Early days in Minnesota's
Big Stone, Traverse & Grant Counties are recalled in
this spiral bound booklet reprinted from the rare 1882 book: History
of the Minnesota Valley, by the Rev. Edward D. Neill, with additions
from the WPA's Minnesota, a State Guide. The booklet is printed
one-sided on 60# paper with the print enlarged for easier reading.
A vinyl sheet has been added to protect the front cover.
The booklet contains
information on the following communities:
Big Stone County -- Ortonville, Odessa,
Big Stone, Prior, Graceville, Browns Valley, Bay View, Tokua, Almond,
Malta, Otrey, Artichoke, Akron; Traverse County
-- Village of Browns Valley; Grant County
-- Big Stone City, Inkpa City, Geneva, Hartford, Milbank; and the
Sisseton and Wahpeton Indian Reservation.
Among the many subjects discussed
are: Physical Features,
such as Artichoke and Big Stone Lakes; Ole Bolsta, Jacob Hurly,
C.K. Orton, Robert "Red Head" Dickson, Walter Steers,
Joseph R. Brown, Solomon Robert, Moses Mireau, and other early
settlers;Early public officials and legal actions questioning
the legality of the county organization; County and/or community
"firsts," such as the first store, first marriage, first
church services, first death, first birth, first school, etc.;
Railroad's arrival; the "Helen Balch" steamboat; Boundary
markers between MN and Dakota territory; Traverse County Seat
Location Dispute; Early Newspapers; Churches and Schools; Early
Banks, hotels and other businesses and industries; Devastating
fire in 1879; Organizations, such as the Masons and the Musical
and Dramatic Society; and other bits of history and trivia. There
are mini biographies of prominent residents in the various towns,
as well as many other names throughout the booklet. The WPA excerpts,
published in 1938 concern the Browns Valley Man, a famous Minnesota
skeleton found in the 1930s, Sam Brown State Park and an update
on Ortonville.
Wouldn't this make a unique
gift?
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