Project Gutenberg's Minnesota; Its Character and Climate, by Ledyard Bill

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: Minnesota; Its Character and Climate
Likewise Sketches of Other Resorts Favorable to Invalids; Together
With Copious Notes on Health; Also Hints to Tourists and Emigrants.

Author: Ledyard Bill

Release Date: April 6, 2004 [EBook #11922]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MINNESOTA ***

Produced by PG Distributed Proofreaders

[Illustration: MINNEHAHA, LAUGHING WATER.]

MINNESOTA;

ITS CHARACTER AND CLIMATE.

LIKEWISE

SKETCHES OF OTHER RESORTS FAVORABLE TO INVALIDS;
TOGETHER WITH COPIOUS NOTES ON HEALTH;

ALSO

HINTS TO TOURISTS AND EMIGRANTS.

BY LEDYARD BILL,

_Author of "A Winter in Florida" etc., etc._

1871.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1871,

BY LEDYARD BILL,

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

TO

MY NIECES

THIS VOLUME OF SKETCHES

_IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED_

BY THE AUTHOR

PREFACE.

By general consent Minnesota has enjoyed a superior reputation for
climate, soil, and scenery beyond that of any other State in the Union,
with, perhaps, a single exception.

The real ground of this pre-eminence, especially in climate, has not
been well understood, owing, probably, in part, to the slight
acquaintance with the general features and characteristics of the State
itself, and, in part, to that want of attention which the subject of
climatology and its effects on the health of mankind has deserved.

Lying to the north of the heretofore customary lines of travel, the
State has been visited by few comparatively, except those whose
immediate interests necessitated it, and even they have gleaned but an
imperfect knowledge of either the climate or of the unusual beauty and
interest which so distinguish Minnesota from all other Western States.

Instead of the low, level, treeless plain usually associated with one's
ideas of the West, there is the high, rolling country, extending many
miles back from the eastern frontier, while the general elevation of the
State is upward of one thousand feet above