Breckenridge lies at the south end of the fertile Red River Valley of the north. What is now the valley was once the bottom of the great glacial Lake Agassiz, which covered many, many miles of what are now rich farming territory.

The land surrounding the junction of the rivers was once the hunting grounds of both the Sioux and Chippewa Indians. These two tribes were bitter enemies but there seems to have been an agreement that what is now Wilkin and Richland Counties should be neutral hunting ground. As late as 1900, a few Indian relics could be found.

Some records of the early history have been lost with the passage of the years. We do know that Breckenridge is named after John Cabell Breckinridge, a distinguished southern statesman, Vice President of the United States from 1856-1860 and a candidate for the presidency in 1860.

On December 31, 1856, a party of ten men left St. Paul, MN for the avowed purpose of making their fortunes in the far west. This group was guided by two French/Chippewa mixed bloods named Bottineau. They carried with them provisions for man and beast on sleds drawn by five yoke of oxen. They also carried a supply of garden implements, planning on large gardens in the spring to supplement their hunters diet. Six of the party would winter on the site chosen, beginning their gardens on the rich unbroken soil as soon as weather permitted.

This happened to be one of the most severe winters in history. However, the small party pushed ahead, dreams of future riches lulling their present hardships. With 12 to 18 inches of snow on the ground, men often had to shovel before the patient oxen could pull their heavy load. Descendants tell us of stories that the legs of the cattle became swollen to the size of tea kettles and their bloody fetlocks left tracks in the snow.

Sunday, the 25^th of January, the party reached Lightning Lake. Leaf Mountain was to the right and loomed white and cold in the bracing winter air. Sundogs foreshadowed colder weather. The brave little party had always rested on the seventh day but decided to push on. A raging blizzard forced them to sacrifice two of the cattle. January 30, 1857, they reached the present site of Breckenridge, having taken five days to traverse the last short distance. Bringing joy to their hearts, a herd of buffalo was seen and the hunters promptly laid in a plentiful supply to vary their diet.

One of the original party, Daniel S.B. Johnston, described the site of what is now Breckenridge, as a level place near the north end of a large grove of elm, oak and basswood trees, facing the bank of a river. Here they pitched their tents. The next morning, with a hand compass and tapeline, they platted the prairie patch of ground which became Breckenridge.

By February 3, 1857 provisions began to run low. Some of the party started for St. Paul for provisions. The little band at Breckenridge had been left with a peck of beans, a little flour and some salt. Day by day went by with no relief. They became very discouraged, fearing there was no hope for them. Six of the starving cattle died, not being able to live on the little brush available for food. It was not until some time in April 1857 that a thaw came. The treacherous old Red River rose to such heights that the men were almost flooded from their meager home. Most of their food supply had been lost in the high water and there was still no word from the relief party. After the thaw came a severe cold spell. That made it impossible for the relief party to finish their final stage of the journey from St. Paul. They had reached the frozen swamps of the Mustinka River and would go no farther until the ground became safer. On April 17, the relief party finally reached Breckenridge. Mr. Johnston told of receiving half a meat biscuit for his share of the food.

This was the beginning of the original settlement. The plans made called for a city of gigantic proportions. The settlement was to cover 673 blocks. Eighteen streets ran north and south, being crossed by avenues. Some of the latter were named St. Anthony, St. Paul, St. Cloud, Milwaukee, New York, Oregon, Beede, Minnesota, Mendenhall and so on. A canal was planned to connect the two bends of the river, for milling purposes. At the north bridge, a log boom was built. Two parks were planned - Jefferson, about nine blocks east of the present Courthouse, and Washington, about where the Catholic Cemetery is now located.

At the time of its platting, the site of Breckenridge was owned by a former southern gentleman, Mr. Henry T. Welles. He had secured title from Angeline Legree, Mary R. Marlow and Angelique Martin, French/Sioux women. At this time, buffalo and Indians roamed at will. It is said the last buffalo herds were seen in the early seventies. Henry T. Welles was one of a large group of wealthy southerners who had come to Minnesota in Territorial Days. Many of them were well connected politically. Rapid expansion was taking place with admission of new states to the union. Real estate speculation laid the foundation of many a fortune. When Minnesota became a state in 1858, public lands were granted for the extension of a railroad. Henry T. Welles was interested in this daring venture but he is best known in this locality as town site proprietor. At this time the commandant of Ft. Snelling was Franklyn Steele. The two formed a partnership and became the joint town site proprietors of Breckenridge. However, the Civil War interfered with the grandiose plans of the two gentlemen and Breckenridge never became the gigantic city it was supposed to be. By 1859, a 50 horse power saw mill had been built. There was also a brick yard, a few dwellings and a good sized hotel. Logging was carried on extensively, logs being floated down the Otter Tail River.

Many writers of history have learned that there was money behind the adventures so far described. Great dreams had grown and great plans had been made for the large city which was to grow upon the banks of the well traveled river. However, between the Indian uprising and the Civil War, these dreams did not become reality for quite some years.

The history of the city of Breckenridge is closely tied with historic Fort Abercrombie, the first Fort in North Dakota. The Indians had started hostilities in August 1862. At this time Ft. Abercrombie was garrisoned with Company D. of the 5^th Minnesota, under Captain John Van der Horck. The man power of the fort, 84 soldiers, was divided into a resident group and a detachment of 50 men stationed at Georgetown, MN. These men had been sent north as a threat to the Indians who were planning to devastate the railroad property and hinder navigation on the waterway.

There were several stories as to the warning of an Indian attack on Ft. Abercrombie. Frank Kent, who died in Alexandria, MN in 1908 at the age of 78, always claimed he notified the fort. There was also a post interpreter, returning from a lower agency, who may have brought the news. Other reports say that the newspaper clippings of the attack on the Red Wing Agency reached the commandant of the fort, Captain Van der Horck,, on August 23, 1862.

The commandant immediately made plans for definite defense. The Georgetown detachment was recalled and guards were doubled. All settlers around the fort were notified of immediate danger and warned to retire to the fort at once. About 80 of the colonists took advantage of this warning. They were housed in the meager accommodations at the Fort. The men were promptly organized, drilled in defense measures and trained to mount the three 12 pound howitzer cannons, which were the fort’s main defense. Most of the refugees were from the Minnesota side of the river. Many of them were of German descent, trained as artillerists, which proved to be of great help.

Mr. Russel and three other men decided not to enter the fort for protection. They decided to fortify themselves in the large hotel building which was under construction. On the evening of August 23, 1862, a scouting party of six men were sent from the fort and found Breckenridge in the hands of the Indians. The latter pursued the white men. The Indians were on foot and the white men mounted, so the small scouting party returned to the fort safely.

The next day a reconnoitering party was sent to Breckenridge from Fort Abercrombie. The Indians had deserted the small settlement. The group found the mutilated remains of three men. Chain marks were around the ankles of the men, proving that they had been dragged over the rough ground by horses until their death.

A history of North Dakota quotes an old settler named Nick Huffman as saying that while the reconnoitering party were burying the remains of the murdered whites, someone thought they saw an Indian in the saw mill, half a mile away. A man by the name of Rounseval investigated and found an old lady by the name of Scott, who had been living with her son at Old Crossing near Foxhome, MN. Her son had been killed and her grandson taken prisoner. With a bullet wound in her breast, she had crawled on hands and knees 16 miles to the mill. She told the men where they could find the body of a stagecoach driver, who carried the mail. Three miles out of Breckenridge, they found the body and buried the man known as Joe or Charles Snell. They took Mrs. Scott and the body of Mr. Bennet to Fort Abercrombie. The Indians had attacked them on the way to the fort and killed Mr. Bennet, the driver of the wagon. The mail which had been on the stagecoach was scattered over the prairie, but a surprising amount of it was picked up by the detachment.

The Indians burned all the buildings in Breckenridge, except for the sawmill. They were afraid of this building and left it alone. They thought that it had evil spirits in it because of the noise the saws made when cutting the trees.

From the time of the destruction of Breckenridge in 1862, there seems to be very little record of the settlement, until the roaring days which brought in the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad in 1871. Earlier that year, Mr. D. Wilmot Smith and Mr. Ransom Phelps, having gone as far as the railroad would carry them (Campbell, MN) grew weary of the slow progress of the construction crew. The two gentlemen walked to Breckenridge, leaving the three Hyser brothers, Edward, George and Robert, to follow the line of the railroad. The Hysers boarded the construction crew in tent hotels.

Mr. Smith and Mr. Phelps found about 25 people at Breckenridge. There is no record of their names or businesses. Mr. Phelps became the first operator and agent of what was known as the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. There were two houses, known as immigrant houses, built by the railroad at the foot of what is now Minnesota Avenue, west of the tracks and a small roundhouse was erected. The present roundhouse was built in 1885. With the coming of the railroad, Breckenridge became the distribution point for the agricultural area. People came for wood from the prairie country and they brought their wheat here for shipping. Many wheat farms had sprouted in Wilkin and the adjoining Richland county, across the river. One writer expresses it with the notation "65 miles by wagon was a shopping tour". Flat boats were constructed by using the logs brought down the Otter Tail River. These were powered by long sweeps. They were made under the supervision of William Stetson, who was to become known as the first Breckenridge carpenter. Loaded with wheat, flour, pork and lumber, they floated down the famous Red River as far as Winnipeg. Going south on the Bois de Sioux was nearly impassable. On arrival to their destination, the flatboats were broken up and sold for lumber.

Breckenridge had a government signal station on the site now occupied by the Amoco station. The signal station was run by the first doctor, a man named Hearn. It later became the Haire residence and was ornamented with a cupola as late as 1892. At this time the weather station was moved to Moorhead.

It is interesting to note that travel from St. Paul to Breckenridge, via rail, took two days. The engine, of course, burned wood. It is said that in spring, the train would barely crawl through two feet of water between Willmar and Breckenridge. Sometimes this city had no railroad service for as long as three weeks because Mother Nature had sent severe blizzards to block progress. Breckenridge was the end of the line for the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. For years, the yards at the end of Second Street were adorned with a post with the words "The End" handsomely carved on it.

Naturally, during this rugged time, there was little or no government. It became known as a typical western town where saloons, gambling establishments, etc. flourished. Thieves made this their headquarters during the busy season.

The city's first Justice of Peace was a man by the name of Jackson. At the first trial things must have grown hectic in the little 10" X 12" Courthouse. At the end of the session, the hostile crowd turned the small building upside down.

The first school house was built on Sixth Street. This building also served as a community hall, being used for religion and social affairs. The first teacher's name was Miss Pettit. The second teacher was Miss Falley, a daughter of the second doctor who located in Breckenridge.

This doctor, C.F. Falley, seems to have been a jack-of-all-trades. According to his history, he was a physician, attorney, judge of probate and a real estate broker. He also furnished abstracts, made investments and investigations along legal lines for out-of-town parties, made collections and paid taxes for non-residents. He built the first hospital, which was a private hospital, on 7^th Street. A son, Charles Falley, was the first man to practice law in Breckenridge.

John Clause was the first blacksmith and George Wood the first drayman. Mr. Joseph Lindauer, a famous cornetist, who had played in European bands, was instrumental in organizing the first local band and was the leading musician of the band.

The first church services were held in a railroad passenger coach. Rev. Lyons, a missionary, held services from time to time.

In 1858, Breckenridge became the county seat of Wilkin County. The first Breckenridge council in 1907 to serve were as follows: President, F.E. Kenaston; Trustee, H. Champion;

Trustee, J.N. Fox; Trustee, J.H. Gebhart; Recorder, A.W. Coates; Treasurer, Louis Gewalt; Justice of Peace, George Cook; Justice of Peace, William James; and Constable, J. Beatlie.

The first school house later became the first Protestant Church. It later became the Baptist Church.

Edward Connelly seems to have built the first farm home near Breckenridge. He was greatly interested in trees, a most worthy hobby for one living on this great prairie land. He claims to have planted at least 50,000 during his lifetime. He was known as a landscape gardener and planted the grounds around the Courthouse.

The original cemetery was located south of the Northern Pacific tracks near the river. Later the bodies were moved to the present Riverside Cemetery. At one time the Bois de Sioux overflowed its banks so badly that the cemetery could not be reached. Because of this, the body of a certain Mr. Buntz was buried to the east of the present driveway.

During these early times, a ferry was the only means of crossing the river into what we know as Wahpeton, North Dakota. Morgan T. Rich operated the ferry for many years.

Among the early businessmen was Mr. O.B. Todd, a pioneer hardware man. The oldest building was what was known as the K.P. hall for many years. It had originally been the hospital building at Ft. Abercrombie. Mr. Peter Hanson bought it and used it as a store building on the ground now occupied by the Greenquist Academy located at 5^th Street North and Minnesota Avenue. It was the typical country store which sold all things necessary for use in pioneer days.

In 1880, the first paper of the community was published, its lengthy name being "The Wahpeton, Dacotah and Breckenridge, Minnesota, Mercury". It published about one column of news about Breckenridge. It is interesting to note that its issue of 1886 records that a block of ice weighing 5170 pounds had been taken from the Red River and shipped to the Ice Palace in St. Paul.

By this time the exacting life of a pioneer settlement began to take on a slightly urban polish. We say "slightly" because it was still a community of small stores and good old gumbo streets. By 1881 ten new buildings were being built and numerous "root houses" were visible. Northern Pacific officials had made plans to run their line through here, placing their depot three blocks south of the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba's depot. By December the Northern Pacific ran a train from St. Paul to Fargo.

It is impossible to give a complete list of the various businesses in town but the following is a list that throws some interesting side lines on the customs and habits of the community around 1881:

C.M. KAISER, harness shop, opposite Parlyre's livery stable.

J. LaVALLEY, boot and shoe maker.

MINNESOTA HOUSE, proprietor, D.E. Bronson, third street and Minnesota avenue, comfortable stable attached.

CHARLES MILLER, meat market.

O.B. TODD, stoves and hardware.

PETER HANSON, dry goods, feed and flour, established 1871.

WILLIAM STETSON, dealer in lumber.

F.J. ALSTATT, tonsorial rooms, assortment confectionary and nuts. Fresh oysters also on hand.

C.W. ARBUCKLE, M.D., and C.F. FALLEY, M.D.

C.F. WIEN, boots, shoes, gloves and mittens. Boots made to order.

RANSOM PHELPS, farm machinery.

It is also recorded that William Schlichter, foreman of railroad machine shops, and his crew sawed about 25,000 logs in 1881, enough to lay 40 miles of track. In one day 268 was the greatest number sawed.

The year 1882 saw a mighty controversy over the county seat. Rothsay was in the running and verbal arguments were hot and heavy. However by March, Breckenridge rejoiced in a rosy prospect of a new bank, hotel, brick yard and a Courthouse. By April, the wicked old river had again overflowed its banks so badly that it caused some trouble. A Mr. Woodrum, who supplied Wahpeton and Breckenridge with milk, was caught in Wahpeton while the bridge disappeared and had to ship his team back by railroad.

It is interesting to note that in 1882, Peter Hanson and Ransom Phelps went to St. Paul and brought back the deed for the best block in Breckenridge as the site for the new Courthouse, Block 245 between Fifth and Sixth Streets, south of St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba tracks, for the sum of $160.

In September of 1882, the following appeared in the Wilkin County Record: Breckenridge, county seat, is situated at the junction of the Otter Tail and Sioux Wood Rivers, forming the mighty Red River of the North. The town is near the center of the county, with a population of one thousand. It is a division point of the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba and will be a terminal for at least a year of the Black Hills branch of the Northern Pacific, Fergus and Black Hills Railroad. The new Courthouse will cost around $15,000. The school is valued at $7,000. Many other new buildings are going up and a fine brick yard is enjoying a good business. Steam navigation ceased on the Red River of the North in 1910 or 1911 because of low water and it was never regenerated.

From the recollections of John Barney Weling: About the trip by stagecoach from St. Cloud to Abercrombie in 1866, he told: "From St. Cloud to Abercrombie is 160 miles, which we covered in three days by stagecoach. The stagecoach was a four-wheeled affair with four horses and carried U.S. Mail, light express, and six or seven passengers at ten cents a mile. There were stations every fifteen miles where fresh horses were gotten, and passengers could get something to eat and a bed to sleep in. Such a bed accommodated two or three persons and were given only to the best looking guest. We met hundreds of carts bound for St. Paul where furs were exchanged for tea, sugar, coffee, tobacco, powder, lead, rum and blankets. To make two trips (by cart) a summer season was hard and was considered good work."

Today Breckenridge is an agricultural based community - home of a very proud heritage.

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