Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/623

 EISTORY OF GOODH1 E COUNTY -ML used a one-horse I read mill power. The laud office did a flour- ishing business and called many strangers to this place during the three years it remained. Hotels and boarding houses multi- plied and were well patronized. Barnes & Vanhouten opened a brick yard at the west end, and commenced the manufacture of that article, while Mr. Wilkinson's yard was still supplying brick, but not in sufficient quantities to meet the demand. The first sawmill here was put in operation by Pettibone & Knapp. It was afterwards conducted by Freeborn & Pettibone. Cogel & Blakely built a mill for the manufacture of sash, doors and blinds. The machinery for this mill was sunk in the Mississippi with the steamer Itasca while on its way hither. Other ma- chinery w T as soon purchased and the mill put in operation before the close .of the year. The following year the same firm com- menced the manufacture of wheat Hour, with one set of stone. The prominent firms doing business here so early as 1856, besides those already mentioned, were: J. < '. Weatherby, dry goods and groceries; Mclntire & Sheldon, F. F. Philleo, Richter & Sher- man, general merchants; Betcher & Brown, hardware; W. E. Hawdvins and W. H. Wellington, painters; William Colvill, Mur- doek & Bristol, Charles McClure and E. T. AVilder, attorneys at law ; Smith, Towne & Co., dealers in real estate. The last named firm consisted of Otis F. Smith, Thomas F. Towne and J. C. Pierce. There was a hall over a business block on the north side of Main street, called Philleo hall, which was finished and devoted to the use of the public during the year 1856. This hall was for some time the place of holding conventions, public lec- tures, concerts, church festivals, etc., by the Presbyterians, Epis- copalians and Baptists in succession, until each had built churches for themselves. The Methodists occupied the chapel of Hamline University for Sunday services until their church edifice was completed. The fourth day of July was duly celebrated for the first time in Red Wing in 1856. There was a grand procession following a band of musicians, three in number. First came the officers of the day, officers and reader ; second, school children and teachers ; last, citizens generally. This procession marched to a grove near-by, where the usual exercises, appropriate to the occasion, delivered, were listened to with attention. Hon. W. AA T. Phelps delivered the oration. Long tables had been prepared by the ladies, loaded with the best eatables the times could furnish, and a free dinner was partaken of by all present. The Presbyterians commenced building a brick church this year. The outer walls were finished and the roof completed when the winter set in. The interior w r as finished, furnished with a bell and dedicated the following summer. This pioneer