An illustrated history of Jackson County, Minnesota, Part 4

Author: Rose, Arthur P., 1875-1970
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Jackson, Minn. : Northern History
Number of Pages: 720

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could have first choice of claims. He would soon be followed by others and a new settlement would be founded. By reason of this the settlements were often thirty or forty miles apart, while the dif- ferent inhabited portions of the same stream were often ten or fifteen miles apart. In this way settlers were constant- ly pushing out onto the extreme frontier in search of suitable places to build homes for themselves and their families, many times not waiting for the Indians to leave, but moving among them.

Under conditions such as these Jackson county received its first settlers.

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

AITOR, LENOX AND TH.DEN FOUNDATIONE

DES MOINES RIVER SCENES

CHAPTER II.

EARLY SETTLEMENT-1856.

H UNDREDS of immigrants had come to the upper Mississippi valley during the first half of the fifties, suitable places of residence had been found to the east and south of the present Jackson county but none had pen- erated to the sightly locations on the up- per Des Moines. Jackson county was with- out a permanent settler until the summer of 1856.1 That year, from July to De- cember, some forty people, including wom- en and children, came to the Des Moines river country of Jackson county. They erected about a dozen log cabins along the river, extending from a point a few miles south of the present village of Jackson to a point seven or eight miles north of the village (most of the cabins being in the timber in the vicinity of Jackson) and set- tled as permanent residents.

1Mr. D. S. Crapper, in an interview in the Jackson Republic of August 30, 1873, claimed to have been the first white settler to locate in Jackson county, stating that he had come from the Boone river country, in Iowa, squatted on a claim just east of the Des Moines river near the Michael Miller farm on section 30, Wiscon- sin township, resided there three years, and left in December, 1856. He said that he broke up ground and raised crops and that when the settlers of 1856 came he assisted them in build- ing their cahins. He recounted many a tussle he had had with the Indians who infested the country and stated that buffalo and elk were here in abundance. The reason I have not in- corporated this data in the text is because there is good cause to doubt its authenticity. If Mr. Crapper resided in Jackson county when he is made to say he did. the fact was unknown to the settlers who located in the vicinity in 1856. He may have been in Jackson county in an early day but that he ever resided here is doubtful. He was known as a resident of the Boone river country.

The eredit of becoming the first white settlers of Jackson county is generally (and rightfully) given to three brothers, William, George and Charles Wood, who came during the month of July, 1856,2 and located on land which now comprises the principal business and residence sec- tion of the village of Jackson. William Wood seems to have been the leading spir- it of the brothers.3 Early in the fifties he had left his Indiana home and gone to the new village of Mankato, where he joined Robert Wardlow, a dealer in gener- al merchandise. Much of the trade of these days was with the Indians and Wil- liam Wood had ample opportunity to be- come acquainted with the aborigines, fre- quently making trips to the interior eoun- iry.

On one such occasion, in 1854, Mr. Wood, in the discharge of his duties as Indian trader, and also while cruising and looking about for a location in which to make a future home for himself and his mother's large family. came upon the sightly location of the present village of Jackson. Early in 1856 he returned to his mother's home in Ridgeville, Randolph

2"I think Mr. [William] Wood was the first to take a claim in what is now Jackson county, for some time during the winter [of 1856-57] he told me that he had selected his claim some time in July."-Jareh Palmer in Lakefield Stand- ard, December 7, 1895.

3See hiographical section for sketches of the lives of the Woods.

HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.

county, Indiana, and proposed that George Wood, who was then the head of the fam- ily, and Charles Wood, who was a boy of fifteen or sixten years of age, should go with him to the new and promising conn- try which he had discovered and there prepare a home for themselves and their aged mother and her family. The sug- gestion was approved by the other men- bers of the family, and in July the three brothers arrived on the banks of the Des Moines river to make their homes.'

Believing that the site was one favor- able for trading with the Indians who roamed over the country and with white settlers who would in time be sure to spy out and locate in this beautiful spot, the brothers decided to establish a trading post. In accordance with the custom of the times in Minnesota, it was also deemed the proper thing to lay out a town. Wil- liam and George Wood cach took land claims. As the land had not yet been surveyed it is impossible to tell exactly the boundaries of their claims. and it is doubtful if the brothers themselves had more than an indefinite idea of where their land was. A man by the name of Baker, who came through the country about the time the brothers were locating their claims, said that he was a surveyor, and having a compass he ran a line north from the state line between the townships of Middletown and Petersburg and be- tween Des Moines and Wisconsin, and from this line were located all the early day claims. In after years it was learned that this line was not within eighty rods of its proper location. The bulk of the Wood brothers' land was on the west side of the river and included portions of see- tions 21, 23. 26 and 25. Des Moines township. The two brothers entered upon a full section of government land, cach

Mr. E B Wond. a brother of the Woods mentioned. Is my authority for these state- ments.

an individual farm claim under the pre- emption law (there was no homestead law at the time) of 160 acres, and in partuer- ship a half section for a townsite. The townsite included the whole of the second bench-the residence portion of the pres- ent village-and the farm claims included the business portion of the present Jack- son village and extended across the river.5

The Woods named their proposed town Springfield because of the fact that there was a spring on it near where they built their cabin. The townsite was not platted by surveyors, but was simply held in an- dicipation of the time when settlers should come in sufficient numbers to warrant the building of a town. A large, one-room log building was erected at a point near the river in the northwest part of the present day village upon what is now the Frost property. In this first building erected in Jackson county the three brothers lived and conducted their store, carrying a stock of goods of such kind and character as was most salable to the settler -. who vame soon afterward, and the Indians.º

Almost immediately after the Wood brothers had located at Springfield (but not because of that fact) quite a number of settlers-all American born-came to the vicinity. Some selected claims and erected log cabins, intending to become permanent settlers. Others, in the spec- ulative spirit of the times. selected claims and returned to their homes, intending to dispose of them later and thus realize on their visit to the frontier. It is im- possible to give the dates of arrival of those who came during the summer and fall of 1856. extending over a period of time from July to December, but much "Jareb Palmer in Lakefeld Standard. Decem- bror 7. 1895.

G"They kept a very good assortment of goods for a pioneer store, but a large part of it was intended for the Indian trade, as the Indians tished, trapped and hunted all over the adja- rent country and of course had much fur and hides to sell at figures allowing the trader fabu- lous profits."-Jareb Palmer.

HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.

of a historical nature concerning these pio- neeis has been preserved, which makes the history of the early settlement of Jackson county interesting. The greater part of the settlers of this year came from Webster City, Iowa, and the vicinity, and the causes that led to their settling here, together with the story of their settle- ment and incidents of the early days, will now be recorded.7

In the spring of 1856 a party of ex- plorers and homeseekers left the vicinity of Webster City in search of a desirable place to make a new settlement, most of the best claims in their vicinity having been taken. They proceeded northward and discovered Spirit and Okobojí lakes. On the banks of those lakes they staked claims and then returned for their fam- ilies and other adventurous homeseekers whom they thought would accompany them on their return and assist in set- tling up the beautiful country they had found.

Accompanied by others, as had been anticipated, these men returned, only to find that a party of men from Red Wing, Minnesota, had come during their ab- sence and "jumped" their claims. As the Red Wing party were armed and de- clared their intentions of fighting for the claims if necessary, the Webster City people concluded to look elsewhere for homes. They had not long to search or far to go. They proceeded north and east and came upon the beautiful country of magnificent groves and rich prairie along the Des Moines river in Jackson county. Those who had families and some who did not staked claims and erected log cabins, the logs being ent from the woods along the river. Among the party were spec- ulators, who did not intend to permanent- ly locate but who picked out the best claims they could get and waited for some "Compiled largely from the writings of Jareb Palmer.

one to come along and buy their rights. Usually, if they had a good claim, they did not have long to wait, for claim hunt- ers were plentiful. Before winter set in several of the claims had changed hands.

Some of those who had come to the Springfield settlement, as it was called in honor of the Woods' townsite, returned to Webster City in the fall, sold their claims, and induced a few others to locate in the new settlement.

Among the first and most prominent of the settlers of 1856 was James B. Thom- as,s who came from Webster City with his family, consisting of a wife and six children, in August. Of all the settlers Mr. Thomas made the best preparation for winter. His claim was on the east side of the river, probably on the southeast quar- ter of section 25, Des Moines township, where he built a comfortable two-room log cabin with a fireplace in each room. He had a number of cattle and put up suffic- ient hay to keep them through the win- ter.

John Dodson and Joseph Chiffin, bach- elors, were trappers who were also holding land claims. They lived in a little cabin on Dodson's claim, a couple of miles northwest of Woods' store, probably on section 22. These men were partners and kept a few goods for the Indian trade. Chiffin's claim was on the east side of the river, northeast of the present day railroad bridge and on section 11. He built a cabin there, in which, during the first part of the winter, lived Robert Smith, an Eng- Jishman, and his wife and John Hender- son, a Virginian. about whom the reader will learn more later in this chapter. Dur- ing the latter part of the winter they lived in the Wheeler cabin farther down the river. They took adjoining claims on the west side, above Woods' store, but did not build.

*See biographical section for a sketch of the life of James B. Thomas.

HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.

J. B. Skinner and wife located on the west side of the river, in the timber only a few rods from the river bank, proba- bly on section 3. There Mr. Skinner erected a log cabin in which he and his wife resided during the early part of the winter, later moving down the river and moving into the Wheeler cabin. Farther up the river than Mr. Skinner, on the east side and probably on section 34, Bel- mont township, was the home of William Nelson, with whom lived his wife and one child. This family also spent the latter part of the winter in the Wheeler cabin, in the more thickly settled part of the settlement.

William Church and family carly came to the settlement from Webster City, and he erected a cabin on the east side of the river, a few rods south of where the ele- vator- along the Milwaukee road now stand. In this cabin lived Mr. and Mrs. Church, their one child. Mrs. Church's sister, Miss Drusilla Swauger, and a young German, Henry Trets by name, who was employed by Mr. Church. Late in the fall Mr. Church went to Webster City to lay in supplies for the winter, but on account of the heavy snow he was unable to return and was absent all winter.

Another one of the carly settlers was Joshua Stewart, who with his family, con- sisting of a wife and three children, re- sided in a cabin about one-half mile north of the Thomas home, and there he had his land claim. Adam P. Shiogley, a trapper of French descent, came to the claim and livel in a cabin in a large grove in a ravine a short distance past and south of the Thomas cabin. He showed his French proclivities by being quite friendly with the Indians. He was a wid- ower and brought to the settlement with him his boy of about two years of age. The child spent the greater part of the winter with the family of William Church

and later was cared for by Mrs. Skinner.

Among the other settlers who came to the Springfield settlement in 1856 were E. B. N. Strong (sometimes referred to as Dr. Strong) and family, who had a claim and lived in a cabin in a large grove on the west side of the river on what is now the southeast quarter of section 36. Des Moines township. Hore lived Mr. and Mrs. Strong, their one child, two or three years old, (during the winter a see- ond child was born to them) and Miss Eliza Gardner, who had accompanied the family from the Okoboji settlement.º

Two other settlers of some prominence in the community were David Carver ar 1 John Bradshaw, who were among the first to come from Webster City and build in the frontier settlement. Both these gen- ilomen crected cabins on the east side of the river, on scetion 19, Wisconsin township. north and cast of Mr. Stewart's cabin. Mr. Carver's boing the farther month. Messrs. Carver and Stewart com- menced building a dam across the Des Moines river ( near the point where Major HI. S. Bailey afterwards started a brick yard) but it was not completed. These gentlemen expected to sell the improve- ments to parties of means when they were completed. Both Carver and Bradshaw spent part of the winler in Webster City, but returned on foot early in the spring. During their absence their cabins were unoccupied.

promn ono accision, while on a trip to Fort lodge, father fell In with a Dr. Strong and prevailed upon him to visit the lakes with a view to settlement; but after stopping with us a few days he decided to locate at Springfield His family consisted of himself, wife and one child (two years old. His wife being in delicate Jeilth, and he necessarily being away much of the time from home, she persuaded my sis- ter. Eliza, to whom she became attached. to accompany them. This was in the month of Uefaher, and owing to a heavy fall of snow on the first of December, followed by others in quick succession, until the snow on the level was four or five feet and in the drifts sometimes fifteen or twenty, traveling was impossible. Eliza was thus unable to return and so escaped the fate of the rest of the family."-Abbie Gardner-Sharp in History of the Spirit Lake Massacre.

HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.

On November 21 Messrs. Jareb Pal- mer, Nathaniel Frost and Bartholomew McCarthy drove into the Springfield set- tiement from Webster City and became identified with the early history of the place, they being the last to arrive during the year 1856. As Mr. Palmer has writ- ten so entertainingly of this trip and of the events upon his arrival, I here give his account as it was published in the Jackson Republic of September 19, 1884:

I was then residing at Webster City but was not a member of the parties that left there in the spring and summer of 1856, though f was acquainted with some members of each party, but cannot pretend to give a complete list of their names. Late in the fall some of them returned to Webster City, and among them was Joseph Elliott, a young man who had taken a claim in Jackson coun- ty, then known as the Springfield settlement. As he wanted to sell his claim Nathaniel Frost and myself bought it and began making pre- parations for the long and lonesome journey to Springfiekl. Bartholomew MeCarthy had also bought a claim of J. Griffith.

We all three set out at the same time and journeyed together until the 27th day of No- vember, 1856, we arrived at the house of James B. Thomas. The next day we set about hunting up our claims. Mr. Frost's and mine was found to be the grove next south of the large grove, heing, I think, on section I. Middletown.

Mr. McCarthy found his up the river, being the grove where Ole E. Olson. of Belmont, now lives. But he found that a half-breed Indian by the name of Gaboo had built a shanty on it and was keeping an Indian trad- ing post there. Ife also elaimed the grove. Mr. Frost accompanied Mr. McCarthy when he went to take possession of his claim. Ga- boo was unwilling to give up the claim, but he invited Mr. McCarthy and Mr. Frost to remain over night with him, which invitation they gladly accepted.

Gaboo had a number of Indians camped out near his shanty, and in the evening they set up a great hubub of shouts and cries and lamentations and curses and imprecations. The two lonely white men began almost to feel their hair rise, and inquired of the half- breed what it all meant. They were informed that the Indians were mad because the white men were trying to get his claim away from him and that they were talking of killing them before morning. Whether the whites were really alarmed or not I cannot say, but McCarthy finally compromised with Gaboo and entered into an agreement with him to pay him a certain amount of money on his remov- ing from his claim, which he agreed to do in

the spring. After the claim dispute was thus satisfactorily settled the Indians quieted down and the white men were glad to seek their repose. Whether their dreams were disturbed by visions of tomahawks and scalping knives I have never learned. In the morning the half-breed told Mr. Frost of a claim up the river that had quite a good grove of timber on it; and so Frost and MeCarthy hitched up their team and drove up to view it. Mr. Frost liked it and concluded to take it, giving up to me his half of the claim we had bought. Ilis grove is the one near John Monson's, on section 6, Belmont township.

Of these three arrivals Mr. McCarthy returned to his home in Webster City ear- ly in December, with the intention of com- ing baek in the spring and taking pos- session of his claim. Mr. Palmer built a small eabin on his claim on section 1, Middletown, but made his home with Mr. Strong, working part of the winter for James B. Thomas and for the Wood broth- ers. Mr. Frost, who finally selected his claim up the river, did not build or live thereon during the winter but worked in the settlement further down the river.

In addition to these white settlers there were in the settlement two Indian camps. One of these, already mentioned in Mr. Palmer's account, was located on the east side of the river on what is now seetion 22, Belmont. This eamp consisted of three or four families gathered about the trading house of Joseph Coursalle, or Ga- boo,10 as he was generally called, a well known half-breed Sioux who had come to the country from Traverse des Sioux. An- other camp of four families was located on the west side of the river a short dis- tance above Woods' store and directly east from Dodson's cabin. This camp was presided over by Smoky Moccasin, or Um- pashota,11 his Indian name, a medicine man with the authority of a sub-chief. The Indians of both these camps were an- nuity Sissetons and off-shoots from Sleepy

10Return I. Holcombe, in Minnesota in Three Centuries, states that the name Gaboo, is a corruption of Godbout.

11Hamp-pah-Shota is the spelling given by Mr. Holcombe.

HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.

Eye's band, whose headquarters were then at Swan lake.

Besides the white settlers who had be- come permanent residents of the Spring- field community and spent the winter in the new country, quite a number of others had been here during the summer and fall. Some of these came with the inten- tion of becoming permanent settlers, erected cabins, and then returned to their former homes to spend the winter. Others came for the purpose of staking claims to be disposed of later and had no inten- tion of living in the country.

William T. Wheeler, a lawyer from Jasper county, Iowa, was one who was in the settlement during the summer of 1856. He came and selected a claim with the intention of laying out a townsite and built his elaim cabin a little sonth and west of the present location of the Mil- waukee depot. This claim and cabin were afterwards purchased by Joseph Thomas, Mr. Wheeler remained only long enough to erect his cabin. As has been stated. the Wheeler cabin was occupied during the latter part of the winter by several of the settlers from up the river.

Others who came but did not remain were Bartholomew Med'arthy, already mentioned; Joseph Elliott, who sold his claim to Jareb Palmer and Nathaniel Frost: J. Griffith, 12 whose claim Mr. Me- Carthy had bought : William Searles, who came from lowa with his brother in-law William Nelson : and possibly a few others.

A recapitulation shows us that there were the following named forty-two peo- ple residing in Jackson county during the fall and winter of 1856:13

EGriffith was a professional claim trader and was quite an advertising medium for the Springfield settlement.

mit will be remembered that of these Wil- lam Church was absent nearly all winter; Idliza Gardner was not a permanent resident. but was a visitor with the Strong family: David Carver and John Bradshaw were absent the greater part of the winter.

William Wood. George Wood. Charles Wood. James B. Thomas, wife and six child- ren. Jolin Dodson. Joseph Chitfin. Robert Smith and wife.

John Henderson.

1. B. Skinner and wife.

William Nelson, wife and one child.

William Church, wife and one child.

Drusilla Swanger.

Henry Treis.

Joshua Stewart. wife and three child-

Adam P. Shiegley and one child.

E. B. N. Strong, wife and two child- ren.

Eliza Gardner. Jarch Palmer. Nathaniel Frost. David Carver.

John Bradshaw.

The settlement consisted of thirteen cab- ins, of which four or five were unocenpied the greater part of the time. All the eab- ins were built of logs, cut from the near- I timber, and were covered with "shakes." lumber being used only for doors. Some of the cabins had floors made of punch- cons, while others had earth floors. Most of them had at least one small window. All of the settlers were poor so far as this world's goods are concerned. The Wood brothers and James B. Thomas were the most fortunate in the possession of property and were domiciled in the best cabins of the settlement.

All had come to the settlement too late in the season to raise a crop or even to plant gardens, and only one or two had so much as plowed a furrow of ground. A few. but not all. had put up enough hay for the few head of stock they brought with them. In consequence of these con-

HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.

ditions all kinds of provisions had to be hanled in from the nearest settlements, which were long distances away. These were mostly brought in from Webster City, lowa, and from Mankato, Minnesota, where the mail for the settlers was also secured. In the early part of the winter flour sold for $8.00 to $10.00 per hun- dred weight, later went to $15.00 and in the spring was not to be had at any price. Potatoes were $3.00 per bushel, beef 15 to 20 cents per pound and other staples in proportion. The last team arrived from the outer world on November 27, and from that time until the last of March the people of the Springfield set- tlement were isolated.

The winter of 1856-57 was one of the most severe that was ever experienced in the northwest country and will always be remembered by those who were at the time living on the frontier, by reason of its bitter coldness, deep snows and violent storms. On the first day of December began a terrific blizzard which continued with unabated fury for three days and three nights. It left the level ground eov- ered with two feet of snow and all the hollows and ravines extending into the prairie were drifted full, in places to a depth of from twenty to thirty feet. The storms followed each other in quick suc- cession all winter and into the spring. The snow accumulated on the sides of the bluffs along the river until it would break off and fall in an avalanche to the bot- tom. It was absolutely impossible to get abont with a team except on the ice on the river bed. The settlers were illy pre- pared for any winter, much less such a one as this, and there was much suffering during the long dreary season.

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An illustrated history of Jackson County, Minnesota, Part 4

Author: Rose, Arthur P., 1875-1970 Publication date: 1910 Publisher: Jackson, Minn. : Northern History Number of Pages: 720

Author: Rose, Arthur P., 1875-1970
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Jackson, Minn. : Northern History
Number of Pages: 720