At the boom, floating timbers chained between piers caught and contained logs for sorting and measuring and rigging into rafts. At one time, the Stillwater boom extended a distance of 9 miles and employed 400 men to sort, scale and raft timber.
Lumber was rafted downstream from Stillwater. Boards were arranged in cribs or heavy crates, each 16 feet wide and 32 feet long. A lumber raft might contain as many as 200 cribs.
Logs were shipped by rail from northern Minnesota to Stillwater and made into rafts. They were then floated down the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers. The rafts usually consisted of 8 to 10 strings of logs fastened side by side, each string measuring 16 across and about 400 feet long. Some of these enormous rafts stretched 4 or 5 acres in size.
Image of three young girls wading in the waters below the falls. Copyright 1903 by T. W. Ingersoll (high grade original views sold through canvassers). See also image MS0202.
Contributing Institution:
Hennepin County Library, James K. Hosmer Special Collections Library
Lithographic prints multicolor image of three young girls wading in the waters below the falls; copyright 1903 by T. W. Ingersoll; descriptive text on verso. See image MS00201; MS00202 is the colorized version of MS00201.
Contributing Institution:
Hennepin County Library, James K. Hosmer Special Collections Library
This stereocard shows a view to the east from St. Peter during the flood on the Minnesota river in April of 1881. A portion of the bridge across the river at Broadway is visible in the foreground.
This stereocard shows a view to the west toward St. Peter during the flood on the Minnesota river in April of 1881. The bridge across the river at Broadway is at far right.
Stereoscope view. Image contains edge of wooden railing of the Union Avenue bridge, a man standing along the edge of the river and residences and businesses in the distance.
Falls of St. Anthony with people sitting on a rock slab; may be looking towards village of St. Anthony; Whitney's Gallery is located in St. Paul, distributed by Martin's Art Gallery also in St. Paul
Contributing Institution:
Hennepin County Library, James K. Hosmer Special Collections Library