An illustrated history of Nobles County, Minnesota, Part 5

Author: Rose, Arthur P., 1875-1970
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Worthington, Minn. : Northern History
Number of Pages: 738

USA > Minnesota > Nobles County > An illustrated history of Nobles County, Minnesota > Part 5

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

There is no evidence that Indians ever had their permanent villages located on Nobles county soil, but such may have been the case. For a few years after the first settlers came, however, Indians were permanently domiciled here. In Sep- tember, 1868, a band of seven or eight families came down from the Pembina country (from the Minnesota side of the river), and spent the fall trapping on Graham lakes. Part of the Indians were full blooded Sioux ; the others were half breeds ( English and Chippewa).

Although perfectly friendly, their ar- rival created something of a slir, and at least one young man will remember them during his lifetime. Ile was the son of John Anscomb, one of the set- tlers of Graham lakos. He was return- ing from the postoffice when he came suddenly upon a number of teepees erect- ed immediately in his pathway. He had passed over the road less than an hour

13The surveys of the several townships Were made as follows: Hersey, Aug. 27-Sept. 1; Reward. Sept. 1-4; Bloom. Sept. 1 7: Willmont. Sept. 8-10: Larkin, Sept. 11-15: Summit Lake. Sent. 15-18; Elk, Sept. 19-23: Worthington. Sept. 23-26: Dewald. Sept. 26-30; Olney, Sopt. 30-Oct. 2; Little Rock, Oct. 3-6; Ransom, Oct. 7-10; Bigelow, Oct. 12-16; Indian Lake, Oct. 2

before, and his surprise was great. Ter- ror lent wings to his feet, and he lost no time in getting home. He left the road, waded the outlet of Jack lake, where the water was up to his chin, and came on a run to his father's place, his eves bulging, and so out of breath that he could with difficulty tell of his find. Messrs. Anscomb and B. W. Woolsten- croft set out at once to investigate. They found the Indians to be friendly and in possession of passes from the agent, per- mitting them to leave the reservation and to hunt and trap.

The Indians spent a few months in the vicinity, and then returned to their northern homes. The next year they re- turned and made their camp on the west shore of Ocheyda lake. They spent the winter of 1869-70 there. They were on very friendly terms with the whites, and more than one of the pioneer settlers could vouch for their hospitality. An- other hand of Indians and half breeds made their home for a while on Indian lake. They had their tepres in the tim- her of the lake when the first settlers located there in 1869, and were there two years. There were seventeen fami- lies of them. and they spent their time in trapping and hunting. Their rela- tions with the few whites there were al- ways friendly.

More settlers arrived in 1869. In the spring of the year came II. L. Wallace, B. B. Brain and several others to the Graham lakes country. W. A. Dillman, accompanied by Aaron Fortner, returned to the county in February to resume trapping operations. They took up their

15-20: Lorain, Oct. 20-20; Graham Lakes, Oct. 24-29.

"The dates of survey of these four town- ships were as follows: Westside, Ang. 30- Sept. 4; Grand Prairie, Sept. 6-11; Leota, Oct. 1-6; Lismore, Oct. 7-13.

HISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY.

abode on the east shore of Ocheyda Jake, taking possession of an old trapper's shanty which they found at that point. They remained there until the close of the fur taking season in the spring, and made a good catch. They divided ter- ritory with the indians in the vicinity, and were the only white men in the neighborhood.

To the Indian lake country, in the southeastern part of the county, came a few resolute pioneers in 1869, who had all the experiences and suffered all the hardships of first settlers. Although the Graham lakes country had been settled for two years, it was some twelve or fifteen miles distant, with barren coun- try intervening, and there was no in- tercourse between the two communities. The Indian lake settlement was as iso- Jated as had been that of Graham lakos two years before.

Isaac Tłorton was the first to take a claim in the Indian lake country. tle had moved to Spirit Lake in 1861. and during that year had visited Indian lake while on a hunting trip. Ho liked the looks of the country and decided that some day he would make his home there. On May 6 he filed on land on the east side of Indian lake, and on October 3 he moved his family there. About the middle of May, Henry Brayton, accom- panied by his family, came in the same vicinity and selected land on the west side of the lake, on section 34. There was at that time not an inhabitant within many miles. and Mrs. Brayton was the pioneer white woman of In- dian Lake township. Chas. W. Bullis also came that spring and took a home- stead. R. L. Erskine and family. con- sisting of a wife and five children, ar- rived in the fall and located on the east bank of the lake, on the northwest quar-

ter of section 35. Soon after. however. he abandoned that and filed on lind in section 26. just to the north of his first location. He built a sod house, in which the family lived for several years. His trading point was the old town of Mil- ford, towa. Asal Horton came the same year, but departed in 1820. Myrus Johnson came in the fall and located on the southeast quarter of section 26, and made his home there until about 1825. A. O. Campbell also came that year.

The surroundings of these few settlers were romantic. Surrounding their homes were the camps of the redskins, who were then in that locality. Wolves howled in the timber skirting the shore of the lake and made night hideous. To build their homes lumber had to be bauled from Mankato, nearly 100 miles away, or else log and sod shanties had in suffice.

Many stories of hardships and dan- gers encountered by the first settlers have been told. An incident of the year 1869 is worthy of being placed on record. The following is from the pen of B. W. Woolstencroft :

In February. ISG9. a company consisting of John Anscomb and his son, William. Chas. Haus and C. M. Thompkins (a Quaker who had both his feet frozen off on a former oe- (ision) started out to find a slough in town 102. range 40 (now Worthington township). They were not certain of its whereabout -. and dil not understand traveling by the sce- tion, and consequently got lost. The second day in the morning they were overtaken by a storm of blinding fury and could only guess their course. After wandering about for two days on the prairie they happened to find the corner of a section of which I had given them a plot with the section. town and range marked thereon. They then know where they were for the first time in two days. They turned their team around (for they were going almost directly away from home), and. although the poor cattle had been three days traveling in the snow with no roads, nothing to eat but a little cornmeal. and were snow blind, they had to le driven home to save the lives of the men. as they, too, were snow blind with one ex-

HISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY.

eeption. and that one nearly so. The won- der was that they were not all frozen to death.

The same writer gives another instance of adventure in a blizzard the next win- ter in which he was personally inter- ested :

The other case was Chas. Derby and the writer. We were camped on the bank of Summit like in a small tent. On the night of the 17th of January, 1870, a severe storm arose and raged for three days and nights. The snow drifted terribly, covering the tent and crowding it down so that we had no room to lay down. On the third night at nine o'clock we started home, having been ejected, so to speak. We had no road, no guide, and the thermometer at 27 degrees below zero. We got along very well until we got into a large slough. where the show was very loose and deep, and we could fin ] no way out for some time. When we did my feet were frozen alnost solid. We fin- ally arrived home about three o'clock in the morning. I could enumerate a mimher of instances of like adventures, but these are enough to satisfy me, and 1 judge will sat- isfy the reader.

That winter was an exceptionally so- vere one. and "lingered in the lap of spring." The settlers suffered severely, and many were the narrow escapes from death in the storms. Early in March occurred one of the big blizzards. which lasted six days. This was followed on the 21st and 22nd by another severe storm, in which three lives were lost -- the first of several in the county's his- torv.

On March 21 there passed through the settlement at Graham lakes over the old trail two freighting outfits bound for Sioux Falls. Three men were in charge of these outfits-two Johnsons, father and son, and a man named Sharp. They hailed from Lesueur county and were freighting flour to the Dakota seltle- ment. When the storm struck fear For the safety of the freighters was felt by the people of Graham lakes. On the 23rd, the storm having abated, the whole

community turned out to search for the strangers. That day the bodies were found.

It appears that the storm had struck them when they had reached a point in Seward township, seven miles west of Graham lakes. They eamped there that night, and the next day set out on their journey. Seven or eight miles farther west-in the township of Bloom-Sharp was stricken. His dead body was found beside those of his horses. Two miles farther on the Johnsons unhitched their team and tied the horses to the sled. Both were overcome by the blizzard and met death. The body of the elder man was found wrapped in bed quilts about two rods from the sled. The body of the son was discovered between that of the father and the sled.

Two months after this disaster came another event of thrilling interest. In May, 1870, the settlers about Graham lakes were electrified by the rumor that the Indians were coming to "wipe them ont." and although the rumor proved groundless there were exciting times among the little band. The scare was originated by John Leitz and Lyman Oaks, the latter from Cottonwood county. who went to New Um to dispose of their fur. the product of their winter's trapping. While there they were enter- tained with stories of the 1862 massacre, and on the way home they allowed their imagination to work to an extent suf- ficient to make them see Indians all over the prairie. Immediately upon their return they spread the alarm and succeeded in creating considerable ex- vitement.

Some were in favor of abandoning the settlement and leaving for a more civil- ized community. others to stay and fight it out. The latter prevailed, and a com-

HISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY.

pans was organized to defend their

horses in the place, except the team that homes. S. R. Harris was chosen captain. had been taken to Jackson, and scoured John Cunningham, first lieutenant; B. the country west of the lakes. with the W. Woolstencroft, second lieutenant : B. result that they found five sand hill cranes. This relieved the tension some- what, but that Indians might be in the country and on the war path had not been disproved. F. Tanner, sergeant. It was decided to fortify the island in East Graham lake. and to accomplish this to build a stock- ade across the two narrow strips of land connecting it with the main land, and work was at once commenced to that end.

The captain and first lieutenant de- tailed themselves to go to Jackson for ammunition (which may not look very military: nevertheless it is true), leav- ing the command in the hands of See- ond Lientenant Woolstencroft and Ser- geant Tanner. The officer in command was taken siek, the weather was exceed- ingly warm, and the men preferred sit- ling in the shade and telling stories to building stockades. So the work lagged. Lieutenant Woosteneroft recovered some- what from his sick spell, returned across the lake, and took charge of the opera- tions. Work was at once resumed. but the hot weather had overcome the fright of The workers, and their work plainly showed that they were beginning to doubt the stories told by Oaks and Leitz. Their scepticism was short lived. About five o'clock in the evening Emma Muck. a girl of some fourteen years, who lived with her father on the cast bank of West Graham lake, arrived on the scene and told the men she had seen five Indians on the west bank of the lake. The men required no one to urge them lo work from that time, and more work was done from that moment un- til nighifall than during The whole day previous to that time. B. W. Woolsten- croft and E. J. Clark mounted the only

"One of the members of this pioneer mili- Inry company has facetlously remarked: "For this service we never received any pay: and

The suggestion that the settlers of Cottonwood county, living at Lake Tal- cott and on the Des Moines river. should be notified was acted upon. A courier took a horse, and, going first to lake Talcott, eight miles away, notified John Crapsey's people. then rode down the river two miles and notified the Doore brothers. The latter came over the next morning, joined the company, and did excellent service in telling stories. Br the time the captain and first houten- ant had returned from Jackson the rest of the company had worked upon Leitz and Oaks to a point where they were willing to admit that most of the story was imagination. The stockade was never completed. The work was so ad- vanced, however, that less than one day's work would have put it in shape to hold it against any number of In- dians. The company was disbanded. thankful that the Indian scare had been conducted withont Indians.15

The people of Nobles county did not put in all their time having experiences in blizzards and planning defense against Indians. however. Most of the settlers were of religious and social disposition, and one of their first considerations was religious worship. In the spring of 1870 John Crapsey. a Lutheran preacher who had located on Crapsey lake in Cotton- wood county-only a short distance from the Graham lakes settlement-was in-

I have not heard of anyone who received pen- sions for wounds received or injuries Incurred."

WORTHINGTON STREET SCENE, 1874

Looking Down Main Street from Third Avenue, Where the State Bank of Worthington Now Stands.

BANK

WORTHINGTON STREET SCENE, 1908

Showing the Same Block Thirty-four Years Later.

HISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY.

strumental in organizing the first Sun- day school in Nobles county. The school was held in a combination sod and log shanty on the island, the home of B. F. Tanner. Nearly all the settlers at- tended the meetings of the school, the average attendance being about 25 or 30. John Crapsey was superintendent ; Mrs. B. F. Tanner, assistant superin- tendent and primary teacher; S. R. Harris, bible class teacher.

By an act of the legislature, approved March 7, 1820, the counties of Nobles and Rock were detached from the county of Martin, with which they had formerly been attached for judicial purposes. Pro- vision was made for holding court in Jackson county, and the two counties to the west were attached to that county16

The first federal census after settlers arrived in the county was taken in 1820. According to it there were 117 people residing in the county on the first day of June.17 Of these, 108 were native born : nine were foreign born. Of the 108 native born, 25 were born in Min- nesota, 19 in New York, 14 in Wiscon- sin, eight in Illinois, one in Ohio, and 41 in other states. Of the nine for- rign born, three were born in Great Britain, two in British America, two in Germany, one in Ireland and one in Sweden. Of the total population 63 were males and 54 females. Of the adult population (over 21 years of age), the sexes were evenly divided, there be- ing 36 of each.

Rumors that a railroad was to be built through Nobles county within a short time were responsible for a com- paratively large settlement during the year 1870. The Graham lakes and In-

16Nobles remained attached to Jackson un- til 1873, when a Nobles county district court was established.

NTOther nearby counties: Cottonwood, 534;

dian lako countries received the bulk of this immigration, but a few pushed ont a little farther and made settlement in what are now Seward, Hersey and Bigelow townships. Being obliged to de- pend wholly upon the memory of the few surviving settlers of the early days (and memory is a fiekle thing at best,) it is impossible to give a complete list of the arrivals.

Among the first comers of the year were two parties from Rochester, Minu. both of whom arrived at Graham lakes on May 15. The parties were composed of J. H. Cunningham, E. W. Hessel- roth, Richman Morton, Chet. Cutting, Stephen Howell and a Mr. Stanfield. These men were on their way to Sioux Falls, looking for homes in the new western country, and were traveling over the old trail. When Jack creek was reached the party was met by H. C. Hallett, who advised them that they could do no better than cast their lot with the people about Graham lakes. Mr. Hallett, himself. had arrived only a short time before. The new arrivals decided to take a look at the country. They did so, and all except Stanfield took claims in what later became Gra- ham Lakes township. Ile remained in the settlement about a month and then returned to his old home. Capt. J. W. Miller came in June and settled near Graham lakes. A man named Bent came in the fall and located on seetion 10 of the same township. Other settlers of that year were Benjamin Harrison. S. R. Harris, Wm. IT. Brown, W. G. Brown, J. W. Palmer and John Hart.18 Nearly all these brought families with them. Three settlers, one of whom was

Murray, 209; Jackson. 1,825. Aiken Miner took the Nobles county census.

1'Took homestead in 1870, but did not make his permanent home there until the next year.

HISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY.

Win. W. Comper, arrived in the fall and and two boys located at lake Ocheyde, took claims in Seward township. Ed- ward Berreau took up a residence m Hersey township that year.

To the southeastern portion of the county in 18:0 also came quite a num- ber of settlers, many of whom were Scandinavians. The first of these were Ole Ellingson and John Christ Johnson, who came in the spring. Closely follow- ing these were two brothers, Ole Fauskee and Ole A. Fauskee, who filed on claims June S. The former selected land on the north shore of Ocheyda lake (the northwest quarter of section 6); the latter took a preemption claim on the same section. The brothers walked into Nobles county from a point in northern Iowa, where they had left their families, then walked io Jackson, where they made their filings, and from there back to where their families had been left. They constructed a combination log, sod and hay shanty, in which they lived five years. 19

Henry Haggard arrived in the same neighborhood on June 10, and became a permanent resident. Erie B. Paul came to the county in May, and in Au- gust took up land. Nelson Coyour located at the south end of Indian lake on see- tion 34. John Brown took up land m section 26, where he lived until about 1824. Gundro Joul homesteaded on section 18, and lived there until the late seventies. Grove Luminis, a sin- gle man. located on the southwest quar- ter of section 26, built a cabin, but soon after departed. 1. A. Abbott took as his claim the northeast quarter of see- tion 28 and became a permanent settler. Samuel Barnes took land in the vicinity. Nels Gilson settled just over The line in Bigelow township. A. M. Mccollum "See biographical Pretion.

just south of the isthmus, and lived in a dug-out. Nearly all of these settlers in the Indian lake and Ocheyda lake countries brought families with them and became permanent settlers. Many of them are today living upon the land they took in that early day.

The census taken in the spring of 1820 had shown a population of only 11: people, but during the remainder of the year the emigration had been large, and by fall the population had very nearly doubled. This large increase and the prospects of very rapid settlement in the near future, due to knowledge that the railroad was coming, brought up the question of county organization. The act of 1851 creating the county was still in force, and all that was necessary to bring about the organization was to secure the appointment of three com- missioners by the governor.

The matter was first discussed by the settlers during the first few days of Oc- tober. Nearly all the householders of the Graham lakes community had gath- ered at the home of 1I. C. Hallett, who was conducting a "house raising." There for the first time the matter was dis- cussed. There was no formal meeting, no "whereases" and "therefores;" the question was talked over, and afterwards a vote on the question was taken. There was no opposition, and the settlers then named Chas. H. Drury, B. W. Wool- stencroft and Benjamin Harrison com- missioners, who should take the Deees- sary steps to bring about the organiza- tion. Mr. Woolstencroft wrote to Gov. Horace Austin, stating the facts and asking that official to name commission- ers who should be empowered to set the machinery of county government in mo- tion.

HISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY.

Governor Austin responded promptly. Hle named as commissioners the three gentlemen who had been selected by the settlers, and these, in accordance with the provisions of section 11 of the act of 1851, at once proceeded to name the other county officers20 and perform the other duties of their offices. On Oc- tober 27, 1820, the commissioners met for the first time at the home of Chas. Il. Drury, in Graham Lakes township,21 and the government of Nobles county was under way. The first acts of the board were to make provision for the general election to be held in Novem- ber, for which notices were ordered post- ed; to divide the county into three elec- tion precincts-one in Indian Lake and two in Graham Lakes; and to appoint the county officers. This organization was doubtless legal, but to avoid any possibility of future trouble, the legis- lature on Feb. 17, 1824, passed an act declaring the organization legal.22

Hardly had the county organization been perfected when talk of erecting a court house began. S. R. Harris, the county auditor, was the prime mover in the matter, and he proposed that the county should erect a suitable building in Graham Lakes township. The com- missioners, as well as the people in gen- eral, did not approve the idea. They held that when the county became set-

2"For the early political history see chapter nine.

21Under the original act the county seat had been named as Gretchtown. But, as there was no such place when the organization was per- fected (and never had been), the commission- ers exercised considerable latitude in the mat- ter of selecting a county seat. As a matter of fact, there was no county seat during the first few years. The county officers iwhat few had any duties to perform) transacted the county business at their respective homes. L'ntil the fall of 1871 the board met at the home of Chas. H. Drury. Then the residence of H. D. Bookstaver became the regular mert- Ing place. There was no iron clad rule pro- viding that the "county seat" should be at any particular place, and the mertings of the board were held where it was the most con-

tled, a more central location for the county seat would be selected, and that it would be folly to erect a county build- ing in Graham Lakes township, in the extreme northeastern part of the county. So no action was taken.

The winter of 18:0-11 was another one of hardship and suffering for the settlers of Nobles county. Again was a life sacrificed to the terrible blizzard. The one called was Mrs. J. W. Palmer, of Graham Lakes township, one of the county's most talented and highly re- spected women, and her tragie death was a terrible shock to the community. Mrs. Palmer, who was soon to become a mother, was alone with her small chil- dren in the family home when the bliz- zard >truck. Her husband had been obliged to make a trip to Lake Shetek. lle had made arrangements to have one of the neighbor's boys come and stay with his wife during his absence, but the boy did not put in an appearance.

Mr. Palmer was delayed and was ab- sent from home three days. When he re- turned he found the children in the house alone. He notified the neigh- bors, and a search was at once instituted. At daybreak the dead body of Mrs. Pal- mer was found, partly drifted over with snow. about one hundred rods from the house. By following the back track it was found that she had wandered venient. In the proceedings of Jan. 9. 1872. was an entry providing that the next meeting should be held at the home of J. H. Cunning- ham.

22"An act to legalize the organization of the county of Nobles and to legalize the official acts of the officers of said county. "Re it enacted by the legislature of the state of Minnesota. "Section 1. That the proceedings for the or- ganization of the county of Nobles be and the same are hereby derlared legalized. and the county of Nobles is hereby declared to be a legally organized county, and the official acts of the officers of said county since its or- ganization are hereby legalized. "Section II. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its pisage. "Approved Feb. 17, 1874."

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

An illustrated history of Nobles County, Minnesota, Part 5

Author: Rose, Arthur P., 1875-1970 Publication date: 1908 Publisher: Worthington, Minn. : Northern History Number of Pages: 738

Author: Rose, Arthur P., 1875-1970
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Worthington, Minn. : Northern History
Number of Pages: 738