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Last Days of Wisconsin Territory and Early Days of Minnesota Territory.*

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Last Days of Wisconsin Territory and Early Days of Minnesota Territory.* LA ST DA YS O F WISCONSIN TERRITORY AND EA RLY DA YS OF MINNESO TA TERRIT RY ' O . Y H N HEN M B O . RY L . O SS . O ffi ce rs an d Ass o ciates o f the Minnes ota Historical o ' A t of o u r o I o S ciety the request y c mmittee, that sh uld a d d re ss o u o n c c si n to o d ur y this o a o , as the events and act rs o of o I th e fol ing the early territ rial days Minnes ta , submit l win of fi ft a o r und o g review the times , y years g , a o which cluster s ome of the mo st imp ortant and interesting events o f o . o o d our hist ry The brief time , in c nnecti n with business a o c re ties requiring my attenti n , has precluded my giving the a ful examination of rec o rds and data which I shoul d much de o o sire ; and if perchance err rs ccur in my statements , a de fective o l mem ry is the apo ogy . By an act o f C ongress appro ved by President P olk March 3 1849 o of o o , , the territ ry Minnes ta was rganized ; and thereby o usu l wers a g vernment was established , having the a po exist e ing under a representativ republic , namely, the executive , f o . o o j udicial , and legislative The executive c nsisted a g ver o n or and secretary . The j udicial department c mprised a chief t o of o o j ustice and wo ass ciate j udges , all wh m , t gether with o o the district att rney an d marshal , were app inted by the Pres c dn si ste d of ident . The legislative department nine members “ ” “ ” f o o f o the C uncil , and eighteen members the Assembly, to be elected by the citizens of the territo ry . S n o 4 1 849 oo after his inaugurati n , March , , President Tay r M c Ga u h e o f Ind i n Ed d G . l o r app ointed fo r govern o r wa g y, a a , wh o failed of c onfi rmation by the senate, which was then in tor c al S oc t Jan . 13 A n A d d r e s s at t h e A nn u al M eet ing o f t h e M inne so ta His i ie y , , 1 8 9 6 . NESO TA A MIN HISTORIC L SOCIETY COLLECTIONS . o . o M r sessi n The President thereup n appointed . Pennington of wh o o ur New Jersey, declined to accept . Then h on o red o Gov . o and esteemed ass ciate, Ramsey, received the app int onfi rm H c ed . e it ment , which was by the senate accepted , and s oon after cheerfully left his Pennsylvania h ome and eu tered with zeal and energy upon his duties of directing the p olitical affairs and devel oping the p o ssibilities of a new em H . e o o to T pire has ever been , and is still , an h n r the erri o o o ‘ t ry and the State, wh m every citizen is pr ud to name an d kn o w . The executive depar tment was made c omplete by the a o t n c f o c e a e o G v . o K p Ramsey and the app intment of Charles . of o f F o r Smith , Ohi , as secretary o the territo ry . the j udi ciar o o oo of y, the President app inted Aar n G drich , Tennessee, oo B B chief j ustice ; David C per, of Pennsylvania , and . H L o o f K o . Meeker, entucky, ass ciate j udges ; . M ss , United o o L o States att rney ; and J shua . Tayl r, United States mar shal . The tw o last named were already residents o f the ter ritor . O f fi rst o o ffi cer s onl e y these territ rial , y two yet surviv , v . namely Go Ramsey and mys elf . o o o Alth ugh , as bef re stated , the rganic act was approved 3 1849 o ffi cial o March , , and the app intments were made imme d i tel f a y thereafter, the residents within the limits o the ter ritory received n o informati on there of till the sixth day of o of fi rst o o April , up n the arrival the steamb at c ming up the o Mississippi river that spring , as the last mail prio r theret h reached u s ab o ut the 25t of February . All travel and trans r i n f o p o tat o o the mail in th se days were by the river route , o n o . the ice in the winter , and by steamb at in the summer fi rst f The electi on of Gen . Tayl o r as President in the week o 4 n 4 1 4 8 . o 18 8 o to u a . 9 N vember , , was unkn wn s until J , o o f Ma Gov . During the m nths April and y, Ramsey, Secre d es oo o o . S u t. tary Smith , and J g G drich and C per arrived As Paul was made the temp o rary capital of the new territo ry by f o fo r ffi c r s to . provision o the rganic act , it was natural the o e make it the p oint of their destinati on . It had at that time an o of o 200 o estimated p opulati n ab ut inhabitants . The nly place fo r public res o rt was a l og building l o cated o n the c o r o n o ner of Third and Jacks n streets , where w stands the Mer “ ” ' l o o d chants Hotel . This g building was the H tel at that ay, EARL A S O F Y D Y MINNESOTA TERRITORY . o f our J . W . B ss which late esteemed friend, a , was pro ri t r p e o . oo Gov . S n after his arrival , Ramsey invited his o fficial as sociates to meet him at this public res o rt in c ouncil on the fi rst f 4 o 18 9 . on o d a day June, Here it was , that mem rable y, that the fi rst Minnes ota cabinet held its meeting in a small oo on o floo r r m , about seven by nine feet in size, the sec nd , one bed two o o furnished with , w den chairs , a small wash m stand ade of unpainted pine lumber, a trunk, and a 10 by 12 n inch mirro r . It was the and there in that cabinet co un o of o n o u d e cil , c mposed the g ver r, the secretary, J g s Go odrich oo ffi i and C per, and myself, that the o c al pro clamatio n sub mitted o o by the g vern r was approved . Th e pro clamati on set o of o forth that the Territ ry Minnes ta was an established fact . o o o fi cer s It als set f rth the names of the , that they had quali fi ed and were prepared and ready to perform their respective duties . I r o o n a subsequent p oclamati n , the g vern o r directed a cen to o sus be taken , and app inted the necessary o ffi cers to take it o o f , as a basis for the app rti nment of the territ ory or the o of to He electi n members the legislature . also assigned the j udges to different porti ons of the territ o ry fo r the perfo rm o o s ance of their duties . The pr clamati n a signed chief j ustice Go o drich to administer j ustice over the civilized p ortion of o o o f the territ ry, which embraced the entire c untry lying west St . o of to the Cr ix river and east the Mississippi , extending T the British possessions . t banished j udge CO Op e r to the un ‘ civilized and Indian co untry west of the Mississippi and south f t o . o S . I the Peter river , with headquarters at Mend ta t sent o term i nco ni to j udge Meeker int exile in the wil derness , that g f St . lying west of the Mississippi and n o rth o the Peter river, l o a land where lay the beautiful ake Minnet nka, with its o . charming and picturesque shores , yet undisc vered His headquarters were in an ol d dilapidated mill on the west bank St o . of the river at . Anth ny falls o r r d In directing the census to be taken , the g ve no appointe o r . o John M rgan , of Stillwate , as the superintendent Up n his o o report being made, the territ ry was divided int districts by o n o o o to be the g ver r ; and a general electi n was rdered .
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