The name means "cloudy water." About one third of Minnesota was not included in the Purchase. It is known as the "Gopher State."

Two thirds of the state are devoted to agriculture. Horticulture is an important industry, as is also stock raising. Flour and grist milling, lumbering, meat packing, and brewing are the most important occupations. Building stone is abundant, and Minnesota is at the head of the list for the production of iron ore.

The value of farm products for 1900 was $161,217,304, as against $71,238,230 in 1890 and $49,468,591 in 1880.

The value of manufactured products for 1900 was $262,655,881, and of real and personal property $585,083,328.

Wheat	(1900)	95,278,660 bu.	Value $50,601,948.
	(1890)	52,300,297 bu.
	(1880)	34,601,030 bu.
Oats	(1900)	74,054,150 bu.	Value $15,829,804.
	(1890)	49,958,791 bu.
	(1880)	23,382,158 bu.
Corn	(1900)	47,256,920 bu.	Value $11,337,105.
	(1800)	24,696,446 bu.
	(1880)	14,831,741 bu.
Potatoes	(1900)	14,463,327 bu.	Value $3,408,997.
	(1890)	11,155,707 bu.
	(1880)	5,184,676 bu.
Hay and forage	(1900)	4,339,328 tons.	Value $14,585,281.
	(1800)	3,135,241 tons.
	(1880)	1,637,109 tons.
Milk	(1900)	304,017,106 gals.	Value of diary products $16,623,460.
	(1890)	182,968,973 gals.
Sheep	(1900)	359,328.
	(1890)	399,049.
	(1880)	267,598.
Wool	(1900)	2,612,737 lbs.	Value $460,305.
	(1890)	1,945,249 lbs.
	(1880)	1,352,124 lbs.
Live stock	(1900)		value $89,063,097.
	(1890)		57,725,683.
	(1880)		31,904,821.
Flouring and grist mills	(1900)		value of product $83,877,709.
	(1890)		60,158,088.
Timber cut	(1900)	2,441,198	(M feet, B. M.).
Lumber	(1900)		value of product $43,585,161.
	(1890)		25,075,132.
	(1880)		7,366,038.
Iron ore	(1900)	8,000,000 tons.
Iron and steel	(1900)	manufactured product 42,528 tons.
	(1890)	2,290

1680.	The Falls of St. Anthony were discovered and named by Father Hennepin, the most important of the early explorers of the state.
1783.	The part of Minnesota east of the Mississippi became United States territory by treaty, and was included in the Northwest Territory organized under the ordinance of 1787. It was later part of Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin territories successively.
1803.	The lands west of the Mississippi came into possession of the United States by the Louisiana Purchase, and belonged successively to the territories of upper Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, and Iowa.
1805.	The expedition of Zebulon Pike furnished the first information as to climate, soil, and natural resources.
1818.	Fort Snelling was founded.
1821.	The first manufactory in Minnesota, a sawmill at Fort Snelling, was established.
1827.	The first white settlers, Swiss refugees, appeared at Fort Snelling, and were allowed to cultivate lands belonging to the fort.
1849.	Minnesota was organized as a territory.
1851.	Twenty-one million acres of land were acquired from the Dakotas by treaty with Traverse, the Sioux.
1858.	The territory was admitted as a state.
1860.	At about this time a French millwright, M. N. La Croix, settled Faribault, and introduced the new process of flour milling which has since caused the prosperity of Minneapolis and spread over the United States. After its adoption large exports of flour were made from the United States, whereas previous exports had been in the form of grain.
1870.	Northern Pacific Railroad begun.
1883.	Completion of Northern Pacific Railroad.
1898.	Outbreak of Indians at Bear Lake.
1902.	Land values increased in a year from $5.76 to $9.78.

This name formed two Indian words meaning "big muddy," and referred to the Missouri River.

The principal agricultural productions are cereals, tobacco, and fruit, horticulture being one of the most profitable occupations in the state. Stock raising and dairy farming are also extensively followed. The state has a vast wealth in manufacturing business, being one of the largest manufacturing centers of the country and holding the first place for tobacco manufacture. Meat packing, flour milling, and brewing are the leading industries.

The value of farm products for 1900 was $ 219,296,970, as against $109,751,024 in 1890 and $95,912,660 in 1880.

The value of manufactured products for 1900 was $385,492,784, and that of real and personal property was $1,093,091,264.

Corn	(1900)	208,844,870 bu.	Value $61,246,305.
	(1890)	196,999,016 bu.
	(1880)	202,214,413 bu.
Wheat	(1900)	23,072,768 bu.	Value $13,520,012.
	(1890)	30,113,821 bu.
	(1880)	24,966,627 bu.
Hay and forage	(1900)	4,062,199 tons.	Value $20,467,501.
	(1890)	3,135,241 tons.
	(1880)	1,083,929 tons.
Milk	(1900)	258,207,755 gals.	Value of dairy products $15,042,360.
	(1890)	193,931,103 gals.
Sheep	(1900)	663,703.
	(1890)	950,562.
	(1880)	1,411,298.
Wool	(1900)	4,145,137 lbs.	Value $822,871.
	(1890)	4,040,084 lbs.
	(1880)	7,313,924 lbs.
Live stock	(1900)		value $160,540,004.
	(1890)		138,701,173.
	(1880)		95,785,282.
Timber cut	(1900)	721,632	(M feet, B. M.).
Lumber	(1900)		value of product $11,177,529.
	(1880)		5,265,617.
Tobacco 1	(1900)	3,041,996 lbs.	Value $218,991.
	(1890)	9,424,823 lbs.
	(1880)	12,015,657 lbs.
Slaughtering and meat packing	(1900)		value of product $43,040,885.
	(1890)		18,320,193.
Flouring and grist mills	(1900)		value of product $26,393,928.
	(1890)		34,468,765.
Coal	(1900)	3,160,806 tons.
	(1880)	543,990 tons.
Iron and steel	(1900)	product of manufactures 100,001 tons.
	(1890)	114,945 tons.
	(1880)	112,284 tons.
Lead	(1900)		value of product $3,852,435.
Zinc	(1900)		value of product $2,011,724.

1767.	Pierre Laclède founded a trading post on the river, and named it in honor of Louis XV.
1775.	St. Louis had become a well-known fur depot and trading station and had about eight hundred inhabitants.
1804.	Captain Stoddard of the United States army succeeded the Spanish commandant at St. Louis, and the region was organized into the territory of Louisiana. St. Louis was made the capital.
1812.	Louisiana became a state, and the name of the territory was changed to Missouri territory.
1817.	The beginning of the Missouri Compromise agitation.
1817.	The first steamboat arrived at St. Louis.
1821.	Missouri was admitted as a state to the Union.
1822.	St. Louis received a city charter.
1852.	The first railway in the state was opened, with thirty-eight miles of track.
1873.	Opening of tubular steel bridge across the Mississippi River at St. Louis, erected by J. B. Eads.
1901—1902.	Expenditure of $900,000 in buildings for public institutions.

The name is taken from the French word for mountain.

Agriculture is handicapped by need of irrigation,² the acreage under cultivation being 1,151,674, of which the acreage irrigated is 951,154. The value of irrigated crops in 1900 was $7,281,567. Wheat yields about thirty bushels to the acre. Stock raising is an important occupation, and the state is one of the first in sheep raising and the production of raw wool. The chief industry of the state, however, is mining.

The value of farm products for 1900 was $28,616,957, as against $6,273,415 in 1890 and $2,024,923 in 1880.

The value of manufactured products for 1900 was $57,075,824, and that of real and personal property was $153,441,154.

Oats	(1900)	4,746,231 bu.	Value $1,790,938.
	(1890)	1,535,615 bu.
	(1880)	900,915 bu.
Wheat	(1900)	1,899,683 bu.	Value $1,077,210.
	(1890)	457,607 bu.
	(1880)	469,688 bu.
Hay and forage	(1900)	1,059,268 tons.	Value $5,974,850.
	(1890)	268,689 tons.
	(1880)	62,709 tons.
Sheep	(1900)	4,215,214.
	(1890)	2,352,886.
	(1880)	279,277.
Wool	(1900)	30,437,829 lbs.	Value $5,136,658.
	(1890)	12,177,467 lbs.
	(1880)	995,484 lbs.
Live stock	(1900)		value $52,161,833.
	(1890)		33,266,752.
	(1880)		9,170,554.
Copper	(1900)		value of product $36,387,063.
Silver	(1900)		coinage value $21,786,874.
Lead	(1900)		value of product $5,264,253.
Gold	(1900)		value of product $4,819,156.
Coal	(1900)	1,483,728 tons.
	(1880)	224

1827.	Trading post established on the Yellowstone River.
1852.	Gold was discovered.
1861.	Discoveries of gold. The growth of the state dates from this time.
1864.	Montana was organized as a territory distinct from Idaho territory, of which it had been a part.
1880.	The first railroad entered Montana.
1892.	The surplus lands of the Crow Indian reservation in southern Montana (about 1,800,000 acres) were opened to settlement.

The name, taken from two Indian words, means "shallow water." The state is often called the "Black Water State."

Nebraska is an agricultural state, and ranks among the first for corn production. The sugar beet is an important product, and horticulture is very successful, apples, plums, and peaches forming the principal crops. It is one, of the chief stock-raising and meat-packing states. The principal manufactures are farm implements, foundry products, flour milling, and sugar refining. The acreage of improved land in 1896 was 18,091,936.

The value of farm products for 1900 was $162,696,386, as against $66,837,617 in 1890 and $31,708,914 in 1880.

The value of manufactured products for 1900 was $143,990,102, and that of real and personal property $171,747,593.

Corn	(1900)	210,974,740 bu.	Value $51,251,213.
	(1890)	215,895,996 bu.
	(1880)	65,450,135 bu.
Wheat	(1900)	24,801,900 bu.	Value $13,145,007.
	(1890)	10,571,059 bu.
	(1880)	13,847,007 bu.
Oats	(1900)	58,007,140 bu.	Value $11,333,393.
	(1890)	43,843,640 bu.
	(1880)	6,555,875 bu.
Hay and forage	(1900)	3,502,380 tons.	Value $11,230,910.
	(1890)	3,115,398 tons.
	(1880)	786,722 tons.
Milk	(1900)	190,477,911 gals.	Value of dairy products $8,595,408.
	(1890)	144,768,263 gals.
Sheep	(1900)	335,950.
	(1890)	209,243.
	(1880)	247,453.
Wool	(1900)	2,788,839 lbs.	Value $426,344.
	(1890)	791,534 lbs.
	(1880)	1,282,656 lbs.
Live stock	(1900)		value $145,349,587.
	(1890)		92,971,920.
	(1880)		40,350,265.

1804.	The Lewis and Clark expedition passed up the west bank of the Missouri. This was the first important expedition after the early Spanish and French explorers.
1810.	The first settlement was made at Bellevue.
1849.	The beginning of the great western movement of gold-hunters occurred, which incidentally established towns in Nebraska along the west bank of the Missouri.
1854.	Nebraska was organized as a territory.
1867.	The territory was admitted to statehood, the capital being removed from Omaha to Lincoln.
1869.	The Union Pacific Railroad was opened for traffic.
1875.	Present state constitution framed.
1902.	Coal discovered near Jamestown.

¹ While the production of tobacco has greatly decreased, the manufacture has greatly increased.
Return to text.

² The greatly increased recognition of the importance of irrigation as shown in legislation, in appropriations, and in such action as the meeting of the Irrigation Congress in 1903, argues favorably for the increased utilization of Western lands.
Return to text.

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© 2001, Lynn Waterman