Recollections of T. B. Stoddard
               By H. E. ROGERS


   The article read by Ellis B.
Usher at the meeting of this society
in October, 1929, on Colonel T. B.
Stoddard was especially interesting
to me, as it recalled personal re-
collections and  incidents of my
early life regarding the Colonel and
Miss Susan de France.
    Mr. Usher said, 'The colonel
poured out upon me the enthusiasm
and sincerity with which he ideal-
ized and emblazoned the wonderful
pathway toward the far northwest,
as yet still within the bounds of
Minnesota and his own enthusiastic
dreams.'
    The colonel's forecast as to the
result of building  this Southern
Minnesota road stamped him as a
wonderful man, a natural born
builder.
       Father Came in 1852
    My father came to La Crosse in
1852 and formed a partnership with
C. A. Stevens   in publishing the
Democrat. In 1854 he established
the La Crosse Independent Republi-
can, with the financial aid and help
of Samuel T. Smith, George Far-
nam, A. W. Barron, F. M. Rublee
and company, D. D. Cameron, H.
Wedge, S. Kellogg, Joel Marsh, A.
Overbaugh, Tallmadge and Gridley,
B. S. Rippy, Peter Burns, James
Gallagher, E. Childs, N. R. Smith,
and Joseph K. French.
    A friend of mine looking over
the list of names said, 'I don't see
Colonel Stoddard's name there.' My
reply was, 'Would you    expect a
democrat to put up money to help
start a republican newspaper?' It
is a foregone conclusion that these
men were     interested in the up-
building and   advancement of La
crosse.
    What would be more natural
 than that these men and Colonel
 Stoddard, all concerned and work-
 ing for the future, should become
 mutually interested in the advance-
 ment of the city and form lasting
 friendships?
    The Southern Minnesota railway
 company was, originally, the Root


River Valley and Southern Minne-
sota railroad. As such it was char-
tered by the territory of Minnesota
March 2, 1855. The charter granted
the privileges of covering almost
everything in the south end of the
state, provided the eastern terminus
remained at the village of Hokah.
    May 23, 1857, the name of the
road was changed to the Southern
Minnesota Railroad company, which
executed a mortgage, issued bonds
and deposited them with the state,
receiving  therefore $575,000 in
state bonds.
       Default on Payments
    The company defaulted on the
payments April 1, 1860, and the
governor advertised and sold the
property, etc., on October 16, 1860,
and conveyed the same'to the state.
    The state conferred the prop-
erty, etc., on divers parties during
the years 1861 and 1863, but they
failed to comply with the condi-
tions.
    The rights pertaining to the line
through the   southern Minnesota
counties was conferred upon Col-
onel Stoddard and associates March
4, 1864, under the name of the
Southern Minnesota Railroad com-
pany.
    The company was organized and
the act accepted March 29, 1864,
and on May 17 Stoddard was elect-
ed president. He held the office un-
til 1871, when he resigned, C. W.
Thompson being elected to succeed
him. The eastern terminus was
changed from    Hokah to Grand
Crossing.
    A story of Grand Crossing, its
 rise and fall, might be interesting,
 as it greatly concerned La Crosse
 at that time.
    The road was completed to
 Rushford in 1867, to Lanesboro in
 1868, from Ramsey    to Wells in
 1869, from Lanesboro to Ramsey
 and from Wells to Winnebago in
 1870. The total length was 167/
 miles.
    The St. Paul company, now the
 Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and