end of Lake Pepin, with its jutting headlands and ragged northeastern border looking out across the water. Here the early explorers disembarked and planted their banners, more than two hundred years ago, and some of these romantic landmarks still wear the impress of those primitive footsteps in their march of advancing civilization. It is said Count Frontenac, a French voyageur, landed where the little village that bears the musical name of Florence, now stands, as early as the middle of the seventeenth century; and on the 17th of September, 1696, La Perrie du Bouche, with his party, ascended the Mississippi, and landed on the shore of the lake, at a point below Frontenac, where a peninsula stretches an arm out into the water. This was named by the French Point du Sable, and there they built a post or stockade, almost two centuries ago. Says a recent writer: "The stockade was one hundred feet square, within which were three buildings, subserving, most likely, for store, chapel and quarters."

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, WEST FLORENCE.

In the month of September, 1859, a meeting was held at the house of James B. Smith, Esq., in the southwestern part of Florence township, for the purpose of organizing a church. There were present Rev. J. W. Hancock, Rev. J. N. Williams, J. B. Smith and wife, Lorenzo Utley and wife, Miss E. Manny, Mrs. Susan H. Williams, Miss Harriet E. and Miss Sarah H. Williams, and several children.

After singing, reading the scriptures and prayer, letters of standing and church membership were presented by the following named: J. B. Smith, Lucretia Smith, Susan H. Williams, Harriet E. Williams, Sarah L. Williams, and Elizabeth M. Utley.

And according to the usual order they were constituted a Christian church, under the name of "The Presbyterian Church of West Florence." James B. Smith was chosen elder.

Rev. J. N. Williams was chosen to preach as stated supply. He preached in that vicinity every alternate Sunday for a little over two years, receiving $80 from the people, and the balance of his salary from the home missionary society.

For more than two years after Mr. Williams left they were without any stated preaching.

A log house having been turned into a public school house, in that neighborhood, was used as a house of worship for several years.

St. Eliab Mu

John Nut

4. John Nut

John Nut

D. G. Heg .G. Terwill

nce, April 3, 1864. A meeting was held according to e. On motion, the Rev. J. W. Hancock was chosen mith and John Holliday elected elders."

I house was built in 1866, and religious services, which ne been held in the log house, were now held in the new

church edifice was commenced in 1871, and was so far e occupied that year. This building cost about $2,000. was prospered with frequent additions, having a roll of bers in all, until about the year 1872 it began to decline he removal from the place of many of its members. 3 have taken the places of many of the former inhabgious services in the German language are now conducted part of the time.

g is a list of the township officers, beginning with Dr. airman of the board of supervisors, and J. C. Carey, as 1858; the first named being chairman, and the last

arrard, E. Z. K. Munger, L. Utley, Peter Grant. immons, Wm. Arnold, E. Z. K. Munger, Calvin Potter. immons, E. Z. K. Munger, Wm. Arnold, J. A. Owens. Munger, J. C. Bennewitz, John Wear, W. E. Lowell. ennewitz, S. R. Merrill, J. D. Spinney, W. E. Lowell. ennewitz, J. D. Spinney, Rufus Dennin, W. E. Lowell. illiger, O. P. Francisco, L. H. Garrard, H. Lorentzen. illiger, O. P. Francisco, Jeptha Garrard, H. Lorentzen. Potter, N. C. McLean, David Walker, H. Lorentzen. illiger, D. Walker, R. Menzel, H. Lorentzen. illiger, D. Walker, R. Menzel, H. Lorentzen. illiger, R. Menzel, J. Holliday, H. Lorentzen. unger, E. C. Eaton, D. Walker. J. C. Bennewitz. unger, E. C. Eaton, John Nute, H. Lorentzen. ute, Wm. Stroup, John Colby, H. Lorentzen. ute, John Colby, D. G. Heggie, H. Lorentzen. ute, John Colby, D. G. Heggie, H. Lorentzen. eggie, John Sauter, H. J. Morch, H. Lorentzen.

that it is al

ad Two park

FRONTENAC STATION.

William V. Herlinger was the first settler to locate in this place. Soon after his arrival, the village was platted. The population now numbers about 100. It is a cosy, romantic spot, on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad, with wooded bluffs, grass lands, gardens, and cultivated fields around it, and but a short distance away Lake Pepin glistens in its primeval bed.

The town numbers three stores, one grain elevator, three blacksmith shops, and other concomitants, besides the

ST. JOHN'S EVANGELICAL GERMAN LUTHERAN CHURCH,

The outgrowth of the labors of the Rev. C. F. Heyer, 1860, who founded the church with the following membership: J. C. Bennewitz, John Thompson, William Miller, Jacob Schneider, John Raeper, John Luth, John Hennings, and Fred. Kochn. J. C. Bennewitz was the first president of the church, and superintendent of Sabbath School, which positions he held until 1875.

In 1872 they built their present church edifice at a cost of $2,000. It is of wood, 36x50, and a very pretty house of worship. J. C. Bennewitz, Jacob Schneider and Wm. Miller were the building committee. They have an average attendance of forty Sabbath School scholars, eight teachers, with the pastor, Christian Bender, acting superintendent.

int, and one i

ence blocks th Sooded gorge

Christian Bender, pastor of the above described church, is a native of Germany, born September 11, 1838, where he graduated at a theological seminary. In 1868 he immigrated to Red Wing and immediately took charge of the Lutheran Church at Florence Station, Red Wing and Goodhue township.

FRONTENAC, ON LAKE PEPIN.

The Lake Side

dabout ten acr
ldings, the co

e croquet grou
de extreme poin
Frontenac is t

Nature has fitted this charming spot and surrounded it with such beauty and picturesque loveliness as adorns no equal area elsewhere, on this or any other continent.

but ishing and

For its scenic beauty, the perfection of its climate, its drives and facilities for boating, bathing, trout fishing and grouse-shooting, it already enjoys a national reputation.

ere these two

Ser can be had
rtsman. Ad

hly cultivated
ad from there,
stream, so th

Wise forethought, guided by cultivated taste, and inspired by a liberal confidence in the growing greatness of the Mississippi Valley, has planned Frontenac to be the Newport of the Northwest, the site of the hotels and summer residences of the future. Even now, the expendi

ture of money has been made soin harmony with the wealth of nature's

trout. A row

and a pleasant w

re of ten mil and trout of R is, and the sp

's shooting, t

etion, where sphere and There are char bluffs, or ov E combination fir miles to I resting views,

and story as

lights in Indian

eyond the charm

The beautiful
ta warrior, bu

elf with bridal ga

ad from the dizzy

already one of the most attractive summer resorts in the arks, extending through the village plat, one on the lake è in front of the second terrace, secure to the choice resithe most lovely views of wide expanse of waters, of cliffs, ges and of prairie slopes.

ide Hotel occupies a point projecting out into the lake, acres. Here, in picturesque arrangement, are the main cottages, the billiard hall, the boat house, the light house, round, the dancing floor, the little park, and sea wall on oint, the bathing houses and the stabling.

s the center of the finest region in the Northwest for both and grouse shooting. It is one of the very few places wo sports can be had together, and there is no place where ad in such excellence and with such ease of access to the A drive of six miles up the valley of Wells Creek, through ted farms, will reach the fishing grounds on this stream, -e, for eight miles more, the road winds along the bank of that there need be no fatigue in securing a good basket ow or sail of half an hour from the hotel across the lake t walk of half a mile, introduces the angler to an inexnever disappointing supply of trout in Pine Creek, and a miles will make him acquainted with the three and four f Rush River, and with the dark forests, the over-hanging sparkling waters of that finest of all the trout streams. shooting begins at the nearest wheat fields, but for a g, the upland prairie, some miles away, offers the most ere with abundance of game, the sportsman enjoys an nd scenery equal to a mountain top.

harming drives to the fine points of view on the surroundover the good roads that in every direction offer some ion of landscape beauty to the lover of nature. The drive to Lake City, along the shore of the lake, affords many ws, especially of that bold bluff, always in sight, noted in as "MAIDEN'S ROCK." Every lover, and every one who dian legend, knows the tale which has lent an interest, arm of scenery, to this crag on the shore of Lake Pepin. iful Winona, refused by her father to her lover, a young or, but promised by her father to an old chief, dressed her

destruction rather than be false to her heart's choice, and wed where she could not love."

Another drive that no visitor should fail to take, is that on the romantic road along the ridge that terminates at Waconia Cliff, from which the delighted spectator gazes upon a panorama of wonderful beauty, in which the lake, the bluffs, the prairie, the fields of grain, the railway trains, the steamboats, the sails, the rafts, the farm houses, Dakota Park with its mile track, the villages, and towns, unite in composing a picture that will be remembered with lasting enjoyment.

CENTRAL POINT.

This township lies in a bend in the Mississippi River directly above Lake City, and contains only three or four sections of land, and but a small population, and consequently a limited history.

Its first settlement dates back to the spring of 1853, when a Mr. Gridley selected a claim. R. L. Phillips, H. L. Barrett, and Hannibal Bonnell, followed, and in the following year still others located in that vicinity, and quite a neighborhood sprang up: the settlers became ambitious, and golden dreams of future greatness floated before their excited visions, so that in 1855 a town plat was surveyed, and speculation in town lots became quite lively for a time. Mr. Silas Crop built a store and stocked it with general merchandise. Mr. Tracy built a hotel, which was opened by E. S. Harrison. A post office was established, and Perry D. Martin was appointed postmaster.

In 1856, Messrs. C. W. & E. Hackett built another store, which was also filled with general merchandise. In this year Charles Moe built a steam saw mill, and commenced the manufacture of lumber. At this time Central Point was the only steamboat landing near. But it was soon ascertained that a much better landing could be secured at Lake City, and the result was that the village and business found their way to that point.

In 1857, another steam saw mill was built, which is now owned and operated by S. S. Grannis, of Red Wing, and G. H. Grannis, who lives on the point.

The first school was taught in 1858. The first religious service was conducted by Rev. M. Sorin, in a log house built by Mr. Barrett, which was the first one built in the township.

The first death was that of an infant child of Mr Ɑ! W Hankett in