An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota, Part 59

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 59
USA > Minnesota > Pipestone County > An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota > Part 59

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).

Even the towns were threatened. The people of Pipestone bestirred themselves and burned breaks on all sides of the vil- lage. In later years, also. danger threat- ened. So late as the fall of 1883. the Star sounded this warning:

Do the citizens of this village intend to take any steps to protect the town from burning up? The prairie grass all around us is dry and crisp, ready to burn at a mo- ment's notice. Hay and grain stacks are, in many places near town, in close proximity to stables and houses. The prairie once on fire, with the wind blowing as it generally does here, these stacks, stables and houses would go up in smoke in short order. We should have a fire break all around town, and that right off.

417

HISTORY OF PIPESTONE COUNTY.

Fires in the fall of 1884 brought losses in the eastern part of the county amount- ing to $50,000, according to an estimate by the Pipestone Republican. So late as 1889 the Jasper Journal chided the people of that town for not taking precautionary measures. On September 27 of that year it said: "As yet nothing has been done toward protecting the village from the prairie fire fiend. This is a matter thai we can hardly afford to neglect. Action is what is wanted."

AN HISTORIC ORGAN.

A small item in the history of a county. it would seem, the purchase of an organ! And yet, the securing of the first instru- ment of the kind in Pipestone was attend- ed with much ceremony, and its story here will recall fond memories, no doubt. It was in the year 1880 that the socially inclined decided to raise money to secure an organ for church, social and public use. It was to be owned jointly by the Presbyterian and Methodist societies, with the understanding that when the societies . ceased holding services in union the in- strument was to become the property of that organization offering the other the greater price.

To raise the necessary funds, purchase the organ, and take care of it, a committee was appointed, composed of Simon Clark, Mrs. Riley French, Maria Nichols, Ralph Wiger. C. II. Bennett, Bert Lewis and J. W. Corl. The first $30 or $40 were raised by a home talent entertainment en- titled "Among the Breakers" and given in Bennett's hall. The organ, a seven-stop Petoubet & Pelton, was purchased in St. Paul for $65. For several years it was the only instrument of the kind in the village and was used at church services, prayer meetings, dances, political meet- ings, social entertainments and lycems. Sometimes it would be used early in the

evening at a prayer meeting, would then be sneaked out of the church, and be util- ized the rest of the night to furnish music for a dance.

THE BACHELOR HOMESTEADER.

At the second meeting of the Pipestone County Old Settlers' society, held in Pipe- stone March 15, 1881, Mrs. C. HI. Bennett read the following original poem on the bachelor homesteader of Pipestone count- ty :

Back to the dreary claim at close of day, The lone pre-emptor takes his weary way : Sunburned and brown. unshaven and unshorn, His clothes much soiled and often sadly tora. Toes peeping from his boots, and battered hat, Tired, cold and hungry as a prowling cat- How changed from him we in the city knew, In lustrous Broadcloth and a stovepipe, too. Cigar in mouth and carpet sack in hand,

By fast train bound to Pipestone's promised land,

His whisps of hay well twisted for the night, He lights a fire and cooks a hasty bite.

Let's take a peep within the shanty door,

Just take a sniff of viands ne'er smelled be- fore;

Mush and "slum gullion" form the savory fare, And other dishes strange are smoking there. No griddle has he, but he bakes Upon the stove's wide top his griddle cakes. A broken shovel blade his bacon fries, And for the tea. a fruit can will suffice. His supper over, he improves the chance To patch with gunny sack his battered pants. In musing mood he listens to the roar Of the wild blizzard howling round the door; He thinks of wife and child with pensive mind, Or maybe of the girl he left behind; And though he hopes a heavy crop to raise, Is still uncertain whether pioneering pays. With how much sameness do the seasons run. How eagerly he catches at a chance for fun! And if a traveler or a friend by chance drop in On Sunday, euchre is not thought a sin;

'The next a sermon is by them confessed.

The very thing to make them all most blessed.

GAME IN EARLY DAYS.

Owing to the fact that all the neighbor- ing counties were settled before Pipe- stone county, there was very little big game left in the county after white set- tlers came, although occasionally some of the former habitues of the prairie were en- countered. A drove of about a dozen deer was seen in Burke township in December, 1829. They were chased by M. D. Mor- iarty, mounted on a fleet horse, but. of course, he was unable to run them down. During the winter of 1880-81 the deep snow drove deer from their accustomed

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HISTORY OF PIPE; TONE COUNTY.

haunts, and they were seen at several places in the county. In January, 1881. . Andy Jackson and H. W. George shot one southeast of Pipestone.

So late as the spring of 1885 a family of beaver operated in Rock river just be- low the mouth of the Chanarambie. They had a dam on the farm of J. C. and W. A. Fay. on the cast half of section 33. Os- borne township. where they caused to form a pond a quarter of a mile in length and from two to ten feet deep. The little animals were frequently seen at work on the dam and in the rapid current.

During the long, cold winters prairie wolves were frequently encountered. Sometimes hunger made these usually timid animals desperate, and they ap- proached near houses and passing teams.

Waterfowl and prairie chickens there were by the millions. The following local item from the columns of the Pipestone County Star of October 22, 1881, leads to the belief that wild geese were once more numerous than they are now : "1 farmer north of town made an offer io sportsmen the other day, that if they would come out to his place and hunt wild geese for a week to keep them from destroying his cornfield, he would board the hunters for the time free of charge. Wild geese must be too numerous for com- fort out that way."

INCIDENT OF BONUS-VOTING DAYS.

The following incident connected with the voting of bonds to aid in the construc- tion of the Willmar & Sioux Falls rail- road was printed in the Sioux City Jour- nal in JJanuary, 1906 :

D. M. Stewart, a wealthy lumberman of Astoria, Oregon, was in town Sunday on his way to Pipestone, Minnesota, where he for- merly resided. T. A. Black, of Sioux City, and Mr. Stewart were young men together in Pipestone, and Sunday they were recall- ing a memorable ride which they took to- gether twenty years ago. It was when the

Great Northern was first talking of build- ing its line through Pipestone, and it had asked the county for a bonus as a pledge of good faith. The citizens of Pipestone were anxious to secure the railroad at any cost, but the little town of Edgerton, which was not on the proposed line, was opposed to granting its demand. A prominent firm of lawyers were the leaders of the opposi- tion, and Jones, one of their best friends, was detailed to plead with them. in his anxiety, he overstepped the limit and tried to bribe them into consenting. This so en- raged the worthy gentlemen that they waiv- ed their friendship for the man who had insulted them and got out a warrant for his arrest for bribery.

Mr. Black and Mr. Stewart heard of this, and knowing that the man had merely been a little teo eager, and wishing to save him from prison, they secured a team at Pipe- stone and began the twenty mile drive to Edgerton, with the enraged lawyers follow-" ing close behind with the warrant for their friend's arrest. It was a stormy night and the road was heavy, but the horses were not spared. Their pursuers stopped to change horses and Messrs. Black and Stew- art reached the house of the would-be brib- er thirty minutes before them. Jones was called from his bed and came out with a white face. lle was one of the most re- spected men in the county and the prospect of a penitentiary sentence was a decided shock to him. He was finally persuaded to dress, and in a few minutes the party was off, this time in Jones' rig. They made straight for the South Dakota line, and just before daylight deposited Jones safe in Da- kota territory.

In a few weeks the affair was forgotten and the charge against Jones was with- drawn, but Jones failed to return until persuaded it would be safe.

THE TOWN PUMP.

In the early days of Pipestone's his- tory the town's entire water supply came from one well. owned by all the residents. The following items from the Star of 1819 wore at the time pertinent to a most important subject :

A subscription paper is being circulated to raise the necessary means to sink anoth- er town well. Everybody should give a lit- tle towards this much needed increase of our water facilities. (August 28).

Taking water from the town well by the barrel should be prohibited in some way. It is the only good well in the town, and should it give out we would have to suffer for water. (September 25).

The only town well gave out last Mon-

HISTORY OF PIPESTONE COUNTY.

day night, and those who could not drink rain water had to go thirsty, (October 2).

Some one is making a practice of remov- ing parts of the pump in the east part of town every night, so that they can get the first chance at the water in the morning. The pump is a public institution, and par- ties taking this mean advantage had better look a "leedle out" or they will be prose- cuted. (November 20).

THE MEDICINE SIOUX.

The following legend of the Pipestome quarry is from the pen of W. N. Davidson, of Luverne, who wrote under the nom do plume, D. Ivan Downs :

Hast been where Winnewissa's fall Goes plunging o'er the gray old wall, Where mist-wreaths rise above the flow Of foaming waters, white as snow, And roll and float up toward the skies, All glorious with the radiant dyes?

Ilast seen the yeasty waters dash Against the stones, as they would wash From human gaze the hideous glare Of sanguine splotches lying there, And marked the column, rough and gray, Swept by the seething whirlpool's spray, That stands like priest with cross and stole By door of fane, near the bowl' Of heaven-blessed waters, to efface The stains of murder from the place?

Wild storms have beaten, winds have blown, For ages on that thing of stone, And there it stands as firmly yet As when its basic blocks were set At some far time beyond the ken Of human kind-a period when Some mighty foree, by sudden throe Or power most potent, moving slow. Did rend and bear its substance all Three yards from off the parent wall.

Marked you that face, sublime and grand, Wrought on that rock by nature's hand, A human face that looks as though It sympathized with human woe?

As old Dakota legends tell, There was a day when there befell, Here by the brookside in the vale, The happenings of a wondrous tale. Wa-kon-i-ya-pa-man-i ("He- That-Walks-with-God"> did sing it me. With many a nod and dubious wink, As if to say, "} scarcely think, If you were 1, and I were you, 1 should accept this tale as true."

He is a San-tee Indian, who Renounced all habits of the Sioux; Who, with an eye to "Number One," Declined to chase the setting sun When Uncle Sam reached forth his hand. Appropriating all their land; Who took a homestead. settled down T'nlike his brethren pale. of town. Who merely filed and after swore They'd occupied five years and more! Ile stayed. as by the law decreed, And then proved up and took his deed. FFis "claim" had never grown so slim That land shark tried "contesting" him! A patriot citizen is he. Who's ta'en the oath of fealty.

'The once powerful tribe of the Mandans was greatly reduced by the loss of many of its members, early in the last century, by the

lle casts his vote like English lord, Or "Freeman of the Sixteenth Ward!"' And sings "My Country 'tis of Thee" on natal days of liberty. An orthodox, straight citizen, Who at the church responds. "Amen," And rubs his hands with fervor, too, Exactly as white Christians do. But, lured to falsify and cheat, Or gain an object through deceit,

Says by his aetion firm, "1 won't," I Persely as somne Christians don't! "Joe Barker" is the name he chose

When he laid by his Indian clothes.

And this is the tale in song he told, When the sun sank down to a bed of gold, And the hills withdrew for a night of rest. As a breeze came out of the purple west.

Hoo-ya, hoo-ya. hoo-ya, hoo! I'll tell you the tale of the Medicine Sioux, Of the Medicine Sioux And his daughter, too. Iloo-ya-hoo!

He lived right here. In the valley near, And men did fear Ilis eye so clear. Hoo-ya-hoo- The Medicine Sioux!

He could look right through The thought you had, And tell you whether you Were good or bad. Hoo-ya-hoo- The Medicine Sioux!

And if he found your heart no good He'd pierce it through with a glance of his eye. Hi-yi-hi. Hi-yi-hi- And out would run your blood, blood, blood, All over the ground, and you would die. Hi-yi-hi. Hi-yi-hi.

One day a Man-dan came to see His beautiful daughter, Wa-pa-kee. Ile-ye-he. He-ye-he- She was as sweet as she could be.

Though mild of eye And smooth of tongue, And musical all The songs he'd sung,

And in her sight he was fair and young,

This bold Man-dan

Was a Medicine Man- A man of mysteries never told, And more than forty thousand years old! Now he is where bad Indians go. Aho-ho-ho. Aho-ho-ho.

His chief commanded him to come And hear that maid to his far off home; For mid a mighty smoke and smell This medicine dog had wrought a spell. Then told his people if they'd eat, Each one of the flesh of a maiden sweet, The fell disease that racked them sore Would fly away. and come no more, And not one other Man-dan die.1 Hi-yi-hi. Hi-yi-hi.

And so he made himself look young, Made bright his eye, and clove his tongue. Then came, and with the Yanktons staid Two moons, and courted the fair young maid, Intending to pick her shoulder blade, When she should be roasted crisp and brown By a grease-wood fire, in the Man-dan town. Ahoó-ahoo-ahoo-ahoo- The daughter of the Medicine Sioux.

ravages of small pox, introduced by white traders.

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HISTORY OF PIPESTONE COUNTY.

Her sire, returning from the chase,

Beheld them kissing near the place Where o'er the rocks the waters pour And break upon the hard stone floor, And saw. by the instant look he gave. The snake in the heart of the Man-dan knave.

And suddenly sent a deadly glance That pierced the dog's heart through, as a lance.

And the Man-dan fell, on gray paws four!

Was a wolf! Ran away and was seen no more! But, ah-ah-ah, and oh-oh-oh !- The maiden fell down, and her blood did flow All over the stones in a crimson tide!

And thus in a moment's time she died!

Then the night came down O'er the world too soon. And darkness reigned At the hour of noon! And ever since these deeds were done The old man stands there-a man of stone!

And now I've told the tale to you. The bloody tale of the Medicine Sioux! Ahoo-ahoo-ahoo-ahoo-

The dreadful tale of the Medicine Sioux!

LETTER FROM LONGFELLOW.

Everybody knows that in "The Peace Pipe." which forms the opening chapter of Henry W. Longfellow's great poem. "Hiawatha," the scene is laid at the fa- mons Pipestone quarries. Everybody may not know, however. that Mr. Longfellow never visited the spot, but that he derived his data for the poem from the writings of Henry R. Schoolcraft. George Catlin and other explorers. In 1849 C. H. Ben- nett sent to the poet a photograph of the plan of the village of Pipestone, a copy of the first issue of the Star. and an invita- fion to attend the Fourth of July celebra- tion. In reply he received the following · antograph letter from Mr. Longfellow :

Cambridge, Mass., June 30, 1879.

My Dear Sir: I thank you for your kind remembrance, for the copy of the Star and for the plan of your new city, which I re- turn enclosed.

I see the authorities have done me the honor of naming a street after me-a com. pliment which I fully appreciate.

I wish it were in my power to accept your kind invitation to visit you, but that is im- possible for many reasons. I am afraid 1 shall never look with mortal eyes on the great Red Pipestone Quarry.

With my compliments to Mrs. Bennett, and good wishes for you both,

Very truly yours,

HENRY W. LONGFELLOW.

AN ELECTION WAGER.

During the exciting presidential cam- paign of 1888 a unique wager was made between E. C. Dean, who was the county attorney, and E. W. Davies, of the Pipe- stone County Bank. The wager was drawn up in the form of an agreement and was as follows :

Memorandum of an agreement entered into between E. C. Dean and E. W. Davies the twenty-third day of August, 1888:

In event of the election of Grover Cleve- land to the presidency, E. C. Dean agrees to attend the Catholic church once every Sun- day on which services are held there. On Sundays on which no services are held in the Catholic church of this village, he is to attend the Methodist church once each Sun- day. 1

In the event of the election of Benjamin Harrison to the presidency, E. W. Davies agrees to oil the windmill of the village waterworks, free of charge to the village, at such times and in such manner as re- quired by the village council. If the village council will not grant him the permission to oil the windmill, then E. W. Davies agrees to climb the windmill tower to the top as often and at such times as the vil- lage authorities require the oiling to be done.

This agreement to take effect March 4, 1889, and to be in force for one year from that date.

(Signed) E. C. DEAN, E. W. DAVIES.

In presence of T. A. Black, Robert Scarf, J. H. Enearl, E. E. Tibbetts, I. L. Hart.

It may be remembered that Benjamin Harrison was elected. To accustom him- self of his duties as windmill oiler. Mr. Davies shortly after the elec- fion started up the ladder to the tower. goi about half way up, and came down to negotiate a compromise. This was effect- ed by Mr. Davies marching in the proces- sion in celebration of the republican vic- tory and carrying a Harrison banner.

EARLY COUNTY FINANCES.

Pipestone county was not unduly bur- · dened with cash for some time after its organization. In 1896. when the anditor's

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WINNEWISSA FALL

"Has been where Winnewissa's fall Goes plunging o'er the gray old wall?"

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HISTORY OF PIPESTONE COUNTY.

and treasurer's offices were overhauled, a heavier artillery and inveigled the Pipe- number of old documents were found, stone county cloud away. among which was the county's first bank book. headed "Pipestone County Bank, in EARLY DAY SCHOOL. account with Reuben Clark, County Treas- A country correspondent. writing in Inne, 1829. to the Pipestone County Star, told of the beginning of schol in district No. 5. as follows : urer." The account was opened in the fall of 18:9. and on the first of the fol- lowing year the county's balance was $100. During the months of January and Febru- ary, 1880, $71.14 were deposited, and at the time of the June settlement the coun- ty had a balance of $136.88 to apportion among the different funds.

SHOOTING FOR RAIN.

During the hot, dry season of 1894, when the crops of Pipestone county were destroyed. many of the residents profess- ed belief in the ability to bring rain by cannonading. Accordingly money was raised by subscription. several kegs of pow- der were purchased, and on June 15 the heavens were bombarded. The concus- sions did not bring the desired rain, but that night there was an extraordinarily heavy fall of dew, which some attributed to the use of the powder. Upon the ap- proach of a cloud on the evening of June 20 the experiment was tried again, and for more than an hour was heard the con- tinual boom of Pipestone's heavy artillery. The eloud advanced slowly, and late in the evening the whole sky was overcast. During the night, however, the clouds all disappeared and in the morning the sun's rays again beat down upon a parched land. In Pipestone there was a difference of opinion in regard to the cannonading and the actions of the clouds. Some main- tained that the firing was kept up 80 long that it dissolved the clouds, others that if the firing had been continued rain would surely have followed. Perhaps some other community was in the game with

District No. 5, in pursuance to call, has just elected its first officers, as follows: Director, Charles Smith; clerk, F. A. Con- verse; treasurer, Robert Campbell. It was voted to have two months school, to com- mence the first Sunday after the fourth of July, also that each pupil should furnish his own seat. Mr. Wheeler generously offers to furnish the building for school purposes, and Mr. Smith, the blackboard, so there will be but a small expense to the district. We hope that those having children will avail themselves of this favorable opportu- nity in this new country.

TIMES HAVE CHANGED.

The following items from the columns of the Pipestone County Star illustrate vividly the changes that have taken place in Pipestone county within a few years:

Turn Square Corners .- Farmers should be careful in going out and in town not to drive across the sidewalks, as there is a severe penalty for so doing. The day of short cuts in this village has passed and teams are now compelled to turn square corners, as they will all through the county before long. (April 27, 1882),

Hay Burners .- A good many people had supposed that the day of hay burners had passed entirely. But it is not so. Our hard- ware men are busy making stoves all the time for this purpose, and there are many farmers in this county still burning hay, who claim that it not only double discounts fuel in cost hut is much warmer. Those using it ought to know and when farmers can raise their own fuel the expense of winter cannot be very great. (January 12, 1886).

The First Automobile .- The first automo- bile to be owned in this city reached here fast evening on the Omaha. It is the prop- erty of T. F. Robinson, the telephone mag- nate. Naturally the vehicle created a com- motion wherever it appeared, and many per- sons stopped to take a long look at the self- moving carriage, the first of its kind seen on our streets. (September 13, 1901).

HARRISON WHITE

Member Minnesota Legislature and a Rock County Pioneer of 1877

CHAPTER XXXIII.

ROCK COUNTY BIOGRAPHICAL

H ARRISON WHITE (1877) .* In the county of Rock there is no more distinguished citizen and none more entitled to a place in this history than Colonel Harrison White, of Luverne. He is a distinguished soldier of the civil war, a pioneer of Rock county, the founder of Beaver Creek village, a member of the Minnesota legislature in 1907-08 and again in 1911-12, and past commander of the Min- nesota Grand Army of the Republic. The story of his life is an interesting one.

Colonel Harrison White was born in the city of Boston on the last day of April, 1841, a descendant of old New England stock dating back to the arrival of the May- flower. His parents were William A. and Lucy J. (Jackson) White. Until he was fourteen years of age he lived in his native city, securing his primary education. He accompanied his parents to Brooklyn in 1855 and there completed his education in the high school. He took a position as clerk in New York city and was so employed un- til the breaking out of the civil war.

Before the outbreak of the war young White was a member of company G, of the Thirteenth New York state militia, and when Fort Sumpter was fired upon this regiment offered its services to the govern- ment. Within a week after the firing on Fort Sumpter Harrison White was mus- tered into the United States service with the regiment on a three months' enlistment. Upon his return from this service, in Au- gust, Mr. White began the work of raising a

company of cavalry, pitching his recruiting tent in city hall park, where the govern- ment postoffice now stands. He was suc cessful in recruiting a troop, which became troop L, Sixth New York cavalry, designated at the time as "Ira Harris' Guards," in hon- or of Senator Harris, of New York. Mr. White was commissioned first lieutenant of his troop by the governor and was first stationed with the regiment on Staten Is- land, where the regnment rendezvoused.

From the Staten Island rendezvous the regiment was transferred to Perryville, Maryland, and assigned to the army of the Potomac, under General Mcclellan. There the regiment guarded the river crossing: later it was sent into barracks at York, Pennsylvania, for drill and to await horses and equipment. For a time thereafter the regiment was stationed at Capitol Hill, Washington, and later at Cloud's Mill, Vir- ginia. Soon afterward it engaged in actual services as a part of the army of the Po- tomac and remained a part of that army until the close of the war, serving under Generals MeClellan, Mead, Burnside, Hook- er and Sheridan.

With his regiment Colonel White partici- pated in over one hundred battles-all of the principal ones in which the army of the Po- tomac took part. Among the engagements best known to history in which our subject fought were the battles of South Mountain, Antietam, Sailor's Creek, Charlestown, Fred- ericksburg, Gettysburg, Wilderness, Spott- sylvania, Winchester, Chancellorsville, Cold

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An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota, Part 59

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