In 1852 a man named Ashley Riggs chose this nice spot on the Red River trail for an Indian trading post. He brought his goods to it up the Sauk in a ‘bateau’, a boat pointed at both ends. Riggs later founded the town of Monticello.
In 1853 a man named William Buchanan made a claim nearby. Some Winnebago Indians from the reservation then north of Sartell came with him to help him build a log cabin. But he didn’t stay.
In 1855 the permanent settlers arrived in the adjacent forest, where they began clearing our first farms.
The heads of these famous “Six Families” were Nicholas Jacoby, J. Maselter, Nicholas Hansen, John Theis, John Fuchs, and Nicholas Kirsch-
German
Catholics soon being visited by the great missionary, Father Pierz. In
1856 John Arcenault and Samuel Wakefield made claims on the present
site of the village of Cold Spring and settled down to stay. In
the fall of that same year, 1856, four promoters named Turner, Gibson,
Gordon and Strout purchased the greater part of the Arcenault claim,
and platted and named the village, “Cold Spring City.”
The Arcenault log cabin was the first structure in it. Of the 4 promoters, Seth Turner and Joseph Gibson stuck around to make the newly created village their home. Turner opened a store. Gibson was noted through the entire county as a Bible scholar.
In 1857 Edward Abbot, making the first official and systematic survey of the region, approached Cold Spring along the east boundary of our new Sportsmen’s Park, and found a dam built with a sawmill in operation, a hotel, a store, a blacksmith shop, a carpenter shop, and a number of dwellings.
In 1857 Cold Spring City’s post office was established, Seth Turner postmaster. In 1861 the first public school was opened, Florence Jodoin, teacher. She had 10 pupils, all of the first grade.
In 1862 the Sioux Outbreak, greatest Indian revolt in United States history, forced the village to prepare for attack. A company of militia was formed, armed with Prussian muskets, and a barn back of where the water tank now stands was fortified. But the Redskins got no closer than Richmond, where some isolated farm cabins were burnt.
In 1870 the township name was changed to Wakefield in honor of its first chairman. In 1874- or maybe it was 1875- the first Cold Spring Brewery was built, by a man named Michael Sargel.
In 1878 St. Boniface parish was organized, the Rev. Leo Winter, O.S.B., first pastor. Local
Catholics before that date had gone to church at Jacobs Prairie- as
Rockville Catholics continued to do for another third of a century. In 1886 the railroad was built through town. This ended the stagecoach era. In
this same year the public school moved to a new brick building. In
1889, by petition, the name of the village was shortened from Cold
Spring City to plain Cold Spring.
The Post Office Department in Washington by mistake omitted the word “Spring” instead of “City” so the official postal name was “Cold City” for a while till the blunder could be rectified.
In 1899 the Cold Spring Record began publication. Peter Honer, owner and editor. This date marks a mid point in a long period of historical repose, presided over by the Maurins, Mugglis, Osters, Hermanutzes, Peters and Friedmans, who erected their mansions in a German-speaking Catholic village, the original Yankees having slowly evaporated from the scene.
Excerpts from History Of Cold Spring
See Complete Story
Comments