The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-08

x -:
Special TO The Journal. ~'...
St. Peter, Mimi, Oct. 7.-After a
residence in St: Peter OF more than
hall, a century, M. G; Evenson' ITS
H and his wife will sever the ties and
associations of lifetime and go to |
MINNEAPOLIS to make their home.
Mr. Evenson is literally St. Peters
oldest inhabitant, and his career has
been fascinatingly interesting. Born
in Norway in 1888, he came to Amerlca /
in 1s4e and settled in Dane county, ]
Wisconsin, moving to St: Paul in 1852.
A year later, accompanied by MS
brother, Peter Evenson, and Captain |
A. K. Skaro, an army officer who was
killed Dec. 16, 1864, while leading a |
charge Of his company at the battle
Of Nashville, Mr.. Evenson came. TO
was not vestige of what is now St.
Peter and the place was known as
Rock Bend. It was populated only by
Indians and halfbreeds and the outlook
was so discouraging that the d. three
pioneers were nearly ready to retrace
their steps. A tragic incident lnttN-t
enced them to remain. ~:
Tragic Death Of Howard.
Only the summer before an east
erner, James Howard, had taken a
claim in what is now the residence sec;
ton of the city. Under the territorial
law he was allowed to be away from
his land for six months at q time, and
these periods he spent at his home in
New York. About the time the. Even
son party reached Rock Bend, Howard
returned from the east and found his
claim in the possession Of three broth
ers named Kingsley, who had jumped it.
AS he was attempting to eject thep
one of the Kingsleys seized rifle and
gave Howard mortal wound. The trio
were at once placed under arrest and
confined in cabin at, Traverse des,
Sioux, and that night a band Of In
towering the officer guarding the pris-
oners, they took the murderers to the
river bank, applied tar and feathers,
dashed them with cats-o '-nine-tails, and
finally set them adrift in a canoe. The
Kingsleys made every effort to escape
and never returned to She frontier. 49,.
Built the First Cabin: 49,. -
While they were being tormented by
the savages, Howard lay dying at tho
tered to him in his last hours. His
final request was to- be given a Chris
tian burial, he offering his claim to
his new found friends Both of Mr..
Evenson's companions were without
funds and he financed their syndicate
by meeting the expenses of Howard g
funeral. Thus he became one of the
three original pre-emptors of the. town
site and the first cabin built in the
village was occupied by him and his
associates. <'':-'-i =.
During their first summer in the set.
Element they quarried rock for a ware.
warehouse being built at Traverse
des Sioux by General H. H. Sibley
Aoaf;ro, he or 81 1o1,,,, no rfvo,. IN
a. fatboat. Settlers came in rapidly
simplifying the problem Of existence
and in 1857 they seemed on the road
E to wealth. Then the agitation in favor
Of removing the capital from st. Pau
to St: Peter was at it's height and
their tract Of 100 acres, bequeatheG
them by the murdered Howard, Even
son and Skaro were offered $4,000 by
Governor Willis A. German, but they
refused to part with it. Then: Joe Rol
81 lette of Pembina disappeared with thu
capital removal bill and their dreams
Of affuence disappeared as suddenly al
When President Lincoln issued hi
call for volunteers in 1862 Mr.. Even
son enlisted in the Ninth Minnesot;
and was made first sergeant Of Con,
pany D. While the volunteers were a
FI snshn 3ssa Too o Sna TsfeiX sSa Of tn
fastened home and for year thief
regiment guarded the frontier, M,
Evenson being present at the execr
ION Of the thirty eight Indians at Mar
sz-ato. After going south he partic
lated in a dozen or more battles all
! engagements and at Nashville his oil
eomrade, Captain Skaro, expired in hi
arms. - -. e..
Mr. Evenson was discharged fro1
the service in 1865 and for Seightee
months lived in Wisconsin. Then h
returned to St. Peter and engaged
the hardware business until 1892, whe
he sold his store to his sons.