Behind the Victory Flagpole — Progress in St. Anthony and early Camden settlers
Behind the Victory Flagpole — Progress in St. Anthony and early Camden settlers
It is the 1850s and we are again in St. Anthony. There is a hustle-bustle in the air, a feeling that things are being accomplished. Now that there is a sawmill, frame houses are being built. The streets are being laid out, shops are opening up, but even so, there is not that much merchandise to be had.
Nearly every family has a garden large enough to raise a supply of vegetables, such as potatoes, beans, onions, beets, cabbage, rutabagas and turnips. But everything else, aside from abundant wild game, must be brought up the river in steamboats from Illinois, Iowa and Missouri. This includes flour (which costs from $15 to $20 a barrel), pork, sugar, tea, coffee, molasses and whiskey (a necessity.)
Because of the high cost of wheat flour, more people are turning to raising corn for making bread. John H. Stevens, pioneer on the west side of the Mississippi, owned plenty of prairie land, broke up the raw prairie sod, and in 1850-1851 planted a small field of corn and vegetables. He had a problem though — blackbirds. They came by the thousands and ate his seed. So, he scattered seeds laced with strychnine, but for every dead bird, another took its place. At harvest time, the birds opened the husks, pecked at the corn and ruined every ear. Scarecrows did no good, so his problem was solved by having boys armed with shotguns stationed on little platforms in the fields. They killed as many as possible, literally strewing the ground with dead blackbirds. It took several years for the birds to be exterminated and make corn-raising profitable.
One of the first industries in town, aside from lumber, was the manufacture of sleds and sleighs, which were necessary in winter. A pioneer named James Mc Mullen built them. Another odd industry was that of harvesting ginsing — it didn’t have to be planted — the woods were full of it. It was the only commodity that brought ready cash and enabled farmers to pay their taxes and debts to the merchants.
New faces on the scene, who came from the state of Maine, showed up in 1849. Two of them were Rufus Farnham, Sr. and Jr. In 1852 Rufus Farnham Sr. was one of 15 men who voted against all intoxicating drinks throughout St. Anthony and the territory, but it was later declared unconstitutional.
In 1853 he migrated to the area which was later named Camden, and built a shingle mill in a creek where it emptied into the Mississippi. By the fall of 1853, more families had claimed land in this area and said they lived “near Shingle Mill Creek.” Rufus, Jr. was an enterprising farmer in the area called Crystal Lake. Rufus, Sr. built a large house between Washington Ave. and the river near 40th Ave. It was later moved to 3939 Washington Ave. N.
The original shingle mill built by Farnham was bought by David Morgan in 1859 and made into a flour and grist mill. It was sold twice after that, the last person owning it being G.A. Haertel, Sr., until it burned down in 1890. The flour mill foundation, what’s left of it, is still partially visible in Shingle Creek.
Another settler, John Ware Dow and wife, Susan, arrived from Maine in 1850. He had been a preacher for the Methodist Church, resigned his duties and came to St. Anthony. He went up river from the ferry crossing above the falls and took a claim in what is still known as Camden Place. He and his wife settled on their claim March 26, 1852 and built their log house where 44th and Humboldt Ave. N. is today. He was 53 at the time. His grandson, George H. Dow, farmed his father’s homestead from 40th to 44th and from Penn to Thomas specializing in garden vegetables. This he did for 40 years, developing a special white corn marketed as “Early Dow.”
Another early settler in St. Anthony who came from Maine in 1852 was John Campbell Bohanon, and an early settler who came from Vermont in 1855 was John Martin. These were both prominent settlers in Camden, and their stories will be coming later.
Almost forgot. One of the biggest events in St. Anthony was January 23, 1855 — the celebration of the completion of the first bridge built across the Mississippi. It was a suspension bridge built by pioneer Franklin Steele and had a span of 620 ft. Sadly, it was destroyed years later by a log jam.
St. Anthony, the first city in Minnesota, was consolidated with Minneapolis on February 28, 1872.
Note: Excerpts from Minnesota and Its People Vol. 1&2; Floyd B. Olson Jr. High School and the History of Camden; and Early History of Minneapolis by John H. Stevens.