The History of Red Wing

History of Goodhue County
Franklyn, Curtiss, Wedge
1910

W. B. Hancock, who arrived in Red Wing in October 1853, thus describes the city at that time, after speaking of the rather starting appearance of the Indians : The whole town-site was covered with bushes some ten or twelve feet high. The hotel on the corner of Main and Bush streets was nearly finished and occupied by Mr. Durand. William Freeborn had a fairly large frame house. H. L. Bevans had some goods in a board shanty on Main street. Warren Hunt had a small house. That is all the buildings on Main street that I can think of. William Lauver, Squire Akers, and a man by the name of Smith, had small frame houses on the other side of Jordan, as it was then called. John Day lived on his claim all the time. I do not think the city extended that far. His shanty stood on the bank of the bay where the Red Wing Stoneware Company now has its works. Rev.  Sorin had a frame house. Calvin Potter had a hewed log house with a store in the same building. The same was afterward used, with a new front built on, for a hotel called the Metropolitan, burned many years ago. There were some mission houses, which stood on Bush street (what would now be about the middle of the street, a little to the south of mid-way between Main and Third streets). H. L. Bevans lived in one, J. W. Hancock, the other. The latter was two stories and double, one end being used as a school and meeting house. Dr. W. W. Sweney lived in a log house near the river bank. A man by the name of Hoyt had a log house somewhat further back. Mr. Chilson, who afterward built the Chilson House, was here. Jim McGuires moved into the school house and lived in it that winter. The family of Rezin Spates lived out on Spring creek. The house stood where the poor farm now is. These are all the married families I can recollect, but there were several bachelors' establishments in and around Red Wing at that time."

Some farming was done this year. Wheat, oats, corn, potatoes and rutabagas were grown within the limits of the present city. Probably the first wheat raised in Minnesota south of the Minnesota river was raised here at that time. A notable event was the first Christmas dinner (1853), when the town proprietor, William Freeborn, invited the entire population to a Christmas dinner at his home. With one or two exceptions, all accepted, making an event at which practically the entire population of Red Wing was present.

An incident of this year is related as follows : A number of Indian families were encamped in the vicinity of Red Wing, a few miles up the river, on the Minnesota side. A man named Hawley had a shanty on the Wisconsin side, just above the site of the present village of Trenton. Some trouble occurred between Hawley and Ta-sha-ta (Deer Hoof), in which the Indian received a fatal stab with a knife. Word was brought to the few settlers at Red Wing that Hawley had killed an Indian and the settlers were seriously alarmed, for it had been the boast of Red Wing's people that none of that band had ever killed a White man, and it was naturally expected that they might now seek retaliation in vengeance on the whites. Some of the settlers went up to the Indian encampment and assured the Indians that Hawley should be punished as he deserved, and they were satisfied, manifesting no desire to wreak vengeance on the innocent settlers. Hawley fled from his shanty and was never afterwards seen in the country. A report subsequently came back that he had been shot and killed by an Iowa sheriff.

The little community at Red Wing spent the winter of 1853 in peace and safety. Religious services were held each afternoon Sabbath in the school room of the old Mission house. Hiram Middaugh was leader of the choir and also teacher of singing.  Debates and social parties were held occasionally. As soon as the ice on the river became strong enough to bear up teams, trwelers began to pass up and down the river, frequently tarrying for the night in this little village. In the fall of this year, Dr. W. W. Sweney was appointed postmaster.  The spring of 1854 opened early. That year the steamer D. Hillman passed through the lake, April 5, 1854, on its way to St. Paul. Early this spring came a number of new settlers.

Hon. W. H. Welch, then chief justice of the territory of Minnesota, visited the place and decided to make his home here.  Among others who came to stay were W. W. DeKay, P. Sandford, W. H. Wellington, C. J. F. Smith, William Colvill, Jr., P. S.  Fish and S. J. Hasler. A large number of private houses were erected. The American House (at first Mrs. Allen's hoarding house) was opened, and J. C. Weatherby's dry goods and grocery store, E. P. Lowater's shoe store and Hoyt & Smith's warehouse all commenced business. Wheat raised this year was found to be of a most superior quality, and the marketing and shipping of this cereal gwe Red Wing its first start as a business point.  A few years after, and before any railroads had found their way into this territory, Red Wing was claimed to be the greatest primary wheat market in the world.

Red Wing this year was made the county seat of the new county of Goodhue. A full complement of county officers were appointed by the territorial governor, nearly all being citizens of Red Wing. The burdens of office, however, were, easily borne.  Philander Sanford, the first lawyer in Red Wing, built an office on Main street, where practically all the public business of the county was transacted.

One thing that gwe the place some reputation abroad at the early beginning was the probability that it would soon be the seat of an institution of learning of a high order. It was known that the Methodist Episcopal church was about to establish a university somewhere in the northwest and that Red Wing had been selected as the proper place for it. The hopes of the people in regard to such an enterprise began to be realized toward the end of the year 1854, when Prof. Jabez Brooks, on November 16, opened a school in the hall over Smith, Hoyt & Co.'s store. This school was called the preparatory department of Hamline University.

The prevalence of cholera on the river during the summer of this year had retarded the growth of the town somewhat. Persons were frequently landed here from boats who were infected with the disease, and, though cared for as tenderly and patiently as possible, many of them died. It was remarkable that the pestilence did not spread among the residents. 

The Indians had been formally removed by the government in the fall of 1853, to their reservations, but many stragglers came back again and encamped near the place during the following season. Considering that this was the home as well as the burial place of their ancestors, this is not surprising. No danger was apprehended by those acquainted with the ways of the Reds, but some of the new comers had their fears. It would hwe been very easy for the Indians to hwe taken the place by surprise and murdered all the inhabitants in a single night had they been so disposed. The distance between Red Wing and their new home was not great. Very few white settlements then intervened. The Indians were fully acquainted with the country, but greatly dissatisfied with the change that they had been compelled to make. But their patience was not quite exhausted and the settlers were not molested. One man was badly scared, however.  Awakened suddenly in the night by a hideous noise, he thought the Indians had certainly come and that the work of death was going on at his neighbors' houses. Believing that all was lost, he resolved nevertheless to sell his life as dearly as possible. Snatching his revolver, which was ready loaded, he bounded into the street in his night dress, and, rushing to a clump of bushes which stood between his house and the others, he awaited the attack, hoping to kill at least three or four Indians before they should kill him. An interval occurred in the noise, revealing the sound of familiar voices among those who were imitating the swage war whoop, and he was convinced of his mistake. It was only a party of boys paying their respects to a newly married couple.