| Three years elapsed between the
date when the territory of Minnesota was proposed in congress, and the
passage of the act of organization. In the consideration of the bill in
Congess, a surprising degree of ignorance was manifested by some
members. Hon. Joseph Root, of Ohio, made a vehement speech against the
measure, denouncaing as "Farcical and absurd the formation of a
temporary government in a hyperborean region, where agricultural
pursuits were impracticable, and where no white man would go except to
cut pine logs." This illustrates the vague notion entertained of the
north-west, even among intelligent people. After Wisconsin became a state, with boundaries narrowed from those of the territory, a question arose as to the government of that portion of the territory not embraced within the new state boundaries, and the opinion prevailed among those best qualified to judge that the old territorial government survived in full force within such portion, although the opposite view was strongly maintained by others. The region in dispute extended from the St. Croix to the Mississippi, embracing the present county of Washington. The agitation of this question led to prompt efforts to gain recognition as a territory with a government and representation at Washington. The first public political meeting in what is now Minnesota was held August 4th, 1848, to.consider and take action on this subject. At this meeting Jonathan E. McKusick presided, William Holcombe acted as secretary, M. S. Wilkinson, Dr. Christopher Carli, David Lambert, Jacob Fisher and others were present. This meeting accomplished but Uttle, except to issue a call for a general convention to take steps to secure an early territorial organization, to assemble on the 26th of the month, at the same place. The second convention convened at the court house in the town of Stillwater, in the county of St. Croix, and territory of Wisconsin, on the 26th day of August, 1848, in accordance with a call duly made. M. S. Wilkinson of Stillwater was chosen president, David S. Lambert of St. Paul, secretary. Joseph R. Brown offered the following resolution: "Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed to select a president, two vice-presidents, and two secretaries, as the permanent officers of this convention."The officers were as follows: Samuel Burkleo, president; Robert Kennedy, Joshua L. Taylor, vice-presidents; William Holcombe and David Lambert, secretaries. The following resolution was offered and adopted: "Resolved, That a committee of seven members be appointed to draft a memorial to congress, for the early organization of the territory of Minnesota, and to report such further proceedings asthey may think proper for the action of this convention."The commmittee consisted of Joseph R. Brown, Calvin Leach, H. H. Sibley, S. Nelson, M. S. Wilkinson, Henry Jackson and H. L. Moss. A letter from Hon. John Catlin, who had been secretary of the territory of Wisconsin, was read, as follows: Madison, August 22, 1848 - Hon. Wm. Holcombe, dear sir - I take the liberty to write you briefly for the purpose of ascertaining what the citizens of the present territory of Wisconsin desire in relation to the organization of a territorial government. Congress adjourned on the 14th inst., without taking any steps to organize the territory of Minnesota or of amending the act of 1836, organizing Wisconsin, so that the present govenment could be successfully continued. It is my opinion that if your people were to elect a delegate to congress this fall, he would be allowed to take his seat in December, and then a government might be fully organized; and unles a delegate is elected and sent on, I do not believe a government will be organized for several years. You are aware of the difficulty which has prevented the organization of Oregon for two years past; and the same difficulty will prevent the organization of Minnesota. If Mr. Tweedy were to resign, (and he would if requested,) I do not see anything to prevent my issuing a proclamation for an election to fill the vacancy, as the acting governor; but I should not like to do so unless the people would act under it and hold the election. If a delegate was elected by color of law, congress would never inquire into the legality of the election. It is the opinion of almost all this way that the government of the territory of Wisconsin still continues, although it is nearly inoperative for want of a court and legislature. I write in haste, and have not time to state further the reasons which lead me to the conclusion that the territorial government is still in being; but you can confer with Mr. Bowron, who, I believe, is in possession of the views and opinions entertained here on this subject. I shall be pleased to hear from you at your earliest convenience. Yours very respectfully, John Catlin" Numerous resolutions were offered and adopted touching the various acts of the past and the claims of the territory to he organized. The chief act was to address a memorial to the senate and house of representatives in congress assembled, and also to His Excellency, the president of the United States, respectfully requesting that he will invite the attention of that honorable body, in his annual message, to action in the premises. The memorials, preambles and resolutions were severally read and unanimously adopted. The convention then proceeded to elect a delegate to represent the interests of the territory at the next congress. Hon. Henry H. Sibley was unanimously elected by the convention. These resolutions were offered and adopted: "Resolved, That the president of this convention be required to issue a certificate to H. H. Sibley, signed by himself, the vice-presidents and secretaries, certifying that he is a duly elected delegate under resolution and action of this convention.The memorials were signed by all the delegates to the convention, amounting to sixty-one signatures. Hon. John H. Tweedy resigned his office of delegate to congress on September 18th, 1848. Hon. John Catlin, claiming to be acting governor of Wisconsin territory, issued a proclmation dated at Stillwater, October 9th, 1848, having made Stillwater a temporary residence, ordering a special election at that place to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Hon. John H. Tweedy. The election was held on the 30th day of October, when Hon. Henry H. Sibley was elected a delegate for the remaining portion of Wisconsin territory. Mr. Sibley proceeded to Washington, accompanied by Henry M. Rice and other gentlemen who used all their energies to secure the organization of a new territory. On the 3d of March, 1849, a bill was passed organizing the territory of Minnesota, with boundary on the west extended to the Missouri and White Earth rivers. On the 19th of March, 1849, President Taylor appointed the following named persons judges of the supreme court for this new territory: Aaron Goodrich, of Tennessee, chief justice; David Cooper, of Pennsylvania, and Bradley B. Meeker, of Kentucky, associate justices. On the 27th of May, 1849, Governor Alexander Ramsey landed at St. Paul, and on the 1st day of June proclaimed the organization of the territory, recognized its officers and required obedience to its laws. The territory was divided into three judicial districts. The county of St. Croix constituted the first district, with the seat of justice at Stillwater. In pursuance of a requirement in the organic act, the sheriff of St. Croix was ordered to take a census of all the inhabitants of the county. The result shows Stillwater to have had at that time 455 male and 154 female inhabitants; total, 609. Chief Justice Goodrich, in accordance with the governor's proclamation, held the first term of court, beginning on the 13th of August, 1849, at Stillwater, Judge Cooper, by courtesy, sitting on the bench. This was the first court held in the territory, after the organization, called a territorial court. It remained in session six days. Sixty cases were on the docket. The clerk of the district court was Harvey Wilson; S. M. Mitchell, was United States attorney; H. L. Moss, district attorney; and John Morgan, sheriff. On July 7th, 1849, Governor Ramsey, by proclamation, fixed the following council districts for the territory, which had not yet been divided into counties: First, the St. Croix precinct, of St. Croix county, and the settlements on the west bank of the Mississippi, south of the Crow village, to the Iowa line. Second, the Stillwater precinct of the county of St. Croix. Third, the St. Paul precinct, except Little Canada settlement. Fourth, Marine Mills, Falls of St. Croix, Rush Lake, Rice River and Snake River precincts of St. Croix county, and La Pointe county. Fifth, the Falls of St. Anthony precinct and the Little Canada settlement. Sixth, the Sauk Rapids and Crow Wing precincts of St. Croix county, and all settlements west of the Mississippi and north of the Osakis river, and a line thence west to the British line. Seventh, the country and settlements west of the Mississippi not included in districts number one and six. The election of the 1st of August, 1849, passed off with little excitement. Hon. H. H. Sibley was elected delegate to congress; James S. Norris, Samuel Burkleo, William H. Forbes, James McBoal, David B. Loomis, Captain John Rollins, David Olmsted, president, William Sturgis and Martin McLeod, councilmen; Joseph W. Furber, speaker, James Wells, M. S. Wilkinson, Sylvanus Trask, Mahlon Black, Benjamin W. Brunson, Henry Jackson, John J. Dewey, Parsons K. Johnson, Henry F. Setzer, William R. Marshall, Willlam Dugas, Jerremiah Russell, Allan Morrison, Lorenzo A. Babcock, Thomas A. Holmes, Alexis Bailey and Gideon H. Pond, members of the house. The first territorial legislature assembled on the 3d of September, 1849, with James Norris, of Cottage Grove, for the first district, and Samuel Burkleo, of Stillwater, for the second district, councilmen; Joseph W. Furber, of Cottage Grove, and James Wells for the first district; M. S. Wilkinson, Sylvanus Trask and Mahlon Black, of Stillwater, for the second district, representatives. One of the first acts of this legislature was to create a number of new counties, and among them the county of Washington with Stillwater as its county seat. The same legislature made Washington county the second judicial district, and the first term of district court in this new district was held in the town of Stillwater the same fall; Judge David Cooper, presiding; Henry S. Tilden, deputy United States marshal; Henry L. Moss, United States district attorney; Jesse Taylor, sheriff; Harvey Wilson, clerk. A young man known as Isaiah McMillan was tried under charge of murder, found guilty, and sentenced to one year's imprisonment at Fort Snelling. The census of Washington county was taken that fall showing the following results: Males, 821; females, 291; total, 1,112; of this number, males, 455; females, 154;. total, 609, were residing in the town of Stillwater; and hence we have the small number of males, 366; females, 137; total, 503; showing the population outside of Stillwater, in the county. The original boundaries of the county were as follows: Beginning at a point on the Mississippi river where the township line between towns 27 and 28 north, range 22, west of the fourth principal meridian intersects said river; thence east on said line to its intersection with the range line between ranges 21 and 22, west of the fourth principal meridian; thence due north on said line to its intersection with the third correction line; thence due west on said correction line to the intersection of the range line between ranges 21 and 22, west of the fourth principal meridian; thence due north on said range line to its intersection with the north boundary line of town 36 north; thence due north to its intersection with the southern boundary line of Itasca county; thence in a southeasterly direction along said county line to its intersection with the eastern boundary line of the territory of Minnesota; thence down said boundary line to the Mississsppi river, and thence up that river to the place of beginning. By reference to the map, it will be seen that the place of beginning on the Mississippi, was two miles further south than the present boundary, also that the north boundary extended north, including most of Chisago and Pine, and a portion of Carlton counties. In 1861, the boundary lines were changed by the legislature to their present location, taking from Ramsey county about one thousand seven hundred acres of land in the extreme south-west corner of the county, now included in Newport township. The county of Washington is bounded as follows: Beginning in the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi river, on a line between sections 23 and 26, of town 28 north, in range 22 west; thence east on said section line, to the line between ranges 21 and 22; thence north on said range line, to the line between townships 32 and 33; thence east on said township line, to the center of the main channel of the St. Croix river; thence down the middle of said channel and St. Croix lake to the Mississippi river; thence up the middle of said Mississippi river to the place of beginning. In thus traversing the changes in boundaries and government of the region of which Washington county forms an important part, many minutiae of interest have been omitted. Reviewing these we insert some matters worthy of a place here, beginning with the treaties, and following with political roster. The visit of Lieutenant Zebulon Montgomery Pike to the Upper Mississippi in 1805-6 resulted in the government gaining from Dakota bands the first tract of land ceded by any Indian tribe within the present state of Minnesota. Lieutenant Pike, under the direction of President Jefferson, arrested hostile movements between the Dakota and Chippewa tribes, tore down the British flag, and elicited the respect and admiration of many Indians, who had been iniluenced by the British. In 1825, and again in 1830, treaties of pacification were made by the commissioners of the United States, with the northwestern tribes at Praire du Chien. The year of 1837, forms a new era in the history of Minnesota. From this date settlers were assured of protection and began to make permanent improvements. In the same year, July 29th, 1837, Governor Dodge, of Wisconsin, concluded a treaty at St. Peters, now Mendota, with the Chippewas, which opened to the enterprise of the white man, the pine forests of the St. Croix and its tributaries. The same year a deputation of Dakotas proceeded to Washington, and in the month of September concluded a treaty by which they ceded all their lands east of the Mississippi, including all of Washington county,as it now exists, to the United States. In anticipation of the ratification of the treaty with the Ojibwas, a party of lumberman opened a camp at the mouth of Snake river and began cutting logs. The Indians considered their rights invaded by this premature possession on the part of the whites, and having further cause of grievance on account of the non-fulfillment of the terms of the previous treaty, payment not being made as stipulated, caused them great annoyance. They answered the demands of the Ojibwas for compensation as best they could, averting the violence threatened, for a time, by contributions from their store. When such pacification would no longer avail and active hostilities were begun, the lumbermen took to their canoe with their stuff and fled down the St. Croix, pursued by the Indians on the bank, who supposed the party must land above the falls and fall into their hands, stuff and all. To their surprise, however, they saw their anticipated captives hold on their way and float over the falls. The boat was lost and some of their effects, but the men all reached the shore in safety. A short distance below the falls, they were met by a steamboat, the first that ever ascended the St. Croix, bringing the welcome news of the ratification of the treaty. The lumbermen returned and took legal possession of their logs. The second treaty of that same year was concluded at Washington, D. C., with the Dakotas, September 29th, 1837. By the terms of this treaty, all their lands lying east of the Mississippi river, including the islands in the river, were ceded to the United States. The ratification of these treaties was a very important event m the history of Minnesota, sounding the key-note for permanent settlements. From this time earnest men began to seek the flattering advantages of so promising a state. |
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