Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/324

 264 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY nated the Strafford Western Emigration Company. Smith, who knew every acre of land in the valley, pointed out to them the claims, very few of which had as yet been taken. Three or four pioneers had settled in the valley besides Smith and Doty, but they were soon bought out. Each of those present selected a claim for himself and one or two of his friends, who in some cases were real and in others imaginary. The land office was at Winona, where all those who had selected claims repaired and made the necessary tiling. On their return the party fell in with several persons who were seeking places in the West where they could settle, among them J. A. Thacher, a civil engineer and surveyor. He was induced to go along with the company. Mean- time they had round a surveyor by the name of Beckwith, whom they had engaged to survey their lownsile. I'pon the return of the party from Winona, the townsite was surveyed and platted under t lie auspices of Messrs. Beckwith and Thacher. The shape of the original townsite was unique. It extended from the Znm- bro river, one mile in Length and about seventy rods in width. It is ;i matter of tradition that the reason for Laying out the town •in this shape was thai the town would eventually grow to large dimensions and would extend across the river. The townsite was hounded on its west Por its whole length by a school section which was not then available. The ICO acres east of the surveyed townsite was claimed by S. I Gambia, of Red Wing, who had he- come a member of the company and who had promised, so far as he dared to do before getting the title to his land, that he would turn it in to the company and have it laid out in hits. One of the members had purchased of a settler a quarter-section, north of the school section, which some of the party alleged was to be turned in to the company and become a part of the extensive townsite. while -loseph Bailey and Ira Perry, getting possession of the adjacent land across the river, were to turn in that, in due course of time, to the company for a further addition to the townsite. Alas, for human expectations! The north quarter of the original strip of land laid out for a townsite was all and more than was needed for town purposes for many years after the events here narrated. "Smith and Doty's shanty soon became a hotel. Travel had set in over the new road and many wayfarers were glad to avail themselves of the hospitality of the hostelry. Most of the mem- bers of the company lodged in the board shanty across the river, but took their meals at Smith's. Smith's hotel for several months was the center of interest and influence in the embryo city. A description of it may not be uninteresting: In dimensions it was 12 by 18 feet on the ground, and 12 feet to the eaves. It was