opening the British Possessions in North America, then in the control of the Hudson's Bay Company to civilization and unrestricted commerce. The committee having the matter in charge reported in favor of termination of the control of the Hudson's Bay Company at the end of their then twenty-first year term expiring in 1869.

In 1857 the Hudson's Bay Company completed arrangements with the secretary of the treasury of the United States whereby goods for that company could be carried in bond through the United States, thus practically doing away with their Hudson's Bay Station known as York Factory, to which goods were then being shipped, vessels arriving and departing once a year. In the summer of 1858 two or three shipments of goods were so made leaving the Mississippi River at St. Paul and conveyed thence by Hudson's Bay carts under the direction of James McKay.

In October, 1858, Capt. Russell Blakely of St. Paul, accompanied by John R. Irvine, visited the Red River Valley via St. Peter, Fort Ridgeley, Yellow Medicine, Lac qui Parle, and the Kittson Trail to Fort Abercrombie. Capt. Nelson H. Davis and Lieut. P. Hawkins of the Second United States Infantry, with their company were then stationed there. Jesse M. Stone was sutler. The fort had been hastily built and consisted of a few log cabins on the low lands. "Burlington" and "Sintominie," prospective Red River cities were passed and "Lafayette," opposite the mouth of the Sheyenne, about three miles from Georgetown was reached, from which point Mr. Blakely made his observations as to the possibilities of Red River navigation.

Resulting from the report of Mr. Blakely, the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce paid a bonus of $2,000 for the first steamboat to be placed on the Red River. Anson Northrup had bought the old "North Star" at Minneapolis and took it up the river over Sauk Rapids and Little Falls, running up as far as Grand Rapids. This boat was laid up at Crow Wing that fall, where lumber for the new boat was sawed and taken over the country, together with the machinery of the "North Star," which had originally been brought from Maine and in 1851 was placed in the "Governor Ramsey" and later in the "North Star," to Lafayette, where the "Anson Northrup" was built, and launched in 1859. Thirty-four teams were used in taking the boat and its furnishings from Crow Wing to Lafayette.

Having run up to Fort Abercrombie the boat left that point for Fort Garry, now Winnipeg, May 17th, arriving at Fort Garry, June 5, 1859. She returned to Fort Abercrombie with twenty passengers, where she was tied up, and when Captain Blakely and others desired her further services they were informed that they would have to buy her if they wanted to run her. Later she was purchased by J. C. Burbank.

Resulting from the mail lettings of 1858 the Minnesota Stage Company was organized by J. C. Burbank, Russell Blakely and Alvaren Allen, Allen being associated with Mr. Chase, and they had the contracts from St. Paul to Abercrombie and other northwestern points. The road to be fitted up for the stages on the routes it was proposed to put on ran from St. Cloud via Cold Springs, New Munich, Melrose, Winnebago Crossing, Sauk Rapids, Kandota, Osakis, Alexandria, Dayton and Breckenridge to Abercrombie. The party left St. Cloud in June, 1859, for the opening of this route. Accompanying the expedition, aside from the teamsters, bridge builders, station keepers, etc., were the Misses Ellenora

and Christiana Sterling from Scotland, Sir Francis Sykes of England, and servants together with J. W. Taylor, so long consul at Winnipeg. Northrup having refused to operate his boat, this party built a flat boat at Abercrombie and went down the river to Fort Garry, and the ladies went on to Lake Athabasca, where they arrived just as winter set in. They were twenty-two days going down the river from Abercrombie to Garry, and their craft was the first boat on the Red River. Pelican Lake was named Ellenora for one of these ladies and the one just east of it Christiana for the other. George W. Northrup was captain of this boat.

On his way to St. Paul on his return trip Captain Blakely learned of the purchase of the boat by Mr. Burbank. He notes the following members of the crew en route to put her to work: Edwin Bell, captain; Dudley Kelly, clerk; J. B. Young, pilot; A. R. Young, engineer. The point chosen for the head of navigation was below the mouth of the Buffalo River, about three miles from Lafayette, where the boat had been built. The boat unloaded at Goose Rapids, and McKay was about to take its cargo via carts to Garry when the timely arrival of Captain Blakely resulted in the construction of wing dams, which carried the boat safely over the rapids, and its tonnage landed all right at Garry. The crew returned via carts to St. Paul.

In the spring of 1860 Captain Blakely and associates completed a contract with Sir George Simpson for the transportation of 500 tons annually from St. Paul to Fort Garry for a period of five years.

The "Anson Northrup" was repaired in the spring of 1860 and became the "Pioneer" and was commanded that summer by Capt. Sam Painter, with Alden Bryant, clerk. The mail was extended from Abercrombie to Pembina and William Tarbell and George W. Northrup were employed as carriers, using carts in summer and dog train in winter.

In 1860 Capt. John B. Davis undertook to take his steamboat "The Freighter," up the Minnesota River, and cross it over into the Red River. The boat left St. Paul in high water and got within about eight miles of Big Stone Lake, but had to give it up. "The Freighter" was sold to Burbank & Co., and C. P. V. Lull took out the machinery and hauled it over to Georgetown, where the boat was rebuilt and became the "International." A. W. Kelly, later of Jamestown, sawed the lumber for this boat. The engines were put in by Edwin R. Abell. The "International" measured 137 feet in length by 26 feet beam and was rated at 133 tons. C. P. V. Lull ran her for a trip or two when N. W. Kittson took charge of her, on account of his ability to talk with the Indians.

The Indians had protested against the use of the river for steamboats, complaining that the boats drove away the game and killed the fish, while the whistle made such an unearthly noise that it disturbed the spirits of their dead and their fathers could not rest in their graves. They demanded four kegs of yellow money to quiet the spirits of their fathers or that the boats be stopped. At this time Clark W. Thompson, superintendent of Indian affairs and Indian Commissioner Dole, were en route to the mouth of the Red Lake River, opposite Grand Forks, to hold a treaty with the Indians. They were turned back by the opening of Indian hostilities. August 22, 1861, the Indians appeared at Dayton and Old Crossing, killing all the settlers they could find. At Breckenridge they killed all of the persons in the hotel and burned the house. They overtook the stage driver

Vol. I-23

whom they killed, taking 2,500 pounds of express freight. They also plundered the train of wagons loaded with merchandise on its arrival on the treaty grounds, claiming that their wives and children were starving.

Hostilities continued till 1863, when, in October of that year, Governor Alexander Ramsey made a treaty with the Indians which ended the trouble with them in the Red River Valley. In March, 1862, Congress provided for twice a week service on the mail route to Abercrombie. Stockades were built at Sauk Center, Alexandria, and Pomme de Terre, and the route was guarded by troops. The "International," abandoned in 1861, on the outbreak of hostilities, was brought to Abercrombie in 1863, by Captain Barret, and in 1864, was sold to the Hudson's Bay Company, it having become apparent that the country could not be opened up against the interest of that powerful organization. They did not want immigration and trade, nor mails or other appliances of civilization. The boat made one trip that year. The cart brigades again put in an appearance and the country became devastated by grasshoppers.

In March, 1869, the Earl of Granville succeeded in terminating the Hudson's Bay contracts and that company surrendered possession of the country, thus ending a twelve-year contest on the part of the Imperial government for the opening of the country.

The organization of the Manitoba government was provided for in 1870, and August 23d of that year Colonel Wolsey, at the head of the Sixtieth Canadian Rifles, entered Fort Garry and September 2d Lieutenant Governor Archibald arrived and the colony was duly organized. James W. Taylor, the American consul, arrived in November.

In December, 1870, the United States land office was opened at Pembina, and then the first public land was entered in North Dakota. There was then no regular mail to Fort Garry, and no recognized means of communication between Manitoba and the outside world. The cost of shipping freight from St. Cloud, the end of the railroad, to Fort Garry was $4 per hundred pounds.

In the spring of 1871 Messrs. Hill and Griggs, of St. Paul, built the "Selkirk,” which was put on the Red River that season, with Capt. Alex Griggs, the founder of Grand Forks, master. This boat arrived at Winnipeg April 19th, and having arranged to carry goods in bond, a wonderful trade was immediately opened with the Northwest. The success of the "Selkirk" forced the "International" into general trade.

In 1871, the stage route was extended from Georgetown to Winnipeg, Captain Blakely having contracted with the Dominion government to carry the mail from Pembina to Winnipeg. The first stage arrived in Winnipeg September II, 1871.

During the winter of 1871, all of the boats running on the Red River passed under control of Commodore Kittson. In 1872, an extensive business in flat boating developed. Scores of flat boats were built in 1872, and engaged in trading with down river points, the boats being sold at their destination and used for lumber. Logs were also run down the Red Lake River and used for lumber.

In 1874, an opposition line of steamers was put on the Red River by Manitoba and St. Paul parties, known as the Merchants Line. The boats were the "Minnesota" and "Manitoba." The latter was sunk by the "International" in a collision. These boats finally passed into the hands of Mr. Kittson in 1876.

The Kittson Line was organized about 1876, and was called the Red River Transportation Company. The principal boats were the "International," Captain Painter; the "Minnesota," Captain Timmens; the "Manitoba," Capt. Alex. Griggs; the "Dakota," Captain Seigers; the "Selkirk," Capt. John Griggs; and the "Alphia," Captain Russell.

The railroad was extended to Fisher's Landing in 1877, and December 2, 1878, the track layers joined the rails of the Canadian Pacific, and what is now the Great Northern at the international boundary, and the development of the Red River Valley was commenced in earnest.

The stage company transferred its business to the Black Hills and the steamboats gave way to the railroads, little business having been done on the river since that time.

The grasshopper raids of 1875 completely destroyed all crops in Manitoba. and the people of that region had no seed. The governor of Manitoba secured 12,000 bushels of wheat for seed in Traill County, at Caledonia and whatever of excellence there is in Manitoba seed now, comes originally from North Dakota.

CHAPTER XXIII

RED RIVER VALLEY OLD SETTLERS ASSOCIATION

HISTORY OF THE ASSOCIATION

The Red River Valley Old Settlers Association was organized at a meeting held for the purpose at Grand Forks, December 27, 1879. The following named persons were present, viz.: Alex Griggs, O. S. Freeman, W. C. Nash, James Hanrahan, James A. Jenks, Z. Hunt, Ed Williams, D. P. Reeves, Burt Haney, R. M. Probstfield, Wm. Blair, Thomas Walsh, P. McLaughlin, Wm. Budge, James McRea, George Akers, Matt McGuinness, N. Hoffman, J. J. Cavanaugh, M. L. McCormack, George B. Winship.

R. M. Probstfield was elected president and George B. Winship, secretary. The following were appointed committees to solicit members and to arrange for a permanent organization: From Grand Forks County, Alex Griggs, D. P. Reeves, Matt McGuinness; from Wilkin County, J. R. Harris, D. McCauley, and Ransom Phelps; from Clay County, R. M. Probstfield, E. R. Hutchinson, C. P. Sloggy; from Polk County, James A. Jenks, E. M. Walsh, John Island; from Kittson and Marshall counties, D. F. Brawley, J. W. Stewart, A. W. Stiles; from Pembina County, Chas. Cavileer, William Budge, N. E. Nelson; from Traill County, Asa Sargent, C. M. Clark, George Weston; from Cass County, J. B. Chapin, J. Lowell, Jr., George Egbert; from Richland County, M. T. Rich, and two others to be named by him.

The permanent association was organized at Grand Forks, February 4, 1880, with about thirty-five present. R. M. Probstfield was re-elected president; Asa Sargent, Traill County; N. E. Nelson, Pembina County, and J. R. Harris, Wilkin County; vice presidents; George B. Winship, of Grand Forks, secretary; Frank Veits, J. S. Eshelman, and M. L. McCormack, Grand Forks, executive committee. Letters were received from Gen. H. H. Sibley, Ex-Senator H, M. Rice, J. J. Hill, and N. W. Kittson, of St. Paul, Chas. Cavileer, S. C. Cady, and others.

A membership fee of $1.00 was fixed and the following paid their adjoining fee: W. C. Nash, John Fadden, Ed Williams, R. Fadden, James Hanrahan, George Akers, Z. M. Hunt, Wm. Fleming, George Ames, George B. Winship, Alex Griggs, Jacob Reinhart, Wm. Budge, Robert Coulter, L. Surprise, M. Ferry, N. Hoffman, J. A. Jenks, M. L. McCormack, F. Veits, J. S. Eshelman.

The association again met at Grand Forks, December 8, 1880, D. F. Brawley was elected president; Howard R. Vaughn, Alex Griggs, James Holes, vice presidents, George B. Winship, secretary and treasurer. The following named persons were present and paid a fee of $1.00 each: Burt Haney, John Fadden, D. F.