Isaac H. Warner was born in New York in 1830, was married in 1852 and came to Sunrise in 1854, where he followed farming and selling goods. He has served as postmaster, justice of the peace and held other positions. He has three children. His eldest, a daughter, wife of Samuel McClure, a lumberman of Sunrise, died February, 1885. Mr. Warner removed to Dakota in 1883.
Charles F. Lowe was born in 1815 in Concord, New Hampshire, received a collegiate education and came to Sunrise in 1855. He interested himself in real estate but devoted about one-half of his time to travel, of which he was passionately fond. He made one trip around the globe, writing back interesting letters descriptive of what he had seen. He made his last annual tour in 1873, and, while sailing in a small boat in some of the waters of Florida, the boat was struck by a squall, capsized and Mr. Lowe was drowned. Mr. Lowe was a member of the Minnesota constitutional convention.
Wells Farr came from New York State to Sunrise prairie in 1854, where he has since lived in a comfortable home, a successful farmer. He has a family of four sons and two daughters. His oldest daughter is the wife of Ephraim C. Ingalls. His second daughter is the wife of Frank Dawson, of Lent. Mr. Farr died in March, 1888.
John G. Mold came to Sunrise in 1854, where he engaged in milling, hotel keeping and mercantile business. He was the proprietor of the Sunrise City mills, since burned. He died in 1873, aged fifty years, leaving a widow, two sons and two daughters.
George L. Blood, during his early life, was a seafaring man, spending many years upon the ocean, and visiting during this time many foreign ports, keeping a daily record of his journeyings. Mr. Blood had learned the trade of house joiner, but coming to Sunrise in 1854, attempted farming, at which he was not successful. In 1864 he removed to Taylor's Falls, where he died in 1869. His life was an exemplary one, and his death that of a Christian. His family returned to their old home in Connecticut. His two sons reside in St. Paul.
Joel G. Ryder came from New York to the St. Croix and settled in the town of Sunrise, near the village, about the year 1855. He was energetic and able, and was called to fill many town and county offices. He was a representative in the fifteenth state legislature. In 1860 he was married to Lizzie Perkins.
John Dean was born in 18—; was married to Mary Draper in 1860; came to Minnesota in 18—; served some time as river pilot, and settled on his farm near Sunrise City in 1860. Mr. Dean represented his district in the house of the twenty-first and twenty-second legislatures.
TAYLOR'S FALLS.
The village of Taylor's Falls was platted in 1851, a survey of lots having been made at that time by Theodore S. Parker, of Stillwater. Additions were made from time to time as the increasing population demanded. A year before the survey a frame building was erected on what was subsequently the northwest corner of River and First streets. In 1851 and 1852 some streets were opened, but with considerable difficulty, on account of the trap rock, which to be removed required blasting. Bowlders that could not be removed were buried. The work of cutting a street to the upper steamboat landing was specially difficult. There were no roads to the village, and the only means of travel was by steamboat, bateaux, or birch bark canoes, until the government road was opened sometime in 1856. A post office was established in March, 1851, and a weekly mail was ordered from Stillwater. Prior to this time a semi-monthly mail had been carried between the points named. Of the office established in 1851, N. C. D. Taylor was first postmaster. The office was in W. H. C. Folsom's store, Folsom acting as deputy postmaster. The successors of Mr. Taylor have been, Porter E. Walker, Edward P. Wyman, Thomas Holmes, Oscar Roos, George W. Seymour, and N. M. Humphrey; not a long list for thirty-five years. The location of the office was changed with each successive incumbent. The mail carrier in 1851 was the Hon. Warren Bristol, since then four times a representative and senator from Goodhue county in the state legislature, and United States judge in Arizona. The mail service has passed through all the gradations from a semi-monthly to a semi-daily mail. The mail has been carried in canoes or bateaux, on foot, on horseback, on steamboat and rail car. It is now carried by rail. Of the Baker & Taylor mill an account has been given elsewhere. The next mill, a grist mill, was built by N. C. D. Taylor, W. H. C. Folsom and the Day brothers, in 1852. It was several years later remodeled and changed into a carding mill, and is now the property of Jonas Gray. Kingman Brothers built a saw mill in 1857, with a capacity of 12,000 feet per day. Several parties succeeded to the ownership and control of the mill, but, after doing good service for many years, it was abandoned. Clark Brothers built a lumber and stave mill in 1868. After ten years this mill was removed.
The first merchant was Daniel Mears, who sold goods as early as 1848. W. H. C. Folsom opened a store in 1850; Taylor & Fox in 1852. The Chisago House was built by Thomson & Smith in 1852, on the corner of Bench and First streets. In 1870 the name was changed to Dalles House. It has changed landlords many times, the last being Henry Kattenberg. The Cascade House was built in 1853, on the corner of Walnut and Bench streets, by Richard Arnold. It is no longer used. The Falls House was built in 1870, on Bench street near Walnut, by Erastus Guard, and converted into a hotel in 1880, with Henry Kattenberg as proprietor, by whom it was conducted as a temperance house. It is now in charge of Eugene Fitzgerald.