CHAPTER XIII. CANNON FALLS. First Settlement— Platting the Village— Village and City Incor- porated—Water Power and Mills— Fraternities— Hotels- Newspaper— Modern Cannon Falls— Industries— Business Houses— Schools— Commercial Club— Banks— Cannon Falls Township — Early History — Veterans of the War. Cannon Falls, now a city, has a historic past and a promising- future, together with a prosperous present. Its early history is closely associated with that of Red Wing, the names of Sweney, Colvill, McGinnis and Freeborn being prominent in both places. The following article has been prepared with the assistance of John C. Applegate, editor of the Cannon Falls "Beacon," who has edited the early history and written the story of the modern growth and development of the city and its various interests. In 1855 William Freeborn built a log cabin on the east bank of the Little Cannon river, near the falls, on mill block No. 3. This was the beginning of the present prosperous city of Cannon Falls. Richard Elton built the first store the same year, on block 36, and Eli Ellsworth, the first merchant, kept his goods in that building. The first physician was J. E. Tibbitts, the first lawyer was R. AY. Hamilton, and the first resident minister of the gospel was Rev. J. R. Barnes. Where a portion of the city now stands, James McGinn-is pre- empted lots 1, 2, 5 and 6, section 18, in November, 1854. March, 1855, Warren Hunt took a claim, northeast quarter of section 18, adjoining McGinnis on the east. The same spring Richard Free- born, Jr., pre-empted lots 3 and 4, section 18, west of the Mc- Ginnis claim. In May, 1855, William Colvill pre-empted lots 7, 8 and 9, section 18. south of the McGinnis claim. Benjamin St. Clair took lots 7, 8 and 12, section 7, north of the McGinnis claim, the same spring. June, 1855, William P. Scofield pre- empted lots 9, 10 and 11, section 7, northwest from the McGinnis claim. The same month, Hugh Montgomery took the southeast quarter of section 18, east of the McGinnis claim. June 1855, Frank Clark entered lots 10 and 11, section IS, south of the 159
