THE VERMILLION LAKE ROAD AND INDIAN TRAIL:
FROM MINNESOTA POINT TO VERMILLION LAKE
By Richard E. Carey

The indication was that Minnesota Point had been used for a campground by the Indians to go to and from their villages, near and far, by water or trail, long before the advent of white men into this country.

As Alexander Henry relates after his capture by the Indians at Fort Michilimackinac, he was adopted by an Indian named "Wawatan" as his brother, and taken into his family. Henry had to dress like an Indian, his hair was cut and shaved except for a spot on the crown about twice the diameter of a crown-piece. His face was painted three or four different colors. A large collar of wampum was put around his neck and another suspended on his breast. His arms and wrists were decorated with bands of silver; the legs covered with "matosses", a kind of hose. On his head they put a large bunch of feathers.

Alexander Henry was captured by the Indians on June 4th, 1763. In August of this year "Wawatan", Henry's brother, proposed going to his wintering ground, which one hundred fifty miles from Michilimackinac. In the spring of 1765 Alexander Henry was given the exclusive fur trade of Lake Superior for ten years by the commandant of Fort Michilimackinac. When Henry got to Sault de Sainte Marie he took M. Cadotte into partnership. On the 26th day of July, 1765 they left for his wintering ground which was fixed at Chagouemig (now known as Chequamegon Bay at La Pointe Post). There a house was built for the winter and he sent his clerks up to west end of Lake Superior and beyond to trade with the Indians. Alexander Henry afterwards shifted his wintering place to the north shore of Lake Superior, but traded with the Indians at the west end of Lake Superior for ten years.

So there must have been a large village at the west end of Lake Superior as there was a large burying ground for Indians on the Wisconsin side of Minnesota Point. The entrance of the St. Louis River into Lake Superior was through Minnesota Point at where the barrons on the point are. Stephen Bungo, who was born here in 1799 says, the old Indians had told him the entrance to the lake got blocked up. The pent up waters from the St. Louis river broke through the point at the Indian burying ground thus causing what is now the Superior entry, leaving Indian graves on both sides of the entry.

I think there were Indian villages all through this country where the Indians could go by canoe in the summer and by trail in the wintertime.

There is the Indian Village on the Vermillion Lake trail from Duluth To Tower, which is on Esh-qua-guma Lake, one of the Embarrass chain of lakes. Here is what C. N. Webb says in tan interview with an old Nett Lake Indian who was born on Eshquaguma Lake. A very large Indian town existed at the time of his birth and the Eshquaguma or Embarass system had been a highway of the Indians since time immemorial. This town is said to have been in existence at the time of the Sioux occupation. The Sioux preceded the Chippewa in this region and several mounds, or Indian graves near the lake are undoubtedly of their construction.

There was also claimed to be an Indian village on Seven Beaver Lake which was on the trail from Beaver Bay on Lake Superior to Vermillion Lake.

The fur traders found all Indians the same in their habits; in the summer time at their villages, in the winter time at their wintering grounds, as each family had a different wintering ground. The fur traders must have used all these Indian trails for Alexander Henry in his writings speaks of sending clerks to the Indian Village.

When the North West was organized in 1783 they sent their clerks to the Indian villages to trade. They built Fort Cadotte about 1792 at Fond du Lac, which means the head of the Lake, and which is now Old Superior. The Fort stood about where the Gas Plant is now. Fort Cadotte was a fortified stockade with a two-story log tower at one corner bristling with portholes and cannon.

The Fond du Lac department comprised all the country about the head of the Lake, the sources of the Mississippi, St. Croix, and Chippewa Rivers. They put in sub-posts at all these places, and one at Fond du Lac, Minnesota, but this being so close to Fort Cadotte it was not necessary to put in a fortified post. But on the St. Croix River there was such opposition from the X. Y. Company. In 1804 they sent Patrick Connors (whom Connor's Point is named after) down on Snake River and put in a fortified post on Pokegama Lake. That is where Pine City now is. I have read Connors' Diary of the winter of 1804-1805. It is quite interesting and the Duluth Historical Society now has it.

The North West Company had another fortified stockade at Rainy Lake. This was a well protected post as it was an exchange depot for some of the voyageurs coming from the far west.

A man named Faries was in charge in the winter of 1804 and 05. He kept a diary as Connors did, of the daily happenings and the weather. Faries had large district and a lot of sub-posts. Among them was the Vermillion Lake post kept by a man named Grant. The Vermillion Lake post was in the Rainy Lake district until the American Fur Company bought out the North West Company when it went into the Fond du Lac district.

Faries tells of the trouble he had with the X. Y. Company and of the mail service they had to and from all posts in winter time by courier from Grand Portage on Lake Superior to the farthest post on the Saskatchewan River. He also mentions this winter on 1804-05 of sending two men with letters to the Fond du Lac post.

I think all Indian trails were used by the fur traders. I think also that the Vermillion Lake trail from Lake Superior was used a great deal by the fur-traders. In the fall, the north shore of Lake Superior was open until late so if the lakes and rivers were frozen they could get up the North shore of Lake Superior. On these Indian trails dog-trails could be used. In crossing rivers, they would seek a place where it was low and shallow water to ford the streams.

I will tell what I know about the Vermillion Lake Indian trail from December 2nd, 1865.

Mr. E. F. Ely, the missionary, had been here among the Indians since 1833. When we moved to Oneota in 1857, Mr. Ely kept a store and the post-office. He told about the two Indian trails to Vermillion Lake; one from Beaver Bay and one from Minnesota Point. In his work as a missionary teacher he had been over both trails and spoke of the Iron ore at Vermillion Lake. He also told that when he first canoed here the canoes were paddled right through Minnesota Point and landed at the campground where the Union Depot now stands. The water flowed through this entrance when we moved here in 1865. This would now be just below Michigan Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue East, cutting Minnesota Point off from the main land.

The Indian trail ran from the big portage on Minnesota Point (where the canal is now) and angled up the Point. After fording the outlet went up on the high land between first and second avenues east. There it joined the trail from the west and the trail that came from the campground or land at Fifth Avenue West. It then kept close to the line of Superior Street until it got beyond Fourth Avenue East where it crossed Fifth Avenue East and the trail was about in the alley between Superior Street and 1st Street. It kept on this alley until it got near Washington Avenue just (above? ) below 1st Street. There they forded Brewery Creek. Here the trails parted, with the north shore trail going easterly. The Vermillion Lake trail (went) north easterly, fording Chester Creek just above the falls near 14th Avenue East and 4th Street and then in a northerly and north easterly direction to the ford on Tischer creek, which was near the S.E. corner of the S.W. of S.E. of Sec. 11-50-14 (which is now Woodland and St. Marie Street). This was the only place they could ford Tischer creek from the lake up. This was a very shallow ford with a low bank on the north side and formerly had been an old beaver den.

In 1856-57 Preemptors took up claims back from the lake. Waterman Green in N.E. 1/4 Sec. 22, and Sweet in N.W. 1/4 Sec. 22, Newel Ryder in N.W. 1/4 Sec. 15. Herman Wirdgen in the S.E. 1/4 Sec. 10. They built on their claims and had to have a road so they used the Indian trail from Minnesota Point. As soon as the town of Duluth was platted in 1856 there was a sawmill erected on the point where the canal is now.

These settlers followed the Indian trail with their ox teams to the ford on Brewery creek. In 1859 H. S. Burk, Gilbert Falconer, Harvey Fargo, and J. G. Bush built a brewery at this ford but it did not interfere with the ford. This gave it the name Brewery creek. After crossing Brewery creek the settlers left the Indian trails and went west of the Vermillion Lake Indian trail northwesterly between seventh and eighth avenues east to ninth avenue east and eighth avenues east to ninth avenue east and eight street to the Waterman Green's house which was by a spring. Then through Green's field to the east of his big barn which would now be Rock 20 Lake View Division or between eight and ninth avenue east and ninth and tenth street. It then crossed Green's clearing to about Tenth Avenue east and Eleventh Street. From there it crossed the Grant school playground. This was an old Beaver overflow and the Beaver dam was east of Eighth Avenue just back of Christ Johnson's grocery store on Eighth Avenue. So they had to corduroy across this swamp until they got in the line of Ninth Avenue on Kenwood Avenue. They kept Kenwood avenue until about tenth avenue when the road went a little to the west of Kenwood avenue and east of the center line of Sec. 22 and east of the center line of 15-50-14 when it came to about the center of S.W. of S.E. or what is now Grand View Division. They then went west to near the center of S.E. southwest of Sec. 15-50-14 then a little east of North until it forded Chester Creek in the S.E. northwest of 15 where Newel Ryder had his house. From there the road went east of North and crossed the section line between Sec. 15- and 10 just of the 1/4 stake. This road ran on into Herman Wedgen place in Sec. 10.

The gold rush on Vermillion Lake stated in the summer of 1865. George R. Stuntz and some prospectors were the first to leave. They went by the way of St. Louis River portaging into Pike River then into Vermillion Lake. In September 1865 Capt. J.J. Hibbard, Capt. James Edwards, Thomas Clark, John Scott, John Gatherer and John Parry with packers left Duluth cut out the trail to Vermillion Lake. It took them about four weeks to cut out the trail and they took about ten days looking for gold.

I think Capt. Hibbard and his men took the settlers road to N.E. of the 1/4 post on the north side of Sec. 15-50-14 because there was a valley north of the line on the north Sec. 15 coming from the west, then north of the N.E. corner of 15 thence south of East to the fort on Tischer creek. This was the road used by the gold seekers in the winter of 1865-66.

On December 2, 1865 my Father moved from Oneota to Duluth on account of a mail contract to carry the mail from Duluth to Fond du Lac. As soon as we moved into the Jefferson house my Father had to open a stopping place for the gold seekers.

About the first to come were the Farrell Brothers, James and William. James Farrell is the father of our present city Commissioner. Others arrived but they were going through by dog train or packs. Between Christmas and New Years, Capt. Webb, Capt. Place parties arrived with teams. They found they could go no further with their teams. Capt. Webb being in charge of this party made our place their headquarters, sent all teams back to St. Paul but Bromley's team. He had Bromley go over to Superior and get two horse toboggans and singled his horses out one horse to each toboggan.

They stored their goods at our place and Bromley was to haul to a half-way place with one horse and his other horse take it the other half as they expected to have to widen out the trail.

The following was impressed on my mind. It was on New Year's day, 1866, just after dinner. The gold seekers had everything packed for an early start in the morning. They were sitting in the front room talking about the gold they were to get. My Mother was standing in the dining room door when in walked an Indian and two squaws. The Indian walked over to my Mother, shook hands and said he was Buck-a-day (which means he was hungry). The oldest squaw started kissing the men with the young squaw following behind and kissing. This caused the men to run upstairs, but my Mother told them to sit still as this was just their New Year's greeting.

Some time after this there came what we called the Seamore Simond parties with ox teams with machinery for a stamp mill on sleds, and one team of horses with a cook house on a sled. They did not stop at our place, but they had to cut the road wide enough for sleds. The gold seekers used the settler's road through Sec. 22-15 and into S.W. of S.E. 10-50-14. Then they went easterly to the ford in the S.E. corner of the S.W. of S.E. Sec. 11, which is the ford on Tischer Creek where the Indian trail is.

The next I know of this trail being used outside of Indians going back and forth was Tom Saxton. He told me that he and some others went from Superior, Wisconsin through Duluth to Rainy Lake Fort in the winter of 1866-67. They got Brezel Denis who lived here. He had been a voyageur and guide for the North West Company and he knew the trails. Brezel Denis was an Indian of Scotch descent. Tom Saxton said they went up the Vermillion Lake trail to the Nett Lake trail.

In 1868 under an appropriation from the state for a State road from Duluth to Vermillion Lake, George Stuntz located a road, commencing about at or near Washington Avenue and First Street, or at the ford on brewery creek, thence running a line in a northwesterly course to a point about Fifteenth avenue east and Superior Street. From there he took a northerly line for his road through Sec. 23 and 14, to the ford on Tischer creek in the S.E. corner of the S.W. of S.E. Sec. 11-50-14 when he hit the Indian trail to Vermillion Lake. This was not a straight road, for it avoided wet places, gullies and knolls. From the ford on Tischer creek Stuntz located the state road along the Vermillion Lake Indian trail. In 1869 the Government appropriated $10,000 for building and improving the state road to Vermillion Lake. George R. Stuntz was offered the job of spending this money. He took the job.

From July 1, 1869 to December 10, with fifteen to eighteen men, two ox teams and wagons, George R. Stuntz had completed the state road sufficiently to haul supplies in the summer time a distance of 84 miles. This made the Vermillion Lake country accessible by team winter or summer.

In 1869 the Indian agency was moved from Fond du Lac to Vermillion Lake and in the winter of 1869-70 the Indian supplies were toted from some railroad in Wisconsin as the railroad did not get into Duluth until August 1, 1870. These goods were hauled through Duluth and over the road that George Stuntz had laid out from fourteenth and fifteenth Avenue East and London road.

George B. Sargent had been here in 1868 to see about clearing and putting up buildings at London Addition. He stayed only a few months and then went away, but he came back in 1869 and built a house on Minnesota Point just below the canal. Then a road was built on the North shore from Duluth to London Addition and Mr. Sargent built a nice residence down in London besides several other buildings put up to be sold. He also put up an office on the lake bank on a large clearing where it was very conspicuous from the lake. It was painted white and in large letters across the front was "New London Office". Then Geo. B. Sargent moved down to his new residence in London.

In 1868 when Stuntz made the survey for a state road from Duluth to Vermillion Lake, there was no road running out of Duluth, except a state road located by commissioners appointed from Duluth, to Fond du Lac and partly cut out and some bridges put in by Freeman Keene in 1867.

The Vermillion Lake road was the only road leading out of Duluth for any distance for some time until Ance Northrop put in the Swan Lake Road in 1872 or 73. I understood the Stillwater lumbermen were toting supplies from Duluth to their camps on the Mississippi River. In the 80s they began to tote from Duluth over the Swan Lake road up on the St. Louis, White face, and Cloquet rivers.

The Vermillion Lake road was not used much, but every fall the Government would clear it out for the winter hauling of Indian supplies to Lake Vermillion.

In 1881 Barney Lynch got the contract to carry the mail for five years from Duluth to Tower over the Vermillion Lake road. This contract was to terminate when the railroad was put through from Two Harbors to Tower. Lynch used one of my horses and he had a light sleigh for winter use and a light wagon for summer use. He told me to make his trip on time and he often would have to leave his wagon and go on horseback and pick up the wagon. When he came back he said it was almost impossible to get over the road. When the railroad was completed from Two Harbors to Tower this closed the Vermillion Lake road, and since 1884 the Vermillion Lake road north of the Cloquet has never been used, but below the Cloquet river portions of it has been in use.

Anyone thinking the Vermillion Lake road entered Duluth otherwise than I have stated is wrong. After we moved to 432 E. 2nd Street in September, 1872, I hunted wild pigeons on this road. I would go down on the north shore road as we called it and I came back on some wood roads at this time. There was no coal used by the steamboats, tugs or the railroads; it was all wood. The canal was just put there and W.R. Stone had a dock inside of the canal and bought all the four foot wood he could get and sold it to the steamboats and tugs so wood was in big demand. They soon cut the timber west of Chester creek. Simond Sullivan had a shack east of Chester creek on about 6th street, Paddy McKeaver a shack below 4th Street East, east of the creek and Martin Strong was east of the creek on First street. This timber was all Birch. They soon cut the timber to the Vermillion road and across to the east of it and had their wood roads. This made it so teams could cross Chester Creek and hit the Vermillion road.

The wild pigeons took their last flight in the fall of 1875. After that we had the flight of the ducks and geese still left. By 1879 on this cut-over land between Chester Creek and Tischer Creek the second growth was up so that with the green clumps of balsam it make a great hideout for deer to feed. In hunting partridge and prairie chicken in there, I jumped ten deer and they stood and looked at me. That would be about as near as I can tell 23rd Avenue East and 4th or 5th Street.

There were many deer taken out of here, also to the east of Tischer's creek where it was all uncut timber. We made a drive from Vermillion Road to Tischer's logging road which was down on the west side of Tischer Creek. In 1881, I lived on 6th Avenue East and 4th Street. When we wanted to make this drive two would stay at my house for an hour and a half and the rest would go down to Superior Street, then down London Road to Tischer's logging road, station themselves along this road and wait for the drivers to come through. The drivers would leave my place (6th Avenue East and 4th Street), go out 4th Street, cross Chester Creek, and go straight through to Vermillion Road. There we would commence to drive and drive to the Tischer logging road. There were no roads between the Vermillion Road and Tischer's logging road. The deer would cross the Tischer logging road and then cross Tischer Creek into heavy timber.

As to the Tischer logging road at this time and since: On the west side of Tischer Creek there had been an old trail from the lake shore up the creek to the ford. The first logging I know of was a logging camp at Agate Bay put in by Payton and Kimball. That was before Barber joined the firm. These logs had to be towed through the Superior entry. This was in the winter of 1869-70.

Winter of 1871-72: There were several taking out logs on the north shore as the canal was opened that spring and this was the start of the Tischer logging road and landing. The log landing was on the bank about at the foot of 29th and 30th Avenue East where the bank was high so that the logs could be dropped into the lake. This was one of the best log landings on the north shore. Many logs were landed there for this landing got the logs from a large territory. This road ran up the west side of Tischer Creek until it got just south of the N.W. corner of Sec. 13. Then it ran west on the north line of Sec. 14 until it struck the ford on Tischer Creek.

Here they were over hills where they could log through valleys to the north and west. Even Quint Brothers had a logging camp in the S.W. corner of Sec. 9, where the Hadselford Dairy is now. Quint Brothers had a camp there for several years and they hauled logs down this road from Sec. 8-50-14. Tischers, Haug Bro., Ben Smith, J. H. McPhee, Andrew Anderson, and many others had logs on this landing. Afterward in the "heydays" of Alphonso J. Whiteman's political career he built a nice residence on this same log landing.

In the summer of 1870, I worked for Benjamin Franklin, who was city engineer and we had occasion to use the corner of Sections 22-23-26 and 27, which is now on Washington Avenue just above Superior Street. At that time, we had to go into the timber east of Decker's road to get to the corner. The Decker's road was the old Indian trail which was being used a good deal as Decker was keeping a boarding house at the Old Brewery at the ford on Brewery Creek.

Then the New London Road had been made, leaving the Indian trail just east of 4th Avenue East; then zig-zagged on about the line of Superior Street at 8th Avenue East. Just beyond Waterman Green's house the road sloped down the bank of the Brewery Creek to a low bridge over the creek. Then there was a ravine on the line of Superior Street from Brewery Creek to the stream that ran down at 9th Avenue East. They leveled out the bank on the S.E. side and made a narrow road to just beyond 9th Avenue at the corner of Hunter's fence. There it went up the hill to level land in front of J.C. Hunter's house. Here it began to drop down off at Bench Street until it got to 12th Avenue East, then onto Jefferson Street. It crossed Chester Creek by the slaughterhouse and near the junction of 14th Avenue East. The state road from Vermillion Lake came into this road.

This is the point George R. Stuntz started from in 1868 to locate a state road from Duluth to Vermillion Lake which his field notes show he did. Then it 1869, he built and put in bridges and put in mileposts on this located state road for 84 miles.

The new London Road from Jefferson Street dropped down until it hit Superior Street or now London Road and Bench Street was named Superior Street and part of Jefferson Street was vacated.

From 1869 the shackers and squatters built on this road and along the lakeshore from 5th Avenue East to Chester Creek. When Superior Street was opened, some had to move and when M. Fink built the Brewery on the lower side of Superior Street, more had to move, and when Meining and Yager put London Road in still more had to move. When the D.I.R.R. built in to Duluth, the rest of them had to move or buy.