Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/411

 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY 343: 'In the month of September, 1853, I started from Moline with a small company of immigrants for Minnesota, in order to find a place where we conld commence a colony. Having arrived at St. Paul, Minn., some of our party took a contract for some work, while I, together with four others, started out to find a place for our future home. We were directed to Red Wing, which a short time before had been laid out as a village. We were told that good land could be had in the neighborhood. We went on board a steamboat and made directly for that place. When we landed we found the whole bank, where the town now stands, covered with Indian tepees, but we did not see more than four dwelling houses to prove to us that the people of our race lived there. Soon we met several Americans, who received us with much hospitality, and when they learned the object of our visit they got us a team and a man who was acquainted in the wilder- ness to go with us and show us the land. The following day we started out, but we did not feel satisfied before we got upon the prairie, now known as Vasa. On this prairie we found the best of soil and we saw good oak timber in all directions. Now we had seen enough, and we went immediately back to St. Paul, in order to make ourselves ready to move to our new place. ' 'It was in the month of October and we expected a cold winter. As we considered it impossible at so late a season to build houses comfortable enough for the women and children, all those who had families resolved to stop at St. Paul over the winter. In company with two other men Ave returned to make claims for all of us". When we for the second time returned to Vasa prairie we were provided with a tent, a stove, some pro- visions and some winter tools. After having pitched our tent on the bank of the big creek, now Belle creek, in a clump of trees, and arranged our romantic camp, we went out to recon- noiter the land around about and took several claims. There- upon we went about to build a house where we could live during the approaching winter. Some weeks after two families of our party came down from St. Paul to stay, and during the following summer, 1854, we numbered ten families. " 'On one occasion, when the Rev. E. Norelius, of Indiana,, conducted religious services, a Lutheran church was organized, and the settlement received the name of Vasa, in memory of the great hero, Gustaf Vasa, who liberated Sweden from foreign despotism and brought about the establishment there of the Lutheran faith. The name seems to be well chosen, as the Swedes at Vasa strive to imitate the great Gustaf and his coadju- tors. Before this name was applied the place was known as "Swede Prairie," "Mattson's Settlement," and also "White Rock," from a big rock of white sandstone somewhat similar in