Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/619

 BISTORT OF GOODHUE nHNTY 537 Hon. W. H. Welch, then chief justice of the territory of Min- nesota, visited the place and decided to make his home here. Among others who came to stay were W. V. DeKay, P. Sand- lunl. V. IT. Wellington, C. J. F. Smith, WiUiam Colvill, Jr.. P. S. Fish and S. J. Hasler. A large number of private houses were erected. The American House (at first Mrs. Allen's boarding house) was opened, and J. C. Weatherby's dry goods and grocery store, E. P. Lowater's shoe store and Iloyt & Smith's warehouse all commenced business. Wheat raised this year was found to be of a most superior quality, and the marketing and shipping of this cereal gave Red Wing its first start as a business point. A few years after, and before any railroads had found their way into this territory. Red Wing was claimed to be the greatest primary wheat market in the world. Red Wing this year was made the county seat of the new county of Goodhue. A full complement of county officers were appointed by the territorial governor, nearly all being citizens of Red AVing. The burdens of office, however, were easily borne. Philander Sanford, the first lawyer in Red Wing, built an office on Main street, where practically all the public business of the county was transacted. One thing that gave the place some reputation abroad at the early beginning was the probability that it would soon be the seat of an institution of learning of a high order. It was known that the Methodist Episcopal church was about to estab- lish a university somewhere in the northwest and that Red Wing had been selected as the proper place for it. The hopes of the people in regard to such an enterprise began to be realized toward the end of the year 1854, when Prof. Jabez Brooks, on November 16, opened a school in the hall over Smith, Hoyt & ( V). 's store. This school was called the preparatory department of Hamline University. The prevalence of cholera on the river during the summer of this year had retarded the growth of the town somewhat. Per- sons were frequently landed here from boats who were in- fected with the disease, and. though cared for as tenderly and patiently as possible, many of them died. It was remarkable that the pestilence did not spread among the residents. The Indians had been formally removed by the government in the fall of 1853, to their reservations, but many stragglers came back again and encamped near the place during the fol- lowing season. Considering that this was the home as well as the burial place of their ancestors, this is not surprising. No danger was apprehended by those acquainted with the ways of the Reds, but some of the new comers had their fears. It would have been very easy for the Indians to have taken the place by