I
often wonder why my ancestors chose to immigrate to Minnesota, with its long,
cold winters and humid, mosquito-filled summers. But they came here, long before central
heating or air-conditioning; before 4-wheel drive or paved roads and highways.
1
Those lovely Minnesota winters
They
endured blizzards, fires, floods and tornadoes, but also found rich farmland,
and an abundance of lakes, fishing, hunting and forests. What were they hoping
to find? What were they expecting to find?
2
Horse drawn sled, northern Minnesota, early 1900's.
A huge industry for many early immigrants.
Many
states had PR masters who wrote pieces for newspapers and brochures that were
sent to Europe and Scandinavia extolling and glorifying the wonders of specific
states, including Minnesota. In fact, on March 2, 1855, the Minnesota
legislature “passed a measure providing for an emigration commissioner at New
York which was reenacted in amended form at its next session. In pursuance of
this law, the governor on March 16, 1855, named Eugene Burnand for the position
thereby created.”3 pg. 79
4
Promotional
copy such as the following from “Minnesota as it is in 1870,”4 was intended to make Minnesota sound like heaven on earth to prospective
immigrants:
“From
letters from almost every county in the State the same report has come of the
abundance of fish in all the streams and lakes, "fish inexhaustible,"
"a world of fish," "fish by the wagon load." Instead of
reiterating the same story in every county, we make this general statement as
applicable to about every county in the State. They are caught in immense quantities,
winter and summer.”4 pg. 180
5
Minnesota's State Fish: the Walleye
“We are at
St. Paul, so near latitude 45 that we may say we are on that parallel. It is
the latitude of Venice and of Southern France. St. Paul is a little south of
the parallel and so is Bordeaux. We travel northwest four hundred and fifty
miles to the boundary between the United States and the British possessions,
before we reach the latitude of Paris. We do not think of the people in France
as dwelling in a frozen region--why should we those of Minnesota?”4 pg. 123
6
45th
Parallel North runs through Minneapolis straight east through France
“No other
country has such a domain. The plains of Bavaria and Hungary, upon which
Central Europe relies for its grain, united, would not exceed in area a single
county in Minnesota. The fine lands of Prussia have a thin soil, while the
wheat fields of France have been cultivated for centuries, and are only kept in
heart by constant application of fertilizers; but here the soil is in its
virgin state, yielding such returns as are not obtained in any other land,
unless it be in the San Joaquin and Santa Clara valleys of California.
The most
fertile acre of the Ganges Valley in India will not yield a greater return than
these of the Northwest. The Nile and the Yangteze--their fertility renewed by
each annual flood--may vie with the uplands of Minnesota; but there are
sections along this Red River of the North--along the Cheyenne and Mouse rivers
of Dakota--which are not surpassed by the richest in the heart of China or on
the Delta of the Nile!”4 pg.
96
7
Fields of grains in Minnesota
Do you
know why your ancestors chose Minnesota?
LLet me help you find out what parts of history your family had a role in.
pjefamilyresearch@gmail.com
1http://siroccoscurios.wordpress.com/
2http://www.foresthistory.org/ASPNET/Publications/region/9/history/chap5.aspx
3http://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistoryMagazine/articles/5/v05i03p167-203.pdf
4http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=lhbum&fileName=01092//lhbum01092.db&recNum=0&itemLink=r?ammem/lhbumbib:@field(NUMBER+@band(lhbum+01092))&linkText=0
5http://realestatetwincities.net/minnesota-lakes/
6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/45th_parallel_north
7http://www.organicriskmanagement.umn.edu/assets/img/Ch11.jpg
