USA > Minnesota > Jackson County > An illustrated history of Jackson County, Minnesota > Part 46
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Not only did this pioneer play such an im- portant part in the early days of Jackson county's history, he preserved the details of the massacre and the less tragie events for future generations. He has written much con- eerning the early days of Jackson county and he has been referred to as the "historian of Jackson county." To him the author of this volume is under many obligations for data
used in its preparation. Had it not been for his writings this history of Jackson county must have Jacked many of its most interesting fea- tures.
The life story of Captain Jareb Palmer is one of interest. He was born in Bradford county, Pennsylvania, February 29, 1828, de- scending from old American stock. IFis parents were Nathan and Matilda (Griffin) Palmer. Nathan Palmer was born in Vermont June 12, 1800, and moved with his parents to Brad- ford county, Pennsylvania, at the age of thir- teen years. In 1836 he located in Tioga eoun- ty, Pennsylvania, where he engaged in farm- ing. trapping and hunting. Ile died in Tioga county in April, 1885. Matilda (Griffin) Pal- mier was born and married in Bradford county, Pennsylvania, and died in Tioga county in 1858. They were the parents of eleven child- ren, Jareb being the third in line of age and the eldest of the four now living. The living chil- dren are: Eber, of Clear Lake, Iowa; David, of Jenny Lind, Arkansas; Jareb, of this sketch; Mrs. Anna Thomas, of Tioga county, Penn- sylvania. The father of our subject was mar- ried again in the early sixties to Elizabeth Grey, who was born in Delaware, county, New York, and who died in 1907. Two children were born as a result of this marriage: U. G. Pal- mer. a state senator of Maryland: Jessie, deceased.
Jareb Palmer lived with his parents in Bradford county, Pennsylvania. until he was eight years of age and then moved with them to Union township, Tioga county, Pennsyl- vania. Upon his father's farm in that town- ship he was brought up, making his home with his parents until 1851. From 1851 to 1854 Mr. Palmer engaged in farming and teaching school near his old home. In April, 1854, he
1The date in parenthesis following the name of each subjeet is the year of arrival to Jackson county.
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came west, lived with an uncle at Cedar Falls, lowa, one year, and then located at Webster City, Iowa, where he made his home until November, 1850.
In company with Nathaniel Frost and Bar. tholomew MeCarthy, Mr. Palmer drove to the little settlement that had just been founded and named Springfieldl in the southern part of Brown county, territory of Minnesota, ar. riving during the month of November, 1856 The headquarters of this settlement was at a point within the present corporate limits of the village of Jackson. Athough the land was then unsurveyed and no provision had been made to secure title to the land-, Mr. Palmer took a claim by "squatter's right" on what is now section 1. of Middletown township, and cree. teil a little cabin thereon. He did not live on the claim during the following winter, but made his home with a neighboring family. engaged in working for the Wood brothers and other -ettler -. It is not necessary to repeat here the story of the memorable massaere of March 26. 1857. that led to the abandonment of Jackson county. Mr. Palmer left with the others and sought safety in the older settled portions of the country to the south. For a few months after the massacre Mr. Palmer lived in Hardin county, lowa. with the family of the unele who had formerly lived at Cedar Falls, and then again pushed out to the fron- tier, locating at Spirit Lake.
On November 11, 1837. Mr. Palmer took a contract from a sub-contractor to carry the United States mail between Spirit Lake and Sioux City. He made the first three trips on foot, using that mode of travel because of the snow blockades: each trip took about ton day-' time. On the third trip, while passing through Clay county, lowa, a small band of Indians was encountered. and Mr. Palmer be came one of a company of eleven men, who set out with the determination of driving the redskins from the country. The whites had an unsuccessful encounter with the Indians and were forced to retreat. After this interesting divergence from his official duties Mr. Palmer continued on his way. He served in the ca- pacity of mail carrier until the following -pring.
The enconuter with the Indians referred to above caused the white settlers of Spirit Lake and other exposed settlements great uneasi- ness and there was fear that the Indian trou- bles of the year before were to be repeated.
They accordingly drew up a petition to pre- sent to the lowa legislature asking for the enlistment of state troops to protect the fron- tier. Jareb Palmer was chosen to take this petition to the lowa law making body, and through his presentation of the case the neces- sary law was passed and Mr. Palmer was all- thorized to recruit a company of thirty mount ed meu. This he did, enlisting himself as one of the member of the "Frontier Guard." The command was divided into three squad- and stationed in Clay. Dickinson and Emmet coun- ties. The guards were in active service until July. 1858, and were then temporarily out of servier until that fall. Then they were again called into active duty and served until May. 1859.
After the discharge of the Frontier Guard- Mr. Palmer organized another small cavalry company upon the order of the governor of lowa and was elected and commissioned cap- tain. He led his little command of soldiers on several scouting expedition- and made pos. sible the settlement of the frontier regions. They did no fighting and served without pay until their discharge in 1861.
Owing to the massacre of the citizens of Sioux City by Sioux Indians in July, IS61, a scare was created throughout the whole northwest. Sioux City was then a little vil- lage of 300 or two people, and for it- protec- tion and the other exposed settlements the war department at Washington authorized the or. ganization of a special company of United States soldiers. Mr. Palmer went to Sjonx City and enlisted as a private in this company November It, 1861, and served a three years' enlistment. This special company was first known as the Sioux City cavalry: later it was made company I, of the Seventh lowa cavalry It served a- a frontier guard to the exposed set - tlements of Iowa and was in a several months' campaign against the Indians along the Mis- souri river, going as far north as nearly to Bismarck. Mr. Palmer took part with his com pany in the battle of White Stone Hill. where the savages suffered a loss of twenty or thirty killed and all their camp equipment. The company served as Brigadier General Sully's body guard in this battle. Mr. Pahner received his discharge November 26, 1861.
After his army service Jarch Palmer located in Spirit Lake, where he resided until 1871. That year he again became a resident of Jack- son county, taking a preemption claim to the
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northeast quarter of section 12, Sioux Valley township. He engaged in farming that land until the spring of 1882, when he moved to Rost township and bought the northeast quar- ter of section 26. He continued his farming operations in Rost umtil 1895, when he re- tired from active pursuits and located in the village of Lakefield.
During his residence in Iowa Captain Pal- mer served as county superintendent of schools, prosecuting attorney, clerk of court and chairman of the county board of supervis- ors. He was also assistant internal revenue collector from 1866 to 1870. After moving to Jackson county he served as township clerk and justice of the peace. He has served as vil- lage justice in Lakefield for the last eleven years. In 1892 he received the republican nomination for register of deeds, but was de- feated by John Baldwin. Mr. Palmer is a mem- ber of the Grand Army post at Jackson.
Jareb Palmer has been twice married and he i- the father of seven living children, as fol- lows: Mrs. Louise Strait, of Tennessee; Na .- than J., Herbert C. and Bennie C., all of GIen- burn, North Dakota: Mrs. Minerva B. Ware, of Bismarck, North Dakota; John G., of Echo, Minnesota; Francis L., of Lakefield.
WILLIAM WOOD (1856), deceased. The first white man to make a permanent home in .Jackson county was William Wood, who came during the month of July, 1856, and in partner- ship with his brother. George Wood, built a home and established a trading post on the Des Moines river where the village of Jack- son is now located. Ilere also, in a primitive way, they laid out a townsite, which they called Springfield. As the story of the lives of William and George Wood after they came to Jackson county is told in an earlier part of this work, this sketch will briefly outline their earlier history.
William Wood was one of a family of fif- teen children born to Samuel and Elizabeth (Thomson) Wood. and the date of his birth was abont 1830. He descended from colonial stock. One of his ancestors was a Ilolland Dutch patroon of the then New Netherlands; another was Smith Thompson, secretary of the navy and a judge of the supreme court; his paternal grandfather, James Wood, was a rev- olutionary soldier, his maternal grandfather, Smith Thompson, was a veteran of the war of 1812.
The father of William and George Wood died in 1847, leaving his wife and a large family of children. Being thus early thrown upon his own resources, William Wood became -elf-reliant. Early in the fifties he left his mother's home in Ridgeville, Randolph county, Indiana, and located at the little village of Mankato, Minnesota, where he took a position as Indian trader with Robert Wardlow, a mer- chant. While engaged in his work he had oc- casion to visit the Des Moines river country and selected the site now occupied by Jackson village as a place to make his future home.
During the month of July. 1856, William Wood. accompanied by bis brothers, George Charles. came to the site, engaged in business with a small stock of Indian trinkets and supplies, and made his home there until he was killed by the Indians in the massaere of March, 1857.
George MeElroy Wood. who also took a prominent part in the affairs of the little eom- munity about Springfield before the massacre, was born in 1827. After his father's death he became the head of the family and assisted his mother in supporting the family in various ways. Ile engaged in school teaching. which in that early day and country was considered quite an accomplishment. He was a religions and serious minded young man and was de- voted to church and Sabbath school work. Ile came to Jackson county with his brother in 1856 and was killed on the same day his brother met his fate. Both brothers were bur- ied where they fell.
Charles Wood, the younger brother who also vame in the fall of 1856. was sixteen or seven- teen years of age at that time. He had gone to Mankato a few days before the massacre and so escaped the fate of his brothers. He later enlisted and fought for the union cause during the war of the rebellion, meeting his death at Pea Ridge, Arkansas, in the line of duty. Five of the Wood boys took part in the war.
JAMES B. THOMAS (1856), deceased. In the account of the early settlement of Jack- son county and of the Springfield massacre, in an earlier part of this work. is frequent men- tion of James B. Thomas, at whose cabin oc- curred the fight with the Indians during the
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famous massiere. It is the purpose of this county, having located here when the country sketch to give a few items concerning his earlier and later life.
James B. Thomas was born in Licking county, Ohio, in the year 1813. In that county he was brought up and resided until he was !wenty-six years of age. Then he located in C'ass county, Hlinois, where he engaged in the milling business and where he was married. Three years after making his home in illinois he moved to lowa and settled near Fairfield, in Jefferson county. A few years later he and his family pushed out farther onto the frontier. locating near Webster City. There he bought and improved an eighty acre farm and prospered financially. working at the millwright's trade while improving the farm.
In the year 1856 Mr. Thomas sold his farm in lowa and came to that part of Brown eoun- ty. Minnesota, which is now Jackson county and settled with his family near the "town" of Springheld. There he staked a claim (lo- cated on the east side of the river at Jack- son), built one of the best eabins in the set- tlement. and started in to make a new home for himself. At the massacre on March 26. 1857, his youngest child, Willie, was killed out- right, Mr. Thomas received a severe wound in the arm which necessitated two amputa- tions, and from the effect of which he died in 1866, and in escaping from the scene of the fight his little daughter Mary contracted a cold which resulted in her death six weeks Inter.
Mr. Thomas and his family did not return to Jackson county, but located near Marshall- town, lowa, where he seenred a 160 acre farm and where he died in 1866.
Mr. Thomas was married in Cass county, Illinois, to Irma A. Clark, who was born No- vember 22. 1824. They were the parents of several children. One son. Frank M. Thomas, who has before been mentioned in connection with the massaere. later. at the age of nine. teen years, enlisted in the Second Iowa cavalry and served two years in the war. He was wounded in the left ankle and the limb was amputated in Andersonville prison. Blood poison set in, resulting in his death in 1873. The Grand Army Post at Marshalltown. Iowa, was named in his honor.
NATHANIEL FROST (1856), deceased, was one of the very first residents of Jackson
was a part of Brown county. He took part in many of the stirring events of the early days and after the county became settled became a prominent citizen.
Mr. frost was born in Pipe Creek, Tioga county, New York, January 11, 1832. During the first year of his life the family moved to Covington, Tioga county, Pennsylvania, and there our subject spent his youth and carly manhood. In 1854 he came west. tocating in Michigan, where he lived eight months. He then moved to Hardin county, Iowa, where he lived nearly two years. Going to Webster City in Hamilton county, Mr. Frost met an old friend. Jareb Palmer, and with him drove to the future Jackson county, settling near the present site of the village of Jackson. Hle arrived in the county in company with Jarch Palmer and Bartholomew Mccarthy on the twenty-seventh day of November. 1856, Some of the life history of Mr. frost during these early days is told in the historical see- tion of this work, and in a brief biographical sketch of this kind we can only touch on the principal events.
The massacre of 1857 drove Mr. Frost tom- porarily from the county. Ip 1862 he enlisted in company K, of the Fourth Minnesota volun- teer infantry. He was ordered to St. Louis, where he was about two years. After his term of entistment had expired he reenlisted as # veteran and served until the close of the war. He took part in sixteen important en- gagements of the civil war and was with Con- eral Sherman on the march to the sea. With the exception of the four years spent in the army, two years spent at Kasofa, Minnesota, and four years in Caldwell county. Missouri, Mr. Frost was a resident of the county until his death, which occurred at Jackson, Decem- her 21, 1899,
Mr. Frost was married January 2. 1861, 10 Maryette Root, of Benson. Vermont, and to them were born three children: Flora J. (Mrs. Wagner), John and Moses.
JOSEPH THOMAS (1858). deceased. For a number of years, in the very carly history of Jackson county, there was one man known far and wide, who could have justly claimed title to being the "most prominent" man in Jackson county. This was Joseph Thomas, who came to the county in 1858 and settled on
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what has ever since been known as Thomas hill, on the east side of the Des Moines river in the village of Jackson. For years he was the only business man in Jackson county, during the time when there was not a rail- road or a town in the county. He kept a hotel and postoffice on the hill, and to his place came all who were passing through the country. The hospitality of Joseph Thomas and his estimahle wife were known far and wide. lle played a prominent part in the eounty's early history.
Mr. Thomas was born in New Jersey in 1810, and after several westward moves came to Jackson county in the spring of 1858. He and his son and one or two others drove up from Newton, Iowa, carrying their own bridges with which to cross the streams. He selected a site for his home, upon which was a desert- ed log cabin. The small children were brought up to the new home in 1859, and a permanent home was established. Mr. Thomas eondneted a hotel for the accommodation of the few travelers, and a little later secured the es- tablishment of a postoffice, of which he was the postmaster.
Ile and his family were obliged to desert their home in 1862 on account of the Indian massacre and subsequent hostility of the sav- ages, and for a time he lived in Spirit Lake. Mr. Thomas continued to reside at the old home until his death, which occurred Febru- ary 28, 1891.
In 1831 occurred the marriage of Mr. Thomas to Jane Van In Wegin, to whom were born nine children.
JAMES E. PALMER (1858). deceased, was one of the very early settlers of Jackson county, having settled in the county nearly fifty-two years ago. lle was born in the state of Connecticut July 27, 1832, and in an early day moved with his parents to Peeaton- ica, Illinois, later moving to Freeport, Ill- inois.
In the fifties Mr. Palmer took up his resi- dence at Newton. Iowa, and in the spring of 1858 eame to the new Jackson county coun- try. He settled upon land upon which a part of the village of Jackson is now built and continuously lived in that village until his death on May 1. 1896. This was with the ex- ception of two years spent in Spirit Lake during the Indian troubles of the early six-
ties. Mr. Palmer served as surveyor of Jack- son county twenty-five years.
Mr. l'almer was married in Freeport, Ill- inois, to Minda Thomas, daughter of the late Joseph and Jane Thomas.
OLE ANDERSON (1861). There are ouly a few people living in Jackson county whose arrival antedates that of Ole Anderson, of Jackson. For nearly fifty years he bas live:l in the county, playing a part in many of the events described in the historical section of this volume. More than any person living is he acquainted with the details of the early Nor- wegian settlement of Jackson county and the terrible times during and succeeding the Belmont massacre of 1862. He has always taken an interest in preserving the accounts of the early times, and except for his interest in the matter, much of historical interest contained in this volume must have remained unrecorded. It was largely through Mr. An- derson's persistence in demanding an appro- priation from the Minnesota legislature that the handsome shaft in memory of the killed in the Indian massaeres has recently been ereeted in the village of Jackson.
Mr. Anderson was born in Norway June 11, 1852, the son of Anders Olson and Annie (Engebretson) Olson. When five years of age he came to America with his parents and located at Spring Grove. Houston county, Minnesota, where he lived until the spring of 1861. In the month of June of that year he arrived in Jackson county, the family having driven through by ox team. The head of the family preempted a claim on section 3, Des Moines township, and on that place the family lived until the following summer, Anders Olson having died there in April, 1862.
The Belmont massacre took place in August, 1862, and the Olson family, together with all other residents of Jackson county, were forced to flee for their lives. Ole, accompanied by his mother and three sisters. returned to their old home in Houston county. After hurriedly leaving their home in Jackson county they stopped for a short time in Estherville, Iowa,- long enough for some of them to come back and secure their personal effects, which had been left. After securing these, they resumed their journey, making the trip by ox team and deviating considerable from a direct course be- cause of fear of Indians, who were supposed
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to be in great numbers all over southern Min- nesuta.
The family remained in Hon-ton county un. til the spring of 1864 and then returned to Jackson county, being the first and only family in the county at the time. They lo- rated on the land claim Mr. Ohlson had taken and the mother of our subject proved up on the place. Ole made his home with his mother until 1866, when he was fourteen years of age. Then his mother remarried and he started out in life for himself. From that time until his marriage in January, 1872. he made his living by hunting. fishing. trapping and teaming.
After his marriage Mr. Anderson moved onto his mother's old claim, built a house on it and engaged in farming. There he remained until 1880, with the exception of eighteen months during the grasshopper times, when he lived in Capron. Boone county, Illinois. His health failed in 1880 and he was obliged 10 give up farm work. Ile then located in Lake- field, then just founded, where he resided two years. In Is$2 he bought a farm on section 16, Des Moines township, where he engaged in farming until he was elected sheriff of Jackson county in 1892. Then he moved to Jackson, where he has since lived, having Ix en engaged in several different business on- terprises.
Anders Olson, the father of our subject, was a shoemaker in his native land. He came to America in 1857, lived in Houston county, Minnesota, until IS61, and then came to Jack- son county. He enlisted in the union army in ISel and served until his death, which oc- curred in hospital at St. Louis, Missouri, in the spring of 1862. His widow remarried and lived in JJackson county until her death, which occurred in 1901 at the age of $1 years. There were four children in the family: Bertha. Christina, Bertha and Ole, of whom the first two named are dead.
Mr. Anderson was married in Belmont town- -Hip January 23, 1872. to Eliza Hanson, who was born in Boone county, Ilinois, November 17. 1817. Her parents were Hans and Eliza Triam Hanson, who were born in Norway and who came to America before their mar- riage and settled in the (then) village of Chi- cago. They were married in Chicago, later moved to Boone county, Illinois, where they died.
To Mr. and Mrs. Anderson have been born
five children. all born in Jackson county. They are: Ella (Mrs. C. A. Stromane), of Kenyon. Minnesota, Forn December 4. 122: Hannah . Mrs. A. B. Frederickson), of Balfour. North Dakota, born September 30, 1551: Hattie (Vr F. A. Brown). of Fairmont, Minnesota. born September 25. 1%; Wallace, who is married and a resident of Wilbur, Washing- ton, born Angust 25. 1ss1: Pearl, who resides at home, born January 31. 1887.
SIMON OLSUN (si), deceased, was one of the pioneers of the county and a gentleman worthy a place in its history. He was born in Tolgen, Norway, June 14. 1:37, and came to America in 1856. From that date until 1861 he lived at Jefferson Prairie, Wisconsin.
In the spring of 1sil Vr. Olin, in company with a colony of Norwegian settlers, came to Jackson county, then very sparsely settled. and took a homestead in Belmont township. In the summer of Istl he enlisted in Brack- ett's battalion of the Second Minnesota and served in the army nine months.
lle again took up his residence in Belmont in 1862. only to be driven out in August by the Indians. He went to spring Grove. Hous. ton county. Minnesota, in 1963, was married there, and came back to his former home in Belmont in 1964, being with the first party to return to Jackson county after the mas. Sere. Mr. Of-on engaged in farming from that date until his death on April 27. 1907. During his long residence in the county he held several offices of trust, among them being county commissioner and judge of the probate court.
Judge Okon was married at Spring Grove. Houston county, Minnesota, in 1863, to Ber- tha olson. She died April 17. 1877, and in 1×83 he married Anna Minde. He was the father of ton children.
HOGAN GILBERT (84). There are very few residents of Jackson county whose arrival antedates that of Hogan Gilbert. of Petersburg township, and perhaps none has lived upon his original land claim for a greater length of time. For over forty-five years le has lived upon the northeast quarter of see- tion 31. which he took as a homestead claim during the civil war. He has witnessed the development of Jackson county as few other men have had an opportunity to.
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Mr. Gilbert is a Norwegian by birth and was born February 6, 1838, in Hallingdal, aals Prestegeld, the son of Gilbert and Bertha (O)- son) Gilbert. He came to America in the spring of 1852 at the age of fourteen years and after spending one year in Wisconsin, he moved west and became one of the very earliest pioneers of southern Minnesota and northern Jowa. He located in Martin county in 1853 and made his home there three years. ite then located at Estherville, Jowa, where for some time he was a member of the lowa home gnards. Je enlisted in the fall of 1862, immediately after the Belmont massacre, which occurred late in August. and for some time was with the fowa guards seouting the coun- try up to the Minnesota line. His headquar- ter- during this time was at Fort Defiance, at Estherville, Jowa. On the first day of June, 1864. Mr. Gilbert became a resident of Jaek- son county, taking a homestead claim on sec- tion 34, Petersburg, and on that farm he has ever since resided.
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