Agenda - Public Works Committee - 03/20/2018

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„Eat4 aotdeyt autita‘o 9, as written by Daisy Porter Bradley During the winter of 1852, fifteen hundred Indians camped for the winter on the west shore of the Mississippi River, directly across the river from the present Porter and Cutter homesteads. With scouts camping on the east side of the river, many Indian relics have been found on the Porter farm. The trail, that up to this time had led close along the river- bank, was changed that winter. It then led away from the Mississippi and went out through what is now the Dr. Frank farm and crossed Ramsey about on the line of what is now the "Old State Road” (County Road 5) and came back nearer to the river over what is now the Foster farm. The more timid white folk followed a hard trail up the east side of the Rum River and fording the river farther north came back to the Mississippi through what later became Burns township. At this time the country to the north was a regular forest, very thick heavy timber, hunting and fishing excellent. The only buildings were three log cabins on what is now the Foster and Bryant farms, (approximately where DeZiel's restaurant now is) but they were destroyed that winter by the Indians. At this time there was no ferry across the Rum River and everybody had to ford the river. Those on foot had to wait for a covered wagon if the log raft happened to be on the opposite shore. Sometimes the wagon would be too heavily loaded then the man who was carrying his family provisions, loaded them in on top of the wagon and swam and waded across. Richard and Jane Porter came to Minnesota and St. Anthony trading post in the spring of 1852 and Lived in a log house on what is now the Bryant farm. Mr. and Mrs. William Payne lived in part of the cabin and for weeks and months on end, part of the family kept watch through night while others were sleeping. One incident which happened is interesting. One day the Indian ponies were miss- ing and they were sure the white men had taken them. So a great number of them came crowding into the Porter cabin all talking angrily. Jane Porter on seeing them approaching had hidden her little daughter back of a door and just in time as the Indians came crowding into the room. Mrs. Porter kept stepping back in the direction of the wood box. They kept saying that the white men had taken their ponies and 21