
were all organized from Pierce county
between 1S6 Oand 1870. The population
of Stevens county in 1870 was but ia;
in 1900 it was S.721, or about IL per-
sons to the square mile.
There were in 1902, according to the
assessors books, 345,72S acres of land
in the county, exclusive of town lots,
and the taxable value of the farming
land-about one third of its real value
was $2,S21,102. The taxable value of
the town and city lots, including
= buildings thereon, was $447,762. The
total taxable value of all the property,
real and personal, was $3,S1S,461. These
figures indicate very fairly the condi-
ton of this little county within thirty
years of its real and actual settlement
proper.
And within this period of thirty years
Stevens county has reached an extra
ordinary state of development From
naked plain, virgin as when the Crea-
tor made it and saw that it was good
the country has attained to the cond1-
lions which some of the older states
have been a century in reaching. There
are counties in even Pennsylvania and
Indiana and Illinois far behind Stevens
county in the particulars of develop
ment and general Improvement.
This county has all of the magnifi-
cent natural advantages of it's best sis
ter counties, and is one of the most
productive localities in the Northwest.
AS has been said, the land is nearly
all susceptible of cultivation, and pro-
duces abundantly. In 1902 there were
about $4,000 acres of wheat harvested
in the county, and the yield was more
than 100000 bushels. Wheat is the
principal crop and the chief article of
export. although oats, fax, rye, barley,
corn, potatoes and tame grasses, as
we'll as all kinds of vegetables, grow
to perfection and are largely cultivated.
Originally, or forty years ago, Stevens
county was a great natural meadow,
clothed in the warm seasons with a
most luxurious growth of grass and
heritage, making a fine buffalo and deer
range, and adapting the country to the
growth of wheat, oats and other cereals
The county made fine showing at the
recent state fair, taking fourth place
among the twelve counties making ex-
hibits.
The surface of Stevens county is
made up of rolling prairie and the
me de Terre river flows through the
county from northeast to southwest.
furnishing several water power privi-
leges and opportunities, some of which
have been improved. The affluent
creeks of the Pamme de Terre and
tributary lakes furnish an abundance
of pure water for live stock and am
pie drainage for the land. There are
numerous small and beautiful lakes
scattered over the county, and they
abound at the proper seasons in fish
and fowl. This is a favorite region
of Northwestern sportsmen for shoot
Ing, fishing and summer resorting
AS result of the Industrious and
intelligent cultivation of the fine, fer
tile soil of Stevens county for twenty
years, and in many instances for half
the time, scores of farmers have be-
come wealthy. or, what is generally
termed, Well-to-do, and are living
practically in retirement The little
shacks or dug-outs on the prairie in
1870, 1875 and 1880, have given place
TO the attractive and comfortable farm
mansions, with their accompaniments
or big barns, commodious and we'll
filled granaries and cribs, large and
ample groves, and all the other ad-
Juncts OF advanced rural civilization
The early settlers had rough expert
ences for few years after settling in
this county, but in an incredibly short
tlne they mad overcome every obstacle
in their way to prosperity, and in com
paratively few years a glorious end
ing crowned a brave and splendid
work. 1t is fact that the general
condition of Stevens county TODAY.
within practically thirty years of Its
first settlement, is fully equal to many
counties in Eastern and Southern
states more than hundred years old.
and UNNECESSARILY superior to some of
them. This swift achievement of in
teliigent exertion is largely due, of
course, to the favorable conditions in
the county, of a fertile SOIL an abund
ance of good water and nearby mar
kets.
The next twenty-five years will show
tar more progress and DEVELOPMENT
here than the past. Fortunate. indeed.
Will be the farmer who buys a Stevens
county farm within the next wear and
hangs on" to it for at least ten wears
A good Stevens county farm is more
valuable now than the average New
York or Ohio farm. and, as a rule, far
larger.
AS ground to be inspected by home
seekers, Stevens county ought not to
be overlooked. A recent article in the
Hancock Record, one of the county's
bright and successful newspapers. thus
well presents the situation of MANY a
home hunter, and of the advantages
offered by Stevens county 1t is a fact