AUTHENTIC INCIDENTS GLEANED FROM
The Old Settlers
By The Book Committee
1914
COPYRIGHTED 1914
BY
THE BOOK COMMITTEE
PUBLISHED BY
THE F. H. MCCULLOCH PRINTING @
AUSTIN, MINN.
Mr. Eli Pettijohn
Mrs. Missouri Rose Pratt
Mr. James McMullen
Mrs. Samuel B. Dresser
Mr. William W. Ellison
Mr. Henry Favel
Major Benjamin Randall
Mrs. Duncan Kennedy
Major S. A. Buell
Mrs. Helen Horton
Mrs. Mary Massolt
Mrs. J. M. Paine
Mr. Chas. Watson
Mrs. C. W. Gress
During my search for a map of the Old Trails and Roads of Minnesota, public libraries were thoroughly
investigated, but no book or map could be found showing these old highways. A few old maps in the
Historical Library bore snatches of them, but in their entirety they had disappeared from books and maps, as
well as from our state.
Months of this research work failed to resurrect them, although a map was made from the fragmentary pieces on old maps, filled out by what the pioneers who had traveled those roads could furnish. All old maps seemed to have disappeared from the state.
It was hard to locate them from hearsay for when we asked "Did it go through Alexandria," the answer was, "There was no town on it after leaving St. Cloud, so I can't say just where it went, but we went to Fort Garry and crossed the river at Georgetown."
Finally, after nearly a year's hard work, as we were on our way to the Capitol to look over the first
government surveys, Mr. George Ralph was met, became interested, and drew part of these trails from the old
plats for this map.
When a surveyor goes into a new country to make a government survey, he is required to place on that[Pg 4] plat every trail, road or plowed field\u2014John Ryan, who worked in the forties was the only one we found who always followed these directions. He would survey several townships, and there would be the much-wanted road. Some other surveyor would do the one below and there would be a break, but John would take hold again a little further on and the trail could be joined from the direction shown.
The three great routes for the Red River carts to St. Paul, the great fur market, which used to come down by
the hundreds from the Pembina and Fort Garry country are shown. One through the Minnesota Valley; one
through the Sauk Valley, and the most used of all through the Crow Wing Valley by way of Leaf Lake. They
used to come to the head waters of the Mississippi in 1808.[1] The Wabasha Prairie Road, called Winona
Trail on this map, was a very old one, as also were those leading to the sacred Pipestone Quarries and the
sacred Spirit Lake. There is a tradition that there was a truce between all tribes when these trails were
followed. Mrs. J. T. M.[Pg 5]
Mrs. James T. Morris
Mrs. William J. Morehart
Mrs. E. C. Chatfield
Mrs. S. R. Van Sant
Miss Beatrice Longfellow
Miss Rita Kelly
Mrs. F. W. Little
Mrs. O. H. Shepley
Mrs. Alonzo Phillips
Mrs. Guy Maxwell
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