A sheaf of remembrances

MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
VOL. XV. PLATE XIII.

A SHEAF OF REMEMBRANCES.*

BY MRS. REBECCA MARSHALL CATHCART.

I have heard it said that the most uneventful life, if care-
fully written up, would make an interesting book, and I have
been persuaded to prove this statement.

My life has seemed to me to have experienced little be-
yond ordinary, commonplace events, yet, at the earnest request
of my children, and overcoming my extreme dislike for the
manual drudgery of writing, I shall try to jot down some remin-
iscences of my childhood in Illinois and Wisconsin, as well as
those of later years in St. Paul, Minnesota, hoping to interest
those who care for early memories of our city.

My earliest remembrances are those in frontier life. My
great-grandparents, both paternal and maternal, came from
the north of Ireland and were what is known as Scotch-Irish.
They came to this country in the eighteenth century and set-
tled near Philadelphia. I know very little about their lives, as
they were too busy trying to establish homes to keep any record
of daily experiences.

My paternal grandfather, David Marshall, visited Kentucky
before the War of the Revolution ; at the outbreak of the war
he enlisted and served throughout the war in the Pennsylvania
troops under Gen. Anthony Wayne ; after peace was declared,
he married Sarah Graham, and bride and groom started for
their future home in Kentucky on horseback, making the en-
tire journey in that way. They bade good-bye to their rela-
tives, never expecting to see them again; however, a sister of
my grandmother married and went to Lexington to live some
years later. A descendant of hers, James Fisher Robinson, was
governor of Kentucky during a part of the Civil War, in 1862-3.

We often talk and tell stories of heroes during the forming

*Read at the monthly meeting of the Executive Council, November

10, 1 9 1 o.

516 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

of the West, but there were heroines as well, and I always think
of my grandmother Marshall as one of that number. In 1872
I visited my ancestor's home in Kentucky; the farm on which
my grandfather located was near Paris, Bourbon county.
While I was there, one among many incidents which my mother
had told me as happening there was forcibly brought to my
mind; it occurred soon after the birth of my grandmother's
eldest child. The first settlers had built their log cabins of
one room near together as a protection from the Indians, and
these little settlements -were called stations ; each cabin had a
hole in the wall closed with a wooden plug, and every morning
before opening the door the occupant would look out of this
opening to see if any Indians were around. On the morning
of this incident my grandfather looked out, as usual, and saw
an Indian with his gun pointed at the door of the adjoining
cabin. He took down his rifle, loaded it, asked my grand-
mother to hold a charge in her hand, and then, not wishing to
frighten her, said he saw a deer; he fired and wounded the
Indian, whereupon other Indians appeared and carried off the
wounded one. The settlers were roused by the noise of the shot
and traced the trail of the Indians a long way by the drops of
blood, but could not catch up with them. I was much inter-
ested in visiting the cabin, which was then used as a chicken
house and was still standing on its original site on the farm
owned by my grandfather, and in actually looking through the
very hole through which my grandfather fired.

My maternal grandfather was Samuel Shaw; I know he
lived in Carlisle, Pa., and married my grandmother there, her
maiden name being Rebecca Lowry Black; I was named Re-
becca Lowry after her. My mother, named Abigail, was born
in Carlisle, February 19, 1789, and was eight years old when
her father and mother moved to Kentucky. My grandfather
Shaw located on a farm near my grandfather Marshall, and
both families grew up together in the famous "blue grass re-
gion."

In the year 1820 a number of families emigrated from Ken-
tucky to Ohio and Missouri ; my father and mother were among
the emigrants and went to Missouri. They located on a farm
near Boonville, and there the four younger children were born,

A SHEAF OF REMEMBRANCES. 517

two sons, Joseph Miller and William Rainey, and two daugh-
ters, Sarah Jane and myself, Rebecca Lowry.

In 1830 my grandfather Shaw, having become dissatisfied
with slavery, decided to remove to a free state and Illinois at-
tracted him; he went to Quincy with his family, consisting of
five grown children, his wife having died, and located on a
farm three miles out of the village, where he died in 1832.

My father had financial reverses in Missouri, chiefly owing
to the burning of a large barn stored with tobacco, and he de-
cided to join my mother's family at Quincy. I was born on
May 30, 1830, and in the following September my father moved
to Quincy. They traveled, as all emigrants did in those days,
in covered wagons during the daytime, and camped out at
night. My father bought a farm in the vicinity of grand-
father Shaw, but before he was able to move onto it he was
taken ill with typhoid fever and died, leaving my mother with
six children, the eldest one twelve years old, and the youngest,
myself, six months. Now came the time to show what a heroine
my mother was ; she moved to the farm with her small children
that fall, and the first winter proved a terrible one for her.
She and all the family had the ague, as indeed all the inhab-
itants of that region were subject to chills and fever; my
mother had a chill every alternate day, and on the interven-
ing well day she worked hard to get ready for the sick day.
I was so ill that my aunts kept me at my grandfather's place;
no one thought I would live, nor desired me to live, as it was
deemed I could not have good sense should I live; yet now I
am well and vigorous after eighty-three years of active life.

In 1832 an epidemic of cholera visited the country and was
particularly severe in Quincy and the surrounding district.
My grandfather Shaw and my oldest brother were stricken
with the dread disease, and both died the same day ; my aunts
were helpless from fright, and my mother had everything to
do; she prepared them for the burial, and returned from the
funeral to take up her burden again. One of her neighbors,
Mr. Edward Pearson, helped her in every way he could, and
they both nursed cholera patients without catching the disease.

My mother's next trial was the death of the eldest of the
remaining children from fever; after this she rented the farm

518 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

and moved into the village of Quincy. My first recollections
begin when I was about five years old; our family numbered
five, my mother, two brothers, aged nine and eleven, a sister
seven years old, and myself ; my sister died in her eighth year.
My brothers and I attended a school taught by Mr. Stafford
and his sister, situated near where we lived; I must have
learned to read at this early age, as I can never remember the
time when I could not read. Mr. Stafford's mother taught me
to work a sampler also, and I well recollect how patient the
dear old lady was, how stupid I was, and how many tears I
shed ; I have thought ever since it was a mistake to teach chil-
dren too young. From the time I was nine years old until I
was fourteen, I was very fortunate in attending a school kept
by a lady of fine character and education; she was a Mrs.
Thornton, and I feel that I owe all I know to her faithful
teaching.

My mother was a strict disciplinarian; with her to speak
was to be obeyed. I remember one instance : my brother Wil-
liam was very easily provoked to laughter, and one day began
laughing in school ; the teacher demanded to know what caused
him such mirth ; my brother 's answer did not please the teach-
er, and he gave him a severe whipping. My brother felt that
the teacher was unjust, so he took his books and went home ;
mother heard his complaint, and then took down a whip and
told him to return to school, which he did. The teacher after-
ward acknowledged he was wrong, and begged my brother's
forgiveness. In those days discipline was strictly maintained,
and there was no need of parental schools.

My mother had two brothers who served in the Black Hawk
War; one died during the war, and the other retired with the
rank of captain; he lived in the mining region of Wisconsin,
about twelve miles from Galena, Illinois. My brother Joseph
went to live with this uncle when he was sixteen, and in a
year or two my brother William joined him; this left my
mother and me alone.

In the spring of 1844 mother and I visited my brothers,
and we remained with them a year; to me it was a year full
of physical benefit, as the great freedom from school, and out-
of-door life at a period when I was growing rapidly, estab-

A SHEAF OF REMEMBRANCES. 519

lished my health, and I think my four score years are due to
this one year spent in the lead mining district of Wisconsin.

We returned to Quincy in the spring of 1845, and I again
took up my school duties ; but my good, efficient teacher, Mrs.
Thornton, had gone to Oregon, and the school seemed to be run
to support the teacher, not to educate the pupils. I made very
little progress, and have always felt that I was defrauded of
the education I ought to have had.

In 1849 my brothers left Wisconsin and went to the new
territory of Minnesota. In May of that year my brother Wil-
liam came for mother and me, and, much to my delight, we
started for our new home. We came by steamboat to Galena,
and then changed to another boat for the upper Mississippi.
The trip in those days was delightful ; the boats were large, the
captains were gentlemen, and the food was of the best. Since
traffic by railroad has been introduced, all this has been
changed.

Our trip up the river was made at the most favorable time
of the year, and most of each day was spent on the hurricane
deck ; the scenery of the upper Mississippi was grand, far sur-
passing the Hudson. I feel very sorry for people who traverse
Europe for the purpose of enjoying grand scenery and have
never looked upon the magnificent bluffs of the Mississippi
river. Our boat, the Lady Franklin, with Captain Smith in
command, landed at Mendota the morning of the tenth of May,
1849, for Mendota was then of more importance than St. Paul.
Mr. Sibley, afterward Governor and General, lived there; as
he was the delegate to Congress from the territory of Minne-
sota, his residence and influence had made Mendota a place of
prime importance. After lying there most of the day to dis-
charge freight, the Lady Franklin brought us to St. Paul, as
all our passengers were bound for this point.

The only hotel here was a small one built partly of logs and
partly of frame work, called the St. Paul House; it was sit-
uated on the corner of Third and Jackson streets, on the; site
of the present Merchants' Hotel. Besides being the only hotel,
it was also the post office, and Mr. J. W. Bass was both land-
lord and post master. Here we were crowded like sardines in
a box, and some of the younger members among the passen-

520 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

gers had to sleep on the floor, I among the number. One of
the passengers was a Mrs. Parker from Boston, the future land-
lady of the American House then being built.

Those days are very vivid in my memory. The morning
after our arrival a Miss Bishop introduced herself to us as the
school teacher, and asked my mother and me to take a walk
with her and see the village, I might say, the Indian village.
Our walk took us up a high hill at the rear of the hotel, from
which we had a splendid view of the bluffs on either side of
the river as far as to Fort Snelling. All the surrounding coun-
try was in its primitive state, and the prospect was a glorious
one; as we gazed around there came to our notice Dayton's
bluff (but not Dayton's then) on the east; what is now Sum-
mit avenue on the west; and the Wabasha bluff on the north.
Could anything be grander than the view at that time? Who
could imagine then that this little French and Indian village
would one day become one of the largest and most important
cities of the Northwest? Oh, if our future citizens could have
realized this great fact, how much more wisely would they
have wrought! The Third street bluff might have been kept
intact as a boulevard for all time, and Summit avenue could
have been laid out so as not to destroy the bluff line. God did
everything for our city, but man's greed has defaced the
Creator's work.

The second day after our arrival a party was made up to
visit St. Anthony Falls, noted from the time it was discovered
by Father Hennepin on his voyage down the river in 1680. We
drove up the river until opposite Fort Snelling, and then lost
our way ; no one in the party knew the road, but after going
through the woods for some distance we finally struck the right
path between St. Paul and St. Anthony. During our drive we
saw several deer, and realized we were indeed in the wilder-
ness. The thunder of the falling water reached our ears long
before we came to the famous cataract; but when at last our
eyes saw the great volume of water that rushed over the preci-
pice, the sight surpassed all our expectations. It was superb;
no one can realize now anything of the grandeur of the scene
as it was then; no wonder that the poor Indian worshipped
the Great Spirit of the cataract. But here again man has de-

A SHEAF OF REMEMBRANCES. 521

stroyed for utilitarian purposes what the savage worshipped.

The only building, except sawmills, at the Falls of St. An-
thony at that time, May 11, 1849, was a boarding house for the
mill hands. Two sawmills were operated on the east side just
below Nicollet island ; several small buildings were in the pro-
cess of erection, however, and among them a one-story frame
house was being built by my brothers, Joseph M. and William
R. Marshall. The front room was intended to be used as a
general country store, and the rooms back of that for a resi-
dence; it was the only plastered house in the village. Today
the Pillsbury "A" mill stands near the site of that early home,
and the little village of 1849-50 has long since been swallowed
up in the progress and enterprise which have built the stirring
city of Minneapolis.

After remaining a few weeks in St. Paul, waiting for our
house to be finished, we moved to St. Anthony. We had very
little furniture, as everything had to be hauled by team from
St. Paul ; aside from merchantable things, only what was abso-
lutely necessary for our living was taken over ; our dining table
all summer was a dry goods box, although my mother had
brought fine mahogany furniture with her, tables, chairs, sofas,
bureaus, washstands, and dining-room set. Governor Ramsey
wished to buy the parlor set, offering my mother several hun-
dred dollars for it; my brothers urged her to sell it and buy
real estate, but she said that she had but a few years to live
and she wished to live those few years respectably. Part of
this furniture is still preserved by the family as an heirloom.

The summer of '49 was a most interesting period in my
life. I had been raised under the strict rules laid down by the
straitest sect of the Presbyterians, and had never been to a
dance, theater, or any place of amusement supposed to have
the Evil One for a patron. Here I was like one let out of
prison, and each day was one of joy and gladness. People were
pouring into the Territory; every steamboat's passenger list
was full; every stage arriving in the village of St. Anthony
was crowded with tourists; some came to settle, others to spy
out the land. The stage stopped within a few rods of our
house, and the tourists always crossed from our side of the
river to Hennepin island, on a foot bridge, in order to get the

522 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

best view of the Falls. They were invariably enraptured with
the sight; as I have said, the fall of water at this time was
grand, the river not being obstructed with logs, and the preci-
pice over which the river dashed not having broken away. My
brothers had inherited the hospitable spirit of our Southern
ancestors, and our home, poor as it was, became a center of
entertainment; and thus it was that those travelers from the
far East partook of our meager fare, with many thanks, all
the recompense asked. It is a great source of regret to me
that I did not keep a visitor's book during the years of 1849-50,
as so many distinguished people were our guests during those
years, some spending two or three days, while others took only
one meal.

Our guests were not all white citizens, however, for many a
time when I was busy in the house I became conscious that
some one was near me, and on looking around I saw a half
dozen Indians inside the door; their moccasined feet had not
made the slightest noise. It was not very pleasant to have
such visitors, although they were perfectly harmless ; they were
inveterate beggars, and would never leave until you gave them
something to eat. After a while I learned to keep the outside
door locked.

Altogether that first summer in our new home was delightful,
but we all dreaded the approach of winter. It would be at
least five months after the close of navigation before it would
be resumed, and during that time we should be practically
prisoners, our only means of communication with the rest of
the world being by stage, a very hard and dangerous journey
in any direction.

A great number of young men from eastern cities came also
that first summer; most of them settled in St. Paul, commer-
cial life appealing to them more than manufacturing. Many
succeeded in business, went back east to marry, and returned
with their brides ; few, very few, of these founders of our com-
monwealth are now living, but their children and grandchil-
dren are our present active citizens. Fortunately for our new
Territory, the rough class which emigrated to Colorado, Mont-
ana, and the territories farther west, did not come to Minne-
sota, there being no mineral resources to attract them.

A SHEAF OF REMEMBRANCES. 523

Governor Ramsey and the other territorial officers came in
May, 1849. Most of those officials were old war horses, who
had been living on politics the greater part of their lives; al-
though many of them were men of ability, I am sorry to say
that in many respects they did not prove shining examples.
Ramsey was an exception; he had plenty of good common
sense, and though not as brilliant, perhaps, as some of the
judges, he was a safe man and made a most excellent governor,
never, however, losing sight of the political outlook and the
part he was to play. He was most fortunate in having a charm-
ing wife, to whom was due much of his success, and of whom I
shall have more to say later.

The American House, with Mrs. Parker as landlady, was
headquarters for the territorial officers. Mrs. Parker was a
large, handsome woman, rather masculine, but well adapted to
conduct the business of a frontier hotel. Hon. Henry M. Rice,
afterward delegate to Congress and United States senator, was
the principal owner of the American House, and he had secured
her as landlady; there was a Mr. Parker, but he was chiefly
known as Mrs. Parker's husband. When the hotel was first
opened, it was called the Rice House, and it continued to be
so called until there arose a quarrel between Mr. Rice and Mrs.
Parker. I do not know the cause of it, but I know that Mrs.
Parker felt so bitter that she practiced at a mark for weeks,
declaring her intention of shooting Mr. Rice. Finally, how-
ever, she gave up her desire for blood, and revenged herself
by changing the name of the hotel from Rice House to the
American House, and later it was burned down. Mrs. Parker
built a fine dwelling on Irvine Park, was confirmed in Christ
Church, and lived to an honorable old age.

St. Anthony was first settled by lumbermen who came from
the vicinity of Bangor, Maine ; they were a sturdy, honest, and
industrious class of men. We were the only family of South-
ern lineage, but my brothers were also typical pioneers, with
plenty of enterprise and endurance. Brother William, although
not then twenty-four years of age, became a leader in both
business and political affairs. He surveyed and platted the
village of St. Anthony in the autumn of 1849, and named the
streets.

524 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

The inhabitants being also God-fearing men and anxious
for mental improvement, built a schoolhouse, which was to be
used as a church and lecture hall as well as for school pur-
poses. The Presbyterian, Baptist, and Methodist ministers from
St. Paul came over on alternate Sundays to hold service in this
building, and my mother always gladly entertained them from
Saturday night until Monday morning.

St. Paul and St. Anthony united to celebrate the Fourth of
July, 1849, with a parade, a banquet, and a ball. The army
corps from Ft. Snelling was invited to join in the parade, and
indeed it really was the parade, but I was too busy preparing
for the ball to see it myself. The oration of the day was deliv-
ered by Judge Meeker in a grove on the site of Rice Park ; the
banquet was held in the American House in the afternoon ; and
the ball was in the same place in the evening. These festivi-
ties also marked the opening of the American House. The elite
of both villages attended the ball, and as the men outnumbered
the women there were no wall flowers throughout the evening.

Just before supper was served, my attention was attracted
to a group of ladies who had entered the dining-room; they
were Mrs. Ramsey, Mrs. Sibley, Mrs. H. M. Rice, and Mrs.
Steele. I do not think four handsomer women could have been
found in the United States. Mrs. Ramsey was easily distin-
guished from the others, however, on account of her regal bear-
ing, and she immediately captured my admiration to the exclu-
sion of the others; but meeting the other three at a later date,
and seeing how beautiful they were, I wondered how I could
have been so partial that evening.

The first Territorial Legislature met in St. Paul in the fall
of 1849; it met in the Central House, a boarding house near
Third street and what are now Cedar and Minnesota streets.
Besides being a hotel, it was also the place where many society
functions were held. My brother William was a member of
this legislature and frequently walked from St. Anthony to
St. Paul to attend to his public duties. This was the legisla-
ture which decided the location of the Capitol, the State Uni-
versity, and the State Prison; of course the capitol had been
already located in St. Paul by Congress, when General Sibley
was our territorial delegate, but many attempts were made to

A SHEAF OF REMEMBRANCES. 525

have it moved, and several times the efforts were very nearly
successful. My brother earnestly argued for locating the State
University at St. Anthony.

A few society people in St. Paul planned to celebrate Christ-
mas, '49, by a sleigh ride to Banfil's on Manomin creek, about
nine miles above St. Anthony. I was invited to be one of their
guests, and Mr. Whitall, a brother of Mrs. H. M. Rice, was my
escort. The sleighing was fine and being well protected with
fur robes the drive was delightful to us, and it seemed very
short. We arrived at Banfil's in time for an early supper,
which consisted of viands that even in these luxurious days
would be tempting to the appetite ; after supper the dining-
room was cleared, and we had a grand dance.

The musicians were colored barbers from St. Paul, and the
leader was a large, fine-looking man named Taylor; he had a
voice a brigadier general might envy, and as at that time the
figures were called off, a clear, strong voice was much sought
for. He was killed in the Indian outbreak of '62. This colored
band was in great demand in both St. Paul and St. Anthony
during several years.

We danced until the wee, small hours of the morning, and
then retired for a short rest; after a breakfast equally as ap-
petizing as our supper of the night before, we prepared for our
drive home.

An amusing incident occurred just as we were ready to
start for home. One of our party was a stalwart, young man,
afterward known as Sonny Dayton ; he was quite smitten with
a young lady whose escort was a Southerner of blue blood, but
of diminutive stature. This couple were seated opposite each
other when suddenly Mr. Dayton came up to the sleigh, lifted
the small escort out, jumped in himself and signaled the driver
to start. The Southerner was what was called a fire-eater, and
we fully expected coffee and pistols for two, but happily the
affair closed without any blood being shed.

When the restraints of an older and long settled community
are thrown off, as they are to a large extent in newly settled
districts, an unseemly indulgence is often a source of great
embarrassment to those of stronger character, and the experi-
ence of those early days bore ample testimony to this fact.

526 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

I remember well the New Year's Day of 1850. I was spend-
ing the holidays with Mr. and Mrs. Edmund Rice in St. Paul;
early in the morning of this day a delegation of Sioux Indians
from the west side of the village, which was still an Indian
reservation, called to pay their respects. They shook hands
with us, said in English, "Happy New Year," and then seated
themselves on the floor. Mr. Rice sent to the baker's for
bread, and gave each one of them a loaf ; after staying a short
time, they bowed in a very courteous manner and left. Dur-
ing the afternoon several of the territorial officers called ; they
were gentlemen born and bred, but they had so far forgotten
both birth and breeding that they fell far below, our savage
guests. Mrs. Rice felt so insulted by their behavior that she
had what we women call a good cry, when they at last reeled
out of her home.

My brother William became greatly interested in some of
the young clerks who had fallen under this influence, and
brought them to our home to recover from the effects of too
much liquor. He persuaded two of them to resign and return
to their homes; one of them became a prominent Baptist min-
ister, and the other a famous editor in Dayton, Ohio. They
both said they owed their salvation to my brother's efforts in
their behalf. My brother was also held in such respect by the
territorial officers that during a week when he was a guest at
the American House, while busy surveying an addition to St.
Paul, no liquor was served at the table; but, to compensate
themselves for their self-denial, on the Saturday my brother
left, the officials of the Territory had a jamboree and flooded
the dining-room as well as themselves with the vile stuff.

In the spring of 1850 the Episcopalians began missionary
and pastoral work in the Territory, and the Associate Mission,
consisting of three clergymen, Rev. James Lloyd Breck, Rev.
Timothy Wilcoxson, and Rev. John A. Merrick, arrived in St.
Paul and located on the mission grounds now called Park Place.
They organized Christ Church in St. Paul, and planned to visit
Stillwater, St. Anthony, and other places, holding service once
a Sunday. They, walked to these several stations and were
faithful workers in God's vineyard. The seed sown then has

A SHEAF OF REMEMBRANCES. 527

produced a truly bountiful harvest for the reapers who are
gathering it and sowing again.

One little incident occurred that summer which is worthy
of being told. One Sunday we expected the Rev. Mr. Wilcox
son to hold service in St. Anthony, and my mother prepared
supper for him in her hospitable way, but he did not come. My
brothers and I went to church, and found that he had gone
directly there. The service began, but in the midst of it Mr.
Wilcoxson fainted; the congregation was dismissed, and later,
when he was taken to our home, we found out that he had
walked from St. Paul and begun the service without having
anything to eat; nature was outraged and rebelled. We took
the best possible care of him, and the next morning, after a
comfortable breakfast, he left us to return to St. Paul. As a
sequel to this, five years later when my mother lay dying in
St. Paul, Mr. Wilcoxson comforted her with the Church's
prayers and blessing.

A personal experience during this early residence in St.
Anthony shows how the unexpected may come to pass. A
young man from Boston became the guest of my brother, and
being a devout Episcopalian held many an argument with me
over our differing religious beliefs, he upholding the f 'faith
once delivered to the saints," as represented by the Episcopal
Church, and I arguing for my mother's form of doctrine, rep-
resented by the Presbyterian Church. Finally he ended our
argument by saying, "You will some day be a good church-
woman, and to help you become such an one I will send you a
Book of Common Prayer, and I know you will use it. " I said,
"You will only be wasting money, as I will never use it;" but
he was as good as his word, and I received a beautifully bound
copy of the Prayer Book. In the year 1853 I married a devout
churchman, and the prayer book sent was used until it had
grown shabby, and it has since been carefully preserved as a
memento of former days.

In June, 1850, I enjoyed two interesting and unique river
excursions. One was early in that month, when Mrs. North
and I were guests on a little steamboat called the Governor
Ramsey, on its trial trip up the river ; the boat was built above
the Falls, to ply on the upper Mississippi, and it was small and

528 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

of very light draught, We left St. Anthony one morning, the
weather being delightful so that we spent all our time on deck
under an awning. Captain Rollins, if I am not mistaken, was
in charge of the boat ; at evening he tied up to the river bank,
navigation being so uncertain that the pilot did not dare to
proceed during the night. We reached our destination the next
day, and, I think, landed at what is now Saint Cloud ; at least,
it was below Sauk Rapids.

At this time a treaty had been arranged by the Governor
between the hostile tribes of Indians, the Sioux and Chippe-
was, to take place at Fort Snelling ; so awaiting our boat were
several hundred Chippewas to be transported to the fort. Mr.
Beaulieu was the interpreter; he was a French Canadian who
had lived many years among the Chippewas, and had an Indian
wife. The Indians came on board, and we steamed down the
river on our return trip. Mrs. North and I were much inter-
ested in watching our Indian passengers, who were well con-
trolled by their chief; no body of white men could have be-
haved better. Indians are great admirers of red or curly hair,
and my hair, though brown, curled naturally and profusely,
and it was so worn according to the fashion of those days.
Several of them came to me and lifted my curls in their hands,
saying in their native tongue, "Pretty, pretty." It did not
make me feel very comfortable, 'but I knew that they meant
no harm, only admiration, and I didn't resent their familiarity.
The homeward trip was charming; the little steamboat stood
its trial trip satisfactorily ; but it did not prove to be profitable
afterward, and it was taken to pieces and transferred to the
Red river.

Quite a party of St. Anthony people attended the treaty at
Fort Snelling, on the 12th of June. We went in a farmer's
wagon and across a prairie where now stands the city of Min-
neapolis, not a single cabin meeting our eyes in any direction ;
there were many wild flowers, and the air was fragrant with
the wild strawberries. We passed Lake Calhoun and Lake
Harriet, and crossed their outlet above Minnehaha Falls. Like
St. Anthony Falls, the natural beauty of these lakes and of the
picturesque Minnehaha have been partially spoiled by the hand
of man.

A SHEAF OP REMEMBRANCES. 529

It was an interesting scene at the fort ; the Chippewas were
stationed on the ground inside the fort, when the Sioux
marched up the steep hill and circled around their deadly ene-
mies. The commandant had the guns trained on them ready
to use if there should be the least outbreak; but the Indians
were cowed, knowing the white men had them in their power.
The Chippewas were a much finer appearing body of men than
the Sioux; and their chief, Hole-in-the-Day, was a dignified,
grand looking Indian, reminding one of the Indian chiefs we
read about in colonial days.

Governor Ramsey and the commissioners had everything
planned, and acted with such good judgment that they accom-
plished what they wished. On our return home across the
prairie, we lost our way and were several hours getting back
on the right trail, so we arrived home late in the evening.

Fifty-one years later I met these tribes of Indians, or rather
members of these two tribes, amid very different surroundings
and on a very different occasion ; it was at the funeral of our
beloved Bishop Whipple, held in the cathedral at Faribault.
A band of Christian Chippewas and a band of Christian Sioux
came to show their love for one who had been to them truly
an apostle; each band had a share in the service, one band
singing a hymn in their native language during the service in
the cathedral, and the other band singing outside the cathedral
at the close of the service. I, who had known them when to
meet was to murder each other, could not but marvel at the
power of Christ which could convert deadly enemies into
brothers. The hymns they sang were much more effective as
funeral hymns than those rendered by the cathedral choir ; and
I remember feeling this same way when attending the me-
morial service for Queen Victoria in Honolulu. The native
Hawaiians sang at that service, and their music was pathetic
and solemn, being much better adapted to a mournful occa-
sion than that of the American choir.

My second river excursion was enjoyed on the first steam-
boat that made an exploring trip up the Minnesota river. On
the morning of June 28, 1850, the Anthony Wayne under
charge of Captain Dan Able left St. Paul for a journey up the

53(J MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

unknown waters of the St. Peter river, now called the Minne-
sota. There was a gay crowd on board, composed of our most
prominent citizens, with quite a number of young men and
women who later grew to be the bone and sinew of our great
Northwest. At this time I was the guest of Mrs. Edmund Rice
of St. Paul, in whose home I met the gentleman who was my
escort on the excursion; he was Gen. Sylvanus B. Lowry of
Stearns county, whose principal city, St. Cloud, was then a
small village. General Lowry was a Kentuckian by birth, the
son of a Presbyterian minister, and had all the polish of a well-
born gentleman. We had a band of music on board, and also
a quantity of fireworks, which were to be fired off the night
we reached the highest point on the river. I shall never forget
the beauty of that ride; the vegetation was perfect, as it al-
ways is in this climate in June ; the banks were gay with wild
flowers of gorgeous hues, and acres and acres of wild roses
covered the islands we passed by. We landed at various
points, amusing ourselves by gathering flowers and walking
through grass a foot or more in height. Sunset brought us
to a mission station, now the city of Shakopee, and the mis-
sionary in charge was the Rev. Samuel W. Pond.

The Indians there were Sioux or Dacotahs ; they had never
seen such a monster as a steamboat, and were so excited that
Mr. Pond would not let us set off the fire works, and said that
the Indians probably could not be restrained and might cause
great trouble. The night was anything but peaceful, however ;
it was not the Indians who disturbed us, but billions upon bil-
lions of mosquitoes; they filled the air, and the walls of our
cabin were black with them; we walked the deck all night
fighting them off. In the morning the captain concluded he
had reached the highest point to which it was safe to go and
turned homeward; aside from the plague of mosquitoes, we
had a jolly time dancing and feasting to our heart's content.
Again my greatest admirers on this trip were some half-civil-
ized Indians who often touched my curly hair, saying, in their
language, "Pretty, pretty."

My mother's health not being very good, my brother Wil-
liam thought it best for her to visit her old home in Kentucky,

A SHEAF OF REMEMBRANCES. 531

and accordingly arrangements were made for us to spend the
winter of 1850-51 in the South; we were to leave St. Paul on
the last steamboat of the season, about the first of November,
and we boarded in St. Paul at the Central House a few days
waiting for the steamer. At the hotel we found Miss Harriet
E. Bishop prepared to be a passenger also ; we were much sur-
prised to find that she had decided to leave, thinking her more
permanently established than many others. But a great dis-
appointment had come into her life, and as her story was quite
romantic and unusual for those days, I shall tell it here.

In 1848 Governor Slade of Vermont, who was much inter-
ested in educational matters, sent out two teachers to Minne-
sota; they were Miss Amanda Horsford (later Mrs. H. L. Moss)
to Stillwater, and Miss Bishop to St. Paul. One year later he
sent Miss Backus to St. Anthony. Miss Bishop found St. Paul
an Indian half-breed village with a very few white people, but
she opened the first school here in a log hut and did her duty
faithfully to her pupils. As I have before said, she was the
first one to greet us on our arrival in May, 1849, and she be-
came quite intimate in our family and was always a welcome
visitor.

Miss Bishop became engaged to Mr. James K. Humphrey, a
young lawyer of St. Paul, and some years younger than her-
self, but not her equal intellectually. She was devoted to him,
and during all one summer had planned to be married in the
fall ; Mr. Humphrey had built a pretty cottage on Irvine Park ;
the trousseau had been completed, and everything was going
smoothly; but, alas, there was a rock ahead which made ship-
wreck of all these fond anticipations and plans. Mr. Hum-
phrey's sister, Mrs. Selby, came back from the East, where she
had been spending the summer, and she forbade the bans; her
only reason stated was that Miss Bishop was older than her
brother; and he then and there proved our opinion of him,
that he was weak, and broke the engagement. Miss Bishop
was broken-hearted and decided she could not remain in St.
Paul ; we all sympathized with her, but thought that she would
realize after a time that he had not been worthy of her love.
Nevertheless the result was that her life was wrecked and she

532 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

seemed to lose her fine mental balance. She married a few
years after this, and was the author of a historical book enti-
tled "Dakota War Whoop, or Indian Massacres and War in
Minnesota, of 1862-3;" but she had lost her prestige as Miss
Bishop, and twenty years later she died in this city, almost
unknown. An island in the river was named Harriet after her,
and today this island is covered with the Public Baths and
Playgrounds, so that in a certain sense her name will always
be connected with the education and enlightenment of youth.

Upon our arrival South, it was thought best that I should
spend a few months in a boarding-school in Quincy, Illinois,
my former home. The school was organized and run by Cath-
erine Beecher, sister of Henry Ward Beecher; the teachers
were all from Boston and very celebrated women. I had the
privilege of selecting my studies, and chose music, Latin,
French, and history. Mrs. Dana, an aunt of Richard Dana,
author of "Two Years Before the Mast," was the history
teacher; and her daughter, Miss Dana, taught Latin and
French.

In June, 1851, my mother and I returned to Minnesota and
to our home in St. Anthony. The trip by steamboat from
Quincy to St. Paul was delightful in the beautiful summer
weather; the present generation cannot realize what the Mis-
sissippi was and still is.

The summer of 1851 passed very much as did the summer
of '49 ; numerous tourists came to view the country, and many
became permanent residents- One especially interesting event
of that summer was the visit of the Swedish authoress, Fred-
rika Bremer ; she was the guest of Governor and Mrs. Ramsey,
and they brought her to St. Anthony Falls to enjoy its beauty.
They called on my mother, and later my brother William and I
accompanied them on a visit to Mrs. North, who lived on Nicol-
let island.

It is very hard to believe that sixty years ago that island
had only one house on it, and that one built of logs ; it was also
heavily wooded, and in its wild state was very beautiful.
There was no bridge connecting it with the main land; the
crossing had to be made on the pine logs lying in the mill dam

A SHEAF OF REMEMBRANCES. 533

above the sawmills. Mrs. North was a fine musician, and I had
taken music lessons from her, and so I had become quite ac-
complished in making this dangerous passage every day. But
naturally Miss Bremer was terrified at the prospect, and Gov-
ernor Ramsey and my brother had to use their best persuasive
powers to get her started on the perilous journey. Fortunately
the logs nearer the mill were more tightly jammed, and the
noted authoress reached the island safely. Mrs. North enter-
tained us with some of the finest selections of music, both vocal
and instrumental, and at the conclusion of our visit we re-
turned to the main shore over the same log jam. I remember
one remark of Miss Bremer on that memorable visit ; she was
asked to sing, but declined, saying, "I only sing for God in
the church, and for little children."

When I now visit the city of Minneapolis and see Nicollet
island, with its streets and row upon row of houses, street cars
crossing it, and bridges on either side, I think progress is all
utilitarian. No grand cataract, no magnificent forest trees, no
majestic river, are there now; but everything has been bound
and fettered, to add to the wealth and comfort of man. I am
glad that I lived in the wild days when nature reigned supreme.

In the fall of 1851 I went to Rock Island, Illinois, to act as
bridesmaid to my friend, Miss Slaymaker, and while I was away
my family made a momentous change. My brothers had de-
cided that the future of St. Anthony would be greatly retarded
from the fact that the water power was in litigation, and that
it might be years before the lawsuits .would end and the power
could be used; but they knew that St. Paul, as the head of
navigation, was bound to be a commercial city, and so they
decided to remove to this place. Then, too, the strife between
the "Twin Cities," as they were fain to be called, was well
begun.

St. Anthony residents contended that their city was the
head of navigation ; and indeed, to prove it, one steamboat was
induced to ascend the river as far as Cheever 's landing, a point
near where the University now stands. The citizens of St.
Anthony made a great celebration over the event, and in the
evening a dance on board the boat was given; but on the re-

534 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

turn of the boat to St. Paul, the captain said that nothing would
ever induce him to take that risk again. He had not expected
to reach St. Paul without the loss of the boat, and perhaps of
life; but we passengers knew nothing of the danger and en-
joyed it all. As far as I know, that was the first and last time
a boat reached Cheever's landing.

On my return to St. Paul from the wedding, I found my
family living there. My brother had bought several lots on
Irvine Park, and had a much more comfortable house than the
one we had in St. Anthony.

The winter of 1851-2 was spent very pleasantly; small
dancing parties were given, and many sleigh rides were taken
on the river to Fort Snelling. In the spring of '52 my brother
Joseph kept the house on Irvine Park, and my brother William
bought a house on the northwest corner of Rice Park and
Fourth street, into which my mother, himself, and I moved. In
this house I was married, and in it my mother died ; it has long
since been torn down, and the only thing left to remind me of
those old days is a maple tree, one of a row that my mother
had transplanted there; it still flourishes, but each spring I
expect it will disappear to give place to modern improvements.

In this locality was the First Methodist Church; it was
built in 1849, and was used as a place of worship by the Meth-
odists for many years ; later it was occupied by the New Jeru-
salem or Swedenborgian congregation; it still stands to re-
mind us of the day of small things, in contrast to the present
beautiful Methodist church edifice just completed in a fashion-
able part of the city. I do not think that one member of the
congregation who worshipped in the little brick church on Rice
Park in 1849 is now living. Truly, man passes away like a
shadow, but "the word of God abideth forever."

In 1852-3 my brothers had a hardware store on Washing-
ton street, near the corner of Fourth street; they sold it to
John Nicols, and it is now a large wholesale store, the firm
name being "Nicols, Dean & Gregg," two of the proprietors
being son and son-in-law of the Mr. Nicols who purchased it
from my brothers. Afterward my brothers organized a bank
that failed in the great panic of 1857, which was so general

A SHEAF OF REMEMBRANCES. 535

that not one citizen of the Northwest escaped the crash ; busi-
ness houses fell down like card houses. Every one had to start
anew to build up his fortune, but all being young and full of
energy we went to work immediately; in a few years we had
forgotten the trials and economies of the panic, which really
lasted until the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861-

As I think of those years, I cannot remember that the loss
of money made any of us unhappy ; we all went down together,
and we were all willing to economize and live plainly, enter-
taining our friends and having a happy time in a simple way.
Youth, happy youth, always hopeful, looks forward to the
good time, which most of us realized.

We were living on Rice Park when I met my husband. I
was taking tea with Miss Day, a friend of mine who was visit-
ing her brother who lived on the corner of Wabasha and Tenth
streets, opposite the old Capitol, and in the evening two young
gentlemen called on us, Mr. William P. Murray and Mr. Alex-
ander H. Cathcart. I had never met either gentleman before ;
the evening passed pleasantly, and in a few days, having asked
my permission, both gentlemen called at our house. The win-
ter of 1852-3 was a gay one, and my acquaintance with Mr.
Cathcart progressed so rapidly that I was engaged to him in
the spring, and we were married the following November on
the tenth day of the month. Mr. Cathcart, born and raised in
Toronto, Canada, was a member of the Church of England, and
at his request, we were married by an Episcopal clergyman.
After our marriage we attended Christ Church, became com-
municants of the church, and I am still a member, having com-
pleted my sixtieth year of enjoyment of this great privilege.

My mother had been failing in health for a year or more,
and died in January, 1854; her grave was one of the first in
Oakland Cemetery. She was a member of the First Presby-
terian Church, on Third street midway between Market and
St. Peter streets, of which the Rev. Edward D. Neill was pastor.

My marriage and my mother 's death brought great changes
to our household, and in the spring of '54 we left the home on
Fourth street and for a few months lived on Seventh street be-
low Broadway. We then bought a house on Robert street, at

536 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

that time a very pleasant location, though now one of the most
forlorn parts of the city. The little cottage is still standing,
and it is hard to realize that it was once a comfortable and
happy home.

In the fall of 1857 my husband purchased a newly built
residence on Summit avenue between Rice and St. Peter streets ;
at that time this location was one of the best in the city. The
block opposite our home was owned by the Episcopal Church,
and it was expected that the future bishop's residence and the
cathedral would be built on those grounds.

The three clergymen, Dr. Breck, Rev. Mr. Wilcoxson, and
Rev. Mr. Merrick, occupied a building there ; the grounds were
beautiful, each clergyman having a flower garden amidst the
fine native oak trees ; this gave us a charming outlook, and we
felt settled for life. Alas, how uncertain life is! Now that
fine neighborhood has deteriorated; the mission property has
been allowed to go to rack and ruin; boarding houses have
crowded in, and the bishop's residence and cathedral are in
Faribault.

When we moved to the Summit avenue home, no grading
had been done on either Rice street or St. Peter street. The
ascent up St. Peter street was very steep, and the road ran
through a Roman Catholic cemetery, one of the first to be
located in the city. A little below, we crossed the street in
front of the old Capitol on Wabasha street on a plank walk
elevated a few feet, as all the ground below the St. Peter street
hill was then a tamarack swamp ; the trees had been cut down,
but the swamp was not yet drained. It is very difficult now to
realize that this condition existed, when I see that part of the
city so closely built up with large substantial houses; and it
seems like a dream when my mind, going back to 1857 and the
following years, recalls the many nights I worried about my
husband's returning after nightfall across that swamp, and
lest he should stumble into one of the empty graves in the
cemetery. Gradually this cemetery was removed, and when
St. Peter street was graded and the mission grounds leased to
a company who were to build the Park Place Hotel, it became
necessary to remove all the bodies remaining; it was a grue-

A SHEAF OF REMEMBRANCES. 537

some sight to see wagon load after wagon load of them taken
away.

On the mission grounds there was a spring of water, which
was supposed to contain a great deal of iron, and the good
clergymen had it so arranged that people generally could drink
the water, thinking it very beneficial ; but, like many other so-
called health-giving remedies, it proved, on being analyzed, to
have no medicinal qualities at all, but to be only the seepings
of the tamarack swamp.

The panic did not materially affect Mr. Cathcart's business
until 1862, when he compromised with his creditors, by giving
or assigning to them all his property, and continued to carry
on his dry goods store, the largest one in the city- We removed
from our homestead on Summit avenue, between Rice and St.
Peter streets, to another house on Summit avenue near where
James J. Hill now lives. This house was built by Mr. Master-
son, a young lawyer, who went East and brought back his
bride to this far Western home, but his visions of happiness
disappeared within two years, as his wife died; the house was
closed, and it was not again occupied until we moved into it in
the spring of 1863.

Mr. Masterson had planted grape vines on his terraces, and
also pear and peach trees ; he was fond of gardening and took
great care of the little orchard. Knowing that peaches and
pears were too tender to endure our cold climate very well, he
dwarfed the trees, training the branches on the ground so that
they could be well covered during the winter ; as a reward for
this skillful care, the trees and vines were all bearing fruit in
the fall of '63. He was proud of the results of his labor, as
well as he might be ; these delicate fruits had never before been
raised in this climate out of doors, and, as far as my knowledge
extends, they have never been grown successfully up to this
time, 1913. Grapes of a hardy variety are grown in abundance,
but Mr. Masterson was able to raise the choice varieties which
have never been cultivated so far north.

Wishing to give his friends a rare treat, he invited over a
hundred of them to partake of the fruit on the lawn surround-
ing his former home, and urged every one to eat all he or she

538 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

could, afterward distributing what was left among them. Our
family received a quantity of pears, which being kept in a dark
place improved with age. I have written about this little at-
tempt at fruit growing in early days because I am almost the
only one left to remember this feasting on fruit which was sup-
posed impossible to be raised in Minnesota; but Mr. Master-
son's enthusiasm expired after he had proved his experiment
to be successful, and he allowed both grape vines and fruit
trees to die out, so that there was never again such a picnic
on those grounds. A fine residence has now replaced the house
built for his bride, and an automobile garage occupies the ter-
race where his grape vines grew.

Summit avenue was a lonely place at this time. Between it
and Selby avenue stood a dense forest of native oaks, and the
few houses were separated by large, unoccupied grounds.
Many and many a night, after the Indian massacre of 1862,
have I lain awake listening for the Indian warwhoop, and
thinking how easily they could come through the woods and
kill us all.

Our present inhabitants, in their palatial homes that line
our famous avenue, may think that I am drawing on my imagi-
nation in giving these pen pictures, but it is all true.

The foregoing reminiscences have told some of the inci-
dents of the Territorial days and the early statehood of Min-
nesota; and I wish now to emphasize the social life and qual-
ities of some of my early friends and acquaintances.

As I have said, the Twin Cities were particularly fortunate
in the class of young men which they attracted- They were
mostly college-bred men from fine families, who had the enter-
prise and enthusiasm to test Horace Greeley's advice, "Go
West, young man, go West."

Those who went to St. Anthony have proved what they
could do by the wonderful city of Minneapolis, which in time
absorbed the town of St. Anthony. Almost all the pioneer
founders have passed into the Great Unknown, but "their
works do follow them. ' ' The little village has become a great
and mighty city, known all over the world in sending the "staff
of life" to its utmost bounds.

A SHEAF OF REMEMBRANCES. 539

St. Paul, being the head of navigation, and the state capital,
attracted the commercially and politically inclined; many of
the young men who came here were budding lawyers, pros-
pective merchants, and bankers. They had so much energy
that they did not sit down and wait for business, — indeed, that
would have been a weary waiting, — but set to work at the first
task that offered itself; some who afterwards became famous
as lawyers and bankers, taught school, did carpenter work, or
employed their time in other ways earning an honest penny.
Most of them had become engaged to be married before com-
ing out here, and as soon as they could make and keep a home
they brought their brides here, and then began the social life
of our city.

As early as the years 1843-4 some of the most prominent
citizens were living at Fort Snelling and Mendota. Henry H.
Sibley married Miss Steele in '43, and when Governor Ramsey
came in May, '49, he and his wife were entertained by Mr. and
Mrs. Sibley in their hospitable home at Mendota. Franklin
Steele, Mrs. Sibley 's brother, was then sutler at the fort, and
he had a charming wife who became a leader in the social life
of our city.

I must not neglect to give due honour to the very earliest
pioneer women, Mrs. John R. Irvine and Mrs. Jacob Bass. We
forty-niners found them here, and they antedated us by several
years. Mrs. Irvine came in the year 1843, and endured great
hardships in the truly pioneer days; she was a remarkably
handsome woman, and her mental characteristics equalled her
physical beauty ; through all the trying yars before this North-
west could be called civilized she kept her womanly qualities,
and when refined social life displaced the early frontier so-
ciety, Mrs. Irvine took her place among the best; during the
many years she was permitted to live in our midst, she was
prominent in all good works, and died at a good old age, great-
ly regretted.

Mrs. Bass came, a very young bride, to the French and half-
breed village called St. Paul, and assisted her husband in wel-
coming the new comers whom every steamboat brought to the
newly organized Territory. I remember well the pleasant

540 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

greeting which my mother and I received on reaching the St.
Paul House, after the dreary landing at what seemed to us the
end of civilized life. Mrs. Bass was then the mother of two
sons, one aged six years and the other six months. Edgar, the
elder, and I became friends and spent part of each day picking
flowers in a deep ravine back of the hotel, and decorating the
dining-room table. The difference of twelve years in our ages
did not prevent our comradeship, as Edgar was a manly little
fellow; he became an officer in the U. S. army, and is now on
the retired list. Mrs. Bass helped greatly in the formative
period of our social life, and when her husband became wealthy
and built a beautiful home on Woodward avenue, she enter-
tained in a most hospitable manner; and, by the way, their
house was the first one in St. Paul to have French plate glass
windows. She died this past summer, 1913, and we all feel
that our city has been made the better for her life.

Ex-Governor Marshall, in his address before the old set-
tlers of Hennepin county, considered the coming of Henry M.
Rice the turning point in favor of St. Paul. Socially it was a
most fortunate incident, for Mr. Rice brought his bride, a
charming Southern girl, in the spring of '49, and they began
housekeeping in a cottage he built on Third street near what
is now Washington street; this cottage was beautifully fur-
nished, and it was the beginning of one of our loveliest homes.
Mr. Rice had the task of removing the Winnebago Indians
from their reservation at Fort Atkinson in 1848 ; it was a most
difficult undertaking, as the Indians were very unwilling to
move to the cold Northwest. While superintending the re-
moval of this tribe, he became interested in St. Paul and bought
an interest in the village from John R. Irvine; this property
was surveyed and called Rice and Irvine's Addition, and after-
ward it became an important part of the city.

Another addition to the social life of 1849 was the arrival
in July of Mr. and Mrs. Edmund Rice, with Mr. Rice's sister,
who later, in 1851, married Mr. William Hollinshead, a prom-
inent lawyer from Philadelphia. Mr. Rice being a lawyer, a
law firm was established bearing the name, "Rice, Hollinshead
& Becker."

A SHEAF OF REMEMBRANCES. 541

Another charming family came that same summer, Rev.
Edward D. Neill and wife ; Mr. Neill purchased a lot on the
corner of Fourth street and Rice Park, and built a two story
brick house, which was a most attractive home for many years.
This was the first brick dwelling house in the city. Mrs. Neill,
a very attractive lady, became a social power, standing for the
best religiously and socially. Mr. Neill built a small chapel
on Washington street during the summer of '49, and this
chapel was the progenitor of the First Presbyterian Church
built on Third street in 1850; unfortunately this chapel was
burned down in the winter of that same year.

Mr. J. W. Selby and his family came in '49 also ; they came
from Ohio, and after looking around Mr. Selby decided to buy
a farm adjoining the village ; this farm extended from what is
now College avenue to Dale street, and from Dayton avenue
to Summit avenue. On hearing of this purchase, Mr. Rice said,
"What a fool Selby is to go out into the woods." Mr. Selby
built a very small cottage on the hill near where the First
Methodist Church (now abandoned) stands; St. Anthony hill,
as it was called, was very steep and had a tamarack swamp at
its foot, crossed by a corduroy bridge. After the arrival of
Mrs. Selby, with her sister and an attractive young brother,
this home became the social center for young people, and one
of the chief winter diversions was coasting down hill in front
of their house, where Selby avenue now is. After some years
Mr. Selby built a very handsome residence on Dayton avenue,
on a lot which ran back to Selby avenue. I can well remember
the time when Mr. Selby 's cows and horses pastured luxu-
riously on this farm site, and I felt the force of Mr. Rice 's com-
ment; but now these "woods" are in the most thickly settled
portion of the city. Mr. Selby died before his property be-
came very valuable, however; his widow sold the homestead
to Norman Kittson for a large sum, and Mr. Kittson built a
grand house on the site of it. Since his death the mansion has
made way for the Roman Catholic Cathedral, which is now in
process of erection. Mr. and Mrs. Selby were devout Presby-
terians, Mr. Selby being an elder in the First Presbyterian
Church and an ardent supporter of the pastor, Rev. E. D. Neill.

542 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

I trust their knowledge is now so developed in the Great Be-
yond that their souls are not vexed by the cathedral occupying
their old home site.

In May, 1849, Dr. Charles William Wulff Borup and his
brother-in-law, Mr. Charles H. Oakes, came to St. Paul and
added much to our social life. Both gentlemen married wives
of mixed French and Indian blood, who were sisters and had
been well educated in an eastern school ; they were ladies and
a great addition to our little circle. Both men built attractive
homes, much more modern than any other in our embryo
town; Dr. Borup 's occupied a city block fronting on Ninth
street, and his garden and hothouses were the admiration of
our citizens for many years. Mr. Oakes' residence was on
Eighth street, and at that time and for several years later
Eighth street from Jackson to Broadway was the fashionable
part of the city and boasted many handsome houses.

We are indebted to Dr. Borup for the first musical cultiva-
tion in St. Paul ; he was very fond of music, had a fine musical
education, and his family of several daughters inherited his
talent and became fine pianists under his training. After his
home was finished, Dr. Borup gave frequent musicals in which
local talent assisted, and one of these local musicians became
the founder and principal supporter of the later musical soci-
eties of St. Paul. Richards Gordon's name and the work he
accomplished are well known, but back of him great credit
should be given to Dr. Borup for the high standard he set as
the musical impulse of our people. The entertainments given
by Mrs. Borup and Mrs. Oakes were of the most refined type,
and I feel sure that any one attending them could easily have
imagined she was in an eastern city, instead of a frontier town
in the extreme Northwest.

One of the young men who came in '49 was Dr. David Day ;
he had not selected his bride then, but waited several years
before he brought from Pittsburg a most charming young
woman, indeed a very young woman, only eighteen; she was
the daughter of General Butler of the United States army. Dr.
Day died some years since, but his widow and lovely daughter
are still with us, and no social function is complete without

A SHEAF OP REMEMBRANCES. 543

dear Mrs. Day. I must also mention here Mrs. Day's older sis-
ter, the widow of Senator McMillan ; the senator and his wife
came to Stillwater in 1854, and to St. Paul in '56. Senator
McMillan's ancestors were Scotch-Irish, descendants of the
Covenanters, and his religion was a part of his life never laid
aside, but Sunday and week days the same. His wife fully
agreed with him, and their family was raised to truly love
God and their fellow men ; no personal sacrifice was too great
to show their loyalty to God and his divine laws, or to help
their neighbor. Mrs. McMillan is still with us, and surely her
children and grand-children "rise up and call her blessed."

In 1849 Mr. Henry L. Moss, a young lawyer of Stillwater,
married Miss Horsford and brought her to St. Paul to live;
Miss Horsford was one of the teachers sent out by Governor
Slade, you remember, at the request of Dr. Williamson, one of
the early missionaries, and she had settled in Stillwater, an
older place than St. Paul and larger at that time. Mrs. Moss
was a remarkably intelligent, well educated woman, petite and
attractive in appearance, and greatly interested in all philan-
thropic work. Mr. Moss built a home on Exchange street, near
Irvine Park, where they lived for over fifty years. They gave
many notable entertainments, of which two should go down
into history, the one in 1874 when they celebrated their silver
wedding, and the other in 1899 on the occasion of their golden
wedding.

Among the early merchants were three brothers who came
to St. Paul in 1849; they built a two-story building on Third
street near what is now Exchange street, and this building is
still standing and apparently will last another half century.
These brothers were Abram, Edwin, and Charles Elfelt, sons
of a Jewish family in Philadelphia ; this family belonged to a
very high class of Jews, the same from which "Walter Scott
took his character of Rebecca in Ivanhoe. It was Washington
Irving who told Scott about her; she was a Gratz, and in her
grandfather's time Jefferson was often a guest at his house.
A great-granddaughter, married to a cousin of Ex-Governor
Marshall, told him that Jefferson wrote the Declaration of
Independence in her great-grandfather's house.

544 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

The Elfelts were refined, cultivated men; they opened a
fine stock of dry goods in their new building, and for several
years they had the leading dry goods store in the city. In
1852 Mr. Abram Elfelt brought his bride from Philadelphia, a
most beautiful woman, who became a social leader; their
daughter, Mrs. Bramhall, is now prominent in advancing plans
to improve our civic life, and especially in conserving our for-
ests. Mr. Elfelt built a modern house on the west side of
Irvine Park, and furnished it with furniture brought from
Philadelphia. Mr. and Mrs. Elfelt were most hospitable, and
many dancing parties were given in their beautifully ap-
pointed home.

The second story of the Elfelts' dry goods store was a
hall, which was called Mazurka Hall, and it filled a great need
during several years; almost all our public dancing parties
were held there, and many public meetings. I often think that
this building should be purchased by the city, to be preserved
as an historical relic. It is sad for us pioneers to see building
after building demolished, which rendered such great service
in the early days; and many times not even the site is pre-
served, but all must give way to progress.

Many have written about the pioneer men; but very little
has been told of the pioneer women who came from luxurious
eastern homes to endure the hardships of our border life. How
nobly they bore them, and what brave men and women they
reared to take their places and carry on their work of advanc-
ing Christianity and civilization in this great territory.

Among the most notable of these women stood Mrs. Ramsey,
the Governor's wife; she was not only queenly in appearance,
but had most charming manners. Her Quaker education had
given her simplicity, which, combined with cordiality, im-
pressed one with the genuineness of her character; no one
for an instant could think she was acting a part. Her tone of
voice and manner of talking were so fascinating that I loved
to listen to her. She was the same charming personality after
returning from Washington, where Governor Ramsey had
served as Secretary of War and of the Treasury; no worldly
prosperity could change her. The last entertainment she

A SHEAF OF REMEMBRANCES. 545

gave was a reception, perhaps two years before she died ; after
the reception she was criticized for being close, as she had
neither flowers nor music. All the disagreeable things said
came to her ears, and she said to me, "I gave that reception
without flowers or music on purpose; I could have had both,
but I wanted to show my friends that a reception could be given
in a simple way. It was the kind of an entertainment that
most of our citizens can afford to give, and I wanted to rebuke
the extravagance of our friends of moderate circumstances."
Her death was a great loss to our city, where she dominated
society and set a sensible example to our citizens.

Mrs. Goodhue, wife of James M. Goodhue, the founder and
editor of our first newspaper, The Pioneer, was a woman of
unusual intellectual ability and very great social qualities.
She not only kept her household in order, but could edit her
husband's newspaper in an emergency. Her sister, Miss Cor-
delia Kneeland, lived with her, a young lady whose great wit
and conversational talents made a success of many of our social
entertainments.

Indeed, when I think of the fall of 1849 and the winter of
1850,1 cannot imagine a finer society than existed in the villages
of Mendota, St. Paul, and St. Anthony, and at Fort Snelling,
small as the numbers were. All attended the social functions
given in St. Paul, and, with the regimental band from the fort
for music, the parties could not fail of being a success. Most
of the entertainments had to be given in a hall or hotel, of
course, as the few private homes were too small to accommodate
them.

In July, 1850, Colonel Robertson of Ohio became a citizen
of St. Paul ; and his wife, a very attractive young matron, be-
came noted for her hospitality. She was the first person to
have regular "at home" days. Her sister, bride of Lafayette
Emmett (afterward Judge Emmett), was also a most charming
hostess and both Mrs. Robertson and Mrs. Emmett were for
many years a social and intellectual force among us.

In the spring of 1851 General James H. Simpson arrived,
accompanied by his wife and a young sister-in-law, Miss Champ-
lin. Mrs. Simpson was a fine pianist, and proved an added

546 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

inspiration to our musical society, taking part in the musical
entertainments given by Dr. Borup. Her brother, Mr. Champ-
lin, married Dr. Borup 's oldest daughter. Mrs. Simpson was
not only a cultivated musician, but a very fine conversationalist,
and had a very cheerful, bright disposition, always seeing the
humorous side of life. Such a cheerful temperament endeared
her to her friends, who, however despondent, always felt hap-
pier after an interview with her. Both the General and his
wife were devout Christians, members of Christ Church, and
were a great help in sustaining the parish in its formative
period; both have passed away years since, but their works
live after them.

Miss Champlin married John B. Cook, and for many years
dispensed a gracious hospitality in the city; both "have now
joined the great majority across the "dark river."

In 1852 Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Willes came from Cleve-
land, Ohio, Mrs. Willes coming on her wedding trip; they
bought a home on Irvine Park, adding another to our attractive
homes. Mrs. Willes was beautiful and refined, worthy to join
the group composed of Mrs. Ramsey, Mrs. Sibley, and others of
our company forming the best society. Mr. Willes had the
advantage of some of our young men, in that he was well to
do and could help in civic improvements in many ways. Mrs.
Willes is still with us, and her children and grandchildren are
leaders in social and intellectual life.

In May, 1853, Governor Gorman came with his family ;
Mrs. Gorman did the honors of the governor's mansion in a
most gracious way; she was fond of entertaining, and during
her husband's term of office, and for several years after, kept
open house for all, and many were the social gatherings that
were enjoyed there. The most notable event, perhaps, was the
marriage of her eldest daughter to Harvey Officer, a rising
young lawyer of St. Paul; the wedding ceremony and recep-
tion were held at the home, and nothing was lacking to make
the occasion a society function equal to a wedding of these
latter days.

Mrs. Gorman's sister, wife of Robert A. Smith, many times
Mayor of St. Paul, was a great assistance to Mrs. Gorman in

A SHEAF OF REMEMBRANCES. 547

entertaining; she is still living, and although her later years
have been spent in caring for an invalid husband, she is remem-
bered as a gracious entertainer, not only at Mrs. Gorman's,
but later at her own home on Summit avenue. May she be
with us many days to come !

Another most charming woman must not be forgotten, Mrs.
Prince, wife of the late John S. Prince, one of the most prom-
inent early bankers; upon her arrival here, in 1854, she took
her place as a leader in society. Mr. Prince built a most at-
tractive home in lower town, and from the time it was occu-
pied until his death no home in the city equalled it in hospi-
tality ; delightful entertainments for both old and young were
given, and to be welcomed by Mr. and Mrs. Prince was an
event in one's life. I remember one occasion when a children's
party was in full swing; Mr. Egbert Thompson came in and
in a depressed manner said, "Well, I have missed it all my
life ; when I was young, children were of no account, and now,
when I am old, old people are of no account. ' ' Mrs. Prince lived
to a good old age, dying this past summer, 1913; each year
of her life was a benediction to her children and her friends.

Yet another of the women who came in 1853 is with us, Mrs.
Hunt, widow of Mr. Edgar Hunt; she is a deeply religious
woman, and has been a power for good in the Episcopal
Church, as well as in the community ; her children and grand-
children have followed in her footsteps, and are active workers
in church and society for the uplift of all.

In March, 1854, William R. Marshall brought his bride from
Utica, N. Y. ; she was the daughter of George Langford, a
banker, and was connected with the most prominent families
of Oneida county. Mr. and Mrs. Marshall began housekeeping
on the corner of Fourth street and Rice Park; Mrs. Marshall,
having been reared in the center of culture and refinement,
brought these qualities into her new home, and for forty years
she was a most delightful hostess.

Through her influence, two of her sisters also became resi-
dents of St. Paul ; one was the wife of William Spencer, son of
Joshua Spencer, the most noted lawyer of New York; and one
was the wife of James W. Taylor, who became prominent as our

548 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

consul at Winnipeg, being held in such esteem by the English
that at his death the flag of Windsor Castle was lowered. Both
these women had a delightful personality, and took a leading
part in social life for many years ; they were also most efficient
in helping to care for the sick, in the days before trained nurses,
or indeed any kind of nurses, were here. In those days kind
neighbors went and ministered to the helpless ones ; and many
now living can remember how the anxieties attending the sick
bed were removed when Mrs. Spencer appeared, and many a
dying one's last hours were comforted and soothed by her gen-
tle words and tender ministrations. Children and grandchil-
dren are living in our midst and "rise up to call her blessed."

Mrs. Marshall also influenced two young brothers to join
her in the fall of 1854, and these brothers became permanent
citizens. Mr. Nathaniel P. Langford died in October, 1911,
greatly lamented, having taken an active part in all our civic
affairs and always for the benefit of the city. The other brother,
Augustine G. Langford, married Elizabeth Robertson, daughter
of Col. D. A. Robertson ; he died in Denver many years since,
but the sons, Nathaniel and William Langford, are among our
best business men, and, no doubt, their children will follow in
their footsteps.

In 1860 Miss Fanny Spencer visited her brother, William
Spencer, and during this visit she met Mr. Amherst H. Wilder,
who immediately fell in love with her; they were married in
1861, and settled permanently in St. Paul. This marriage
proved a very important event for the city, not only in starting
a new home and adding to the social life, but eventually in
founding the "Wilder Charity," which will continue to benefit
the worthy poor among us for all tim,e. Mrs. Wilder was a
very superior woman; she had a fine education, and all her
early life had been spent in the midst of intellectutal and culti-
vated society; the guests in her father's house were such men
as Henry Clay and Daniel Webster, and she imbibed from her
earliest years a love for things which make for refinement and
culture. She excelled in conversation, and could maintain her
side in argument with the most highly educated men. A sad
calamity it was to St. Paul when the Wilder family, father,

A SHEAF OF REMEMBRANCES. 549

mother, and daughter, Mrs. Appleby, passed away within a few
years of each other.

So, indirectly, the coming of Mrs. Marshall brought a num-
ber of people who have added to our growth both in intellectual
advancement and wealth.

In the spring of 1854, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Coleman
came here from Canada ; they resided in St. Paul several years,
and afterward in Iowa, but returned here in 1877. Mr. Coleman
invested largely in real estate, and also bought stock in one of
our banks; the family consisted of two daughters, Jenny and
Emily, and a sister of Mrs. Coleman. Mrs. Coleman and her
sister, Miss Newington, at once became important members of
our circle, having moved in the best society in Canada, and we
all know an educated Englishwoman cannot be excelled in re-
finement and good manners. Mrs. Coleman played delightfully,
and many impromptu dances were indebted to her for the
music which added so much to the enjoyment of the young peo-
ple. Mr. Coleman purchased the Brown residence, which after-
wards was sold to the city for a hospital, and their home became
a place where young people loved to congregate. Miss New-
ington some years later became the wife of Ex-Governor Gor-
man, and for many years led in church work and philanthropic
and social activities. Miss Jenny Coleman, the older daughter,
married Mr. G. W. Armstrong, a young lawyer, and their sons,
James and John, today rank among our most useful citizens;
one is a lawyer and one a physician, continuing the good work
begun by their father and grandfather. Mrs. Armstrong is now
living, a most gracious lady beloved by all who know her.

I hope I have done justice to a few of the pioneer women
who bore the heat and burden of the day ; we were truly blessed
in the character of these women who laid the foundation of
our family and social life; their children and grandchildren
have maintained their principles, so that St. Paul is known as
one of the most refined cities in the Union. I have mentioned
only a few of the gracious, charming women who made their
home among us then; but I have neither strength nor time to
write of the many who came after 1854, and who kept up the
high moral and intellectual standard of their predecessors.

550 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

Our method of entertaining in those early days made us all
like one family, each of our friends, or perhaps only a certain
number of our friends, contributing to the menu ; this was made
necessary because we had no public caterers and our domestic
help was very inexperienced. One of the wonders of that time
was what famous housekeepers and cooks our ignorant, help-
less brides became ; after sixty years the mention of their names
brings to mind the savor of good viands. When an entertain-
ment was planned, one would send the salad, another the rolls,
and another the cake, etc.; the hostess had very little to do,
except to see that her house was in order ; and she, of course,
returned those favors when her friends entertained. I was
amused and reminded of old times, when celebrating the fiftieth
anniversary of my arrival in St. Paul, by having some of the
older friends say to me, ''Why did you not ask me to make the
salad?" or "Why did you not send to me for cake?" and "I
expected to have to send you some lamps." When I was mar-
ried, Mrs. Goodhue made the bride's cake, and Mrs. Emmett
and Mrs. Simpson assisted in making the fruit cake, salad, etc.,
for the supper. Such close intimacy endeared us to each other,
and the bonds of friendship lasted all through our lives.

During those days surprise parties were quite common, or
at least so-called surprise parties; but the lady of the house
that was intended to be surprised always had a hint that some-
thing unusual might occur on such and such an evening. We
generally received a hospitable welcome, and soon the dancing
began and a delightful evening was spent.

One party, however, was made more of a surprise to the
guests than to the host and hostess. In the family of one of our
prominent citizens there was a young lady visiting ; the young
people thought it would be all right to take music and refresh-
ments and surprise the hostess and her guest in the customary
way. The hint was duly given, and the hostess signified that
the party would be welcome ; everything went off as scheduled ;
the guests were welcomed by the hostess, as her husband was
out of town ; dancing began soon, and all were having a merry
time, when the host came home quite unexpectedly. He was

A SHEAF OF REMEMBRANCES. 551

furious at having his home invaded by uninvited guests, al-
though they were the cream of our little circle, and he told
them in no very civil words that when he wanted guests he
would invite them. The guests left in double-quick time, and
none of them ever entered that house again; the hostess, a
lovely woman, never had a social position, or, rather I should
say, a position in society. This ended surprise parties among
our best society people.

Telling of parties, I must not omit one which proved almost
a tragedy ; I am not quite sure of the year in which it occurred,
but think it was the very cold winter of '55. The party was
given by Mr. and Mrs. D. A. J. Baker at their farm, now Mer-
riam Park. There was a stretch of prairie to be crossed, reach-
ing from what is now Mackubin street but then called Mar-
shall's farm, to what is now Snelling avenue. The invited
guests started about seven o'clock in sleighs to meet at a ren-
dezvous and go all together, which arrangement proved very
fortunate and saved many lives. On reaching the crest of the
hill, called St. Anthony hill, a sharp wind met them and the
atmosphere became filled with snow in a short time; it was a
genuine blizzard. The road was soon obliterated, and the in-
stinct of the horses remained their only guide. Mr. John Cath-
cart led the line of sleighs, and he said afterward that it was
much more like a funeral procession than a prospective dancing
party. One or two of the sleighs wandered out from the line,
but fortunately reached a house on Governor Ramsey's farm,
quite far to the north of University avenue, or, as it was then
called, the "Territorial road." They were fortunate in finding
shelter for the night, as otherwise they would have been frozen
to death, there being no other house within miles. The party
led by Mr. Cathcart finally reached Mr. Baker's, but how it was
impossible to tell; several of the party were frostbitten, but
only one seriously; a Mr. Wolf had his hands frozen and suf-
fered intensely, but recovered eventually without losing his
fingers. My brother William started for Mr. Baker's in a
double sleigh drawn by a fine pair of horses, but had gone only
a short distance when he turned back, realizing the great dan-

552 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLLECTIONS.

ger of being lost in a Minnesota blizzard. However, " All's
well that ends well," and our party returned home the next
morning grateful to the Power that guided them safely.

After 1855 immigration came so rapidly that a great change
took place in our social life ; the family parties were succeeded
by social circles formed in the churches, the members feeling
that they should become acquainted with each other. A few of
us older residents still kept our social compact, but the early
custom of all citizens meeting together had to give way to
smaller and more formal affairs.

Now, after sixty-four years, few, very few, can remember
those youthful, happy, hospitable days in the little French and
Indian village which has grown into our great, cosmopolitan
City of St. Paul.

14

-cp

RETURN CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT

TO—*- 202 Main Library

LOAN PERIOD 1
HOME USE

2

3

4

5

6

ALL BOOKS MAY BE RECALLED AFTER 7 DAYS

DUE AS STAMPED BELOW

ation Desk

p?'93

IfiCULATiON DEFT.

LIBRARY USE 0

MAR 9.

V DE-UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
FORM NO. DD6, 60m, 1 /83 BERKELEY, CA 94720

RETURN TO the circulation desk of any
University of California Library

or to the

NORTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY
Bldg. 400, Richmond Field Station
University of California
Richmond, CA 94804-4698

ALL BOOKS MAY BE RECALLED AFTER 7 DAYS

• 2-month loans may be renewed by calling
(510)642-6753

• 1-year loans may be recharged by bringing
books to NRLF

• Renewals and recharges may be made
4 days prior to due date

DUE AS STAMPED BELOW

JAN

APR 0 5 2007

JUN 1 8 21

DD20 15M 4-02