USA > Minnesota > Nobles County > An illustrated history of Nobles County, Minnesota > Part 7
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61
IHISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY.
check for $100 to the county commis- sjoners to be divided among the needy." There were several applications for por- tions of this state relief fund, and on March 13 it was apportioned as follows: Nekon Covour, $25,00; John H. An- comb. $21.50; Irwin S. Swan, $17.50; IT. D. Bookstaver. $15.00. The remain- der of the money, $22.00, was given to R. L. Erskine on April 30.
Nobles county was called upon for the first time. in 1822, to furnish jurors for the district court of Jackson county, to which it was attached for judicial pur- poses. The following were selected by the board of county commissioners on January 10:
Grand Jurors-Orange H. Chapman, Isaae Horton. H. D. Bookstaver, Frank Tucker, B. W. Woolstencroft, A. A. Abbott. A. A. Allen, Warren Fish. Peter Swarwont. H. W. Kimball, J. W. Miller. TT. Berrean.
Petit Jurors-John Weston, Henry Brayton. H. C. Hallett, Albert Hag- gard. Byron Brain, E. W. Branch, IF. I. Wallace. Henry P. Davis, Anton Nelson, William Rhinchart. W. H. Booth. John Hart.
Although the railroad had been com- pleied to Worthington in the fall of 1871, and it had been the intention of the company to begin the operation of trains at once. it was the spring of 1872 before regular service was established.
** Treasurer Board of Commissioners, Noble County.
"Sir: Please find check for $100, a dona- tion from the relief fund to sufferers by fire or hail in the county of Noble. I recommend the Investment of this sum and an equal amount donated by the county in such sup- plies as will afford to destitute settlers the most relief. And that the county board dis- tribute the supplies at once. Trusting that every effort will be made to do good, avl prevent abuses, I place the matter in their hands. Please acknowledge receipt on hehall of the county.
"IIORACE AUSTIN. "Per Wallace."
The heavy snows kept the road covered nearly all winter. Occasionally during the winter a construction train would get through, but not often. The first passenger train arrived in Worthington April 16, and thereafter there was regu- lar service. The road was opened to Sioux City in the fall.
The coming of the railroad bronght about a change in mail facilities. In the spring of 1822 the old mail route from Jackson to Sioux Falls, via Gra- ham lakes, was discontinued, so far as that portion cast of Worthington was concerned. The mail was now brought by rail to Worthington, and an overland route from that village to Sioux Falls was established. Philo Hawes, that pio- neer mail contractor, was given the con- tract. and "Stormy Jack" Grier was employed to carry the mail. Along this route came into existence a number of country postoffices and stage stations. In Nobles county were three such. The first out of Worthington was Dewald postoffice, located on seetion 20, De- wald township, less than a mile from the present village of Rushmore. J. B. Churchill was the postmaster .? Hobbard postoffice was on seetion 20. Olney town- ship, one mile east of the present vil- lage of Adrian. It was known as the Childs' place. The third postoffice was named Westside, and was on scetion 18. of what is now Westside township.10 Renselear Simmons was postmaster.
"Mr. Churchill located there in March. 1872. Early in 1873 he established a small store and stopping place, which was known as the 10- Mile house.
10Mr. Hawes retired Jan. 1. 1871, when Pan- iel Shell Secured the contract, and for five years thereafter he conducted the mail, ex- press and passenger business over the line. During the first two years he had only two rigs, and made the trip three times a week. Thereafter trips were made daily, the GS miles being made on a ten hour schedule. Bv the time the contract expired Mr. Shell had fifty horses on the route, and the rigs were drawn by four horse teams. He had barns
STATE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT.
7
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LETTER FROM GOVERNOR AUSTIN
Enclosing Check for $100 for the Relief of Sufferers from Fire and Hail During 1871 in the County ot "Noble".
65
IHISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY.
Because there was an enormous im- migration to the county in 1872 and the whole order of things was changed, it must not be imagined that the country was changed in a day. Most of the set- tlers arrived too late to get a crop in the ground, and very little was raised the first season. Except for the fact that the prairies became dotted with the homes of settlers, it was largely the same virgin country it had always been.
The game lover found himself in a paradise. Birds abounded. There were ducks, wild geese, brant, curlew, peli- can and prairie chickens. The local poet wrote: "Fleets on fleets of ducks float 'round the lake." Occasionally glimpses were caught of some of the big game that formerly roamed the prairies in vast numbers. The summer was fine. The days and nights were frequently glorified by thunder storms of terrific and ineffable grandenr. At night the colonists often sat till midnight watch- ing the frolic of sheet-lightning playing over miles of cloud banks, vividly sug- gesting the possible glories of another world. Vegetation grew rank. The far- mer rode along the creek bottoms or on the edges of the lakes and sloughs through seas of wild bluejoint grass up to the horses' backs.
It was the experience of a lifetime. this breaking up the virgin lands and building a community from the ground up, and many have been the probable and improbable stories told of those days. Letters went back to the old homes in the east telling of how the colonists
at Child's place, at Luverne, and at Valley Springs, S. D., where changes were made. James McRobert, now of Ellsworth. and leonard Mcclintock. now an engineer on the Omaha road, were drivers on this route dur- ing all the time Mr. Shell was the contractor. After trains were put in operation between Worthington and Luverne, the contract for carrying the mail between those two places
planted corn with an ax and caught fish with a pitchfork, and how the pianos were set up in the shanty and the li- brary stacked up under the hed.
Of the conditions and prospects, as viewed by those who were casting their lot in the new country, the following ex- tract from an article appearing in the Western Advance of Aug. 31, 1872, will give an idea:
But, railroad center or not, we are in the midst of one of the finest agri- cultural regions on the globe. The vast prairie rolls out on every side, covered with luxuriant grass, and we have only to put in the plow and reap the crop. to tickle it with the hoe, and it will laugh with the harvest. No clearing, ditching. grubbing or stone gathering to be done here, but simple, bean- tiful farming, where the improved agrienl- tural implements can be used, and the farm- er can sit aloft in the shade and direct his team in a competence or a fortune. Of course hard work ean and needs be done here as elsewhere. but the farmer can ae- mire an independence here with one-fourth the labor and one-fourth the time required in districts where dearing is to be done. The government lands have been nearly all taken, but there will be for the first year or two claims to be had at moderate figures. In some instances they have sold high. ac- cording to the value of the location or the judgment of the purchaser. In some cases they are held as high for cash as the rail- road lands are held on five years time. The railroad lands around the town are grad- ually selling off, and by next voar a large amount will undoubtedly be sold to men of means.
The advertisements of the colony company throughout the castern states are daily at- tracting the attention of substantial men who are writing for information or visiting the colony in person. To show the estimate that is ont upon the value of certain lands about Worthington, we may state that one gentleman has refused one hundred dollars an aere for land fronting on the shore of lake Okabena. and lands have been sold. a mile west from town, and fronting on the lake, for thirty dollars an acre. Another traet of ten aeres has been applied for, and
was sublet to the railroad company. There was a big rush to Rock county and the Sioux Falls country after the railroad building was begun, and during the time Mr. Shell operated his coaches only from the end of the rail- road at Luverne to Sioux Falls, he did an immense business. His passenger list some- times ran as high as 75 or 100 per day.
3
66
HISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY.
the owner asks fifty dollars an acre and will not take a cent les -. But abundance of good farming land can be had within from one and a half to three miles of town at from eight dollars to ten dollars an arre. In some instances government land may be had for less.
The bulk of the settlement of 1812 was in the eastern and southern part of the county. in that portion most acces- sible to the railroad. In nine of the townships the population had reached a point where the residents desired town- ship organization. Each of the town- ships of Worthington, Bigelow, Hersey. Grant. (Ransom), Fairview (Lorain), Dewald, Little Rock. Elk and Seward. in the order named. asked for the priv- ilege of organizing, and in each case the request was granted by the county commissioners. All held meetings. elect- ed officers, and entered upon township government.
The greatest settlement in the county was in and around the village of Worth- ington, and the people of that commu- nity were the first to eirenlate a peti- lion asking for the organization of their township. The petition was filed March 30, 1872. and was signed by the follow- ing residents: William B. Moore. E. R. Humiston. J. B. Haines, Jr., J. C. Good- now. T. A. Jones. W. B. Akins. J. M. Brown, J. N. Lemon, R. J. Cunding. B. P. Wiekerstam. L. F. Mebanrin, J. N. Fron. (. P. Hewitt. A. L. Perkins, W. S. Stockdale. E. D. Sonthy, V. J. South. 11. W. Kimball, H. P. Davis, J. W. Stonaker, W. H. Willmarth. W. R. Law- rence, Levi Shell. Daniel Shell. Samuel Leslie. R. D. Barber. Erastus Church, C. (. Goodnow, II. G. Foster. C. H. Stow- art
11For the history of the adoption of the name Worthington for the village ser chap- tor 12.
12The station had been named in honor of C.
On April 30 the commissioners grant- ed the petition and named the new town- ship Worthington, after the village .of the same name.11 On the 20th day of May following the first town meeting was held, and from that time dates the offi- cial existence of the township of Worth- ington.
The request for the organization of the township lying south of Worthington cante on April 29. the petition being signed by James Maloney. Nols N. Lang- seth. Hans Nystrom. Charles John Wickstrom, Lars Elofson, P. A. Wick- strom, C. A. Tillander. Peter Larson, Ole Nystrom, Peter Nystrom. Erick Mahl- berg. Lars Erickson. P. G. Swanson and L. P. Hardow. They asked that it be called Ochenda township, but the fol- lowing day. when the commissioners granted the petition, they named the township Bigelow. after the railroad station of that name in the township.12 The first town meeting was held May 20. the same day that Worthington town- ship was organized.
Hersey33 was the next to begin town- ship government. The position was filed May 11. the board created the township May 30, and the first down meeting was held June 11. The signers to the petition were Geo. W. Pyne, Will- iam Grono, A. A. Parsons, D. Haffey. W. R. Bennett. John Manley. Chas. Frisbie. A. O. Conde. A. J. Timlin. Matthew Smith, Chas. Smith. Jos. S. Thurston, Wm. H. Berger. P. Haffey. Neil MeIhreavie and Matthew Smyth. The townships of Grant, Fairview. Dewald and Little Rock were all ere- aled by the county commissioners on
11. Bigelow. of St. Paul.
"The township took its name from the sta - tion of Hersey (now Brewster), which had been named in honor of General S. F. Hersey.
67
HISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY.
September 3, and the dates for the first town meetings, as set by the commission- ers, were September 20. The people of Grant were the first to present the peti- tion. It was filed June 14 and was signed by the following settlers: John H. Scott. Joseph Hill, T. J. Belknap, R. H. Belknap, H. Nelson, Richard Pri- deaux, Benjamin Midhoe, A. C. Guern- sey, Leroy Cole, B. F. Condgon, D. K. Gordon, Geo. M. Smith, S. I. W. Alen, M. S. Belknap. The first settlers of the township were mostly veterans of the civil war, and at their request the name Grant was given the township in honor of the great commander. For nearly a vear that was the name. Then it was found that there was another township in the state with that name, and on .July 10, 1873, the commissioners re-
1Mr. Robert Shore furnishes a number of items concerning the early days in Ransom township:
"The first settlers in the town of Ransom Were John H. Scott. D. K. Gordon and Jar Hill, who came together from Tama county, lowa, in September. 1871. and took adjoining claims on section 24. At that time there was not a settler within miles of them. Mr. Scott and Mr. Gordon, with their wives, spent the winter of 1871-72 in the same house; and dur- ing that dreary winter. in that lone shanty on the prairie, far from neighbors and friends. was born to Mr. and Mrs. Gordon their first horn, a boy (Edward ),-the first birth in
what is now Ransom township. As this was before the town was organized, there is no mention of it in the town records. The first birth on record is that of Mary Scott, daugh- ter of John H. and Sarah A. Scott, born Sep- tember 27. 1872.
"The first town meeting was held at the house of M. S. Belknap on section 14. Satur- day. September 21. 1872. Dr. Geo. O Moore, justice of the peace, of Worthington, was pres- ent and swore in as judges of election F. W. Burdette. M. S. Belknap and H. R. Gray, and Iproy Cole as clerk. At the election which followed seventeen votes were cast by the fol- lowing named persons: A. C. Guernsey, D. K. Gordon. M. S. Belknap, John H. Scott. L. S. Roberts. F. W. Burdette. Anthony Mutter, Le- roy Cole, R. Prideaux. Cole Guernsey. J. R. Dewey. James H. Ilill, Geo. M. Smith, 11. R. Gray, Hiram Norton. B. F. Congdon, S. I W. Alen.
"When the votes were counted it was found that the following persons had been chosen as first town officers of the town of Ransom: H. R. Gray, chairman of the board of sup- orvisors; M. S Belknap and A. C. Guernsey. supervisors: Leroy Cole, clerk: D. K. Gordon. treasurer; John H. Scott, assessor: F. F. Bur- dette and B. F. Congdon. constables; F. W. Burdette and Geo. M. Smith. justices of the peace. Of the men who were elected town of- ficers at the first election, hut one remains with us in Nobles county today, John H. Scott,
named the township Ransom, in honor of Prof. Ransom F. Humiston, one of the founders of the National colony. This was done by the commissioners without consulting the wishes of the people of the township.14
The petition for the organization of Fairview township was circulated July 5, and was signed by Richard D. Bagley, Albert Haggard, Lafayette Strever, A. A. Burton, Wm. F. Hamilton, Alfred Small, William Madison, James Hazard, Jeremiah Lynch, William Dedgon, P. Ulveling. Stephen Horake, Joseph Hor- ake, H. McCollum. The topographical features furnished the name Fairview. which it bore until June 15, 1874. Then the name was changed to Lorain, after the town of Loraine, Adams county, Ill., the superfluous "e" being dropped.15
who may also be said to be the first settler in the township. Of the seventeen who voted at the first town meeting four only are in Nobles county today: John Hf. Scott, Cole Guernsey. R. Prideaux and J. R. Dewey. What memories are called up by the mention of some of these names! Of the seventeen who voted at the first election in Ransom, four re- main; where are the rest? Some have gone to their long home, and the rest are scattered to the four winds. Many left us on account of the struggle and poverty of those early days. In those times of grasshoppers, of hlight and of blizzards. no wonder that men's hearts failed them.
"I have endeavored to make a list of those who wore neighbors in Ransom during the very early days. The list I have no doubt is far from perfect, but it is the best I could make at present: Settlers of 1871-John H. Scott. D. K. Gordon, Joe Hill. Settlers of 1872 -Leroy Cole. A. C. Guernsey. Cole Guernsey. M. S. Belknap. R. H. Belknap, H. R. Gray. F. W. Burdetto. F. F. Burdette. R. Prideaux. C. W. W. Dow. S. I. W. AAlen. I. S. Roberts. Hiram Norton, Anthony Mutter, J. R. Dewey. Geo. M. Smith. B. F. Congdon, Robert Shore. Thomas Jay. Goo. Jay. Frank Lane. John Iane. D. Davis, Jerry Twomey, D. C. Holmes. Dan Twitchell. David Twitchell, Waters. C. Chamberlain. II. Toms, Hoff. G. Rhone. Farn- ham. Lewis Larson. Hans Nelson. Gould. Bow- ers. Settlers of 1873-Geo. W. Dow. Geo. W.
Miner. Settlers of 1874-I. N. Wilson, Wm. Clark. Other years-E. W. Goff. James Goff. P. McCann."
15"A communication from the state auditor was presented, stating that older towns in the state bore the names of New Haven, Wil- son and Fairview, and requesting that the names of said towns be changed in conformity to law. The following names, by request of residents of towns. were changed by the com- missioners: New Haven to Olney; Wilson to Akin [later Summit Lake]; and Fairview to Lorain."-Commissioners' Journal, June 15. 1874.
HISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY.
The Dewald township petition was tiled July 15 with the following signers: Amos Dewald, Jos. S. Randall, Edmund Bedford Nathaniel Childs. Benjamin T. Ross. C. D. Snow. A. B. MeChord, Jonas Bedford. R. W. Miller, N. O. Miller. Robert J. Daugherty, C. T. Shatfue. Thos. Wilson, Sammel F. Pepple. G. Grover Stoddard. P. A. Stoddard. 1. B. Churchill. Hiram Dewald. Solon Hangh- ton. Win. R. Lawrence. The name was given in honor of Amos and Hiram De- wald. pioneer settlers.1ยบ
The petition for the formation of Little Rock township was presented Au- gust 24 and was signed by the following settlers: Ole C. Peterson. C. C. Peter- son. Knute T. Thompson, Hans Paulson. P. Harrison. Hans Solberg, Hans Jon- son, Edward E. Field, Christian Solberg, Hans N. Dahl, Gunder D. Tinnes. Will- am R. Queine. Gullick, Knute Thomp- son. J. D. Roberts, Henry Faragher, W. IT. Bostic, E. S. Wickerre, D. M. Sweet, W. R. Faragher, Wm. Colvin. Win. W. Jenkins, T. A. Bunker. Sylvester Jen- kins. and G. Gullickson. The crock which flows through the township and its physical features furnished the name.
Elk township was created September 16. the same day the petition was filed. and a short time afterward the govern- ment was begun. Those who asked for ils formation were W. B. Akins. T. L. Taylor. R. B. Plotis, John P. Warner, Henry Baldwin, Chas. Wilkinson. Isaac Allerton. M. T. Miller. T. D. Fowble. Gamaliel Seutt, Allen MeLean. R. E. Covey and S. P. Bon. The noble ani- mal which once roamed the prairies of the future Elk township prompted the name. The creek which flows through
"The Dewalls and John Churchill cung the township together in April 1872 and were the first permanent settlers. They were fol- lowed almost Immediately by Messrs Robert Daugherty, S. F. Pepple, Aaron I.ambert,
the township had been named Elk by the early day trappers, and it was partly because of the name the creek bore and partly because of another event that caused the first settlers there to ask that the new town be called Elk. On the morning of September 6, 18:2. a lone elk came across the prairie and close to the house of T. L. Taylor. sniffed at the unexpected sight. and bounded away. Ten days later when the petition was presented to the board of county com- missioners Mr. Taylor suggested the name Elk for the new township, and upon a vote it was adopted. Several other names, including MeLean, were proposed.
Seward was the last township or- ganized in 1822. The petition was filed September 28. and had the following signors: Win. W. Cosper. M. Hill. Iliram Jankre. Jonas Parshall. Wm. Sowles, Geo. Parshall, Philo Snyder. James Parshall. Julius Westinghouse. John P. Vail. J. E. Walling, John Wes- ton. R. B. Linderman, C. Charles John- son. Horace Will. William IT. Booth, H. V. Booth, Edward B. Cook and Phineas Gager. The commissioners acted fav- orably in the matter, and the first town meeting was set for October 30. The township was named in honor of Wil- liam TT. Seward, The noted statesman and secretary of state under President Lin- coln during the civil war.
The first Nobles county assessment was made in 18:2. the officials having neglected to make a Jevy the year be- fore. A tax of fifteen mills was levied for the use of the county. of which ten mills was "for the general use of the county." and five mills "for the payment
Solon Poughion. Sherlie, Jne Ponts, W R. D. MeChord. 1 Mason. R MoChord. Richard Berggraf. Tom Childs, Sam Childs and Chas. A. Sundberg.
69
HISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY.
of the floating debt and interest of the of over $150.000, of which $63.815.13 county."17 The assessment as equalized was real estate. by the county board showed a valuation
The real estate assessment was as follows:
TOWNSHIPS
No. Acres excepi Town Lois
Average Value per Acre
Aggregate Value Real Propertyt
Value City Lots and Buildings
Total Value of Real Estate
Land
Buildings
Graham Lakes
1379+
$5.94+
$ 8,197.00
$ 8,197.00
Indian Lake
629+
4.38+
2,763.20
2,763.20
Worthington
1772
7.88+
13,979.29
$35,200 00
49,179 29
Bigelow
166+
4.00
665.24
665.24
Hersey .
318+
5.50+
1,750.40
$300
2,050.40
1st Assessment Dist*
160
6.00
960.00
960.00
Totals
4425-+-
$6.39+
$28,315.13
$300
$35,200.00
$63,815.13
* At the time the assessment was made only five townships had been organized. The rest of the county was divided into two assessment districts.
+ Exclusive of town lots.
* Of a value greater than $100.
The personal property valuations were divided among the several townships as follows:
TOWNSHIPS
Total Valualion
Amonni Exempted
Taxable Property
Graham Lakes
$14,218 $10,180
$4,038
Indian Lake
10,123
6,478
3,645
Worthington ..
29,166
23,742
5,424
Bigelow
6,659
3.914
2,745
Hersey.
10,384
6,144
4,240
Ist Assessment Dist.
753
453
:00
2nd Assessment Dist.
19,357
11,249
8,108
Totals.
$90,660
$62,160 $28,500
The number and value of livestock by townships is shown in the following table :
The other items of personal property assessed, and their value, were a> fol- lows :
Sixteen carriages $595
Sixty-nine watches
957
Three pianos 466
All personal property not included in foregoing 17,6:00
Appertaining to merchandise 13,010
Appertaining to manufacturing. 711
Moneys, book accounts, credits. etc ... 2.500
Moneys invested in bonds and joint -tock companies 500
Gold and silver coin and bank notes in possession or on deposit 4,404
Value of improvements on and interest of the claimant in lands entered In- der homestead act 16,328
HORSES
CATTLE
MULES
SHEEP
HOGS
TOWNSHIPS
No
Value
No.
Value
No.
Value
No.
Value
No
Value
Graham Lakes
39
$2,940
173
$3,574
4
$400
2
$ 4
28
$82
Indian Lake.
39
2,403
147
2,662
1
310
1
17
71
Worthington
42
2,785
63
1,413
Bigelow.
12
733
81
1,337
2
100
1
19
Hersey
21
1,380
91
2,334
1
2
Ist Assessment District ..
2
200
12
236
2nd Assessment District.
79
3,685
245
5,530
10
210
27
37
15
39
Totals. ..
234
$14,126 812
$17,086
20
$1,020
30
$44
77
$237
1"Commissioners'
Journal, Sept. 16, 1872.
9
24
2nd Assessment Dist
70
1
HISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY.
Under the provisions of a state law, townships were given the privilege of de- ciding whether or not license for the sale of intoxicating liquors should be granted, and at the general election on Nov. 5. 1822, several of the Nobles county town- ships voted on the question. The class of people who came as members of the colony were such that it is not surpris- ing that nearly all the voters registered against the licensing of saloons, and that all townshps voting decided the question in the negative. Following is the vote: Dewald, 12 to 0; Little Rock, 15 to !; Bigelow, 23 to 1; Hersey, S to o; in- dian Lake, 10 to 2.
Another question decided at that elec- tion related to a proposed change in the county's boundaries. The legislature on February 29 passed two bills one pro- viding that range 38 (four townships on the western edge) should be taken from Jackson county and attached to Nobles ; the other that range 43 (the present townships of Leota, Lismore, Westside and Grand Prairie) should be taken from Nobles and added to Rock county. Neither act was to be put in force until both counties interested in each cast should. by a majority vote, ratify the acts.
The proposition was almost a farce. In order to add the Jackson county townships to Nobles county both the counties must vote in the affirmative. Nobles county naturally favored the bill, but just as naturally Jackson county voted not to give, away any of its ter- ritory. In order to give to Rock county the western tier of Nobles county town- ships, both these counties must so vote. Of course Rock county voted almost unanimosly to make the change, but in Nobles only eleven electors were found who favored the surrender of territory. The vote of Nobles county by precinets on these propositions :
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