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 57
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After that week's work, Kellogg and I took the job of building the Tripp hotel, at Empire, later Iosco. It was in May that, with packs on our backs and hatchets in our helts,-the latter to fight hostile Indians with-we struck out, via Jewett's Valley, for our new Eldorado, near the shores of Lake Elysian. After some miles of journeying on foot we became tired and hungry and seeing a cabin in the distance made for it, hoping to get something to eat. The woman said no; but that four miles further on we would find a hotel at the village of Swavesey. We finally got there, and such a village! Such a hotel! It was here that we first saw H. W. Peck and John H. Wheeler on their homeward way to Empire.
It was about 5 o'clock p. m., when we struck Hotel Swavesey, and mid- night when we arrived at Wheeler's place in Iosco. The dogs gave us an uproarious and glorious welcome; the kind hostess and her daughters gave us a good lunch and blanketed us down as well as they could for the remainder of the night.
In the early morning we took our frontier breakfast. I shall never forget it. The table top was of rough boards lald upon a couple of rough carpenter's saw-horses. Half harrels, boxes, tubs, etc., served as chalrs, and everything was of the primitive order. After breakfast, Mr. Kellogg and myself went over to the embryo city, consisting of some three hun- dred and twenty acres of town lots and romantic streets, with only cne
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small, log shanty and the saw-mill, as yet only sun-covered, in the whole city. The shanty was used by Hosmer & Gifford as a store. I think these gentlemen put up the first frame and board building in the place.
Our next business was to make a fortune by securing a claim. Of course there were claims on all sides, but for all that, it was the fashion, in those days, to go claim hunting for a time. So I started out, securing an Indian canoe, and crossed Lake Elysian from Long's point, armed and equipped for almost any emergency, and bound to find the best claim on the shores of that beautiful lake. Already there were several settlers in the timber west of the lake, but I thought there still might be some choice claims; hence my journey into the then wilderness.
"I traveled for a long time, that day, and looked the country over pret- ty thoroughly, but found nothing that really suited me for a claim. I re- turned to Mr. S. W. Long's place, where I was kindly treated, and from there I got as far back as to N. E. Strong's ranch, when I was thoroughly tired out. There I called for a drink of water and was waited upon by Mr. Strong's young wife. It was so neat in the little house, and the beds looked so comfortable that I pleaded hard for a night's lodging and final- ly succeeded. I stayed for many a day at the home of these people where everything was so pleasant and agreeable. My search for land continued and I finally located on eighty acres one mile south of the west line of our young city.
I built a log cabin 12x14 feet, and seven feet high in the center. It had an open door and window-most claim shanties had. A day and a night, shortly before proving up, I spent with Mr. Moses Emerson, brother of Mrs. Strong, on his claim. Emerson had an extra board and gave it to me to hang as a door to my house. In the morning I started with the board on my back. I took the trail for my shanty, but, in some way, the trail divided and I got on the wrong side of the divide. I traveled and traveled, yes, traveled, and should have been traveling yet, perhaps, had my strength held out. I became tired, awfully tired, and very hungry; but I hung to my board, for it was my board-the only one in southern Minnesota for me, and yet I was bored. I was in the woods, I knew not where, and tired out; so I took the board I could not eat and laid me down upon it to rest. I soon slept, and when I awoke it was near night. I was confused, yes, lost in the woods. I sat down to think what to do, and, remembering that moss grew heavier on the north side of trees than on any other, and knowing that, by going east, I would strike the Indian trail running from Krassin's to Lake Elysian, 1 directed my course as nearly due east as possible and struck the trail about seven miles east from my base of operations. Following this trail, I came to Jim Chad- wick's place where, without over-much persuasion, I was induced to par- take of a good, square meal, such as his good wife knew how to get.
The next night we had to stay on my farm. Emerson and I were to be witnesses, each for the other. On that memorable night we spread our blankets in my own home to be. This was one of my sick headache
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nights, and, as I was groaning, praying, scolding, on my pallet of dried grass, almost wishing I was dead, Emerson, in his dry way said: 'Willis, you have one thing to be thankful for.' Said I, 'For God's sake what is it? 'Why,' said he, 'you ought to be thankful that you are at your own home while sick?' The thought was so ridiculous, under the circumstan- ces, that I could but laugh most heartily, and it really drove away my headache. The next day we did, as all others did, went to Faribault and proved up.
I can remember only a few of the early settlers of Empire proper. Those I remember are as follows: Mr. McArthur, a brother-in-law of N. E. Strong, with his wife and child, Hosmer, Gifford, Jack Walton and wife from Ohio, Esquire M. S. Green and wife from the same state, Mr. Hagadorn and wife, and L. P. Kellogg. John H. Wheeler and family opened a hotel about this time. Mr. Ulysses Kellogg came out from the state of New York to help build the Tripp house. Soon after, a Mr. and Mrs. Francisco came to town, and 'Pap' Tripp and wife came soon after. Next came Mr. A. A. Cotton, who was made one of the original proprietors of the town site and agent for all. Wm. Rockwell, from Smithport, Pa., also became a resident of our prospective city.
In the winter of 1857-8 was established our first school which was taught by Mr. L. Kellogg, a brother of Mr. L. P. Kellogg. Mr. L. Kellogg is now employed in the custom house in New York city. In the summer of 1857. Iosco, Okaman, and Elysian were rival towns; so we, of Iosco, concluded to get up a glorious Fourth of July cele- bration. We had our bills printed at Faribault, wherein we adver- tised martial music. The people of our city thought they could get a drum and fife at Faribault, and appointed a committee to visit the town and report. The committee, after making strenuous efforts, were compelled to report that such instruments could not he obtained there. What was to be done?
I finally told Mr. Strong that if he could saw me some thin boards for a drum barrel I would make a drum. He sawed the boards, and I put them in 'sweat' all day. I then succeeded, after considerable work, in turning one over a nail keg. Some one furnished a calf skin which I tanned with ashes and water, and succeeded in having the drum ready for the 'glo- rious' day. Father Ira Willis beat the drum, and a man from across the lake, whose name I have forgotten, played the fife. It was a great day for Iosco, I assure you. Okaman had also advertised a celebration and, not to be outdone by Iosco, had advertised martial music. But ours was the only drum in the county, and negotiations were in order. So it was de- termined that Okaman should join with Iosco and we would reciprocate by assisting them. And thus we had a double celebration of the Fourth, and all had a grand, enjoyable time.
In the winter of 1858-9, I taught the Okaman school, and, for pay. took corn, potatoes, oats, or any other commodity the parents saw fit to bring in as pay. Notwithstanding the almost universal poverty of all the plo-
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neers, resulting from the financial crash and panic of 1857, the early settlers of Iosco and Okaman were a social, intelligent, and cultured peo- ple, and managed to get a great deal of enjoyment out of misery during the early days of the settlement of the county. They were brave, cour- teous, open-hearted, and hospitable."
Mr. Willis served as first town clerk of the town of Iosco, in 1858. In. the spring of 1859, he went to St. Paul and was employed as clerk in a store for a time. He then returned to this county and was elected that fall as county auditor-the first auditor in the history of the county- and his salary was fixed at the magnificent sum of $360 per annum. He afterwards served as clerk of the court in this county. He was appoint- ed a clerk in the postoffice department at Washington in 1872; afterwards to a clerkship in the military department, which he held until his death which occurred January 3, 1900.
"UNCLE BEN GIFFORD." (By M. P. Satterlee.)
One scarcely knows how far some little specialty in a local paper may reach and interest many readers. Myself and others in this extreme north have lived in the bounteous county of Waseca in the earlier days. Among the others are three daughters of a Mr. Egan, who lived, I think, at Wil- ton. They are now Mrs. W. T. Spillane, Mrs. J. A. Duffy, and Mrs. J. J. Doe. Mr. Daniel Linnihan, section foreman for the N. P. Ry., also lives nere. We have been much interested in your historical sketches of Waseca county, and it has brought many remembrances of old friends and happy days.
In your issue of December 11, I find in the account of the celebration of the Fourth of July, 1856, at Iosco, that Father Ira Willis played the drum and a "man from over the lake," (Elysian) played the fife. I think this was "Uncle" Ben Gifford, whom I find mentioned in the same article, in the election of 1858, as overseer of the poor. In 1863, when I came into the country, he lived at Elysian. He was one of the oddest geniuses 1 ever knew, and with your permission I would like to pay a slight tribute to "Uncle Ben." There was not a man, woman, or child, horse, dog or cat, in Elysian, but knew and loved "Uncle Ben." And it must have been for himself alone, for he was poor, unkempt, and unknown. His life, till he came among us, was a blank to all. As a musician, he was the impres- sario of the whole country. Well do I remember those celebrations or Independence Day. Uncle Ben, who resembled the revolutionary heroes in build, countenance, and military bearing, was always fifer and chief musician, and, from morning till night, "Yankee Doodle, Hail Columbia, Haste to the Wedding, and the Girl I Left Behind Me," (the last of which was a favorite of his) filled the people with patriotic fire. And, on the side, let me say that the allowance for real good boys on that day, was one bunch of fire-crackers, at twenty-five cents per bunch. They were hauled by team over a hundred miles.
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
Uncle Ben "led the singin'" in all the religious services without regard to sect or belief. There was a melodeon at Okaman, which was the only instrument in the country, but he had no such assistance. We took up the hymn-books containing words only, and Uncle Ben, snapping his tun- ing fork, said "la" with a strong nasal intonation; so we had the pitch and the words, and all knew the tune, and you may be assured that it was not long till the air was full of music, not lacking in spirit or erratic ren- dition. The only meeting when Uncle Ben was "not in it" was a Metho- dist camp meeting at which the horse thieves got after the preachers' horses, probably a visitation of judgment upon the parsons.
He was a patriot too, and when the dreadful draft, in the spring of 1865, took several of our respected citizens to the front, he was a great comforter with his homely philosophy, telling us "he knew as how the war weren't going to last long, noways," etc. He lived alone in his shanty, caught fish, trapped muskrats, and did various odd jobs, for subsistence. Nor would he leave his own home to die. He was taken with fever which developed into pneumonia, and it was two days before he was discovered, having been all that time without food or fire or care, suffering alone. He calmly disposed of his insignificant estate, and died peacefully as a child. God bless Uncle Ben. There may be greater and wiser men from whom 1 have learned lessons of life, but his simple, honest, sunshiny nature has left its rays with me forever.
MR. THOMAS McHUGO
was one of the 1856 settlers of Janesville. He was born in County Gal- way, Ireland, in 1825, and came to America in 1845, first arriving in New York. From there he went to Vermont where he was employed as a farm hand for seven years. In 1852 he came to Wisconsin, where he spent four years. In 1856 he moved to Minnesota and located at Janesville, this county, where, by good judgment, economy, and foresight, he succeeded in acquiring a goodly share of this world's goods.
He was married in 1866 to Miss Hannah Kelly, a daughter of Michael Kelly, of Faribault. He was often known as a benefactor; always willing to assist those who merited assistance. He was the architect of his own fortune and the builder of his own home. In the storms of life he was always oak and rock, but in sunshine his warm heart opened up with genuine sunshine and showed a frank, open-hearted man. He died as he lived, fortified with the sacraments of the holy Catholic church. He left a wife, four sons, and four daughters to mourn his loss. He died of paral- ysis Nov. 21, 1896, at the age of seventy-one.
MR. AND MRS. THOMAS BARDEN.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Barden are among those who came to this coun- ty at an early day; not to speculate in town lots, nor to loan money at six per cent a month, nor to seek to live upon the misfortunes of others, but to get a home for themselves and for those that might in the future
MR. AND MRS. THOMAS BARDEN.
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CHILD'S HISTORY OF WASECA COUNTY.
constitute their family; and from the virgin soil of the then territory, by industry and frugality, obtain a living and accumulate a competency for old age. Would to God that every citizen of this great republic were as Industrious, as moral, as honest, and as upright; then indeed should we he very near that great day when that ancient rule-"Whatsoever ye would not that others should do unto you, do ye even not so unto them"- would become almost universal, and the cost of government be thereby reduced to the minimum.
One winter evening, in 1891, Mr. Thomas Barden told the following story of his settlement in Waseca county:
"My full name is Thomas Barden. I was horn in the county of Meath, Ireland. Mrs. Barden's name was Honora Roark, and she was born in the county of Roscommon, Ireland. I am now (1891) fifty-eight years of age and my wife fifty-four. I landed in New York Aug. 12, 1846, and she landed at the same place Nov. 3, 1852. We were married in Pittsfield, Mass., Jan. 30, 1855, and came to Minnesota in 1857, arriving at the then village of St. Mary, in this county, May 27.
We were then blessed with one child, Henry, sixteen months old, one yoke of oxen, one cow, six chickens, a dog, an old wagon, a breaking plow, twenty-five cents cash capital, and a small stock of provisions. But we enjoyed good health, and possessed a fair share of pluck, with a deter- mination to build up a home of our own on some of Uncle Sam's lands.
Our luck was of the mixed variety-sometimes good and sometimes not so good, but we have always managed to keep the wolf from the door.
We had come from Hastings by wagon, and, although the weather was cool and raw, we had to sleep under our wagon at night in order to save money to buy feed for the oxen; and, as I said before, our money was all gone when we reached St. Mary, except twenty-five cents. Of course we had to stop there. We made inquiry for vacant land, and found a va- cant eighty on section five, in Wilton township. We immediately filed on it, and went to work to break up the sod, to plant corn, potatoes and beans. This work had to he done before we could think of a house, and during that time we lived out of doors; often the rain poured down upon us during the night while in bed, and then everything had to be spread out and dried in the sunshine. I tell you it was a sad change for the young wife to move from the heart of Yankeedom, where everything was com- fortable to such an out door place as that was-and the half will never be told. It was bad enough to live thus exposed to the elements, but that was not the worst of it. We were living on the border of the then Win- nebago Indian reservation, and one day, lo and behold! we received a visit rom eight or ten Indians, the first Mrs. Barden had ever seen. They were dressed in breechclouts and feathers, and carried guns and knives. She thought her time had come, but it hadn't. They looked about awhile and then left. There was only one thing that saved me from destruction and that was that Mrs. Barden belonged to the Catholic church, and you know there is no divorce allowed by that. She certainly had causes
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enough for divorce for taking her to such a place, but she 'broke in' all right and soon became a heroic pioneer, having many face to face encoun- ters with the Indians before they were removed In 1863, often staying at the place nights and days alone except for our little boy.
But I was speaking of the house. We had no money, no lumber, no nails, but there was plenty of good timber on the Indian lands, and we did not steal it, of course, but then we took it in broad day without ask- ing their leave. We could not very well do otherwise, you know, as we could not talk their language. Nearly all the other settlers went along to keep us company, but they would not steal any Indian timber; O, no! However, I got a good set of logs, and the kind neighbors helped me raise my house, as was the fashion, you remember; and the last money went for a little something to drink, for in those days we thought it not lucky to raise a house without something to moisten the throat.
Such is fashion or custom!
Well, the next thing was, what were we to do for a root? We had neither lumber, shingles, nor nails. A good old yankee neighbor told us to cut and peel the bark off from elm trees and lay the bark on some poles for a roof; we were Irish enough ourselves to cut some sods and cover the bark to keep it from warping and also to make the house warm for winter. Well, we don't live there now, but I tell you it did us good ser- vice for a long time in our days of need.
Finally the Indians complained of us for taking timber. I think Major Mix was the agent at that time. So one day he sent a posse of white men and half-breeds to arrest us and scare us off. I saw them coming as I was going home with a fine load of logs, and they steered straight for me and the oxen, the men being well supplied with firearms. Thought I to myself, I am 'gone up.' When they got close to me, one of them shouted 'Whoa!' and my oxen stopped. Then one of them asked, 'Where did you get them logs? A thought struck me that I would answer him in the Irish language, as I was pretty good at it. So I gave hini back correct answers to everything he asked. Finally he got mad and swore a big oath saying: 'You damned Norwegian, I will soon take you where you will talk English,' and then passed on.
That fall, 1857, there was a financial crash, and we really did have hard times, and no mistake. Money was scarce. Property depreciated. In fact there was no money in circulation here. We used to swap one thing for another. We didn't have money enough to pay letter postage. It was no uncommon thing for us about St. Mary to ask Warren Smith, then our postmaster, at St. Mary, to charge up our letter postage to us. Warren was a father to us all In those days. He kept a store in St. Mary and proved a good friend to everyone In need during what we called 'Johnny- cake times.' None of us had anything to make bread of except corn meal. We had no grist mill nearer than Faribault or Okaman and only oxen to make the journey with. So, in the fall, we made a mill of our own by taking a tin pan and punching it full of holes in the bottom with a hammer
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and a nail, thus making a grater. Then each evening we would grate meal enough to do for the next day.
My first experience with wheat raising was not very flattering. I sowed six bushels of club wheat in the spring. The next fall we cleaned a spot near the stack, and when the ground was frozen we went at it with a flail. After two or three days we got it threshed. We had no fanning mills then, so we waited until the wind blew and then cleaned our im- mense crop. I had just six hushels of very smutty wheat. I took it to mill and had it ground. When I got home the good wife was overjoyed with the prospects of some good biscuits; hut disappointment is the lot of man and, in this case, of woman; for when the biscuits were haked they were as black as the ace of spades, with smut, and we had to fall back on corn cakes and mush.
Well the next year the wheat was a great deal better and more to the acre. Besides, Christie Hefferon and I hit upon a new way of threshing -we trod out the wheat with oxen.
Some people complain that wheat is cheap now, but in 1859-60, we used to haul wheat thirty miles, to Faribault, and sell it for forty cents a bushel; if we hauled it to Hastings-sixty-five miles-we used to get from fifty-five to sixty cents a bushel. It took us from five to six days to make the Hastings trip with oxen. We were compelled to sleep under our wagons nights, and sometimes it rained or snowed on us. Times may be hard now for the 'tender-footed,' but they are not what they 'used to was' by several dollars to us in hand paid .. "
MR. ISAAC BALLARD
was born in North Hamptonshire, Eng., eighty-five miles from London, Dec. 14, 1834. He came to America in 1857, and stopped in Pennsylvania one summer. He came to Minnesota in the fall of 1857, and boarded with Mr. Chas. Billings, of Tosco, who had been here one year. He made a claim adjoining Mr. Billings' place. Mr. Wm. Taylor, his half brother, came about the same time, and settled on a farm in Blooming Grove.
Mr. Ballard had no property whatever to commence with. His first investment was changing work with a Mr. Churchill for a pig, and also with old Uncle Brossard for a calf. He was compelled to keep bachelor's hall. By working out a little here and a little there he was soon able to buy a pair of three-year-old steers from Enoch Roe, of St. Mary, pay- ing therefor $45. He was obliged to change works to get some break- ing done. After this he raised a crop of wheat, part of which he traded for a wagon .. Some of his first crop of wheat he hauled to Wilton, and sold it for twenty-five cents a bushel in store pay. He remembers that the first good bargain he ever made was when he sold two chickens to two Indians for twenty-five cents each. He says he never felt so rich before in his life. The Winnebago Indians were near neighbors and frequent visitors in those days. He married Catharine Erwin, Oct. 7, 1865. His first investment in land was sixty acres, which he thoroughly improved.
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His nearest cash market was Hastings or Redwing. After a few years he was enabled to buy one hundred and sixty acres more, and he after- wards added another eighty to his large farm. A few years ago he sold a half section of his land, and retained only eighty acres, upon which he now resides.
He enlisted in Company C., First Minnesota infantry, as a recruit, and served during a portion of the war.
Mr. and Mrs. Ballard have seven children-Carrie, Arthur, Clifton, Wal- ter Isaac, Marshall, Eugene, and Maud. Mr. Ballard is one of our best and wealthiest farmers, and has a comfortable home in which to spend his declining years. Mrs. Ballard is a refined and worthy woman, a sister of Mr. D. A. Erwin, of St. Mary.
MR. WILLIAM M. GRAY.
Among the Blooming Grove settlers who faced the storms and bliz- zards and exposures and hardships of 1855, was William M. Gray, one of the earliest settlers, who was born in Genesee county, New York. He was married in his native state to Miss Lucina Fuller. They came West at an early day and settled first in Illinois, then came to Iowa, where they tarried two years, and finally came to Blooming Grove, in the early sum- mer of 1855, where they spent the remainder of their lives. The last days of December, 1855, Mr. Gray, in company with Simeon Smith, J. M. Bliven and Daniel Riegle started for West Union, lowa, to obtain a sup- ply of provisions. They found the roads hlocked with snow, the weather being intensely cold, and they made slow progress. They had horse teams, but even with those they were long on the road. Miss Jane Gray, now Mrs. O. Powell, came back with her father from Iowa, on that trip. Messrs. Blivens and Riegle did not return at that time with the others. Messrs. Gray and two Mankato men encountered rough weather and bad roads on their return, and between the Vaughn settlement and Owatonna they got caught out and had to remain in a grove or thicket over night. They built a fire and managed to keep from perishing, but Mrs. Powell frosted her feet and suffered much from the cold. They had nothing to eat except flour wet with snow water and baked before the campfire on the end board of the wagon box. When Mr. Gray got back as far as Mr. Hatch's place, he left his daughter and his load and went home on foot to get oxen to haul the load the rest of the way, the horses being nearly tired out. The family had eaten the last potatoes the day the father reached home. Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Gray reared a family of nine chil- dren, one of whom, Melissa, died at the age of twelve years. Mr. Gray died in 1872, of dropsy, aged sixty-four years. Mrs. Gray died some years after, aged seventy.
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