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 32
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no injury. Carrying Mr. Eckenbeck to a place of safety, George went back to look for his sister, whom he supposed to be in the burning building, but she had previously escaped. While in the house this time George was severely burned on his head. The entire building was now on fire and in a very short time burned to the ground. Mr. Eckenbeck suffered the loss of a large num- ber of valuable papers, notes, etc .; Louise, many valuable paint- ings of her own handiwork, besides all her clothes. Sylvester and his father also lost their clothing. George saved a portion of his clothes, his gold watch, which was afterwards found in the street, and $50 in money that was in a bureau. He lost $300 worth of books. The value of the property destroyed was about $4,000, most of it covered by insurance.
DEATH OF A PIONEER.
Job A. Canfield, who settled in the town of Otisco in 1856, was a lifelong pioneer. He was born in the state of Ohio, his parents having been pioneers in that state. About the year 1845, when a young man, he settled with his young wife in Dodge county, Wisconsin, near Waupun. His wife was a daugh- ter of Obadiah Mosher, also a Wisconsin and Minnesota pioneer. Mr. Canfield was the first judge of probate in this county, hold- ing the position from 1857 to 1860, and again from Jan. 1, 1870, to Jan. 1, 1878. August 12, 1862, at the age of thirty-eight years, he enlisted in Company F, Tenth Minnesota Infantry, and served until May 18, 1865. He died of apoplexy Jan. 28, 1884, and was buried with Masonic and Grand Army honors.
DEATH OF S. S. PHELPS.
The following account of the sad death of Mr. Phelps is from the pencil of Mr. G. W. Morse, editor of the Waseca Herald, at the time of Mr. Phelps' death :
"Mr. Phelps was in town on business and started for home a few minutes before 6 o'clock, driving a span of horses attached to a pair of sleds with wagon box on same. At the time a very fierce blizzard was raging from the northwest, the snow coming in blinding clouds, and the temperature being very cold. About one mile west of here the road that he must travel is crossed by the Winona & St. Peter railroad. Each side of the railroad track, at the crossing, for perhaps four rods were banks of snow from three to six feet high, the same having been thrown from the track to keep it clear. The snow came in such gusts
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and the wind roared so loudly that no one could see or hear an ap- proaching train for but a short distance. Mr. Phelps drove his team down the embankment on to the track, but found the bank on the op- posite side too steep and high for bis team to climb, and so turned up the track, thinking, no doubt, to get through the fence and so back onto the road. He had passed not more than fifty feet up the track before a freight train of two cars and a caboose came dashing along from the west at a speed necessary to pass through drifts that were liable to be found. H. A. Read was the engineer, and did not nor could not see the approaching team nntil within sixty feet of them. He saw the driver rise up and, as he thinks, make an attempt to jump, but such an effort was quite useless, as no person could have got out and up the steep bank of snow in time to escape. Mr. Read reversed his en- gine immediately and did everything possible to stop, but all in vain, un- til he had gone at least thirty rods. Getting off from his engine and looking for the results of the accident, the mangled body of Mr. Phelps was found under the second car, where his clothes had been caught by projecting holts and he dragged the distance. The top of his head had been taken off, both feet cut off, and he had received many other cuts and bruises, so that he was quite beyond recognition. Both horses were killed instantly and thrown from the track after being dragged, one of them five or six rods and the other a little farther. The sleds were carried on the pilot until the train stopped. Removing the hody from under the car, Mr. Read detached his engine and came down to the depot. Getting Coroner Young and others, he went back and brought the remains of the unfortunate man to the depot, where they remained until morning, when they were placed in a casket and removed to the residence."
THE FOURTH OF JULY-VICE-PRESIDENT COLFAX.
Undoubtedly the most elaborate celebration of the national holiday ever held in this county occurred this year. Maplewood Park was then in its youthful glory and all Waseca joined to make the occasion memorable. The day was very fine and the program was fully carried out. Vice-President Colfax was at his best and delivered a fine address.
The oration ended, the next thing in order was dinner, and again the park was one vast picnic. The G. A. R. boys pooled their provisions and enjoyed an army pienie, and many were the jokes and pleasantries that passed around. The drum corps with two fifers, supplied an abundance of martial music. At 2:30 the concert began in the pavilion, under direction of Prof. Raymond. The attendance was very fair, considering the fact that, as a general ride, out door sports are preferred on the
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Fourth of July. A thunder shower chorus was added to the concert program, which somewhat disturbed the same. The rain effectually ended further doings at the park and those who were not encamped there made their way to town, where the two bands were already engaged in making the air resonant with music. About 6 o'clock another and heavier shower came, still further dampening the ardor of the celebrators. The sky soon cleared and the cool evening was acceptable to the merry dancers of the G. A. R. ball at the opera house and the concert-goers at Ward's Hall. Both were largely patronized and generally pro- nounced successful. There was a brilliant display of fireworks in the evening both at the park and in the city.
ATTEMPTED JAIL DELIVERY.
On July 14, an attempt was made by the three prisoners then in jail to make their escape. About 9 o'clock in the evening, the deputy sheriff, H. H. Evenson, went to lock the cell doors of the prisoners; the door of Martin Wallace's cell was open, and as Wallace had gone to bed, Mr. Evenson very kindly stepped inside of the corridor to shut it. As he did so Wallace made for him and dealt him a heavy blow in the face. At the same time the other prisoners rushed from their cells and passed out the first door. Wallace and one of the others passed into the office and endeavored to get out the outside door, but it was locked. They were about to jump through the window when Mr. Evenson fired his revolver at Wallace, the ball entering his shoulder. This called a halt, and the prisoners all hurried back into their cells and were securely locked in. It was found nec- essary to call in the county physician to dress the wound of Wallace.
SUDDENLY KILLED.
Mr. J. G. Cooley, who was among the early Wilton settlers, while hauling wheat to Waseca, Nov. 24, 1884, lost his life in the following manner: About noon, as he was driving up the hill on the Wilton road about a mile south of Waseca, the wagon, by some means, suddenly went into a deep rut, and Mr. Cooley was thrown from the load to the ground, a sack of wheat falling on him. As he fell, his body lay in such a position that the hind wheel of the wagon passed over his neck, killing him instantly.
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The team passed on a short distance and stopped. His son, Josiah, a boy about sixteen years old, was some thirty rods be- hind his father, with another load of wheat. He saw his father fall and hastened to the spot as soon as possible, finding his father dead. Mr. August Schulz and others soon came up, when the body was placed upon a wagon and taken to Waseca, and thence to the family home in Wilton.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
Grover Cleveland was elected president in 1884 for the first time. Waseca county gave James G. Blaine 1,189 votes, Grover Cleveland 867, and John P. St. John 97. The local candidates elected were as follows: M. D. L. Collester, representative: S. Swenson, auditor; Austin Vinton and M. Craven, county com- missioners.
CHAPTER LIV, 1885.
DEATH OF J. M. ROBERTSON-COUNTY BOARD-DEATH OF NAN- CY MOSHER-OFFICE OF MUNICIPAL JUDGE-CRANE CREEK IMPROVEMENT, REPORT OF AUDITING BOARD-ST. MARY CHURCH BURNED-BUILDING STATISTICS.
Soon after the "Happy New Year" greetings, Jan. 5, 1885, a gloom was cast over the community by the death of J. M. Rob- ertson, a prominent citizen of Waseca. He was born in Liberty, Sullivan county, N. Y., May 23, 1852. Two years later his par- ents moved to Illinois, and thence to Winona in 1856. He grew to manhood in Winona county and came to Waseca about 1879, engaging in the hardware business with Bailey & Watkins. He left a wife and two small children. His wife was the accom- plished daughter of Hon. Burr Deuel, of Quincy, Olmstead coun- ty, Minnesota. Mr. Robertson died of pneumonia. It is said that while returning from Chicago, about three weeks prior to his death, he took a severe cold. The night was cold, and on the train was a poor woman and child who suffered from lack of warm wraps. To relieve them Mr. Robertson let them have his overcoat. The result was he received a cold that brought on the fatal result. For this self-sacrificing act his memory should be preserved.
THE COUNTY BOARD.
The county commissioners this year were N. M. Nelson, Aus- tin Vinton, M. Craven, Philip Purcell, M. F. Connor, and A. J. Jordan. Mr. Purcell was again elected chairman. The county printing this year was divided and let to the several papers
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designated at legal rates. A movement was made at this meet- ing for the building of a bridge aeross the Le Sueur river at the John Carmody farm, in Wilton; and at the Mareh meeting, $300 was appropriated for that purpose.
WINTER WEATHER.
The winter of 1884-5, while not as prolonged as some winters, furnished some very cold weather, especially during the month of January.
AN AGED PIONEER.
The 87th anniversary of the birthday of Mrs. Nancy Mosher was celebrated on the 29th of January by a surprise party for that lady at the residenee of her daughter, Mrs. W. S. Baker, of Waseea. There were present twenty-five persons who were the children, the grandchildren, and the great grandchildren of the venerable lady. The occasion was one of decided enjoyment. Mrs. Mosher was born in Vermont in 1797. She was mother of Hiram A., Asa, and "Jim" Mosher, pioneers in this county.
MUNICIPAL JUDGE.
It was at the legislative session of 1885 that the office of munic- ipal judge was ereated by special act for the city of Waseea- the offices of justices of the peaee for said city being abolished by the same act. The new eourt had jurisdiction throughout the county the same as a justiee of the peace, with this addition : in all eivil aetions where the amount in controversy did not ex- ceed $300. Otherwise its jurisdiction was substantially the same. John Carmody, Esq., was the first judge elected under the new law, and was one of the best who has ever held the position.
CRANE, CREEK IMPROVEMENT.
The drainage of large tracts of land situated in Steele and this county was undertaken and partly accomplished in 1885. The following report is here reproduced.
Messrs. S. B. Williams, T. H. Griffin, and W. C. Young, appointed by the governor to examine the work and audit the accounts for widening and deepening Crane creek, have submitted their report to State Auditor Braden, in which they say:
"The channei in many places has been straightened, widened, and deepened. A uniform width of eighteen feet has been preserved for
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the channel along the whole excavation, and in some places the excava- tion has been five feet in depth. In the opinion of this committee the work already done would be more than doubled in value if the work could be continued to the source of the creek at Watkins lake, and some straightening of the channel below the mouth of the creek.
The cost of such improvements to complete the work in a permanent manner, would not exceed, in our opinion, the present outlay of $1,500, additional, as the whole engineering is now complete and nothing but excavation is required. This would reclaim thousands of acres of land, a considerable part of which, as this committee is informed, belongs to the state, and is now nearly valueless because of the overflow for want of a free, open channel.
"In auditing accounts the committee found all bills reasonable and just except those for surveying, which were considerably above the legal rate of $4.00 per day allowed county surveyors. The committee reduced them thereto, bringing the whole outlay within the appropria- tion. Therefore we recommend that there be allowed as follows: For surveying, $399; for sundries such as tools, hardware, lumber used, etc., $120.10; for pay roll of laborers on excavation, $748.35; for services of the commissioners of Steele and Waseca counties and mileage, $202.65; for paying the commissioners on behalf of the state, $30.00; total, $1,500. In conclusion the committee wish to say that the work of excavating the channel has been done very much below the lowest bid received by the county commissioners for the said work."
ST. MARY CHURCH BURNED.
The Catholic church people of the St. Mary parish met with a heavy loss Dee. 19, 1885. The new Catholic church, which was erected at a cost of $15,000, was entirely destroyed by fire. Serv- ices were held in the morning and in the afternoon the building was consumed. Very few things were saved. The statue of St. Joseph, presented to the church some two months prior by Peter Burns and Christie Hefferon, at a cost of $125, and the statue of the Blessed Virgin were removed without any material damage. The chalices were also saved. The church members were under lasting obligations to Thomas Garaghty and James Byron for their heroic services in rescuing the altar furniture. Mr. Garaghty at one time became so bewildered in the smoke that he probably would have perished had it not been for the assistance of James Byron in going to his rescue. The building was 44x86 feet, and 26 feet high. It was insured for $7,000. The burned edifice was replaced with a new one early the next year.
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BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS.
The building improvements of the city of Waseca for the year 1885 footed up to $69,600.
CAPTER LV, 1886.
COUNTY PHYSICIANS-HERALD REMOVAL-ANOTHER DESTRUC- TIVE FIRE-ROAD AND BRIDGE FUNDS-THE ST. CLOUD TOR- NADO, TERRIBLE DESTRUCTION OF LIFE AND PROPERTY-A BURGLAR SHOT BY ED. GOETZENBERGER-MURDER AND SUI- CIDE NEAR NEW RICHLAND-THE FARMERS' ALLIANCE-NO- TABLE MEETINGS IN THE YEAR-EDITORS, W. C. T. U., OLD SETTLERS, MAPLEWOOD PARK-DIED, JOHN BALLARD, SILAS BUCKMAN, GEO. SMITH, HONORA BURKE (KILLED BY R. R.)- FALL ELECTION-EARLY WINTER-BUILDING STATISTICS.
The annual meeting of the county commissioners this year commenced Jan. 5. Philip Purcell was again chosen to preside. The members of the board were N. M. Nelson, Philip Purcell, M. F. Connor, Austin Vinton, and Milton Craven. The county physicians for this year were Dr. H. J. Young for the First dis- trict, Dr. M. J. Taylor for the Second, Dr. John Nutting for the Third, and Dr. W. A. Lang for the Fourth. The county printing was disposed of as follows: The contract for publishing the delinquent tax list was awarded to the "Herald;" the contract for publishing the proceedings of the county board went to the Janesville "Argus," and the contract for publishing the finan- cial statement and the proceedings of the board of equalization was given to the "Radical."
REMOVAL.
On the 29th and 30th of January, 1886, the Waseca County "Herald" outfit, was moved into the upper story of the brick building now owned by Hon. C. A. Smith, and adjoining the A.
15
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Grapp furniture building, where it remained until September 21, 1900, when it was removed to its present commodious rooms.
A $6,000 BLAZE.
On Feb. 11, 1886, about 2:30 o'clock a. m. fire was diseoverel in Tom. Moonan's wooden building, next to the briek store of S. C. Eekenbeck & Co., in the rear or kitehen part. That part of the building was all ablaze when discovered, and Mr. and Mrs. Southworth, who oeeupied the building, barely eseaped with their every-day clothing. The fire alarm was given and the members of the fire company and many eitizens promptly re- sponded. By the time the firemen got out their engine and put on a stream of water, the Moonan building was nearly consumed, and Jos. Gatzman's wooden building was well under way. The flames soon reached Ward's building, known as Brubaker &' Smith's meat market. By the most courageous efforts the fire was eonfined to the latter building, and although Helms' build- ing, oeeupied by Sproat, several times eaught fire, it was as often extinguished. The loss on buildings was $3,500, and on goods about $2,500. Brick buildings were promptly built the next spring to replace the burned ones.
ROAD AND BRIDGE FUNDS.
At the March session of the board of county commissioners the following appropriations were made :
"Ordered, that $200 be appropriated for repairs on roads and bridges in the first commissioner district, to be expended under the supervision of Austin Vinton; that $200 be appropriated for repairs on roads and bridges in the second commissioner district, to be expended under the supervision of Philip Purcell; that $200 be appropriated for repairs on roads and bridges in the third commissioner district, to he expended under the supervision of N. M. Nelson; that $200 be appropriated for repairs on roads and bridges in the fourth commissioner district to be expended under the supervision of A. J. Jordan; that $200 be appro- priated for repairs on roads and bridges in the fifth commissioner dis- trict, to be expended under the supervision of M. F. Connor."
THE ST. CLOUD TORNADO.
On the 14th day of April, 1886, Sank Rapids and St. Cloud were visited by a tornado which killed fifty persons and wounded more than one hundred others. At St. Cloud, in the traek of the storm, stood the Manitoba freight house and ears filled with
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freight. Down on them the whirlwind pounced, lifted them from the tracks and cast them in shapeless masses. Iron rails were torn from the ties and twisted like wires. Telegraph poles were torn up and wires twisted into masses. The freight house was totally wrecked and over $3,000 worth of freight was whirled through the air and thrown into heaps and scattered over an area of a quarter of a mile. Fifteen freight cars were demol- ished. The cries and shrieks of the wounded rent the air, and the ground was strewn with the bodies of the dead.
The Sauk Rapids disaster was described by an eye witness as follows :
"The tornado struck this city at 4 o'clock, and in six minutes the town was in ruins. Not a business house was left standing on the main street, and many residences were demolished. The wind came from the southwest and swept everything before it for a width of about four blocks. The stormcloud was as black as night, with a bright clear sky on either side. The courthouse was made a heap of ruins. The union school house, two churches, the postoffice, flour mill, and large machine shop were all converted into kindling wood. The Northern Pacific depot was blown away, and a large number of freight cars overturned. At the present time twenty-two dead bodies have been recovered from the ruins and a large number of persons are injured.
"A wedding party of thirty persons were in a building about four miles from Rice station when the storm came, and twenty-two of the party were killed and the others all injured. The dead were strewn about for a distance of fully six hundred feet, presenting a ghastly spectacle. The situation is a sad one, the living being not only deprived of their friends, but of all their earthly possessions at the same time. The total loss of property is not less than $300,000, without a dollar of tornado insurance."
Upon receipt of a report of the terrible affair in Waseca, a public meeting was called at the courthouse. Hugh Wilson was chosen chairman, and James E. Child secretary. A resolu- tion offered by Mr. Lewis Brownell, asking the common council of the city to appropriate $300 to aid the sufferers, was unani- mously adopted. At the suggestion of Judge Crump, seconded by Hon. W. G. Ward, the chair appointed a committee of three- Judge Crump, Senator Ward, and James E. Child-to solicit funds to aid the sufferers. The amount donated by the city was $300, and the amount paid in by private persons was $346.75. All of this was forwarded to the governor of the state to be used for the relief of the sufferers. In addition to this amount, the
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German Evangelical churches of the county contributed as fol- lows: The Waseca church $28; the Meriden church $22.10; Wil- ton church $11.40, and the Iosco church $42.25.
ROAD AND BRIDGE FUNDS.
At the May meeting of the board of county commissioners, it was ordered :
That $200 be appropriated for work on road on sections 20 and 29 in town of Alton, between the house of P. Morrissey and Buffalo Lake, and that A. J. Jordan and M. F. Connor be appointed a committee to ex- pend said appropriation, and report at the next meeting of the board; that $400 be appropriated for the construction of the Lamb bridge; that $150 be appropriated for repair of roads and bridges in the sixth com- missioner district, to be expended under the supervision of M. Craven; that $100 be appropriated for the construction of the Stewart creek bridge, on section 7, Otisco.
At the July meeting it was ordered :
That $75 be appropriated to pay the remainder due for building the Stewart creek bridge, and that $195 be appropriated to pay for replank- ing the Cobb river bridge.
August 20, it was ordered :
That $150 be appropriated for repairs on roads and bridges in the first commissioner district to be expended under the supervision of Austin Vinton; that $200 be appropriated for repairs on roads and bridges in the second commissioner district, to be expended under the supervision of Philip Purcell; that $150 be appropriated for repairs on roads and bridges in the third commissioner district, to be expended under the supervision of N. M. Nelson; that $150 be appropriated for repairs of roads and bridges in the fourth commissioner district, to he expended under the supervision of A. J. Jordan; that $150 be appropriated for re- pairs of roads and bridges in the fifth commissioner district, to be ex- pended under the supervision of M. F. Connor.
A BURGLAR SHOT.
On the night of June 3, 1886, a man named Ed. Menck, a tailor, and a stranger, who refused to give his name, broke into the hardware store of P. C. Bailey, between 11 and 12 o'clock. Ed. Goetzenberger and Francis Breen had gone to bed a short time before, in the office, adjoining the store. They heard the report of the glass breaking, and Ed. got up and looked out. but saw nothing. As there were many people on the streets and some in the saloons, he thought little of it. Presently they heard more noise, this time in the store. They arose cautiously,
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put on their pantaloons, lighted a lamp, Ed. taking his revolver and Francis the lamp, and suddenly opened the door between the office and the store, where they discovered two burglars. The thieves beat a hasty retreat, notwithstanding Ed.'s invita- tion to them to halt, and as they said something about shooting, Ed. went into practice while young Breen bravely held the light. Ed. emptied his revolver at them as they retreated by crawling' through a window, and then he shouted for the police. There was a general search instituted, and the men were soon found and arrested by Marshal Keeley. Both of them had their hands eut considerably by the glass in the window, and the stranger received a bullet wound, the ball striking him in the back, fol- lowing a rib, and lodging in front. Dr. Hunt took out the bullet and dressed their wounds. Some of the citizens chipped in and presented Ed. Goetzenberger and Francis Breen each a gold watch and chain as evidence of their appreciation of the courage displayed by the young men on the occasion. Both offenders were convicted of burglary at the fall term of court and sent to prison.
MURDER AND SUICIDE.
The people of New Richland were thrown into a state of great excitement on the evening of July 6, 1886, by the murder of Miss Anna M. Discher and the suicide of her murderer. The following report was published at the time :
Henry Young was a German whose relatives reside in Wisconsin. He had been around here for several years, was always considered a steady young man, not of vicious habits, tolerably well to do, and owned an interest in a thresher, which he ran in season. The other victim, Anna M. Discher, was the daughter of W. F. Discher, justice of the peace, and a well-to-do farmer. In the afternoon Young was around town and seemed to be drinking heavily. Then he went out to the Discher farm. Mrs. Discher and daughter were sitting on the porch sewing. He walked up to the girl and after a few words drew his revolver and shot her twice, the bullets taking effect in or near the heart. She died in a few min- utes in her mother's arms. Thrusting the revolver into his mouth, he fired and killed himself instantly. It is rumored that he had wanted her for some time to marry him, which she declined to do. This is undoubtedly correct, as it seems to be reasonably well founded."
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