122 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY The result was that we three took the return boat, and landed in Red "Wing in the early part of May. "While there I purchased a claimright from a half-breed named Benjamin Young, of that part of the city known as 'Sweney's Addition;' also that old weather- beaten, two-story log house, Avell known to old settlers. Note. — This house stood where the old Sheldon elevator, owned by the La Grange mills, is now located. "This done, I returned to St. Paul, put my business in proper shape, and came back to Red AVing with James McGinnis, who concluded to try his fortune in this then unexplored country. We made our headquarters in the venerable tenement before men- tioned, and kept our own house, or, as some graphically describe it. "kept bach." This was in the latter part of May or beginning of June. "As it was not deemed advisable to go into farming or build- ing operations until the treaty was ratified, we had plenty of idle time (in our hands, and the grand difficulty was to know how to dispose of it. The families here then were the Rev. J. W. Hancock, of the Presbyterian mission, and John Bush, Indian farmer. John Day was not far off. however. The old 'Excel- sior' never made a trip up from below that John did not board her, to hear 'about the treaty.' There were several transient per- sons here, but their later whereabouts is not known. The only actual residents of the county, previous to my coming, besides those above mentioned, were George Bullard and family, at Wacoota ; .James Wells, who was later killed by the Indians in the southwestern part of the state, who then had a trading post at what is now the village of Frontenac. and I 'hnrles Gould and fam- ily, who resided near the mouth of Wells creek. This comprised the white population of the county. "Of the country back of us, even for four miles, I could learn nothing. Mr. Knauer, the engineer of the old military road up the river, said he has rode out to the source of Hay creek, and that it originated in a fine tamarack marsh. It occurred to McGinnis and myself that a good tamarack swamp, in a prairie country, would be a fine thing to possess, and. being like the caged starling, anxious to 'get out." we 'just went' for Hay creek, and to our intense disgust, didn't find any tamarack. In an after conversa- tion with Mr. Knauer. I am persuaded that, not following the creek valley all the way, he mistook the poplar grove, known in early times as 'Albert's grove,' for the swamp aforesaid. "After our little disappointment about the source of Hay creek, our trips were mainly confined to the river side of the county, between the divide of the waters of the Zumbro and the Mississippi — even Belle creek was not known — its locality and course, however, was traced for us by Hapah. the old chief's son-
