| Summary: | THE AREA'S EARLY HISTORY Any history relating to the Neche-Bathgate- Bruce and Hyde Park areas would hardly attract the attention of Historians, until they were told that it is located between Pembina and Walhalla. They would then realize this book speaks about an area that played a vital role in introducing the first fur-traders and farm settlers to the Red River Valley and North Dakota. We can not lay claim to such historically noteworthy places as Fort Pembina, Kittson and Gingras Trading Posts, or such memorable early names as Alexander Henry, and Father Belcourt. But we do have our Grand Passage, Point Michael and Smugglers Point as historic sites, with Charles Grant and Charles Bottineau supplying the historical personalities. GRAND PASSAGE In March, 1802, Henry's Journal states, that the trading post of the Hudson's Bay Company, located at Grand Passage of the Pembina River (Smugglers Point and later Neche), was burned with great loss to the traders, though their rivals seem to have been highly delighted with their misfortune. On April 28, 1802 the Hudson's Bay people embarked to the Forks (Winnipeg). This was a long time ago, yet can rightfully be claimed as Neche's beginning. When an area history is written it is only proper that emphasis be placed on personalities playing an important role in its beginning. These two men can be classified as the first commercial farmers in North Dakota. Charles Grant. He was born in 1824 at the Red River Settlement (Winnipeg). His wife's name was Euphrasie Gladu, and they had several children. One daughter married Peter St. Amour, one of Neche's early 1869 settlers. A portion of Peter's land later became a part of the original townsite of Neche named the St. Amour Addition. Another son, Gabriel, became the Chief of Police for Fargo before the turn of the century. Charles was a son of Cuthbert James Grant, the famous Metis leader, called the "Warder of the Plains" in Canadian history. Cuthbert took part in the April, 1815 "Massacre of Seven Oaks" when Governor Semple and 22 of his Selkirk settlers were killed. Charles was a fur trader, merchant, rooming house proprietor, and an extensive livestock farmer. In 1859, he and Charles Bottineau purchased the former Kittson Trading Post then owned by Charles Cavalier, but the joint venture only lasted for about five years. After this partnership broke up, Grant took over and expanded the Grant House location at Point Michael, located just southeast of the Hyde Park cemetery. It soon developed into a farm site of many buildings for the raising of all kinds of livestock. It also became a rooming house, where many of the early settlers and their families stayed until they got their own homes erected. One early settler living in Hyde Park near Grant's Place described Mr. Grant "as a big guy, with many cattle and horses. He kept a stopping place for travelers along the trail from St. Joseph (Walhalla) to Pembina". Charles Grant played an important part in this area's early government. He was named first Postmaster in St. Joseph (Walhalla) Jan. 20, 1855. He was a member of the Minnesota Territorial Legislature in 1855-1857. In 1867, Dakota Territory Governor Faulk, appointed Charles Grant, Charles Cavalier, and Joe Rolette to organize Pembina County, Dakota Territory. At that time the County extended south to Fargo and west into Cavalier County. His farm was sold in 1878, and he died January 26, 1888 at the age of 64. He is buried in the St. Boniface cemetery in Walhalla. The large building used as a residence and rooming house was destroyed by fire in 1880. Other incidents about the Grant House appear elsewhere. Charles Bottineau. Scanned with a Zeutschel Zeta book scanner at 300 dpi. Edited with Multi-Page TIFF Editor.
|
|---|