THE PIONEERS OF WABASHA COUNTY
Pages 935-964
"HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY"
Compiled by Dr. L. H. Bunnell
Published Chicago by H. H. Hill, Publishers, 1884
Republished Currently by Higginson Books
One of the pioneers of the northwest was Duncan Graham, who was born in Scotland. He came to this country in the early part of the century, and to Wabasha about 1834. He was engaged for a number of years in carrying the mails between Prairie du Chien and the Red River of the North. His travels extended throughout most of the northwestern states, and one of the islands in Devil's Lake bears his name. The occasion of his final location at Wabasha was the residence of a daughter at that place, who had married Joseph Buisson, and Indian trader and voyager, who had established a trading post at the place as early as 1832.
An interesting item in the history of Wabasha is the naming of the town by Mr. Graham, who wrote the name of the future city and an account of some of the transactions that had taken place here, sealed them up in a glass bottle and buried the same in the ground near the bank of the river. Over the spot he planted a post, which has been seen by some of the early settlers now living, but it is now gone and the exact location is not known. It is supposed, however, to be near the river bank and just back of the First National Bank building. Mr. Graham was an educated gentleman and kept detailed diaries, in one of which he describes the occasion of the burying of the record, as above stated. He resided here until about 1847, when he removed to Mendota, where he died December 5, of above date, at the age of seventy-five years.
The remainder of this chapter consists of the biographies of these people, all of which are published on this site:
Joseph Buisson; Sr., Joseph Buisson, Jr.; Henry Buisson; Cyprian Buisson; David Cratte; Charles R. Read; F. S. Richards; Francis Talbot; F. H. Milligan, M.D.; Charles J. Stauff; G. H. Amerland; Oliver Nelson; Abner Dwelle; Thomas L. Dwelle; William McCracken; Edward B. Murray; Orville D. Ford; Joseph Ford; E. L. Ford; G. Maxwell; L. Ginthner; Francis W. Shaw; Benjamin Lawrence; Francis Jerry; George Bailey; Orrin Pencille; John E. Hyde; George Duncan; William Waskey; Alexander Waskey; Elijah Lont; Francis A. Stowell; Albert D. Stowell; Joseph Caswell; Cyrus L. Caswell; John Bricher; Patrick M. McInerney; Samuel Doughty; James L. Kimble; George Washington Judd; William Wallace Day; William Davis; Robert H. Davis; William Boatman; and Lucas Kuehn.
