The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1925-11-01
ROMANTIC STORY OF JOEL FOSTER FIRST SETTLER
IN DAYS WHEN RIVER FALLS WAS WILDERNESS

But the lure of the West was in his blood,
and he again returned to ST. Louis and the IL
Hnols country in 1848. The southern Illinois
climate, however, had proven bad for his
health and he had decided to move to Texas,
when news of the st. Croix country was brought
to him by his nephew.
Judge Foster lost no time in making his
tour of northern investigation. He went i'm
mediately to the st. Louis levee and ascertain
ed that the steamboat Senator" in command
of Captain Harris, was leaving for Fort Smell
ing, with a tow of two barges loaded with U.
S. dragons He engaged passage for the trip
at once. Owing to overlooking and the break
ing Of ntain shaft, the trip from St. Louis to
ST. Paul'occupied tWenty-seven days.
Trip To Saltwater
Judge Foster investigated the site of St.
at Fort Smelling, but he was not favOrably i'm
pressed When the Senator came down
stream the next morning, Mr.. Foster got
aboard and made the trip to Saltwater. Here
in a saloon, he CHANGED to hear group of men,
who had been hunting pine lands and working
on government surveys, discussing the advan-
tageS and disadvantages of different localities
in the st. Croix Valley. One of these exclaim-
ed: Gentlemen, you may talk of your fine
lands and locations, but if | had a section or
two over in the Kinnickinnic Valley, | would
not ask General Jackson to be my aunt.
''Wnere is this valley?" interrogated Mr..
Foster.
ooh, over in Wisconsin, back of the mouth
of the Willow River" was the reply.
where in the valley is this land?"
ooh, anywhere near the falls"
care there falls"
eyes, stranger, the damndest prettiest
falls you ever seen.
The information may have been INGRAM
mitica but Mr.. Foster had every reason to be-
lieve it was straight and he acted, accordingly.
He had more than $500 Bank of Missouri mon
ey, acceptable at all U. S. land Offices at par at
that time, and was prepared to make thor
ough investigation of the country.
Finds Illinois Friend
He took passage in trappers canoe down
the st. Croix from Saltwater to the mouth of
the Willow River, where Hudson stands today.
Here he found Milton Noble, an old friend from
the Illinois country living in little log house
on the bank of Lake ST. Croix, where there
was tiny settlement of less than fifteen in
habitants.
Mr.. Foster had been quite weak from i'll
health when he first came north but the IN
vigorating climate and pure water induced a
rapid recovery After stay of ten days with
Milton Noble, Mr.. Foster felt able to essay
twentv-rfile hike toward the Rush River coun-
try. having in mind all the time the picture of
the Falls of the Kinnckinnic as verbally paint
ed by lumber jack in Saltwater bar room.
Mr.. Foster, at Bayport, found trapper,
whom he Immediately dubbed Leather Stock
ing" to act as guide through the Kinnickirnic
and Rush River country. They made two
day hunting and fishing trip to Rush River,
crossing the Kinnickinnic twice. Each time
Mr. Foster viewed the falls and the country
side Immediately surrounding it. He was cap
tivated.
On his return to Milton Mobiles cabin, Mr..
Foster wrote his brother letter from Wnlch
the following is an excerpt: