USA > Iowa > Howard County > Lime Springs > History of the Welsh in Minnesota, Foreston and Lime Springs, Ia. gathered by the old settlers > Part 4
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The early settlers well remember how numerous the wolves were during the first few years and how they made night hid- eous with their howlings. They were a small, harmless kind, though, and so timid as to be seldom seen, and with the settling of the country they almost entirely disappeared.
In the month of June, John A. Jones. David and Evan J. Lewis returned to their claims, bringing with them a large col- ony from Emmet, near Watertown, Wis. Of this colony were Evan H. Evans, Hugh Edwards, Wm. J. Roberts, John Pugh, Sr., Griffith Roberts, Robert R. Williams, Thomas J. Jones (Bryn Llys) and David Evans (Creek . They came across the country by way of La Crosse and Rochester in eleven covered wagons with their families, household goods, farming imple- ments and cattle, making a great multitude, so that David Lyon, of La Crosse, told D. C. Evans, who happened to be there in a few days after they had passed, that there were thousands of them. They were six weeks making the journey. A religious people, too, were they, who in all their weary wanderings did not forget the worship of God a single Sunday. Crossing the Mississippi at La Crosse on Saturday, they encamped on the Minnesota shore for the Sabbath ( May 27, 1855 ), and Rev. Rich- ard Davies came across in a skiff and preached for them there in the wilderness. This was the first Welsh sermon preached in Minnesota and probably the first west of the Father of Waters.
Near Straight river they met the Winnebago Indians, en route to their new reservation, located that spring three miles south of Mankato and South Bend, in the very heart of Blue Earth county. The sight of so many savages, and the thought that they were to be such near neighbors, rather intimidated our col- onists and they halted for a few days, in much doubt whether to advance or retreat. John A. Jones, Evan and David J. Lewis, Thomas J. Jones and John Pugh concluded in a short time to go ahead and they reached South Bend on the 21st of June. . The others left their wagons and families near Faribault and went ahead on foot to reconnoiter the country, going as far as the cabin of John E. Davis, in the present town of Cambria. Re-
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THE WELSH IN MINNESOTA.
turning, all were satisfied to proceed, except Evan H. Evans and David Evans, who sold some of their stock and started back. while the others went forward. The fates, however, were against our faint-hearted emigrants, and, Pharaoh-like, their chariot wheels were broken, and they had to put into Faribault for repairs. Next morning they changed their minds and turned again to follow after their companions, arriving in South Bend five days after them, July 4th. Most of this colony settled along Minneopa creek. About this same time another company from Ixonia, Wis., composed of John Francis, John Williams and others, reached South Bend.
June 24, 1855, Rev. Win. Williams, a Baptist minister from Big Rock, I11., visited South Bend and preached the first Welsh sermon in Blue Earth county. About July 8th, our old friend, Rev. Richard Davies came to South Bend from La Crosse. About the same time William R. Price and family arrived from Cambria, Wis., and D. C. Evans returned with his worthy help- mate from Ohio.
August 23d, Evan Evans ( Pant ), John Jones (macs mater) and Hugh R. Williams arrived with their families from Wauke- sha, Wis., and settled on claims in the vicinity of South Bend.
On the 1st of August, 1855, Rev. Richard Davies organized, at his own house in the village of South Bend, the first church in the settlement. It was an Union church, with five deacons and forty-three members. Rev. R. Davies, was pastor; Edward Thomas, Sr., clerk ; and the deacons were Evan H. Evans, Evan Evans ( Pant ), William R. Price, William J. Roberts and Ed- ward Thomas, Sr. September 2d. we find the first record of baptism, by Rev. R. Davies, the baptized being Thomas, son of Evan D. Evans, and Sophia Hannah, daughter of William R. Price. Three Sabbath services were regularly held this sum- mer and fall, in South Bend ; two being devoted to preaching and prayer and the other to the Sabbath school, and all the people being united in one church, there was a good attendance, and many manifestations also of the divine presence.
Let us now visit Judson which, in those early days, was called "Eureka" from a paper city of that name, situated on the opposite side of the river from it, in Nicollet county. At this upper settlement we left Thomas Y. Davis and Humphrey Jones. all alone ; yet not entirely alone, for, between the Indians and mosquitoes, they often thought they had more company than was needed. None but the oldest pioneers can form any idea of what a plague the mosquitoes were in the early days.
.
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THE WELSHI IN MINNESOTA.
The rank grass of the prairie encircling so many lakes and sloughs, and the thick underbrush of the forest, with the many brooks and rivers, bordered by dense growth of reeds and rushes, seemed a very paradise for these blood-thirsty little pests. Should it be cloudy, one could hardly endure them during the day ; but when evening came the atmosphere was alive with them-a million to every cubic inch-and as hungry were they, and ferocious, as though they had fasted for a year and a day.
The other obnoxious company were the Indians, then very numerous in the land, and regarded with much distrust and fear by the settlers before they became used to them. Sometimes a number of dusky braves, much to the terror of the women and children, would come to a cabin, peer in at the window or door, walk into the room unbidden and, drawing their blankets about them, sit in a row against the wall upon the floor, smoking their long stone pipes in silence. Then, rising, by signs and Indian speech, they would ask for something to eat, which usually would be gladly given in order to get ride of them. After awhile every settler provided himself with a good, savage watch dog, which the Indians always respected, and they never ap- proached a house so protected without first calling at a distance for someone to take charge of the dog, which from religious ven- eration, the red man seldom killed. When on a drunken spree or when holding their wild dancing feasts, the Indians were very noisy and demonstrative, and often in the weary watches of the night would the pioneer shudder as he heard the tumult of their savage revelry.
One beautiful moonlight night in July as our two Eureka friends were sitting in their cabin with Owen Roberts and Mor- ris Lewis, who had just arrived, they were startled by the most blood-curdling yells and shrieks in the direction of an Indian camp, situated about a quarter of a mile distant. Running out, they could see that the whole Indian village was in the wildest commotion. Men and women running, leaping and yelling, like raving demoniacs, and beating upon kettles, pans and In- dian drums, with a hubbub like pandemonium, just broke loose. Our frontiersmen spent a night of terror in their hut, expecting every moment to be murdered by the savages who, all night long, with unabated fury continued their hideous riot. When morning came, however, all was smiling and peaceful, without a sound to be heard. During the day an Indian boy, disposed to cultivate the acquaintance of the pale-faced strangers, paid them a visit, and of him they inquired the cause of the night's
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THE WELSH IN MINNESOT.1.
uproar. "Sick, so big" (measuring about two feet from the ground with his hand), was the laconic reply. They finally un- derstood that a pappoose had been taken very ill the previous night, and the savages thought that the Evil one was prowling about trying to steal its soul, and the noise was made to scare him away.
Thus amid Indians, wolves, mosquitos, and wild nature in general, our sturdy pioneer began the work of bringing the sav- age wilderness into a civilized subjection. A great work, too, it was -- much greater than we of today can ever appreciate. No houses, no lumber, no fields, no fences, no farming implements. no seed, no schools, no churches, no highways, no bridges, no mills, no food, no towns wherein to buy the necessaries of life, and no railway to bring in a few hours these things from afar ; but with a slow ox-team plodding through the tall grass of the prairie and the thick. tangled underbrush of the unbroken for- est- now fast in some bottomless slough, and having to carry on his back the load and wagon out by piece meal-now descend- ing at the peril of his neck into some ravine, and again with much labor climbing the steep precipice out of it-here having a narrow escape from drowning in attempting to ford a river- there almost dashed to pieces by the upsetting of the wagon over the precipitous edge of some narrow hill-side trail-ever from one adventure and peril to another on the long, long jour- ney of one hundred miles to St. Paul after a little flour and pro- visions. Three weeks are spent going to this nearest market and back, without shelter from summer's heat and rain, and from winter's cold and stormy blizzard. He may perish in the snow and storm ; his family in the little bark-roofed shanty far off in the wilderness may perish from cold and hunger.
All honor to the sturdy pioneer ! Worthy are they of long remembrance ! Nobly they suffered-bravely they struggled in the strife with savage nature and savage men ; and one by one, ere scarce the battle ceased, they fell-covered with the scars of toil and hardship, leaving to us, who follow, the fruits of their glorious victory, in happy homes, fields, smiling with cultiva- tion, and a rich prosperous commonwealth. The modern pio- neer, however, preceded by railroads, telegraphs, and all the modern conveniences, knows nothing of pioneer life forty years ago, when all these things were not.
Our two friends of the Eureka settlement began farming with an ax, a grub-hoe, and a bushel of potatoes. With the ax and hoe they cleared a small patch of ground in the brush,
1
Thos. Y. Davis. MANKATO, MINN.
Humphrey Jones. LATE OF JUDSON, MINN.
.
Morris Lewis. LATE OF CAMBRIA, MINN.
Owen Roberts. JUDSON. MINN.
EARLY WELSH SETTLERS OF JUDSON AND VICINITY.
1
-
Residence of Humphrey J. Roberts, Judson, Minn.
Residence of Rev. Thos. E. Hughes, Cambria, Minn.
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THE WELSH IN MINNESOTA.
where the soil was loose, and there planted their potatoes. Just below them in the Judson valley a few families of Americans and Swedes had settled the preceding autumn. One of these, named Hill, our Welshmen hired with his team to meet a boat at Traverse and bring up some provisions for them. They bought three barrels of flour for $18.00 per barrel. . It was mis- erably black stuff, but in lieu of something better it answered the purpose. They purchased a few other things, also; but salt they could not get for love or money, and hence they had to do without it, just as the French at Fort Le Huillier had been ob- liged to live minus the same commodity, and just as the Indians during all the centuries had done without it. At first it made them very sick, but after becoming used to food without this common article of seasoning, they got along very well. For meat they caught prairie chickens and partridges in traps, as they were not provided even with the proverbial pioneer rille.
The late Humphrey Jones built his residence upon the iden- tical spot where his first cabin stood. and he and Thomas Y. Davis loved to talk of the good old time when they first batched it together in Judson, and many were the adventures they had to relate. Sunday, May 27. the two took a walk into the terra incognita further up the Minnesota river, as far as the western edge of the present town of Cambria. There they dis- covered the bottom land known as the "Little Prairie." (Prairie Bach), also Cambria creek and the Little Cottonwood. and the long neck of upland prairie between the two streams, where Horeb church now stands. This strip of prairie from half a mile to a mile in width, wedged in between the two belts of timber, was, they thought, the most beautiful spot they had ever seen. Large spreading oak trees standing singly and in groupes like lordly sentinels of the place, clumps of hazel bushes and red-topped sumach, and small groves of dainty poplar, were scattered over the prairie as if by design, while the dovetailing of prairie and woodland and the deep indentures and recesses winding far into the forest like the avenues of a mighty laby- rinth, gave the appearance of a magnificent park.
About the latter part of May, 1855, David J. Williams and family arrived at St. Paul from Bradford, Pa. There they met Morris Lewis and David Evans. the former from Pennsylvania and the latter from Ohio-both bound, like themselves, for Eu- reka. They all came by boat as far as the rapids near Traverse de Sioux, when the boat, because of low water, was obliged to unload and return.
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THE WELSH IN MINNESOTA.
Thos. D. Williams, Griffith Williams, John Williams and Hannah Williams, the grown up children of D. J. Williams, to- gether with Morris Lewis and David Evans went forward on foot reaching Caywood's house at Eureka on June 1st.
The following Monday they found at South Bend David A. Davis and David Wil- liams ( Banker), who had, also, recently came from near Bradford, Pa.
On Wednesday, June 6th, Morris Lewis, David Evans and David A. Da- vis located claims in the present town of Cambria. Evans in a few months sold his claim to Win. R. Lewis and left the coun- try. Williams ( Brad- ford), and his sons after looking over the country on both sides of the river finally on June 9th, bought a claim on the Nicollet side, a mile west of Eureka townsite.
About the 12th of June, John E. Davis and family arrived in Judson from Big Rock, Ill., and for a few days staid at the shanty of William C. Williams, Judson, while erecting on their claim, in the present town of Cam- bria, one of the fashion- able mansions of the day. The architectural plan of which was as follows: Two forked posts were put up about ten feet apart, a ridge pole was laid on them, against which, slanting from either side, were placed a number of dry teepee poles, and the whole covered with hay, except one end over which a quilt or blanket was hung for a door. This was the first residence in the town of Cambria, and John E. Davis
The clearing to left of river marks cite of Chief Friend's Village; the high bluff beyond, cite of Indian Cemetery. The Welsh Settlement of Eureka, Nicollet Co., Minn.
Mrs. John E. Davis. FIRST WHITE WOMAN IN TOWN OF CAMBRIA, MINN.
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Wm. Harris LATE OF CAMBRIA, MINN.
Salem Congregational Church. CAMBRIA, MINN. .
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THE WELSH IN MINNESOTA.
and family were the first residents. Soon after this Morris Lewis and David A. Davis built the second mansion in this town. It consisted of a hole in the hillside, a hay-stack roof and a basswood log front. Here the two pioneers dwelt like two badgers in a hole.
The very first Sunday after his arrival ( June 17, 1855 ) John E. Davis gathered the few settlers together at the cabin of Humphrey Jones and started a Sabbath school-the first in the town of Judson. Mr. Davis acted as superintendent, and Mor- ris Lewis taught the Bible class. A few weeks later this school was more fully organized with David J. Rees, who had just ar- rived from Pomeroy, O., as superintendent, and Wm. E. Davis as secretary.
About the 8th of July, David J. Davis and David J. Wil- liams came from Palmyra, O., and located claims in the bottom lands three or four miles still farther west, at the mouth of the Little Cottonwood. Davis immediately returned for the famil- ies, while Williams remained to fit up a shanty and cut hay. A pony, which they had brought with them to ride alternately on the way. Williams retained, and he rendered valuable services that fall in keeping up communication between the upper and lower settlements.
1
Later in the same month ( July ), Owen Roberts and David Y. Davis came to Judson from Pomeroy, Ohio. The latter having taken a claim between Cambria creek and the Cottonwood, on the upland prairie, where was the garden spot of our two Sunday explorers, returned to Ohio ; the former took a claim in Judson and tarried with Humphrey Jones and Thomas Y. Davis.
In September, David T. Davis and family, from Big Rock, Ill., settled in Judson. John Watkins and William Jones about this time returned to their claims, bringing their families.
Monday, October 1, 1855, Rev. Jenkin Jenkins arrived at St. Paul, on his way to visit the Welsh settlements. There he met Thomas Jones ( Macs Matory and John Pugh, who had come to St. Paul after flour, meat and other provisions for South Bend. They were also joined by Hugh J. Roberts and Henry Jones, and that evening the five Welshmen took the same boat for South Bend. It had been a dry summer, and the river was very low, so that the boat could make but little progress. Mr. Jen- kins, however, beguiled the tediousness of the journey by com- posing a poem to Hugh and Henry on their first visit to Minne- sota. On the afternoon of the 4th of October, the boat stopped,
1 --
----
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THE WELSH IN MINNESOTA.
having failed to pass the rapids near Traverse. It was neces- sary to bear tidings of this to South Bend that night, in order to have teams sent for the flour and provisions. On Mr. Pugh fell the lot, and Jenkins and Roberts volunteered to accompany him. They reached the Blue Earth late at night, and failed to find the hut of the German boatman. After tramp- ing through the woods until midnight, John A. Jones in his cabin on the other side of the river heard them halloing, and rising from his bed went to their aid. Learning that they were Welsh men, he plunged into the cold water and swam over -"for ford there was none"-and led our tired friends to the boatman's hut, and thence in the boat to his own cabin.
Horeb Neighborhood, Cambria, Minn. View looking East from D. P. Davis' Hill.
The following Sun- day, Mr. Jenkins preached in English at South Bend. He then went up to the Cottonwood settle- ment to visit his old friend John E. Davis, and Hugh J. Roberts and Henry Jones went with him to look for claims. Mr. Davis showed them the country as far as the mouth of the Little Cot- tonwood, and directed Roberts and Jones to Da- vid J. Williams' hut, whence they were conducted by Mr. Wil- liams to the upland prairie between the Cottonwood and Cam- bria creek, and located on the claims afterwards sold by them to David P. Davis and Daniel P. Davis.
The previous week Hugh R. Williams had arrived with his family from Wisconsin, and located on the Richard Morgan
Rev. Jenkin Jenkins, (SHENKIN DDWYWAITH.)
+٦.كاسة طى .
Rev. William Williams.
Rev. Richard Davis.
Rev. Robert D. Price.
EARLY WELSH MINISTERS OF BLUE EARTH COUNTY, MINN.
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Rev. John W. Roberts.
-Rev. Wm. Roberts.
Rev. Richard (j. Jones.
F. RevJ .Richard W. Jones.
EARLY WELSH MINISTERS OF BLUE EARTH AND LE SUEUR COUNTIES, MINN.
1825708
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THE WELSH IN MINNESOTA.
farm, building his hay hut on its southwestern corner. This shanty and that of David J. Williams were the first two houses built and occupied in the western part of the present town of Cambria.
In the meantime Mr. Jenkins and John E. Davis had been busy planning to locate a claim for the Lord in this new country. In the Eureka or Judson settlement, religious services had been held for the first two or three months at the shanty of Humphrey Jones, and then moved to John Watkins' cabin, be- cause it was larger and more convenient than any other place. Rev. R. Davies had preached to them once or twice and was about to organize them properly as a church, when Rev. J. Jenkins made his visit. As it was a Congregational society, and Mr. Jenkins a minister of that denomination, to him was accorded the honor of organizing this. the first church in the town of Judson, the first denominational church west of the Blue Earth, and at present the oldest Welsh church in the state. The organization took place October 14, 1855, at the house of John Watkins. The hand of fellowship was given to thirteen members, and the two deacons chosen were John E. Davis and David T. Davis. Immediately after organizing this church, Rev. J. Jenkins returned to Illinois to prepare for moving out to the settlement in the spring.
October 9th, Rev. William Williams, who had visited the country the preceding June, came with his family, and bought a claim in Judson. In the same month Evan J. Davis and his mother, his brother-in-law, Henry Hughes, and family, and the family of Owen Roberts arrived together from Pomeroy, Ohio. The Minnesota being unnavigable by reason of low water, at St. Paul they had to hire a team, which brought them to Tray- erse de Sioux : but the driver refused to go further, saying he did not know the way. Leaving the women and children, there- fore, at Traverse, early next morning ( October 27) the two men started afoot for the city of Eureka, fifteen miles distant; in whose vicinity on the opposite side of the river was the Welsh settlement. From the prominence given it on maps and the glowing accounts they had heard and read of it, our pioneers had been led to believe that Eureka was a great city. Atter following Indian trails all day, late in the afternoon they came to a valley on the Minnesota river where they expected to find Eureka. Turning to a very primitive log hut with a still more primitive blacksmith shop attached, they inquired the way to Eureka. The Swedish smith could talk no English, but
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THE WELSH IN MINNESOTA.
pointed down the valley to a log shanty, larger than common, standing on the river bank. Going to this house they again inquired the way and distance to Eureka. A number of persons were at supper in the room at the time, one of whom perceiving from Mr. Hughes' brogue that he was a Welshman, jumped up and shouted in Welsh: "Fachgen, yr wyt ti ynddi pan yn y ty yma." (Boy, you are in it when in this house ). The person who made this surprising announcement was Evan Bowen, who, with his family, had newly arrived from Pennsylvania, and claimed on the Nicollet side of the river, adjoining the family of Williams ( Bradford). The house belonged to HI. Caywood, sole owner and occupant of the great Eureka townsite. Crossing the river in a skiff, rowed by a strong bare- footed Welsh maiden ( then probably the belle of Eureka ), our two travelers found Thomas Y. Davis ( E. J. Davis' brother), Owen Roberts, Humphrey Jones, and others, at a log raising for Rev. William Williams. Early Monday morning, a wagon with old Buck and Berry, an ox-team which several of the Judson settlers had combined to purchase for breaking their lands, was dispatched to Traverse after the families.
Early in November, David J. Davis returned, bringing his family and David J. Williams' mother and his brother, Daniel L. Williams-the other brother, William J. Williams, having come a few weeks prior. At the Winnebago Agency, fifteen miles below Mankato, the bread supply became exhausted, and Mr. Davis bought a corn bread loaf of a Winnebago squaw. The filthy appearance of this dusky matron prejudiced the women against her bread and they would not touch it. Arriv- ing at Mankato, Davis searched every house in that city then. and failed to find a loaf of bread for sale, and so South Bend had to be reached before any could be obtained. The Davis and Wil- liams families passed the fall and winter in a shanty, originally built by some steamboat wood-choppers, about two miles above the mouth of the Cottonwood on the Frazer claim.
In November. also, Rev. Wm. Roberts from Waukesha, Wis., first visited the country. With him came John Owens (Ty Cocd), who, having passed much of his life among the higher classes in England as steward, had imbibed many of the notions and eccentric ways of the typical John Bull. From St. Paul to Mankato the two had to foot it. At the latter place they met Mr. Roberts' old friend and neighbor, Evan II. Evans, who, in his lumber wagon drawn by two ox-teams, took them through the mud of the sloughs and the deep waters of the Blue
6
David J. Davis.
John Shields.
*
David J. Williams.
W'm. J. Williams. .
EARLY WELSH SETTLERS OF CAMBRIA MINN.
David S. Davies.
John S. Davies.
Richard Roberts.
Owen Morris.
EARLY WELSH SETTLERS OF CAMBRIA, MINN.
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THE WELSH IN MINNESOTA.
Earth to South Bend. The hardships of the way and the wild- ness of the country had long put Mr. Owens upon the silent pin- nacle of offended dignity ; but when South Bend finally burst on the view-a miserable collection of half a dozen shanties in the little valley below-so different from the magnificent city expected, then the volcano of his wrath could be re- strained no longer, but burst forth with such an explosion of oaths as almost scared poor Evans out of his wits, for he had half suspected the fine appearing old gentleman of being a min- ister or a deacon at least. The very next morning, Mr. Owens commended South Bend to the care of his majesty of the nether world, and in high dudgeon took his departure forever from the barbarous land. Rev. William Roberts took a more charitable view of the country, made a claim in the Judson settlement and tarried with his friend in South Bend until the following spring, when he departed not again to return for three years.
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