USA > Minnesota > Waseca County > Child's history of Waseca County, Minnesota : from its first settlement in 1854 to the close of the year 1904, a record of fifty years : the story of the pioneers > Part 2
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The wind lulled during the night, and the next morning was bright and pleasant, though still cold. Our first settlers tackled up early and started across the prairie for Mantorville. That village was then less than a year old and contained only three or four small cabins. It was the last settlement on the route of our "first settlers" until they should reach their destination on the Le Sueur.
Think of the recklessness, not to say foolhardiness, of the trip. Imagine, if you will, good reader, five men and a woman with her habe about to start across a wind-howling prairie, in the midst of winter with the thermometer 10 degrees below zero, without any road, not even a track, and without a tent, to spend three days and two nights, at the least, with no shelter save the starry heav- ens. The whole company might have perished in a blizzard ! Sueh was the thoughtless undertaking of those men on the morn- ing of the 31st of January, 1855.
After loading on what hay they could take along they left Man- torville bearing south of west aeross the trackless prairie until they struck the southern tier of sections in township 106. They then kept due west, guided by section posts set the fall before by government surveyors. A little after noon they ran into one of those deep, narrow ereeks which abound along the Zumbro river, and nearly lost one yoke of oxen. After considerable hard work and some delay, they rescued the "Nucky Steers," as the oxen were called, and finally succeeded in crossing the stream with no serious damage. Without further mishap, they traveled until about sunset when they arrived at a small grove of bur oaks, near the source of one branch of the Zumbro river. Here they concluded to camp for the night. The oxen were soon unyoked 2
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
and fed, a large campfire was built, supper was prepared and consumed, stories were told, and songs were sung. The weather was reasonably pleasant, with a slight wind from the west.
About nine o'clock, they spread their hay beds upon the snow under the wagons, and laid themselves down for the night, covering up head and ears with quilts and blankets. All slept soundly until three o'clock the next morning when all hands were aroused by the cry of "fire!" coming from Mr. Sutlief, who had been warmed out. The wind had changed to the south in the night and, blowing briskly, had thrown the fire on Mr. Sutlief's bed. It took some time to extinguish the flames in the bed-clothing: and when that had been accomplished and the travelers had about recovered from the excitement caused by the fire, they discovered that the cattle had all left, taking the back track toward the settlement. The Child brothers started in pursuit with furious feelings and at a frantic rate of foot- speed. The cattle were overtaken at the creek where the difficul- ty in crossing occurred the day before and were ordered back to camp in the forcible language peculiar to the ox-teamster of the West. The two men returned to camp half an hour before sun- rise, partook of a hearty breakfast with the rest of the company, and, just as the sun made its appearance, all hands started in a due westerly course. The day was intensely cold and much activity was required to keep warm. There was a hard erust on the snow, which impeded progress and out the legs of the cattle to such an extent that blood was left in their tracks. Several deep snow drifts were encountered within the day. These caused some delay and much labor.
That night the emigrants eneamped in a thicket of hazel brush and poplar trees, with some bur oaks intermingled. This was on the west side of Straight river and several miles south of Owa- tonna. It was an excellent place for a camp in winter, the brush and trees forming a thicket which was an admirable protection for both man and beast. The main difficulty of these pioneers was want of food for the cattle. No hay was left for them ex- cept what was in the beds, and only a small allowance of grain remained. That night the company took the precaution to secure the oxen with head ropes.
The men clearing away the brush and snow, soon made a cheery
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
campfire, and Mrs. Plummer prepared a warm supper, which was eaten with a relish. No one complained of a lack of appetite.
The members of the company were not so much given to song and stories and funny jokes as they had been on the previous evening. The romance of camping out in midwinter had lost to them, after their two days' experience, something of its imaginary charms. They piled high the campfire with fuel and retired early to their hay beds, which were spread upon the snow-covered ground. The wind came up from the northwest in the evening, and before morning the weather was intensely cold. Long before daylight, the next morning, they arose, fed the cattle what hay there was in the beds, and ate their own breakfast. As soon as there was light enough to enable them to keep their course, they renewed their journey. They crossed the LeSueur river, in the town of New Richland, with some difficulty, the banks of the stream being very steep. Soon after crossing the river, they reached the height of the prairie level. They could then see, and took it for their guide, a large bur-oak tree standing alone on section thirty-six, in Wilton about a mile from the Sutlief shanty. Never were weary mortals more pleased than were those first settlers when Mr. Sutlief announced that that tree was within a mile of his claim.
They reached the Sutlief place at four o'clock p. m., rejoiced to find Mr. Barrett alive and well. To say that every member of the company was thankful for this safe resting place is a very mild way of expressing his feelings on that occasion.
The condition and appearance of the country, at that time, however, were neither very pleasing nor inviting to the most of the pioneers, for they had come from a heavy timbered country. To the south and west, as far as the eye could reach, there was a vast expanse of bleak prairie, without either tree or shrub, swept by the howling blasts of winter and covered with snow, sleet and ice. The few trees along the river looked to them then to be short and scrubby; the weather was intensely cold; it was thirty-five miles to the nearest postoffice-Mankato; they could get no newspapers and no letters, except at long intervals of time ; there were no houses, no barns, no fences, no roads, no bridges, no human beings to be seen in any direction. This shanty was then
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
the only human habitation between what was afterwards known as the Winnebago agency and Owatonna-the only one within the present limits of Waseca county.
The writer mentally resolved, within a week after his arrival, to return to Wisconsin as soon as his term of service should ex- pire. But when the month of June came, what a change! The trees had put forth their fresh, green foliage; the prairies were decked with the most gorgeous flowers; feathered songsters held grand jubilee concerts in every grove, and prairie chickens in endless numbers made early morn melodious with their merry love-making. No more enchanting pieture of a grand, rich coun- try ever met the eye of man than that presented in the valley of the LASneur during the summer of 1855.
MRS. S. P. CHILD.
r
HON. S. P. CHILD.
CHAPTER IV, 1855.
DRIVE CATTLE TO MANKATO-S. P. CHILD NEAR UNTO DEATH- CALLENS AND MANSFIELD SHANTY-CHILD CAUGHT ON PRAI- RIE AT NIGHT AND FEET BADLY FROZEN-TERRIBLE SUFFER- ING AND NO PHYSICIAN NEAR-THE WINNEBAGO INDIANS AR- RIVE.
Shortly after their arrival at Sutlief's place, Messrs. Barrett, Sutlief and S. P. Child started for Mankato with a portion of Sutlief's cattle in order to get them kept there until spring, as the hay was running short. Mr. Sutlief returned within a few days, leaving S. P. Child at Van Brunt's sawmill to get in logs for lum- ber. Mr. Barrett had a claim of his own near South Bend and remained there. Van Brunt's mill was on the LeSueur river, about five miles east of Mankato. Owing to some misunderstand- ing, S. P. Child, after remaining at the mill a few days, started to return to Sutlief's claim, intending to stop on the way, over night, at the shanty of Mansfield and Callens, who then resided about four miles south of what was soon after known as Winne- bago Agency. Mr. Child found no one about the home and the door was locked; he therefore concluded to push through to Sutlief's that day. This was a most unwise decision, for he had nearly twenty-five miles to travel before he would reach the Sutlief place. There was no road, and half the forenoon was already spent. He should have forced open the door and re- mained over night. But he was young, strong, and impetuous, and, thinking he could get through in good time, he started on. The snow was deep, especially in low places and in ravines, often taking him in waist deep. It was also covered with crust, strong
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
enough to hold him up in some places, while in other places it would break through. During the middle of the day the weather was mild, and some of the snow that worked into his boots melted, making his socks and boots quite wet. Toward evening the weather became much colder and, despite all his efforts, his feet began to freeze soon after dark. There was no track he could follow, no land mark he could see, and he was enabled to keep his course only by a star which he selected as his guide. One can, perhaps, better imagine than describe the feelings and emotions of one so young thus toiling on with frozen feet, nerved by the hope of reaching shelter and by the prospect of perishing with cold and fatigue on an uninhabited prairie with only prairie wolves to gather at his deathbed. Hour after hour wore away ; his feet to his ankles were frozen hard; drowsiness came over him; the prairie wolves howled in the distance; vet no sign of the shanty could be discovered. Though much exhausted and discouraged, he struggled on. He had passed the shanty to the south. Death was certain if he went forward.
Fortunately for him the inmates of the cabin were at work minch later than usual that evening: by mere chance he discov- ered the light, and to the great astonishment of all present came in about eleven o'clock more dead than alive. His boots and socks were frozen tight to his feet and ankles, and some time and much labor were required to remove them.
The suffering he endured for many weeks can not be described. No medical aid could be obtained, and the flesh on his feet liter- ally rotted away, leaving the blackened bones of his toes ex- posed. Many weeks of pain passed before he could step on his feet and it was months before he could walk without the aid of crutches. Most of the discolored bones of his toes were taken off by his brother who used a razor in the work of amputation. In the latter part of the following April, he was conveyed to Mankato where surgical aid was obtained and the other injured bones were removed. By July following he had so far recovered the use of his feet that he took the position of government cook at the Winnebago Agency, among the Winnebago Indians. These Indians had been brought to their reservation during the month of June of that year-Gen. Fletcher being the agent at that time.
CHAPTER V, 1855.
MORE SETTLERS IN MIDWINTER-CHRIS SCOTT AND FAMILY- BUILD A LOG HUT AND COVER IT WITH HAY-SCOTT MAKES TRIP TO LA CROSSE FOR FLOUR THE LAST OF FEBRUARY.
About two weeks after the arrival of Mr. Sutlief and his com- pany, as detailed in chapter three, Mr. Christopher Seott and fam- ily, accompanied by a man called "Pat," came over from Straight river, where they had been staying sinee the previous fall. They, too, were from Wisconsin, near Fox Lake. This family stayed, or "hung up," in the Sutlief cabin, which, on their arrival, was pretty well filled; at least, it contained twelve persons, although it was only 14x16 feet with no chamber room. But in those days the stranger was welcome so long as there was standing room in the abode of the pioneer.
Mr. Scott immediately made a claim about a mile north of Sut- lief's. This claim is now owned by Mr. John Carmody, Sr. Mr. Scott commeneed building a cabin, which was constructed of logs notehed together at the corners; the building was "shin- gled" with basswood troughs; the erevices between the logs and troughs were chinked with prairie grass, eut in February, and then daubed, or plastered, with mud; the floor was the frozen ground, and the "banking" around the cabin was made of snow. There was no lumber in the country nearer than Mankato, and such a cabin was all that could be constructed with the materials at hand. Mrs. Scott having two or three small children, the bot- tom of a wagon box was brought in and laid upon the ground for them to play on, and for Mrs. Scott to use as a sort of sitting room.
Near the close of February Mr. Sutlief started for Dodge coun-
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
ty, Wis., leaving his business in Minnesota in charge of J. E. Child. Mr. Scott, who was going to La Crosse for provisions, accompan- ied Mr. Sutlief. They went by way of Owatonna, having learned that several teams had been driven from Owatonna to La Crosse within the month of February. Mr. Sutlief reached his destination in due time; and Mr. Seott, after a long and laborious struggle and much expense, returned with a small supply of flour and pork.
CHAPTER VI, 1855.
GREAT THAW IN MARCH FOLLOWED BY A SECOND WINTER- ALONE AND BLIND WITH CATTLE TO CARE FOR-MRS. SCOTT'S KINDNESS-TWO MEN FROM IOWA OUT IN ALL THAT STORM AND NEARLY STARVED.
The first week in March brought a thaw and a freshet. The snow entirely disappeared and the weather was warm and pleas- ant. So, on a very fine Sunday morning I concluded to take a tour of inspection around Silver Lake. In passing around the lake, when crossing its outlet on what is now the Pat Mad- den farm, I broke through the ice and was thoroughly drenched in ice water. Very soon after this baptism, the wind sprang up from the northwest and before I reached the cabin that afternoon, a severe snow storm was raging. In returning from school section 36, that evening, where I was obliged to go to feed the cattle, I faced the storm for half a mile, and my eyes were injured by the liail and sleet. I also contracted a severe cold that day, and the next morning my eyes were so inflamed that I could not open them nor bear the light. I was in a "Fletcherian fix" being all alone, with fifty cattle and sheep to feed and water, and I as blind as a bat. I tried to raise the only neighbors-those at Scott's claim a mile away-by loading and firing a rifle that was in the cabin; but this availed nothing.
However, as good luck would have it, the storm ceased about noon, and Mr. Plummer from Scott's claim, came over on an errand. He fed and watered the stock, brought in some wood and promised to return next morning. I could see no better that day than on the previous day; so, when Mr. Plummer had cared for
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
the cattle, he proposed that I should go with him to the Scott cabin where Mrs. Seott eould poultiee my eyes and care for them. The proposition was gratefully accepted.
"Sim" said that as soon as spring should arrive, he could fur- nish the eyes if "Pat" would the legs, and they would "leg it" back to the seenes of their childhood, ete.
After being kindly treated for a week, I so far recovered my sight that I was able to return to the Sutlief cabin and attend to my duties. The country was really having a second winter in March. The weather was eold, and iee had again formed on all the streams and ponds. A morning or two after I had returned to the Sutlief eabin, and while I was preparing my breakfast, I heard rapping at the door and said "come in." A stranger. looking haggard enough, walked in, and, grasping me by the hand, expressed his joy at finding a eabin and some one living in it. He said that he and another man, during the warm spell of weather had left the northernmost settlement, on the Des Moines river, in Iowa, with a horse and "jumper," bound for Mankato. On the third day of their journey they had met the heavy snowstorm which had swept over the Northwest, and partly lost their course, but struck the headwaters of the LeSueur on the east side, and, supposing it to be the Blue Earth river, had followed along down, expecting to find the Mankato settlement.
For three days preceding their arrival here, they had been without anything to eat, except a few ears of corn that they had brought along for horsefeed. The horse had subsisted for several days on nothing save dead prairie grass, and the browse from the bushes in the small groves along their route. One of the men was nearly blind from exposure to wind, sun, and storm, and both were very much reduced in strength for want of food and rest. The horse was nearly starved. They had come into the river bend opposite the Sntlief cabin the evening before and had camped over night, almost discouraged and with little hope of ever reaching Mankato or seeing their families again. Within the night they thought they could hear occasionally. the sound of a cow bell, and at early dawn they surely heard the roosters erow. Hope revived; and, as daylight came on, the man who could yet see, following the sounds which they had heard, crossed the river and found the shanty. They were gladly wel-
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
comed, and remained at the cabin several days before they and their horse were strong enough to pursue their journey to Man- kato. I never saw nor heard of them afterwards.
CHAPTER VII, 1855.
MORE SETTLERS IN MARCH-ROBBINS BROTHERS COME WITH CHRIS SCOTT-"BILL" ROBBINS LOST ON THE PRAIRIE, OUT TWO DAYS AND NIGHTS WITHOUT FOOD-A SHOOTING AFFRAY.
The latter part of March, after enduring all sorts of har Iships. Chris Scott returned from his trip to La Crosse for provisions. With him came two brothers, George Robbins and Win. Robbins. young and single men from Canada. They made claims on the east side of the river, opposite what was afterwarils the vil- lage of Wilton, and where once was located a paper town called Waterlynn. Win. Robbins, about this time, had a little experi- enee in being lost on the prairie. He was employed to drive a team and take S. P. Child to Mankato for surgical treatment. That was in April. When they arrived at the Mansfield and Callens' cabin, they learned that the water was so high in the Le Sueur river that they could not rross it to go on to Mankato. So it was arranged that Child and the team should remain with Mansfield and Callens until the waters should subside, and then go to Mankato, and Robbins should at onee return to the Sutlief settlement on foot and report the condition of affairs. ITe left there early in the morning, having with him a rifle and a small supply of ammunition. It seems that he went carelessly along. shooting at birds, ntil well along in the afternoon, when it or- enrred to him that he ought to be near home. He looked in every direction, but could see no object that looked like anything he had ever seen before. But he was on a wagon trail and thought that that would lead him home. Ile had thoughtlessly expended all his ammunition, and night found him upon the open prairie
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
without food, fuel, or even a blanket. He dared not move about much after dark for fear he would lose the wagon track. The next morning he was totally at a loss as to which direction to go. He finally followed the trail in a southerly direction, and again he spent the night upon the prairie, without food or fire. Fortunately on the third day he met some government land sur- veyors on their way to Mankato who, like good Samaritans, took pity on him, fed and warmed him, and carried him back to the Mansfield and Callens' place. It seems that when he left that plaee he took an old wagon trail leading south, instead of taking the Sutlief track leading east. Three days afterwards, he returned to our settlement somewhat wiser than when he left.
As soon as the waters subsided so that the Le Sueur could be forded, S. P. Child proceeded to Mankato, where his feet re- eeived the long-needed treatment. He then returned. to the set- tlement about two weeks after Robbins' return.
RECKLESS SHOOTING.
A little matter occurred at this time that shows the reekless- ness of frontier life. Mr. Sutlief, while on his trip to Mankato in February, had sold on credit, a pair of young oxen to a man named Wentworth, and had taken as security a chattel mortgage on the team. He left the chattel mortgage with me and told me to keep an eye out for the cattle. When S. P. Child returned, he told me that Wentworth was siek of the country and would start for California as soon as the grass should grow. Wentworth lived about one and a half miles south of Mansfield and Callens. I went out to that place on foot, a few days after my brother's re- turn, and stayed with Mansfield and Callens over night. They confirmed the report that Wentworth was selling off his personal effects and making arrangements to leave as soon as possible, and that he was trying to sell the Sutlief oxen. So, the next morn- ing, I went to see him, supposing that he would pay for the oxen or, at least, give them up, as he had not paid anything on them. He very coolly told me that he should not pay for them nor give them up. He said the note was not due till a year from date and he should not pay it till then. He admitted that he should leave as soon as he could and take the cattle with him. I told him then that the cattle would have to be taken on the mort-
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
gage, and tried to convinee him that he had no right to hold the cattle, either in law or equity; but talk was of no avail. I then went to the yard, put the yoke on the oxen, and started to drive them out through the bars. Wentworth stood in the bar- way with a elub and drove them baek. I then tore down the yard fence on the other side and tried to drive them out there, but Wentworth met them there and drove them back. For some time we drove the eattle back and forth; finally we eame to a clineh. During the struggle, the oxen went out of the yard, and as soon as Wentworth eould get loose and regain his feet he ran for the house; I ran for the oxen and started them east as fast as possible. I had not gone more than eight rods before Wentworth came out with a shot gun and ordered me to stop or lie would shoot. Well, matters were getting serious. I had no shooting iron. I didn't believe, however, that Wentworth would shoot at me, so I said "Shoot and be d-d." And sure enough Wentworth did shoot. I was badly scared, but I was satisfied that if I could get hold of Wentworth before the gun could be re- loaded, I could soon put an end to the shooting business: so I made a run for the angry man, who ran into his shanty and barred the door before I reached it. Then I knew it was time for me to leave if I expected to leave at all, and I accordingly left as fast as my legs could carry me. Fortunately for me, the cattle had kept on in the traek leading to the Sutlief settlement, and I soon overtook them and put them into a trot which was kept up for some distance. I saw Wentworth come out of his shanty with his gun and walk towards me a short distance, then turn baek and disappear into his cabin. I kept a "weather exe" out for my contestant all that day, and for some days after my return, but I never again saw the man, who soon after left the Territory.
MASANNIE MEDOUGALL
WILLIAM A HENDERSON
REY O.A.MELBY
ROBERT MS DOUGALL
SEGUAD JOHNSON
MRS ELIZA SUTLIEF
ASA G.SUTLIEF
GOTTLIEB KRASSIN
NATHANIEL GARLAND
CHAPTER VIII, 1855.
MARTIN KRASSIN AND JOHN G. GREENING-FIRST SETTLEMENT IN ST. MARY-FIRST LOG CABIN TO BURN IN THE SETTLEMENT -JOSEPH AND ABRAHAM BIRD, JOHN WHITE-BERNARD GREG- ORY AND MR. TOWER-JOHN AND DAVID JENKINS LOCATE IN WILTON.
Martin Krassin and John G. Greening, next to Mr. Sutlief, were the oldest land lookers of the county. Martin was a native of Prussia, born in the year 1821, and came to America with his family in July, 1854, stopping temporarily with his brothers, near Princeton, Wisconsin. He left his young wife there in the fall of 1854, and with Greening made an extensive tour of Minnesota, the greater part of the way on foot. They passed through this sec- tion, pushed on to the Minnesota river, thence down that stream and on to St. Paul, whence they proceeded to La Crosse by boat, and thence to Krassin's family in Wisconsin. As soon as grass started the next spring, Mr. Krassin, in company with his father and mother, his wife and one child, his brother, John F .; his brother-in-law Gottlieb Prechel, who was accompaned by wife and children ; his youngest sister, Justina, now Mrs. J. E. Child; Fred Wobschall, Fred Proechel (Big Fred) ; and John G. Green- ing and family, made preparations to move to Minnesota. The journey was a toilsome one, and they did not arrive until about the first of June, 1855.
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