Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1907-06-28
IN The EARLY DAYS
Conditions Nearly Fifty
Years Ako in Morri-

~o~ SIS As1~s
: son
George Stewart, the we'll known St.
Cloud lawyer read Q very interesting
paper at the Old Settlers meeting ct
st: Cloud, extracts from which We
take from the Journal. Press as follows
NY tolks came to this state in |
le65, and our family consisted of my
grandfather and grandmother, their
four sons and seven daughters. two of
whom, including my mother, were
then married. Tney settled on what |
IS now known as Bellevue prairie in
Morr1son county. They pprchased one
section OF rather poor land and i'm.
mediately proceeded to erect three
qalre commedlous and comfortab BILE
houses. LAUNDERING was then the !
chief concern and employment of the
manfolks. There was no use at that
time to raise much grain because there
was no market for it. Here and there
small mill which did custom work,
ont good big load Of wheat hauled
even to Sauk Rapids or st. Cloud
could not be easily sold because there
was no demand toz il and very little
money with which to pay for it. The
only users Of the cosrser gram were
the lumbeImen ard that demand was
extremely limited.
1t is worthy of remark that the first
lpmb bering our people did was the
cutting and banking of some logs on
Tee Mississippi river at the mouth of
Swan river, three miles this side ct
Little Falls. The contest with nature,
as represented by frontier conditions
com mmenced with the arrival of our
people in this state, They brought
little with them but 2ood health and
strong bodies. n
In the year 1851 my immediate
family consisted Of my grandfather
and grandmother, my father and moth
Ier, three brothers of my mother and
one brother Of my father and my half
brother. then lad about thirteen
years of age.
8 At the first call for three year men,
ny mothers Oldest brother and my
fathers brother enlisted IN the First
Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, and
soon after another uncle joined them.
Soon another enlisted, and shortly
after, the husband of my mothers
Oldest sister who lived near us also
won't, leaving my grandfather, my
fa;her and nv younger brother with
the women folks to maintain and sup
port our families.
Then came the Indian outbreak with
ite heartrenderinR scenes and outrages.
W. were absolutely without protection
OF any kind except what il found in
Stout hearts and strong walls, but
fortunately for us the Sioux did not
lfsst as far esst De our neighborhood
{and the Chippewas, many of whom
llived near Us were always friendly.
Our people were finally persuaded to
1Yo to SLitttllers@Fa alls because it was
claimed that small stockade which
had been built there offered better
protection than the open country,
though our people always felt that had
they been attacked while there all
must have persisted. 1t IS a sorrowful
fact that many of the young settlers
then at Little Falls added much more
to the reputation Of drunkards upon
this occasion than az brave and
courageous citizens. The situation of
our folks while at Little Falls was
almost intolersble. They were con-
stan:ly worried for the soldier boys.
They were constantly looking for and
expecting attacks from hostile savages.
Food wac supplied IN insufficient
quantities and their quarters were 30
cramped that 1t was almost un.
beArable. After remaining there q
while they made up their minds that
it suffering or death was to be their
lot they woald rather experience 1t at
home on the farm than where they
were, and they went home.
We are disposed to criticize our
state legislature for its efforts to
provide by law some little recompense
for those VINO In early days bore the
hardships attendant upon the early
settlement of this state. IT we would
only remember what these early
tions, the wants, the night alarms,
might now be secure, if we could only
that we may now 1--we in comfort, our
appreciation of them would not only
be much increased but our disposition
to assist those who are in need would
be greatly improved. l make no claim
that my people are entitled to special
consideration as pioneers and old
setCleTe. 1ney u1u nOCnlu8, Cuey eA'
perienced nothing but what was the
common lot Of thousands of others,
but do maintain that what they did
and what the thousands of others
similarly situated did entities them to
the kindly consideration and remem'
berance Of those who are now availing
themselves of their efforts. They
fought with nature ana won and al
winners of q great contest are entitled
not only to our kindly remembrance
but also financial assistance when
needed.