Whereas the mostly rural origins of present Cottage Grove prior to 1960 make it difficult to find news of the immediate area, we will do our best to provide a unique and relevant history section for our Cottage Grove readers, even if needing to resort to nearby communities for South Washington County coverage. Included in the “next county over” section this week, meanwhile, is a partial address we stumbled upon that was made at Washington, D. C. and seemed worthy of inclusion.

Despite rumors to the contrary Zebra mussels can thrive in the St. Croix according to latest environmental studies By Jenny Dale The St. Croix River was rumored to be immune to the threatening zebra mussel as it made its way north through the Mississippi River, but researchers have found no reason why the mussel could not survive in the St. Croix River, according to Dr. Mary Balcer, a researcher at the Center for Lake Superior Environmental Studies.

After a year and a half of research on zebra mussels, these researchers believe preventative measures need to be taken to stop the spread of the exotic mussel to the St. Croix River.

“Our preliminary results suggest that the adult zebra mussel survival is comparable in the St. Croix River to those in infested rivers,” Balcer said.

The research her department has been conducting in their lab has shown that adult zebra mussels not only can survive in water conditions identical to the St. Croix, but can reproduce in these conditions (complete story at UW-River Falls archives).

45 Years Ago THE HASTINGS GAZETTE Hastings, Minnesota July 29, 1976 POINT DOUGLAS Locals The Point Douglas Women’s Club meets Aug. 3rd at the home of Mrs. Douglas Peterson at 1:30 p.m.

The Riverside Mothers Club will hold its meeting August 3rd at the Herbert Wright home.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Laurence and two daughters, have moved into their home, which was formerly owned by Mrs. Agnes Rudy. He is employed by the telephone company. We welcome them to the community.

60 Years Ago THE REPORTER Serving St. Paul Park, Newport, Thompson Grove, Woodbury Hts.

July 21, 1961 Plans Completed for Street Dance THOMPSON GROVE – The women of the Athletic association met Monday evening at the country club to complete the plans for the street dance Saturday night.

Dancing will begin at 9 p.m. with the music being furnished by Gordy Stevens and his band. The band and refreshments will be outside in the parking lot of the County Club.

Tickets are being sold by parents of the boys now playing ball. Tickets can also be purchased at the door the night of the dance. All proceeds are to go for expenses of the Association such as equipment for the boys.

Picnic tables are needed for the dance. Persons willing to donate a table may call GL 9-14**.

CONSTABLE RESIGNS WOODBURY – Irvin R. Morse, 129 Afton Rd., has resigned as one of the township’s two constables. Morse, who was in his first term of office, said he was moving to Minneapolis.

Carrier’s Dilemma Too Many Kelly’s ST. PAUL PARK – John Kelly and John Kelly know who they are, but they’re not making it any too easy for the letter carrier.

Of the 170 Kellys listed in the St. Paul telephone directory, 16 of them are named John. Early last week, one of the 16 moved to 1673 14th Avenue, St. Paul Park.

Two doors away from whom?

Naturally.

And the only distinction is that the John Kelly who has just moved in—he’s a St. Paul Park Patrolman—has the middle initial E., while his neighbor’s full name is John R. Kelly.

Complicating the situation is the fact that the RFD mailboxes for both men are mounted on the same rack.

Kelly (John E.) said he “had heard something about” a Kelly living on the block before he moved in.

“But I really knew it—I guess it was the first time he got my mail and returned it to me.”

The possibility of mail confusion will be considerably lessened sometime next year when the RFD trucks will be replaced by mailmen who will walk the routes in St. Paul Park dropping mail in house-attached boxes.

As for phone call mix-ups: “I’ve been waiting,” said John E. “It’ll happen.”

WAY BACK WHEN 10 Years Ago Joseph J. Chalupa Sr., 420 Fifth Ave. N., a prominent St. Paul business man died at the age of 62…The South St. Paul grocer butcher picnic was at Sauer’s Park while barber’s had their annual picnic at Como Park…Charles L. Govern Jr., first lieutenant in the Air Force, was assigned as purchasing and contracting officer to the headquarters squadron Ninth air base group… “Women: I have Found Them…” By Rog Schoenecker, Staff Writer Nestled snugly against the side of a steep slope just south of the Highway 61 – 100 interchange is a cluster of tombstones*, a visual history of the Newport of yesterday.

The cemetery, long forgotten by many a resident in the tide of change, started with a single grave some 93 years ago when Red Rock still belonged to the Indians.

A once – white stone, worn smooth by countless and eroding winds**, is still traced with the legend (John Holton, Died Nov. 1, 1868, 31 years and 3 months.” John Holton was the first.

Gorden Dorland, April 2, 1956, was the last. He was interred about a hundred yards from the Holton site and 88 years later.

Over the years, Red Rock Cemetery was owned by a number of different people. In its early years it was a garden spot, surrounded by apple orchards and multi-colored flower beds.

But time gradually got the upper hand. The press of vegetation growth, eroding rains and winds toppled some of the larger stones, broke others and engulfed the smallest in tangles of roots. Then on Sept. 13, 1921, a group of Newport citizens decided to organize, “In order that the cemetery may be cared for and perpetuated in the interest of those who have relatives buried in the plot and for the benefit of the village in general.”

The Red Rock cemetery association, formed to last 30 years, elected W. G. Ford as its first president. Records of those years are sketchy. For the most part, they existed in the minds of pioneering residents, gone now from the scene.

*The front page Refinery photo of July 22 was taken from near the site of “Newport Cemetery” on Hastings Avenue at 65th Street. The cemetery spoken about above, however, is different, and currently located just southeast of the interchange of Highway 61 with Interstate 494.

**This suggests marble, which is a soapstone and tends to deteriorate quickly with time and exposure to the elements.

106 Years Ago WASHINGTON COUNTY JOURNAL “Independent and Impartial” Stillwater, Minnesota July 16, 1915 FARMER’S AUCTION SALE The auction sale of the H. C. Farmer’s livery barn, was completed Saturday evening. Practically all the property offered for sale was disposed of. There are four horses that were reserved, and they will be sent away for sale. The Stack livery barn purchased five hacks and a gray funeral hearse. Ed Londigon bought a hack and Sam Belisle purchased three hacks. A New Richmond liveryman purchased three and paid $750 for them.

Positive and Comparative Death to the Mosquito!

The Panama canal was built by paraffin! The fearful mosquito plague, which once made life for the workers unbearable, and which was one of the factors which made the French relinquish their attempts to build the canal, was ended by the simple expedient of covering all stagnant water with a film of paraffin. Midges lay their eggs in stagnant water, but the larvae which develop have to come to the surface frequently to get fresh air. The paraffin entirely cuts off the supply of air, the larvae are suffocated, and consequently there are no midges. Other parts of the world, formerly regarded as the graves of white men, have now become mosquito free by the same means.—Pearson’s

Next County Over 160 Years Ago TAYLOR FALLS REPORTER Volume 2, Number 22 Taylor Falls, Chisago County, Minnesota July 18, 1861 President’s Message FELLOW CITIZENS OF THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: Having been convened in extraordinary convention, as authorized by the Constitution, your attention is not called to any ordinary subject of legislation.

At the beginning of the Presidential term, four months ago, the functions of the federal government were found to be generally suspended within the several states of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, excepting those only of the Post Office Department.

Within these States all the forts, arsenals, dock-yards, custom houses, etc., including all too movable and stationary property in and about them, had been seized and held in open hostility to this Government, excepting only Forts Pickens, Taylor, and Jefferson, in and near the Florida coast, and Fort Sumter, in Charleston harbor The forts thus seized had been put in an improved condition; new ones had been built, and armed forces had been organizing, all avowedly for the same hostile purposes. The forts remaining in Federal possession in and near these States were either besieged or menaced by warlike preparations, especially Fort Sumter, which was surrounded by well protected hostile batteries, with guns equal in quality to the best of its own, and outnumbering the latter at perhaps ten to one. A disproportionate share of the Federal muskets and rifles had somehow found their way in these States and had been seized to use against the Government. Accumulations of the public revenue, lying within them, had been seized for the same object. The navy was scattered in distant seas, leaving but a very small part of it within reach of the government.

Officers of the federal army had resigned in great numbers, and of those resigned a great number had taken up arms against the Government… Finding that condition of things, and believing it to be an imperative duty upon the incoming Executive to prevent, if possible, the consummation of such an attempt to destroy the Federal Union, a choice of one of two things to the end (“goal”) became indispensable. This choice was made and declared in the Inaugural Address. The policy chosen looked to the exhaustion of all peaceful measures before a resort to any stronger ones (Lincoln was considered a threat by the South for his well-known anti-slavery sentiments).

It (the policy) sought only to hold public places and property not already wrested from the Government, and to collect the revenue, relying for the rest on time and discussion and on the ballot box…. Everything was forborne without which it was impossible to keep the Government on foot. On the 5th of March, the present incumbent’s first full day in office, a letter from Maj. Anderson commanding at Fort Sumter, written on the 28th of February and received at the War Department (now “Department of Defense”) on the 4th of March, was by that Department placed in his hands.

This letter expressed the professional opinion of the writer that reinforcements could not be thrown into that fort in time for his relief, rendered necessary by the limited supply of provisions, with a view of holding possession of the same with a force of not less than 20,000 well disciplined men. This opinion was concurred in by all the officers of his command, and their memoranda on the subject were made enclosures of Major Anderson’s letter. The whole was immediately laid before Lieut. General Scott, who at once concurred with Major Anderson in his decision… In this contingency (to stock Fort Sumter with provisions but not arms), it was also resolved to notify the Governor of South Carolina, what he might expect that an attempt would be made to provision the fort (against pending starvation), and that if the attempt should not be resisted, there would be no attempt to throw in men, arms or ammunition, without further notice; or in case of an attack upon the fort. The notice was accordingly given, whereupon the fort was attacked and bombarded to its fall, without even awaiting arrival of the provisioning expedition.

It is thus seen that the assault upon and reduction of Fort Sumter was in no sense a matter of self-defense on the part of the assailants. They well knew that the garrison in the fort could in no possibility commit aggressions upon them.

They knew they were expressly notified that the giving of bread to the few brave and hungry men of the garrison was all that would on that occasion be attempted; unless themselves, by resisting so much, should provoke more …It might seem at first thought to be of little difference, whether the present movement in the South be called secession or rebellion. The movers, however, well understand the difference… Whoever, in any section, proposed to abandon such a Government (at Washington D.C., then under President Lincoln), would do well to consider in deference to what principle it is that he does it; whether the substitute will give, or be intended to give, so much good to the people. There is some foreshadowing on this subject. Our adversaries have adopted some declarations of in which, unlike the good old one penned by Jefferson, they omit the words “are created equal.” Why?…. Why this deliberate pressing out of view the rights of men and the authority of the people?…No compromise by public servants in this case could be a cure. Not that compromises are not often proper, but that no popular (i.e. “of the people”) government can long survive a marked precedent that those who carry an election, can only save the government from immediate destruction by giving up the main point upon which the people gave the election….as to private citizens, the executive could not have consented that these institutions shall perish, must less could he in betrayal of so vast and so sacred a trust as these free people had confided to him. He felt that he had no moral right to shrink, or even to count the chances of his own life in what may follow. In full view of his great responsibility he has so far done what he has deemed his duty. Will you not, according to your own judgement, perform yours?

He (the President) sincerely hopes that your views and your actions may so accord with his as to assure all faithful citizens who have been disturbed in their rights, of a certain and speedy restoration to them under the Constitution and the Laws, and having in this chosen our course without guilt and with pure purpose, let us renew our trust in God, and go forward without fear and with manly hearts.

(Signed,) Abraham Lincoln July 4, 1861 Territorial Dispatch SAINT CROIX UNION Stillwater, Washington County, Minnesota Territory Friday, July 18, 1856 Advertisement DR. FOORD’S PECTORAL SYRUP* This Syrup is the most effectual, safe, and pleasant remedy ever yet invented for the cure of Common Colds, Coughs, Hoarseness, Bronchitis, Croup, Asthma, and all affliction of the lungs or throat. It immediately quiets and loosens a cough, relieves pain and soreness in the back of side, and heals and strengthens the lungs and throat and is an invaluable medicine for all Asthmatic and Croup attacks of children. No family should be without it in the house.

PRICE Seventy-five cents For sale in every Town and Village of the country H. M. Murdock & Co., Agents Stillwater, M.T.

*From Latin “pectus” and related to the chest.