An illustrated history of Lyon County, Minnesota, Part 20

Author: Rose, Arthur P., 1875-1970
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Marshall, Minn. : Northern History Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 726

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133

HISTORY OF LYON COUNTY.

and of the southeast quarter, which was the property of Mr. Whitney.

The site was surveyed by James A. Craik. The certificate of the plat was made October 22 by William G. Ward, Ella C. Ward, Joseph H. Jenkins, Augusta M. Jenkins, James H. Stewart, Lucy J. Stewart, Florence E. Blake, all by John W. Blake, their attorney in fact, and by John W. Blake, Charles H. Whitney and Mary A. Whitney, per- sonally. The certificate was acknowl- edged before William Langdon, register of deeds, and was filed in his office October 22, 1872.

The original plat consists of twenty- four blocks, mostly on the west side of the river. The streets running north- east and. southwest were named East Third, East Second, West First, West Second. Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth. Those running northwest and southeast were named Marshall, Redwood, Lyon and Main. 6

After the townsite was platted, al- though winter was close at hand, a number of buildings were put up and a few business enterprises started. Colonel

6Additions to Marshall have been platted as follows: Blake's, by John W. Blake, April 9, 1877 ; surveyed by C. L. Van Fleet.

Addition A, by John Ward, June 7, 1877; surveyed by C. L. Van Fleet.

Railroad, by Winona & St. Peter Railroad Company, February 5, 1879; surveyed by Arthur Jacobi.

Stewart & Jenkins', by J. II. Jenkins and J. H. Stewart, September 23, 1886; surveyed by J. H. Jenkins.

Howard's, by Ellen Howard, April 26, 1887; sur- veyed by J. W. Blake.

Eastman's, by J. D. Eastman, March 31, 1900; surveyed by W. A. Hawkins.

Riverside, by Marshall Land & Improvement Com- pany, August 23, 1900; surveyed by W. A. Hawkins.

7W. M. Todd wrote a reminiscent article of early days in Marshall for the News-Messenger of August 21, 1903. He told of his arrival and of conditions as he found them in October, 1872, as follows:

One sunny morning in October, 1872, I left New Ulm on a construction train destined for 'Redwood Crossing,' as it was then called. The name Marshall had not at that time been heard of. [Mr. Todd was mistaken. The name had been selected some time before, although the village had not yet been platted.] . . . Reaching 'Cottonwood Crossing' (Amiret), which was as near as the track was laid, I stayed over night with the Mitehell family. .

"I left the Mitchell hostelry next morning with John Snyder, who had been to 'the crossing' for a load of lumber to take to Lake Benton. The load was so heavy and the roads so rough that we walked most of the way and reached what was to be known as Marshall about dark That night I slept in a tent occupied by

Samuel MePhail opened a law office, erecting a little structure on the site of the Lyric Theater that was later used as a claim shack. R. M. Addison and H. J. Tripp, who carried the mail between Redwood Falls and Lynd, formed a partnership and engaged in the implement business on the lot to the rear of the present Addison Block. David P. Billings came to the village and opened a general store. John A. Coleman erected a store building near the present Lyon County National Bank Building and engaged in business. Dr. S. V. Groesbeck and J. W. Blake erected residences, the first in the village, and the former later engaged in the drug business.

A Congregational church society was organized and a building in which to hold services was begun. Daniel Far- quher opened a blacksmith shop in a little building he erected near the Main Street bridge. W. M. Todd arrived in October and engaged in the lumber business, erecting a little office building in the rear of the present Youmans vards.7 Among others who located in

the erew of John Watson, which was building the railroad bridge aeross Redwood river. . .

"Though thirty-one-almost thirty-two-years have elapsed, the impression given by the scene as I emerged from the tent next morning is still vivid. . . . In every direction was a seemingly endless expanse of undu- lating prairie, green with a verdure which a hand of man had never disturbed, utterly houseless and without trees, excepting those which marked the course of the river.

"After a simple but substantial breakfast with the bridge erew, I set out 'to see the town.' There were just two buildings: one a little structure occupied by surveyors as headquarters, the other a cheap building occupied by Everett & Company as a supply store for the construction men. Captain Herrick, of Gary, South Dakota, also had a tent on the bank of the river in which he kept a small stock of goods. His goods were called by different names, but they were all poured from the same jug.

"Farther up what I was told was a street a little frame building had just been started. Approaching it, I found a man sitting on a timber smoking a cigar. His face was smooth, his hair was thin but long, and his countenance indicated that his mind was hard at work. I introduced myself, and he informed me that his name was Charles H. Whitney and that the building being erected was to be a hotel. I told him I had eut loose from the effete East and was looking for a location in the West, where I might shake the ague, which had so long been shaking me, and grow up with the country. Whitney saw at once that his reply was expected to be in the nature of advice, and I never knew a man to make a greater effort to rise to the dignity and respon- sibilities of his task.

"lle pointed in every direction to the oceans of

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HISTORY OF LYON COUNTY.

Marshall in 1872 were J. W. Blake, who sold town lots; J. G. Ward, who became the first station agent; Walter Wakeman and W. M. Pierce, who were attorneys; C. H. Richardson, Stanley Addison, Andrew Barrett, Thomas McNeil. L. B. Nichols, Lyman Turner, N. Wilkins and C. Mehan.

The following letter written in Mar- shall October 26, 1872, and published in the Winona Republican gives an idea of conditions in the little village at that time:

Most everyone has heard of a little railroad station and embryo eity just dug up away off somewhere in the West by the name of Marshall, but few know where it is located, except that it is accessible by the Winona & St. Peter railroad. It is situated eighty miles west from New Ulm, forty miles from Redwood Falls, forty-five miles from the Dakota line, twenty-five miles from Lake Benton, and eight miles from Lynd, the last mentioned being the illustrious seat of Lyon county.

Although this little town is in its infaney, I venture the assertion that no one who has never visited it ean conceive with any approach to facts the activity and interest with which business is impelled. In the morning a few

untilled land, which he maintained was as fertile as it was fair; he looked a few years into the future and drew a pieture of solid townships of No. I wheat and herds of sheep and eattle; prophetieally he saw about him a thriving eity with paved streets, palatial resi- dences and metropolitan stores; he could hear the rumbling of ponderous machinery in the manufacturing plants and see the towering chimneys emitting copious volumes of smoke, which formed blaek mountains against the sky; he could see glistening church spires and hear the babbling of myriads of children at play about the different school buildings; he could see processions of wagons reaching from the city miles into the country, all loaded with grain and hay and fruit and stock, and he waved his hat majestically as he described the movements of the boats which would earry the products down the Redwood river to the waiting markets of the East. It was a pieture no artist could paint. .

"I tried to put my imagination in sympathy with his. I tried to see the processions of wagons, but as there was not a house or a hoof between us and the far distant horizon, the wagons refused to appear. I also tried hard to see the big steamers floating down the Redwood, but there was no place in sight where } could not have jumped across the stream, and my imagination would not work right with such contra- dictory surroundings.

"When Mr. Whitney was in the midst of his eloquent peroration he was interrupted by a tall man riding a pony and carrying a gun. The visitor was introduced to me as Major Blake. The major dismounted and after a cordial greeting asked me where I hailed from, what business I was going to undertake, and if I had selected a lot. While we three were talking another inan approached us. He was tall and straight and wore a cape about his shoulders. He had a stately step, wore his hair long, and had a Vermontish coun- tenance. His name was Walter Wakeman. .

"I left the plaec that afternoon for Winona, riding to 'Cottonwood Crossing' with Mr. Underwood, who was head clerk for Bridge-builder Watson. I ordered my lumber and returned as soon as the cars were running and began to do business. The night of my

loads of lumber are hauled to a certain spot and immediately begin the creaking of saws and elanging of hammers, continued until silenced by the darkness of night, when a little shanty, 16x24 feet, or smaller, is so nearly completed as to allow men to lodge therein the same night. A family will arrive in town on the evening train and next morning charter an ox team and lumber wagon, and after loading in the live stock, start out on the prairie to find a piece of government land on which to squat and by night they will find their land and arrange to file upon the same and next morning return with a carpenter to build the house.

There are at present in process of ereetion here one hardware store, one grocery and dry goods store, one boarding house, one livery stable and a Congregational church. The latter will be only a temporary, two-story building, the upper story of which will be used for religious purposes, and the ground floor will be used for school purposes.

The railroad company is building, all at the same time, a depot, a turn-table, an engine house and warehouse. All these buildings, with the dwelling houses being erected, give employ- ment to a great number of men and cause a great deal of commotion and excitement.

Nearly every nation on the globe is represented here, and when the representatives talk at once in their native tongue they make the most con- glomerated gabble you ever heard.

Next comes our hotel, which was begun a little more than three weeks ago. Of course, it is not completed, yet it manages in some mysterious way to lodge the modest number of

return was the night on which the floor of the hotel dining room fell in [October 20]. . . . My first eustomer was Levi Kiel and my second old man Waterman, the two coming about the same time. I remembered this because I had never seen a foot of lumber measured, and my ignorance was decidedly embarrassing. Mr. Kieł, who wasn't so fresh, showed me how to pro- eeed.

"About this time the permanent population em- braeed, besides those already mentioned. (harley Richardson, Stanley Addison, Dr. Groesbeck, the Hunters, General Pieree, and perhaps a few others whom I do not now remember. . . I engaged Walter Dunn, a husky young man from Rochester, to help me in the lumber yard.

. As soon as possible I built a lumber office, and then had the best-perhaps the only good-place to sleep in town. This was the first building con- pleted in Marshall, except the surveyors' headquarters and the supply store before mentioned.

"Cold weather soon eame, and with it a snow storm which not only ended all construction work on the railroad but eaused a great amount of suffering among the laborers. The latter eame stringing into town for a day or two, and some of them were in pitiable condition. Jlow to shelter so many men from the piereing eold was a serious problem. Barrett and MeNeil, who had rented the hotel of Mr. Whitney, had an addition to the hotel partially completed. It was rough boarded on the outside, shingled and floored. The .up-stairs portion was all in one room, the parti- tions not having been set off. These laborers to the number of more than a hundred were driven up into this room like so. many eattle and laid out on the floor so thiek that one could not turn unless all turned. MeNeil, who was a big burly Irishman, went up-stairs at intervals during the night and yelled, 'everybody turn over.

"All that portion of the railroad west of New Ulm was so badly bloekaded by the continued storms that there was no hope of opening the road before spring. The prospeets seemed so dismal that I went to Winona and I spent the winter with my brother, C. B. Todd. . . . I left Marshall a day or two before Thanksgiving."

Third Street

City of Marshall

Main Street

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HISTORY OF LYON COUNTY.

about seventy persons each night, and the tables are prepared to accommodate each time four hundred. The host and hostess, Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Whitney, say this is sticking them in too thick, but this is the only house of public accommodation in the place and they cannot conscientiously turn them away.

The first marriage in the village occurred in the fall of 1872. The con- tracting parties were Charles Bellingham and Louisa Durst and the ceremony was performed by C. H. Whitney, justice of the peace, in his hotel.

In January, 1873. the postoffice, which before had been located at C. H. Whit- ney's house, was moved to the village proper and Walter Wakeman became postmaster, the office being conducted in the drug store of Groesbeck & Wakeman. 8

During the winter of 1872-73 there was no advancement in Marshall, and a few who had located in the little town the fall before spent the season in their old homes. The new railroad was covered with drifts all winter and regular trains were not operated to Marshall until April 14. With the he- ginning of spring, however, there were made additions to the little town and its building up was rapid. W. M. Todd, who had wintered elsewhere but who had returned on the first train, has told of the progress that spring: "The ac- tivity in the direction of settling, building and improving the village and surrounding country during that spring of 1873 could hardly be described; or if it were described it would seem incred- ible. The real progress of the place, if

Walter Wakeman served as postmaster until April, 1874. Dr. S. V. Groesbeek then received the commission but served a very short time and was succeeded by C. H. Whitney. The latter served until April, 1876. During his administration, on July 5, 1875, a money order office was established. W. M. Coleman served as Marshall's postmaster from April, 1876, to April, 1878; C. F. Case, to February, 1883; S. D. Hlow, to 1886; M. Sullivan, to August 1, 1890; S. N. Ilarrington, to August 1, 1894; J. S. Renninger, to October 1, 1898; Frank W. Sickler, to November 9, 1902; Charles E. Patterson, to February 8, 1907; Oscar Krook, from that date to the present. A postal savings bank was established in connection with the office July 15, 1911.

not the existence itself, dates from that spring."

J. P. Watson was one of the first to set up in business. He opened a tin shop and a little later added a stock of hardware.9 Early in the spring G. E. Nichols opened a saloon. 1º In May H. S. Adams and Mathew Metcalf arrived from Trempealeau, Wisconsin, bringing with them a building in sections. It was set up and the front part occupied as a blacksmith shop by Mr. Metcalf, while the rear part was occupied as a wagon shop by Mr. Adams.

A brick kiln was constructed in the summer of 1873 by C. H. Whitney and 85,000 bricks were burned. In the fall they were used by J. F. Reichert in the construction of a double store building -the first brick building in the town. John Ward became the first station agent and M. E. Wilcox the telegraph operator. Walter Wakeman and Dr. S. V. Groesbeck opened a drug store, C. Woodbury became the proprietor of the pioneer hostelry and changed the name to Marshall House, P. L. Van Sant established the Travelers Home, Lang- don & Laythe established a lumber yard. J. W. Williams opened a new hardware store, Turner & Loope sold lumber, furniture and machinery, A. O. Under- hill opened a confectionery store, Mrs. Burrall a millinery store, Jesse Bagley a meat market, E. Fuller a photograph studio, Daniel Wilcox a blacksmith shop, L. Nichols a livery barn, W. M. Todd formed a partnership with Coleman &

Five rural free delivery routes are now operated from the Marshall office. Numbers one and two were established June 11, 1900, and the first carriers were George Watkins and Isaac Clendenning, respectively. Numbers three and four were established December 1, 1903, with Harry Jefferson and John Nash, respectively, as carriers. Number five was established May 16, 1904, with F. R. Lindsay as earrier.

9J. P. Watson engaged in the same business con- tinuously until his death in January, 1909.

10The Board of County Commissioners on March IS, 1872, granted Mr. Niehols lieense to sell liquor in Marshall from April 1, 1873, to March 31, 1874. The license fee for the year was $50.

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HISTORY OF LYON COUNTY.

Company and continued in the lumber business, the Prairie Schooner-the first newspaper -was founded in August by J. C. Ervin.

In the first issue of the pioneer paper, August 23, 1873, appeared the following description of the growing town:

The growth of Marshall has been almost miraculous. Nine months ago the first house was erected. Now there are seventy-nine per- manent buildings already construeted, and this number will soon be increased by the erection of others already planned. Upon the same ground where nine months ago the bird and insect tribe held undisputed sway, there has sprung into existence, seemingly from the very earth, a busy, bustling town, where now mingle in happy unison the sounds of the hammer and ehisel, the continual rattle of passing vehicles, the shriek of the weleome locomotive, and the hoarse shout of Winona and St. Paul dry goods drummers. Within the year land has increased from $1.25 per aere to $25 to $200 each for residence lots and from $100 to $400 each for lots for business purposes, with ready sales. 11

Marshall now has four general stores, two hardware stores, one drug store, one boot and shoe shop, two millinery and dressmaking establishments, three lumber yards, one meat market, two blacksmith shops, two hotels, three boarding houses, an express offiee, a telegraph office, a depot and other railroad buildings, one bakery, two confectionery estab- lishments, a furniture store, a flour and feed store, one livery stable, four dealers in agrieul- tural implements, one brick yard, one church building, one doctor, three lawyers, two elaim agents and dealers in real estate, one dealer in lime, three wheat buyers, three stone masons and several carpenters and builders.

When Marshall was one year old, the Prairie Schooner of October 25, 1873, boasted of progress made:

Our town is one year old this week and we challenge comparison with any other of like age in the West, from the Gulf to British America, and in this we refer not only to the size of the place and its numerous commercial advantages, but more especially to the character of its inhabitants, the business men, the schools, churches, ete. For many years Marshall will necessarily be the market and trading point for an immense extent of country.

The importance of the youthful village

11When the assessment of 1873 was made the value of real estate on the Marshall townsite was placed at §14,448. Those assessed for real estate were L. B. Nichols, R. J. Monroe, A. O. Underhill, N. Stewart, William Clemens, Congregational church, George H. Maynard, J. A. Coleman, Johnson, Walter Wakeman, J. Bagley, D. P. Billings, Everett & Company, Daniel Farquher, J. F. Metcalf, Ezra Ticknor, J. W. Blake, E. B. Jewett, M. Davidson, J. W. Canfield, Joshua

was increased as a result of the election in November, 1873, which gave it the county seat. Several improvements fol- lowed, and plans for the future em- braced many enterprises that have not matured to this day.

The grasshopper scourge put a damper on progress and from 1874 to 1876, in- clusive, the town was almost at a stand- still. In April, 1874, the local paper estimated the population of Marshall at 300, but it is doubtful if the town had that many inhabitants. That year the Kendall mill was built, J. W. Blake started a cheese factory, B. A. Grubb opened a harness shop, S. H. Mott bought an interest in the store of Everett & Company, M. M. Marshall built a grain warehouse and engaged in the furniture business, C. A. Edwards established a lumber yard. L. F. Pickard opened a tin shop, Fuller & Company opened a feed store, Dr. Burgoyne loca- ted in the village for the practise of his profession, 12 D. F. Weymouth opened a law office, Lockey & Yates, masons, and J. Goodwin & Company, builders, lo- cated in the village.

There were also a few additions in 1875. I. P. Farrington opened another general store, Joe Sears a shoe shop, J. A. Hutchins a blacksmith shop, Dr. Newell a dentist's office, Whitney & Webster an insurance office. George Nichols erected a brick building and Marshall, Coleman & Company and C. F. Case a double brick block on Third Street.

Despite the fact that times were about as hard as could be imagined, the local paper almost always gave glowing

Goodwin, C. W. Andrews, John Callaghan, John Gal- lagher, S. V. Groesbeck and C. H. Whitney.

12Among the physicians who have practised in Marshall have been Drs. Groesbeck, Houston, Bur- goyne, Cleveland, Persons, Andrews, Poaps, Armington, Baldwin, Wimer, Renninger, Whitney, Bacon, Kil- bride, Hobday, Mallory, Wheat, Hard, Ferro, Powers, Gray, Akester, Ijams, Heath, Gag and Woodworth.

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HISTORY OF LYON COUNTY.

accounts of the town and its progress. The Messenger on October 1, 1875, said:

Although Marshall is only three years old, we can look with pride at the importance it has already assumed on the map of Minnesota. It started out on the unsettled frontier, with no especial natural advantages except an ocean of fertile prairie tributary to it, and has fought its way to recognition through grasshoppers and hard times, all the time a live town and one with a good destiny. The terminus of the Winona & St. Peter railroad, it has been made the central point for western immigration, and through the pluckiness of its business men has built itself into the best town on the western frontier for its size and condition.

Marshall now has a population of only about three or four hundred, 13 but has several sub- stantial buildings that look as if the people here had come to stay. Among the buildings we will mention a $3000 school house, five two- story brick stores, a Methodist church, a two- story building with hall above belonging to the Congregational church, two hotels, several store buildings of wood, three grain elevators, one grist mill, depot, engine house, etc., together with several fine dwellings of brick and wood. There are three lumber yards. We have a good brick yard.

Marshall became an incorporated vil- lage in 1876. The first action toward that end was taken at a mass meeting held at M. M. Marshall's drug store on the evening of Monday, December 27, 1875. Of that meeting J. P. Watson was chairman and C. H. Whitney secre- tary. It was the sense of those present that sections 4, 5 and 9 should be in- corporated as the village of Marshall and J. W. Blake, D. F. Weymouth and R. M. Addison were named a committee to draft an incorporation act.

A bill that met the approval of the citizens was drawn up and introduced

13The census of 1875 gave Lake Marshall township, including the village of Marshall, a population of only 397. The population of the village was probably not over 250.

14An amended charter was put in force in 1881 by legislative action. The changes were not great but were made necessary by defects in the original instru- ment. The amendments were drawn up by the Marshall Board of Trade and the new charter became operative in March, ISS1.

15Two previous efforts to this end had been made. On July 30, 1892, at a publie meeting attended by only a few citizens, resolutions were passed favoring the change and the Village Couneil was asked to draft a bill. On April 9, 1897, another mass meeting was held, ealled at the instance of the village authorities. It was the desire of some to incorporate under the provisions of the law of 1895, but a majority of those present were unfavorable to the change and no action was taken.

in the Legislature by Senator J. W. Blake in January. A petition favorable to the aet and one remonstrating were circulated for signers and forwarded to the state capital. The bill was passed with little opposition and was signed by the governor February 17.

Provision was made in the incor- porating aet for the beginning of mu- nicipal government and C. A. Edwards, J. F. Reichert, C. H. Whitney. C. F. Case, Oren Drake, John Ward and J. A. Coleman were named to call the first election and attend to the preliminaries. The election was held March 10, par- ticipated in by fifty-four voters, and a set of village officers was chosen without opposition. The Council met for the first time on Saturday, March 18, 1876. 14

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An illustrated history of Lyon County, Minnesota, Part 20

Author: Rose, Arthur P., 1875-1970 Publication date: 1912 Publisher: Marshall, Minn. : Northern History Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 726

Author: Rose, Arthur P., 1875-1970
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Marshall, Minn. : Northern History Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 726