[ F ] - Pig's Eye's Notepad - [ F ]
FARIBAULT, AGNES - Born in 1829 in Minnesota. Daughter of St. Paul trader Alexandre Faribault, she was married in 1846 to William H. Forbes as his first wife. [LR1006, MN50]
FARIBAULT, ALEXANDRE - Trader at St. Paul & Mendota, he was born in 1806 at Prairie du Chien, the son of Jean Baptiste Faribault. He married at Mendota in 1842 to Elizabeth Marie Graham, and had many children, including: Agnes, George, Pelagie, Emilie, Daniel, Catherine, Julia, Natalie, and Richard. He later moved to Faribault, MN, named for him, where he died in 1882. [LR1006, MN50]
FARIBAULT, DAVID - The son of Jean Baptiste Faribault, he was born in about 1816. He spent his early years in Mendota, and in 1846 opened a trading house on what would have been Bench Street between Jackson and Robert. He also purchased much property in St. Paul, and in 1847, he built the New England House. He married Suzanne, and had a number of children, including David, William, and Louis. In his later years, he moved to Cheyenne River in the Dakota Territory. [WM159, LR1006]
FARIBAULT, JEAN BAPTISTE - Born in Berthier, QC, in 1773, he was a well known early leader of the Indian trade in Minnesota and the upper midwest. He ultimately settled in Mendota. He was married to Pelagie Kinnie, and was the father of Alexandre Faribault and David Faribault. [LR1006]
FARRINGTON, GEORGE W. - A St. Paul resident in 1850. [WM267]
FARRINGTON, JOHN - Born in 1825 in New York. A merchant in St. Paul in 1850. [MN50]
FARNAM, J. H. - Born in 1823 in Ohio. He was a merchant in St. Paul in 1850. His real estate holdings were valued at $10,000 in 1850. [MN50]
FARQUHAR, GEORGE - A St. Paul resident in 1850. [WM267]
FAULKNER, GEORGE - Born in 1818 in Maryland. A carpenter in St. Paul in 1850. [MN50]
FETCOT, MARTIN - A St. Paul resident in 1850. [WM267]
FIELDER, STARK - Born in 1825 in Missouri. A St. Paul plasterer is 1849-50. [WM246, MN50]
FINCH, THOMAS M. - Born in 1812 in Canada. A farmer in St. Paul in 1850. His real estate holdings were valued at $500 in 1850. He and his wife Susana (1820 KY) had at least four children: Lafayette (1837 IL), William (1840 MO), Elizabeth (1843 MO), and Zachary (1848 WI). [MN50]
FINDLEY, ANTOINE - Born in 1821 in Wisconsin. An interpreter employed by William Hartshorn in the mid-1840's. He was still living in St. Paul in 1850, and employed as a trader. He married to Angelique Robert (1828 MN) on 8 Jan 1850 by Fr. Ravoux. He was the brother of Samuel Findley. [WM132, RCM]
FINDLEY, SAMUEL J. - An interpreter employed by William Hartshorn in the mid-1840's. He was the brother of Antoine Findley. In 1850, he was elected a St. Paul Assessor, and the next year, he was elected to the House of Representatives representing Ramsey County on the "People's Ticket". [WM132, 278, 317, MN50]
FINN [FEIM, PRIM], PATRICK - A St. Paul resident in 1849. [MN49]
FINN, WILLIAM - residing near St. Paul, Min. Territory, (25 Apr 1850) a native of the county of Cork, Balivacora, Ireland, wishes to hear of his cousin of the same name, who was at Harlem, N.Y. in 1845, and who is, in all human probability, a reader of that universally circulated newspaper, the N.Y. Sun. [MPv2#1]
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH -The first protestant church in Minnesota. It was initially built by the Rev. Edward Neill on Washington near 4th Street in 1849. It burned the next year, and Neill rebuilt at the corner of St. Peter and 3rd. [WM212]
FISHER, CHARLES - A St. Paul resident in 1850. [WM268]
FISHER, SILAS - Born in 1830 in New York. A blacksmith in St. Paul in 1850. [MN50]
FITCOURT, MARTIN - Born in 1790 in Poland. A laborer in St. Paul in 1850. B>[MN50]
FLANNEGAN, JOHN - Born in 1800 in Ireland. A laborer in St. Paul in 1850. [MN50]
FLINN, ANN - Born in 1825 in Ireland. A St. Paul resident in 1850. [MN50]
FOLSOM, EDWIN - Born in 1824 in Ohio. A laborer in St. Paul in 1850. [MN50]
FOLSOM, SIMEON P. - Born in 1819 in Lower Canada, near Quebec, his parents were natives of New Hampshire who returned there soon after his birth and later moved to Maine. From 1837-39, Folsom attended academy, taught school, and engaged in the lumbering business. In the fall of 1839, he came west to Prairie du Chien, and not long after was engaged by Henry Rice as a clerk in the Winnebago trade at Fort Atkinson. In 1841, he returned to Prairie, and was deputy sheriff there for two years.
In 1843, he was engaged in surveying public lands, and in 1844-5, he was County Surveyor in Crawford County, also reading law with the Hon. Wiram Knowlton. In 1846, he joined a volunteer company to go to the Mexican War, but the troop was sent to Fort Crawford where he remained a year.
On July 25, 1847, he landed in St. Paul where he engaged himself in the surveying and real estate business. He was the first City Surveyor in 1854. He was a member of the School Board in 1858-60. In 1861, he enlisted as a private in Co. H, 7th MN Regiment where he served for three years. Returning, he remained in the employ of the St. Paul & Pacific Railroad for some years. His real estate holdings were valued at $2,000 in 1850. He married Emeline Curts daughter of Willima Curts of Prairie du Chien. Emeline died 20 Aug 1849 at the age of 19 years. Simeon was again married on 24 May 1851 by E.D. Neill to Julia A. Barnum.[WM166, MN50, MPv1#18, RCM]
FOOTE, OBED - A St. Paul resident in 1850. [WM267]
FORBES, JAMES E. - Born in 1821 in New York. He was a mechanic in St. Paul in 1850. [WM267, MN50]
FORBES, WILLIAM HENRY - Born in Montreal, QC, in 1815, son of a Hudsons Bay Company employee. William was carefully educated in the Montreal schools, then was apprenticed to a hardware business where he subsequently became a junior partner. Attracted by the stories of adventure and profits, he left the hardware business and accepted a clerkship in the American Fur Company, and arrived at Mendota in 1837. He served as the clerk to Henry H. Sibley, in charge of the post, for 10 years, until 1847, when he took charge of the St. Paul post ("The St. Paul Outfit"), a position he held for 28 years until his death. In 1853, the American Fur Company pulled out of the "Outfit", and Forbes joined with Norman Kittson to continue the business. In 1858, Kittson retired, and Forbes continued in full charge until 1862.
Major Forbes was one of the proprietors of St. Paul when it was first laid out. When the Territory was organized, he was elected a member of the first Territorial Council from St. Paul, and afterwards was reelected, serving four years as Councillor, and was President of the Council in the 1852 session.
With the outbreak of hostilities between the settlers and the Sioux in 1862, Forbes' business closed, and he was appointed to Gen. Sibley's staff, where he acted as Provost Marshall at the military trial of the 300 Sioux who were condemned to death. At the close of this campaign, he was commissioned by President Lincoln as Commissary of Subsistance in the Volunteer Service with the rank of Captain. He remained on active duty until 1866, the last two years serving in Northern Missouri closing up the unsettled affairs of General Fremont's department.
Sadly, his military service broke him in health, and he never regained his previous vigor. In 1871, he was appointed Indian Agent at Devil's Lake, a post he held until his death on 20 July 1875, at Devils Lake North Dakota. His real estate holdings were valued at $1,500 in 1850. He was married twice, first to Agnes Faribault, and secondly to Miss A. B. Cory, and had four children including May (1846 MN) and Malcolm Henry (Sep 1849-15 Feb 1850 MN). [WM54-6, MPv1#44, MN50]
FORCIER, LOUIS - Louis was born 6 November 1817 in Quebec, Canada. He came to Minnesota in October of 1848. He is listed in the Mendota 1850 census as a Voyageur. The 1853 tax roles lists him as owning farm property in the Mendota Township that would indicate he had taken up farming. He married Mary Martin on 27 Aug of 1850. Witnesses were Louis Martin, Hippolyte Martin and Claude Cournoyer. After Mary's death (about 1858/9), Louis married (about 1860) Theotiste Cournoyer, the widow of Calixte Perron, and the daughter of Gregoire Cournoyer and Theotiste Caplette. Louis died on his Dodd Road farm near West St. Paul on 20 May 1883. [Francis J. Lavacot, f.lavacot@worldnet.att.net]
FORCIER, MARGUERITE - Born in 1834 in Canada, the daughter of Jean-Baptiste Forcier & Josephine Patrin of Little Canada. On 25 Nov 1850, Fr. Ravoux married her to Urgel Lapierre. After having at least one child, Jean Baptiste, born in 1851 in Little Canada, in 1854, she was married in a civil ceremony to Pierre Lapointe. That marriage was rehabilitated in 1864 at St. John the Baptist church in Little Canada, hinting that her first husband had died.[LR1052, LR1750]
FORD, B. - Born in 1822 in New York. He was a teacher in St. Paul in 1850. [MN50]
FORD, B. B. - Born in 1827 in New York. He was a surveyer in St. Paul in 1850. [MN50]
FORD, JOHN A. - Born in 1810 in New York. A farmer at either Pig's Eye or Red Rock in 1850. His real estate holdings were valued at $500 in 1850. He and his wife Mary (1826 PA) had at least two children: Franklin (1844 MN), and Mary (Jul 1850 MN). [MN50]
FORIN, JOHN - Born in 1800 in Ireland. A laborer in St. Paul in 1850. [MN50]
FORTIER, JOSEPHTE - Born in 1793 in Canada, the daughter of Guillaume Fortier and Angelique Mercier of Vercheres, PQ, she married Joseph Baudreau on 27 Jan 1817 at Lonque Pointe, PQ.[MN168]
FOSTER, AARON - A native of Pennsylvania, Foster was born in 1817. He came to Stillwater in 1846, and on to St. Paul the next year. He was a carpenter by trade, and was commissioned a Justice of the Peace soon after his arrival. He married Fanny A. Mortimer (1833 PA). In 1854 or 1855, Foster went to Kansas, and in 1864, he enlisted in the army, but died of disease at the recruiting station before entering the service. His real estate holdings were valued at $1,600 in 1850. They had at least one child, Angeline (May 1850 MN). [WM168, MN50]
FOSTER, JACOB - A St. Paul resident in 1849. [MN49]
FOSTER, DR. THOMAS - A St. Paul resident in 1850. [WM267]
FOUNTAIN CAVE - A large cave, one of several located on the Mississippi River approximately where, today, Shepard Road intersects Randolph Street. The cave had a very clear, cold stream flowing out of it, into the river. It was here, in 1838, that Pierre Parrant staked a claim and moved his whiskey still after being forceably removed from the squatters camp in the shadow of Fort Snelling. This was the first known dwelling by a person of European descent to be located within the limits of the city of St. Paul as we know it today.
It was a very desirable location, and Parrant was soon joined by Abraham Perry and other settlers.
Parrant, operating a thriving business, ultimately borrowed money from William Beaumette, mortgaging his claim in the process. That mortgage paper, after changing hands a number of times, ultimately led to Parrant's eviction, and his move to what is now downtown St. Paul. [WM65,74,84]
What did Fountain Cave look like? Here's a memory from a current St Paul resident who explored those caves as a young boy. "As you go up Warner Road past NSP, you go up a hill toward West Seventh (the brewery's on your right). The road swings abruptly left, where it meets up with Randolph. Anyways, as you head south along the river, there was a small brick building on your right. It looked like a small construction yard. On one side of the building, you could see one old entrance to the Schmitt caves. Kind of looked like a garage that slanted into the ground at an angle. They used to have corrigated steel welded over the entrance, but I haven't looked to see what's there lately. This entrance was the main way into the portion that was machine cut into the sandstone and limestone. The sides were flat, like a regular wall and the ceiling was arched. Old gas lamp pipes still jut from the walls at intervals. I guess they used to store beer down there long ago (nice constant temp. year round).
"This "Main Hall" as we called it led to more similar rooms,basically laid out like a ladder. Each rung was about forty feet long. Anyways, eventually, you got connected to older portions of the caves. These were natural or hand carved into the stone. A series of many rooms and passages snaked all over, covering an area perhaps a quarter mile on each side. One passage led out to the hillside above the river on the opposite side of the road from the construction
company yard. Much of the cave lies beneath Shepard Road, and the old homes in the neighborhood that starts just south of the construction lot (that's where we would park!).
"The caves had an old spring running through them on one end, visible through a hole in one wall. If you climbed through into the spring, you found the bottom was neatly paved in rows of old red bricks, which extended up the walls a few feet. Perhaps this was a storm sewer, but there was always water running through it, and it smelled and looked clean. This narrow spring led off in both directions into the stone, but we never ventured into it far due to its small size. Some regulars down there claimed the spring led all the way to the Univac caves, which are supposedly much bigger (they're up more towards the Fort and West Seventh Street.
"Based on my old research back then, I'm pretty convinced these are parts of your old Fountain Cave. The part on the river bank has a long narrow tunnel (thirty feet?) which we wriggled down... eventually it leads to a huge room about 50' long by 25' wide by 20' high. This was most likely the portion used by Parrant." [Mike Janicek, 7 Dec 1995, mikey@iw.net]
Today, the cave has been closed off and are said to have been filled in. Mr. Janicek's article makes you wonder about what is deep underground, doesn't it?
In either case, however, a historical plaque has been erected to mark the location.
FOURNIER, G. A. - Came to St. Paul in 1847 as a clerk to Louis Robert. He subsequently took up the trading business in Yellow Medicine County, MN. [MN168,199, 268]
FOURNIER, J. - Born in 1807 in Canada. He was a clerk in St. Paul in 1850. [MN50]
FRANCHERE, GABRIEL - Canadian by birth, Franchere was a pioneer of the Northwest. As the primary representative and recruiter for the American Fur Company in the region that included Minnesota, he was responsible for recruiting many of the people who ultimately became St. Paul's earliest citizens. Franchere died in 1863 in a railway accident. [WM89,97,413]
FREEBORN, RICHARD - Born in 1795 in Ohio. Came to St. Paul in 1848, he was living in St. Paul in 1850. His real estate holdings were valued at $1,000 in 1850. It is assumed he was the father of William since the family of William & Matilda were residing in his residence in 1850. [WM200, MN50]
FREEBORN, WILLIAM - Born in 1820 in Ohio. Came to St. Paul in 1848. He owned, at one time, considerable property in the city and county, and was a very prominent citizen. He was elected to the Town Council for one term. In 1853, he removed to Red Wing, and was one of the first settlers there. He was elected to the Council from that district from 1854-55, and 1856-57. In 1855, the Legislature named Freeborn County for him. During the gold rush of 1862, Freeborn emigrated to the Rocky Mountains, and later settled in San Luis Obispo, CA. He and his wife Matilda (1825 PA) had at
least three children: Richard (1843 IL), Hanna (1845 IL), and John (1848 MN).[WM197, MN50]
FREEMAN, AUGUSTUS J. - Born in 1821 in New Jersey. An employee of William Hartshorn in St. Louis with his brother, David Freeman. They came to St. Paul in 1845. The Freemans, in connection with Auguste Larpenteur and William Randall, continued Hartshorn's business after he retired in 1847. After his brother's death, Augustus went to New York and died there. He was married on 19 June 1849 at Rahway, N.J., to Mary C. Clarkson (1825 NJ) daughter of Joel Clarkson of Rahway. [WM151,267, MPv1#14, MN50]
FREEMAN, CYRUS - Born in 1823 in Maine. He was a surveyor in St. Paul in 1850. [MN50]
FREEMAN, DAVID B. - An employee of William Hartshorn in St. Louis with his brother, Augustus Freeman. They came to St. Paul in 1845. The Freemans, in connection with Auguste Larpenteur and William Randall, continued Hartshorn's business after he retired in 1847, and the name of the firm was changed to Freeman, Larpenteur & Company. David died in 1850 of pneumonia. He was a member of the Odd Fellows, and although no Lodge had yet been built in St. Paul, he was buried with the full honors of that order, the first Odd Fellows funeral in Minnesota. [WM151]
FREEMAN, JOHN - Born in 1825 in New York. A carpenter in St. Paul in 1850. [MN50]
FRENCH, ALPHEUS R. - Born in 1808 in New York. A saddle and harness maker who came to St. Paul in 1848. In 1849, he was a charter member of St. Paul's Sons of Temperence Lodge. He was elected Supervisor of Roads (without opposition) in 1850. During the Winter of 1861-2,
he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in Company I, 5th MN Regiment. His real estate holdings were valued at $1,000 in 1850. He and his wife Mary Ann (1818 PA) had at least five children: Edward R. (1837 OH), Perry (1840 OH), Elizabeth Ann (24 Dec 1844 MN-14 Oct 1850 MN), Minerva (1846 MN), and Horace (1849 MN). [WM215, 246, 402, MN49, MN50, MPv2#26]
FRENIER, SUSAN - She was the wife of famous St. Paul pioneer, Joseph Renshaw Brown. They were married by a Justice of the Peace on 28 March 1850 in St. Paul, where she was a resident.[WM267]
FRICK, J. C. - Born in 1830 in Pennsylvania. A printer in St. Paul in 1850. [WM267, MN50]
FRONCHET, FRANCIS - See FRANÇOIS DESIRE.
FROST, JONATHAN - Born in 1817 in Virginia. A St. Paul Cabinetmaker in 1849. He died in Charleston, IL, in 1870. His real estate holdings were valued at $800 in 1850. He and his wife Mary (1821 Ireland) had at least 2 children: Charles E. (1846 IL), and Eliza Jane (1848 IL). [WM267, MN50]
FROTINGEAU, PIERRE - Born in 1815 in Canada. He was a laborer in St. Paul in 1850. He and his wife Angelique (1825 Canada) had at least 3 children: Marie (1846 MN), Julie (1847 MN), and Pierre (1849 MN). [MN50]
FRYER, A. V. - A land agent who came to St. Paul in 1849. [WM246]
FULLER, ALPHEUS G. - St. Paul merchant born in 1822 in Massachusetts. He came to St. Paul in 1849 with his brother, David, and opened Fuller Bros. General Store. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Representative in 1849; elected an alderman from the 3rd ward in 1855; and was an unsuccessful Republican candidate for Mayor in 1856. In 1856, he completed and furnished the "Fuller House", a 5-story hotel later known as the "International Hotel". His real estate holdings were valued at $250 in 1850. He was married to Lileore (1828 MA). [WM232, 357, 364-5, 463]
FULLER, DAVID L. - St. Paul merchant born in 1826 in Massachusetts. He came to St. Paul in 1849 with his brother, Alpheus, and opened Fuller Bros. General Store. He served on the first grand jury empaneled in Ramsey County, ran unsuccessfully for City Treasurer as a Democrat in 1854. He died in 1856 in St. Paul. He was married to Elizabeth (1827 MA).[WM246, 258, 349, 368, MN50]
FULLERTON, JOSEPH E. - Born in 1823 in Maine. A merchant who came to St. Paul in 1849 and founded Fullerton & Curtis Dry Goods with John Curtis. He was elected to the charter St. Paul council in 1851, and a Representative later that same year. He was elected Ramsey County Coroner in 1853, then lost a bid to regain his seat as a Representative in 1854. His real estate holdings were
valued at $500 in 1850. He was married to Eliza (1823 MA). [WM246, 268, 291, 321, 346, 354, MN50]
FURNELL, LUTHER - Born in 1818 in New Hampshire. A laborer in St Paul in 1850. His real estate holdings were valued at $150 in 1850. He and his wife Caroline (1826 OH) had at least 4 children: Alfred (1844 MN), Josephine (1846 MN), Milton (1848 MN), and Caroline (Jun 1850 MN). [MN49, MN50]
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