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 52
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SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
This, one of the most important offices in the county, was in early days the most poorly paid. Prior to 1864, school superin- tendents were appointed by commissioner districts, and at one time by townships; and oftentimes the superintendent was to- tally incompetent. But the legislature of 1863 created the office of county superintendent to be appointed by the county commis- sioners. The first to be appointed in this county was Rev. Elijah S. Smith, who served at a salary of $100 a year until 1867. James E. Child was then chosen at a salary of $200 a year. Think of such an overwhelming salary for visiting sixty schools twice a year and holding two public examinations in three of the most public places in the county each year! Mr. Jesse Poland, of Vivian, then served one year. Rev. S. T. Catlin next accepted the position in 1869 at a salary of $300. Dr. R. O. Craig was appointed in 1870. In 1871, Dr. M. S. Gove was elected by the people, but declined to serve, and the board of
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county commissioners appointed H. G. Mosher, one of their own number, to that office. He gave such entire satisfaction that he was elected and re-elected, serving until 1880. In the fall of 1879, Dr. M. V. Hunt was elected and served in a way for two years. In the fall of 1881, Dr. D. S. Cummings was elected and served four years. He was followed by J. B. Dye, who was elected to the position in the fall of 1886. He held the office two terms. Hon. John S. Abell was chosen in the fall of 1890, and again in the fall of 1892, serving with credit to himself and the schools. He was succeeded by Mr. C. W. Wagner, who was elected in the fall of 1894 and again in the fall of 1896. He was an efficient officer. Frank J. Remund succeeded him for one term, having been elected in the fall of 1898. Mr. Remund was succeeded by L. J. Larson, who was elected in 1900 and again in 1902. In the fall of 1904 Mr. Herman A. Panzram, the present active and industrious incumbent, was elected and en- tered upon his duties Jan. 1, 1905.
CHAPTER LXXVIII.
TOWNS AND TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATIONS-NEW RICHLAND TOWN- SHIP AND VILLAGE, TOWNSHIP OF BYRON, VIVIAN AND ITS EARLY SETTLEMENT, OTISCO, WILTON AND ITS VILLAGE, FREEDOM, ALMA CITY, WOODVILLE, ST. MARY, ALTON, BLOOM- ING GROVE, IOSCO AND "EMPIRE," JANESVILLE, OKAMAN, AND VILLAGE OF "EAST JANESVILLE" AND EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
NEW RICHLAND.
This is the southeast corner township of the county, at the headwaters of the Le Sueur river. The township was originally all prairie except a narrow skirt of trees along the river. The soil is very rich and productive. The first settlement in the township was made in 1856 by a colony, as detailed by Hon. A. Sampson. Among the early settlers the following are noted . Knute Christensen, Nels Christensen, K. O. Rotegard, H. O. Sunde, Anthony Sampson, H. H. Sunde, Ole K. Hagan, W. Anderson, Christian Knudson, and E. O. Strenge were the first to settle in the township, and they located about June 10, 1856. Of the settlers of 1858, the following are remembered: Ole Hogaas, who died in 1885; John Benson, born in Norway in 1833, a prominent and well-to-do farmer; Nels Tyrholm, now of the village; Torkel Lund and Ole H. Sunde; H. J. Hanson, now county commissioner; David Skinner, Hon. John Thompson, who recently died at Albert Lea; Eric Christianson, A. N. Berg, A. J. Stensvad, and Ole Johnson. Andrew Berg is one of the wealthy farmers of the town. He is father of fourteen ehildren. J. H. Wightman, now a resident of New Richland, was born in the state of New York Feb. 3, 1822; he settled in Byron in July
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1857; went to Wilton and engaged in the hardware business with Hon. P. C. Bailey in 1864. After two years he sold to G. W. Watkins, and opened a general store at Wilton. At the build- ing of New Richland, he moved his stock to that place and con- tinued in trade till 1885-6, when he sold to A. J. Newgard and retired to his farm on section 16, where he still resides. Mr. E. E. Verplank, elsewhere noticed in this work, settled in this town in the "sixties." He married Miss Sophia Hanson Oct. 22, 1864. Knute O. Hagan, Torkel Lund, E. C. Sybilrud, and Rev. O. A. Mellby settled early in this township.
RICHLAND'S "FIRST" ITEMS.
Mrs. Even Tostensen, daughter of O. K. Hagan, was the first child born in the township. Samuel S. Sampson was the first person to die. He departed this life Aug. 22, 1861. The first school meeting was held at the house of Nels Tyrholm. The offi- cers elected were Anthony Sampson, director; John Larson, clerk; and T. Tidmanson, treasurer. The first church organiza- tion was in 1861. The first school house was built of logs in 1862, on land donated by Mr. A. Sampson; the first teacher was a Miss Northrup. The Norwegian Lutheran church on section 11 was built in 1875-6 and cost about $5,000. The first place of worship was built of logs in 1862, and Rev. B. Muse, of Good- hue county, was the first minister. The Lutheran society was first organized in 1858, by Rev. Laurs Larson, a home missionary. at the residence of Ole Arneson. The first town meeting was held at the residence of John Larson. Hon. John Thompson was chairman. J. S. Rice was chosen moderator and S. W. Franklin clerk. The first township officers elected were as fol- lows: Supervisors, John Thompson (chairman), J. S. Riee, and David Skinner; assessor, A. Sampson; treasurer, Nels Christian- son ; justices of the peace, J. S. Rice and John Larson; constables, George W. Legg and Andrew Johnson; overseer of the poor, Ole Johnson. Mr. John Larson was not only one of the first jus- tices of the peace, but was also the first postmaster. The thriv- ing village of New Richland, situated upon section 17, was sur- veyed and platted in August, 1877, by Henry T. Wells. There have been four additions to the plat since, one by Charles Zieger, one by Mr. Wells, one by Frank McClane, and one by Jane Me- Clane. The village grew by leaps and bounds the first two years
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of its existence. Buildings were erected by a Mr. Buncho, by Thomas Lynch, J. H. Wightman, A. J. Stensvad, Henry Jaehning, Hugh Wilson, Halvor K. Stearns, Murphy & Johnson, C. H. Brossard, Clark & Swann, Nels Tyrholm & Son, Hon. Fenton Keenan, Joseph Smith & Co., E. E. Ellifson, Hunt Bros., Fred Bettner, Torgerson & Johnson, Newgard & Zieger, O. P. Olson, T. Thompson, P. A. Holt, O. S. Bokke, N. J. Robbins, who built the Washburn hotel, Ole Johnson Moe, who built the Commercial house, and Charles Brunnell, who built the American house. The Model Roller Mill, now owned by Everett, Augenbaugh & Co., was built in the fall of 1879 by Messrs. Dunwoody & Corson at a cost of about $40,000. The plant was bought by the Messrs. Everett, Augenbaugh & Co. some years since and has been thor- oughly repaired and remodeled so that it is an up-to-date plant and is run in connection with the "Eaco" Mills at Waseca. The mill does most excellent work, and furnishes a live market for all the good wheat raised in the surrounding country.
The Congregationalists erected the first church building in the fall of 1882 at a cost of about $1,500. Rev. Wilbur Fisk was the clergyman who then served the people and rustled for the church.
The Norwegian Lutheran church was constructed in the sum- mer of 1883 at a cost of about $2,500.
A school building was erected in the north part of town in 1878 at a cost of $1,200. Since that time a new site has been selected south of the business portion of the town, and New Rich- land now has one of the finest school buildings and school house sites in the state.
Strangers Refuge Lodge No. 74 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows was organized Jan. 4, 1880, with the following officers: C. G. Cheesebro, N. G .; E. Steinhaus, V. G .; F. G. Schneider, S .; Henry Jaehning, treasurer; C. Hooper, R. S. N. G .; Charles Brossard, L. S. N. G .; W. Smith, Jr., W .; Charles Brunell, C .; and W. Luff, I. G.
Lincoln Post No. 26, G. A. R., was organized in 1882. Its first officers were Chris Wagner, P. C .; B. F. Weed, S. V. C .; O. H. Sutlief, J. V. C .; Fenton Keenan, O. D .; E. E. Verplank, A .; H. J. Hanson, Q. M .; and P. A. Holt, O. G.
New Richland has a good town hall, a beautiful publie park, a telephone system owned by Mr. Milo Hodgkins, and well graded
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streets. It is surrounded by an industrious, frugal, well-to-do class of farmers.
BYRON TOWNSHIP.
Originally, in 1857, Byron was a part of the Otisco precinct, and so remained until the fall of 1858, when it was organized as a separate township. The early records of the township have been lost, but the oldest settlers claim that the first supervisors of the town were J. H. Wightman, chairman, Daniel C. Davis and Christie McGrath; David Beavins town clerk, and C. S. Weed, assessor.
Jeremy Davis and family were the first white settlers in the township. Jeremy built the first log cabin in the summer of 1855. It was destroyed by fire in the spring of 1857, and the family was left houseless for a time. Mr. Davis died in Byron, Sept. 13, 1863.
Daniel C. Davis, son of Jeremy, born May 13, 1834, came with his father and settled at the same time, in 1855. July 18, 1861, he was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Parvin.
Christie MeGrath, a native of Ireland, settled in Byron in 1856, and still resides on his farm. He saw many hardships in the pioneer days. He has been an industrious worker all his life.
William and David Beavins also settled in this township in 1856. David was a character in his way. He was a very kind hearted man and very jovial. He was long on profuse prom- ises, but sometimes short on performances. One time he prom- ised Alex Johnston a large number of votes in Byron, upon the strength of which he got many a drink. After election Alex chided him for not getting a single vote, and Dave, with a great appearance of sincere sorrow, declared that he was mistaken in the day and didn't get to the polls, and that that was the reason why Alex was short on votes. It was claimed by others that Alex's opponent saw David last on election morning. William served in the Union army and died a few years after his return home.
Isaac Ling settled in Byron in 1856. He served as a soldier in Company F, Tenth Minnesota infantry, dying at Dauphin Island, March 10, 1865. Mrs. Ling died here the same year, leaving a number of small children. C. S. Weed and family also settled in Byron in 1856.
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J. H. Wightman, now of New Richland; Richard Ayers (de- ceased), late of Janesville; William Philbrook, who died in 1865; Jacob W. Pierce, still a resident of the town, moved to Byron in 1857.
Omer H. Sutlief, Garret Hope, and a number of other men. and their families, came to this town prior to 1860.
Garret Hope, born in county of West Mayo, Ireland, Aug. 15, 1840, came to America in 1852, and lived for a time in Con- necticut; he came West to Beloit, Wis., in 1855, and to Byron in 1858. Some years ago he sold his farm in Byron and removed to California.
Benaiah Parvin came here in 1860, and after several years' residenee, emigrated to Arkansas, where he died soon after.
Calista J. Campbell, born in Madison county, N. Y., came West with her parents to Roek eounty, Wis., as early as 1848. Dec. 11, 1849, she married Edwin A. Crump. Eight years after they moved to Winneshiek county, Iowa, and three years later came to Byron. Some time afterward they spent a few years in the village of Wilton-Mr. Crump running a wagon shop and Mrs. Crump a millinery store. Mr. Crump was consumptive, and died Jan. 20, 1878. They were the parents of five children-three sons and two daughters. Mrs. Crump bravely carried on the farm in Byron, with the assistance of her children until 1880, Feb. 28, when she married Mr. John N. Wilson, who was born in Canada Sept. 1, 1833. In 1854 he eame to Wisconsin, later he went to Colorado, where he enlisted in Company G, First Colorado regi- ment, and served until the close of the rebellion. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson now have a cozy home in New Richland village.
Peter Bumgerten, born in Prussia, June 27, 1832, came to America in 1857, first living in Wisconsin. He remained there until 1869, when he came to St. Mary in this county. Six years after he removed to Byron. The last few years of his life he re- sided in New Richland, and died there in the spring of 1905.
Lawrence Concanon, born in Ireland, July 20, 1827, landed at New Orleans in 1851; he followed up the river to Illinois, where he lived until 1877, when he came to St. Mary. After spending three years in St. Mary, he settled on section 19, in Byron, where he still resides.
Zalmon M. Partridge, born Jan. 15, 1834, in Berkshire county,
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Mass., came to Minnesota in 1857, and lived in Dakota county, where he worked at carpentering and farming. Three years later he went to Virginia where as a worked he
brick molder. In August, 1861, he enlisted in Company H, Fourth Loyal Virginia infantry, and served a little over three years. Nov. 2, 1864, he married Narcissus Samples, of West Virginia. In 1866 he returned to Minnesota with his fam- ily, again going to Dakota county. In 1870 he came to Byron, where he has since resided and made a good home. Mr. and Mrs. Partridge have been the parents of four sons and one daughter.
Mrs. Margaret Dwyer, one of the early settlers of Byron, nearly perished in the winter of 1864. She started to visit a neighbor, about four miles distant, was caught in a blinding snow storm, became bewildered on the prairie, and wandered around from Wednesday until Friday afternoon toward evening, when she ar- rived at her sister's house. She was so badly frozen and so much exhausted that she could scarcely move without assistance. Her suffering was intense. She lost half of each of her feet and was for a long time unable to walk.
Byron, in early days, was treeless but now it abounds in fine groves of cultivated timber, which give the landscape a very at- tractive appearance. The township, as a whole, is better adapted to stock raising and dairying than to wheat culture.
VIVIAN.
This is the southwest township of the county and was known in early days as the "Cobb river country." The land in this township is more nearly level than that of any other town in the county. The "Big Cobb river," running westerly through the southern portion of the town, and the "Cobbee," in the northern portion, furnish the principal means of surface drainage. The soil is a dark, alluvial loam, on a heavy clay subsoil, and very rich and productive.
E. S. Woodruff was the first white man to reside in Vivian. He had an Indian woman for his wife. He formerly lived near Green Bay, Wis., among the Indians, and afterwards lived in Iowa. He settled on section 27, in this town, in the summer of 1856 and lived there until the spring of 1865, when he died. He was one of the early mail carriers of that section. Later, the same year, two bachelors, B. F. Ilanes and E. A. Clark, came
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here. Clark afterwards married and removed to Wisconsin in 1858. Hanes lived on his claim until his death, which occurred in 1872. James B. Hill, a sketch of whose life is given else- where, moved here with his family July 2, 1857. S. L. Daggett soon after moved near Mr. Hill's place. He afterwards went to Blue Earth and died there in 1863. Four brothers named Shan- nahan came here in 1857, but soon after left for the gold mines in Colorado. Joseph Thurston and family and W. H. Harmon and family moved to this township in 1857. Ichabod West and his two sons, Ammi and John F., with their families, and John Dwyer and John Dineen and their families, began their homes in this town in 1858. Thomas Ryan, deceased, settled on section 15 in 1858. John A. Wheeler, one of the early settlers in St. Mary, took a claim on section 4, in this town in 1858. He was a wind- mill inventor and manufacturer. He at one time built a flouring mill, with windmill power, at Freeborn Lake. He was quite a genius. He was a Union soldier in the War of the Rebellion. His death occurred about 1876. Ole Johnson and his family came from Norway in 1855, lived in Waupun, Wis., for three years, and came to Vivian in 1858. Ole was born Jan. 4, 1824, and his wife, Betsy Nelson, Oct. 3, 1826. They were married Feb. 8, 1852. He enlisted in Company F, Tenth Minnesota Volunteer infantry, and served till the close of the war. Mark Moore, Montraville Sias, and three Welshmen (brothers) -Owen M., David, and Samuel Jones-also came here in 1858.
Vivian was organized as a separate township under an order of the county commissioners dated April 5, 1858. According to tradition-the official records being lost-the first town meeting was held at the house of J. B. Hill. The first town board con- sisted of J. B. IIill, E. S. Woodruff, and S. L. Daggett-Hill being chairman. E. A. Clark was town clerk. The names of the other town officers are entirely forgotten.
The first death recorded in the township was that of a man named Sweeney, who perished near his home in November, 1857. He had been to St. Mary, and on his return was caught in a snow storm. Darkness coming on, he undoubtedly became bewildered on the prairie and froze to death. Many of our pioneers were thinly clad, and it is not surprising that a man, lost upon the
22
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prairie in a blinding snow storm, should perish.
The population of the township has nearly all changed since 1860. Very few indeed of the earlier settlers remain. The Ryan family and the Ole Johnson family are the only ones remembered to have settled in the township prior to that date. The town is now well peopled by hardy, frugal, industrious farmers, who are making it one of the richest agricultural townships in the county. Like Byron, it is well adapted to the production of grass, and to the raising of cattle and hogs.
As before stated, the early records of the town were destroyed. Mr. Edward Thompson, present town clerk, reports the records of the first ten years missing. The records of 1868 are the first to be found, and they show the town supervisors of that year to have been as follows: J. B. Hill, chairman, S. S. Comee, and M. Sias.
OTISCO.
This is one of the wealthiest and most densely populated town- ships in the county. AAn account of the first settlement of this township, and its first settlers, is given in the fore part of this book. The name Otisco, at first, embraced all of Vivian, Byron, New Richland, the south one-third of Wilton and the south one-third of what is now Otisco. This continued for a year, when, on April 5. 1858. the county commis- sioners organized the townships of the county in accordance with the government survey. The government township 106, of range 22, was designated as Otisco. Several villages have been born and put to rest on the soil of Otisco, and only one remains. Two pioneer speculators, Watters & Chamberlain, came in 1856. bought the claims of George and William Robbins, on the east side of the Le Sneur river, opposite the Wilton village site, and there laid out a village which they called Waterlynn. They erected a store and a hotel. They did quite a business at their store, but the hotel did not flourish. The latter building, which was part logs and part frame, went up in smoke one night in 1858. It was occupied at the time by Dr. William Murphy and family-J. F. Murphy, now of the Waseca Herald, being the eldest son of the family. That was about the last of that village and the site now makes a very good farm.
The "ancient village of Otisco" was laid out by Warren Bundy
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and S. S. Goodrich in July, 1857. It soon had a store, a post- office, a blacksmith shop, and a sawmill. Dan and Gould Grover built the dam and the sawmill, and for a time the mill did good work. The Grovers soon sold to Griggs & Obert. After a time Gould Grover again became owner, or manager, and was soon after killed in the mill by accident. It then passed into the hands of Eno & Beatty, who turned out to be professional and practical horsethieves, and were caught stealing the horses of Orrin Pease. Soon after the arrest of Eno and Beatty, the. mill dam went out and the village boom soon collapsed. Goodrich owned the store and Mr. Owen Salisbury was the first postmaster.
Since the building of the M. & St. L. railway the present Otisco station has been laid out, and is quite a lively little burg with its store, postoffice, blacksmith shop, grain elevator, cream- ery, etc. Its present business will no doubt remain permanently
It is not the intention of the writer to eumber the record with the names of transient persons or those who have come in later years unless they may have been eonneeted in some way with public affairs, for the reason that spaee and expense forbid. There are many sueh in Otisco. Mention is made, however, of all the early settlers.
Silas Grover, an aged veteran of the War of 1812, settled in this town in 1856, and resided in the county till his death, April 12, 1870. H. G. Mosher settled here Oet. 10, 1856. Mr. Mosher, wife and two children, and J. S. Abell, wife and two children lived the first winter in one cabin, 16x20 feet. Mr. Mosher and family removed to Kansas in the eighties. Uriah Northrup, Sr., and his sons, Benjamin, Uriah, George and Thomas H., settled here at a very early day. The elder Mr. Northrup died here, and the sons removed to Rice county. Owen Salisbury, the first post- master at the old village of Otisco, finally moved to Wabasha county, where he died. J. D. Andrews was one of those rest- less, energetic pioneers who are always on the move. He moved to Otisco, July 3, 1858. He was a carpenter by trade. He after- wards entered the drug business at Wilton; went to Duluth and opened a drug store; returned to this county and went into busi- ness at Janesville; afterwards removed to Madison, S. D., where he died June 11, 1887.
Moses Plummer, born at Sanborton, N. H., Dec. 23, 1817, mar-
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ried Miss Matilda S. Cate, who was born at Meredith, N. H., Nov. 11, 1824. They came to Minnesota in 1859, first residing in Clinton Falls, Steele county. They then came to Otisco in 1860, and purchased a farm of one hundred and eighty acres. Mr. Plummer was with a crowd of three hundred people in Mere- dith hall, in 1850, when the floor gave way, killing several and injuring many. Mr. Plummer then received injuries from which he never fully recovered. For five years previous to his death, he was paralyzed and helpless. He died Sept. 20, 1883. He left surviving his widow and one daughter, Mrs. B. L. Case. They now reside in Owatonna.
Roger B. Wood, born June 1, 1842, in Ontario, Canada, worked westward until he reached Waseca in 1867, where he opened a wagon and blacksmith shop. He remained in Waseca until 1871, when he moved to his present farm in Otisco, which contains three hundred and fifty-four acres. He married Miss Parmelia Smith, a bright Western girl, Dec. 15, 1869. She was born at Oak Grove, Dodge county, Wis., Feb. 1, 1852, and came with her parents to Byron, in this county, in 1866. They have been the parents of six children, five of whom are living.
Asa Robbins was an early settler in Otisco. He was a native of New York State, born in 1811. February 5, 1838, he married Miss Hulda A. Chapman, who was born Jan. 9, 1815, and died Dec. 10, 1885.
Gustaf Johnson was born in Sweden, Nov. 25, 1831. On reach- ing the United States, he came directly to Otisco. His wife's name was Johanna Johnson, and she was born in 1831, in the same country. They have a pleasant farm home and six children.
James Irwin, born in Ireland in May, 1828, came to America in 1849. He was a Union soldier in the War of the Rebellion. He lived in Wisconsin after the close of the war, until 1870, when he came to Otisco and purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres. He has five sons living.
The first judges of election at the organization of the town are said to have been Owen Salisbury, H. G. Mosher and S. S. Griggs.
WILTON.
This was the first township in the county to be settled. The first settlers were Asa G. Sutlief and family, who pitched their tents on section 35, in the month of August, 1854. The next to
HON.CHAS.A.SMITH
C.N.NORTON
G.W. STRONG
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R.O.GARLAND
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reach here were S. P. and James E. Child, who arrived Feb. 2, 1855. Chris Scott and family came about ten days later, in Feb- ruary. Others followed and before fall there were some ten families in the township. A precinct election was held in the fall of 1855 at the house of Chris Scott, on the farm now owned by Mr. John Carmody, Sr. The first election precincts were formed regardless of town lines, and the township of Wilton, as it now exists, was not organized until the spring of 1858. The first town meeting was held at the house of Joseph Doty, May 11, 1858. P. C. Bailey was chairman and stated the object of the meeting. Buel Welsh was chosen moderator, and Thomas L. Paige, clerk. On motion of A. J. Woodbury, the township, like the village, was named Wilton. The following were the first township officers: town board, W. W. Robinson, chairman, John Brand, and A. J. Woodbury; town clerk, Tarrant Putnam; assessor, L. Curtis; justices of the peace, J. B. Jackson and P. C. Bailey ; overseer of the poor, A. Miller; constables, Peter Van Dyke and L. Curtis.
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