The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-10-05
EARLY PIONEER HOME
DUG OUT BY WORKMEN
Discovery Indicates That as Early as
1903 French Voyagers Went
Up St. Croix River.

Deep under inches OF rooted turf, work.
men have unearthed the first evidence OF
early settlers presence in the Northwest
indicating that as early as lIU3 hardy
French vOyHgers had pushed their WY
up the 81. Croix River and hewed them
selves a home under the pyramided and
picturesque rocks of its Dalles. The md,
which furnishes the hrst material proof
of the pioneers presence At that early
date aside from Father Hennepin's writ
ten narrative. was discovered on the Min
nesOta side Of the ST. CroX near the low
er end of the Interstate Park at Taylors
Falls, and there workmen uncovered the
primitive fireplace and hearthstone Of
some early white man builder. for the
Indians of that day neither knew nor
used hearth or fireplace.
The latter as the unearthed foundation
shows was built after the rOOmy fashion
of that period. made about four feet
square and piled several feet high with
rough masonry of trap rock and sand
stone, and a hearth of evenly laid fiat
rock. The earth on either Of the three
sides of the hearth is still mixed with
the ashes OF the voyager's fire, and here
and there can be found mouldy, bits of
bone, doubtless thrown aside from his
meal OF wild turkey and deer.
A further proof of the white mans hand
in the construction is shown from the
strict and careful adherence to the four
cardinal points OF the compass, carefully
observed in the building Of the home. and
which was SO constructed that its front
door faced the true north and did not
parallel the St CrOiX. a stones throw
away. as the topography Of tn" river
bank would have suggested. There can
be no doubt. say those best 1tted to
know, but that the ancient fireplace Is
the first indisputable proof of H. white
man in the Northwest.
The three who first worked their way
up the ST. CrOiN in the last century were
Franklin Steele. Ed. Baker. and W. II.
g Folsom. The two first named at once
laid claim to the ST. Croix Falls. recog-
nizing its value for power. Folsom, how
ever. knew more of timber and logs than
the promotion OF future power plants,
and selecting a site just at the south end
of little island in the river. now known
as Folsom's Island. built there a saw.
mill and logged lumber down the St
CroiN to the Mississippi at Prescott. sixty
miles away. This was in 1876. Immedi-
ately in front of his sawmiIl door grew
fine blackberry tree and which he esti-
mated then at fully 10 years old. Just
few feet to the south of that one day
he found the, ruins of a still earlier
pioneer in the hearth and fireplace.
One day he told his son, Wyman Y.
Folsom. about it, and pointed to the spot
The father also told the son he had made
a careful inquiry among the Chippewas oil
the local tribe and with whom they were
on friendly terms, but not even the oldest
man of them had ever heard, even in
tribal legend, of the white man in the
st. Croix region. save those then there.
The blackberry tree, its position showed,
had grown since the passing away of the
rough cabin of the early conner. The
same blackberry tree, one of the most
beautiful and sturdy bits of forestry in
that section. still stands, measuring nine
feet and three inches at the base, and
wOodmen are agreed that ii is easily more
than 200 years old.
Time came, and the elder Folsom passed
on, leaving a competence to the family.
The eldest son. Wyman y. Folsom, is
still resident of TaylOrs Falls. Recently,
after the two States had acquired the
lands on both sides of the st. CroiX that
its Dalles might be preserved, the young
er Mr.. Folsom, himself a white-haired old
man. told George Hazard. the superin-
tendent of the Interstate Park, of what
his father had told him of the early set
tier, and pointed out the blackberry as
guide to a discovery of the home. From
time to time workmen under the dircc-
ton of Superintendent Hazard prospected
the ground around the big tree. Scores
of bitches were dug, some of them to
depth of eight or ten feet, but nothing
was found.
Finally, however, few feet to the
south of the tree, and but a few inches
under the deep matted turf the workmen
discovered the old fireplace of more than
200 years before. Further examination dis
closed the old hearth-stone and the ashes.
That it had lain there for generations was
evident to all men who had a knowledge
of such things, and who examined it
1t was not difficult to picture the home
of the early voyagers, probably built of
pine logs, cut from the nearby forest, and
fancy upon the top of the rock founda-
ton a chimney of sticks with mud-filled
crevices, type of dwelling employed by
the pioneers OF that period.