Judge John R. Carey, an early settler on the north shore of Lake Superior, wrote this account of the history of Duluth and northern Minnesota until 1870. He describes early exploration of the area, the surveying of the town of Superior, missionary efforts in the area, early elections, the building of railroads, the development of iron ore deposits and interesting anecdotes about residents and events.
R.B. McLean came to Superior, Wisconsin, in June of 1854 on the schooner "Algonquin." McLean recollects several trips along Lake Superior's North Shore, both before and after the 1854 Treaty of LaPointe, searching for veins of copper. He discusses early settlers on the North Shore, the first election in St. Louis County in 1855, the first mail route from Superior to Grand Portage (which McLean delivered), and the first cabins built in Duluth in the winter of 1854-55.
This typescript was copied in November 1926 from Alfred Merritt's original 1915 manuscript. The author described his family's experience on the north shore of Lake Superior from the time of their arrival via steamboat in 1856 until the year 1894, including accounts of pioneers, settlers and land claims, and the discovery of iron ore on the Mesaba Range. Merritt also addressed the creation and demise of the Duluth, Missabe and Northern Railroad.