Nathan Myrick
Nathan Myrick was a fur trader who founded La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1841. Myrick was in the fur trade in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin before traveling north to establish a fur trading post in what is now La Crosse. In 1849, he moved to St. Paul, Minnesota to establish more fur trading posts. He was a brother of Andrew Myrick, who was killed on the first day at the Attack at the Lower Sioux Agency.
Early life
Nathan Myrick was born in Westport, New York on July 7, 1822. He was the son of Barnabas Myrick, a merchant in Westport, and Lovina A. Bigelow. Nathan was the second eldest of seven children, one of his younger brothers was Andrew Myrick. Before moving to Wisconsin Myrick had been employed in his fathers trading business in Westport.Wisconsin and Minnesota
Wisconsin
Myrick first moved to Wisconsin on November 8, 1841 at the age of 19, first settling in Prairie du Chien. Myrick tried to work for fur trader Hercules L. Dousman, however, he was refused because he did not speak any of the Indigenous languages of Wisconsin such as Dakota, Fox, Sauk, or Ho-Chunk. Myrick eventually found a trading partner, leased an Army keelboat, and sailed down the Mississippi River to place known then as Prairie la Crosse. Myrick built a log cabin which he hoped would establish a fur trade business with the local Ho-Chunk along the Mississippi and Lake Onalaska. Myrick's trading partner was replaced in 1842 by Harmon J. B. Miller, the second major settler of La Crosse. La Cross grew rapidly from 1841-1851. A post office was eventually established in 1843 with Myrick serving as the office's first postmaster. Myrick added to his operations a sawmill on the Black River. He often traveled to Saint Paul, Minnesota and Prairie du Chien, buying land and networking. By 1853 La Crosse's population had boomed to 543 people.Myrick was succeeded by Edwin Aaron Clark Hatch as the postmaster of La Crosse. Myrick would again serve as postmaster from 1847-1848 before appointing Harmon J. B. Miller as postmaster. Hatch, also of Westport, was a fellow fur trader who worked as an apprentice under both Myrick and Miller for their trading post. Hatch later traded in Fountain City, Wisconsin in 1845 before moving to Minnesota Territory. Hatch would go on to become a noted Indian agent for the Blackfoot Confederacy, a fur trader, and military officer.
Minnesota
In 1848 Myrick left Wisconsin with his family for Minnesota Territory after losing several finances in Wisconsin due in part to a massive flood on the Mississippi River and Black River. While in Minnesota Myrick had trading posts established in Watab Township, Long Prairie, Traverse des Sioux, Le Sueur, and Pembina. Myrick was also employed as a trader for Jamestown, North Dakota. His brother, Andrew Myrick, also operated a string of trading posts throughout Minnesota Territory including the main trading post located at the Lower Sioux Agency. Andrew was later killed during the Attack at the Lower Sioux Agency during the opening stages of the Dakota War of 1862. Myrick was part of a civilian burial party which was the first to visit the Lower Sioux Agency immediately after the attacks. Andrew's body was located by Myrick near Birch Cooley Township and was brought back to Saint Paul for burial.Though Nathan was not formerly present at the time of the Dakota Uprising, he very well could have been. According to Minnesota historian Curtis E. Dahlin, Myrick had just left for Fort Ridgely before the attack on his brother Andrew. In the duration of the war, all of Nathan Myrick’s Minnesota stores were destroyed. The Government of Minnesota compensated Nathan for the loss of his trading businesses by reimbursing him $100,000 for his losses.
Later life, personal life, and death
Myrick retired from the trading business in 1876 and resided in Saint Paul until his death in 1903. Although he left Wisconsin officially in 1848, Myrick retained much of his landholdings, businesses, and properties in Wisconsin while living in Minnesota. Following Myrick's retirement he owned two large properties, his main residence in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and a large ranch in San Diego, California.By the time of La Crosse’s 50th anniversary in 1892, the city of originally just 20 residents had grown to more than 25,000. Myrick, being much older in age and not able to attend the city's 50th anniversary instead wrote a letter which reminisced about his early days in Wisconsin and the establishment of La Crosse.
Myrick was married in 1843 to Rebecca Elizabeth Ismon, together they had seven children, only two of which survived their infancy. Myrick died on June 3, 1903 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He is buried in Oakland Cemetery in Saint Paul alongside his wife.