The Old Pioneer’s Story
Robert B. McLean, now Living in Superior at the Age of 86 Years, Came to Head of the Lakes in 1854 – Copper Prospectors Invaded the North Shore Before the Indians Relinquished Their Rights – An Early Day Trip to Grand Marais – Duluth’s First House Built in Winter of 1855 – First Election in St. Louis County – Platting of Interstate City – Organization of St. Louis County – Wieland Brothers Arrive at Beaver Bay – North Shore Nearly Deserted in 1857 – Other Interesting Incidents of the Adventurous Early Days.
Robert B. McLean came to the Head of the Lakes before the Indians relinquished their rights to the North Shore of Lake Superior. He has made Superior his home most of the time since his arrival but, at one time, lived on Minnesota Point. He was a fisherman before coming to Minnesota and followed that business most of his life. He also proved highly adaptable to the life of a pioneer.
After the Chippewa Indians signed the Treaty of LaPointe, on Madeline island, near where Ashland now stands, Sept. 30, 1854, great activity started on the Minnesota side of Lake Superior. In many of these activities, Mr. McLean played an important part.
Mr. McLean still resides in Superior, hale and hearty, at the age of 86 years. Some years ago, that sturdy old pioneer narrated some of his experiences which, with slight editing, the Rip-saw takes great pleasure in reproducing.
Arrival in Superior in 1854.
I arrived in Superior June 10, 1854, with forty other passengers, on the old sailing schooner Algonquin, Capt. Angus commanding. I can recall but a few names of my fellow passengers. Among them were John I. Post, Mrs. Post and daughter, Mary; Miss Laura Smith, a lady companion of Mrs. Post; a Frenchman, his wife and her younger sister. I never knew his right name but the passengers called him Jack the Corker. Thomas Kocher, George Eaton, Steve Minter, Doc. Stock and Frank Sarrault were other passengers.
Early in August, I went to work for the proprietors of the townsite of the City of Superior. I was sent out with a party of engineers of which Thomas Clark was chief. I found that my associates on the work were pre-emptors, some of them hired pre-emptors. As I became better acquainted, I found out that nearly all the people were pre-emptors. Conversations invariably turned toward copper and copper claims. There were rumors that great masses of pure copper and large copper veins that could be traced great distances, existed on the North Shore, in Indian territory, therefore not open to white men.
Sneaking for Copper.
About Sept. 18, 1854, as I left the hotel, Mr. Clark met me on the sidewalk. He told me to get my axe and blanket and go with John Parry, an old miner and explorer. Later in the day, when I met Parry, he said:
“Are you going with me?”
“My orders are such. Where are we going?” I replied.
“Well, you must not tell anyone,” he answered, ‘But we are going to sneak over into the North Shore to try to find where those massed of copper and that big vein of ore that we have heard so much about.”
I was told at what place to meet him and informed that the canoe and grub would be ready.
I was at the appointed place at the appointed time. We got into the canoe, crossed over to Minnesota Point and laid under the trees until daylight. We carried the canoe and outfit across Minnesota Point to the lake and were making fast time for the North Shore without seeing anyone.
Warned by Indians.
As we neared the old portage where the Duluth ship canal now is, we saw some Indians were encamped there. They motioned us ashore and asked where we were going.
“Just going down to the river to catch some fish,” Parry replied.
One of the old Indians pointed to the North Shore and said:
“Nort Shore Injun land; white man no can go.”
Parry assured the Indians that we were only after fish and they allowed us to go on.
Our first landing was at Lester river. Both branches were examined as far up as the rocks were exposed. After following up the last branch as far as necessary, we crossed over the country to the lake. Some exposures were found but no copper.
Our next step was at Onion river, later known as Clifton. Some native copper was found there and two small veins carrying copper. Parry thought they might be feeders for the large vein we were seeking and that he would recommend the place as one for selection.
French river next was explored. Some fine specimens of copper and copper-bearing rock were found and that place was picked for location. Smith’s creek next was selected as, also, was Sucker river. Parry considered Knife river as far more promising for copper than any of the other places we had examined.
Turned Back to Report.
“I think we had better return to Superior and report to those who sent us down here,” Parry said.
I asked him if he knew who they were.
“Yes,” he replied, “I know some of them, but not all. There are R. B. Carlton, George and William Nettleton, Vose Palmer, W. H. Newton, Major Watrous, and Indian agent, Ben Thompson and Major Hatch of St. Paul. There are others but I do not know them. They have organized a company and as soon as they hear that the LaPointe treaty has been signed, they will put some men onto the places I have selected for the company to hold.”
Later, the organization was known as the R. B. Carlton Company.
We returned to Superior after an absence of several days and I went back to my work on the survey. It was only a few days later, one Saturday afternoon, as we came in from work, when I heard it whispered around that some half-breeds and Indians had just returned from LaPointe and reported that the treaty had been signed whereby the Indians surrendered all the lands on the North Shore, reserving only a small reservation for themselves at Grand Portage.
A Secret Expedition.
Later in the evening, chief engineer Clark tapped me on the shoulder and I followed him into his office.
“Get your blanket and axe and be down at the boat landing at 10 o'clock,” he said. “Anthony will look after the grub.”
I was at the boat landing at the hour set but found no one there. A few moments later, I heard some one down the bay and when he reached the boat landing, I saw that it was August Zachau. From up the bay came Vose Palmer and Robert Bothwick. From another direction came Thomas Clark and Frank Anthony.
Not a word was spoken above a whisper until we were some distance from the shore. Oars were taken in and sails hoisted. I was put at the helm and made sailing master.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Head for the entry; we are bound for the North Shore,” was the reply.
Our boat was sloop-rigged and of good size. Having a fresh breeze off shore we were but a short time in making a landing. Sunday morning showed up with a stiff north-easter and a heavy surf was rolling on the beach. Our boat was in a bad place to stand a heavy sea but we finally got her far enough up the rocks to be safe.
A Disappointing Breakfast.
When Anthony was called on for breakfast, he brought out a small basket in which there were six bread and pork sandwiches and no tea, coffee or drinking cups. For a few minutes it seemed as if far away were the safest place for Anthony but it being a Sunday picnic, we passed off the scanty grub supply as a joke and ate such as we had, or nothing.
It was decided that we must build a cabin to hold possession. Logs were cut, assembled and the walls of a 14x16-fout cabin were put up six logs high.
Then came the first labor strike by white men on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Bothwick and Palmer, being the best axemen, had done most of the work. They refused to do anything more until they had something to eat. There being nothing, it took little urging to induce the others to join them and we spent most of the afternoon loafing around the shore. The wind and sea did not moderate enough until after sunset to enable us to launch our boat and start for the Superior entry.
Sea Sick Prospectors.
A heavy swell still was rolling and there seemed to be a good deal of uneasiness on the part of my companions. Clark and Anthony insisted on sitting close to the edge of the boat as they were sure they could tell when we got near the entry by putting their hands in the water. Palmer got down in the bottom of the boat and Bothwick kept him company a few minutes later. Zachau sat in the bow and what few words he spoke were in German. I did not know whether he was talking to himself or an absent friend.
Our first attempt in-shore for the entry was a failure and we found ourselves among the breakers.
“We are running onto the shore,” yelled Zachau.
In swinging the boat around, a breaker caught us broadside to the swell and we shipped water enough to make Bothwick and Palmer scramble quickly from the bottom of the boat and grab the oars. In the next attempt, we made the entry and reached the boat landing, all voting to call it a pleasant Sunday outing and to say nothing more about it.
Trip to Grand Marais.
Two or three days later, Clark, Rush, Baptiste, and I left Superior in a birch bark canoe for the North Shore and Grand Marais. We encountered bad weather and spent several days in getting there. Upon arrival, we found five Frenchmen from Detroit, Michigan, who were in possession and had some timber cut for their cabins. With H. H. McCullough, at Sault Ste. Marie, they had chartered a small vessel to take them to Grand Portage where McCullough had a trading post. There they secured canoes and reached Grand Marais two days ahead of us. Two were men of middle age and three were young men. One of them was H. Godfrey. I did not learn the names of the others.
We spent by a short time at Grand Marais but started our return trip. At Beaver Bay, Mr. Clark made a thorough inspection of the water power on the Beaver river and decided that there was ample power there for a sawmill if the back country had enough timber to warrant building one.
We camped there for the night and, the next morning, Baptiste was given orders to go as far as Split Rock with the canoe and to camp there until our arrival. Clark and I then took our packs and followed the valley of the river for several miles back from the lake where there was a large tract of white pine along both banks, enough to keep a mill running for a number of years. We reached Split Rock the next day and, finding Baptiste, resumed our canoe trip.
Test-Pitting for Copper.
At Encampment, we found that King S. Mead and a man named Ward had taken possession and nearly completed a nice cabin. At Knife River, John Parry, John Scott, John Gathered, Alex McIntire and wife were camping near the river until they could build cabins farther up the river, where they were to spend the winter sinking test-pits in search of copper ore.
At Sucker river, Vose Palmer and four men were building cabins. At French river, Joe Laundry, his son and a man named Joe Blais, with their families, had taken possession and erected good cabins. They remained there all winter.
From French river to Minnesota Point no one was living at that time. The only people on Minnesota Point were George R. Stuntz, who had a trading post on the bay side of the Point, at the lower end, near where the old lighthouse now stands. R. H. Barrett and Charles Lord were his clerks. Harvey Fargo had a cottage some distance up the Point from the post, where he lived for a number of years.
During the winter of 1854-55, Stuntz closed his trading post. R. H. Barrett built a cottage a short distance up the Point from the post where he lived until the completion of the lighthouse in 1857, when he took charge as keeper. Charles Lord joined the staff of Dr. Marcellus as interpreter and assistant surgeon.
Ordered to Beaver Bay.
About the first of November, Antoine Ambul, Henry Schutte and I were sent to Beaver Bay to build and hold possession for Jessie Ramsey of St. Paul and W. H. Newton and Thomas Clark of Superior, who were to be the proprietors. We built two cabins to hold the water power and one to hold the townsite. We remained there until the latter part of February, when the ice formed enough to permit us to take our packs and walk to Superior.
During the winter and spring of ’54 and ’55, Orrin Rice and his brother-in-law, Zach Brown, built the first house on the Duluth side of the bay, the location being a short distance north of the present N. P. R. bridge on Rice’s Point.
In May, 1855, William Nettleton and Ham Johnson built their cabins near what now is Second St. and Second avenue E., Duluth. Frank Lemieux built his cabin a short distance East of St. Croix avenue. Capt. Tommy McDonald took his claim near where the Soo Line depot now stands. His partner took the Point of Rocks. Joe Posey and Baptiste Rush took claims on Rice’s Point. Their cabins stood near the present side of the boiler works.
In June, 1855, John I. Post built his cabin near where the old courthouse stood at Sixth avenue East and Second St., giving the name of Portland to his location. Benjamin Sweet took a claim just north of Portland while Waterman Green located near Chester creek and Superior street.
Sam McQuade, his brother Robert, W. W. Kingsbury and Robert Johnson took claims near Endion. They built a nice, large house on the lake shore and named their headquarters Endion.
Thomas Sexton, Peter Larkins and a man named Grady took claims at Agate bay, now Two Harbors. Asa Parks, Charles Ringsbury, Charles Kimball and others located at Pigeon river. Antoine Ambuhl, Nick Arn and I located at Beaver Bay.
First County Election.
The first election in St. Louis county was held in September, 1855, at Orrin Rice’s house on Rice’s Point. I went over to the polls with R. B. Carlton, Kingsbury and the others living at Endion. The only candidate voted for was W. W. Kingsbury, as delegate to congress.
About the first of October, Orrin Rice and John Hanley took the contract to construct the old Military road from Superior to the state line. About the same time, the old Lake Superior and Mississippi was to be surveyed from Stevens Point. Thomas Clark was chief engineer of the line from Superior to the St. Croix river and Colonel Patton was the chief engineer from Stevens Point to the St. Croix. There was a big demand for men to work on the survey and on the road. Two men and I were called from Beaver Bay to go on the survey. Mead and Ward left Encampment and Thomas Sexton, Pete Larkin, Grady and two other men left Agate Bay to work on the road.
All the miners at Knife Point were taken to the South Range, south of Superior, to open up what was called the Fond du Lac copper mine. Vose Palmer and five men left Sucker river to join the survey. Those living at Endion were mechanics and found plenty of work at Superior.
The railroad line was located and surveyed to the St. Croix river. The site selected for the railroad bridge was a short distance south of the state line, where a connection was made with the line from Stevens Point. We returned to Superior in late November.
Interstate City is Platted.
In January, 1856, Andrew Foster, Pete Van Blarcom, Nick Arn and I were sent back to the St. Croix river to survey and plat what was to be known as Interstate City. The state line, running north and south, was to be the central avenue of the city. Vincent Roy was to select an Indian name that would express the meaning of a city situated in two states. He selected such a name and I heard it pronounced, but have forgotten it. We finished the survey and returned to Superior about the first of April.
On my return, W. W. Kingsbury was one of the first men I met. He was keeping bachelor hall with the other boys from Endion. He said that their flour was getting low and that there was none to be had in Superior. A Frenchman brought some flour from St. Croix and sold what he had to spare for fifty cents a pound. I knew that flour had been brought from St. Croix as I had met the same Frenchman on the trail with a big pack on his back. He told me that he had 100 pounds of flour on his back and that as soon as he got that to Superior, he was coming back with his dog team for another load. I did not see him on his second trip but was told at the lumber camp that he had been there for more flour.
Kingsbury told me that he had learned from some Indians that there was plenty of flour at Grand Portage and he wanted me to make a trip there with him. I agreed to go. He secured a large hand-sled on which we drew my boat from Minnesota Point over the ice to open water near Lester river. From there we started to Grand Portage.
Found Cheap Flour.
After passing French river, we saw no one until we reached Grand Marais. H. Godfrey and two other young men whom I had seen in October, 1854, still were living there.
At Grand Portage, Henry Elliot, wife and family were the only white people to be found. Elliot was in charge of the H. H. McCullough’s trading post and had been for three years. After saying “Bijou, bijou” a few times, we asked him if he had any flour that he could spare.
“Yes,” he replied, “I have a hundred barrels over there in the warehouse. You can have all you want.”
“What are you asking for flour down here?” we inquired.
“Sixteen dollars a barrel,” he answered.
We bought four barrels, all that our boat would hold and give us room for rowing.
We accepted an invitation to dinner and Mrs. Elliot gave us such a square meal as we had not seen for many days. After visiting an hour or two, we loaded on the flour and started back. I learned from some of the Indians that the flour was selling to them for $8 a barrel.
On reaching Beaver Bay, we found Thomas Clark and three helpers platting the townsite. We left one barrel of flour with them and took the remainder to Superior where it was divided among those most in need of it.
St. Louis County Organized.
Some time in April, 1856, St. Louis county was organized for judicial purposes and officers as follows appointed: Clerk of the court, J. B. Culver; sheriff, J. B. Ellis; register, R. H. Barrett; auditor, J. E. Brown.
During the month of May there was a big boom on the North Shore in lands and townsites. Richard Realf, a civil engineer, surveyed and platted the Village of Duluth. Vose Palmer and others platted the town of Montezuma at Sucker river. E. C. Clark, David A. Currier, Charles Hubbard and others platted the town of Burlington near Two Harbors. Geo. R. Stuntz and others laid out Encampment. Along in June, J. B. Bell finished building the house that the picnickers started that hungry Sunday in 1854 and called the place Belleville.
Josiah Talmadge, one of the stockholders in the R. B. Carlton company, with Ben Gates and Ed Baker, was to hold Clifton. Henry Smith with two other Germans took claims on Smith creek. Samuel Palmer and wife, with Roswell H. Palmer, arrived at about that time and were taken to Sucker river.
John Mayher and others took claims on Sucker bay and Stony Point. John Morrison and family located at Knife River. John Stewart with fourteen men took claims on Stewart’s river and along the lake shore to Silver creek. Hugh Montgomery and a man named Flood took claims on Flood’s bay.
Wieland Brothers Arrive.
On one of her trips in June, 1856, the steamer Illinois brought up the Wieland brothers and sever other families with their horses, cows and other animals. They were landed at Beaver Bay.
In July, 1856, Fred Ryder, one of the pre-emptors around Duluth, built and occupied the first house built in the village of Duluth. Some time in July that year a monthly mail route was established from Superior to Grand Portage and a contract given Thomas Clark for carrying the mail. Post-offices were established at French river, Henry Smith, p. m., Grand Marais, H. Godfrey, p. m.; Grand Portage, H. H. McCullough, p. m.
I had the honor of taking the first mail through on that route. In August, Commodore Saxton, Lyle Hutchins and others, platted the town of Saxton at Two Island river. In October, W. G. Cowell and others platted the town of Buchanan, where the U. S. Land-office was to be located. Timbers were nicely hewed out for five two-story buildings. Two were for use of the land-office and John Scott, Alex McIntyre and John Gatherer occupied the others as hotels and boarding houses. A number of other houses were built and occupied by laboring men.
Some time in November, 1856, R. E. Jefferson, Quince Allen, C. E. Martine and others platted the town of Endion at about the same time or, possibly, in December.
In May and June, 1857, a number of families came to Duluth and a good many single men. Some took claims around Duluth and others down the North Shore. I met some of them but never got well enough acquainted to remember their names.
Many Townsites Platted.
Leander Palmer, Frank Hacker and others surveyed and platted a townsite at Gooseberry river. A man named Johnson and others laid out a townsite at Split Rock river. Orange Phillips and Jack Clemens took claims at Little Marais. A number of families and some single men settled at the mouth of the Brule on the North Shore.
In June, 1857, I think it was, Wieland brothers took over all the rights and interests of Ramsey, Newton and Clark at Beaver Bay. I resigned as postmaster in November, 1856, and Albert Wieland was appointed postmaster the next August. Capt. J. J. Hibbard and his brother Ashley, with their families, were landed at Burlington with all the equipment for a steam sawmill.
About the last of August or the first of September, I met W. W. Kingsbury who informed me that the governor had decided on taking a territorial census. He also was sending a man from St. Paul to organize voting precincts in Lake county. A territorial election was in prospect. Alexander Ramsey and General Sibley were candidates for governor and W. W. Kingsbury as delegate to congress. St. Louis county then extended clear to the Canadian boundary. Robert Johnson was appointed to take a census of that part now St. Louis county while I was appointed to enumerate that section now covered by Lake and Cook counties.
Organizing Election Polls.
Starting out with two men, I was overtaken by a man from St. Paul in a birch bark canoe with Paul and Jerry Martell of Superior. He asked how far it was to Grand Marais; said that the governor had sent him to open polls up there for election; and, since he was a stranger on the North Shore, wished to keep us company. We camped together nights and duly arrived at Grand Marais.
The polls were organized, the election came off and, out of 61 votes cast, Alexander Ramser received 31 and General Sibley 30. W. W. Kingsbury received the entire vote for territorial delegate to congress. After election, I finished my census work and returned to Superior.
Thomas Clark and family went to Beaver Bay to reside and, during the winters of 1857 and 1858 his daughter, afterwards Mrs. Richard Realf, taught school there. In November, H. Godfrey sent in his resignation as post-master at Grand Marais and he and his two Detroit companions abandoned the place. The office remained vacant until Henry Mayhew took possession of the east side of the bay and Sam Howenstine the west side. I do not remember the year they went there but it was in the early 70’s.
The territory of Minnesota was admitted as a state in May, 1858, and the town of Duluth was organized and officers elected. The town of Clifton was platted by Major Watrous and R. B. Carlton.
North Shore Nearly Deserted.
The panic of 1857 was a hard blow to the settlers on the North Shore. During the summer and fall of 1858, Agate Bay was abandoned and J. J. Hibbard and family were the only ones at Burlington. The townsite of Gooseberry was abandoned and the town of Saxton was left for McCullough to use as a trading post for several years. Men at Gradn Marais, Little Marais and the Brule abandoned their claims.
In the fall election of 1858, Thomas Clark was elected state senator for the sessions of 1858 and 1859 and he and family went back to Superior.
During the season of 1859, Encampment had a few fishermen in the fishing season. Stewart’s river, Flood’s bay and Silver creek were abandoned. Joe Laundry and Joe Blair with their families were the only ones left from Duluth to Sucker river after the removal of land office from Buchanan to Duluth. Beaver Bay was the only permanent settlement on the North Shore from Duluth to Grand Portage and it continued so until the coming of the railroad.
H. H. McCullough, postmaster at Grand Portage, was not a citizen of Minnesota, his home being in Newark, N. J., where his family resided. He established a trading post at Grand Portage in 1849 or 1850.
Fishing at Isle Royale.
About August 1, 1853, I crossed from Eagle River, Mich., to Isle Royale, for the purpose of meeting McCullough and to find out if salt and barrels could be bought from him for the season’s fishing at Siskowit bay. I met him at the Rock Harbor mine which then was working with a large force of men. I found that I could get all the salt and barrels we wanted, therefore five others and I spent two months in fishing at Siskowit bay.
At that time, McCullough was heavily interested in fishing. He had one large warehouse and dock at Siskowit bay, filled with salt and barrels, and another on the north side of the island. My next meeting was with him at Grand Portage in 1857. In September, 1861, I was hired by him to go to Lake of the Woods to take charge of his trading post for the winter. On my way there, I found that he had trading posts at Mountain Lake, Lac La Croix, Black Bay on Rainy Lake and the one on Lake of the Woods. In 1863, he disposed of all his interests at Grand Portage and his Isle Royale fishing interests to P. E. Bradshaw of Superior.