Hiram Abbott (Personal Recollections MN book)PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS
or
MINNESOTA AND ITS PEOPLE,
AND
EARLY HISTORY OF ANNEAPOLIS,
I BY
0. JOHN H. STEVENS.
WITH BIOGRAPHICAL MEMORANDA AND LETTERS
TO COL. JOHN H. STEVENS, SELECTED
BY MARSHALL ROBINSON.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.
1890.
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COPYRIGHTED 1-90
BY
MARSFI.,LLL ROBI\�nN.
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THE LIPIZARY
UNIVERSITY OF CALII.ORNU
SANTA BARBARA
w INTRODUCTORY.
I essay to write something of my personal recollections and
present knowledge of Minnesota and its people. Living alone,
as to white men, on the west bank of the Falls of St. Anthony,
I preempted a part of the present site of Minneapolis. I have
witnessed wonderful transformations. With such aid as I can
command, I commence the relation I have long contemplated,
as one of love and legacy to such patient and charitable readers
as I may have. A multitude of loved ones have ,,one before,
but many remain. In spirit they are equally present and in
view. Heroes of the past, brave men of the present, many of
them were, and are. Blessed is their memory, and their presence.
O.
186 13EESONAL RECOLLECTIO'NS
at first unite oil. For some time they agreed to disagree on
any name. It was Happily settled to the entire satisfaction of
all; though when the commissioners found the sentiment was
agailist•Albiou, they endorsed the name of Wirlolla, but that
did slot strike the fancy of the people ; hence ill common
with every one else they accepted the inevitable, and fell in
line with the others.
SETTLEMENTS IN THE COUNTY.
During the year 1852, Joseph Dean, S. A. Goodrich, 0.
Acnes, A. L. Goodrich, H. and M. S. Wialon, E. Ames, ANTm.
Chambers, and Reuben B. Gibson, took up and occupied
claims in what is now Bloomington. Rev. G. H. Pond, Hon.
Martin McLeod, Peter Qulrtn, 11loses Starr Titus, and Victor
Cliatel, all connected with the Indian department, had resided
there for years. They, called the place the Oak Glove
Mission.
The old upper prairie, slow known as Eden prairie, this
year received its first settlers in the persons of John and
Samuel Mitchell, their families, and their father and mother,
Hiram Abbott, and David Livingston, while Messrs. C. C.
Garvey, Samuel Sto-Li h, Mark Baldwin, William Finch,
Gilbert Hanson, J. V. Draper, and Mrs. Gordon, selected
claims on and near Brown's creek, uow kilowu as the Minne-
halia stream, which is in the present town of Richfield.
Simon Stevens, Horace Webster, 0. E. Garrison, A. B.
Robinson, John McGalpin, George and Lewis Bourgeois,
James Shaver, jr., and JameSMOullta111, took up and occupied
claims in the loNver _lliulietoilka district.
The Messrs. Fuller brothers, and Colonel Thomas H. Hunt
claimed the present town -site of Chaska, thele 111 Hennepin
but now in Carver collllty, durlll- the late sulnrner of this
year. Chaska lead long been a trading -post belonging to the
Fur company, under the direction of one of the Farlbault
brothers. It had also been the scat of an excellent Catholic
mission-sellool, under P►ev. A. Eavollx.
Ill the sprue- of this year, Waslliilgloil C►etchell, AV, inslow
Ctetchell, Amos Berry, alld Jaeol► Loll -fellow, made claims on
what was then called Geteliell's prairie, whiell is now included
in the town of 13)rooklyu. Ill July of the same year, Joseph
Potvin, Pierre 1)o1filleall, Peter 11miclle, and Peter Crarvais,
OF MINNESOTA AND ITS PEOPLE. 205
The second regular term of the District court was convened
on the 5th of September, Judge Cliatfield presiding. The
sauce officers attended the court that appeared at the first
term, except A. F. Whitney, U. S. deputy marshal, grid Iniac
Atwater, district attoriiey. The grand jury was composed of
E. Case, foreman, Washington Getchell, J. N. Barber, George
Parks, Clias. AV. Christmas, H. S. Atwood, L. P. Warren,
William Chambers, H. Fletcher, Simon Stevens, John C.
Bohaiinan, Norman Jenkins, Il. B. Gibson, John W. Dorr,
Joel B. Bassett, Isaac V. Draper, Alex. Moore, Norman
Abbott and Win. 11'. Getchell.
Petit jury : Jesse Richardson, Edmond Borden, Win. G.
Moffett, H. Burlingham, 1). H. Smith, C. W. Farrington,
Ezra Foster, Thos. W. Pierce, Chas. H. Brown, Jas. Smithy -
man, Cyrus Hutcliins, Robert Blaisdell, David Bickford,
Titus Pettijoliii, Simeon O'Dell, Elijali Austin, Ezra Haiis-
coinb, J. P. Miller, Henry Whalen, John Mitchell, Win. H.
Tuttle, James Brown and Orvil Ames.
The grand jury returned several indictments, none of
which, except one against Peter Poricin, for 'rape, were of a
.serious character. They presented Governor Gorman and
(4eneral Fletcher, the Winnebago agent, for aiding the Win-
nebagoes in leaving their reservation and committing depre-
dations on the whites. On the arrest and trial of the persons
indicted, some lialf-dozen of them, mostly for violating the
liquor law, all were cleared by the petit jury. There were
DO civil cases on the calendar.
At a meeting of the citizens residing in township 28 of
range 24, held the first of the month, it was unanimously
voted to call the town Richland, and it has Leen kno-, ri as
such since, and will probably continue to Lear that name.
A meeting of the Democrats of this legislative district was
held at Shakopee, on the 3d of September. They nominated
Joseph R. Brown, -,Nho was then living at Mendota, for the
council, and Dr. H. Fletcher, of Minneapolis, and Win. H.
Nobles, of Scott county, for the house. The same party made
the following nominations for Hennepin county : For county
commissioner, J. A. Dunsmore ; county attorney, D. M.
Hanson ; assessors, B. E. Messer and T. AV. Pierce ; consta-
bles A. Harmon and Titus Pettijoliii.