ed to call it "Portland." My husband said "No that his property was
in Duluth and it should stay in Duluth." I had never been in Duluth at
that time unless it was for a picnic on Minnesota Point.

We moved across the bay to Duluth in 1858. My husband and his brother
William had a contract for carrying the mail from Superior to St. Paul.
Sometimes the mail was carried by team and sometimes the men packed it
on their backs. In the spring and fall the roads were so bad that the
use of the team was impossible. Letters were delivered once a week and
papers once a month, perhaps. The military road had been commenced but
not finished.

Mrs. W. S. Woodbridge.

While the experiences of the early days could be considered a hardship
for the men it was ten times more annoying to women. The hardships of
housekeeping, for instance and home making, keeping the home tidy and
comfortable, not to say attractive, were much greater than any hardships
the men were called upon to endure. The first year or two, there was no
mirror at the head of the lakes. Those who were fortunate enough to have
a new tin boiler, or new tin dishes could get along very well. One of
the early settlers has told me that he had frequently seen the women
combing and arranging their hair by their reflection in the wash boiler
or dish pan. Ribbons, perfumes and fancy articles were wholly unknown.
An old settler who came with his family told me "Our whole outfit
comprised a feather bed and a lunch basket in which were a knife, fork
and two small china dishes. I also bought a single mattress and a pair
of blankets in Cleveland on my way to Duluth. We built our bedsteads out
of green tamarack poles peeled, using the bark for ropes to hold it
together and made a table of two boards which were found floating in the
Bay. Bed clothing consisted of Indian blankets and moccasins answered
for shoes, while curtains, carpets and upholstered furniture were
unknown."

The postoffice was in a small building on First Street and First Avenue
East. The postmaster, Mr. Richard Marvin was a member of the Fire
Brigade. His friend, Mr. Melvin Forbes, who had just started in the
paper and stationery business opposite, spent the night with him. The
milkman was in the habit of bringing milk to the door in the morning. A
lady who had come up by boat and was leaving by train in the early
morning for St. Paul knocked on the door of the postoffice to inquire
if any mail had been forwarded