The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1908-09-30
FORT RlDGLFY HISTORY CORRECTED.
One OF the Builders OF the Historic Out
pest Has a True Account of Its
Pn-:~~:r~e
Rc~,~~-r~c
- -sI.lilS-.


. Ridgley History" article in The Ga
zette few weeks ago has brought
out the fact that not all the state
ments made in that interesting arti-
Gle, credited to the Pioneer Press,
were wholly true. 1t is probable
that large number of readers of
this paper are not aware that one of
the mechanics employed in putting
up the first permanent buildings at
Fort Ridgley is resident of Delhi in
this county, and that he has very
clear recollection of all the incidents
connected with the first two years
after the establishment of that out
post by the government.
j. H. Pomroy, eldest brother of
our Delhi pioneer, was employed by
the government as a master builder
for several years prior to the build
ing of Fort Ridgley, as far back as
1849 having charge of the building
operations at Fort Sibley, and in
1853 going to the site of Fort Ridg-
ley to oversee the erection of the
buildings for that post.
April 80. 1853, young E. G. Pom
roy, then youth Of 10, came west
from Wisconsin to join his brother
IN the capacity of carpenter, though
not at that time recognized as enti-
tied to full journeyman's wages.
Mr.. Pomroy remembers the names of
the men employed on the work with
him-Oliver P. Wetmore of Grant
county, Wis, C. C. Vanderberg of
Red Wing, Robt. Craig of Indiana,
two OF the soldiers stationed there
and two masons named Brandon and
Finn.
The first building had been erect
ed in the preceding January by Sar-
geant Cressey and twelve private
soldiers and Immediately after it's
erection one Anton Bruea and fami-
ly came up from Belle PLANE to do
the cooking for the small garrison.
The first log buildings were the
cook shanty, blacksmith shop, car
pentershop (hewed logs and shingled)
and three hewed log and shingled
buildings for officers and families.
Later two large stone building were
erected-one for commissary sup
plies, 42x105 feet 6 in, and the other
35x232 feet for soldiers quarters,
large enough to house four compa
MES. These stone buildings formed
the north and west sides of the
defenses of quadrangle over 500
feet long, the hewed officers quar-
tiers of bullet proof construction in
a general way commanding the other
two sides of the quadrangle.
Mr.. Pomroy speaks of single
field piece in possession of the gar
rison at this time. One of the incl
dents of the first summer was the
arrival of Maj. Wood and one or
more companies of soldiers, in June,
and a brickyard was established for
making the necessary brick used in
the government buildings at Ridg-
ley and for the buildings at the
Lower Agency built that same year.
A steam engine and saw mill were
also brought from Belle PLANE or
elsewhere and put to work saving
part of the lumber used in the gov
eminent building operations.
Mr.. Pomroy's brother managed
the construction of the saw mill. and
the younger brother had a hand in
the building of the government saw
mill at the falls of the. Redwood,
traces of which still exist in the rock
hewn mill race at the present date.
While engaged on the Fort Ridgley
buildings in '53 and '54' young Pom
roy visited the building party at
the Agency almost every Sunday,
and is therefore more or less famil-
lar with conditions as they existed
there before the massacre. nearly
ten years later. Only few weeks
before the massacre Mr.. Pomroy
came up the river with an excursion
! party from ST. Paul, headed by Gov
ernor Ramsey and accompanied by
the Great Western band and a num-
Der of the leading citizens of the ST.
Paul of that day. He saw nothing
to arouse suspicion Of the outbreak
that was to devastate the surround
ing country in less than month af-