The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1906-06-06
FORTY YEARS AGO.
Excerpts Taken from St. Paul Papers Of
Forty Years Ago.

BuNNss tiUAs 0Ge uui UHGtS VI
Forty Years Ago.
The Oldest Living Settler in the
City Vetal Guerin, Esq, yesterday
visited Whitney's photograph gal
lery to have his likeness taken. AL
tho "a years of age this is the first
time the benevolent lineaments of
his face have ever been secured in
picure. He has time and again been
urged by old settlers to sit for his
picture, but never before consented
to do so. Mr.. Guerin is the con-
Meeting link between the prehistoric
days of ST. Paul when it's site was
a morass and jungle, too wild for
even Indians to inhabit and St.
Paul, the commercial metropolis,
the seat of learning and religion.
Mr.. Guerin, who came from Can
ada in the employ of the American
Fur company, settled, on that
spot that afterwards became St.
Paul. He built little log shanty
where Ingersoll,s hall now stands.
This log hut stood there till Inger-
soils block was built in 1860. Mr..
Guerin had in the meantime re-
moved to his present residence. He
was married in 1910 to Miss Adele
Perry, who was born in the Red
River settlement. The Guerin fam
lily was the only one in the neighbor-
hood at that time There were one
or two claims made afterwards in
upper and lower town, but Mr..
Guerin and his wife were long the
only residents Of the city" which
at that time certainly only had two
inhabitants, and he drove the first
plowshare that ever turned fur
row on it's site.
David Guerin, their eldest son,
was born Nov. 18th, 1841. He was
the first white child born in St. Paul.
There is no doubt about this being
an historical fact. Father Ravoux,
who came here in 1841, says it is so,
and the baptismal record of the
church shows it to be correct. Faith
err Ravoux personally knew every
settler in the region at that time
and as late as up to 1849.
Mr.. Guerin is generous and be
nevolent to fault. The land he
gave away in the early days would
now be a princely estate. Fortunate
ly he has yet a competency, and
may live a score or two of years yet
to see the city he founded and whose
entire history he knows personally
become a metropolis of $4,000 peo-
pie.
Commodore Davidson, as he was
passing the Imperial circus tents
yesterday, saw crowd of more
than hundred unkept urchins visit
fully cycling the canvas. His heart
was touched, and he instructed Chief
of Police Turnbull to make a con-
tract with the manager for their
admission in bulk. This was quickly
done, and the commodore was amply
repaid as he watched the glad
countenances of the barefooted lads
hurrying inside.
Many of the men who made the
forced march from St. Paul to the
gold mines at Vermillion lake, in
the heart of a severe winter, feel
amply repaid, and are rating them
selves as millionaires, and, indeed,
some of them are justified in so
doing, judging from the recent
assays made from the specimens of
quartz made by Henry H. Eames,
state geologist, and his brother,
Richard M. Eames. From six as
says the highest yield of gold is
$182.01 to the ton of 1000 pounds,
and the average runs at S6.O4 of
silver.
Symonds, the old St. Paul ice man,
is at Vermillion lake. acting as