26 years ago

PRESCOTT JOURNAL “Where the St. Croix Meets the Mississippi” April 24, 1997 With disappearing habitat, a report from the National Wildlife Federation reveals the following species in decline: Bobolink, Cassin’s sparrow, Dickcissel, Eastern Meadowlark, grasshopper sparrow, Henslow’s sparrow, horned lark, Northern harrier, ring-necked pheasant, Savannah sparrow, Short-eared owl, Sprague’s pipit, Vesper sparrow, and Western meadowlark.

The decline is continent- wide, with under 3,000 acres of native grasslands in Illinois where 21 million once existed.

Thompson Grove starts the process to incorporate!

62 years and one month ago THE REPORTER May 6, 1960 Coming in for notice over six decades ago, the rezoning of land to build a Texaco station in St. Paul Park excited residents who felt they had not received sufficient notice and worries were voiced as to what effect the gas station would have on home values.

Council member Marlyn DeForth read a statement from the Highway Department in which it was noted that a detailed study had to be submitted before any actual construction could begin.

Also coming in for note, meanwhile, was a proposal and request by a nearby school to hook their line into Park’s disposal plant. The line would reportedly run for “several hundred feet” until it reached the village limits, with St. Paul Park asking Village Attorney Bob Gearin “to look into the matter.”

Requests to the Council not over, Park Police Chief Bill Cross asked permission to attend a ten-week class on something described as a “juvenile problem.” Council member Herman Willhite asked if the police chief would be willing to use his sick time and vacation pay, while others objected on the grounds this would penalize the chief for attempting to better himself for the community. The matter ended with the council asking a week to think it over.

The view from across the river 100 years ago THE PRESCOTT JOURNAL May 4, 1922 In Thousands of churches every Sunday young men and women instruct the youth of the community in religious principles. No other institution in this town is making a business of teaching truth, honesty, and square dealing.

Are Your Children in Sunday School?

(Invitation by area pastor, free of charge) Ellen Cotter and John Ptacek won the prize offered by Prof. Lentz on birds and how to encourage them.

Vegetable maps of North America are being made in room 2.

Room 2 is planning a contest between 3rd and 4th grades on building of bird houses. Prizes are to be offered. Celia Dravis of 3rd grade and Mary Jane Stuvenal of 4th grade. Won spelling prizes.

Room 2 has decorated their front boards with parasol borders.

Mrs. Fred Mauleug visited room 1 Thursday.

Marcella Atchineson withdrew from 2nd grade.

The following 7th and 8th grade pupils are to receive “progress pins”: F. Groves, T. Sundby, R. Page, L. French, M. Atchinson, E. Eckert, I. Cummings, P. Brewer, D. Baker, R. Hesinger, M. Hollister, M. Stern, M. Wehrman, A. Donovan, J. Snyder, L. Keichler.

127 years ago THE STILLWATER MIRROR May 10, 1894 Motto: “It is never too late to mend.”

The Prevention of Crime A More Rigid Responsibility Should be Place Upon Parents for the Acts of their Offspring There has been a marked growth of late years in the steady of penology, or the treatment of criminals. There are several “experts” in the country, and most every keeper of a prison or reformatory in the land belongs to one or more societies, the object of which is to learn by study and interchange of views the best methods of dealing with those whom society has condemned to seclusion in prisons. It is an excellent thing and great good has undoubtedly been accomplished by it. Many abuses which formerly existed in the prisons of the country have been cured in whole or in part…But how much better would be if a portion of the study directed to this end were directed to curing or strengthening the sick or weak individual before he becomes an actual criminal. How much better it would be, in short, to prevent the first offense instead of the second or subsequent ones.

Noted elsewhere: Rev. Father Burke, of White Bear Lake in company with Rev. Father O’Brien was seen upon the galleries Monday evening, where they paid a visit to a goodly number of the boys, cheering them up with many kind words of hope and comfort.

French Canadian in the Twin Cities 136 years ago ECHO DE L’OUEST (Western Echo) Minneapolis, Minnesota Achillle F. Carrier, Redacteur May 20, 1886 The apostate Pierre A Seguin, formerly pastor at Brainerd, Minnesota, has been handed a few days in advance by a committee of the Presbyterian church of Chicago, the accusation of drunkenness.*After the serious charges were made against him, he has been jailed many times for intoxication.

DECES Passing at Dayton, Minnesota on the 16th, madame Joseph Caron, aged 30 years and after a short illness, suffering with the greatest resignation.

Henry Martin of Osseo, a young man aged 19 years, full of hope…was killed accidentally last Monday. He was in front of his father’s house with a comrade yesterday when he made a “faux pas,” falling on a small branch or stem which punctured his central abdomen in the region of the stomach. His mother was notified, but she didn’t arrive (in time). The coroner made investigation on Tuesday the 18th, the verdict being death by nervous shock caused by perforation of the stomach. The service and burial took place yesterday at Osseo.

Henry Martin was the nephew of M. Janson and of Messrs. Thiebault and Legros, all iron merchants (marchands de fer) of this city.

Inside: A white man named James Lewis is tarred and feathered at Mineola Texas “par des hommes masqués” on the grounds that by choosing to have an interracial relationship with a black woman he had become the apostle (s’etait fait l’apôtre) of racial equality.

147 years ago PRESCOTT CLARION Motto: “Be Just and Fear Not May 1, 1875 CITY AND VALLEY A cornet band has been organized at Cottage Grove, with Wm. Oldom as teacher.

Territorial Dispatches 170 years ago THE DAKOTA FRIEND/ DAKOTA TAWAXITKU KIN Editor Gideon E. Pond August 1852/Imnija Skadan, Wi, ici 8, 1852 (continued from last week) Joseph Renville was of mixed (Dakota-French) descent, and his history forms a link between the past and the present history of Minnesota… At that time (young manhood), there was a British officer by the name of Dickson, who lived in what is now Minnesota, who was in the employ of an English Fur Company. Knowing that young Renville was energetic, he employed him as a “coureur des bois.” While a mere stripling, he had guided his canoe from the Falls of Pokeguma, to the Falls of St. Anthony, and followed the trails from Mendota to the Missouri. He knew by heart the legends of Winona, and Ampato Sapawin, and Hogan -wanke-kin.

He had distinguished himself as a brave, and also become identified following in the footsteps of his father, and purchasing a wife of that nation. At the breaking out of the last war with Great Britain, Col. Dickson was employed by that government to hire the warlike tribes of the Northwest, to fight against the United States. Renville received from him the appointment and rank of Captain in the British Army, and with warriors from the Wabasha, Kaposia, and other bands of Dakotas, he marched to the American frontier. In 1813 he was present at the siege of Fort Meigs. One afternoon, while he was seated with Wabashaw, and the renowned Petit Corbeau, the grandfather of the present chief of the Kaposia band, an Indian present himself, and told the chiefs that they were wanted by the head men of the other nations that were there congregated.

When they arrived at the rendezvous, they were surprised to find that the Winnebagoes, had taken an American captive, and after roasting him, had apportioned his body, in as many dishes, as there were nations, and had invited them to participate in the feast.

Both the chiefs and Renville, were indignant at this inhumanity, and Col. Dickson being informed of the fact, the Winnebago who was the author of the outrage, was turned out of the camp.

In 1815, he accompanied the Kaposia chief to Drummond’s Island, who had been invited by the Commandant of that post, to make him a visit. On their arrival they were informed by the officer, that he had sent for them, to thank them in the name of his Majesty, for the aid they had rendered during the war. He concluded by pointing to a large pile of good, which he said, were presents from Great Britain.

Petit Corbeau replied, that his people had been prevailed upon by the British, to make war upon the people they scarcely knew, and who had never done them any harm.

“Now,” continued the brave Kaposia Chief, “after we have fought for you, under many hardships, lost some of our people and awakened the vengeance of our neighbors, you make a peace for yourselves and leave us to get such terms as we can, but no—we will not take them. We hold them and yourselves in equal contempt.”

For a short period after the war, the subject of this memoir, resided in Canada, and received the half pay of a British Captain. He next entered the service of the Hudson’s Bay Company, whose posts extended to the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers. In winter he resided with his family among the Dakotas. In summer he visited his trading posts, which extended as far as the sources of the Red river.

In 1819, Col. Snelling, commenced the erection of the massive stone fort, at the junction of the Mississippi and the Minnesota. From this time Renville became more acquainted with the people of the United States, and some of his posts being within the limits of the Republic, and there being great commotion in the Hudson’s Bay Company, he with several other experienced trappers, established a new company in 1822, which they called the Columbia Fur Company. Of this new organization he was the presiding genius…(to be continued).