Historic Diaries: James Doty, 1820
July 30, 1820: Past St. Anthony's Falls
Editor's Note:
Schoolcraft included this sketch of the falls in his 1821 book.
At the end of the day the expedition reached the bluff where Fort Snelling would soon be built:
"The spot which it is proposed to fortify is a high bluff at the junction of the river St. Peter's with the Mississippi -- a spot which commands the navigation of both rivers, and appears capable of being rendered impregnable with little expense. It is in fact the same point of land which first suggested to Lieutenant Pike the idea of it being an eligible situation for a fort, and led to its subsequent purchase from the Sioux Indians...
"The force designated to accomplish this object [build the fort] consisted of three hundred men of the sixth regiment of infantry under the orders of Colonel Leavenworth, who... left Detroit in the spring of 1819, and proceeding by the way of Green Bay and the Fox and Ousconsing rivers entered the Mississippi at Prairie du Chien, where they left a detachment to erect a garrison, and proceeding up the river reached the mouth of the St. Peter's in season to complete their cantonements before the commencement of winter... Since their arrival, the garrison have cleared and put under cultivation about ninety acres of the choicest bottom and prairie lands, which is chiefly planted with Indian corn and potatoes; besides a large hospital -- a regmental, and several company, and private gardens, which supply vegetables in great abundance for all the men. Here we were first presented with green corn, pease, beans, cucumbers, beets, radishes, lettuce, &c."
Location: Fort Snelling, St. Paul, Minn.
Schoolcraft's view of the Falls of St. Anthony
View Schoolcraft's complete description in his 1821 Narrative
[Schoolcraft:] It was five o'clock in the morning when we left our encampment. On descending six miles we reached the mouth of the Mississawgaigon or Rum river, a large and long stream coming in upon the east bank...
The Falls of St. Anthony are fourteen miles below the confluence of the Mississawgaeigon. We reached the upper end of the portage at half past eight in the morning, and while the voyageurs were busied in the transportation of our baggage, hastened to take a view of this celebrated cataract.
The river has a perpendicular pitch of forty feet, with a formidable rapid above and below. An island at the brink of the falls, divides the current into two sheets, the largest of which passes on the west of the island. The rapid below the schute is filled with large fragments of rock, in the interstices of which some alluvial soil has accumulated, which nourishes a stinted growth of cedars. This rapid extends half a mile, in which distance the river may be estimated to have a descent of fifteen feet. The rapid preceding the falls, has a descent of about ten feet in the distance of three hundred yards, where the river runs with a swift but unruffled current over a smooth stratum of rock a little inclined towards the brink. The entire fall therefore in a little less than three fourths of a mile, is sixty-five feet. ..
The European name of these falls is due to father Lewis Hennepin, a French missionary of the order of Recollects, who first visited them in 1680. The Indian name in the Narcotah, or Sioux language, is Owah-Menah, or the falling water.
The length of the portage around the falls, as measured by Lieutenant Pike in 1805, is two hundred and sixty poles, but in high water is somewhat less. The width of the river on the brink of the fall is stated at two hundred and twenty-seven yards, but narrows to two hundred and nine yards a short distance below, where the river is compressed between opposing ledges of rock.
We completed the portage of our canoes and baggage at half past one, and descending the river nine miles, reached the American garrison at St. Peter's at three, and were received with a national salute.
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