USA > Minnesota > Jackson County > An illustrated history of Jackson County, Minnesota > Part 12
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Probably a few other people came dur- ing the year 1858 to take claims and ho- come permanent sefilers, but as there is now none of the settiers of 1858 living in the county the record for the year must remain incomplete.
The townsito schemers of Minnesota appeared before the legislature early in 1858 and succeeded in inducing that body to provide for the establishment of over ninety stale roads in different parts of
1-In 1\62 Mr. Muck and his family moved to Spirit Lake. There his wife died and his son. Stephen, breame blind. The same year he en- listed in the Sioux City cavalry and served In the army until 1864. In 1867 Mr Mock located In the Graham lakes country. Nobles county. and became the first resident of that county.
the new state, most of them leading to towns which existed only in the minds of the promoters. The provision for the establishment of these roads was incor- porated in one bill. approved by Charles 1. Chase, acting governor, on March 19. 1858. Mr. Wood and his associates in the scheme for the building of a town at Jackson were not forgotten. Section 86 of the act reads as follows :
That E. E. Smith, J. S. Fisher and Alexander Wood are hereby appointed commissioners to survey, locate and establish the following state road-, viz: From Blue Earth City, via Fair- mont, county seat of Martin county, lo Jackson. county seat of Jackson county; also a road from Mankato, via Arcadia, in Brown county, to Jackson, in Jackson county; also a road from Fairmont in a southerly direction to the state line of Iowa
It was during the year 1858 that a company of promoters from Owatonna, Minnesota, founded the town of Belmont on the south half of the southeast quar- ter of section 34, Belmont township, and the northeast quarter of section 3, Des Moines township, on a flat on the east side of the river. To such an extent had real estate speculation, especially townsite spec- ulation, progressed at this time that some wit of the time suggested a petition be sent to congress asking that a law be pas- sed providing for the reservation of some of the government domain for agricul- tural entry. To illustrate the condition that permitted the founding of Belmont and other towns on the frontier and their more or less successful exploitation. I quote from a Minnesota state history :
The real estate speculation reached its crisis in the early part of 1857; everybody seemed inoculated with the mania. from the capitalist to the humble laborer. Townsites and addi- tions to town- were laid out by the score. Many were purely imaginary. never having been surveyed. and lots in these paper cities were sold by the hundreds in the east at exorbitant prices. Agriculture was neglect- ed. farmers, mechanics and laborers forsook their occupations to become operators in real estate. The number of real estate dealers was innumerable, but many of them were shysters, having no offices but the sidewalk. their stock in trade being a roll of townsite
89
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
maps and a package of blank deeds. These operators, by sharp maneuvering, would manip- ulate unsuspecting strangers and fleece them of their means by selling them lots in moon- shine towns for several hundred dollars each that were not actually worth as many cents. Such operations were repeated again and again until St. Paul and Minnesota had a name abroad that was anything but enviable.
In such times and under such condi- tions the town of Belmont was founded. While Springfield and Jackson and Odes- sa had made no material progress. Bel- mont did, boasting a number of buildings and one or two business enterprises- probably to the greater loss of lot pur- chasers. Charles Mead and D. P. Corn- ell seem to have been the leading spirits of the enterprise, although a number of others were interested with them.
The Belmont townsite boomers went farther with their schemes than most of the speculators of the day, and secured the incorporation of their town by the leg- islature, the act being signed by Governor Henry H. Sibley July 22, 1858. The first two sections of the bill read as follows :
An act to incorporate the town of Bel- mont.
Be it enacted by the legislature of the state of Minnesota:
Section 1. That so much land as is con- tained in the town of Belmont, according to the survey and plat of said town, as made by C. C. Mead, for the proprietors of Belmont, and situated in the county of Jackson, and state of Minnesota, shall be a town corporate by the name of Belmont.
Sec. 2. That for the good order and im- provement of said town, Joshua Dyen13 is hereby appointed president, S. B. Westcott, D. P. Cornell, George A. Bardwell and Fred- erick Noble be and are hereby appointed trus- tees, Charles G. Berry, secretary, E. W. North- rup, attorney, and S. A. Farrington, treasur- er, and George E. Leary, marshal. The presi- dent, trustees and secretary shall constitute the council of said town.
Some of the officers of the town -- per- haps all of them-located in the new town. At least two of them became permanent settlers of the county, for we find the names of Joshua Dyer and Frederick No- ble listed as residents of Jackson county when the federal census of 1860 was taken. 13 Joshua Dyer.
Section three of the charter provided that the officers named in the act should enter upon their duties on the first Wed- nesday in January, 1859, and made provis- jon for the holding the first town elec- tion at the next general state or county election. The fourth section stated the duties and defined the corporate powers of the officers. Among other items:
The officers of said town shall have a right of action against all trespasses on the prop- erty of said town; and any person trespass- ing upon any lands within the limits of said town, or occupying said lands without a con- veyance from the proprietors of said town, or their trustees, agents or assignees, shall for- feit all improvements he may make on such lands, and shall be liable to pay damages to twice the amount of actual injustice done to said lands.
Other sections of the charter provided for keeping a record of the proceedings of the council, for filling vacancies, defined the powers of the council, provided for authority to assess and collect taxes for municipal purposes, and for the delivery of records to successors in office. The charter does not definitely locate the town, and, as the county had not yet been sur- veved, neither the legislature nor the town- site proprietors knew the exact location as it would appear on a present day map. The land was still government property, but provision was made for securing title under the townsite act of 1844. Section eleven of the incorporating act reads:
It shall be the duty of the said council of said town to apply for a preemption of the land within the limits of said town, not ox- ceeding three hundred and twenty acres, un- der the provisions of an act of congress, en- titled an act for the relief of citizens of towns upon lands of the United States, un- der certain circumstances, approved May 23, 1844; and as soon as the title to said land shall be obtained as aforesaid, to ascertain the persons entitled to the various lots and blocks within said town, who may have a valid right to the same, either by original claim, or by transfer by the person having made such original claim, and to deed under hand of the president and secretary, and to seal with the seal of said corporation, to such persons so entitled. the lots of blocks to which such person may be entitled; provided that no street or alley, or other public ground
5
90
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
shall be so deeded; and provided also, that every person or persons to whom such lots or blocks shall be deeded as aforesaid, shall fir-t pay to the treasurer or secretary of said town, for such lot- or block- the cost of entry, and incidental expenses of the same.
The proprietors of the village of Bel- mont were successful in inducing quite a number of people to locate on their land and actually spent considerable money in an effort to build a town. The people who located in Belmont were trappers, traders and farmers. A number of patches of prairie land were broken up in the vi- einity and sown to crops : surveyors' stakes covered over a quarter section of the finest farming land.
That the promoters were sincere in their intentions to build a little city on the frontier is evidenced by the number of enterprises put under way. Among the first improvements was the building of a dam across the river at what later became the Holsten Olson place. It is said that this dam was built during the winter on top of the ice. In the spring. instead of sinking and forming the dam, as the builders expected, the materials were swept away. A dam was then built across the river lower down, but the promoters decided to install a steam mill, and. at great expense the machinery for the coun- ty's first sawmill was brought overland with ox teams from St. Paul. The mill was set up on the east side of the riv- er, very close to the center of section three and just west of the residence which was the home of the late Judge Simon Olson for so many years.14
It was, of course. proposed to make Bel- mont the county seat of Jackson county. and to this end a two story log court house. about 18x26 feet. with roof of shakes, was built on the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section three.15 Near "This mill was standing when the settlers of 1561 arrived. Later It was removed to Spencer. Jowa, and later still to Emmet's Grove.
"At this late day some of the logs Chat form- ed the court house building are to be found in the vielnity.
the court house was a store building, and just over the line in Belmont township was a hotel. It is believed that a brick yard was located on the northwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 3. for there was found a large quantity of burned brick. Besides the saw mill. court house. brick yard, store and hotel. there were a number of log houses on the townsite. All the buildings were of log, nearly all of which had floors of sawed lumber. There is evidence to show that the inhabitants of the town moved out of their houses dur- ing the winter and took refuge from the cold weather in caves dug close to the riv- er in the timber. A number of these caves were found which had the appearance of having been occupied by the Belmont vil- lagers, so settlers of a few years later in- ported.
When the enumerator took the census of 1860 he reported finding six unoccupied buildings in the town of Belmont. The Norwegian settlers who came in 1860 found most of the buildings standing. There were also one or two of the promot- er's present who exerted every effort to sell the new comers lots. But as they had all out-doors to select from the Nor- wogians did not invest in Belmont town lots, and were accordingly coolly received by the townsite agents.
Like its rival. Jackson, Belmont was able to secure the passage of an act hy the legislature providing for the establishment of state roads to the town. On AAugust 5. 1858. a bill was approved providing for. among others, the establishment of three roads to Belmont with commissioner- to oversee the work. as follows :
Blue Earth City to Belmont ; D. P. Cor- nell. C. G. Berry and O. N. Gardner. com- missioners.
South Bend, in Blue Earth county. t. Belmont : J. T. Williams, S. B. Westcott and F. W. Northrup, commissioners.
91
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
Vernon, in Blue Earth county, to Bel- mont ; James Cornell, Frederick G. Noble and D. P. Cornell, commissioners.
The payment for this work was to be made by the several organized counties through which the roads would run.
Despite the efforts of the promoters, Belmont was doomed, and within a few years not a sign of the village was to be seen; it had passed into history.16
The boundaries of Jackson county were surveyed in September, 1858, but town- ship and section lines were not run until later. The mail route during the lat- ter part of this year was under the man- agement of Orrin Nason and a Mr. Be- dow, of Mankato, under the firm name of Nason and Bedow, and those gentlemen carried the mail between Mankato and Sioux City from that time until 1862, when the service was abandoned. The route was aeross Jackson county by way of the little settlement of Jackson.
During the year 1858 Jackson county was organized under the act of the legis- lature of May 23, 1857. John B. Fishi. Alexander Wood and a gentleman by the name of Britton were chosen commission- ers by the citizens to perfect the organi- zation, but owing to some informality the governor, who had the appointing pow- er, did not recognize these commissioners, but appointed others.17 The commission- ers appointed other residents to fill the various county offices and the machinery of county government was set in motion. These appointees served until their suc- cessors, elected in the fall of 1858, quali- fied.
This county organization was maintain- cd until Angust, 1862, when it was dis- continued because of the Sioux ontbreak 164+ Belmont for a time promised to oustrip its competitors, Odessa and Jackson, down the river, but its metropolitan march was brief, and better wheat cannot be grown than John and Andrew Olson now raise on these same lots and avenues of the old townsite of Belmont."-Jackson Republic, March 19, 1870. "Jackson Republic, March 19, 1870.
and the consequent depopulation of the county. It is greatly to be regretted that so little is known of the county govern- ment under this nrst organization. With a very few exceptions, all records have been lost, only a few miscellaneous rec- ords having been preserved-just enough to make certain that the government was maintained during these years.
There was another Indian scare during the winter of 1858-59. Scouts of the Frontier Guard, which was stationed at the Spirit lake settlement all winter. found a few Indians near the head of Spirit lake, and a detachment of troops was sent out to capture them. The sol- diers found two warriors and a half-breed with their families camped in a grove on the east shore of Little Spirit lake. in Minneota township, Jackson county, and took them with their camp equipage to the soldiers' camp. The Indians made no re- sistence and professed friendship for the whites and intense hatred for Inkpaduta and his Indians.
A few of the settlers at Spirit lake be- lieved they recognized in these Indians former followers of the noted outlaw, and the captives were kept under guard. Gov- ernor Lowe of Iowa ordered the Indians to be taken to Des Moines for trial for the Spirit lake murders. In charge of a non-commissioned officer and two privates the Indians were started on their way to trial. When Palo Alta county was reach- ed both Indians made their escape and were never seen afterward. Although the captives had now gotten away, their arrest had a salutary effect upon the Sioux of the vicinity. Straggling bands of In- dians were occasionally seen in the coun- try after that, but they never pitched their camps in the vicinity. The Iowa guards returned home in May. 1859, and were disbanded.
The year 1859 was not an eventful one
92
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
in the history of Jackson county. Among the new settlers of the year was a party who came during the summer, consisting of D. Mortimer West. wife and sons- Stiles M .. M. F .. and H. F.,-James R. West, a brother of D. Mortimer West, Ed- ward Davies and Henry Pease. All ex- cept the two younger West boys took land claims. Mr. Davies in northern Des Moines
township. the others south of the present site of Jackson. A few other seitlers came and took claims, but others moved away. and at the close of the year there were probably not one hundred men, women and children in the county. The settle- ments were confined solely to the. country along the Des Moines river.
CHAPTER VII.
THE NORWEGIAN SETTLEMENT-1860-1862.
F ACTS supplying the context of pre- ceding chapters lead to the con- clusion that fear of the treacher- ous red man was responsible for the slow settlement of Jackson county. Had it not been for the uprising of Inkpaduta's little band of renegade Indians in 1857, there can be no question that by the be- ginning of the year 1860 Jackson county would have boasted considerable popula- tion. As it was. only a few were found willing to brave the dangers incident to building homes in the Indian country. But by degrees the fear of Indian attack was lessened. and during the first three years of the decade beginning with 1860 quite a number pushed out onto the fron- tier to become permanent settlers of Jack- son county and other favored sections of southwestern Minnesota.
Prior to 1860 nearly all the settlers of the county were American born and came from Towa and the older settled portions of Minnesota. The larger part of the settlers of the early sixties were Norwe- gians, who came in small colonies and set- tled along the Des Moines river in what are now Des Moines and Belmont town- ships. The first of these came in 1860, upon the representations of Anders Olson Slaabaken, who was generally known as Anders Olson or Anders Belmont.
Alone and on foot, with his pack on his back. Anders Olson Slaabaken, who was a sort of leader of the Norwegian immigrants who had come from the old country and settled in Wisconsin. set out from Roek county, Wisconsin, in 1858 to explore the great western country and lo- cate a suitable place for himself and friends to build homes. He traveled through parts of Minnesota. Nebraska and Dakota. and then returned to his friends and advised them to move farther west. It has been stated that Mr. Slaabaken. in his travels in 1858, visited the Belmont country and was charmed with the loca- tion, but the best evidence is to the effect that he did not visit Jackson county. But he did return home and pilot his friends to the Jackson county country.
In the spring of 1860 a party of ten or a dozen of these Norwegian families start- ed out in covered wagons drawn by oxen from their Wisconsin homes. They went first to Winneshiek county, lowa, and then pushed on westward to Jackson coun- ty, where they arrived during the sum- mer. The names of the men of this col- ony and the locations they selected for their homes were as follows:
Anders Olson Slaabaken,1 sw14 34, Belmont (east of river).
93
94
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
Burre Oben and family.2 sul, 11. Des Moines.
Knute Midstad and wife, nel 28. Bel- mont ( west of river).
Ole O. Fohre and family, nw1; 22. Belmont.
Lars Furnes, nw1; 16. Belmont.
Taral Ramlo and family, section 15,3 Belmont.
Lars Askelson and family. swk 21. Belmont.
Lars Bradvold and family, sel, 3, Des Moines.
Ole Peterson and family, sw14 2. Des Moines.
Hans Il. Lien and family. >w1] 15. Des Moines.
Englebret Olson Slaabaken and family,+ self 22. Belmont.
When these families came they had their pick of the lands in that part of the county in which they located. Most of the white settlers at the time lived farther down the river, in the vicinity of the present village of Jackson, only a few townsite boomers and trappers having located so far up the river. Indians were occasionally seen in the vicinity, but they
Anders Olson Slaabaken became ote of the most highly respected citizens of the settle- ment. le devoted his time and energy largely to looking after the interests of the people whom he had advised to build homes in the frontier country and others who came later. He assisted his people in locating desirable claims, gave many favors, and was always satisfied with a "thank you" for his pay. Mr. Slanbaken was a single man when he came to Jackson county, but he later married the widow of Mikkel Olsun Slanbaken. His eldest son. Peter Olson Slaabaken, pow resides upon the old Belmont homestead. Three children of Mr. and Mrs. Mikkel Olson Slobaken, Olava, Chris- dana and Karina, are now married and resl- dents of Jackson county.
"One of the sons of Burre Olson is Hersvend (William) Burreson, who resides upon the old homestend Of all the Norwegians who came to the county in 1560, only William Burreson and wife and Mrs. Burreson's sister. Mrs. Gillie, are living.
"In 186] Mr Ramlo took as his claim the southwest Quarter of section 31. Belmont, on the west side of the river. and removed to that location.
"Two of Englebret Olson Slaabaken's daugh- ters are still residents of Jackson county. They are Mrs. William Burreson, of Des Moines, and Mrs. Olof Gillie, of Belmont.
gave the new arrivals no trouble. The now-comer- builded their log cabins in the woods along the river. prepared their lands for cultivation, and became a val- ned addition to the population of Jackson county. Another settler of 1860 who he- came quite prominem in the county was Rev. Peter Baker, who came in the fall and began preaching to the scattered set- tlers, taking a claim in Petersburg town- ship.
In the fall of ison the settlers, feeling that they were insecure from the ravages of the Sioux Indians, organized a com- pany of home guards. of which nearly all the men became members. David M. West was chosen captain, the state fur- nished arms, and the guards drilled every week.
The federal census of 1860. taken by Assistant United States Marshal Elius D. Bruner on July 13 and 11,5 showed the county to have a population of 181 people." The enumerator visited 60 houses in the county. He found 52 families and eight unoccupied dwellings, most of the vacant houses being in the village of Belmont. The only township in the coun- ty at the time was named Jackson, and all the residents lived therein. of the total population only two persons had title to real estate. These were Samuel Brown, who placed a value of $200 on his real property, and Thomas Johnson, who valned his al $150.
Following are the names of the inhabi- tants of 1860. their ages. occupation -. birthplaces and the value of their per- somal property :?
somly those were listed who were residents on June 1: consequently the names of only a few of the arthvals of 1860 appear.
@Other southwestern Minnesota countles in 1564 had populations as follows: Blue Earth. 1.603; Faribault. 1.335: Watonwan. 0; Martin. 151: Cottonwood. 12: Murray, 29; Nobles, 35: Pipestone. 23: Rock, 0.
"This list was obtained from the director of the census at Washington through the kindness of llon. W. S. Hammond.
95
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
NAME
Age
Occupation
Property
Birthplace
*Samuel Brown.
51
Farmer
$200
Amelia Brown
21
Joseph Kester
25
Eliza Kester.
21
John Kester
5-12
*Truman Wolbridge
25
Farmer
*Frederick Noble
24
Farmer
*Joshua Dyer
24
Farmer
*Israel Eddy.
36
Farmer
Vermont New York
Adilia Eddy
21
William Eddy.
13
Francis Eddy
10
Perry Eddy. 3
Iowa
*Benjamin Hill
45
Farmer
Wisconsin
Hannah Hill.
36
William Hill.
15
Mary Hill.
12
Franklin Hil
10
Andrew Hill
6-12
Minnesota
Mary Davy ..
48
Wisconsin
Buchanan Davy.
3
*Charles Kern.
49
Trapper
Bavaria
*Samuel Bartel
22
New York
*John Byers. Vallina Byers
21
Michigan
* Allen Day
30
Farmer
Wisconsin
Sarah Day
22
Ohio
William Day
5
Wisconsin
Franklin Day.
3
LeRoy Day. 6-12
Minnesota New York
*Senior Kingsbury
30
Farmer
Maria Kingsbury.
25
*Henry Thomson
27
Laborer
100
Mary Thomson
24
*Charles Mead
28
*James Whitchurch
27
Farmer
Canada
*John McBee.
42
Trapper
Indiana
*John Dodson.
28
Trapper
England
*Joseph Chiffin
26
Trapper
50
Maryland
"George Hoffman.
28
Farmer
150
Germany
Eliza Hoffman
23
Matilda Hoffman.
Minnesota
Eliza Hoffman
3 1
*Thomas Johnson
28
Farmer
100
New York
Amy Johnson.
23
*Nathaniel Frost.
36
Farmer
Pennsylvania Indiana
Nancy Shiegley
46
New York
*Frank Waggaman
28
Farmer
Pennsylvania
*Jarvis Harton.
50
Farmer
Polly Harton. 50
49
Farmer
100
Kentucky
Sally Muck
45
William Muck
18
Mary Muck
15
Stephen Muck
13
Martha Muck
11
Elizabeth Muck
9
Sarah Muck
7
Simmon Muck
5
Richard Muck
3
Arminta Muck
2
*Joseph Thomas.
50
Farmer
300
New Jersey New York
Jane Thomas.
49
*Heads of families.
Missouri
6€
* Adam Shiegley.
50
Farmer
100
66
Farmer
100
Germany
26
Farmer
Maine Prussia Ohio
Minnesota New York
66
66
*Joseph Muck.
96
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
NAME
Age Occupation
Property
Birthplace
Lansing Thomas
20
S
New Jersey
Elizabeth Thomas
19
John Thomas
17
Roxanna Thomas
15
Joseph Thomas
13
Mary Thomas
· Lolan Stevens.
28
Farmer
Vermont
Louisa Stevens
25
New Jersey
Jennie Stevens
4
Illinois
John Stevens
4
Iowa
Louis Stevens 2-12
Minnesota
· Bartholomew MeCarthy. 27
Farmer
200
Ireland
Jane MeCarthy
52
*James Palmer
24
Farmer
Arminda Palmer
22
George Palmer
2
*David West
45
Farmer
350
New York
Edward Davies
28
Farmer
England
William Daffield
24
Farmer
Pennsylvania
Stiles West
21
Farmer
New York
Jlenry West
15
* Ezra Strong
40
Farmer
300
Ohio
Mary Strong.
25
James Strong
6
Illinois
Grace Strong
3
Minnesota
Auther Strong
1
* Harrison Andrews
24
Farmer
Ohio
Anna Andrews
22
Canada
Eliza Andrews.
3
Illinois
Daniel Andrews.
1
*Ira Camfield
30
Farmer
Canada
Levi Camfield
25
Farmer
Elizabeth Camfield 55
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