The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-09-29

troit, Mich, to the junction of the st.
Peters and Mississippi rivers,J for the
purpose of establishing military post
at that vital point, on ground covered
by Pixies sleeping treaty.
Tedious Journey.
"A tedious and perilous journe,
through tangled wilderness, brought
| Leavenworth and his command to tn,
Mendoza side of the st. Peters river
where, in September, 1919, the first can
| Torment was formed which foreshadow
ed the fort yet to come. The high wat
| er of the ensuing spring flooded the
camp, and Col. Leavenworth hastily
moved over the river to some we
known springs and called the new plac,
| Camp Coldwater,' which was nearly 8
| mile above the present fort on the Mis-
sissippi river. Here a new contonmen
was made. But they moved back ant
spent the winter in old huts. Leaven
| worth next prepared plans for a perma
| nent fort, and the site selected wa
| about three hundred yards west of tn
present fort, and on the first rise bac
from the river. These plans were sub
sequently materially altered by his sue
cessor, Col Smelling.
'Leavenwortn named the fort Fort
st. Anthony The material used wa:
| hewed logs and lumber. OF the latter
much was required for so large fort
They found all that was necessary OF
the Rum river. A muley sawmill wa
erected at the Falls of st. Anthony, anc
| the logs were cut with a whip-saw. Al
he labor was done by the soldiers o
he command. During the winter o
lSl9-20, the scurvy broke out in most
malignant form, and more than forty
lied. Thus cemetery was made co
oval with the founding of the fort. L
vas the autumn of 1923 before the sol
liers' barracks were so far completed a.
to permit their occupancy, and the of
icers' quarters were partially occupied
that winter.
Laying of Corner Stone.
'sIn June, 1921, Col. Josiah Smelling
the colonel of the Fifth infantry, sue
,eeded Leavenworth, who was promoted
hn of
The new commander changed the entire
,lan of the fort, and the location wa
If September, 1921, the corner ston'
vas laid, of real stone, and formal cere
monies were held; the band played
ongs were sung, and whisky was issue
20 the joyous throng. The stones wer,
luarried from the very bluffs on whic
the structure rose. The soldiers did tn,
work, and were paid per diem as me
hanics. The design was diamond shap
ID, to accommodate itself to the confor
nation of the bluff.
md outlook, guardhouse and hospital
ommissary and barracks, offices ant
hapel, walls and parapets. 1t stoot
overlooking the confluence of two nobl,
streams, like castle upon the Rhine
t once the cradle and defense of oul
',rliest civilization. And now, lookin,
t its Origin and all it has been and is
here should be written on its Fashioned
'ront the memorial of John C. Calhoun
rhe first commander, mindful of tn
nan who gave him the order to cree
his post, named one of the beautiful
likes not far away Lake Calhoun; tn
ther was named after Col Leaven
vorth's wife, Harriet
Named by Gen. Scott.
Gen. Winfield Scott visited the for
1924, and he was so pleased with tn,
mercy and activity with which Col
Smelling had pushed the work of con
'truction that he earnestly recommends
hat the fort be called Fort Smelling
n honor of its efficient builder. Thi,
commentator was approved, and
pecial order was issued to that effect.
at is no purpose of this paper to pur
ue in detail the wonderful story
utilization building at this remote pos
however intensely interesting. The pro
ession of the years moved on in thesc
hen soitudes and with them occurred
hose peculiar histories which mark mill
airy posts in the wilderness There wer
oys and sorrows, loves and hates, peac
md passion, marriages and deaths, SOM
Thinking and immortality, with noble
laring and chivalric honor.the memorie
If all these cluster about this histori
spot. But, amid it all, the propulsiv,
;orce of the presence of this citadel o
he nations power went on and mad
Tor civilization.
"From 1919 to 1900 more than IL
commanding officers came and went
Their influence, their individuality, thei
brother officers, their wives, made thi
Dlace the center where culture and re