M.L.Berg

The two men Patrick O’Connor had met on their way to Coal Harbor, Dr. Belyea and George Akeson, were both former McLean County residents who were living in Ward County by December, 1886. Dr. Belyea’s wife had left him for another man in July, 1886, and, finding that public opinion in Coal Harbor had turned against him and his wife in the aftermath of the breakup of their marriage, he resigned as McLean County Coroner – a post he had held since November 1, 1883 – on November 3, 1886.

He moved to Ward County and succeeded in being hired by railroad contractors who were engaged in track work for the Manitoba Road in Ward County at that time.

Dr. Belyea was already acquainted with several Mouse River Valley families, having made two “house calls” – if “house calls” is the right expression here – there in May and June, 1885, and having had to cover 250 miles to attend those families in person. (See the front page of Washburn Times for Friday, June 12, 1885.)

The Burlington Reporter newspaper reported that Dr. Belyea’s services were so highly regarded that “the men have already secured his services for the next season (for 1887).” (See page four of the Washburn Times for Saturday, December 4, 1886.)

Dr. Belyea made many contributions in Minot after he settled there. He led the way in getting public school established in the opening months of 1887. He was the first physician to reside in town, at a residence on the east side of Main Street just south of the former Century Eyeware building. He was also the second mayor of Minot from April, 1888, until April, 1890. Dr. Belyea remarried while he was in town. His second wife was Luella Austin. She was the first public school teacher in town and the first school principal. Luella served in both capacities from April, 1887, the month public education began in Minot, until the end of the 1887 and 1888 school year.

Edmund Belyea and Luella Austin were married by Methodist minister Reverend James Martin at the doctor’s residence on Main Street on Thursday, July 5, 1888.

George Akeson, meanwhile, had relocated to Burlington in July, 1886, to run a saloon there. Akeson had been accompanied to Burlington by a man named Sprague, who had formerly been a stage driver between Washburn and Bismarck. Instead of staying in Burlington in partnership with Akeson, Sprague had left Burlington after only a few weeks, passing through Washburn on Wednesday, August 4, 1886, on his way back to Bismarck. (See the front pages of the Washburn Times for Saturday, July 17, 1886, and for Saturday, August 7, 1886.) In the McLean County census for 1885, Akeson was listed as a 23 year-old single farmer from Sweden.

Akeson chose not to stick with the saloon business, but opted instead to seek the office of Ward County Sheriff. Amos Tracy was Ward County Sheriff in July, 1886, and he was replaced by Edward Kirkelie in November, 1886. But Kirkelie was in poor health, and only served as Ward County Sheriff for a few months; he succumbed to pneumonia and died on Sunday, February 13, 1887. (See the front page of the Villard Leader for Saturday, February 26, 1887.) Akeson was able to raise enough money to be bonded for the office of Ward County Sheriff by January 18, 1887. His three bondsmen included the two founders of Burlington, Joseph Colton and James Johnson, as well as Lucius Lincoln, who was a Ward County Justice of the Peace. The three men had pledged the necessary $2,000 for Akeson’s bond. For several months, Akeson was basically the acting Ward County Sheriff. However, when Akeson presented his bonds to the Ward County commissioners on Saturday, April 9, 1887, “they were rejected by the board’. (See the front page of the Villard Leader for Saturday, April 23, 1887.)

Perhaps Akeson then returned to McLean County, where he had a farm house and a quarter section of farm land, which he had already started to till by June, 1885.

In the end, Amos Tracy was reappointed Ward County Sheriff, serving from April, 1887, to November, 1888.

John Robinson remarked that “The Coal Harbor-Burlington mail route was rather short lived, as after the railroad was built into Minot, the route was discontinued, in about 1887. The old trail was plainly visible and was used by early homesteaders, even after Garrison was a new village. Any remains of the old trail would be hard to find today (in the 1970s), but memories of the old route still linger with some of the early pioneers.” (See Recollections, page 72.)

M.L. Berg of Minot enjoys researching local history.