"Franconia" In 1838 the first riverboats came up the Saint Croix River full of adventurous and hardy immigrants who came for the timber, the fertile ground and to start a new life. Many came across the pier at a place called "Franconia" a growing and prosperous river town just south of Taylors Falls, Minnesota by The Dalles on the Saint Croix in Chisago County, Minnesota. A small boat landing is all that is left of a waterfront that rivaled any on the upper Saint Croix River. Ansell Smith's Sawmill and others once fronted the river at Franconia with paddleboats arriving and departing daily. The once thriving river town declined after the railroads came through on November 9th, 1880. It no longer was the only way for immigrants to find their way into this part of Minnesota. The old village of Franconia is hidden away down along the river bluffs just south of Taylors Falls, Minnesota with many Victorian style homes remain and in unbelievably well preserved state. They are occupied mostly in the summer with other homes and cabins replacing the old structures described in this book. Up above the bluffs of the Saint Croix River are modern farms that were homesteads with log homes and barns. Agriculture remains the major economic force in the township with new homes and growing businesses developing every year like the "Franconia Sculpture Park." Although the old village of Franconia is down by the river the same name was given for the township that runs from Highway 8 on the north to the Washington County line on the south. The Saint Croix River on the east and about six miles to the west with Hazelden on the far western border. "Franconia" "An Immigrants Gateway" is a must read to understand what life was like for our ancestors that came and made Franconia their homes. Buy the book today for yourselves to remember and your family to learn from and enjoy. Remember the history of Franconia.
About the Author: About the Author: Fred A. Brede Mr. Brede is a talented storyteller, author, teacher and speaker who enjoys telling the history of his home state of Wisconsin and on the other side of the Saint Croix River in Minnesota. He lives with his loving wife in Osceola, Wisconsin and is surrounded by his three adult children and grandchildren. During his youth Mr. Brede hiked the Ice Age Trail, enjoyed hunting and fishing, and worked hard to become an Eagle Scout. His love and respect for nature continues today as Mr. Brede regularly volunteers at the Wisconsin Interstate Park where he greets guests and shares his experiences of the Saint Croix River Valley and Northwestern Wisconsin. Mr. Brede wrote his first book while attending the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay where he earned a BA in Managerial Systems with a Regional Analysis minor which lead him to a career with Wells Fargo in the Business Development Banking division. His career was an economical success, but he never lost his love for writing. He retired from banking in 2005 and has pursued his career as an author and Publisher. Mr. Brede's college thesis on the Brazilian Killer Bee was so comprehensive and complete that his professor had it submitted to the Library of Congress in 1976.