1921 Duluth & St Louis County MN, Van Brunt.pdf - Garon.us

682 DULUTH AND ST. LOUIS COUNTY
Mining Company. From these mines have been shipped more than
thirty milHons of tons of ore.
Pioneer of Mining.—David T. Adams was responsible for the
discovery of merchantable ore in Fayal. In his "Memories of the
early discovery and development of the Mesaba Iron Range in St.
Louis and Itasca counties, Minnesota,"
explorations : "The next deposit of ore
he
to
states, regarding Fayal
be discovered by me in
the vicinity was on the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter
of section 5, and the north half of the northwest quarter of section 6,
township 57-17, in the month of November, 1893, which is now known
as the Fayal No. 1. * * * The Fayal No. 1 was explored by
the Mclnnis Mining Company, which was organized by me on the
thirty-first day of January, 1894, in honor of the late Neil Mclnnis,
who had been my purchasing agent of goods to supply the camps
and paymaster during the latter part of my explorations in connection
with Humphreys and Atkins, on the Virginia group of mines,
and who also acted in the same capacity for the Adams Mining Company.
The late Marvin VanBuskirk was in charge of the men, and
under him the work of development was rapid, indeed. The Mclnnis
Mining Company finally sold their lease on the Fayal No. 1 to the
Chicago Minnesota Ore Company, on September 6, 1894. About
two and a half years later I discovered ore on that part of section 5,
township 57-17, which was known as the South Fayal."
Township Organization.—Mining operations were therefore well
advanced when early in 1896 a petition was circulated among the
residents of congressional township 57-17, praying the commissioners
of the county to organize that township, under chapter ten of the
General Statutes of Minnesota, 1878. The petition was dated February
4, 1896, and was filed with the county auditor on the sixth day
of that month, but it apparently had been circulated in the spring of
1895. The petition bore the signatures of one hundred and sixty-five
voters of the township, the first to sign being L. McNiel, G. A. Burns,
W. H. Shea, A. J. Shea, John Shea and- J. P. Welsh.
First Election.—On February 6, 1896, the county commissioners
approved the movement and passed resolution granting the petition,
and ordering election to be held at the "Carpenter Shop by the Fayal
Iron Company, located on the northeast quarter- of northwest quarter
of section 5, towaiship 57-17 on February 25th, 1896." Notices to
that efifect were posted "on the front of Jackson's Store and one on
a tree near Talboy's Boarding Camp," also one on the carpenter shop
which was to be the polling place. Notices were posted by W. J.
Bates, deputy sheriff.
The election was duly held, and the township organization legally
brought to completion.
Since that time, the township has been peopled mainly by men
employed in the Fayal mines. There has been some agricultural
development, but mining is the first consideration.
Population.—The population was 1,016 in 1900; in 1910 it was
1,141 ; and in 1920, the census takers credited Fayal Towmship with
1,360 inhabitants.
Valuation.—The assessed valuation of real and personal property
in the township in 1896 totaled to $313,087, and the taxes in
that year amounted to $7,858.18. The 1919 figures give some idea of
the development during the period.
Township in 1919 was $4,177,738.
The assessed valuation of Fayal
The tax levy in that year was