ageurs and a few traders. All this, however, passed away, and the county remained unsettled until the survey of the Northern Pacific railroad.

On the 13th of September, 1870, Nathaniel Tibbetts, then with the surveying party, selected a claim of one hundred and sixty acres in sections twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five, and twentysix, to which he brought his family on the 8th of May, 1871. A few others came in August, among

whom were, J. W. Tibbetts, Warren Potter, Richard Mills, George Jenkins, and William Wade, besides a few transient laborers engaged in the construction of the railroad. The road reached this point on the 23d of February, 1871, then halted eighteen days for the completion of a cut near by. In 1872, the county of Aitkin was organized, and an election held on the 30th of July, at which the following officers were chosen: County Commissioners, N. Tibbetts, Chairman, William Hallstram and William Wade; Register of Deeds, William Hallstram; Auditor, R. E. Cowell; Attorney, D. C. Preston; Sheriff, James W. Tibbetts; Treasurer, George Clapp; and Coroner, N. Tibbetts. At a meeting of the Board, on the 18th of September, J. H. Van Nett was appointed Justice of the Peace. By a clerical error, or fault in publishing, the books and official documents of the county were printed 66 Aitken." Although the name adopted was Aitkin," in honor of Robert Aitkin, a trader and resident of Sandy Lake, in the early part of the present century.

66

The village of Aitkin is on the Northern Pacific railroad, where Mr. Tibbetts first settled, as already mentioned. It is pleasantly located on, and near the mouth of Ripple creek, so called by the settlers on account of its clear, rippling waters. By some means the Indian name for this stream was interpreted Mud creek, which, however, is ignored by the villagers. Near the present village is an old town site, platted in 1856, and called Ojibway. Its proprietors created quite a furore in eastern localities, sold shares for fabulous prices, but like other ventures of the kind it soon collapsed, never having even a building.

Weaver and George Falconer; and Overseer, Geo. Jenkins.

When the railroad reached this point, a station was established, and a depot building erected in the autumn of 1872, also a water tank, section house, freight house, and an engine house 40x80 feet, which burned the next year and was never rebuilt. In the fall of 1872, Richard Mills opened the first store in the place, in the old claim shanty of Nathaniel Tibbetts. The next year Mr. Tibbetts opened a store, which he conducted about eighteen months, then sold to Clapp & Son. Another store building was erected in the fall of 1873, but used the first year as a saloon by George Jenkins, then by Peak & Wakefield, as an Indian trading post, then as a general store by Knox & Whipple, then Knox Brothers; Knox Brothers & Richardson; Knox Brothers & Dorman, and now (D. J.) Knox & Dorman. The firm are now doing a business amounting to $200,000 annually, carrying a stock of about $40,000. Warren Potter has a store, doing about $75,000 business annually besides his flouring mill, which has a capacity of one hundred barrels in ten hours. In the mill he has a partner, D. Willard.

There are three hotels, three saloons, two blacksmith shops, and one meat market.

The first hotel was built by Nathaniel Tibbetts, the first year of his residence here, and was called the Ojibway House. The next year he built a larger house, of hewed logs, sided and lathed and plastered inside. The next hotel was opened in May, 1875, by Mrs. Nellie Whipple, a sketch of whose life appears elsewhere. This house burned in 1879, and in the February following, Mrs. Whipple opened another, called the Whipple House, which she still conducts. In November, 1880, John Crosley, opened the Crosley House, which has been under the management of Joseph Wakefield since the spring of 1881. The Mammoth Hotel was opened in December, 1880, by C. H. Douglas, under whose management it has since been a popular home for travelers.

The village has now about two hundred and fifty inhabitants, and is rapidly developing.

The first school was taught in the summer of 1874, by Miss Belle Lowe, now the wife of Dr. Rosser, of Brainerd. A good school house was built in the fall of 1876, in which school is maintained nine months in the year.

betts, in the winter of 1870-71, by a young theological student who was employed by the workmen of the railroad company, for three weeks, preaching evenings and Sundays. Since then, services have been maintained monthly, with slight intermissions, Rev. Mr. Hawley, of Brainerd, officiating for the last year.

The first child born here was Markie, son of Nathaniel and Susan C. Tibbetts, near the close of the year 1872. He died in February following, being the first death here.

The first marriage was that of Robert E. Cowell and Miss M. E. Tibbetts, on the 11th of September, 1873.

Outside of the village, there is but little settlement in the county. A few settlers are located at the mouth of Willow river, and a few have homes at Sandy Lake.

A Post-office was established at the village in September, 1872, and mail, by trains, is supplied daily. In 1873, a steamboat, the "Po-keg-u-ma," was built to run between this point and Pokeguma Falls. In the fall of 1878 it was destroyed by fire, and the next season replaced by the steamer "City of Aitkin," which is still in use, under command of Captain Houghton.

BIOGRAPHICAL.

CARL H. DOUGLAS is a native of Lower Canada, born in the year 1848. In 1859, he came, with his parents, to Minneapolis, Minnesota, remaining five years. Then, after teaming about ten years in Rockford, he came to this place in 1874, and purchased the Aitkin House, to which he made several additions and conducted till its destruction by fire in the fall of 1880. Mr. Douglas at once set about the erection of a new hotel, and eventually opened to the traveling public, the Douglas House, which was built at a cost of $8,000, and contains fifty-six rooms for the accommodation of guests.

EDWARD L. DOUGLAS was born in Canada in 1848. He came to the United States in 1867, and engaged in the lumber business at Rockford, Wright county. He came to Aitkin in 1876, and has since been engaged in the lumber and hotel business. He is a partner with Knox Brothers in the lumber business.

DORANCE H. DORMAN, son of D. B. Dorman, one of the early settlers of Minneapolis, Minnesota, was born in the latter city on the 1st of April, 1856. He grew to manhood in his native place,

being engaged with Merriman & Barrows, lumber dealers, for five years. He is a member of the firm of Knox & Dorman, having formed the partnership in March, 1881.

CHARLES N. Howe dates his birth in the state of New York, on the 17th of May, 1835. He learned the carpenter trade when a young man, and followed that occupation in the West and South for a number of years. He was in Georgia at the breaking out of the civil war, and, for some time, was unable to get north. Seizing the first opportunity, however, he crossed the lines and enlisted in the Northern navy, serving three years on the flag ship "Minnesota," of the North Atlantic blockading squadron. Mr. Howe came to Minnesota in 1870, and after remaining one year in Minneapolis, came to Aitkin and engaged in the lumber business. In the spring of 1880, he opened a blacksmith and wood shop, and does quite an extensive business in the building of bateaux.

DANIEL J. KNOX is a native of Beloit, Wisconsin, and was born on the 26th of August, 1849. When he was a child the family removed to Dell Prairie, Wisconsin, where David grew to manhood on his father's farm. At the age of nineteen years, he went to Sparta and attended the Commercial College at that place eighteen months going thence to Eau Claire as general manager in the mercantile house of Jackson Brothers. After spending from one to three years each in Eau Claire, Elroy, and Idaho, in the mercantile business, he came to Aitkin and opened a general store in a small building 24x30 feet. His brother, G. W. Knox, afterwards became a partner, who has recently been superseded by D. H. Dorman. Large stores have been erected, and the business has become quite extensive, amounting, in 1880, to upwards of $225,000. They have also a branch store at Grand Rapids, Itasca county, which does an annual business of $30,000. Mr. Knox, in company with his brother, G. W., and E. L. Douglas, are constructing a saw-mill, which, when completed, will have a daily capacity of fifty thousand feet, besides lath, shingles, etc.

EDWIN B. LOWELL was born in Abbott, Maine, in March, 1833. He was reared in his native State, and in 1855, came to Minnesota and settled in Champlin, Hennepin county, where he was engaged in farming three years. He then followed lumbering until the breaking out of the war, when he enlisted in the First Minnesota Volunteer In

fantry, and served three years. Returning from

the army he again engaged in lumbering, and still follows that occupation. His field of labor is on the Swan river, where he banks a large number of logs each winter, employing about thirty men.

SAMUEL S. LUTHER dates his birth in Pennsylvania in the year 1850. When a young man his time was divided between clerking in a store and the lumber business. He came to Minnesota in 1873, and was employed at lumbering for three years, after which he spent some time at the carpenter trade, in Aitkin. For the past two and a half years he has been clerk in the store of Knox Brothers; he is also town Clerk and Register of Deeds.

LORING G. SEAVEY was born in East Machias, Maine, in 1847. He came to Minnesota in 1866, and after spending about seven years in the lumber mills at Minneapolis, and in the lumber woods, went to Grand Rapids, Itasca county, and engaged in the hotel business. After spending six years at the latter place, he removed to a point near the mouth of Willow river, where he owns a farm of one hundred and twenty acres, and carries on a small hotel. His family reside at Aitkin.

CHARLES W. SAWYER is a native of Carlinville, Illinois, and was born in the year 1845. He learned the machinist's trade, and was employed as an engineer on the Mississippi river steamboats until 1866, when he went to Hudson, Wisconsin, and was engaged in the grain trade for three years. Then, after three years spent in farming, went to Duluth, and two years later, engaged in bridge-building on the Northern Pacific Railroad. He soon after returned to Hudson, where he was engineer in a flouring mill until July, 1881, when he came to Aitkin, and has since been employed as engineer in the Northern Pacific roller mills.

CHRISTOPHER C. SUTTON was born in Grant county, Wisconsin, in 1846. The family removed to Stevens Point in 1856, where Christopher resided until the spring of 1881, when he came to Aitkin. He conducted a meat market several years in Stevens Point, and since coming here has carried on a grocery and provision store.

DAVID E. TULL, Station and Express agent for the Northern Pacific Railroad Company at this point, was born in Ashtabula county, Ohio, in 1852. The family removed to Wisconsin in 1862, which was the home of our subject until 1873, when he engaged with his present employers and went to Perham. He has occupied his present position since the spring of 1880.

WILLIAM L. WAKEFIELD, one of the pioneers in this section of the State, was born in Cherryfield, Washington county, Maine, in the year 1833. He learned the trade of millwright in his native State, and in 1854, came to Minneapolis, and was employed in the mills at that place for eighteen months. He then came to the frontier and established trading posts at Sandy Lake and Pokeguma Falls, and also engaged in lumbering on the Swan river until 1861, when he enlisted in the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, and served three years. On being diacharged he came to Crow Wing and opened a trading post, besides having a post at each of his former locations. In 1871, he went to White Earth, and two years later, engaged in lumbering, continuing that occupation until 1878, when he opened a hotel and trading post at Grand Rapids, Itasca county. In June, 1881, he came to Aitkin, and in company with his brother Joseph, is now keeping the Wakefield House. Joseph was born in 1835, and came west about two years later than his brother, and has been identified with him in most of his business enterprises since.

MRS. NELLIE WHIPPLE, nee De Reo, to whose remarkably retentive memory the authors of this work are indebted for much valuable historic data, was born in Ohio, on the 17th of August, 1839. Her birthplace was near the old city of Maumee, where she lived until nine years of age. Her father, Louis De Reo, died when she was about two years old, and her mother, four years later. In 1848, the subject of this sketch removed with relatives to what is now Green Lake county, Wisconsin, and soon after went to Madison, where she received a good education. In 1854, she came with friends to St. Paul, taking passage on the steamer Itasca, at La Crosse. She resided in St. Paul the next two years, during which time she visited the valley of the upper Mississippi several times. In 1856, she went to live with Mrs. Hattie Whipple at St. Anthony, widow of Joseph Whipple, an early pioneer whose interment was the second in the St. Anthony cemetery. Mrs. Whipple resided with her son Henry, who kept the American House, and to whom Nellie was united in marriage on the 5th of November, 1857. The young couple remained in the American House until 1867, when they removed to Crow Wing and opened the Northern House which they conducted till May, 1875, and removed to Aitkin, opening the Whipple House of which

Mrs. Whipple is now the hostess. Mr. Whipple died on the 11th of February, 1879. He had led an active life, and been honored with many public offices, being almost constantly in some official position. He was the prime mover in the organization of Crow Wing county, and the first Chairman of the board of County Commissioners. During the last fifteen years of his life, he was a great sufferer from rheumatism. He had used every means of relief in vain, including a visit to the Hot Springs in Arkansas. His body was placed beside the remains of his father in the old cemetery at St. Anthony. They had been blessed with three children, all of whom are living

NATHANIEL TIBBETTS, the first permanent settler of Aitkin county, was born in New Sharon, Maine, on the 21st of March, 1824. Leaving his native State in 1847, he came westward and located in Plover, Wisconsin, and after remaining there one year, came to the St. Croix river and was engaged in lumbering until June, 1850. He then came to Minnesota, and passing through St. Paul and St. Anthony, came to Elk River, and was among the first to make improvements at that point. He followed lumbering there until August, 1862, when he assisted in the organization of Company A, of

the Eighth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, receiving a Lieutenant's commission. After a little more than a year's service, he was commissioned Quartermaster and retained that position until he was mustered out at St. Paul in August, 1865. Returning to his home at Elk River he gave his attention to farming and stock-raising until July, 1870, when he joined the Northern Pacific survey from Duluth westward, and when the present site of Aitkin was reached, being favorably impressed with the locality, he decided upon this as his future home, and in May, 1871, removed his family here. He built the first house at Aitkin, which was the first in the county, also, the first hotel and first store, and was the first Postmaster. He was Chairman of the first board of County Commissioners, has been Register of Deeds, and in the fall of 1879, was elected Sheriff. Mr. Tibbetts was married on the 5th of August, 1855, at Elk River, to Miss Susan C. Davis, of that place, who died at Aitkin on the 10th of January, 1876. They had eight children, six of whom are living. Those deceased were named Markie and Etta; the former dying in February, 1873, and the latter on the 10th of January, 1875.

Cass county occupies a large, almost level area in the northern portion of the State, portions of which are frequently mentioned in the previous chapters of this work. It contains some of the finest forests of pine in the Northwest, interspersed with hardwood timber and prairie. On the western margin is the true source of the Mississippi, from which, with myriad others lying within the county limits, the river commences its life. At one point on the river a ledge of granite crops out, over which the water falls about twenty

feet, forming a beautiful cascade known as Granite Falls.

The largest body of water is Leech lake, in the northern part, beyond which, on the extreme northern border, are Cass and Winnibigoshish lakes. Leech lake presents an irregular outline, forming a peninsula opening to the south and east, on which is located the Leech Lake Agency. This is the home of a portion of the Chippewa Indians, this branch now numbering about two thousand.

Here the early missionaries established a school and farm, and the Rev. Mr. Bardwell, who for a time acted as Indian Agent, and was much respected, died. By a typographical error on page 195, he is called Boutwell, conveying the impression that he

was the first missionary at Leech Lake, the Rev. W. T. Boutwell, who is still living near Stillwater, in Washington county. In 1849, the Crow Wing Agency was established, near the mouth of Gull river, and a road cut to the Leech Lake Agency, which was established the same year. This was the first Chippewa Agency in Minnesota. At the first place a saw-mill was built, and at the latter a small grist-mill, both at Government expense. The saw-mill burned after about eight years, and the grist-mill perished from age and neglect. In 1867, J. B. Bassett, now of Minneapolis, took charge of these agencies, remaining until 1870. During this time Mr. Bassett visited Washington with some of the Gull River band, and effected an exchange by which they ceded the twelve townships included in this reservation, for thirty-six sections at White Earth and $150,000 in cash. Portions of the reservation have since been sold to settlers, and a few farms have been opened, the chief and oldest of which is that of T. H. Mooers, near the present station of Gull River. A few others have opened farms in this part of the county; and B. A. Manters, A. E. Dickinson, and others have opened farms along the Shell river. Although little advance has thus far been made in agriculture, there is a considerable amount of good farming land which will not long remain unoccupied.

Cass county, then including a much larger area, was created in 1851, and in 1872, a county organization was effected; the following officers being appointed by Governor Austin: County Commissioners, Charles Ahrens, Chairman, J. A. Barndwell, and G. A. Morrison. Other officers were: Register of Deeds, A. Barnard; Auditor, A. Ruff; Sheriff, C. F. Moores; County Attorney, Thomas Keating; and Coroner, F. F. Keating. The county seat was located in the extreme southeastern part, just opposite Brainerd, where a court house was built on ground donated so long as used for county purposes. Not long after, the county organization was dissolved, and the land, with the buildings, reverted to the original owners.

At the crossing of the Northern Pacific Railroad on Gull river, a village and station have sprung up, where Chase, Pillsbury & Co. have erected a large, elegant lumber mill, and are doing an extensive business in the manufacture of lumber, lath and shingles. They also have an interest in a sash, door, and blind factory, with Horr, Seelye & Co. The mill has a capacity of 80,000 in ten

hours, employing about one hundred and fifty men, and the factory manufactures $2,000 worth of goods monthly. Both enterprises were started in 1880, the first named company taking the initiativeThey also own a large general store, a boardinghouse, dry house, a fine office building, and over twenty houses. They have large tracts of pine land on Gull river and lake, having a steamer on the latter for running rafts of logs through on the way to their mill. The railroad station was established here in 1880, with C. E. Woodruff, Agent, who was succeeded in December by the present Agent, W. H. McMillen. A Post-office was also established, with Thomas J. Nary, Postmaster. In the fall of 1880, Miss Minnie Taylor taught the first school, in one of Chase, Pillsbury, & Company's buildings. Since the time mentioned, Rev. R. A. Beard, of Brainerd, has held religious services semi-monthly; and a Sabbath school is maintained. The village owes its origin and growth to the firm first mentioned.

BIOGRAPHICAL.

EZRA BUTLER, a native of Jennings county, Indiana, dates his birth the 10th of March, 1850. He came to Minnesota in September, 1872, and was employed as scaler in the lumber mills at Minneapolis until May, 1880. Since the latter date. he has been a resident of this place, in the employ of Chase, Pillsbury & Co., first in the lumber yard, then in charge of the dry house, and since April, 1881, overseer of the Company's boarding house. Miss Frances Hollister, of Indiana, became his wife on the 1st of October, 1867. They have three children.

JONATHAN CHASE, whose birth dates the 1st of January, 1819, in Sebec, Maine, furnishes an apt illustration of that spirit of energy and perseverance to which this valley owes its present state of development. His first business in his native State was lumbering, to which he has since devoted his energies. He came to the West in 1854, and entered about sixteen thousand acres of pine land on the Chippewa, St. Croix, Minomonee, and Willow rivers in Wisconsin. The following year he came to this State and located at the then scarcely outlined city of Minneapolis, and at once formed a partnership with S. A. Jewett, engaging in the lumber business. The firm lambered on the Rum river four or five years, then dissolved partnership with immense liabilities. Though legally exempt from liabilities, Mr. Chase sold his Wiscon