An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota, Part 41

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 41
USA > Minnesota > Pipestone County > An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota > Part 41

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).

moment's warning the wind whipped to the northwest, the thermometer dropped to the vicinity of the thirties, and the most terrible of winter storms that ever visited Pipestone county in white man's knowledge was raging. The air seemed filled with all the snow banks of the coun- try, and the icy wind, blowing with ter. rific force, seemed to come from all di- rections, almost like a eyclone. Not a person in Pipestone county away from shelter when the storm struck reached a refuge without danger to his life. The storm continued in its awful fury all night and into the next day.

Even on the village streets people lost their bearings and had to grope their way in the storm ; no one who was exposed to the fury of that storm will ever forget its terrors. Fortunately few farmers were in town, and to this circumstance is doubt- less due the fact that there was no loss of life. for of the scores who met death in the storm in other parts of the country nearly all were farmers or. their way home from town. The blizzard struck at the time of day it was customary for farmers to drive their stock to water, and most For three weeks prior to the storm the of the severe freezing in Pipestone county weather was cold and boisterous. Imme- fell to the lot of those engaged in this diately preceding it were a few days of ' chore. To this is also attributed the great damp weather with a heavy snowfall. On loss of cattle in Pipestone county 2 January 12 the air was as quiet and se- rene as a May-day until half past four o'clock in the afternoon. Then without a

Pipestone county's fourth railroad was built in 1888, giving the county a greater railroad mileage than most any other

"In Osborne township Mr. Heimbaugh lost eight head of cattle and was severely frost-bit- ten about the face and bands in his efforts to save them. J. M. Rutis, of the same township, lost twelve head of stock. Elmer Hatch, of Rock township, lost sixty head.

Joseph Simpson's two sons had quite an ex- perience at their home in Fountain Prairie town- ship. They were watering the catile when the storm struck, which caused the stock to stam- pede with the wind. The boys started in pur- suit, but within a few minutes were completely lost. They wandered about on the prairie for an hour or more and finally came to the house of August Zacher, where they spent the night. Of the herd of ten cattle, eight were frozen to death.

John Cooley, the mail carrier between Lake Benton and Pipestone, became lost in the storm, released his team, and spent the night in a snowdrift. He escaped with light injury.

Near Airlie, Andrew Birch and his little son

were overtaken by the storm while driving the cattle to water, and, although only a few rods from home, were unable to find their way in the awful storm. Mr. Birch unhitched the team he was driving, overturned the sleigh, and for six- teen hours he and his son remained in the shel- ter thus afforded. Mr. Birch was severely frozen. Of the fifteen head of cattle only fom survived the storm.

Knute Olsen, who resided near Airlie, spent three hours in the storm before he found shelter. ITe was quite badly frozen.

Messrs. Gudvaldsen and Anderson, of Eden township, were caught in the blizzard while on their way home from Pipestone. Finding them- selves unable to proceed, they mhitched the horses and set out on foot for shelter. Failing to find a house, they took refuge in a straw pile and there spent the awful night. The next morning they made their way to a neathy house. Their hands and faces were badly frost-bitten.

The school teacher of distriet No. 26, Miss

HISTORY OF PIPESTONE COUNTY.

293

county in the state of equal arca.3 The preliminary steps toward the building of what is now the Great Northern railroad through the county were taken locally in the spring of 1886. Backed by the Mani- toba railroad interests, of which James J. Hill was the guiding genins, the Willmar & Sioux Falls Railroad company was or- ganized at Pipestone March 3, 1886. The organization was made by residents of southwestern Minnesota, acting as agents for the Manitoba interests. The officers and directors chosen at the meeting were J. M. Spicer, of Willmar, president ; D. E. Sweet, of Pipestone, vice president ; C. C. Goodnow, of Pipestone, secretary : C. B. Taylor, of Marshall, treasurer ; J. G. Schulz. of Marshall: H. T. Carson, of Sioux Falls.+ The information was given ont that Mr. Hill was the promoter of the new road, that a proposition to issue county bonds as a subsidy would soon be submitted. A preliminary survey through

Nettie Smith, and three pupils were obliged to remain in the school house all night.

Edward McMahon and a companion, of Pipe- stone, were caught in the tempest at the fair grounds north of town. They became bewil- dered and dared not proceed. Fortunately, they came upon the abandoned claim shanty of C. C. Goodnow on the reservation and there spent the night. Being without a fire, they were obliged to walk the floor until morning to keep from freezing.

A short distance east of Woodstock, James Jackson lost over forty head of Polled Angus cattle, and he and his hired man nearly lost their lives in the storm trying to get the stock to shelter.

Walter Landus had considerable difficulty in driving from Woodstock to the farm of G. H. Perry, one mile north, and was able to hold the right course only by the shouts of the men at the farm, they having seen him coming.

Daniel Whigam, of Troy township, had a re- markahle escape. He had driven his cattle. eighteen head, to the creek, about a half mile from his house, to water, and was getting ready to return with them when the wind shifted to the northwest. He made all hasto, but the severity of the storm scattered the herd and it was impossible to gather them again and Mr. Whigam was compelled to look out for his life. In doing this he found he had all he could do, for in the excitement with the cattle he lost his hearings, and in the bewildering storm ho realized he was indeed lost. Mr. Whigam told a Star reporter of his experience:

"Had any one told me I couldn't have gone to that creek and back again in any blizzard that ever raged. I should have had no hesi- tancy in calling him a liar. But this was not a blizzard; it was a tornado-a regular whirl - the wind coming from every direction at the same time and as cold as an iceberg. Hon- nening to recollect a barbed-wire fence Dear Mr. Warner's place. I struck out in what I thought wais its direction. I wandered about for a long time, floundering in the snow, the storm seeming-

Pipestone county was made in April, and then activities for the year ceased.

Early in the spring of 1887 surveyors again operated in the county, and it be- came evident that the road would be built. The people of Sioux Falls and vicinity voted $50,000 bonds to aid the new road ; Lyon county, $30,000; and Kandiyohi county, $30,000. In May the promoters announced that they would have the grading completed through the county by January 1, 1888, and trains running hy January 1, 1889, provided county bonds to the amount of $30,000 be voted and the people assist in securing the right-of- way through the county. Committees were appointed to secure the right-of-way3 and petitions were circulated, asking for the calling of a special election to vote on the bond issue. The election was held June 20, 1884, and resulted in a big ma- jority in favor of the bonds. The vote by precinets was as follows :

ly increasing all the time, and it was with the greatest exertion that I kept my eyes from freezing over. 1 am not generally a praying man, but I did feel just then that a little prayer would relieve me some, and ahout that time, to my great joy, I struck the wire fence I was looking for, and you can het I didn't let go of it until I was at Mr. Warner's house in safety. and in a short time reached home. But I shudder when I think how close I came to miss- ing that which saved me. Had I wandered three rods further east I would have missed the fence and perished."

After reaching the Warner home, Mr. Whigam became anxious to get home, fearing his folks would start out in search of him and become lost. By the aid of a fence he succeeded in reaching O. T. Gilson's house, and then Theo- dore Plank's. From there, however, there was nothing to go by, so Mr. Plank and Mr. Whigam gathered armsful of lath and binding twine. fastened one end of the twine to the house, and set out in the storm. Every few feet they stuck a lath in the snow and fastened the twine to it. that they might have a guide by which to return should they not locate Mr. Whigam's house. They proceeded in the right direction and were soon at Mr. Whigam's home.

3The county now has over one hundred miles of main line track.

4The transfer of the Willmar & Sioux Falls road to the Manitoba company was made in September, 1887.

"The commissioners appointed to assist in purchasing right-of-way were as follows: North of Pipestone. J. I. Bernard, George H. Gurley, H. E. Briggs. Il. D. Sanford, W. MeCarter, S. J. Perkins, R. Scarf. C. C. Goodnow, W. G. Arnold and John Pearson; south of Pipestone, A. D. Fortis, W. J. Taylor. William Hull, J. H. Morgan, W. W. Robey. A. E. Carnegie, W. G. Martine. 11. P. Nelson, E. ", Dean and John l'varsou.

294

HISTORY OF PIPESTONE COUNTY.

PRECINCT

For Bonds

Against Bonds

Aetna

Altona

Burke

Eden

Elmer

Fountain Prairie.

Grange

Gray

Osborne

Pipestone

264

Rock

Sweet

Troy

TOTAL

657

233

The result of the vote was duly cele- brated in Pipestone." Grading was com- menced on the road in Pipestone county September 16 and was continued until cold weather set in. This part of the work was resumed in April, 1888, and the track-layers, working from the north, laid the rails to Pipestone September 29, and to the new town of JJasper October 5. Train service was established north of Pipestone October 2.

The building of the railroad had a wholesome effect on Pipestone county. Three new villages, Jasper, Ruthton and Holland. were founded. and the north- eastern part of the county, which thereto- føre had been thinly settled, was rapidly filled with homeseekers. Close Bros. & Co. and the other land dealers disposed of many acres of land, and during the

""The demonstration in Pipestone Monday evening was the grandest that ever took place in the village. The bands were out. flags were flying from the house tops, bonfires were lighted, fireworks lit up the heavens. cannons (anvils) roared. the people marched, they sang. they cheered. Everybody was happy. Even the wom- en and children took part in the enthusiasm. And the Pipestone people were not the only participants. Farmers flocked in from the eonn- try to get the returns, and there was not a town in the county but that was represented. and they one and all joined the jubilee, for they were as much interested in the result as the people of Pipestone. It was a mutual good time. was highly complimented by many stran- gers and land hunters in town that evening. and will long he remembered."-Pipestone County Star. June 21, 1887.

""That Pipestone county will go far beyondy any previous record in the way of land sales this

summer season several excursion trains were run to Pipestone county.7 Adding to the prevailing active times, one of the best crops of years was harvested.

Il was the same story during the next few years. The country at large was en- joying an era of great prosperity, and Pipestone county kepi pace with the gen- eral advance. There were abundant crop yields and prices were high. In 1890 many thousands of acres of land were sold to homeseekers, nearly four thousand aeres being sold in small tracts by the leading land firm in one week.8 The population of the county in 1890 was 5132.º An exceptional year of progress was 1891. when there were great additions to the population and many new farms opened. Close Bros. & Co. sold 26,000 acres of land during the spring and early summer months.

Pipestone county's last railroad was built in 1892, the Rock Island extension to Jasper. That part of the road from Trosky to the pink quarries, three miles northeast of Jasper, was constructed in 1890. and the citizens of Jasper had made several ineffectual attempts to have the road built to their town. On May 17. 1892, they voted $2300 bonds as a sub- sidy, and in the fall the new railroad was completed to Jasper.

The decade of development was rudely interrupted by the panie of 1893. Fol-

season there is now no room for doubt, and another year will see the many new settlers moving here and putting up buildings all over the county."-Pipestone County Star, July 20. 1888.

8"Pipestone county is not only growing fine erops this season, but is also increasing rapidly in population. Newcomers are arriving every day. They purchase farms and settle down to farming at once. There never has been a more prosperous outlook."-Pipestone County Star. July 4. 1890.

"By precincts as follows: Aetna, 147; Altona, 282; Burke (Including Woodstock). 337: Eden. 476; Edgerton, 178; Elmer (including Trosky). 014: Fountain Prairie. 232: Grange. 308: Gray, 228; Jasper (in Pipestone county ). 372; Osborne, 267: Pipestone, 1232; Rock, 150; Sweet, 241; Troy, 368.

295

HISTORY OF PIPESTONE COUNTY.

lowed a year of crop failures and several years of low prices, and Pipestone county, in common with the whole country. pass- ed through a period of depression.

On top of the other misfortunes came a cyclone on June 27, 1894, which left a trail of death, ruined erops and wrecked homes in a narrow strip of country in the townships of Sweet, Troy, Grange and Fountain Prairie. The cyclone formed in Eden township. About five o'clock in the afternoon a hard, straight wind storm en- fered the county just cast of Jasper and demolished the buildings of the Jasper Stone company. No great damage was caused by the storm in Eden township. and not until the south line of Sweet township was reached did the cyclone de- velop. This was caused by the meeling of two storms. Out of the northwest came a severe storm, meeting the one from the south in the southern part of the county and forming lhe cyclone. The Farmers' Leader on the following day fold of the view of the twister from Pipestone :

"The terror was seen approaching from the southeast, and as it reached the table land about five miles southwest of the city, it had assumed the usual funnel shape. . During the move- ment of the storm hundreds of people in town stood and watched the monster. every turn being visible lo the naked eye, as would the passing of a wagon on the streel. It was a perfectly formed, trunk- shaped cyclone of light color, beautiful to look upon, but terrible to think of its death dealing effects as it passed along."

On section 31, Sweet lownship, at the farm of Gaud Johannsen, the first damn- age by the cyclone was done. There a large barn was demolished, machinery was broken, and all loose articles scattered promiscuously. The John Klensing farm on section 32 was the next place visited. The barn and two granaries were blown

down and the house was unroofed and blown from its foundation. When the storm struck, Mrs. Klensing and two chil- dren attempted to reach the cellar by way of an outer entrance, but were picked up by the twister, carried about twenty rods and dropped, not seriously injured, in a grove. Mr. Klensing and two chil- dren remained in the house, where he re- ceived slight injuries; being struck on the head by flying timbers. At the home of William Hoffman, one mile north, the barn and granary were demolished and the house badly racked. A little to the east of this place, an unoccupied resi- dence on the farm of A. L. Jaycox was completely destroyed.

The storm lified, but struck again with frightful violence at the home of William ITill, two miles west of Pipestone. Mr. and Mrs. Hill sought refuge in the cellar and were unharmed. The house, barn and granary were left a heap of ruins and the horses were killed. The cyclone lifted from the earth, traveled about a mile and a half in the air, and then came to earth on the farm occupied by G. F. Hicks in the valley of Pipestone erecek. Here re- sulled the only death from the storm, Mrs. Hicks being the victim. Mr. Hicks, who had been working in the field, sought shelter in his barn just before the storm struck, and there also came Leonard Bel- mor, a neighbor: Mrs. Hicks was in the house alone. Mr. Hicks was about to start for the house when he saw the resi- dence lifted by the awful force and dashed to the ground in a thousand pieces. The occupant was caught in the whirling wind. carried a distance of thirty rods to the north, and dashed to the ground near a grove of young trees. She was frightfully mangled and there was scarcely a stitch of clothing left on her body. She was taken to Pipestone and died a half hour after her arrival. The barn was demolished a

296

HISTORY OF PIPESTONE COUNTY.

second after the house went, and Mr. Hicks and Mr. Belmor were seriously in- jured by the flying boards and timbers,

There was total destruction of property on the Jacob Armstrong farm, occupied by Herman Doms and family, a few rods southeast of the Hicks home. Seeing the storm approach, Mr. Doms sent his wife and their three children to the cellar, while he went upstairs to get his money. Glancing out of the window, he witnessed the destruction of the Hicks home and made haste to get to the cellar. IIe had barely reached it when the house was lift- ed into the air, whirled around in the air a few times like a sheet of paper might have been whirled, and deposited. a wreck, 200 feet from the foundation. The barn on the farm was demolished and the ina- chinery was wrecked beyond repair.

The death-dealing funnel again rose. passed to the north over the Rock Island track. lo the west of the Captain Flagg farm. and struck with frightful violence at the northeast quarter of section 23. Troy township. At that corner were four buildings-a school house and the residen- ces of A. B. Mahannah, Frank Plank and Mr. Brown. Of these buildings the house of Mr. Brown escaped by twenty feet. but all the others were destroyed. The school house was torn to pieces and the floor, to which remained attached some of the seats, was carried a long distance. over a grove of tall trees, and deposited right side up in a grain field. Mr. Arthur and family, who occupied the Plank house, sought refuge in the cellar and were not harmed, although the house was complete- ly destroyed. Mrs. Mahannah was at home with her four children, When she saw the storm approaching she decided to take the children outdoors. there be- ing no cellar, bnt was unable to open the door against the strong wind. She then gathered the children about her and sat

upon the floor. The cyclone tore the house literally to pieces. The building was lifi- ed by the mighty force and crashed back to earth; again it was taken into the air and hurled with Titanic violence against the barn, completely wrecking both build- ings. Amid the storm of flying missiles, the members of the family were struck many times. The cook stove fell over upon Mrs. Mahannah, breaking one of her limbs, and she was badly eut about the head and breast, Notwithstanding these serious injuries, she held pluckily to her two youngest children, both of whom were more or less injured. None of the injuries proved fatal.

Again the whirling demon left the earth and thereafter in Pipestone county only occasionally came down to do material damage. On the northwest quarter of section 15, Grange township, one of the largest barns in the county. the properly of Robert Wilkinson, was destroyed. In Fountain Prairie township the large barn of Mr. Sierks was reduced to kindling wood, and there was done the last dam- age in the county. Concerning the dam- age done by the cyelone, the Jasper Jour- nal of June 29, 1894, said: "The path of the cyclone varied in width from 300 lo 500 feet, all along the way marked by utter devastation. Crops are destroyed, buildings blown to splinters, farm ma- chinery demolished. groves ruined and stock killed. The ground traversed by the storm was left as barren of vegeta- tion as burnt prairie."

While the cyclone was operating in the west and north parts of the county, an- other hard storm brought damage in the south-central portion, doing slight damage at Trosky, damaging a barn on the Long farm, two miles south of Pipestone, and wrecking the floral hall, judges' stand. cattle sheds and pens at the county fair

Sell

THING

OES

WISHINGS

HOTEL

MAIN STREET, PIPESTONE

PART OF SIMON MIX POST, NO. 95

From a Photograph Taken at Pipestone on Memorial Day, 1889

297

HISTORY OF PIPESTONE COUNTY.

grounds. Other slight damages were re- ported.

The first, last and only crop failure in Pipestone county's history after the grass- hopper times came in 1894 and was due to drought.10 Coming as it did in the midst of the wretched times of the panic period, the failure was a hard blow to many of the residents. In the spring of 1895 many farmers were obliged to take advantage of a law passed by the legisla- ture providing for seed grain loans. There were 125 applicants in Pipestone county who asked for grain as follows: Wheat, 3184 bushels ; oats, 8674 bushels ; barley. 3918 bushels; flax, 755 bushels; corn. 22 bushels ; millet, 53 bushels; potatoes. 40 bushels : clover, 1 bushel ; timothy, 11/2 bushels.

A county jail building, which was also used for county offices for a number of years. was erected in 1894 and 1895 at a cost of about $12,000. The first step to- ward this action was taken by the board of county commissioners July 11, 1894, when a two-mill tax was levied for the purpose and J. Hitchcox and John Pearson were appointed a committee to procure plans and specifications. Ground was broken for the building October 3, 1891. and the structure was completed the fol- lowing year. All the work was done by Pipestone county residents. The jail was paid for without bond issue and without overdue warrants.

Pipestone county was represented in the Spanish-American war by a company of volunteer soldiers, recruited by Cap- tain C. W. Gilmore. On July 6, 1898. the company, thirty-seven strong, of which twenty-one were Pipestone county boys, departed for St. Paul under com-

mand of Captain Gilmore. At Camp Ramsey the company was recruited to its full quota, and on July 18 it was muster- ed into the United States service as com- pany M of the Fifteenth Minnesota vol- unteer infantry. The company and regi- ment did not see service on the battle- field but was in the service until March 27. 1899, being stationed, respectively, at Camp Ramsey, near St. Paul; at Camp Meade, near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania : and at Camp MeKenzie, near Augusta, Georgia. The regiment formed a part of the third brigade of the first division of the second army corps. Following is the roster of M company at the date of dis- charge, with the rank of the soldier at that time and his place of residence as given in the original muster roll :

COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.

Clark W. Gilmore (captain), Pipestone.

Olaf H. Rask (first lieutenant), St. Paul. William A. Steward" (second lieutenant), Minneapolis.

SERGEANTS.

Mark N. Tisdale (first sergeant), Slayton. Charles E. Faulkner, Jr. (quartermaster sergeant), Minneapolis.

Frank H. Abbett, Minneapolis.

LeRoy C. Hutchins, Minneapolis.

Ira C. Peterson, Slayton.

Frank Herworth, Minneapolis.

CORPORALS.

Stewart M. Wensole, Minneapolis.

Isaac H. Smith, Moundville, Wisconsin.

Thomas S. Coleman, Pipestone.

William G. Maitland, St. Paul.

Leonard C. Frober, Minneapolis. Odin Loseth, Underwood. Enoch H. Linstrom, St. Paul.

George J. Rabischung, St. Cloud.

John M. Howland, Mankato. William H. Abbott, St. Paul.

Cyrus Logan, Hudson, Wisconsin.

John W. Stewart, Montevideo. Howard W. Bateman, Belleplaine.

11John T. Jones served as second lieutenant until he resigned November 16, 1898. Mr. Steward was promoted from first sergeant and was commissioned November 25. 1898.

10"We have now hade good bye to summer and entered upon the fall months. The sum- mer of 1894 has been one for the old settlers in nineteen hundred and something to talk about. It has made the hottest, driest. long- est record of any of them. We are not sorry to hid it good bye,"-Pipestone County Star, September 7, 1894.

298

HISTORY OF PIPESTONE COUNTY.

Marvin A. Northrup (musician), La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Matt M. Sanders (artificer), Ely.

Charley R. March (wagoner), Slayton.

PRIVATES.

Joseph F. Ascher, St. Paul.

Svend F. Bjornelid, Cottonwood.

Peter Blomberg, New York Mills.

George M. Bowles, Minneapolis.

Henry Budler, St. Cloud.

Carl Chestelson, Waseca.

Lars E. Christensen, Cottonwood.

Robert Clark, Jr., St. Paul.

Bernerd Collins, St. Paul.

Michael Collins, St. Paul.

Henry Cook, Jasper.

William C. Cross, Merrill, Wisconsin.

Seward S. Crossman, Luverne.

Oscar J. Fresk, Slayton.

Andrew L. Gorder, Minneapolis. John J. Gallagher, St. Cloud.

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An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota, Part 41

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