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WILLIAM H. BUDD.
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HISTORY
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MARTIN COUNTY
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WM. H. BUDD.
A TRUE AND COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE COUNTY FROM ITS EARLIEST SETTLEMENT DOWN TO 1880.
FAIRMONT, MINN. PUBLISHED BY THE INDEPENDENT, 1897.
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In compliance with current copyright law, the Univer- sity of Minnesota Bindery produced this facsimile on permanent-durable paper to replace the irreparably deteriorated original volume owned by the University Library.
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History of Martin County.
A Detailed and True Account of Its Early Settle- ment dy Wm. H. Budd, One of Its Oldest Settlers.
200.000 $ 800 JAN 1 6:57 -
In the spring of 1856 what is now river and along the line of the Minne- sota river unti. Blue Earth county Was reached, the eastern boundary being Blue Earth and Faribault counties. Only a small portion of the present Martin county had been surveyed. In the summer aud fall of 1855 wonderful tales were told about the south, and especially the southwest of Minnesota territory, by the soldiers of the regu- lar army passing through the country from Fort Dodge, Iowa, to Fort Ridg- ley on the Minnesota river, and also the hunters and voyagers, and now and called Martin county was a part of Brown and Faribault counties. One tier of townships on the east embrac- ing the towns now called East Chain, Pleasant Prairie, Center Chain and Nashville, was part of Faribault county, all the rest was Brown county, the boundaries of which was the Iowa state line on the south to the Big Sioux or Missouri river in Dakota, thence along the western boundary by the Big Sioux or Missouri river to a point nearly west of the Minnesota river: thence east to the Minnesota | then some persons who accompanied
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HISTORY OF MARTEN COUNTY.
the soldiers, and others who looked, Lake in Silver Lake township, on land over the land in advance of settlement. which we think is now owned by C. J. True. The house was made of logs, only one room about 12x14 feet in size, and the chimney was built of stones and sticks. About the same time Mr. Suttle made a claim on what was called Tuttle's grove on West Chain Lakes, what is now called Tenhassen town - ship. There was quite a good deal of - timber on each place. Mr. Tuttle's wife and children came in May 1856, the first family to settle here. They had seven children-three boys (two men grown), and four daughters (two women grown). Mr. Tuttle proved to be a speculator in claims, and a good specimen, who bought and sold sev- eral claims before he went away. He planted the first corn raised. This was on West Chain Lakes, and was damaged by frost on the 9th of Sep- tember, 1856. They told of the many and beautiful lakes and streams, and rivers of cleer pure water abounding with large quantities of fish of different kinds, and ducks, geese, swan and other water fowl. In the sloughs large numbers of musk rat, mink, beaver, otter and other fur-bearing animals, of the groves of timber on the shores of the lakes and streams where the deer, elk and buf- falo could be seen feeding at their leisure, only disturbed by the red men who in the spring and autumn would spend some time there in hunting and fishing until the cold weather of the winter would drive them away and they would return to places more sheltered by timber, where some would raise corn and where they had stored some of their supplies of dried venison, fish and other dried meats. We would hear that there was, some- In the fall of 1856 there was an addi- tion to the settlement in the persons. of Thomas Cane and Samuel Dorning. who settled near Mr. Tuttle. They only came in time to cut some hay and put up a small house for winter. There was a young German who stayed part of the winter of 1856-7 with Mr. Tuttle. where between the Minnesota and , Sioux rivers,a quarry of what was called the pipe stone, of which the Indians made pipes, and it was reported by persons who had been over the trail from one fort to the other that they passed through droves of buffalo, and large number of buffalo calves had been captured in the early spring at different times.
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Calvin Tuttle and one Mr. Rickey were the first white settlers who came to this county. They came in March 1856, from near Fort Dodge, Iowa. and built the first house on Center Chain Lakes. There were three chains of lakes running nearly north and south and from four to six miles apart east and west. One was called East Chain, one Center Chain, and the other West Chain. Messrs. Tuttle and Rickey settled on Center Chain near Clear ! back with Mr. Mead and removed into
The first settlement on East Chain lakes was made on section 1, Silver Lake township, somewhere near the last of May or the first of June, by Israel Mead, Mr. Rogers and A. A. Wil- ber. a brother of Mr. Wilber coming in the fall. They settled on property now owned by Mr. Rubie and Mr. Hill on East Chain Lakes. Mr. Mead and Mr. Rogers went back to Pennsylvania. Mr.Rogers did not come back; Mr. Mead came back with his family late in the fall. Mr. Cowing, wife and one child and Issac Lewis, a single man, came
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HISTORY OF MARTIN COUNTY.
the house Mr. Rodgers had built.
In the early part of June, 1856, Mr. Geo. Britts with his wife and two chil- dren, Mr. Gates and Wm. Hendricks settled on Center Chain Lakes and took claims near the property now owned by Mr. Rice and planted some corn and sowed some rutabagas, but did not raise much corn. In the month of July, 1856, Mr. Britt,s settlement was strengthened by Rev. J. C. Hudson and wife and four children; A. W. Young, wife and two children and T. B. Lily and wife. They bought out Tuttle and Rickey's claim and moved into the house first built in the county by them and obtained their claim to quite a good deal of timber. It was reported that they paid a good large amount for this claim right. They brought quite a number of head of cattle with them and built a comfortable log house.
About the first of July of this year Mr. E. B. Hall took a claim on section 20 and 17, Fairmont township, land now owned by Mr. Alton and Mr. Ott. Mr. Church took a claim on section 8 and 17, land which is now in corporate lunits of Fairmont. In July Wm. Budd bought the claim of Church. Mr. Budd and Mr. Hall were single men. They did some breaking and sowed turnips for the first crop. They built for their use a small house and put up hay and built stables for their cattle and tried to make things comfortable for the winter. It was while doing the breaking that they broke their plow and Mr. Budd was obliged to go to Mankato, a distance of about sixty miles the way they were obliged to go then, to get it repaired.
There was a settlement on the Des- Moins river of a number of families in September. The settlement was at or
near the town site of the present village of Jackson. . It was called Springfield. When the writer made & visit there with his neighbor, Mr. Hall, there were no settlers between what is now Fairmont and Jackson. He was acquainted with the Wood brother's a Mr. Thomas and a Mr. Sower, and family, and some of the boys who lived on the town site, whose names we do not remember, nor the. wife and five children; Seeley Shaver, names of the other parties living.
there. A family by the name of Thomas lived about a mile south of the town and had quite a large house which was used by the settlers for. protection in the spring. of 1857, at the time of the Spirit Lake and Jackson massacre.
We stayed there a number of days. There were no roads or trails leading from there, and we came back by the way of Tuttle's grove, now. Tenhassen, passing through the towns now called Lake Fremont, Lake Belt and. Tenhas- sen. The day was very warm, and when we got to Clear Lake in Lake Belt township our cattle took to deep water and left us in a bad condition, and we had to put the moral persuader to considerable use before they could be induced to leave the cooling bosom of the lake. Our supplies got soaked with water and you can imagine our condition. We spent the evening with Mr. Tuttle, who owned the claim where the large timber now is at Tenhassen, and had quite a pleasant visit with him. That night, the 9th of Septem- ber, there was a frost which killed the sod corn and vegetables. We were obliged, on account of there being no bridges, to go around the south end of Lake Okamanpedan into Iowa and home by that route.
There was hardly anything rais.
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HISTORY OF MARTIN COUNTY.
that.year, 1856, and we were obliged to go to the older settlement for sup- plies to live on' during the winter. The writer went down to Garden City and dug potatoes. He had every seventh bushel for digging and putting in pits. There were plenty of ducks, Lah and geese. which were procured and laid by for winter.
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-. 'Some of the settlers went quite early in the fall after provision and got back before there was much snow.' Some did not get back any further than three or four miles this side of Algona, Iowa, where there lived a set- tler by the name of Seeley. There was a heavy snow fall the latter part of November, and the teams out with wagons had to lay by and could not travel. About the 10th of December another party who had made. some sleds started out and got nearly to Lime Creek settlement near Forest City, Iowa. This party was caught in a blizzard abont the 12th of Devem- ber, which lasted 64 hours. After the snow there came a rain which made a sharp crust. Some of the cattle could not be brought back until the later part of April or May following. Some of them were out several days before they could be brought. to settlement and shelter. with not much to eat for nine days, one yoke of them dying from exposure. Mr. E. B. Hall and Gilbert Mcclure were instrumental in saving all the stock. The road had to be broken through the snow in order to get them to a settlement. This was one of the worst storms of the winter, the snow being very deep. In February some of the settlers went to help move these oxen further east where feed could be procured for them. As the snow was left in ridges and "usted all provisions had to be
brought on hand sleds long distances. These sleds had to be made with long runners in order to hold the loads up on the crust. A few days before Christ- mas the writer, with Mr. Cain and Mr. Tuttle, went from West Chain Lakes to Centre Chain, where they killed a small beef, hung three quarters in a tree and took one quarter and the hide, tied a long rope to it and dragged it to Mr. Tuttle's house. The reason this had to be done was that the snow would average from three to hive, and in some places ten feet deep, and we had to keep some distance apart as the snow would not hold if we were all close together. The winter of 1856-57 was very severe and cold, with several very bad snow storms; snow three or four feet deep with a hard crust. Pro- visions were very scarce. When corn could be obtained it was ground in hand mills. Potatoes and salt were great luxuries when they could be pro- cured. People had to resort to several things as substitutes for coffee.
Twenty men, nine women and twenty- three children comprised the number that spent the winter in what is now Martin County.
There was not much to amuse the settlers except working hard to get wood to keep warm, get something to eat and keep a road open to their barns and hay for their cattle. For these families that came late in the fall from thickly settled places in the east it was a long weary winter. There were no roads, the snow in places would hold up a person part of the time and in other places they would go out of sight. Snowshoes or other sub- stitutes had to be used. All corre- spondence was carried on by going from one settlement to the other on snow shoes, etc., etc. There were no
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horses in the county, In March it the lookout for the soldiers and were Was better to get around, as the snow would then hold up some.
If the present settlers will think of this county as it was then, with no roads, no provisions, no means of com- munication, with a very severe, cold winter, they can imagine some of the hardships families then had to endure. It was the last of March or the first of April before the teams that went out for supplies could get back, and then only by wading through water and slush, in some places quite deep.
About the latter part of the month of March. 1857, the chief Inkpadutah, with his band of Indians, made an at- tack on the settlement of Spirit Lake. At the time of the attack some of the men were away after provisions. After killing 42 persons, and taking 4 women prisoners, (Mrs. M. A. Marble, Mrs. Noble, Mrs. Thatcher and Miss Gardner), they moved from Spirit Lake, taking their prisoners with them, and went into camp on Heron Lake. Not satisfied with the pinnder, cruelties and murders they had com- mitted, they left a part of their camp, including the women and children and prisoners, at Heron Lake, with guards, and a portion of them came back to Springfield, now Jackson. Some of the settlers at Springfield, not liking the way they acted, for their own safety took quarters in a log house south of the town, owned by Mr. Thomas. The Indians made an attack on Springfield and killed eight persons. Previous to this attack a party called Dutch Charlie had taken the news of the massacre at Spirit Lake to Ft. On hearing of the depredations dene at Spirit Lake and Springfield the set- tlers concluded to build a log house for Rigley, and asked for soldiers to be sent for the protection of the settlers at Springfield. The settlers were on a fort, which they did, of six equal
surprised by the Indians in this way. As Dutch Charlie wores blanket, so did Inkpadutah and his Indians. The settlers seeing some parties with blank- ets thought they were Dutch Charlie with some soldiers returning. They went out to see and were fired on from ambush in the brush behind a knoll. These people were beseiged in the house several days, and were finally re- leased by some troops from I't. Ridgley The troops did not kill any Indians as they did not pursue them in the deep snow and slush. The settlers remain- ing living at Springfield went back to the settlement near Algona and Fort. Dodge. The women and children as well as men had to wade in the snow and slush, in some places waist deep. and suffered greatly from the exposure. Report says that at that time there Were several camps of Indians around the lakes in different places, pretend- ing to trap aud hunt some. When some of the settlers from Springfield gut to Algona, some of the people at that place knowing of the settle- ment at Tuttle's Grove, and acquaint- ed with some of the people, raised a company of six men, well armed, to investigate into the state of affairs with the settlers at Chain Lakes. They visited the different settlements and gave Mr. Indian an invitation to go back to his reservation, one of them being near Mancato, called Winnebago agency; the other was on the upper. Minnesota River, called the Sioux agency. There was then some open water around the lakes, at the time the Indians left for their reservation.
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HISTORY OF MARTIN COUNTY.
sides large enough to hold all the tion, Mrs. Marble supposes, to the Des settlers when needed. This building was erected on the claim of Mr. George Britts and. was called Fort Britt. This land is now, owned by Dr. Rice. This fort was not used by the settlers at the time of this massacre in the spring, but was prepared and in con- dition to be used when needed. The first time it was used by the settlers was later in the season, a mention of which will be made later on.
Hon. Charles E. Fiandrau, agent for the Sioux of the Mississippi, arrived in this city last evening, from the sionx Agency, on the steamer Minnesota, ac- companied by Mrs. Margaret Ann Mar- ble, one of the women taken prisoner by the Indians, at Spirit Lake, Iowa, in March last, and whose release from captivity has been brietiy noted in our paper. From Mr. Flandran we learn some very interesting facts connected with the captivity of Mrs. Marble and her associates.
Moines, at Springfield, where they committed more murders. They re- turned to the camp at Heron Lake in about ten days, with a large lot of powder, dry goods, guns. ete., all of which had probably been secured in their attack on Springfield. On the next day after their return, the In- dians broke up their camp, and started westward. They were on the march evey day for upwards of a mont , and only rested at Skunk Lake, west of the Big Sioux river, and about one hun- dred and twenty-five miles northwest of Spirit Lake. Mrs. Marble esti- mated the distance traveled at four or five hundred miles, probably owing to the torturous course pursued by the Indians, to avoid pursuit. She thinks they arrived at Skunk Lake about the first of May. Here they remained five days, when the fortunate cirenm- stances transpired which resulted in the release of Mrs. Marble from cap- tivity.
Mrs. Marble states that on the 13th of March last, a party of Indians came In relation to the trials and suffer- ings of the unfortunate females during the journey to Skunk Lake, Mrs. Marble's narrative is deeply interest- ing, and calculated to thrill the heart of the most indifferent with feelings of horror, indignation and desire for justice, if not revenge, upon the cow- ardly murderers. to the residence of her husband at Spirit Lake, Iowa, murdered him, and took her off as a prisoner to their camp, in the vicinity of the lake. At the camp she found a Mrs. Thatcher, a Mrs. Noble and a Miss Gardner, all of whom had been taken prisoner by the Indians, in their attack on the settlers at the lake. Mrs. Thatcher's husband Immediately on starting from Heron and associates were forced to carry heavy packs, and performed the most degrading and menial services in the camp. She says that the pack she was compelled to carry consisted of two bags of shot, each weighing twenty-five pounds, and a lot of camp furniture, increasing the weight of the sack to one hundred pounds. On had escaped being killed, by a tempo- ; Lake, Mrs. Marble states that herself rary absence from home, as, we believe, had Mrs. Nobles', but the entire family of Miss Gardner had been murdered. The Indians broke up their camp at Spirit Lake immediately, and pro- ceeded to Heron Lake, a distance of about twenty-five miles, where they camped, and left their squaws and prisoners, and started on an expedi-
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HISTORY OF MARTIN COUNTY.
top of this heavy load, which this that the only way to secure herself from ill treatment was to perform the duties assigned her with cheerfulness and alacrity. Herself, Mrs. Noble and Miss Gardner pursued this course and were treated more kindly than their associate, Mrs. Thatcher, who was in delicate health and utterly unable to do the amount of work required of her. This led to the most tragie and horrible occurance when the party crossed the Big Sioux. weak, ill-used and distracted woman was forced to carry, was placed the additional weight of an Indian urchin of some three or four years of age. The snow was very deep; the prisoners were but thinly clad, and most of the time suffering from hunger. The warm clothing they had on them when they were made prisoners was taken from them by the squaws, and in its place they received but a scanty sup- ply, ill suited to the weather and the They arrived at this stream about fifteen days after leaving Heron Lake. The Indians cut down several trees on each side of the river, and thus made a bridge across it. When Mrs. Thatcher attempted to cross she was thrown into the river; she succeeded in swimming to within a short distance of the opposite side when one of the exposure they were forced to undergo. At times the unfortunate captive would fall to the ground, exhausted, and utterly nnable to proceed further. Then the inhuman wretches would place a muzzle of a loaded gun at her head and threaten her with instant death unless she would immediately continue her weary march. When a Indians deliberately shot her through horse stolen at the settlement would the head, killing her instantly. The die or be killed by the Indians for body of the unfortunate woman was food, the prisoners would be allowed left floating in the stream. Her death to recuit their exhausted strength by was hailed by the Indian women with a supply of horse flesh, but with these loud shouts of joy and exultation. exceptions they suffered greatly from The feelings of the surviving prison- a want of food and were glad to snatch ers at this horrible murder cannot be up the bones thrown away by the In- imagined. They beheld in Mrs. dians after their repast. Mrs. Marble Thatcher's death the fate reserved for states that they were often forced to them, when overpowered by fatigue eat the wing feathers plucked from they would be unable to proceed. the ducks shot by the Indians, and About five days after the party shriveled before the fire to save them- reached Skunk Lake, two Lac-qui-Parle selves from starvation.
Indians, on their spring hunt, made
When the Indians would encamp for their appearance at the camp of Ink- the night the captives were compelled padutah's band. They were well re- to carry wood and water, build fires, ceived by the chief and his followers. put up the tepes, etc. They were, A feast followed, at which the Indians however, never allowed to prepare the related their exploits at Spirit Lake, food. At first they very naturally re- boasted on the murders they had cour- belled at the treatment they received, mitted, the goods they had stolen. etc. but the Indians beat them with clubs into submission to their orders. Mrs.
The Lac-qui-Parle Indians remained in the camp all night, keeping a very Marble states that she soon discovered | sharp lookout, they informed Mr.
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Flandrau, on the movements of Ink- | been murdered and as to whether her padutah, who, they apprehended, parents are alive or not she is ignorant. We trust those who are blessed with a supply of this world's goods will con- tribute liberally in aid of this uufortu- nate woman. The privations she has undergone, and her present destitute condition, commend her to the consid- eration of the benevolent. Any money forwarded to her address at the Futter House, will reach the proper destina- tion. would attempt, violence. The next morning, having previously learned that the Indians had three white women in the camp, they made a pro- position to purchase one of the cap- tives. After considerable negotiation, Inkpadurah's bund consented to part with Mrs. Marble in consideration of receiving one gun, a lot of blankets, a keg of powder, and a small supply of Indian trinkets. The two Indians im- mediately started homeward with Mrs. Marble, and arrived at Lac-qui Parle on the 20th of Muy. On the journey, occupying ten days, they treated Mrs. M. with great kindness, furnishing hier with warm clothing, carried her over streams and provided her with food.
On arriving at Lac-qui-Parle, the two Indians, who are brothers, and known as Grey Foot and Roaring Cloud, placed Mrs. M. in their father's lodge, where she was treated with equal con- sideration and kindness. Here she re mained until Messrs. Williamson and Riggs, missionaries, arrived, and re- moved her to the Agency, at Yellow Medicine. After a few days rest, with the families at the Agency and Fort Ridgley, she started for St. Paul, in company with Mr. Flandrau, and ar- rived at the Fuller House last evening.
Drake county, Onio, and moved to Michigan about ten years ago, she has been twice married. Her first hus- band's name was Phips. After his death, she married Mr. Marble, with whom she removed to Linn county, Iowa, and ultimately to Spirit Lake, in Dickinson county. Mrs. M. is in a very destitute condition. Her husband has
Mr. Flandrau has adopted the most energetic means to secure the release of Mrs.Nobles and Miss Gardiner. On the 23d he dispatched a party of trusty Indians to Skunk Lake, with four horses and a wagon, aud provided them with everything necessary to secure the release of the remaining captives by ranson. The Indians would reach Inkpadutah's camp in about four days.
Roaring Cloud and Grey Eagle re- port the band of Inkpadutah to number about fifteen lodges. The Indians are well armed, each of them possessing a revolver, rifle, etc.
'This year there were additions to and departures from some of the settle- ments. Israel Mead and Mr Cowing with their families moved away, while B. C. Hinkly and Isaac Lewis moved in. This left, in what is now Fairmont Mrs. Marble is about twenty-five township, only four persons, and they years fo age; of medium size, and very all single men. This was called the pleasant looking. She is a native of bachelor settlement.
In May or June there was a settle- ment started on Elm Creek, what is now Rutland and Westford townships. Messrs. Geo. S and H. H. Fowler, Henry Martin, G. W. Whitteisey, Will- iam Sleepier, Mr. Harrison, Philo Morse and Mr. Day, were the first to settle here. B. C. Hinkley also took a claim in Rutland township, and a man
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