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 COMMITTEE. 
 Description of Faribault 9r)r
 
 *?. 
 
 iBiiii i: 
 
 FRONT OF MEMORIAL CHAPEL,
 
 A ^ ' ' 
 
 DESCRIPTION 
 
 FIIRIBKULT I VICINITY, 
 
 WITH ITS CIIAKMING COMBINATION OF HILL AND DALE, LAKE AND RIVER, 
 FOREST AND PRAIRIE, SHOWING VIEWS OF ITS EDUCATIONAL 
 INSTITUTIONS, CHURCHES, BUSINESS ESTABLISH- 
 MENTS AND SCENERY. 
 
 ^IL^LXJSTI^^^T:E1D. 
 
 ISSUED BY THE CITIZENS' COMMITTEE, 
 FABIBAULT, RICE CO., MINN. 
 
 iz.r
 
 Faribault and Vicinity^ 
 
 THE traveler on the Iowa Division of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. 
 Paul Railwa}-, at a point directl}^ south of St. Paul, and distant fifty- 
 six miles from that cit}-, comes upon one of the most charming little 
 cities to be found an^'where in the Northwest. Both nature and art have 
 done more for its adornment than for an}' other inland cit}' or town in 
 Minnesota. Although so well and widely known by reason of its numer- 
 ous educational institutions, so little has been written or published 
 about its natural advantages and the beauty of its surroundings, that 
 every stranger who visits it is astonished at the size and the substantial 
 character of the place, the great progress that has been made in the de- 
 velopment of the public and private institutions, and the many evidences 
 of the thrift and prosperity- of its inhabitants. 
 
 Prior to its settlement by white people, the site of the future town 
 and the charming lakes in the immediate vicinit}- were long the haunts 
 and hunting and fishing grounds of the Indians. Their innate love of the 
 beautiful, and the great abundance of fish and wild fowl that swarmed in 
 and about these waters, then, as now, made this a favorite rendezvous. 
 They were of the tribe of Sioux or Dakota, or, as they were known among 
 the Indians from their forest habitations, the Wapekuti or Leaf Shooters. 
 Their agent, Alexander Faribault, who had intermarried with them, built 
 and occupied the first frame house before the town was established. 
 This house is still in good repair. When the town was laid out it was 
 named for this first inhabitant, and it has now grown to a city of about 
 7,000 people.
 
 6 FARIBAULT AND VICINITY. 
 
 The town owes much of its attractiveness still to the charming natural 
 scener}' which so impressed even the untutored savage. It is situated a 
 little above the junction of the Cannon and the Owatonna, or, as it is now 
 known, the Straight Rivers : the former running in an easterly and the 
 latter in a northerly direction. It lies mostly on the slope of the high 
 rolling prairie that rises back to the south and the southwest from these 
 rivers. The east bank of the Straight River is a bluff that rises more or 
 less abruptly to the hight of a hundred feet. This bluff is surmounted 
 b}' a plateau which is occupied by the six public and private institutions 
 ■which are illustrated and described farther on. Back of this the receding 
 hills rise to a farther height of 150 feet. It is from this summit that the 
 extended view which forms the frontispiece was taken. From man}' 
 points on this bluff, and from all the institutions, one can obtain a view 
 of almost the entire city, and of the borders of the " Big Woods," which 
 stretch away beyond the Cannon River for a distance of thirty or fort}' 
 miles, forming a scene of loveliness that no artist can copy. 
 
 The reader will see from this description, that Faribault is not a west- 
 ern prairie town. The scenery possesses more of the characteristics of a 
 New York or a New England town than is often found in the West. The 
 country in all this section is broken and diversified, the soil rich, water 
 abundant and good, and much of the higher ground is still covered with 
 the timber. There is no section of the State that, either in town or country, 
 offers greater inducements to those who wish to become bona fide set- 
 tlers and citizens, than the city of Faribault and the county of Rice. 
 
 ITS INSTITUTIONS. 
 
 In 18G0, when the place was only a new western town, with all that 
 the name implies, the inhabitants were enterprising and far-seeing enough 
 to hold <Hit such inducements, combined with the natural advantages of 
 the situation, as to lend Hisliop Whipple to choose this for his residence. 
 This led, of course, to the establishment here of all the schools of the 
 Episcopal Church. The State also established here three of its most desir- 
 able and successful institutions. A 11 of these, as will be seen, have fine large 
 buildings, of such a ch;ii';i(li r th:il tiicy ;iic not only an ornament to the
 
 FARIBAULT AND VICINITY. 
 
 9 
 
 town, but they give assurance of the future growth antl improvement 
 which are sure to come, and which will make them hereafter, even more 
 than now. an advantage to the town, both in a financial and an esthetic 
 point of view. Probably nothing has done so much to build up the 
 town, to preserve the even and safe financial condition of its business, or 
 to give character and tone to the moral and social atmosphere of the 
 people, as these institutions. The^^ are the pride of its citizens and the 
 admiration of all visitors, and, as we believe has been justly said of them 
 all, '• there are no schools in the country that are doing more to secure 
 public confidence, or to give good and thorough training to those who 
 are so fortunate as to have the 
 advantage of it, as these schools 
 in Faribault." 
 
 Let us set out on a visit to 
 these schools and ramble for a 
 little time through their beautiful 
 grounds. Driving north along 
 Main street till we come to 
 Eighth street, we cross Straight 
 River through the landscape that 
 is shown in the accompanying 
 view. Turning to the left, we 
 wind around the sandstone bluff, 
 and up the incline to the center 
 of the beautiful and well kept 
 grounds of 
 
 SHATTUCK SCHOOL. 
 
 As you wind in and out among 
 the buildings and groves, and the 
 closely shaven lawns, it is easy 
 to see why these are looked upon 
 as one of the most lovelj- spots 
 in America for an educational on siiattuck grounds.
 
 10 
 
 FARIBAULT AND VICINITV. 
 
 institution. The scliool was es- 
 tablished mainly through the 
 instrumentality of Bishop Whip- 
 ple, and Drs. Breck and Manne}-, 
 in 1865. It is a thorough train- 
 ing school for bo3'S, and, judging 
 from the fact that its patronage 
 is such that it is never able to 
 receive all who appl}' for admis- 
 sion, and that its graduates take 
 so high a stand as the}- do in the 
 eastern colleges and universities, 
 it may justly take pride in its 
 well earned and widespread rep- 
 utation. It is chiefly a boarding 
 school, and is so widel}' and well- 
 known that it draws students 
 from half the States of the Union. 
 At the same time it gives all 
 the advantages, educational and 
 military, to the sons of those who 
 reside in the town. It offers, 
 therefore, in common with the 
 girls' school, this advantage to 
 parents who are looking for a place of i-esideuce where they can be 
 within reach of schools of the very highest character. 
 
 But, looking around on the grounds we have entered, vve find at the 
 left of the drive a large building of the beautiful blue limestone which 
 is so plentiful in and about Faribault, and which furnishes the material 
 for all <)i' its largest and best edifices. The building we have approached 
 is known as Shattuck Hall, in honor of Dr. Shattuck, of Boston, one of 
 the most liberal benefactors of the church work in Faribault. It is oc- 
 cupied by cadets and teachers for residence and dormitories, and the 
 basement temporaiily rmiiishcs a dining room. To Ihe right, embowered 
 
 ON SHATTUCK GROUNDS.
 
 FARIBAULT AND VICINITY. 
 
 13 
 
 in a large grove of native trees, and surrounded by Ijeautiful lawns and 
 flowers, and vases and statuary, is the most lovelj' piece of school and 
 church architecture one can find anywhere in the West. It is the Memo- 
 rial Chapel of the Good Shepherd. It was built in 1872-73 by Mrs. Shum- 
 way, of Chicago, as a memorial of her daughter, and one would travel far 
 to find a more fitting or beautiful memorial, or one that exerts so wide an 
 influence for good. Not onl}- the boys and young men who daih- gather 
 there for religious instruction and divine worship are receiving impres- 
 sions which are doing more than aught else, it may be, to mold the 
 
 AVHIPPLE HALL— SHATTUCK. 
 
 character, and which will be among the brightest memories in the future 
 of their happy life at Shattuek, but everv citizen and every visitor who 
 even once joins in the hearty, joyous service, as it is there rendered, car-
 
 14 FARIBAULT AND VICINITV. 
 
 ries awa}- with him a little of the holy and the softening influence which 
 the sacred place alwa3'S throws around its worshipers. Long may it 
 stand, to do its part in training men who shall be leaders in all that is 
 truly manly and helpful in human life. 
 
 Ketracing our steps a little, we pass the temporary frame buildings 
 that have nearly served their purpose as school and stud}'^ rooms, leaving 
 on our riglit a large, handsome building of the same limestone, named in 
 honor of the first Bishop of Minnesota, " Whipple Hall ;" we pass in the 
 circuit the large stone building known as the Manney Armory- Hall, and 
 used as a gymnasium and bowling alley below, and a drill hall above ; 
 and so on past the commandant's residence on the left, the fine parade 
 ground on the right, through the grove out of the grounds to the south. 
 
 The grounds just left comprise 100 acres. They open on the south 
 immediatelj' into the large, fine grounds of the 
 
 STATE INSTITUTION FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB. 
 
 These have the same park-like appearance as those of Shattuck 
 School. The State has furnished, as will be seen by reference to the view 
 given, an elegant building. It is thoroughly equipped for the care and 
 education of the deaf children of the State. The combined system of 
 sign manual, oral and industrial methods is employed, embracing all the 
 latest and most approved helps recognized in this department of popular 
 education. No better example of the practical advantages of an indus- 
 trial education can be found in the State than in this school for the deaf 
 The building is ample for all the accommodation and instruction of 200 
 pupils, and to the honor of the gentlemen who had the charge of its 
 erection, it may be said, that it is one of the few i)ublie buildings the 
 writer ever heard of that was built and furnished for less money than 
 was appropriated for it. It is surrounded by sixty-five acres of land, 
 is situated on one of the most prominent points on the bluff, and with its 
 wiiKJiiig walks and drives is a noble testimony of the liberality of the 
 State in the care of its unfortunates. 
 
 Proceeding on our way to the southward, we next enter tlie grounds of
 
 Il!!!!;!(!l'!:i:';if| 
 
 I'lWill'l, 
 
 fillllliMl!(i'''lliHi||!lilili
 
 FARIBAULT AND VICINITY. 17 
 
 ST. mart's hall. 
 
 This, like Shattuck School, is a part of the educational work carried 
 on by the Episcopal Church under the general supervision of the Bishop. 
 It is, without doubt, one of the best and most carefully and judiciousl}- 
 managed institutions for the training and culture of young ladies in the 
 country. This fact is testified to by the large and liberal patronage both 
 from abroad and from our own citizens, and the high estimate in which 
 the school is held by its patrons. It has but recently occupied its new 
 and commodious building on the grounds we have just entered. Like 
 those we have left, those who chose the location had an eye for the 
 beautiful. It stands on a perpendicular bluff nearly opposite the main 
 part of the town, and commands a more immediate view of the city itself 
 than any of the others. Its grounds, when the plans of the landscape 
 architect are carried out, will not only offer attractions to visitors, but 
 will afford a delightful place for the free and healthful exercise of the 
 inmates. 
 
 Continuing our way still toward the south, we pass over the highway 
 in a deep ravine, on an iron bridge of artistic design, which was erected 
 b}- the cit}' to afford an easy access to the school from the streets below. 
 Our way leads us on the higher ground to the east and south, for a 
 quarter of a mile or more, when we enter the grounds of the 
 
 SEABURY DIVINITY SCHOOL. 
 
 This is the Theological School of the Episcopal Church. ' The build- 
 ing IS in the mediaeval style of architecture, and is most charmingl}' 
 situated in a large native grove of old trees. It was a favorite site for 
 the tepees of a band of Sioux who made their abotle here and a little to 
 the south, prior to, and indeed long after the advent of the white man. 
 A few of their descendants are still here, though not as formerly lazily 
 drawing out their lives in blankets and paint, but " clothed and in their 
 right mind," and making more of an approach to the habits and industry 
 of civilized life than the old residents of Minnesota once thought possible. 
 This has been brought about, and so much at least done toward the
 
 18 
 
 FARIBAULT AND VICINITY. 
 
 peaceable solution of the much vexed Indian problem, by the earnest 
 efforts of the Bishop, and by the same influences that have founded the 
 schools which are now the pride and the beaut}- of Faribault. 
 
 Next south of the Seabury grounds, and separated from them by a 
 deep and picturesque ravine, we again enter grounds belonging to the 
 State. The first thing that attracts our attention is the 
 
 SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND. 
 
 This occupies the house that was till recently the residence of Mr. Alex. 
 Faribault. A large addition has now been made to it, and it presents to 
 the visitor a very commodious and handsome appearance. Continuing 
 on our wa}', we come at a short distance to the last, but in its results, by 
 no means the least interesting of the institutions which have made our- 
 city so far famed. This is the 
 
 .SOl'TII WING OK IMHKCIl.K SCHOOL.
 
 FARIBAULT AND VICINITY, 
 
 21 
 
 SCHOOL FOR FEEBLE-MINDED CHILDREN. 
 
 Its establishment by the State authorities gives one renewed faith in the 
 S3mpath3- of human nature for its kind. Its aim is to give these unfortu- 
 nate children of nature such elementary education as the}' are capable of 
 receiving, and especiall}- to teach them to care for themselves, to work, 
 and so to make them, so far as may be, self-supporting. No greater char- 
 it}' and no more self-denying labor engages the attention of an}- one in 
 all the round of public charity. 
 
 If you should continue your drive into the country, in almost any 
 direction, with eyes open for the interesting and the beautiful, you will 
 be hard to please if you do not return feeling that you want to go again 
 
 CEDAR LAKE.— THE ISLES. 
 
 and again. The country is of such a nature, you can go for an afternoon's 
 drive on the open, rolling prairie, passing everywhere fields of the most
 
 22 FARIBAULT AND VICINITY. 
 
 luxuriant growth of wheat, oats, corn and other grains — for Rice County 
 farmers have learned there is mone}' in other things than wheat — and 
 here and there as fine herds of cattle as one would wish to see. Or a'ou 
 can go eastward and find hilly roads that will almost make you imagine 
 3'ou are back in New England again, till, after a time, you emerge into 
 one of the largest, most fertile, and most enchanting rolling prairies to be 
 found anywhere in the State. . Or, again, if 3'OU wish, you can take to the 
 woods, and winding in and out between woodland and field, come, with an 
 easy drive of from three to ten miles, to some of the beautiful lakes for 
 which Minnesota stands without a peer, and of which the neighborhood 
 you are visiting has its full share. Then try your hand at fishing or 
 duck shooting, as the season ma}' suggest, and see if there is anj' one of 
 the •' watering places " that can fill an afternoon, or a morning, either, for 
 that matter, so brim full of real healthy enjoyment as an excursion like 
 this we have marked out. And the beaut}- of it Is, that, if j^ou want a 
 comfortable, quiet, " go-as-you-please " place to spend the summer, where 
 you can enjo}' yourself driving, or fishing, or hunting, or lounging, ac- 
 cording to 3'our taste or habit, there is room enough and variety enough 
 to give 3'ou emplo3'ment for the season. The reader can see something 
 of the sport that awaits him if he shall be so fortunate as to form one of 
 a part}- such as is pictured elsewhere, of a very common summer scene 
 at almost any of our numerous lakes.- A string of two or three hundred 
 fish, black bass, wall-eyed pike, perch, etc. ; a quiet sail on the beautiful 
 sheet of water on one of the superb summer days that so often invite 
 away from town and business ; or the picnic on the shore after the sail, 
 and the "string" has been brought in, as shown in the illustration, has in 
 it a zest and enjoyment that would repay a much longer ride than is nec- 
 essary in order to reach it. 
 
 This brief sketch of some of tlic attractions of this charming inland 
 city, and oft lie iniiiiy points of beauty and interest in and around it, has 
 not l)oen made for the sake of a picture book. It has been done to show, 
 so far as may be done; on paper, the superior advantages it offers to the 
 tourist who is looking for a phice of resort for the summer ; to those who 
 are in quest. (»f a pleasant, and liealtliy i)lace in wliicli to malce a home for
 
 FARIBAULT AND VICINITY. 
 
 25 
 
 COURT HOUSE. 
 
 their families ; to those who have children they wish to give the best pos- 
 sible educational advantages without sending them from home ; and to 
 business men who are seeking in the Northwest an attractive town that 
 offers good opportunities for business enterprises and for investments. 
 
 The citizens of Faribault feel a just pride in urging the claims of their 
 town and of the farming countrv around it upon all of these classes of 
 people. The preceding pages, with the views, which may be multiplied 
 many times, give some idea of the natural beauties of the place and its 
 surroundings, and of the unusual advantages grouped here in the educa- 
 tional and public institutions. 
 
 The town itself is not behind in the particulars which have been men- 
 tioned. The presence of the schools— State and private — has had much 
 intluence in determining the character of the people who have naturally 
 sought homes here. A much larger proportion than is usually found in
 
 26 
 
 FARIBAULT AND VICINITV. 
 
 -itoc;;«s«A:g^.ua^ . 
 
 Ml-ig;«gSgig?ja,.S-sag 
 
 1" 
 
 BETHLEHEM ACADEMY. 
 
 western towns of its age are of American birtli. Tlie fact will become 
 more and more apparent that people of means and of cultnre will be at- 
 tracted to it as a place of residence. Besides the schools mentioned 
 above, it ma}- be said as still more important to the great body of the 
 people, that the j)uhlic schools are worthy of the highest commendation, 
 while the Bethlehem Academy and the parochial schools of the Chnrch 
 of the Immacnlate Conception are doing an admirable work in the 
 thoroughness and excellence of their instruction. All the churches have 
 excellent cliiirch buildings, and most of them good congregations. The 
 tasty appearance of llie private dwellings and grounds, the substantial 
 charaf;ter of llio l)usincss houses, added to what has been written, and 
 much more tha*. might, bcwitliout exaggeration, all combine to make 
 Fariliault an attractive. l)caiitiriil place — whether for a few days' or weeks' 
 Hojourn. or :is a pciiii.'incnt iibiiiing place for one's self and family.

 
 FARIBAULT AND VICINITY. 
 
 29 
 
 FARIBAULT AS A BUSINESS POINT. 
 
 As it is not within the design of this pamphlet to give a statistical 
 statement of the business of Faribault, its beautiful surroundings and 
 educational facilities have been given great prominence, N-et its advan- 
 tages as a business center ought not to pass unnoticed. Indeed, the combi- 
 nation of superior manufacturing and commercial facilities with its 
 attractions as a place of residence or sojourn constitute its strong claim. 
 A brief allusion to the former, in more detail than has been given, is 
 therefore appropriate. 
 
 Faribault is the most important station on the Iowa & Minnesota Di- 
 vision of the C. M. & St. P. Railwa}'. It has connection, also, in all 
 
 lIMM'l'IliS 
 
 ARLINGTON HOUSE. 
 
 directions, by the Cannon Valley Division of the M. & St. L. Railroad, 
 which is operated by the Rock Island Company, thus giving it the ad-
 
 30 FARIBAULT AND VICINITY. 
 
 vantage of competing routes. No town in the Nortliwest is in a healthier- 
 financial condition. Many of the best business men have shown their 
 faith in its growth and prosperit}' by remaining here almost from the be- 
 ginning. They own their business houses, and do business on their own 
 capital. All the necessary public buildings have been erected, and there 
 is no heavy bonded indebtedness. There is no burdensome taxation, 
 either present or prospective. Its banks, its general mercantile business 
 and manufacturing and milling interests, are all in good financial condi- 
 tion. The Brunswick Hotel, one of the handsomest and most comfort- 
 able famil}' hotels to be found an^-where, the Arlington and the Allen 
 House, afford ample accommodation to either ti'ansient or permanent 
 guests. 
 
 The manufacturing enterprises which have been established have gen- 
 erally succeeded, and have made monej^ for their proprietors. There 
 has never been a disastrous failure of any legitimate business. There is 
 abundant room and encouragement for other enterprises that will both 
 benefit the town and will well repay the wise investment of capital and 
 labor. Some of the most valuable water power in the place awaits im- 
 provement. Besides having a good fall, it depends for a constant flow 
 on a river that drains a large number of the lakes in the vicinit3\ The 
 State has made a land grant for the purpose of raising the outlets of these 
 lakes, and so making them reservoirs of water, which may be stored in 
 them till it is needed by the mills below in time of drouth. This land 
 has been sold, and the proceeds to the amount of $30,000 are in bank, 
 awaiting expenditure by the commissioners. There are seven good water 
 powers in the city or its immediate vicinit}', several of which will be ben- 
 efited by this improvement. An abundance of poplar in the adjacent 
 forests invites the establishment of a paper factor}'. Linseed oil and 
 other works might be started and carried on with profit, the surrounding 
 country not only being perfectly adapted to the supply of an abundance 
 of th(; raw nuitcrial. liiit Ihe railroad facilities being such as to make it a 
 good point for the dislribution of manufactured articles of agricultural 
 maciiinery, which ought to be made at home, instead of paying, as now, 
 large profits to manufacturers and laborers in other States.
 
 ■'''■'If'll' 
 
 i;
 
 FARIBAULT AND VICINITY. 33 
 
 As the chief interest of the State has, down to the present time, or 
 nearly, been that of wheat production, the manufacture of flour and pur- 
 chase and shipping of wheat enters largely into the prominent industries. 
 The aggregate amount of wheat marketed here in 1883 was 800,000 bush- 
 els, which, it is tliought, exceeds that of an}^ other market in the State 
 with the exception of Minneapolis. Eight flouring mills, with a capacity 
 of 1,200 barrels of flour per day, and two capacious elevators, create a 
 brisk competition, always securing to the producer the highest market price. 
 The cit}- draws a large trade in pork, principally from the wooded coun- 
 try extending for fort}' miles to the west, among whose groves and forests 
 many of the finest farms in the county have been opened. It possesses 
 a large number of fine water powers, which, supplied by the numerous 
 lakes through which the Cannon River pursues its course, are seldom in 
 want of a sufficient supply. Many of these, indeed, most of them, are 
 already improved, but vacant powers in the city and vicinity may still be 
 had. The Cannon River, rising in one of the numerous lakes twenty 
 miles west of the city, and pursuing its course through the city eastward- 
 ly to the Mississippi, about forty miles to the east, is estimated to fur- 
 nish a water power in ever^^ two miles of its course, and stretching along 
 its banks the entire distance from Faribault to the Mississippi is a wheat 
 field, which in the season of the great yield (1877) produced one-sixth of 
 the entire wheat crop of the State, and was estimated by the Commis- 
 sioner of Agriculture to produce the largest jield of any area of similar 
 extent in the world. 
 
 The manufacture and export of furniture in the rough is a prominent 
 branch of industry, two large furniture manufacturing establishments 
 furnishing a read}' market for the varieties of hardwood timber with which 
 the neighboring forests abound, and large quantities of logs have, dur- 
 ing the present winter, been purchased at the saw mills connected with 
 these factories. 
 
 The woolen factory of C. 11. Klemer manufactures superior cloths and 
 blankets, which find a ready market in the surrounding country and in 
 towns and villages in the vicnity, along the lines of the railroads which 
 intersect at this point.
 
 34 
 
 FARIBAULT AMD VICINITY. 
 
 RESIDENCE OF A. L. PULL. 
 
 The Faribault Foundiy aud Windmill Coiupany manufacture an ex- 
 cellent windmill, for which, having the exclusive patent, the demand ex- 
 ceeds the supply. Faribault wagons and carriages, noted for the excellence 
 of their workmanship, are the product of several flourishing establish- 
 ments, and are shipped to many of the towns and cities of the State. 
 
 Rice County, of which Faribault is the capital, was one of the earliest 
 settled counties in the State. Its lands are under a iiigh state of cultiva 
 tion, nor have its farmers committed the common mistake of confining 
 themselves to wheat. More than half of the county having been originally 
 dense forest, the condition was unfavorable to the devotion of large 
 tracts to vvluNit culture, wiiich has l)een the bane of the prairie ftirmer, but 
 aflbrded inducements for the raising of hogs and other domestic animals, 
 and this secttion of tiu! county was early distinguishod for its diversified 
 industry.
 
 FARIBAULT AND VICINITY. 
 
 37 
 
 Many iine stock farms exist in tlie country about Furibault, among 
 which may be mentioned the picturesque situation of George M. Gilmore, 
 Esq., to whose hospitality verj- man}- strangers who have visited the city 
 in the past few years can testify. Surve3'ing his herds of shorthorns, his 
 trout ponds and fountains, and modern and commodious farm house and 
 outhouses, the visitor is likely to forget that he is in a new country. 
 The farm of George Robinson, Esq., also adjoining the city limits, merits 
 special mention. 
 
 The dairy has not been neglected. The finest butter and cheese whicli 
 
 RESIDENCE OF T. H. LOYIIED. 
 
 finds its way to the markets of St. Paul and Minneapolis will often, on 
 inquiry, be found to be the product of Rice County herds. The State 
 Dairymen's Association, which met in this city during the present year, 
 brought out a display of dairy products seldom surpassed in quality. 
 
 Notwithstanding the fertility of the soil and the picturesque beauty of 
 the county (for it is a county diversified with hill and dale, meadow and 
 upland, forest, river and lake), farming lands in the vicinity of Faribault 
 are surprisingly cheap, being from §15 to §40 per acre, while a few of the 
 choicest stock farms, supplied with fine dwellings and capacious barns, 
 reach, perhaps, $50 or S60.
 
 38 
 
 FARIBAULT AND VICINITY 
 
 Of course with such a tributaiy countr}' trade could not be otliorwise 
 than brisk. The scene of bustle and activity' usually presented l\v the 
 streets of Faribault ver}- greatl}' exceeds that generally observed in mucli 
 larger Eastern towns. The block of substantial buildings, a view of whicii 
 is given, indicates the prosperity which has justifled them. 
 
 The plate glass fronts of the drv goods stores make a display which 
 places our cit}' in advance of most of its sister towns, and will compare 
 favorably with any in the State, however large. 
 
 Its hardware and agricultui'al implement dealers, of whom there are 
 
 
 '\m n^rf^?' j 
 
 
 LIME .STONE (JUARllV, 
 
 man}', have long enjoyed a very extensive and lucrative trade, and, as a 
 consequence, stocks are to be found here of great extent and value. 
 Ncitiier is this nor the grocery trade confined entirely to retailing, for, 
 while manufactures and retail trade are the principal business, yet job- 
 Ijing in these branches is carried on by several houses of good financial 
 character and capital. 
 
 Scat{!d at the geographical center of a triangle, having its apex at 
 the junction of tlic Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers at Mendota, in the 
 vicinity of St. I'muI, and its base on the Iowa line, with its angles at a 
 prolongation of the Minnesota River from its great bend at Mankato and 
 the .^IiHsi.sHippi River, near La Crescent, Faril)ault has a climate equall}'
 
 Ill t ^^ 
 
 \1 ^ 
 
 r 

 
 FARIBAULT AND VICINITY. 41 
 
 adapted for corn and wheat, as the character of its agriculture, already 
 mentioned, perhaps sufficiently discloses. 
 
 The fine limestone quarries already alluded to, of which its public 
 buildings are constructed, supply, also, the Faribault marble, capable of 
 receiving a high polish, as well as the material for large quantities 
 of cement or water lime, although the latter has not 3'et been applied to 
 use. 
 
 The Church of the Immaculate Conception (Catholic), the Cathedral 
 of our Merciful Saviour (Episcopal) and Plymouth Church (Congrega- 
 tional) are good specimens of church architecture, the chancel of the 
 Cathedral being said to be, with its stained glass windows and vaulted 
 arches, the finest in the countr}'. To the list should be added the elegant 
 Memorial Chapel already referred to, with its imported furniture and fix- 
 tures, its font of Italian marble and its stained glass, the finest in the 
 West. No expense has been spared to make it the architectural gem that 
 it is. Notwithstanding the private educatioual histitutions already- men- 
 tioned, the public schools have not, as might be feared, been permitted to 
 languish, but supply, from the primary to the high school, excellent edu- 
 cational privileges to more than a thousand pupils. A spacious central 
 school building, supplemented by ward schoolhouses, furnishes fair, 
 although, at present, somewhat inadequate accommodations for the rap- 
 idly increasing number of pupils. 
 
 Perhaps in nothing may Faribault more justly claim superiority than 
 in her hotels. The Brunswick, the Arlington and the Allen Houses are 
 all first-class establishments in fact as well as in name, while very many 
 cheaper houses are well conducted and extensively patronized. The 
 Brunswick is supplied with steam, gas, hot and cold water, and all 
 modern conveniences ; its spacious balconies afford a pleasing lounge for 
 the tourist or pleasure-seeker, and it is elegantl}' furnished throughout 
 with everything fresh and new, having been completed during the past 
 year, and is regarded as a model of hotel architecture. 
 
 The city is lighted b}- gas, supplied, as is the water, by a private com- 
 pany. The fact that private companies can be induced to inaugurate and 
 conduct such enterprises without municipal aid indicates the prosperity
 
 42 
 
 FARIBAULT AND VICINITY. 
 
 ■which would alone justify such investments in a city of the size of Fari- 
 bault. 
 
 The city has been peculiarly fortunate in the source of its water sup- 
 ply. Most of the lai'ger towns and cities in which water-works have 
 been erected are dependent upon lakes or rivers, which, being exposed to 
 the sun, abound in unhealthy vegetable organisms, and are contaminated 
 by surface drainage, and the introduction of a host of substances tending 
 
 RKSIDENCE OF REV JAMES DOP.BIN. 
 
 U) impair their liealthfuhiess. The Faribault Water-works Company 
 ventured upon the experiment of sinking a large well in the level plateau 
 forming the western outskirt of the; city. It proved eminently successful, 
 as at the depth of twelve feet a stratum of coarse gravel was struck, 
 overlying white sand rock. A strong and constant current of pure cold 
 water was found rushing through this gravel bed, which constitutes a
 
 iM 
 
 ._-itj 
 
 ■^: 
 
 
 1 ''i iS^M'^'' .4 
 
 J
 
 FARIBAULT AND VICINITY 
 
 46 
 
 natural filter, with the force and volume of a siiljterranean river. The 
 average depth of water in the well is twelve feet, and the tests made by 
 the operation of the powerful steam pump show that the supply is practi- 
 cally gnfficient for the utmost possible needs of the city, as the flow of 
 the current into the well is estimated at 2,000,000 gallons a day. The 
 water is forced through underground mains to a large reservoir situated 
 on the heights east of the river and beyond the public institutions, at an 
 elevation of 219 feet above the level of Main street in the city. The 
 reservoir has a capacit}- of one and a quarter million of gallons. The 
 water is supplied from it to all parts of the city, reaching the upper sto- 
 ries of the most elevated buildings, and affording most thorough protec- 
 tion in case of fire. 
 
 Two national banks, three breweries, two newspapers, representing the 
 
 RESIDENCE OF II. W. PRATT.
 
 46 FAIUBAULT AND VICINITY. 
 
 two pi'iucipal political parties, and possessing excellent job olflces, one 
 operated b}' steam, and an opera house, may be mentioned in passing as 
 among the existing institutions. 
 
 A view of one of the residence streets will be noticed, which will give 
 an idea of the dense shade in which some of them are embowered. The 
 close vicinity of the forest favored and stimulated the taste of the citi- 
 zens in this direction, until the long avenues of trees which extend along 
 the streets form one of its many attractions. In addition to these the 
 public square, situated verj' nearly' in the center of the city, is thickly 
 planted with trees and supplied with an elegant fountain, the water for 
 which is furnished gratuitously to the city b}' the water works compan}'. 
 
 Of the man}' fine residences, lack of space has prevented the selection 
 of but a few specimens, not the best or the poorest, but an average of 
 the many which crown the hillsides into which the site of the city is 
 broken. 
 
 The post office usually is a fair index of the prosperity of a town. 
 During the last decade the gross receipts have doubled. There are two 
 first class offices in the State, St. Paul and Minneapolis ; and of the second 
 class, Faribault stands well up in the list. The money order business 
 amounts to $80,000 per year. 
 
 THE ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS. 
 
 ,\llusion has been made to the Wapekutis or Leaf Shooters, whose 
 great council chamber, being a huge bark wigwam or tepee, called in the 
 Indian dialect tepee tonka, or big tepee, was located on the shores of 
 Cannon Lake, at or near the point shown in the view at Linden Park. 
 The original name of this lake was Tetonka Tonah, or " Lake of the Vil- 
 lage." As has been said, their forest habitations gave the name to this 
 Itand of Dakotas. The history of the settlements of the white man, and 
 the location of some of the most beautiful and thriving cities of the North- 
 west, show that the early emigrants, in search of locations of scenic beauty 
 imd Datura! advantages, found llu- best guides in the selection of the 
 aboriginal tribes. The residence of Paypay, the second Chief of this 
 band, was here, where he lived and died, enjoying, both among his own
 
 FARIBAULT AND VICINITY. 49 
 
 people and their white brothers, a reputation for honesty, temperance and 
 friendship for the whites. His descendants have always preserved the 
 same character, with, perhaps, one exception. In the early years of the 
 settlement his son, Chaska, was the fop of the band, and might often have 
 been seen perambulating Main street, arrayed in all the splendors of war 
 paint and feathers. Capt. John C. Whipple, an old resident, and the 
 heroic artillerist whose volleys drove the howling fiends from the walls of 
 the beleaguered fortress of Ridgeley in the gloomy days of the Sioux 
 massacre, in 1862, who had often bestowed food upon this young warrior, 
 was astonished at meeting him in the jungle, near the ferrv at the lower, 
 agency, still clad in his finery, but evidentl}' meaning business, as his gun 
 was pointed with murderous intent at the head of his quondam friend. 
 He was afterward arrested, tried by the military tribunal organized for 
 the purpose of trying the leaders of the insurrection, and condemned to 
 death. 
 
 But in striking contrast with this ungrateful savage was the life of 
 another descendant of the Chief ,Taopi, who lived and died here. This 
 Indian rescued 300 prisoners, women and children, from the hands of his 
 bloodthirsty people, and delivered them in safet}^ to Gen. Sibley. His fast 
 friend and brother-in-law, who, crawling through miles of prairie grass 
 and forest underbrush, dared a thousand dangers to bear the message to 
 Gen. Sibley, which resulted in the happy deliverance of the captives, 
 still lives among us, rejoicing in the name of Wachampamaza, a brave and 
 good man, whose name should " fill the sounding trump of fame." 
 Other members of his family still reside at the Indian village, located in 
 a picturesque ravine just outside of the city limits. Although still ad- 
 hering to the costumes and habits of their tribe, speaking no English and 
 retaining the rude Dakota dialect, the}' are regular attendants at church, 
 honest, industrious and self-supporting. 
 
 The traveler, on approaching the banks of the Cannon along the 
 Hastings stage road, in 1855, as he reached the summit of the breezy 
 heights which look down upon the present city from the east, would have 
 witnessed a scene of marvelous beauty, enlivened by the presence of sav- 
 age life. At his feet flowed the Twin Rivers, sweeping in a semicircle
 
 50 
 
 FARIBAULT AND VICINITY. 
 
 around the broad plateau on which the city now stands, reflecting in their 
 bosom the dense foliage upon their banks, and forming a glowing cres- 
 cent of sylvan scener}- ; along the line of the present Main street, upon 
 the sites of warehouses, stores and hotels, stretched a long line of Indian 
 tepees or wigwams, while before them hung the kettle attended by the 
 careful squaws, from which rose the savory steam from the Indian soup 
 of dog ; their ponies, attached to the Sioux carriage, consisting of two 
 
 RESIDENCE OF F. A. TIIEOrOLD. 
 
 poles, the upper ends fastened I)y a rope to the pony, the others trailing 
 on tiiii ground, were feeding along the level prairie ; while up and down 
 the banks of the stream dashed the naked warriors in the wheeling mazes 
 of lacrosse, tlie Indian ball game ; and on the far western verge of the 
 IMctinc shininicn-d the placid waters of Tetonka Tonali and Wells Lakes. 
 Several years after, and wlien the rising town had readied upward of
 
 FARIBAULT AND VICINITY. 53 
 
 2.500 iohabitants, when the tide of emigration was flowing into these ver- 
 dant valleys, and '• city lots were staked for sale, above old Indian 
 graves," upon or near the site of the present Bethlehem Academy (a view 
 of which is given), upon one of the most beautiful eminences in the present 
 city, an Indian Grave Yard long remained, the bodies of the dead being 
 raised upon scatfolding, in accordance with Indian custom, and surround- 
 ed with food, pottery and other ofterings with which the relatives of the 
 departed brave sought to smooth his way to the happ}' hunting grounds. 
 As late as this period, upon almost the exact site of the beautiful 
 Memorial Chapel, a party of Dakota warriors returning from a successful 
 raid upon their hereditarj- enemies, the Ojibways of the North, held their 
 scalp dances and made the night hideous with their ringing war whoops ; 
 for days the successful warriors paraded the streets with the bloody 
 scalps of the slain, probably the reeking trophies of some cowardly am- 
 buscade, bent upon hoops, and exultantly exhibited to the admiring eyes 
 of the Weuonas of the tribe, as well as to the white citizens of the place. 
 A dramatic incident, intended to illustrate the eflects of Christianity upon 
 these rude children of the forest, took place a few 3'ears ago in the Cathe- 
 dral on the occasion of one of the general conventions which annually 
 assemble here. A Dakota brave had become converted to Christianity, 
 and entering the Divinit}- School as a student, died of consumption, that 
 fell disease which is rapidly decimating the native red men. His fu- 
 neral was appointed to take place during the session of the convention. At 
 this convention there happened to be present from the northern parts of 
 the diocese a half dozen young Ojibway clergymen, also converts to 
 Christianity, under the devoted missionary eflforts of Bishop Whipple ; 
 these 3"Oung Ojibways were the bearers of the remains of the dead Sioux 
 to their last resting place. This, happening upon the spot where a ' 
 quarter of a century before the ancestors of the deceased had paraded 
 with demoniac glee the reeking scalps of the ancestors of the bearers, 
 afforded a text for a thrilling discourse which we may be sure was not 
 neglected. As the funeral cortege assembled in the chancel of the Epis- 
 copal Cathedral, which, with its groined arches and stained glass windows, 
 is said to be the finest and most spacious chancel in the country, it pre-
 
 54 FARIBAULT AND VICINITY. 
 
 seuted, ^Mth these appropriate siuToundiugs and in view of the contrasts 
 referred to. a scene peculiarly impressive. 
 
 A sketch of the character of this would not be complete without some 
 allusion to the lamented founder of our city, the late Alexander Faribault. 
 The traveler whom I have imagined visiting these scenes in 1855 would 
 have seen the Indian village diversified by a single frame building, the 
 trading post of Mr. Faribault. This gentleman, allied by marriage with 
 an Indian woman of this band of the Dakotas, earl}- cast his fortunes 
 among them, and was, so long as the tribe remained here, their wise and 
 faithful benefactor, counselor and friend. 
 
 His was the type of a character which the wild, free life of the forest 
 prairie is so well fitted to produce. Brave, generous, honorable, honest, free 
 from guile himself and suspecting none of others, he was one of natures 
 noblemen, held in high esteem b}' the Indians, b}' all the brave men who 
 with him had been the pioneers of the territory, as well as by the people 
 who formed the new society which emigration brought with it. He lived 
 until within the last year, and saw a flourishing city grow up upon the 
 site of the old Indian village. His mansion, long the scene of his harmless 
 life and generous hospitality, has become tlie north wing of the present 
 institute for the education of the blind. The site of his trading-post is 
 occupied by modern warehouses, whose brick, and iron and plate glass 
 fronts furnish a contrast witli his old trading-post as marked as that ol 
 the new civilization with the old barbarism. As he was the connecting 
 link Ijctween the i)rcscnt and the past, his wise counsels were always 
 feouglit to allay jealousies and quiet animosities between the two races. 
 In the outbreak of 18(12, when the town was guarded for many nights by 
 nilays of armed minute men under the command of Gen. Shields, ol 
 Mexican war renown, then a resident here, and whose blood-bought farm, 
 as lie was accustomed to call it, lies just outside of the city limits, 
 Mr. Faribault's comisels were in great demand. Espousing the cause 
 of the whites, although many of his Indian relatives were with the hos- 
 tiles, he was in the expedition wiiii-h fell into the ambuscade at Birch 
 Cooley. and during those fearful hours when the little detachment, lying 
 behind the liodies of their dead horses, gallantly maintained the desperate
 
 FARIBAULT AND VICINITY, 
 
 57 
 
 Struggle against myriads of hidden foes, wliile they listened with bated 
 breath for the bugles of the relief party which finall\- rescued the sur- 
 vivors from a fate worse than death, he bore himself with that uncom- 
 plaining courage and fortitude which always characterized the man. The 
 heroic defense which himself and his associates made at Birch Cooley, it 
 is said, saved the cit}- of Faribault from attack, as the band which were 
 
 KESIDEXCE OF GORDON E. COLE. 
 
 on their wa}' to devastate the scene of their earl}' homes were drawn 
 aside from their purpose by tlie detachment encamped at Birch Cooley, 
 and its gallant defense detained them so long that their ultimate purpose 
 was abandoned. Mr. Faribault's portrait hangs in the council room of 
 the city, and his memory will be cherished by those who linew him and 
 their descendants as long as the flourishing city which he founded and 
 to which he save its name shall continue.
 
 58 FARIBAULT AND VICINITY. 
 
 NOTEWORTHY INCIDENTS OF THE CITY AND COUNTY. 
 
 The famous raid of the Younger brothers' band was made at North- 
 field in this county, when they received the first checli in a hitlierto suc- 
 cessful career, but two (supposed to be the James brothers) out of the 
 band of eight escaping, and one of these severely wounded. The sur- 
 vivors were long imprisoned in the jail at Faribault, and at last tried and 
 sent to the state prison for life. A view of the court house where the 
 trial took place is shown. An armed volunteer company was organized 
 by the Sheriff to protect the prisoners against Ivnching and prevent 
 raids of their friends for their rescue. A citv policeman was shot and 
 killed by the patrol on guard, while attempting to approach the jail in 
 the night. 
 
 The scene of Eggleston's " M3-steries of Metropolisville "" is located 
 in Faribault and vicinity. The beautiful lake upon which the sad acci- 
 dent occurred which constitutes the climax of the story, is about five 
 miles distant, the drive to it being a very romantic one. The incident 
 related by the author, of the capsizing of a sail-boat and the drowning of 
 '•little Katie."' is no fiction, but one of the sad reminiscences of our his- 
 tory. M. Perritaut, of the novel, is the Mr. Faribault, to whose history 
 brief reference has been made, and the other characters are mostly drawn 
 from well-known personages in the early history of the place. 
 
 Rice County is the pioneer county in the manufacture of sugar from 
 amber cane. The works of Seth II. Kenney. at Morristown, are still in 
 successful operation, producing an excellent quality of pure syrup. The 
 refinery at Faribault was the first completely equipped manufactory for 
 tlic |)n)dnctioii of sugar from the sorghum i)lant established in the 
 state, or it is believed the northwest. A superior article of granulated 
 sugar was produced from it, Ijut operations have been suspended, as it 
 was not a linancial success. The refinery, however, still remains, and it 
 is l)cticved tliat wIi.mi tlic ciiltmc ol" :iinlicr cane shall have become more 
 fully developed, work will be resumed with success. The first middlings 
 purifier ever used in the country, and the pioneer machine of the great 
 improvements that have revolutionized the milling industry of the North-
 
 FARIBAULT AND VICINITY. f.l 
 
 west and given to the product of Minnesota hard spring whciit its pre- 
 eminence, was built in Faribault, and first operated in one of our locul 
 mills. 
 
 STATISTICS OF THE COUNTY. 
 
 To go a little into statistics : in the report of the tenth census it 
 appears that, in capital employed in manufacturing, Rice County stands 
 very nearly at the head of the counties of the State. Hennepin and 
 Ramsey, with the large cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, are, of course- 
 largely in the lead, as is also Stillwater, the seat of the State's Prison and 
 the great manufactories of the Northwestern Car Co., and tlie Sey- 
 mour, Sabin & Co.'s works. After these come the great counties of 
 Goodhue and Winona, both nearl}- twice the geographical area of Rice, 
 and Rice stands next, having $975,000 Invested in manufacturing as 
 against $1,105,000 for Goodhue, and $1,204,951 for Winona. 
 
 In horses and neat cattle she preserves about the same ratio to the 
 agricultural counties that she does to the manufacturing ones, only the 
 large counties of Winona, Olmstead, Mower, Goodhue, Fillmore and Blue 
 Earth being in advance of her, her aggregate amounting to 21,155. 
 
 A glance at the map of Minnesota, showing the twenty-six townships 
 of Goodhue, the twenty-five of Fillmore, twentj'-two of Blue Earth and 
 eighteen of Olmstead, and the fourteen of Rice — and those more than 
 one-half originally dense forests — will indicate the significance of this 
 comparison, and place her at the head of the list, if her geographical area 
 is considered. 
 
 The same allowance for her smaller area will place her very nearly at 
 the head in wheat production. In this she stands tenth in the list of 
 counties, producing, in 1880, 905,514 bushels, as against 1,216,872 for 
 Winona, 1,461,074 for Wabasha, 1,135,704 for Stearns, etc., all the coun- 
 ties which exceed her being ver}' much larger. 
 
 In the appraised value of her farm lands she aggregates $6,001,613, 
 and stands ninth on the list. Hennepin, with seven more government 
 townships, each a mile square, is estimated at only $8,017,191, and this 
 in the close vicinity to its capital city, the great wheat manufacturing 
 center at Minneapolis.
 
 62 FARIBAULT AND VICINITY. 
 
 When it is remembered that, notwithstanding these comparisons, the 
 prices at which Rice County lands can be bought are not higher but lower 
 than others, if anything, it seems folly to seek those portions of the West 
 where inflated values and speculative prices under the influence of a 
 boom attract emigrants to settle upon wild lands, and town sites but 
 recentl}' platted which can oul}' promise in return for fabulous prices for 
 lots that a half a century hence the}' may have half the population that 
 Faribault now has. and b}- the artificial cultivation of poplars, box elders, 
 Cottonwood and other quick-growing trees, create a faint imitation of the 
 magnificent forest trees, groves and woods which dot the county of Rice, 
 while her beautiful churches, her magnificent school edifices, her spark- 
 ling lakes and rivers they can never hope to rival. 
 
 The views in this little book are not fancy sketches. They are all 
 made from photographs of the buildings or scenerj' to be represented. 
 There is no need in any of them of embellishment. The eflbrt has been 
 made to present to the reader as perfect a representation as the skill of 
 the artist can make of the actual scenes as they exist. And yet it is only 
 just to say that there is a beauty and diversity of scenery in and about 
 this picturesquely situated town that cannot be reproduced by the camera 
 or the pencil. The object has lieen to keep as near to nature as possible,^ 
 and to admit of no exaguenition.
 
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