Opening of the Red River of the North to commerce and civilization

OPENING OF THE RED RIVER OF THE NORTH
TO COMMERCE AND CIVILIZATION.*

BY CAPTAIN RUSSELL BLAKELEY.

On May 8th, 1857, the House of Commons ordered that a
select committee be appointed to consider the state of those
British Possessions in North America which are under the
administration of the Hudson Bay Company, or over which
they possess a license to trade, On May 12th it was ordered
that the committee consist of nineteen members. The com-
mittee was appointed as follows :

Mr. Secretary Labouchere, Sir John Pakington,

Lord John Russell, Mr. Gladstone,

Lord Stanley, Mr. Roebuck,

Mr. Edward Ellice, Mr. Lowe,

Viscount Sandon, Mr. Grogan,

Mr. Kinnaird, Mr. Gregson,

Mr. Blackburn, Mr. Chas. Fitzwilliam,

Mr. Alexander Matheson, Mr. Gurney,

Mr. Percy Herbert, Viscount Goderich.

It was ordered that they have the power to send for persons,
papers and records ; and that five be a quorum. On May 13th
it was ordered that Mr. Christy be added to the committee.
On July 31st it was ordered that the committee have power
to report their observations, together with the minutes of evi-
dence taken before them, to the House.

The minutes and evidence were reported to the House and
ordered printed July 31st and August llth, 1857. This report
contains 547 pages, with three maps, and may be found in

* An Address at the Annual Meeting of the Minnesota Historical Society, Jan. 13,
1896.

40 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

Case No. 20 of this Society. Those who would like to know
the history of the Hudson Bay Company should read it.

The recommendations and findings of the committee are
quite too long to be repeated here, but I may say they rec-
ommend that the license to trade be terminated at the expira-
tion of the present term of twenty-one years (in 1859) in such
districts of the territory claimed under their charter as Canada
may wish to open up and colonize, that these districts be
ceded to Canada, and that the rights of the Hudson Bay Com-
pany wholly cease as to that part so surrendered. This was
supposed to be about the end of the company's control of the
region adjoining the Bed river of the North and the Saskatche-
wan; and every one in Canada and Minnesota anticipated
early action of the Imperial and Dominion Governments in
opening up the country to settlement.

In the winter of 1857, at Washington, D. C., by the kind
offices of Hon. H. M. Rice, I made the acquaintance of Mr.
Hamsay Crooks, the New York agent of the Hudson Bay Com-
pany, who told me that he had just effected an arrangement
with the Secretary of the Treasury, by which the goods of the
Hudson Bay Company would be carried in bond through the
United States, to Fort Garry, by way of Saint Paul. He
wished to make an arrangement with some one to act as agent
for the company in Saint Paul. I informed him that in the
spring Messrs. J. C. & H. C. Burbank would succeed Blakeley
& Burbank in the forwarding business in Saint Paul, and that
I would recommend him to correspond with them in regard
to what he wished done.

In the summer of 1858 two or three shipments of goods were
received in Saint Paul and were taken by the brigade of the
Hudson Bay Company's carts, under the charge and direction
of Mr. James McKey, a most efficient man to handle this
kind of transportation in the prairie country.

It is not possible to convey to you the impression made
upon our business men by this evident good faith and determi-
nation of the Hudson Bay Company to abandon York Factory
as their route of transportation, together with the determina-
tion of the Imperial Government to terminate the exclusive
jurisdiction of the Hudson Bay Company in Northwest Brit-
ish America.

OPENING OF THE BED RIVER TO COMMERCE. 47

You will remember that this country was suffering from the
great financial collapse of 1857, and any possible change for
the better was hailed with the earnestness of drowning men.
In addition to this good hope for the future came the discovery
of gold on Fraser and Thompson rivers in British Columbia,
which made our people wild. Congratulations were exchanged
between our citizens as they met on the street and in their
business offices; our papers, at once, took hold of the matter
and began to discuss the question, how to avail ourselves of
this good fortune, which had come to relieve us of our
calamity; public meetings were called; resolutions were
passed; each one who had any information that would help to
elucidate and make plain the way of how to get there was
pressed into service. Among others who were called upon,
I was advised that the business public hoped that I would visit
the Eed river and report whether it was navigable or not,
Mr. John K. Irvine volunteering to accompany me.

In October I got ready for this voyage of discovery and
with Mr. Irvine left Saint Paul, by way of St. Peter's, Fort
Kidgely, Yellow Medicine, Lac qui Parle, and the Kittson
trail, to Fort Abercrombie, where we found Capt. Nelson H.
Davis and Lieutenant P. Hawkins, with their company of the
Second Infantry, and Jesse M. Stone, the sutler of the fort.
The fort had been hastily built and consisted mostly of log
cabins on the bottomland of the river.

After enjoying the welcome hospitality of the officer of the
post for several days, we resumed our journey, by crossing
at the ford at Graham's point, about three miles south of the
fort, to the east side, and passed down the banks of the river,
camping on its bottomlands and viewing the stream as oppor-
tunity occurred. After passing two or three claim locations
for the head of navigation on the river, among which I re-
member Sintorninie and Burlington, we arrived at the claim
of Mr. Irvine, which he had named Lafayette, oposite the
mouth of the Sheyenne-Oju, about three miles -above George-
town, where we stayed until our horses were rested for our
return trip by way of Old Crossing, Lightning lake, White
Bear lake, and Eichmond, to St. Cloud, and thence by the
stage road to St. Paul. On this return we met Mr. Albert
Evans, the mail-carrier between St. Cloud and Fort Aber-

48 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

crombie, on foot, with his mail upon his back, near the Old
Crossing.

My report to the Chamber of Commerce was, that there
should be three or four months of navigation and there ought
to be a boat built next year. The Chamber immediately
offered a bonus of f 1,000 to any one who would build a boat
ready to run next season. This bid came to the knowledge of
Mr. Anson Northup, who proposed to build a boat, ready for
navigation next year, for |2,000, which offer was accepted.
Northup had bought the "North Star" in Minneapolis, and
had taken her up over Sauk Rapids and Little Falls to run
on the upper river, to carry the lumbermen's supplies. She
passed Sauk Kapids June 7th, and soon after made a pleasure
trip to Grand Rapids, at the present town of this name, about
three miles below Pokegama falls. Capt. J. B. Young was
master, and among the passengers on the excursion were An-
son Northup, Baldwin Olmsted, O. B. Day, Lewis Stone, Jeff
Perkins, David Oilman, and their wives, besides many others.
They were about two weeks making the trip. In the fall the
boat was laid up, in the mouth of Crow Wing river.

The machinery of the "North Star" had originally been
brought to Minneapolis from Bangor, Maine, and was put
on the "Gov. Ramsey," built in 1851 by Capt. John Rollins.
After Northup made the contract to build the boat, he went
to Crow Wing river, sawed the lumber, and probably framed
the timbers for the hull. He loaded the machinery, cabin and
furniture, and lumber to build the boat, on thirty-four teams,
and with sixty men started for Lafayette on the Red river.
Among the men who made this winter trip were Baldwin
Olmsted, Mr. Morse, master builder Lewis Stone, J. B. Young,
and A. R. Young, most resolute and reliable men for such
work. The distance, probably one hundred and fifty miles,
was in a country unknown, without roads; and the winter was
the coldest on record.

About six weeks after they arrived, they had built the boat,
which received the name of the builder, "Anson Northup," had
run her up to Abercrombie, and started for Fort Garry on
May 17, arriving there June 5. Soon afterward, this boat
took a large number of passengers to lake Winnipeg on an
excursion. She returned to Fort Abercrombie with twenty

OPENING OF THE RED RIVER TO COMMERCE. 49

passengers on her up trip, where the boat was tied up.
Northup and the crew started for St. Paul, taking their pas-
sengers, with the teams that had been kept since the winter.

The great interest had, during the summer and fall of 1858,
gathered strength daily. The contract with Northup for the
boat proved to be a great card in starting the ball. The
Chamber of Commerce had to raise the money to pay the
bonus for building the boat. Some preparation to open the
road to the gold fields in British Columbia had to be made.
Foremost among the workers on these absorbing questions
were Messrs. James W. Taylor, Joseph A. Wheelock, Col. W.
H. Nobles, Martin McLeod, and Henry McKentey. The writ-
ings of the two first named gentlemen would fill a volume,
and I may say that the speeches of Mr. Taylor would fill two.
The earnestness with which he advocated the opening up of
these different routes, to Garry and the Pacific, cannot be
realized by those who did not have the good fortune to hear
him. I remember the closing sentence of an appeal he mader
while engaged in raising the money for the bonus; after hav-
ing presented all the inducements that he could think of, he
said, "When the whistle shall sound the advent of this boat
in Garry, Archbishop Tache', who has prayed so earnestly and
waited so long, will spring instantly to his feet and, raising
his hands reverently above his head, exclaim, 'In the name of
God, let the bells of St. Boniface ring, for civilization has
come !' " He was more especially the friend of the water
route, by way of the Ked and Saskatchewan rivers to the gold
fields, and advocated this route so constantly that he was in
later times known as "Saskatchewan" Taylor.

On the 7th of December, 1858, the Common Council of the
city of St. Paul, of which C. L. Emerson was president, asked
Mr. Taylor to prepare a report upon the settlement of the area
northwest of Minnesota and the extension of steamer, railroad,
and telegraph communication west from the navigable waters
of the Mississippi and St. Lawrence, ' with the relations of
Minnesota to the American and Asiatic coasts of the Pacific
ocean. He prepared a large map of the territory to the west
and northwest, which was hung on the wall of the Council
Chamber to illustrate the matter of his report. They ap-
pointed a meeting on an evening to listen to the reading of

50 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

this report. It may be found, with others, in the appendix
to the journals of the Senate and House for 1858-'59, together
with a report of a committee from the House, in all about 100
pages.

In the mail letting of 1858, the service on the route from
La Crosse to St. Paul for the winter months had been awarded
to J. C. Burbank and E. Blakeley, under the firm name of
J. C. Burbank & Co. In preparation for this service we had
bought what we had believed to be sufficient wheel, horse,
and harness stock for our work; but our business exceeded
our anticipation, and we made arrangements with Messrs.
Allen & Chase, who had been engaged in running the stage
service above St. Paul to the north, and the Minnesota Stage
Company was organized with J. C. Burbank, manager, and
Alvaren Allen, route agent. When the spring opened we
found we had a large amount of stage stock, but no place for
it to run. Allen & Chase had been awarded the service on the
several routes north from St. Paul to St. Cloud and Crow
Wing, and from St. Cloud to Fort Abercrombie. We entered
into partnership with them and moved our stock from the
river road to their routes, and operated the new service in
the name of the Minnesota Stage Company, under the same
management as during the winter. The information that I
had got from Mr. Kamsay Crooks in Washington in the winter
of 1857, and the expectation that the steamer would be ready
in the spring for service on the Bed river, with the conviction
that the Hudson Bay Company would vacate the territory
south of the Saskatchewan river at an early day, induced us
to stock the route from St. Cloud to Abercrombie for three
times a week. As I had been out to see the country, my part-
ners voted that I would be the best one to put the service in
operation.

The route advertised was an entirely new one and probably
located in the interest of some new town sites, whose claim
stakes had been driven in anticipation that they would have
the benefit of the bridges and the road which the stage com-
pany would have to build. The road to be fitted for service
ran from St. Cloud, by way of Cold Spring, New Munich, Mel-
rose, Winnebago Crossing, Sauk Rapids, Kandota, Osakis,
Alexandria, Dayton, and Breckenridge, to Fort Abercrombie.

OPENING OF THE RED RIVER TO COMMERCE. 51

Early in June, at St. Cloud, I gathered the stock and general
outfit for operating the road, together with a working party
to make the road and build the bridges and stations. When
this collection of horses, hack drivers, station keepers, and
working party, moved out to build the road, bridges, and
stations over these one hundred and sixty miles of road, the
people of St. Cloud, beginning to realize what it meant for
them, gave us their hearty cheers and Godspeed. The passen-
gers who accompanied us on this expedition were Misses Ellen-
ora and Christina Sterling, from Scotland ; Sir Francis Sykes,
Sheffield, Peters, and a servant, all bound for Fort Garry. Mr.
James W. Taylor, who had worked so hard, accompanied us by
invitation to see the steamboat and Fort Garry, and for the
purpose of deciding for himself the practicability of steam
navigation, by way of the Saskatchewan river, toward the
British Columbia gold fields. After three weeks of hard work
the road was ready for travel.

When I left St. Paul the Col. Nobles expedition for locat-
ing the road from Abercrombie to the Fraser and Thompson
gold fields was being prepared for its start. We had the
great gratification of meeting them at the ford at Graham's
Point; and with them was another party, going to Fort Garry,
among whom we found Messrs. Joseph A. Wheelock, of Saint
Paul, and Manton Marble, proprietor and editor of the New
Jork World. On our arrival at the fort, we found the steam-
boat tied up, as mentioned above. We had seen Northup with
his crew, on his way home, at Alexandria, when I at once
commenced to scold him for tying up his boat and abandoning
her with his crew. His answer was, "If you want her to run,
you will have to buy her." This was not pleasant under the
circumstances.

Capt. Davis and Lieut. Hawkins were greatly surprised
to see such an arrival and heartily welcomed us. Col. Nobles
stayed long enough to overhaul his outfit, and again started
for the gold fields. Mr. Taylor joined the Wheelock and
Marble party. The mail started the next morning for St. Paul,
and I was left to make some provision for my passengers.
I said to the ladies that, if agreeable to them, I would ask
Sir Francis Sykes to join in the expense of building a flat boat
to take them all to Garry. They, with pleasure, consented.

52 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

Sir Francis' party was very glad to accept this solution of
their situation. Capt. Davis and Lieut. Hawkins said, "Any-
thing we have is at your service."

Mr. Claghorn, who was left in charge of the steamboat,
was a carpenter, and with his assistance my men very soon
produced a more cheerful outlook for all by their progress
with their work. While our boat was being built, Sir George
Simpson, governor of the Hudson Bay Company, came up from
Garry, accompanied by Mr. James McKey and a dozen
soldiers. After an introduction, he asked to see the steam-
boat. He expressed himself much gratified at seeing the
boat, and at once said that J. C. Burbank & Co. ought to buy
her. I said I had already as much steamboat property as I
wanted, on the Mississippi. He called upon the ladies and in-
formed them that Mr. Campbell, whom they were going to
meet, was at the Norway House, waiting for them. He as-
sured Sir Francis and party that they would find plenty of
guides ready to go with them, and that there was no doubt
of their getting down the river all right. The flatboat was
soon completed, with a nice awning to keep the sun off the
ladies. After inspection, all hands expressed themselves de-
lighted with the accommodation for their voyage. The pro-
visions were furnished by the sutler store, with such other
preparations for their comfort as could be supplied by the
soldiers of the post. They declared themselves ready, and
with their baggage, tents, etc., on board, they took their seats,
and I cast off the lines of the first passenger boat on Bed
river. With cheers from all, they bid me good-bye.

Mr. George W. Northrup was the captain and with two
other men of my employees worked the boat to its destination
in safety. They were twenty -two days on the river to Garry,
where they arrived all well. The first inquiry of the ladies
was for Mr. Campbell. Gov. McTavish answered, "He is at
Norway House, waiting for you, and the last brigade of boats
starts at four o'clock to-morrow morning. Will you go?"
"Yes," without hesitation, was their answer.

The two ladies embarked in the Mackinaw boats before day-
light, without knowing a single person in the crew7, for a
voyage through lake Winnipeg, a distance of three hundred
miles, and were joyfully welcomed by Mr. Campbell on their

OPENING OF THE RED RIVER TO COMMERCE. 53

safe arrival. Miss Ellenora Sterling and Mr. Campbell were
married in the evening. The next day Mr. Campbell suggested
that Indian women's short clothes would be more comfortable
for the remainder of the voyage. The ladies at Norway House
soon had them fitted out in the fashion of the country, and'
they again changed their mode of conveyance by taking their
seats in a large birch bark canoe with twelve paddles, under
the care of chief trader Campbell, for Fort Chipewyan, on lake
Athabasca, eight hundred miles away, where they arrived
just as winter set in.

These ladies were of large, hearty, robust make-up, admira-
bly pleasing in their presence and address, intelligent and
ladylike. Mr. Taylor and I highly respected them, and, in
recognition of their heroic courage in making this journey, six
thousand miles from home, through our state into the wild
inhospitable regions of the Hudson Bay Company, we pro-
posed, while we were in camp on the west shore of Pelican
lake, that we would see that the lake upon which we were
encamped should be marked on the map of the survey as
Ellenora, and that the one to the east of it should be named
Christina. They were so named on the state map of 1860,
but I regret to learn that the later maps have again changed
the former name back to Pelican. I am sorry they do not
know why the lake was called after this lady, Ellenora, or
they would have the grace to restore her name to the lake
and so help to keep her in memory for all coming time.

Sir Francis Sykes' party, when they started on their hunt,
took George W. Northrup with them. Edward Eggleston has
written the story of Northrup's life in Harper's Magazine (vol.
88). There is a copy in this society's scrap book for 1894, page
83. Major Brackett, in his report of the fight with the Indians
July 28, 1864, gives the account of his death in that action.
(See vol. 2, page 535, of Minnesota in the Civil War and In-
dian War.)

After I had bid adieu to the flatboat party, I took the first
stage for home, meeting on the way a large train of carts
with Hudson Bay Company's goods. The next day I was
surprised to meet the up stage with a full load of passengers,
who saluted me with great cordiality, informing me that Mr.
Burbank had bought the "Anson Northup," that they were

54 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

on their way to load the goods that were on the train that
I had met and to take them to Garry, and that the train
would return for another load for the second trip of the boat.
They also informed me that Mr. McKey would return from
St. Paul, to select a point on Bed river for the head of navi-
gation and a town site. This crew were Capt. Edwin Bell,
Dudley Kelly, clerk, J. B. Young, pilot, A. R. Young, engineer,
and others to make up the crew. This information was a
little more than I had bargained for, and I did not want for
thought for the balance of the way to St. Paul. Sir George
Simpson had offered us a contract to transport five hundred
tons from St. Paul to Garry per annum for five years at what
was thought to be a very good price per ton, and it was ex-
pected I would be delighted to go over to the river and take
personal charge of the business. To this part of the bargain
I at once objected, but said that after I had visited my family
at Galena I would return and go down on the second trip of
the boat and inspect this "land of promise."

On my return to the Ked river I heard that McKey had
made a selection of a place for the town site, below the mouth
of the Buffalo and about three miles below Lafayette, the
place where the boat had been built. On my arrival Mr. At-
water, who was engaged in a government survey and saw the
stage drive in, came to call upon me and asked whether I had
come over to go down on the boat. I said, "Yes." "Do you
know where she is?" I said, "No; where is she?" "At Goose
rapids. Her freight has been unloaded, and Mr. McKey starts
to morrow morning with a train to take the freight to Garry."
I asked him to ride down to Georgetown, Mr. McKey's town-
site, and ask him to send a cart up for me, and T would go
down to the rapids with him. He sent for myself and baggage
and furnished me with a saddle horse, and I joined the cart
brigade for the rapids. We found the freight at the head of
the rapids, and the boat was about half way down this now
well known place.

Kiding down the bank until we were opposite the boat, I
called with more than my usual tone of voice, "Boat ahoy!"
Gapt. Bell, recognizing my voice, exclaimed, "Thank God!
The man I have prayed to see for three weeks." He invited
me to ride out to the boat, which I did, and, as 1 got off my

OPENING OF THE RED EIVER TO COMMERCE. 55

horse, was received by the crew with hearty greeting. In
the morning each man was furnished an ax, for the purpose
of cutting some of the nice timber on the shores to build a
dam. Stakes were driven across the river, leaving a water
way about the middle of the stream, sufficient to pass the
boat; the bodies of the trees that we had cut were rolled
into the river from each side and floated down to the stakes;
the willows on the bottoms were piled under the bodies of
the trees, which had been placed across the river above the
stakes, and the boat floated into deep water below the rapids
before sunset. The water was very low, but we worked our
way to Garry without material detention.

Our welcome was hearty by the people of the settlement,
some of whom had begun to almost doubt whether the steam-
boat had come from the south in the spring, as she was so
long delayed in her return. Gov. William McTavish, Arch-
bishop Tache', our Mr. J. W. Taylor, who had come with the
Wheelock party, and Charles Cavalier, formerly of St. Paul
and Pembina, were very kind to us and made us at home
among them.

The boat was taken down to Indian river to be laid up for
the winter in safe harbor. Mr. Lillie, the gentleman in charge
of Lower Fort Garry, made us comfortable at his post, and
with others went on down to the head of lake Winnipeg and
back, after the boat had been laid up for the winter. Gov.
McTavish also invited me to make his house my home while in
Garry, which offer I gratefully accepted.

There did not seem to be any practicable way of getting the
crew back to St. Paul, excepting to wait until the brigade
of carts that had to be sent for the second lot of goods was
ready to move, which detained us for three weeks. With our
baggage and supplies for the home journey on the carts, we
started for Pembina, where I had the pleasure of the hospital-
ity of Major H. S. Donaldson and others over night. We
resumed our journey by way of the old Kittson trail, the loca-
tion of which can be found on the map of Capt. John Pope,
in his report of his topographical survey of the territory in
1849. There were many incidents connected with these two
hundred and fifty miles of cart transportation which might
interest friends of the party, but I refrain from indulging
myself in relating them.

56 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

During the winter of 1859-'60, Mr. J. C. Burbank visited
La Chine and Sir George Simpson, and completed the con-
tract for five years' transportation, as intimated above. The
steamboat was transferred to J. 0. & H. C. Burbank, I re-
taining my interest in the stage and express business.

In my trip down the river on the boat, I had become pain-
fully aware of many imperfections in this new boat; the hull
was new, but it was made of pine; the machinery was eight
years old; the furniture was very limited; the boiler was of
locomotive kind, and the head was cracked clear across and
leaked so badly that it was not possible to get up a sufficient
head of steam to be called seaworthy or bear inspection, so
that it became necessary to have a new head. The Gates
Foundry Company, of Chicago, sent a man out to take the
measurements; and he returned to Chicago to make the head,
and again returned to the boat to put it in and make such
other repairs as were needed.

I had advised that time should be taken to have a dog
train come up to Crow Wing, over the mail route by the woods
road, and that they travel with the mail carrier, Monkiman,
who knew the country and wras a good train man; but the
persons at Georgetown were of the opinion that they knew
how to manage the transportation of the boilermaker and had
him come to Georgetown, where one of their employers, James
McKenzie, took him in charge and started out for the trip.
I am not sure whether it was on the first or second journey,
but as they came to the vicinity of Two Kivers, not far from
Pernbina, there came on one of the terrific storms that some-
times occurred in those days, and the party had to stop; the
reason why, I am not able to state, but McKenzie started to
find the road or to go to Pembina for help, and left the foundry
man with the team. In McKenzie's attempt to get to Pembina,
he lost his way, and, not having the proper means of protec-
tion, became exhausted and perished in the terrible storm.
I am not able to say what were all the circumstances of this
unfortunate result, but many hearts were made sad by the
loss of this brave young man, who, in his great ambition to do
his duty, was sacrificed in his .effort to save those who had
been placed in his keeping for care and safe conveyance.

In the spring, after the boat had been repaired, she was
named the "Pioneer" and started out under the charge of

OPENING OF THE BED RIVER TO COMMERCE. 57

Capt. Sam Painter and Alden Bryant, clerk, and did a good
business.

The mail contracts of Allen & Chase had been transferred
to J. C. Burbank & Co. The mail route from Fort Aber-
crombie extended to Pembina and was carried by William
Tarbell and George W. Northrup, in carts during the summer,
and with dog trains in winter.

Among the a'greeable events that were so full of hope for
the future of St. Paul, in 1860, was the interview between
Kt. Rev. David Anderson, Bishop of Rupert's Land, and the
Hon. Senator William H. Seward. Mr. James W. Taylor
has furnished this Society with the only report which is ex-
tant of the incidents of that occasion, and it seems so appro-
priate to be included in this paper that I have inserted it
here.

St. Paul, Jan. 29th, 1862.
To the Editor of the St. Paul Press:

* * * It is an address of David Anderson, Bishop of the Church
of England in the immense Diocese of Rupert's Land or Central British
America, to William H. Seward, then Senator, and now Secretary of
State. The meeting of the two men had been arranged by mutual
friends— it occurred at twelve o'clock M., of September 18, 1860, in the
room of the Minnesota Historical Society. The Bishop adopted the
English custom of such occasions, and read his remarks from a manu-
script: Seward's response was less premeditated. I copy from the
autograph of His Reverend Lordship:

"GOVERNOR SEWARD: It is with no little pleasure that I embrace
the opportunity of being presented to you on this occasion. From the
position that I occupy in the Diocese of Rupert's Land, I cannot but
feel a deep and growing interest in the welfare of the United States,
and more especially in that of Minnesota, which immediately adjoins
our own territory. Whatever tends to advance your prosperity, would
at the same time, I am convinced, advance also our own, and I trust
that the bonds which unite us together may be drawn closer year by
year.

"The visit of His Royal Highness to the possessions of the British
Crown on this continent, and his approaching visit to the United States,
may be hailed as an event which is calculated to cement most happily
the union between the two countries. On the establishment and con-
tinuance of such peaceful relations, the progress of civilization through
the world and the extension of the Redeemer's kingdom would mate-
rially depend.

"I would gratefully acknowledge the very great benefits already
received from your Government by our own distant and isolated land.
ii— 2

58 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

Much has been done during the last eleven years, of which alone I
can speak, to diminish the distance which separates us from the home
of our fathers. On my first arrival, thrice only a year could we expect
to hear from England. We are now indebted to yourselves for a double
mail each month. For this, in the name of every member of our com-
munity, I would express our deep and lasting gratitude.

"We would look beyond this to* the opening, at no very remote
period, of a Highway toward the Western Sea. I trust that, both in
your own possessions and the British Territory, a route toward the
Pacific may ere long be completed, and a direct communication thus
opened from Sea to Sea. In such enterprises, I would at the present
time ask you to use whatever of weight and influence you may possess
in your own Legislature, and would, in return, assure you that any
such efforts would meet with the earnest and hearty co-operation of
those over whom the Providence of God has placed me.

"In conclusion, I would only pray that this spirit of harmony and
peace may ever exist between Britain and the United States, and, with
the continuance of such peace I would anticipate a bright and blessed
spread of the Gospel of Peace among the nations of the Earth."

With the last sentence, uttered in the excellent prelate's most im-
pressive manner, all eyes turned upon the statesman of New York.
His first words of response startled the expectant circle:

"Bishop," said he, "two hundred years ago there was an irrepress-
ible conflict in England. One party contended for a Church without a
Bishop, and a State without a King; another party was certain that
there could be no Church without a Bishop and no well ordered State
without a King."

A pause. The Bishop of Rupert's Land was not comfortable. An
uneasy suspense of breath ran round the room. So did the gray eye of
the speaker. He was evidently in the humor, which his Grace of New-
castle afterwards failed so signally to appreciate. We were soon re-
lieved, however. The Senator resumed: "This conflict of opinion, with
its immediate issues of civil war, largely contributed to the emigration
of Englishmen to this Continent, and the organization of diverse com-
munities. With successive generations, the bitterness of the seven-
teenth century has been succeeded by new relations — by peace and
good will— until we have, on this occasion, an interesting proof that
the remote settlements of Selkirk and Rupert's Land respond to the
'spirit of harmony,' which is alike the cause and effect of Modern Civili-
zation."

His Lordship's muscles relaxed. A half smile succeeded among the
auditors— the speaker only retaining an imperturbable expression of
gravity. In a few words, fitly chosen but unluckily not preserved by a
reporter, the Senator cordially reciprocated the sentiments of Dr. An-
derson, closing the formalities of the interview by the Anglo-Saxon
ceremony of shaking hands.

The proceedings were of "admirable length" — certainly not exceed-
ing fifteen minutes. And yet, as I recall them, I have seldom witnessed
a more striking tableau vivant. Neill, as Secretary of the Society, first

OPENING OF THE RED RIVER TO COMMERCE. 59

received the Bishop and his friends. Among the latter were Captain
(since General) R. B. Marcy, Judge Nelson, Dr. Van Ingen, and Captain
Russell Blakeley. By common consent Captain Blakeley was requested
to execute the ceremony of presentation. As Seward entered with Gov.
Ramsey, a large following of Republican politicians, State and Na-
tional, filled the apartment. Hon. C. F. Adams, now Minister to England,
was a prominent and deeply interested spectator. North, now of Ne-
vada, Benson, Baker, Morrison, and many others of Minnesota celebrity,
were present. The occasion deserved much more notice than it re-
ceived in the excitement and crowd of events that followed, and which
is imperfectly supplied by this tardy record.

This new route, to be opened for steamboat navigation
across the continent, challenged the attention of the steam-
boat men at once. Capt. John B. Davis, who was later Major
of the Second Minnesota Regiment in the rebellion, believed
that in high water a steamboat could be taken up the Minne-
sota river and, by the way of the Big Stone lake, to lake
Traverse and the Bed river. He resolved to make the attempt
with his steamboat "Freighter," and, leaving St. Paul in the
high water, got within about eight miles of Big Stone lake,
but found the water quite too low and had to leave his boat
for the winter, with the hope of doing better the next season,
but finally abandoned the project. The boat was sold to J. C.
& H. C. Burbank & Co. C. P. V. Lull went over to the boat in
the winter, took out her machinery, taking it to Georgetown
to be put in a new boat, to be built for the Red river business
to succeed the "Pioneer."

In 1861 Mr. McConnell and his two sons came from Beaver,
Penn., to build this boat, which was quite appropriately
named "International." The timber was selected from the
bottomlands of the Red and Buffalo rivers; the sawing was
done by Mr. A. W. Kelly, now of Jamestown, North Dakota;
and she was finished in the fall of 1861. The engines were
put in by Mr. Edwin R. Abell. She measured 137 feet long,
26 feet beam, and was rated about 133 tons. C. P. V. Lull
ran her for a trip or two, when Mr. N. W. Kittson was em-
ployed to take charge of her, as he could talk to the Indians,
who had become very troublesome, complaining that the boat
drove away all the game and killed the fish, and that the
whistle made such an unearthly noise that the spirits of their
fathers could not rest in their graves on the banks of the
river. They had written a letter to the Burbanks, demand-

60 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

ing that they send four kegs of yellow money to quiet the
spirits of their fathers, or stop running the boats. The money
had not been sent, but Indian Commissioner Dole and Super-
intendent C. W. Thomson were on their way to hold a treaty
with them at the mouth of the Red Lake river, opposite what is
now Grand Forks, when the Sioux Indian outbreak occurred.

The teams with the goods and a military guard had left
Fort Abercrombie for the treaty grounds, when a dispatch
came from Commissioner Dole for the train to return at once,
also informing the officers at Abercrombie that the Sioux
were on the war path. Orders were sent to the detachment
of troops at Georgetown, to return to the fort, and advising
Messrs.. Kittson and Murray that they must prepare to defend
themselves.

On the 22d of August, the Sioux appeared at Dayton and
Old Crossing, killing all they could find. At Breckenridge
they killed all persons in the hotel and burned the house;
overtook a stage driver, whom they killed; and took his team
with about twenty-five hundred pounds of express freight.

A train load of goods had just arrived at Georgetown, and
Messrs. Kittson and Murray prepared to defend themselves
and property. After many days waiting for the Indians or
advice from the fort, they concluded to load their goods on
the "International" and a barge, and to abandon the place and
go to Garry. The boat was overloaded, the water was very
low, she got aground, and they were compelled to reload the
goods on the train, and, with their passengers, started by
land, abandoning the boat. When the train arrived at the
treaty grounds, they found the Indians waiting for the com-
missioner and half starved. They at once demanded of Mr.
Kittson and Mr. Murray that they should deliver them the
goods on the train. This, of course, they refused to do, saying
that they belonged to the settlers at Garry. The chiefs replied
that they did not doubt what they said, but that their wives
and children were starving; and, notwithstanding the threats
of Kittson and Murray, helped themselves to nearly every-
thing on the train, before they would allow it to proceed.

The barge, under the charge of Capt. Noble, and the boat
crew, got by the Indian camp in the night and arrived safe,
ahead of the train. Gov. Alex. Ramsey and Major A. C. Mor-

OPENING OF THE BED EIVEK, TO COMMERCE. 61

rell made a treaty with the Ked Lake and Pembina bands,
on October 3, 1863, in which provision was made to pay for
this depredation. March 2, 1862, Congress increased the mail
service to twice a week and extended the contract for three
years.

The settlers, on the route from St. Cloud, built small stock-
ades at Sauk Center, Alexandria, and Pomme de Terre, and
the road was guarded by companies of troops, through to the
fort. In 1863, Capt. Barrett, who was engaged in scouting
in the vicinity of the fort, sent a detachment down to the
abandoned steamboat and brought her to the fort, where she
remained until 1864.

The mails to Pembina were carried with some difficulty, but
usually with regularity.

The year 1864 found the Red river relieved of all Indian
troubles, but by no means in a satisfactory condition. It had
become apparent to J. C. Burbank & Co. that the interest of
the Hudson Bay Company and their own interest were not
identical. We wanted immigration and trade; they did not
want immigration nor mails nor any one to trade in the Hud-
son Bay Company's territory but themselves. The expectation
that the country would be opened proved a delusion. For
five years we had followed the contest between the Dominion
Government and the Hudson Bay Company, for possession of
the country that the Imperial Government had, by resolutions,
said should be surrendered to the Imperial Government for
Canada.

This delay had proved a serious disappointment to us both,
and for all that we could see it would continue. J. C. & H.
C. Burbank & Co. took the shortest way to get out, and sold
their interest in the steamboat business to Mr. Kittson for the
Hudson Bay Company and gave up the fight. The stage com-
pany put things under short sail and intended to bide their
time. The boat that was tied up at Fort Abercrombie, on ac-
count of low water, made but one trip during the season. The
cart brigades again made their appearance upon the road be-
tween the railroad terminus and Garry; and, to make it still
more interesting, that terrible scourge, the grasshoppers,
came in immense quantities, destroying all the vegetation in

62 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

the valley, and large contributions were made to keep the
people from starvation.

In order to make a better fight for their hold of the coun-
try, the Hudson Bay Company sold their rights, under the
charter, to the "International Financial Association" in the
summer of 1862. This company made great professions of
their readiness to open up their lands to settlement and build
lines of communication from Canada to the Pacific, but did
nothing. This kind of procrastination continued until March
9, 1869, when Earl Granville sent them a proposition and
notified them, if it was not accepted, that he would ask the
Judiciary Committee of the Privy Council to say what were
the rights of the Hudson Bay Company under their charter.
The company evidently had a high opinion and respect for this
committee, and did not like to have them take the trouble to
express an opinion about their rights, and, on March 12th,
informed Earl Granville that they accepted his proposition.
This ended a twelve years' contest between the Hudson Bay
Company and the Imperial Government.

The Dominion Government of Canada provided for the
organization of a Crown Colony. On the 23d of August, 1870,
Col. Wolseley, at the head of the 60th Kegiment of Canadian
Rifles, entered Fort Garry; and on September 2d, Lieut. Gov.
Archibald arrived, and the colony was duly organized. Our
consul, Mr. James W. Taylor, arrived early in November.

At this time there was no recognized means of communica-
tion between Manitoba and the outside civilization. The only
mail that came to them was carried under direction of the
Hudson Bay Company, by Mr. Goulet, about once a week,
by horse cart or dog train, to and from Pembina, and the cost
of freight per hundred was about four dollars, from St. Cloud
to Garry. In the spring of 1871, Messrs. Hill and Griggs, of
St. Paul, had built and ready for business the steamboat
"Selkirk," Alex. Griggs, master, which arrived at Winnipeg on
the 19th of April. Notice was given that all goods that were
being ordered from Canada or England should be consigned to
Hill & Griggs, in St. Paul, who had made arrangements with
the United States Government to carry all goods passing
through Minnesota to Manitoba in bond, and that all merchan-
dise consigned to them would be delivered without trouble

OPENING OF THE RiflD BIVER TO COMMERCE. 63

to the owners. This was a good card for the "Selkirk;" she
had all that she could carry, at very good prices. Mr. Kittson
had to put the "International" into general trade, and in June
she was duly advertised as a common carrier.

In 1867, I had bought the interest of Messrs. Burbank and
Merriam in the Minnesota Stage and Express business; and
asssociated with me was Mr. C. W. Carpenter, who had been
our confidential clerk since 1856. As soon as was practicable
in 1871, I fitted out my tent and team, to inspect the route
from Georgetown to Winnipeg, for the purpose of locating
stations and bridges, in preparation for stage service. In
Winnipeg I made a contract to carry the mail to Pembina for
the Canadian Government. Our agent, Mr. Proctor, had the
bridges, stations and everything in order, and the first four-
horse stage arrived in Winnipeg September llth.

Events of interest and importance continued to follow, one
upon the heels of another, during this summer, among which
we remember the editorial excursion, consisting of the most
prominent men of the day in the newspaper world, Messrs.
Bayard Taylor of the New York Tribune, Charles A. Dana of
the New York Sun, J. C. Evans of the New York World, E. C.
Bowman of the New York Herald, Lieut. Gov. Bross of the
Chicago Tribune, and Mr. J. H. Harper of Harper Brothers.
They went from St. Paul to Morris by the St. Paul & Pacific
railroad, and thence by stage to the steamboat running to
Winnipeg, where they were hospitably received and enter-
tained, our counsul doing his best to make them at home.

The telegraph line was extended to Winnipeg; the North-
ern Pacific railroad was completed to Moorhead; and the last
brigade of Red River carts disappeared from this State. Im-
migration continued to pour into Manitoba, and building and
trade were very largely increasing. The first Parliament was
held during the winter of 1870-'71. Claim settling and town
building were active along the river in Minnesota and Dakota,
and our hopes of twelve years ago began to be realized.

The navigation opening in 1872 disclosed the fact that all
the boats were under the management of Mr. Kittson and
were called the Kittson line. The large immigration made
the demand so great for provisions that several of our people
fitted out flatboat stores and traded down the river until their

64 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

goods were sold, then sold their boats, and returned by stage
to make another venture.

Logs from the Ked Lake river pineries were run to Winni-
peg and sold to saw mills. Some of our neighbors will prob-
ably remember some events that occurred while visiting Win-
nipeg in the log trade. The stage began running daily from
Breckenridge to Winnipeg; immigration during 1873-'74 con-
tinued about as in the preceding year, although still increas-
ing.

The only thing that occasioned remark was an intimation
that the great steamboat monopoly was charging outrageous
prices for transportation. This kind of feeling made itself
manifest in the summer of 1874. The merchants of Winnipeg
induced some gentlemen of the Ked river, in Minnesota, and
probably some of our fellow citizens of this vicinity, to organ-
ize a new company, to be called the "Merchants' Line." The
residents of the United States were the corporate authority,
as they could form a bonded line for the transportation of
merchandise to Winnipeg. The management was also in the
hands of American citizens, but the money to build two nice
boats was mostly furnished by merchants in Winnipeg. The
carpenter work, as far as possible, was done in Cincinnati,
Ohio, and sent by rail to Moorhead; the machinery was built
in Minneapolis; the capital was f 50,000, with authority to in-
crease to |100,000.

The steamer, "Manitoba," made her appearance in Winni-
peg on May 21, 1875. The "Minnesota" arrived on May 23. They
appeared to be very nice boats for the trade and were wel-
comed by the merchants in Winnipeg with great satisfaction.
Ked river is narrow and very crooked, and that two lines of
boats could not run on it with safety was proved by an acci-
dent that happened June llth, when the "International" and
"Manitoba" came in collision and the "Manitoba" was sunk.
She was soon raised and in the line again, but this accident
was the beginning of trouble. Some of the stockholders did
not feel satisfied with the management; and dissatisfaction
continued until the steamers "Manitoba" and "Minnesota"
stopped running. The "Manitoba" was seized for debt, in
Winnipeg, and the "Minnesota" was taken possession of in
Moorhead. A committee was sent to St. Paul to investigate

OPENING OF THE RED RIVER TO COMMERCE. 65.

and report; upon their return, it was reported that the busi-
ness was in a bad shape, and that the boats would not run
again that season. Finally Mr. Kittson bought out the con-
trol of the boats, and in 1876 they were run in his line.

The grasshoppers in the summer of 1875 were perfectly ter-
rific, but disappeared when they were big enough to go. This
was the last of the scourge that had been with the people of
Manitoba constantly since 1864. August 20, 1876, I was in
Winnipeg. On my passage down, I had constantly watched
for signs of the coming of grasshoppers, and thought I had
seen some stray ones in the sunlight. I called upon Mr. A. G.
B. Bannityne, and asked if there was any information about
their coming this season. He said, "No," and remarked, "this
is the latest date they have ever come"; but as he made the
reply, he cast his eye toward the heavens and saw three large
hoppers just above our heads, and they fell on the pavement
at our feet, but they were the last; no more came.

The farmers had no seed to sow, and nothing to speak of
was raised in 1876. In the winter of 1876-T7, Gov. Morris
asked where he could get some seed wheat for the settlers to
sow in the spring. I replied that the Munger Brothers, of St.
Paul, had about 12,000 bushels of wheat at Caledonia on our
stage road, which I had inspected on my way down, and in-
formed him that it was the best lot of wheat I had ever seen.
It weighed sixty-four pounds to the bushel. The Mungers.
sold him this lot of wheat; and when you hear of fine grades
of wheat in Manitoba, you will remember where they got their
seed. In 1876 some hay and probably about 50,000 barrels of
flour were imported into Winnipeg.

The Kittson Line had been reorganized and was called the
Eed Eiver Transportation Company. The principal boats of
the line were the "International," Capt. Painter; the "Minne-
sota," Capt. Timmens; the "Manitoba," Capt. Alex, Griggs;
the "Dakota," Capt. Seigers; the "Selkirk," Capt. John Griggs;
and the "Alphia," Capt. Russell.

The St. Paul & Pacific Pembina branch had been extended
to Crookston, and was put in operation in the summer. The
steamboat freight and passenger business, and river and stage
trade, were correspondingly diminished as to distance, al-
though their volume was continually increased. In the sum--

66 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

mer of 1877 the railroad was extended to Fisher's Landing,
down the Red Lake river toward Grand Forks. The cere-
mony of driving the first spike on the Pembina branch of the
Canadian Pacific railway took place at St. Boniface station
grounds, on the 29th of September, His Excellency, the Gov-
ernor General of the Dominion, Lord Dufferin, taking part
and being the chief spokesman of the occasion.

The Minnesota Stage Company had learned in the past what
railroads meant for them, and early in the season had opened
a new road from Bismarck to the Black Hills, building bridges
and stations, again committing their fortunes to the chance
of Sioux depredations, for another fifteen years of arduous
service.

The immense immigration that came to the Red river, both
north and south of the international boundary, and the crops
that were being shipped from their very productive fields,
gladdened the hearts of those who had chosen their future
homes upon the banks of the river. The Indian troubles had
passed away; the troops had gone west of the Missouri or had
been disbanded; quiet, peace, and prosperity covered the land;
and, as "all things come to those who wait," the last act to
make the joy of the people in the Red river valley complete
occurred on Dec. 2, 1878, when the track layers joined the
rails of the St. Paul and Pacific and Canadian Pacific, at the
international boundary line. This made it apparent to all
that commerce and civilization had come to the valley of the
Red River of the North.

NOTE —My grateful acknowledgment is due to Mr. Alexander Begg's "Ten Years
in Winnipeg" for assistance in fixing many dates of incidents referred to in
Manitoba, R. B.

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