Part 90 (1/2)

My appointments outside of Stillwater were at Willow River, Kinnikinic and Prescott, Wisconsin, and at Cottage Grove and Point Douglas in Minnesota In 1852 Rev S T Catlin was appointed to that part ofeast of the St Croix river, and I formed appointanized a Baptist society at Stillwater, Oct 26, 1850, consisting of eight members; Rev J P Parsons and wife, Dean A H Cavender and wife of St Paul, J S Webber and wife, constituting a council of recognition Rev J

P Parsons preached the serht hand of fellowshi+p The first baptise spring just below Nelson's store, Jan 30, 1853, the waters of the spring being free froaret Towner, of Pembina In 1853 I made a tour of the Minnesota valley to Mankato On the first day, Septe to Shakopee and saw not a hu on the trail At Shakopee I found a ho On the next day I traveled to Le Sueur On SabbathI preached at Traverse des Sioux, and in the afternoon I went to Mankato, and stopped at the house of Mr Hannah, where I preached in the evening, to a congregation that had cohborhood, the first sermon preached in Mankato On the twenty-sixth I preached the first sermon at Le Seuer, and the first sermon at Shakopee on my return

In 1854 I opened on the South Hill, known later as Nelson's addition to Stillwater, a school known as Washi+ngton See fro country In May, 1855, I sold the school to Mr Kent, and it passed into the hands of an Episcopal clergy , which has suffered thus far no interruption from sickness or infirmities

The remembrance of my association with the people of the St Croix valley is pleasant Ast the most pleasant of my recollections are those of the lue portion of ation They were kind and courteous, attentive hearers and valued as friends and associates

AN AMUSING INCIDENT

An ae E O Hamlin's district (an account of which was published in ”The Drawer” of Harper's _Monthly_, so to Chaska to hold his first term of court in Carver county, found the sheriff absent, and his deputy, a foreigner who could speak English very ie in which they were to be perfornorance of ”how to open court,” but said he could read writing

Therefore Judge Ha court, and instructed hiiven for ”the sheriff to open court,” to stand up and read distinctly the forinning ”Hear ye, hear ye, allwith ”coive your attendance, and you shall be heard” At the hour fixed the court room was reasonably well filled Parties, witnesses and jurors, together with the district attorney (who at that tie over the whole district) were in attendance The judge was on the bench, and the deputy sheriff, fully conscious of the dignity of his office, awaited the order of the judge Upon being told to ” of court,” this officer arose, and holding the written form before his eyes, roared out in stentorian tones: ”_Here we are! Here we are!_” and running through the reive your attendance, and you _will be sure to be here_!” The air of iether with his self coe of his new duties, was scarcely less a than the ined than described

THE OLD SETTLERS assOCIATION

By an act of the legislature approved May 33, 1857, the ”Old Settlers association” was incorporated with the following charter members: H

H Sibley, Socrates Nelson, Franklin Steele, A L Larpenteur, Wm

Holcombe, Wm H Randall, Wm Hartshorn, Cornelius Lyman, Lorenzo A

Babcock, J D Ludden, David Olmsted, H M Rice, Alex Ramsey, Wm R

Marshall, Jos R Brown, Chas W Borup, Henry Jackson, Martin McLeod, Norman W Kittson, Vetal Guerin, J W Selby, Aaron Goodrich, and Philander Prescott These ht associate with them, were duly empowered to buy, sell, hold property, to sue or be sued, to receive donations, to keep a common seal, and to enjoy all the franchises incident to a corporate body

It was provided that no person should be eligible to a membershi+p who had not been a resident of the Territory prior to Jan 1, 1850 The seal of the association was devised by Aaron Goodrich On the two sides of the seal were represented the past and the future In the background of the side representing the past is delineated a plain; in the distance are seen the last rays of the declining sun; nearer are seen Indian hunters, their lodges, women and children, and a herd of buffalo

Pro the future stands an aged man with silvered hair; he leans upon his staff; he is in the midst of a cemetery; the spire of a church is seen in the distance; as he turns fro place of departed old settlers, his eye rests upon a new rave

It is that of his last associate; _he is the last survivor_; his coround represents the rising generation of Minnesota which shall reap the fruits of the pioneer's toil

[Illustration: SEAL OF THE assOCIATION]

ORGANIZATION

The firstof the Old Settlers association was held, in pursuance of public notice, at the hall of the Historical Society of Minnesota, in the capitol, in St Paul, on Saturday, Feb 27, 1858

On e Goodrich, his excellency Henry H Sibley was unanimously elected president Hon Aaron Goodrich and Hon L A

Babcock were unanimously elected vice presidents, A L Larpenteur, Esq, secretary, and J W Bass, Esq treasurer After which Gov

Sibley addressed the

Several other members spoke

On motion a committee of three was appointed by the chair to report by-laws for the government of the association Also a committee of three to report such measures as shall be deemed best calculated to effectuate the objects of the charter

The president appointed H L Moss, L A Babcock and T R Potts committee on by-laws, and Aaron Goodrich, B W Lott and Chas S Cave coe Goodrich said this occasion was one of deep and abiding interest to the pioneers of Minnesota; that there were epochs in our history that should be commemorated He desired that the first day of June be fixed upon as the day for the future s of the association; he named this day for the reason that on the first day of June, 1849, the local organization of this Territory took place

The following resolution was adopted:

_Resolved, That the annualof this association be held_ on the first day of June, providing that when saidshall be held on the following Monday

Onpreamble and resolution were adopted:

WHEREAS, The object of this association and the individuals co the same are closely _allied_ to and identified with that of the Historical Society of Minnesota, therefore

_Resolved_, That up to the period in which this association shall possess a hall in which toshall be the hall of said Historical Society

As a inally and subsequently enrolled

Ames, Michael E