An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota, Part 37

Author: Rose, Arthur P., 1875-1970
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Luverne, Minn. : Northern History Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 924

USA > Minnesota > Rock County > An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota > Part 37
USA > Minnesota > Pipestone County > An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota > Part 37

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).

September 25: that on October 10 there were one and one-half inches of snow on the ground.

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HISTORY OF PIPESTONE COUNTY.

senator, president of a railroad company opposing settlement in new regions, ex- vept immediately adjacent to its con- structed line.

Early in the spring of 1816 several of those who had before taken claims return- ed, and several new settlers arrived. AAmong the number were Dr. W. J. Tay- lor, 11. D. Sanford, Col. J. M. Bull, Fred Rogers, William Brown, C. H. Bennett, Job Whitehead, fliram Flick and Joseph Tilleston. Most of these came with the intention of residing permanently in the county, built on their claims, broke fand and put in crops, Messrs. Sanford and Taylor seeding more land than the others.13 Messrs. Bennett and Whitehead brought a large number of cuttings, which they set out, starting the first groves in Pipestone county.

Although few in numbers, the pioneers of 1826 were progressive and were con- finally planning ways to bring about the settlement and development of the com- munity. To this end a public meeting was held at the home of D. E. Sweet Ap- ril 13, 1876, participated in by all who were in the county, namely, D. E. Sweet. (. HI. Bennett, Col. J. M. Bull. Dr. W. J. Taylor and I. D. Sanford. The moet- ing had an important bearing on the fu- ture history of Pipestone county. The secretary's minutes of the meeting were in the following words :

At a meeting held at Pipestone on April 13, 1876, Col. Bull was made chairman, and C. II. Bennett, secretary. Motion by W. J. Taylor, seconded by D. E. Sweet. Carried. That secretary prepare a petition to [the proper authorities] for immediate mail scr- vice from Luverne to Pipestone City.

Motion carried that as soon as possible

13The first grain of the season was sown by 11. D. Sanford April 19. The exhibition of the seeder and corn planter which were used in planting the crop, twenty-five years later, cre- ated considerable interesi in Pipestone.

14These early settlers realized that to bring about the settlement of Pipestone county the re- lations between the Indians and the whites must be peacrable. They knew thal none ex- cept the I'nited States government and the In- dians bad rights at the quarries, and they re- resolved to respect those rights and to use

direct route be established to Worthington.

Motion carried that we respect and en- force to the best of our ability the rights of the Indians to the Indian reservation.1

Motion carried that committee consisting of chairman, II. D. Sanford and W. J. Tay- lor be appointed to proceed to inquire as to the best and speediest method of provid- ing justices of the peace, constable and as- sessor.

Motion carried that D. E. Sweet be ap- pointed committee to act in the matter of transferring records from Cottonwood coun- ty to Rock county.

Motion carried that offer on behalf of the settlers in Pipestone county of Bennett & Sweet to donate a block in the townsite of Pipestone City for court house purposes be accepted.

(Signed) CHARLES H. BENNETT, Sec.

Fifty-two land claims of various kinds were taken during 1826, but on only a few were improvements made, and less than a dozen people spent the summer in Pipestone county. Nevertheless many items of importance occurred that year. C. H. Bennett and D. E. Sweet surveyed the Pipestone City townsite, Mr. Bennett erected an office building on the site in June. and the same month John Lowry, who had returned after spending the win- ter abroad, opened a little store in the building he had erected in 1844. The store was conducted only a few months. As the first step toward establishing a road from Pipestone to Worthington. three of the settlers, D. E. Sweet, W. J. Taylor and C. HI. Bennett, made the trip across the country to the northwestern end of the diagonal wagon road that led to Wor- thington, erecting sod mounds along the most direct route. Weekly mail service was established between Pipestone and Luverne the latter part of September, the contract being secured by Dr. Brock.

their influence toward having those who would follow take the same view. The greatest, and practically the only. difficulty encountered in inducing settlers to locate in the county was the fear of Indians. Not knowing the con- ditions, many people censured the men who were endeavoring to found a settlement on the edge of an Indian reservation-only one mile square. The promoters had to contend not only with the trials incident to the settlement of any new country, but also with the preju- dices of many well-meaning people.

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A TYPICAL SOD SHANTY

In Such Homes as These Hundreds of Pipestone County Residents Had Their Homes. This Was the Conly Home Near Jasper. Photograph Taken in 1889.

CACTUS FOUND AT THE PIPESTONE QUARRIES

Containing Specimens of "Opuntia Missounenses" (Here First Found and Analyzed by Mrs. C. H. Bennett) and "Opuntia Fragilis."

267

HISTORY OF PIPESTONE COUNTY.

Heavy snows came, and the service was very irregular.15 The first religious ser- vices held in Pipestone county were con- ducted by Rev. E. H. Bronson, of Lu- verne, June 25, 1826, in C. H. Bennett's little office building (now a part of his residence ).16 Fourteen persons participat- ed in the services.17

So far as material advancement was concerned the year 1826 was almost a blank. In August the grasshoppers came in myriads and devoured almost every- thing, including the grain erops, gardens, young trees, cuttings and every thing ex- cept about sixty acres of wheat on H. D. Sanford's claim.18 No grain was threshed in Pipestone county that season, but the next spring Dr. Taylor secured a machine at Luverne and threshed out the little grain the grasshoppers had left. He did the work more as an advertisement and to show that Pipestone county was a grain producer than with an idea of realizing a profit. In Fact. the hire of the machine amounted to more than the grain was worth. It had stood in stack all winter and was unfit for seed.

The grasshopper visitation was almost a fatal blow to the little settlement. By the last of September practically every- body had left the county. But the pro- prietors of the new townsite did not pro-

"J. G. Bennett secured the contract in June, 1877. Semi-weekly service was established Au- gust 16, 1878, and that year Hamilton Wells secured the contract.

"6"The first sermon ever heard in Pipestone county, if we except the thrilling exordium of 'Gitche Manitou, the mighty,' when he assem- hled the nations on the 'mountains of the prai- rie,' will be delivered tomorrow (Sunday, June 25) by Rev. E. H. Bronson. We congratulate the wicked in that locality on the spread of the gospel to remote lands, and trust its much need- ed influence may he felt to the uttermost lim- its of the setilement."-Rock County Herald ( Luverne), June 24, 1876.

"At this service. Col. J. M. Bull, who later hecame one of the best known ministers of southwestern Minnesota and a presiding elder of the Methodist church, was converted.

"R"Although evidently incompatible with the essential attributes of anything so manifestly saccharine, it is nevertheless irue that friend Sweet, of Pipestone City, has lots of 'sand' in him. He watched the last hopper buckle on

pose to give up the fight, and an arrange- ment was made whereby C. II. Bennett re- mained at Pipestone the first half of the winter and D. E. Sweet the second half. Accordingly, Mr. Bennett remained at Pipestone until just before Christmas, at- tending to the postoffice, when he departed for his old home.19 Mr. Sweet, after an extended business trip in Iowa, returned to Pipestone in January, 1822, his wife and child having spent several weeks as the only residents of Pipestone county. The Sweet family were the only people who spent the entire winter in the county.

In the legislature of 1826-77 a bill for the organization of Pipestone county was again introduced, only to meet defeat. In the arguments presented against the measure it was alleged that there was a single white inhabitant in the county, and that a woman. In the house the bill re- ceived one affirmative vote. That legis- lature not only failed to authorize the or- ganization of the county, it seriously con- sidered the matter of wiping Pipestone county off the map. The plan of the pro- moters of this scheme was to divide the county in equal parts, by an east and west line, giving the north half to Lincoln county and the south half to Rock coun- ty.20 It was argued that the popula- tion of some 'of the frontier counties

his knapsack, pull down his vest and 'climb,' and then sat down and wrote the following: " 'Editor Herald :- Thinking you may have heard that there was a total failure of crops in Pipestone county on account of the festive hopper. I wish to contradict it. The wheat crop was hurt but little, and Mr. Taylor has as good a lot of potatoes as one generally sees. The greatest damage was done to the oats. But one or two fields of corn were damaged, and hut one of barley .- D. E. Sweet.'"-Rock County Herald, August 12, 1876.

19"C. HI. Bennett, tiring of the beauty of Pipestone county and becoming surfeited with the charms of the 'Three Maidens,' came down on Tuesday [December 19] and proceeded to LeMars via the new railroad."-Rock County Herald. December 22, 1876.

20"If this measure becomes a law, Pipestone City, together with the historic quarry, will fall to Rock county, and the position of our Pipestone friends will become somewhat anal- ogous to that of our Saviour, whose persecutors parted His garments and divided the spoils."- Rock County Herald, February 2, 1877.

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HISTORY OF PIPESTONE COUNTY.

was so small that taxation for the support of the county organizations en- tailed hardships upon the people; there- fore, the counties should have more tor- ritory, and the unfortunate Pipestone county offered a field for exploitation. A petition for the division was largely sign- ed in Lincoln county, and a bill was in- troduced in the legislature. By the prompt resistance of a few of those in- ferested in Pipestone county, the bill came to an inglorious end.21

The spring of 1817 opened auspicious- lv. and there were indications that at last the efforts to permanently seltle Pipestone county would meet with success. J. G. Bennett returned with his family and put in a crop :22 A. O. Gray and wife came and became permanent residents ; Owen Whitehead and wife arrived and settled on a claim : Dr. Taylor, Col. Bull, (. H. Bennett and Job Whilehead return- ed, sel out groves on their claims, and put in crops ; John Lowry returned ; Dun- can Stuart, with his son and daughter, Naney, was a new arrival. brought con- siderable stock. erected a house and found- ed a new home ;23 William II. Wheeler and Frank G. George located in the new counly : among the other arrivals were .J. H. Nichols, William Jones, Adelbert Sis- son and Asa Van Allstine. At the close of the season over 100 claims had been

21.0. H. Bennett, of Pipestone City, tarried here Wednesday night and put on his war paint preparatory to interviewing the 'Three Maidens'. who sednously guard the sacred quarry of red pipestone. Bennett rejoiceth muchly over the discomfiture of the unregenerate sons of Rock who proposed to swallow up Pipestone county and thus ruthlessly disturb 'vested rights.' Rock County Herald. April, 6, 1877.

""J. G. Bennett has removed to Pipestone fity, where he has landed interests. Mr. Ben- nett will sow Dr. Taylor's plantation with small grain. hoping to receive an abundant harvest." -Rock County Herald, April 13, 1877.

""Among the recent arrivals of those seek- ing locations in this part of the west is Duncan Stuart, of Fillmore county, this state, who has secured a large traet of land near Pipestone City and will engage extensively in stock raising. Mr. Stuart brought with him forty-seven head of cows and young cattle and fifteen horses. which form the nucleus of what will soon he- come a valuable herd of stock. Mr. Stuart pur- chased the necessary materials for house and

filed upon, several claim shanties had been erected, and a large amount of breaking had been done. Grasshoppers did not put in an appearance, and about 300 bushels of grain were threshed in the fall. Truly, Pipestone county was on the advance. Permanent settlement had at last even- tualed.24

To select local peace officers, the first election in the county was held June 12, 18:2, when a dozen voters cast their bal- lots for township officers-in a township that had no legal existence.25 The first Fourth of July celebration was also held in 1872. Settlers to the number of fifteen or twenty gathered at the quarry in an old-fashioned pienie.

The birth of the first while child in the county oceurred November 16, 18;7, when a son was born to Mr. and Mrs. A. O. Gray at their farm three miles cast of Pipestone.26 The second child born in the county was Lilly Sweet, born to Mr. and Mrs. D. E. Sweel at Pipestone No- vember 24, 1877.

Many of the arrivals of 1877 passed the winter in their old homes, but five or six families remained in the new-found land and established the permaneney of the seltlement.

The boom began in 1828. It became known that white people had actually ro- sided within a stone's throw of the In-

other buildings at this point, and several loads went forward yesterday."-Rock County Herald. June 15, 1877.

24"The earlier settlers found here a rough and wild wilderness, and their settlement was attended with hardships, trials and tribula - tions sufficient to deter the most resolute. The sod shanty was their habitation. the red men their neighbors, and their sinewy arms and level heads their capital. What a transfor- mation they have witnessed! Ilow like a mir- acle it must seem to them! Ilither they came in hope. Behold the fruition! They were in search of a beautiful place wherein to dwell. They found it- rough and unpolished though il was. Now they look around and behold it in all its glory."-Pipestone County Star. 1894.

""For an account of this first election see the political chapter.

""Pipestone enterprise knows no bounds, This time it is an eleven pound granger at the resi- dence of A. O Gray. of that city."-Rock County Herald. November 24, 1877.

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HISTORY OF PIPESTONE COUNTY.

dian reservation and lived to tell the tale ; conditions became better known ; govern- ment lands were all taken in neighboring counties : immigrants turned their atten- tion to Pipestone county. The newcomers began arriving in February, and during March, April and May there was an un- precedented rush, homesteaders seeking lo- cations in every township. It was im- possible to supply accommodations for half of those who came. During the sjing months thirty or forty new houses were erected in the county, and Pipestone City became a town in fact, as well as in name. In an address at the Fourth of July celebration, in 1828, held at Pipe- stone falls and the quarries-the scene of the birth of the peace pipe-C. 11. Ben- nett told of the activities in the spring of that year as follows :

So far this year 550 filings have been made upon government lands in Pipestone county, and 247 contracts have been entered into for the purchase of railroad lands, ag- gregating over 5000 acres of land filed upon. Mr. Sweet and myself estimate that there have been broken on wild land (govern- ment) 5000 acres, on railroad lands, 2500 acres, total breaking in the county this year, 7500 acres. Approximate acres in crop, 500. Approximate number of trees set out this spring, 40,000.

The improvements which have taken place this spring far out- weigh that which has been done in the county previously.

Most of the new settlers came by way of Luverne, among them F. L. P'ease and family, Dr. E. M. Carr, who came in March : J. H. Austin, Charles H. Smith, W. B. Brown, Dr. G. W. Morrill, Riley French and H. D. Sanford, who returned to locate permanently. From that village to Pipestone a tri-weekly stage and ex- press line was put in operation April 8 by J. G. Benmeti and Levi Shell. The same firm kept rigs at Pipestone to eon- vey landseekers to the surrounding coun- try and did an extensive business. The following items from the Rock County

Herald give an idea of the activities dur- ing the spring months of 1848:

March 1. For two or three years Pipe- stone county has been the Mecca of those in search of timber claims. It is now stated that the chances are nearly or quite all taken, and thousands of acres are being taken under the homestead law.

March 8, The house of D. E. Sweet, the bold pioneer of Pipestone county, is fairly overrun with land seekers these days, and Sweet prays for an enterprising Boniface to erect a hotel of capacity sufficient to accom- modate at least a score of people, and thus relieve him of a burden that is becoming decidedly oppressive. Three in a bed, with the softest spots in the second floor pre- empted, is the status frequently nowadays.

May 3. Twenty-six breaking teams, with plows and camping outfits, passed through town Saturday enroute to Pipestone county, Minnesota, and Moody county, Dakota.

May 17. Parties from Pipestone City who came down yesterday report meeting no less than twenty-two covered wagons en- route to that place. Two droves of cattle, ninety head in all, passed through town Monday enroute to Pipestone county, of which number sixty-nine belonged to Mr. Stuart, who has a goodly herd there, driven out last year, His herd now numbers about 150.

May 24. Land hunters are still flocking into Pipestone county in crowds.

In the early settlement of every west- ern county there has always been a "big year"-one in which the dreams of the pioneers have come true. In Pipestone county it was the year 1848. Before that time little headway had been made. The few who had put their faith in the new country had endured many hardships. had seen their crops destroyed, and had been considered visionary for attempting to settle the "Indian country." But they had chung on with the idea that bet- ler times were coming; that Pipestone county would yet be reclaimed from its wild state. Their beliefs had now been justified.

The crop of 1828 was slightly injured by hot winds. but in general a good yield was reported. The promise of the build- · ing of the Southern Minnesota railroad through the county the following year added to the activities of the community,

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HISTORY OF PIPESTONE COUNTY.

and new settlers arrived in the fall months. Without authority, the residents held an election in November and chose a set of county officers, and then set to work to secure the necessary action to bring about

the organization of the county. The gov- ernment of the land over which Gitche Maniton had ruled for so many centuries was abont to pass into the hands of white men.

CHAPTER XX.

COUNTY AND TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION-1879-1880.

S YO GREAT had been the immigra- tion to Pipestone county during 1848 that the residents decided to again make the effort to interest the Min- nesota legislature in the matter of organ- ization. The matter was talked over in- formally during the summer, and on No- vember 1 a public meeting was held at the office of Sweet & Nichols in Pipe- stone. There it was decided to make a united effort to bring about the mueh de- sired condition. In anticipation of fa- vorable action by the legislature, county officers were placed in nomination, and the decision was reached to hold an elee- tion on the day of the general slate elec- tion, at which time the question of or- ganization should be decided by ballot. J. H. Nichols was chosen to go to St. Paul and appear before the legislature in the interests of the bill which it was proposed to introduce. At The election one hun- dred votes were cast, of which sixty-six were in favor of organization and thirty- four against.

A bill providing the organization of Pipestone county and the legalization of the election held in November was intro-

Inced in the legislature, and largely through the influence of J. B. Wakefield became a law.1 The bill passed the house under suspension of the rules January 23, 1849;2 in the senate it met with some opposition, but was passed on the twenty- fourth under suspension of the rules. The act, which was signed by Governor John S. Pillsbury January 27. 1899, was as follows :

An act to organize the county of Pipe- stone and to legalize the election of county officers chosen at the general election in November, 1878.

Be it enacted by the legislature of the state of Minnesota:

Section The county of Pipestone is hereby declared to be a legally organized county, with all the rights, privileges, pow- ers and immunities of organized counties within the state of Minnesota.

Section 2. The persons who were chosen by a majority of the votes cast in said Pipe- stone county on the day of the general elec- tion in November, 1878, to the offices of auditor, treasurer, register of deeds, sheriff, surveyor, judge of probate, county attorney, clerk of the district court, coroner, court commissioner, superintendent of schools and county commissioners of said county are hereby declared to have been legally elected to said offices respectively, provided said persons were at the time of their election eligible to office in said county, and upon qualifying as required under existing laws

1"The people of this county owe J. B. Wake- field a debt of gratitude for the faithful manner in which he stood by our interests during the last legislature, when the question of organi- zation came up, in which he showed no nar- rowness of feeling, but was willing to give Pipestone county an equal show with the other counties of the state."-Pipestone County Star, August 14, 1879.

2"Wasn't the house just a 'leedle bit' fast in passing under suspension of rules the bill organizing Pipestone county? In the session of 1877, when a bill for the purpose was before the house, it received but one vote. Two years later the bill was rushed through under suspension of rules, but perhaps this is all right and merely illustrates the rapid filling up of one of our frontier districts."- St. Paul Dispatch, January 23, 1879.

271

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HISTORY OF PIPESTONE COUNTÝ.

regulating the qualifying of county officers, at any time prior to April 1, 1879, shall be deemed to be lawfully in possession of the said offices, and shall enter upon the dis- charge of their duties as such.

Section 3. If any person chosen to office as aforesaid shall not have qualified as such officer prior to the first day of April, 1879, such office shall be deemed vacant and may be filled by appointment as provided by law in case of organized counties.

Section 4. The county commissioners of said county when qualified may, by vote of said board, locate and establish the county seat of said county, and when so established the county seat shall not be removed to any place except in the manner provided by law.

Section 5. This act shall be a public net and be in force from and after its passage. Approved, January 27, 1879,

Within less than a month after the pas- sage of the bill. on February 19, 1879, the organization of Pipestone county was perfected. The first meeting of the board of county commissioners, composed of S. L. Bailey, E. L. Rork and W. B. Brown, was held at the office of Sweet & Nichols. in Pipestone, on that date.3 The next day the county authorities accepted as a gift from D. E. Sweet two blocks of land for court house purposes. On March 1? the county board passed a resolution, de- claring Pipestone the county seat of Pipe- stone county.

The matter of township organizations was an early consideration, and before the close of the year 1879 all except two of the townships had been granted local government ; the other two were created in 1880. The several townships were an- thorized to organize in the following or- der : Sweet, Osborne, Burke, Grange, Fountain Prairie, Rock, Gray. Elmer. Eden, Troy, Altona, Aetna.

SWEET.

Sweet township, embracing the whole of Pipestone county. was created by the

3S. L. Bailey was elected chairman of the hoard on the sixth ballot; the bonds of some of the county officers were approved; the county was divided into two assessment districts: the whole county was created into one township and named Sweet; the motion prevailed that all deeded lands be assessed at $3.00 per acre

board of county commissioners at the sec- ond meeting, February 20, 1819. It was named by the county board in honor of the county's first settler. Asa Van A]]- stine. A. O. Gray and Samuel Harrison were appointed a board of election to pre- side over the first town meeting on the second Tuesday in March, when were chosen the township's first officers. At the election, which was held in the village of Pipestone March 11. the following were chosen the first officers: D. E. Sweet. chairman : Isaac N. Converse and John Pearson, supervisors ; John Stuart,' clerk ; Frank Rork, constable. The township or- ganization was perfected when the board of supervisors met for the first time on March 22.

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An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota, Part 37

Author: Rose, Arthur P., 1875-1970 Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Luverne, Minn. : Northern History Publishing Company Number of Pages: 924

Author: Rose, Arthur P., 1875-1970
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Luverne, Minn. : Northern History Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 924