An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota, Part 6

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 6
USA > Minnesota > Pipestone County > An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota > Part 6

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Jonathan Phelps and Lee Whitsell, trap pers who had spent part of the preceding season within the county. Both selected claims along the river near the bound- ary line between Clinton and Laverne townships and built cabins." During the month of March Philo Hawes arrived with his family and moved into the dug- out made vacant by the removal of John Lietze. He at once started the construc- tion of a log cabin, 18x24 feet, moving into the new house in midsummer. The answered the purpose of a carpet. The partitions were of carpet and sheeting. In the fall a 12x24 feet addition was elected on the north side. With Mr. Hawes came George Mckenzie, who took as his claim the southwest quarter of section 11, Luverne township.12 In April Edward Mckenzie arrived and se- lected as his claim the northeast quar- ter of section 14, Luverne. Charles Hill- man was also an early arrival, settling on section 2. Clinton township. In the spring also came Daniel Wilmot, A. E. Thompson and S. Toul from Cresco. Iowa, who took claims in the southern part of the county. They brought a breaking plow with them and broke out a little land. Afer accomplishing this. they returned to lowa, but came back to their claims in November and spent

"So we had our meat and johnnie cake, but where was our cranberry sauce? Then long- headed Al suggested that we might pick some wild grapes, and we did. In those days a kind of wild grape grew very large and clung to the vines until the buds crowded them off the next spring. I look back to that Christmas as one of the happiest in my life."

10"The Estey family moved on their claim at Ashcreek in August, 1867, but we did not know of their being there until along some time in the winter of 1867-68, so you see how neighborly we were in those times."-Philo Hawes.

11Whitsell sold his claim soon afterward: Phelps, who had a family. remained until he secured title to the land.

""George Mckenzie remained in Rock county until his death in 188G. He was a New Yorker, but came to the county from eastern Minnesota.

HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY.

the winter in the county. Edwin Gill- ham, who had trapped through the coun- try the year before. came again in 1868 and carried the mail over the route west from the Luverne station. He took a claim on section 10, Luverne township. On October 2: E. N. Darling and his family. accompanied by George W. Blasdell, arrived at the little settlement on the Rock, having come from eastern Minnesota. Mr. Darling selected a claim on section 6. Magnolia, and 31, Vienna townships.18 and Mr. Blasdell on section 12, Luverne. John HI. Ferguson came to the county in November. settled in southern Clinton township and erected a claim shanty that fall." This completes the list of arrivals for the year 1868.

Despite the fact that only a few had arrived in the county during the first half of the year, those were patriotic and duly celebrated the nation's birth- day. All gathered at the grove on .1. (. Phelps claim and participated in a pienic. Every man, woman and child in the county, excepting Charley Hawes, who was on a trip to Yankton with the mail. were present. They were Philo Hawes and family, Mrs. Deborah Estey and family. Miss Miranda J. Skinner. Edward Mckenzie. Daniel Wilmot and family. S. Toul. J. C. Phelps and family and Charles Hilhuan. F

The arrivals of 1868 all took claims along Rock river, extending from a short distance above Luverne south to the state line. There were so few in the settlement that the arrival of a "prairie schooner" in the valley of the Rock awakened profound feelings of joy at the thought of another neighbor, and each new arrival was sure of a hearty

"Mr. Darling spent the winter in the Hawes cabin, moving to his claim the next April, Of all the adult male settlers of 1868 Mr. Dar- ling is the only one now a resident of the county. Mrs. Philo Hawes and 0. 0, Hawes are alder seillers,

welcome. The community was isolated, and the fact drew the settlers into closer bonds of friendship. The nearest settlements at the time were at Sioux Falls, where were a few soldiers under connand of Colonel Knox and one family, and in the Graham bakes coun- tix of northeastern Nobles county. The nearest points Trom which supplies wore secured were Jackson and Spirit Lake. Prior to the fall of 1868 the nearest post- office was Jackson. Late in the year a postoffice named Luverne was established. with Edward Mckenzie, who was then carrying the mail. designated as postmas- ter. E. N. Darling, however, had charge of the office during the winter, conduct- ing it at the Hlawes cabin. Of condi- tions in 1868 Philo Hawes has writ- ten : "As to our grub we never suffered on account of lack of provisions: we did not have the courses that modern society calls for. but we only once had to grind corn in the coffee-mill to make bread, and that was on account of a delay in teams getting in from Jackson."

During the winter of 1868-69 occurred the first threshing in Rock county. Philo Hawes raised a small amount of oats. and these were threshed ont with a flail by E. N. Darling. The yield was fifteen or twenty bushels. part of which Mr. Hawes sold to parties traveling through at $1.00 per bushel.

C'olin Estey has also told of experiences in the little settlement at this carly day :

I remember how kind and generous the settlers were during those pioneer days. If one were out of provisions any of the neighbors would divide. At one time, when the Esteys, John Ferguson, wife and babe, Charles Hillman, Daniel Wilmot, wife and daughter, Abbie and her husband, Al. Thompson, Johnnie Wilmot and S. Toul were the only settlers in the southern

14Mr. Ferguson was a son-in-law of Mrs. Deborah Estey. He lived with the Estoy fam- ily the first winter, locating on his claim the next spring.

"Rock County Herald, May 23, 1873.

HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY.

tier of townships in the county, there was a shortage of flour. John Ferguson, Amos, Orville and Allie Estey took a yoke of oxen and a pair of horses, with a boat for a wagon box, while to the other wag- on they hitched two yoke of steers and started, just as the snow began to thaw, for Spirit Lake for provisions.

John and Allie, at the end of twelve days, got back with twelve bushels of pota- toes and one hundred pounds of flour. Mother had just one biscuit each for her family when the boys came in with the provisions. We sent Mr. Wilmot one- half of the flour and some potatoes. After that, we could get only one hundred pounds of flour at Spirit Lake, so we had to go to the Woodland mill on the Blue Earth river, 118 miles east of the Rock.

Rock county received a few new set- llers in 1869, most of whom brought their families with them. Mr. and Mrs. S. Wilcox came in the summer and lo- cated on section 26, Luverne. Sylvester Norton located on section 6. Magnolia. and built a shanty. M. C. Smith ar- rived June 5 and located on section 13. (Hinton township. J. F. Shoemaker and J. C. Kelley came to the county June 17 and selected claims under the mounds. on section 25. Mound township. Both erected log cabins.1º J. H. Loomis se- lected a claim on section 36, Clinton. and established his home there. Heury Martin bought the Lee Whitsell claim down the river from Luverne and was a resident of the county for several years. James Shawver came to the county and look a claim in Clinton township, close to the Laverne township line. L. B. MeCollum located in (lin- ton. as did also Frank Mason. Andrew Mckenzie took a claim on sections 13 and 14. Luverne township. A. Me Murphy

"Messrs. Shoemaker and Kelley came to- gether. and their settlement in the county was due largely to accident. They had been breaking land near the Indian reservation at Flandreau, Dakota territory, and in following the trail of a span of Mr. Shoemaker's mules, which had wandered away, the two men came to the- claim of E. N. Darling, where they arrived June 17. Receiving no information regarding the lost animals, they proceeded up Rock river and next day were joined by Mr. Darling, who had got track of the mutes. Messrs. Shoemaker and Kelley captured the animals, and then decided to select claims and locate permanently. They chose sites over

located near the present site of Luverne and kept a few staple articles for sale to the white settlers. These included practically all the arrival of 1869.

The first birth in Rock county occurred late in the month of March, 1869. It was a daughter, Effie Ferguson, born to Mr. and Mrs. John It. Ferguson at the home of Mrs. Deborah Estey, Mrs. Ferguson's mother. The second birth occurred at the same place a week or two Jater and was a daughter, Laurena Brad- ford, born to another daughter of Mrs Estey. The third birth also occurred the same year, a daughter, Carrie Hawes, having been born to Mr. and Mrs. Philo Hawes on August 9. The fourth birth in the county and the first boy occurred soon affer. The baby was Charles Shoemaker. son of Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Shoemaker.

The section lines of the townships of Kanaranzi, Magnolia, Vienna, Battle Plain, Clinton and Luverne were i'll during 1869. the first three named having been surveyed by R. I. L. Jewett and the others by Jewett & Howe. Before this time those who had located in the conn- ty hold their claims ouly by "squatters" rights," but when the plate of these townships were received by the local land office (June 15, 1890) the settlers were able to file legal claims to their lands.

Another event of the year 1869 was the threshing of the second lot of grain raised in the county, which took place at the Estey home in Clinton township on Christmas day." The winter was an exceptionally severe one and "lingered in

which they passed on their way up the river. Mr. Shoemaker did not move his family to the claim until June, 1870.

IT"All during the Christmas day of 1869 we boys and John Ferguson threshed wheat for mother. We had two flails. The bundles were unbound and spread out so that twelve bun- dles covered a space about eight feet long by twice the length of the straw. une-half on each side, with the heads turned to the cen- ter. We left an alley three feet wide ont- side and encircled it. Then we spread 1wo rows of bundles clear around that with heads to the center. We yoked our three yoke of

HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY.

the lap of spring." Some of the settlers suffered from the cold and there were a few narrow escapes from death in the storms. Early in March, 1820, oe- curred a six days' blizzard. This was followed on the 21st and 22nd by an- other severe storm.

Several new settlers arrived in the spring of 1870, and when the census was taken by Aiken Miner, of Jackson, in the summer of that year the population of Rock county was found to be 138,14 of which 120 were American born and eighteen foreign born.19 Other interest- ing statistics were taken by the emmer- ator. In Rock county were nincieen farms. of which seven were between len and twenty acres in area, eleven he- tween twenty and fifty acres and one be- tween one hundred and five hundred acres. There were 463 acres of improved land and 223 acres of woodland. The value of all the farms of Rock county was $10,200, and the value of all farming machinery in the county was $2200. The total (estimated ) value of all farm pro- ductions, including betterments and ad- ditions to stock, was $6650 and the value of the live stock was $60;5. The enumerator found live stock in the coun- Ly as follows: Horses, 12: milch cows, 51: working oxen, 34: other cattle, 48: sheep, 9: swine, 11. Products raised in Rock county were as follows: Wheat, 130 bushels; corn. 100 bushels; oats, 600

oxen and placed our one pair of horses, har- nessed, behind them; then two cows, with heads tied together, were placed behind the rest. and we formed them all in a cirele around the outside. After we had muzzled all the cattle, we put them in motion to thresh out the wheat, while we look turns using the fail on the inside flooring. Thus did we thresh out the first six acres of breaking in Rock county. For dinner we had roasted racoon that the writer had caught a few days be- fore."-Colin Estey. 1900.

" Other nearby counties had population as follows: Pipestone, 0; Nobles, 117; Murray, 209; Jackson, 1825; Cottonwood, 534.

bushels; potatoes, 480 bushels; butier, 2900 pounds: hay. 135 tons.

Among the arrivals of the year 1820 were George W. Kniss, who came May 9, and P. J. Kniss, who arrived June 6: William F. Brown, who came in June; the Gregory family, consisting of 11. C., J. (., E. S., S. D. and H. A. Gregory; G. 11. Plum, T. J. Clark, M. Mccarthy. Dennis MeCarthy, P. F. Kelley."" Cadwallder Jones, Ezra Rice, Martin Webber, who arrived September 23: Swen Sanderson, Ole Nelson, Ole T. Berg. Ole T. Opsata,21 John Martin, who was the first settler of Martin township: Clarence Older, William Ward, H. C. Spalding and his father, Jacob Ander- son. Ole P. Steen, who settled on see- tion 32. Clinton : and many others. . 1 Rock county correspondent to the Jack- son Republic of December 15, 1870, wrote as follows: "Although we form a little world by ourselves, yet we 'live, move and have our being.' We have had a large increase of population this season and everything indicates a heavy immigration lo the county next spring. Our people are all cheerful and busy improving this fine weather in getting. things ready for improvements next season.

The plats for the six townships sur- veyed the year before were received at the land office at Jackson on June 15. 1870, and on the 20th William F. Brown made the first homestead entry to Rock

"The places of birth of the native born were as follows: Minnesota, 13; New York, 33; Wis- vonsin, 19; Ohio, 12; Pennsylvania, 1; Illinois. 12; other states, 30. The countries of birth of the foreign born were as follows: British America, 5; Ireland, 5; Germany, 1; Sweden and Norway, 7.

20Had been a soldier stationed at Sioux Falls. I'pon his discharge in June he located in Rock county.

21Mr. Opsata was accompanied by his wife and six children, Tollef O., Thorston O., Nels, Olem. Margot and Gust. Mossrs. Opsata, San- derson. Nelson and Berg came in one party in September and all settled in Vienna township.

HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY.

county soil.22 A little later in the sum- mer the townships of Mound, Denver, Martin, Beaver Creek and Springwater were surveyed by S. E. Stebbins,23 the last township. Rose Dell, not being di- vided into sections until 1871, when Mer- litt, Austin & Van Solin ran the lines.

The passing of the year 1870 marked the close of a most important era in the history of Rock county. At the beginning of the year 1867 there was not a building within the confines of the county ; There was not a living person who might claim his residence therein ;

22His claim was the east half of the north- wost quarter of section 14, Clinton town- ship. In letter t to the

a Rock County Herald in January, 1902. C. P. Shepard. register of the United States land office at Marshall. wrote as follows concerning this first entry and the first final proof made for Rock county: "In your issue of January 10, 1903, I notice the claim of William F. Brown that he made the first final proof on government land in Rock county. The records of this office show that he made homestead entry No. 6287, June 20. 1870. for the described tract and that he made final homestead proof No. 3778, October 2, 1875. llis is probably the first homestead entry made in the county, but he did not make the

not an acro of land was under cultiva- tion; it was a virgin country, many long miles from the nearest habitation. At the close of the year 1870 the county was inhabited by probably 200 people, who had made settlement and opened farms; the lands were surveyed and stak- ed; the county was organized and the local government had begun. From a wild, uninhabited wilderness l'ar out on the frontier, where only a few trappers had penetrated, it had developed within four years into a civilized. progressive and most ambitious community.

first homestead proof. We find by the records of this office that there were several homestead proofs made in said county before he made his. Charles W. Hillman made final proof No. 2573. February 7. 1873. for the north half of the northeast quarter and the east half of the northwest quarter of section 2. township 101. range 45. This is probably the first proof mnade."

23" party of surveyors camped in town over Sunday on their way to subdivide the town- ships of Rock county not surveyed last sea- son. They were in charge of S. E. Stebbins, of Blue Earth City."-Jackson Republic, Septem- ber 3, 1870.

CHAPTER III.

COUNTY AND TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION-1820-1878.

W THEN the carly day settlers lo- cated in the unorganized county of Rock, it was attached to Jackson county for civil and judicial purposes. What little official business the new settlers had to attend to was done at the county seat village of Jackson, where was also located the government land office. There was no agitation among the settlers in favor of county organization prior to the fall of 1869. In fact, up to that time the county had a population considerably less than one hundred people (including possibly twenty-five voters), the census taken in the summer of 1870 showing only 138 in- habitants.

AAlthough by the original act of 1857 Rock county had been created, no pro- vision had been made for its organiza- tion. Therefore, when the settlers decid- ed to begin county goverment it was necessary to secure legislative action. Late in the fall of 1869 some of the settlers, notably J. F. Shoemaker, Jona- than Phelps, Amos Estey and E. N. Darling, took the initiative in bring- ing about organization. A petition to the legislature was written by Mr. Dar- ling, assisted by Mr. Shoemaker, and cir-

JE. N. Darling furnishes from memory the names of twenty of the signers, as follows: Daniel Wilmot. S. Toul. A. E. Thompson. Amos Estey. Colin J. Estey. Orville Estey, John Ferguson, L. B. MeCollum, Frank Mason,

culated throughout the settled portions of the county. The petition was signed by every voter,1 and the proposition met with the hearty approval of everybody. There was no public meeting held to ra- tify the step, but it practically had a publie endorsement, for at every public gathering the proposed action was the subject of discussion among the set- tlers, and none argued in the negative.

The petition was sent to the lawmak- ers at St. Paul during the session of 1869-20. That body looked with favor on the request of the settlers from the extreme southwestern corner of the state and passed an.act, approved by the gov- ernor March 5, 1820, entitled "an act to organize Rock county." Section one read as follows:

That the governor take such action un- der existing laws as may be necessary to organize the county of Rock, and appoint three disinterested persons commissioners to locate the county seat of said county. The place designated by said commis- sioners, or a majority of them, when re- ported to the governor, shall remain the seat of justice of said county until con- firmed or changed by a vote of the legal voters of said county when submitted to them in accordance with the provisions of the constitution of the state of Minnesota.

A few months after the passage of this act the residents of the county prepared

Andrew Mckenzie, J. F. Shoemaker. J. C. Kel- ley. Sylvester Norton, James Shawver. . I. H. Loomis, E. N. Darling. Philo Hawes, G. W. Blasdell. Edward Mckenzie and Lee Whitsell.

HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY.

and presented to Governor Horace Austin a petition asking him to appoint J. F. Shoemaker, Jonathan Phelps and Amos Estey commissioners to locate the coun- ty seat." The governor took the neces- sary action and on August 9, 1820, ap- pointed the gentlemen whose names had been suggested, instructing them to meet and select the seat of government for the new county. The meeting was held at the home of Jonathan Phelps, four miles south of Luverne, on the first day of September, all three commissioners being present. There was not much dif- fienliy in selecting a site. Mr. Shoe- maker proposed Laverne, which was then the only place in Rock county boast- ing a name, it having already been named by Philo Hawes, who had his home on the site. Messrs. Phelps and Estey proposed a location farther sonth. but finally acceded to Mr. Shoemaker's choice, and all signed the report which was written by Mr. Shoemaker and was in the following language: "Aft- er due consideration we have agreed to locate the county seat of Rock as foi- lows: At Laverne, on the southeast quar- ter of the northwest quarter of section 11, in town one hundred two, range forty- live."!

When Governor Austin selected the men to locate the county seat he also requested that a mass convention ho held to suggest the names of men suit- able to serve as commissioners to or- ganize the county. His request was com-

"""These are all residents of the county and were appointed agreeably to petition of a ma- jority of the citizens."-Jackson Republic, Au- gust 20, 1870.

"Rock County Herald, December 18. 1885.

4The Jackson Republic of October 1, 1870, en- lightened its readers as to the whereabouts of the new county seat, as follows: "This is said to be a beautiful place and is near where the Yankton road crosses the Rock river. It is at the point where Philo Hawes, Esq., agent of the Minnesota Stage company. settled two years ago and where he still resides."

"As a matter of fact, there was not much chance for political argument. All the votera who attended the convention (and all the vot-

plied with, and a mass convention was held at the home of Philo Hawes. This first Rock county convention was fairly well attended. E. N. Darling was made chairman and J. F. Shoemaker, secretary. Politics did not enter into the delib- erations, the only thought being to se- lect good men to recommend lo the governor." The voting was by ballot, and the three men recommended were later named by the governor.

Governor Austin issned a proclamation on September 21, declaring Luverne the county seat of Rock county." He named Daniel Wihnot, H. A. ( egory and Abraham MeMurphy county commission ers, to serve until their successors, chosen at the general election in November, should qualify. They were empowered to take the initial steps toward organiza- tion and to make provision for holding the first county election.

The commissioners named by the gov- ernor met for the first time at one o'clock on the afternoon of October 1 ?. 1820, at the home of H. A. Gregory. Daniel Wilmot was chosen chairman and P. J. Kniss clerk of the board pro tom. Election officers were chosen for the approaching election and the county was divided into three commissioner dis- tricts. This was the only meeting held by the first board of county commission- ers of Rock county, it being decided to adjourn until November 9. 1820. Pro- vision was made for holding the next session at the home of Abraham Me-

ers in the county) were republicans with the exception of Mike Mccarthy. Ho alone con- stituted the democratic party in the early days and had the honor of casting the first voto of that party in Rock county.

6"Now, therefore. I. Horace Austin, governor of the state of Minnesota. do proclaim and de- clare the said town of Luverne in the county of Rock, Minnesota, to be the legal county seat of said county.

"In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and cansed the great seal of the state lo be affixed at the capitol in St. Paul this 21th day of September, A. D. 1870. "HORACE AUSTIN.

"By the Governor, "H. MATTISON, Secretary of State."

HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY.

Murphy. A complete set of county offi- the Plain), Rose Dell and Dover (Den- cers was chosen in November and Rock ver). county was at last fully organized, the LUVERNE. new board of county commissioners and other county officers taking oaths of office January 4, 1821.

Immediately following, the organiza- tion, about fifty residents of the county met at the county seat and duly cele- brated the event. The day's festivities wound up with a grand dance at the home of Philo Hawes, at which Ole P. Steen and Dudley Whitehead officiated as musicians.

At the time of organization the set- tlement was confined almost wholly to the southern half of the county and there was no immediate call for the organiza- tion of townships in the northern part, but immediately after perfecting the county organization steps were taken to bring about township organization in some of the more thickly settled portions. Between the years 1821 and 1828 all of the townships were created and were gov- erned by township officers. While the story of the creation of the several town- ships under one chapter head will break into the chronological order of events in the general history of the county, it seems best to treat the matter in this place and take up the other items fol- lowing the county organization at the beginning of the next chapter. The seniority of the several townships as ere- ated by the board of county commission- ers is as follows: Luverne, Grant (Clin- ton). Beaver Creek, Magnolia, Kanaran- zi, Martin. Grogory (including the six northern townships), Vienna, Albion (Springwater). Mound, Riverside ( Bat-

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An illustrated history of the counties of Rock and Pipestone, Minnesota, Part 6

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