Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/326

 266 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY perience and broad views in the matter of town building. The trustees, especially, were very narrow and short-sighted. They placed an extravagant price upon their town lots and were not liberal enough to devote any for much desired and needed im- provements. One of the most important needs of the new town was a hotel. Ezra Wilder came over from Oronoco to build one. The trustees gave him no attention and were unwilling to make- any concessions to him. Doty finally sold him two lots at a reasonable price in an undesirable location. He proceeded to erect a building for a hotel late in the fall, which he was not able to make comfortable till midwinter, although it was actually occupied at the beginning of the winter. The frame of the build- ing was put up and it was sided and the roof shingled by De- cember 1. The weather was extremely cold and a considerable depth of snow was on the ground. Ento this he moved his wife and several children. Smith's cabin was full to overflowing. Another family besides Smith's occupied the lower floor, while the attic was filled with Lodgers. Wilder laid a loose floor in the second story of his building over the cook stove, and hung up sheets tn keep the snow out. Qpou this Moor a bed, filled with prairie hay, was laid and two men lodged there for some weeks. with the mercury outside a1 o<» below zero, and bu1 a trifle above that indoors where they slept. W'ildcr's family consisted of his wife and two daughters. Now these women endured the rigors of that terrible winter in the half finished building has ever been a mystery. So cold was it that, within four feet of the cook stove where these women cooked, water would 'ri'<'/J L in the men's beards while washing. A few families came on in the fall, bu1 they suffered many hardships and deprivations, which can scarcely be realized a1 this day. There were many cases of sick- ness and much discouragement. Dr. Perry's wife was sick all winter and nearly insane. Others were similarly affected. One poor fellow was taken down with typhoid fever at Smith's; the house was full of boarders; he soon died from want of care 1 — it could not be given him. All travel soon ceased. Occasionally someone would go to Red Wing for the mail and needed supplies. T. P. Kellet had opened a store with a small stock of goods. No postoffiee was established until the following spring. Locomo- tion on the prairies was made on snow shoes. Those remote from timber found it difficult to keep warm during the winter. Snow fell about November 20 and remained on the ground until May of the following spring. Notwithstanding the setting in of winter, all parties were eagerly planning to advance the interests of the new town. It was determined to change the route of the ■& v