An illustrated history of Lyon County, Minnesota, Part 5

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

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Mr. Myers made a trip to the Sioux

who had the foresight and courage to venture. Elab- orate sehemes for big ventures were planned; nothing was done in a niggardly manner; frenzied finance reigned supreme.

Railroad rumors filled the air and "paper" roads covered the territory from one end to the other, most of them backed by bonuses granted by the Legislature. Townsite companies were organized and extensively operated. Townsites were indiscriminately planted on the frontier and the Legislature was prevailed upon to establish wagon roads leading to them, to pass aets declaring them incorporated villages, and to declare them the county seats of counties created for the purpose-counties in which lived not a human being. Such were the conditions when Saratoga was founded.

HISTORY OF LYON COUNTY.

river country in the spring of 1857 with a party of the Dakota Land Company, but soon returned home. Upon his return he sent Renniker with his oxen and wagon to New Ulm for supplies. Contrary to his employer's expressed instructions, Renniker bought a ten- gallon cask of whisky and started home. John Campbell, a notorious half-breed, had witnessed the purchase and with a party of seven Sioux warriors followed and overtook the unfortunate man near the present village of Walnut Grove. Renniker was murdered and the goods taken by Campbell and the Indians. 29

Renniker's death became known and "Swede Charley." accompanied by Hoel Parmelee, one of the settlers at Lake Shetek, set out to find the body. They secured the assistance of Andrew Koch, who lived in the vicinity, and found the murdered man near Nobles' crossing of the Cottonwood, on or near section 19, township 109, range 38. The body was brought to Saratoga and buried on the ridge north of Mr. Myers' house.

After the murder Mr. Myers feared to have his family exposed to Indian attack and moved to the Lake Shetek settle- ment, which had in the meantime been established. There he and his family resided until the massacre of 1862, when they barely escaped with their lives.

In the late fifties when settlers pushed out to the Lake Shetek country they came over the Nobles road to near Walnut Grove and then switched off and proceeded to the lake by way of Lake Sigel. This route was said to have been taken because water was

more easily obtained. In 1861 a road was laid out between New Ulm and Sioux Falls by "a lawyer, a cross-eyed man from Dubuque-called 'Old Steve' -and Hoel Parmelee,"30 which made a shorter route between the two settle- ments than over the Nobles trail by way of Saratoga. The trail crossed the lower end of Lake Shetek and did not touch Lyon county.

Lyon county was left destitute of white inhabitants after the departure of Messrs. Lynd and Myers and remained so until several years after the Sioux War. During these years white men had established homes almost to the border of the county, but none had had the hardihood to venture quite so far from the more populous communities.

Mankato and New Ulm had grown into thriving little villages and the country adjacent to them had become settled. Farther up the Minnesota were Fort Ridgely and the two Indian agencies, at which resided many white people. To the south, Jackson county had attained a population of two or three hundred people, a small colony had been established in the Graham Lakes country of Nobles county, and just over the Lyon county line, on Lake Shetek, there was a thriving little settle- ment. Even farther west, on the Big Sioux river, colonies had been planted and were striving to hold the land. On Lake Benton in after years were found ruins of the homes of people who had lived there before the massacre, but nothing is known of them or their fate. 31

Thus we have knowledge that people

29John Campbell was lynehed in Mankato in 1865 for the alleged murder of the Jewett family. He and Mr. Jewett had served in the same company in the army and after the war Campbell had located near LeSueur, while Jewett, who was known to have about $300 in cash, had returned to his home on a farm near Mankato. Soon after, so it was believed, Campbell and five Indians went to the Jewett home and mur- dered the whole family with the exception of a baby and Mr. Jewett's father, who had been left for dead. Campbell was taken into custody and his life was brought to a close by being suspended from a tree

growing not far from where the Normal School now stands. It is said that a posse pursued the Indians, overtook them in Lyon county or nearby, and shot down the five accomplices.

30The information originated with Iloel Parmelee, who settled at Lake Shetek about 1855, and was seeured by Dr. II. M. Workman.

31A writer in the Lake Benton News of January 27, 1881, said: "There is evidence that the country around Lake Benton had early settlers. A gentleman who settled at Lake Benton in March, 1869, has said

HISTORY OF LYON COUNTY.

were living on all sides of the future Lyon county prior to the outbreak of the Sioux War. But from the time of the departure of the traders, Lynd and Myers, until after the Sioux were driven from the country we have no record of the permanent occupation of Lyon county by white men.

But, while the county was not occu- pied permanently during this period, we know that at least a few trappers operated here. Three such were Luther C. Ives, George Lamb and Charles Fesenden.32 The men spent the winter of 1860-61 on Lake Shetek and the next winter lived in Indian tepees at Saratoga. Mr. Lamb was killed in the massacre of August, 1862, near New Ulm and Mr. Ives took part in the defense of that city.

Another man who claimed to have trapped extensively in Lyon county during this period was T. J. Bowers. According to his story he employed a number of trappers and had his head- quarters in the vicinity of Saratoga, where he lived in a dug-out. He made the statement that at the time of the massacre he was a scout in the govern- ment employ, and that he spent the night of August 20, 1862-the date of the Lake Shetek massacre-in the Myers cabin at Saratoga. 33

It is possible that temporary settle- ment may have been made at another point in Lyon county before the Sioux War. On sections 32 and 29, Lake

that when he arrived there were only two other settlers in the vicinity-William Taylor and Charles Shindle. He reported that there were several vaeant houses seattered around the lake-six of them-partly burned. There were also several large pieces of breaking done. On one place there were a large number of rails and posts split in the timber and logs eut but not split. The writer asked several of the Indians about this, but they knew nothing. His opinion was that they fell vietims to the 1862 massacre. The writer found the skeletons of two persons about where the Lake Benton depot now stands."

32The data for this paragraph were obtained from a personal interview with Mr. Ives, who now lives in South Dakota.

33\Ir. Bowers was in Traey June 9, 1893, and in company with Dr. H. M. Workman, Earle Miller and Niel Currie he drove out to the scenes of his early

Marshall township, the settlers of 1870 found one or two pieces of land which had been broken many years before. The furrows had grown over to grass and stood as solid as the unbroken prairie. Those who made the discovery estimated that the breaking must have been done before the massacre.

Whoever may have resided in the county previously had departed before the Indian outbreak of August, 1862, and Lyon county was destitute of in- habitants when the outbreak occurred.

Fortunate was it for Lyon county that settlements were not located within its boundaries when the terrible Sioux massacre came upon the exposed frontier in the awful days of August, 1862. For the fair soil of Southwestern Minnesota was crimsoned with the blood of many innocent men, women and children. Fiendish atrocity, blood-curdling cruelty and red-handed murder ran riot. The murder-crazed redskins plied the rifle and tomahawk until not less than eight hundred victims had paid the penalty for trying to extend the limits of civili- zation. The massacre was the most stupendous one in the annals of Indian warfare, and only for the fact that it contained no settlers did Lyon county escape the awful calamity.

The valley of the Minnesota river was drenched with blood. In the present counties of Brown, Nicollet. Redwood, Renville and Yellow Medicine men, women and children were butchered by

activities. Of this trip and the evidence that Mr Bowers had operated there as maintained. Dr. Work- man has written:

"He [Bowers] said he would like to drive out to Saratoga and look that country over onee more. That he had been there in an early day cannot be questioned. We went to the Nobles spring, stable and bridge, and from there he pointed up the river to Jim Morgan's place and said: '1 was there last in 1864 and never returned-left in January.'

We drove over and a short way up the river, and about seventy-five feet from it, on the banks of a small ereek, we found the dug-out as described. It was west of George Robinson's and south of the feneed field. Robinson and Morgan had never seen it. . . . He claimed that he had left in the dug-out several hundred traps and that he employed fourteen men to trap We dug out the place, but found nothing."

HISTORY OF LYON COUNTY.

the hundreds. At other exposed points in Southwestern Minnesota the redskins fell upon the settlers and enacted lesser tragedies-lesser only because their vic- tims were not so numerous. At Wood lake, only a few miles from the Lyon county line, was fought the deciding battle of the war. At Lake Shetek, just beyond the southern boundary of Lyon county, occurred one of the famous butcheries of the massacre, participated in by Indians who had their homes on the Redwood river in Lyon county.

In the settlement at Lake Shetek at the time of the massacre were about fifty persons, consisting of the following named men and their families: John Eastlick, Charles Hatch, Phineas B. Hurd, 34 John Wright, William J. Duley, H. W. Smith, Aaron Myers, 35 William Everett, 36 Thomas Ireland, Andrew Koch; and the following named single men : William Jones, 37 Edgar Bentley, *John Voigt, E. G. Koch, John F. Burns and Daniel Burns. 38

On the twentieth of August about twenty Sioux came to the lake and ruthlessly murdered a number of the settlers, wounded many more, and took some into captivity. They were headed by White Lodge, chief of one of the upper bands, and accompanying them were Grizzly Bear (also known as Lean Bear) and others from the Lynd woods. 39 These Indians were acquainted with the Lake Shetek settlers and in the past had been shown many kindnesses by them. Their attack was the basest treachery.

The first home visited was that of Phineas B. Hurd, who was absent at the time. Ten of the Indians entered the house and while Mrs. Hurd prepared breakfast talked and smoked their pipes. E. G. Voigt, the hired man, picked up

34Was absent at the time of the massaere.

35 Had formerly lived in Lyon county.

36 Later became a resident of Marshall.

37 Was absent at the time of the massacre.

the baby when it awoke and cried and walked out in the yard with it. No sooner had he left the house than an Indian deliberately shot him dead near the door. Mrs. Hurd was amazed at the deed, for these Indians had always been kindly treated and had often fed at her table. She ran to the assistance of the fallen man and her baby, but a mis- creant intercepted and she was ordered to leave at once and go to the settle- ments across the prairie. She was even refused the privilege of dressing her naked children and was compelled to commence her wandering over the track- less prairie, without food and practically without raiment for herself and children.

The next place visited was the home of Andrew Koch. Mr. Koch was shot, the house was plundered, and Mrs. Koch taken prisoner by White Lodge. She was with the Indians ten days and was finally rescued at Camp Release.

Some of the settlers fled to the settle- ments when the attack on the others became known, while others gathered at the house of John Wright and prepared it for defense. For some reason they abandoned the house to seek protection in a slough. The Indians at once com- menced firing on the retreating party and the whites returned the fire as they fled. Those wounded in the flight to the slough were Charles Hatch, William Everett, John Eastlick, Mrs. Eastlick, Mrs. Everett and several children.

Upon receiving the Indians' promise that they would not be harmed, the women and children left the protection of the slough and went to the savages. No sooner were they out than Mrs. Everett, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Ireland and several of the children were killed. Mrs. Eastlick was shot and left for dead

38The Burns brothers lived alone on a claim at Walnut Grove, some distance from the lake.

3ºAmong the Indians participating were Old Pawn, Chaska, Tizzie Tonka, Titonah Che Che (Bad Ox) and White Owl.

HISTORY OF LYON COUNTY.

but she finally made her escape with two of her children. Mrs. Julia A. Wright, Mrs. William J. Duley and four of their children were taken captive and some of them were ransomed at Fort Pierre. All other settlers made their escape, many of them after innumerable hardships. The Burns brothers were not attacked. 40

Southwestern Minnesota had received a setback from which it took many years to recover. After the inauguration of the fiendish warfare the frontier line receded eastward and the greater part of Southwestern Minnesota was again in the midst of the hostile Indian country. Steps were taken to defend the exposed settlements, to conquer the redskins and drive them back.

The Civil War was in progress and most of the able-bodied men were in the South, fighting for the Union. It there- fore required some time to muster troops and place them in advantageous posi- tions to cope with the wily red foe. But after some delay the Indians were driven back, soldiers were placed all through the western country, and the prairies were patrolled by companies detailed for the service. The expedi- tions against the hostile Sioux resulted in Lyon county being occasionally visited by military parties.

The savages were in time subdued, but for a number of years settlers on the extreme frontier lived in a state of con- stant anxiety, not knowing at what time the scenes of 1862 might be repeated. When peace was established on the

40 Dr. H. M. Workman has prepared the following list of people who were residents (or had been just prior to the outbreak) of the Lake Shetek settlement at the time of the massacre and the fate of cach:

Killed- John Voigt, Andrew Koch, Sophia Ireland, Sarah Jane Ireland, Julianne Ireland, John Eastlick, Frederick Eastlick, Giles Eastlick, William J. Duley, Jr., Bell Duley, Emma Duley, Mrs. Sophia Smith, Mariah Everett, Willie Everett, Charley Everett.

Taken Captive and Later Rescued-Mariah Koch, Rosannah Ireland, Ellen Ireland, Franklin Eastlick, two Duley children, Mrs. William J. Duley, Mrs. Julia Wright, Dora Wright, George Wright, Abillian Everett. Present but Escaped-Aaron Myers, Mrs. Aaron

border, settlement again commenced- destined this time to be permanent- and the frontier line moved westward rapidly.

In 1864 two brothers, Moore by name, came from Eastern Minnesota and braved the dangers of locating in prox- imity to the Indians. They located on the southwest quarter of section S, Lake Marshall township, and broke some land. But they soon became alarmed for their safety and deserted their claims.

In 1865 or 1866 Denman Greeman located on the Myers place at Saratoga, but within a short time moved to the Lake Shetek settlement and became a permanent resident.

A few half-breeds made pretense of holding claims along the Redwood in Lyon county after the massacre. Alex- ander and Joseph LaFramboise, Jr., sons of the first white man to settle in the county, had claims in Lynd town- ship, which they sold to A. W. Muzzy and E. B. Langdon in 1867. Thomas Robinson, a French half-breed, had a claim on section 27, Lynd, which he soll to Ralph Holland in the spring of 1868. John Mooers, a half-breed son of Hazen Mooers, sold a claim on section 34, Lynd, to Arthur Ransom at the same time.

Lyon county remained destitute of white population until 1867. That year a few pushed out to the Redwood river country, selected claims, and established permanent homes. At last the country which had been the home of the abor- igine for countless ages was possessed by the whites.

Myers, Louisa Myers, Arthur Myers, Olive Myers, Fred B. Myers, Addie J. Myers, Almiona Hurd, William Henry Hurd, Baby Hurd, Thomas Ireland, Lavina Eastlick, Merton Eastlick, Johnnie Eastlick, William J. Duley, H. Watson Smith, William Everett, Charles Hatch, Edgar Bentley, Charles Ziercke and family, Frank Labache, Rhodes, Dan Burns, John Burns.

Absent-Phineas B. Hurd, William Jones, E. G. Koch, J. G. Wright, Sam Jacques, Wesson Lake Alacabee.

Had Moved Away-Albino Griswold, Hoel Parmelee, Sam Brown, Hank Brown, Lamb, Bassett, J. H. Ingalls.

CHAPTER II.

EARLY SETTLEMENT-1867-1869.

T HERE is always something con- nected with the settlement of a new country that interests, and so it is with Lyon county. Often, how- ever, there is a tendency on the part of the chronicler of local history to paint, polish and varnish the stories of the early days, so that sometimes those who were the principal actors in the drama enacted fail to recognize themselves or their part in the play. It is my inten- tion to steer clear of this fault and avoid fiction in dealing with the early day events, and to rely solely upon the facts to make the narrative interesting.

After the close of the Civil War and the subjugation of the Indians, there was a great tide of immigration to the western country. To all parts of the upper Mississippi valley came the home- seekers, who spread out over the rich lands of Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas and Nebraska. Most of the emigrants were from the eastern and central states, where timber was abundant, and their first choice was always wooded land along the streams. So it came about that the first settlement in Lyon county was made in the timber tract along the Redwood river in the townships of Lynd and Lyons.

Permanent settlement in Lyon county 1 Article by Mrs. C. F. Wright dated February 23, 1874.

began in 1867. The year before, how- ever, a few men had visited that part of Redwood county which later was set off as Lyon for the purpose of spying out the land and selecting claims.

A. W. Muzzy made a trip to the Lynd woods in 1866 and there found several families of half-breeds occupying claims by squatters' rights. He selected a claim held by LaFramboise on section 33, Lynd, bargained for the purchase of # the same, and made arrangements with the half-breed to hold the claim until his return. This LaFramboise did, liv- ing in the log cabin formerly occupied by James Lynd as his trading post. 1

In 1866 also came Charles E. Goodell and his cousin, Will Stone. They spent some time hunting, trapping and cutting timber, they having conceived the idea of cutting logs in the Lynd woods and floating them down the river during high water to a mill at Redwood Falls. They soon abandoned the scheme. Mr. Goodell determined to make his home in the county and selected as a claim the northeast quarter of section 5. Lyons township, the site of the first Lynd trading post. He came back again in 1867, but did not locate per- manently until January, 1868.

HISTORY OF LYON COUNTY.

The first settler to make a permanent home in the county was T. W. Castor. who located on the extreme eastern border of the county in the spring of 1867. Part of his claim was on section 34. Stanley township, and the rest was over the line in Redwood county. He built a house on the claim and resided there several years. It is said that he hauled his supplies from Redwood Falls during the winter on a handsled drawn by a Newfoundland dog. To T. W. and Mary Castor, on September 12, 1867, the first white child in Lyon county was born. His name was Hugh Wilson Castor and he died of diphtheria in Iowa. 2

During the month of June, 1867. A. W. Muzzy, who had selected his claim the previous year, came to take posses- sion and he was accompanied by E. B. Langdon. Both dated their permanent residence in Lyon county from that time. Their families came in Septem-

¥ ber.3 During the fall months of 1867 there also joined the little settlement in the Lynd woods and became established residents the following: L. W. Langdon and family (including a nephew. Emer- son Hull), Luman Tieknor and his wife and step-daughter, Elizabeth Taylor; M. V. Davidson and family, Mrs. C. F. Wright and son, D. M. Taylor and E. E.

2T. W. Castor was a graduate of Oberlin College. He was a man of positive temperament, peculiar in his views, independent in his thinking. He was a scont under General Sibley during the Indian War and at one time served as deputy register of deeds of Olmsted county. Mr. Castor was a pioneer of Redwood Falls but remained only a short time. He settled in Lyon eounty with the intention of raising stock and was the county's pioneer stoek man. The first winter of his stay he had only one cow, and from that he increased until he had quite a herd. Mr. C'astor was a member of the Board of County Commissioners in 1874. In the late seventies he moved to Pottawattamie county, Iowa.

: 3A. W. Muzzy was untiring in his efforts to induce immigration to the wieinity. He wrote artieles descriptive of the country to newspapers in the East and West and enlisted the attention and co-operation of many leading men of Minnesota. His settlement in the county was due to his desire to found a Methodist eolony. He and his son-in-law, Rev. C. F. Wright, planned to establish a large church and school for the edneation of the Indians. The scheme proved to be a visionary one, but it resulted in giving to Lyon county many desirable eitizens.

Taylor. All of these located in the woods in Lynd township and all spent the following winter in their new homes.

Others came during the year to view the new land and some selected claims with the intention of returning the next year, but the ones mentioned were the only ones who may properly be termed settlers of 1867.+ When the first set- thers arrived Lyon county had not been divided into townships or sections, but during the months of July, August, September and October Surveyors R. H. L. Jewett and George G. Howe and their assistants ran the lines.5 There- after the settlers could select their claims intelligently, although it was some time later when the plats were placed on record and filings could be made at the land office.

The first arrivals to the Lynd settle- ment were religiously inclined and on September 26, 1867, the first religious services in the county were held, partici- pated in by A. W. Muzzy, his daughter, Sophia, wife of Rev. C. F. Wright of the Methodist church, and L. Langdon and family. 6

The Lynd settlement was decidedly on the frontier. To the north the near- est neighbors were on the Minnesota river, to the east only a few settlers were to be found until the Minnesota river

4Among those who visited the region in search of land in 1867 were Lambert Mareyes and his son, Iliram R. Mareyes. They met some of the party that had preceded them and inquired where good land could be found, supplied with timber and water. The new arrivals were informed that several belts of timber had been seen at a distance, which were supposed to be along ereeks or bordering the several lakes nearby, and that quite a forest was known to exist on a ereek about three miles to the northwest, to which the Mareyes took their way. On returning at night one of the many questions asked was where they had been during the day. They replied, "over to that three- mile ereek," and ever since the stream has borne the name Three-Mile ereek.

"The townships of Lneas, Vallers and Westerheim had been surveyed in August and September, 1859, by Mahlon Blaek, but the surveyor uegleeted to make proper mounds and the stakes were mostly destroyed by prairie fires. The township of Custer was surveyed in 1867 by Shaw & Taylor and Eidsvold the same year by David Watson.

6See history of the Methodist church of Marshall, chapter 10.

HISTORY OF LYON COUNTY.

was reached, to the south (excepting a Nelson, who has ever since lived in few settlers on Lake Shetek) it was Lyon county; Mrs. Bowers, a daughter of A. W. Muzzy, who came in April and died of consumption on April 20, one week after her arrival, hers being the first death in the county; John Clark, Henry B. Nichols and possibly others. many long miles to the nearest white homes, while to the west all was unin- habited country.7 The making of homes in the frontier land was not accom- plished without many difficulties and carried with it sacrifices and most of the Charles E. Goodell returned to his claim in Lyons township in January, 1868, and during that year C. H. Hildreth, Luther Hildreth and W. S. Adams located in the same precinct, all taking elaims along the Redwood river. comforts that make life endurable for him who has had the savage educated out of him. The only visitors were the Indians and half-breeds, who were still in the vicinity in small numbers. The prairies were unbroken by roads or groves, and the winter storms and summer prairie fires chased the elk and antelope without hindrance.

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An illustrated history of Lyon County, Minnesota, Part 5

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