USA > Minnesota > Brown County > History of Brown County, Minnesota: Its People, Industries and Institutions (Volume 1) > Part 23
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It will be observed that nearly all the long list of names in this roster of Civil War soldiers are German names. This county was settled by this nationality and though they had been citizens of the United States only a short time when the rebellion came on in 1861, yet they were true to their oath of allegiance and fought for the maintenance of the Union as though it was for their own
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native land. Their record will ever stand as a memorial to their loyalty to the United States, and a glorious example to all citizens of foreign birth. There were but few drafted men and few deserters among the soldiers from Brown county.
SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR.
In 1898, when war against Spain was declared by Con- gress through President William Mckinley, the National Guard was largely utilized in making up the quota from the various states in the Union, Minnesota did her share nobly. The Twelfth, formerly the Second Regiment, was sworn into the United States service, May 6, 1898. The personnel of the regiment from New Ulm was: Colonel, Joseph Bobleter; adjutant, Louis G. Vogel; quartermaster, John Lind; regimental sergeant, Albert F. Koch; captain, Albert Steinhauser; lieutenant, John Buschers; second lieutenant, Louis Mueller; first sergeant, Robert Fritsche ; second sergeant, Ed. J. Bobeleter; there were fifteen non- commissioned officers and forty-one privates.
The citizens presented the command with a beautiful flag before they departed. They were sent South, but saw no active war service, and were mustered out on November 12, 1898, leaving Lexington, Kentucky, in the month of September.
NATIONAL GUARD AND ARMORY.
New Ulm is the headquarters of the Second Regiment, Minnesota National Guard. Company A is located here and has a large, exceptionally well-constructed armory,
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which will be dedicated this year. All southern Minnesota, as well as Brown county and New Ulm, take a just pride in its military operations at this point. The history of this movement reaches back to April, 1871, when a few young, vigorous men at New Ulm met at the store of Doctor Weschcke and there took steps to organize a military com- pany. A subsequent meeting resulted in the formation of the "New Ulm Military Company," of which Col. Jos- eph Bobleter, who had been foremost in the enterprise, was elected its president; George Walsh, who became secretary of state for North Dakota, was made its secretary, and Henry Weyhe was its treasurer. Meetings were held in the Turner hall. As a military body the company was officered as follow: Captain, Joseph Bobleter; first lieutenant, Jul- ius Kirchstein; second lieutenant, Richard Pfefferle; or- derly sergeant, Frank Friedmann; first sergeant, George Walsh; second sergeant, John F. Neumann; corporals, Charles Brust, Henry Weyhe, Anton Olding and B. Sub- ilia, ranking in the order named.
The company was mustered into the service of the state, May 25, 1871, as an "unassigned company of the Minnesota National Guard." The commissions were signed by Governor Horace Austin.
During the year 1871 another military company was organized at New Ulm, composed of members of the Turn- verein, commanded by Capt. Charles Roos. That year two regimental organizations were perfected in the state and the company commanded by Captain Bobleter, of New Ulm, became Company E of the Second regiment, with Col. H. G. Hicks, of Minneapolis, as colonel. Joseph Bobleter, with the rank of major, was given the command of the bat-
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talion. But owing to the shortsightedness of the Legisla- ture in refusing to appropriate one dollar a member to sup- port the organization it went down so far as a state mili- tary organization was concerned. Colonel Bobleter kept his company intact for several years and it was the only company in Minnesota. The name "Company A" was re- tained until September, 1875, when it was dropped and that of the "Governor's Guards" taken up. Previous to this latter re-organization, however, the company lost all of its property, including rifles and equipment, by fire. A special act of the Legislature was passed relieving Colonel Bobleter and his sureties, given for the safe keeping of the state property. The history of this company in its earlier days was extremely interesting. The uniform which they wore consisted of grey single-breasted dress coats, black trousers and black felt hat with feather. Later on, the head- gear was changed to the French "shako," but otherwise the uniform continued the same until the fire above men- tioned. The weapons were the Springfield muzzle loaders, and sabers for the officers.
They were called out by the governor in the fall of 1876 to try and capture the fleeing outlaws, the James and Younger brothers. In 1879 they were called out to quell the labor riot at Tracy, Minnesota, the same being a rail- road riot.
The Second Battalion was organized at New Ulm in January, 1882. Joseph Bobleter was chosen major, when Joseph A. Eckstein was made captain of the old company. In 1883 the record shows the regimental encampment was held at New Ulm and proved to be a great military success. Ten companies were present. Albert Steinhauser was elect-
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ed captain of the company and when the "World's Fair" came on in 1893 the command went to Chicago and took part in the great military parade at the exposition.
ORIGINAL ROSTER.
It is fitting at this juncture to give the names of the original New Ulm military company: Joseph Bobleter, John F. Reumann, Ernst Rolloff, Oli Anderson, Paul Eber- ling, Fr. Hoehne, Carl Mueller, Peter Steffel, Christ Juni, Fr. Friedmann, William Windhorn, Julius Kirschstein, Charles Brust, Charles Fetter, John Piemeisel, J. G. French, Fr. Koke, Wenzel Platzer, E. Schlohmann, Rich- ard Pfefferle, Anton Henle, Anton Olding, John Weyhe, David Backer, Joseph Gebbard, August Luedke, John Pel- ler, H. Vogelpohl, John Kashau, Fr. Quense, Mathias Mel- ter, Joseph Vogel, Henry Dressler, F. C. Gley, J. Lauter- bach, Eugene Reiner, Carl Winklemann, George H. Walsh, Charles Stoll, Henry Subilia, Henry Stoll.
After all the shifting scenes of thirty-eight years, the military interests of the state of Minnesota saw the neces- sity of having a modern armory as the headquarters for the national guard at New Ulm. After the Spanish-Ameri- can War in 1898, the old state militia was re-organized into the present national guard system. Plans were drawn and designs effected by First Lieutenant Klause, of New Ulm, and specifications made later by Architect Shippel, for an armory to be constructed of solid brick and stone masonry. Work was begun in 1914 and completed in 1916, when the formal dedication takes place.
The cost of this massive structure was fifty-two thou-
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sand dollars, of which the city paid eighteen hundred dol- lars for the site, the same being by popular subscription; the state paid forty-five thousand dollars, or fifteen thou- sand dollars for each military organization here represent- ed-the Regimental Band, the Machine Gun Company and Company A of the Second regiment. The outside dimen- sions of the armory are seventy-five by one hundred and fifty feet. Floor space for drill purposes, sixty-eight by ninety feet; the stage is twenty by fifty feet. No better armory can be found in the entire commonwealth.
Of the companies and officers it may be stated that the number of enlisted men in Company A is seventy; number of men in the Machine Gun Company is twenty-eight; num- ber enlisted men in the Regimental Band is twenty-eight.
The officers of Company A are: Captain, Baptiste win Juni; first lieutenant, William Bierhaum; second lieu- tenant, John A. Dengler.
Officers of the Machine Gun Company: Captain, Ed- win Juni; first lieutenant, William Bierhaum; second lieu- tenant, John A. Dengler.
The Regimental Band is under the direction of Joseph Hofmeister.
The staff and field officers are: Colonel, John Bush- ers; lieutenant-colonel, Steele Smith; regimental adjutant, Louis G. Vogel; regimental sergeant-major, Setzer.
Second Battalion commander, Major Albert Pfaender. Brigade surgeon, Major L. A. Fritsche.
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CHAPTER X.
AGRICULTURE, HORTICULTURE AND STOCK RAISING.
It was no idle dream in the minds of the first colonists who came to Brown county on a land-hunting expedition. They sought out a country where timber, water and good rich soil could be had at government prices, and they made no error in setting their stakes right where they did. It had been their desire for a number of years in the East- Chicago and Cincinnati-to be able to locate outside the confines of a city in some place where they might have plenty of garden room, if not a sufficient amount for farm- ing purposes. Here they could take their choice, and many secured both town lots of several acres each, besides enter- ing lands outside, which today are worth, and are occasion- ally parted with by the descendants of those pioneers, for as much as one hundred and fifty dollars per acre.
When the county was first settled all the fruit avail- able for family use here was the wild plum and grape, cherry and black haw, none of which seem to taste as well to this generation as they did to the first comers to the Min- nesota Valley country. Now the apple, tame plum, tame cherry, the small fruits in endless variety, have all come to be a household blessing. The soil and climate are well suited for the hardy varieties which have a flavor unex- celled in any country-east or west of Minnesota. The old theory that Minnesota was too far north to produce corn
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and fruits has been long since exploded by actual experi- ments and the successful production of all these articles, so useful and profitable to mankind, goes on annually. The annual displays of apples at the various county and state fairs teaches the stranger that Minnesota can profitably raise about all the grains and vegetables and fruits that can be grown outside a semi-tropical country.
The first settlers brought with them a spade and with it they dug for water to test the quality and depth of that necessary element; they also noted with a wise and prudent care the various soil formations on both prairie and in the valley. With the medium of this fertile soil, hundreds of these men have made themselves independently wealthy by farming and stock growing.
CORN CULTURE.
The early settlers had many difficulties to overcome. With few exceptions all who came here came with very little means, but with honest hearts and willing hands to make the best of a fight to secure a home for themselves and families. The faithful ox-team was usually the only help the early pioneers had, but he used that to a great advantage. Like all new western countries, it was thought that about the only thing that could be successfully raised was wheat and other small grains. This great staff of life was continually grown by the early farmers until, in 1872, the grasshoppers came and for four years this terrible scourge about cleaned up the farmer of everything he had tried to raise. Many could not stand the long continued siege of the grasshopper and left the county. A continua-
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tion of destruction of small grain by grasshoppers in this section of Minnesota caused the farmer to commence try- ing something else as a crop. He experimented with corn, and it was found that by selecting early maturing varieties of corn for seed that it was a paying crop, giving food for the family and for the farmer's stock. This, indeed, was the commencement of true prosperity in Brown county. It is now ranked among the banner corn counties in the state. The amount of small grain has gradually decreased and, on the other hand, the growth of successful corn crops has annually increased. With the advent of corn, more stock was grown and this brought greater revenue to the farmer. In fact, but few counties in the state now boast of finer stock than Brown county. This applies to horses, cattle, swine and other stock. The recent horse shippers declare that no place in Minnesota affords them the pleasure and profit in purchasing horses that is found in this county. There is now and ever will be a demand for the fine steeds grown in this county. The draft horse type is among the best in the United States. And this stock business has all been the direct outgrowth of the production of corn instead of wheat as was at first raised in countless acres on the prairies of this county. Per capita, Brown county is the richest county in Minnesota-her bank deposits show al- most six million dollars.
FARM FACTS.
In 1908 the average number of bushels of wheat per acre in this county was eleven; of corn, twenty-seven; of oats, twenty-seven; of barley, thirty; of rye, twenty-one; of
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potatoes, eighty; hay, one and one-half tons per acre. At that date there were sixteen creameries, producing one and one-half million pounds of butter annually.
In live stock there was 10,612 horses; 25,113 head of cattle; 3,840 head of sheep; 14,500 head of swine.
The assessed valuation of the county in 1908 was eight million and ninety-five thousand dollars, of which one mil- lion and one hundred thousand dollars was in personal property, not including cash lists.
PIONEER CONDITIONS.
Notwithstanding the adversities met with by early farmers in Brown county, the landowner remained stead- fast-in many cases possibly through no virtue of his, for he had not the means with which to remove his family to other parts of the country-but he remained and fought the blasts of a northern winter, the scourge of the grass- hoppers which came in endless clouds at noonday and lighted on the growing corn and grain, devouring all in sight; then, after laying a good supply of eggs for repro- duction of their kind, they rose with the morning wind and moved on, darkening the very sun in their flight, until they settled down on some other fair farming section to curse the farmer as they had done in Brown county.
The Indian had became an enemy to his white brother (because his white brother had first wronged him) and in harvest time, 1862, seven years after the settlement here was made, the life-blood of many a settler with that of his dear family stained the ground he had so come to prize. The Sioux outbreak came and with it many homes were
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forever broken asunder, but those who remained kept plod- ding onward until success gloriously crowned their efforts. Then came the violent cyclone in all its mad fury in 1881, and again made wreck and ruin in both country and towns throughout Brown county. This was overcome and again, with a doubly renewed vigor, the farmer set his hand to the plow and reaper. The prairie fire came with its consuming flames and devoured hay and grain in the stack, but noth- ing drove the sturdy farmer from the limits of this county. Today his children and children's children are living off the sacrifices made back fifty and sixty years ago, by a noble band of agriculturists, who hauled grain a hundred miles and sold it at a mere nothing, as compared to prices today. All honor, then, to the first farmers of Brown county, Min- nesota.
FARM NAMES.
Under a recent provision of the Legislature of Minne- sota farm names may be recorded in the office of the regis- ter of deeds, in a book provided especially for this purpose. A small fee is required and up to this date the following have taken advantage of what seems to be a splendid way of fixing the name and location of one's farm holdings.
"Lake Shore Farm," Hans F. Frederickson; August 9, 1909; situated in section 29, township 108, range 31.
"Pioneer Farm," Anton J. Zeig; August, 1909; in sec- tion 14, township 110, range 31.
"Oak Wood Farm," John Dapporn; August, 1909; in sections 11 and 7, township 109, range 32.
"Riverside Farm," Herman Pfaender; September, 1909; in section 12, township 110, range 31.
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"Pioneer Stock Farm," Peder Thormodson; Septem- ber, 1909; parts of sections 28, 21 and 29, also in 32, all in township 108, range 30.
"Sylvan Border," George F. Lee; December, 1909; in sections 32 and 33, township 108, range 31.
"Lake Side Farm," T. C. Hovde; in section 30, town- ship 108, range 31.
"Grand View Stock Farm," J. W. Koester; January, 1910; in sections 27 and 36, in township 108, range 30.
"Cedar Lodge Farm," Carl Olstad; January, 1910; in sections 16 and 21, township 108, range 31.
"Roadside Farm," Andrew Losleben; February, 1910; in section 12, township 110, range 32.
"Evergreen Stock Farm," Ad Schubert; February, 1910; parts of sections 28 and 29, township 110, range 31.
"Willow Grove Farm," A. A. Backer; September, 1910; in sections 22 and 21, township 110, range 31.
"Meadow View," Jacob Runck; December, 1910; in section 16, township 109, range 35.
"Maple Leaf Farm," Ole Pederson; November, 1911; in sections 12 and 13, township 108, range 30.
"Sunny Heights," Herman Juni; February, 1912; in section 31, township 111, range 31.
"Oak Bend Grove," Johann Krueger; April, 1912; in section 27, township 110, range 31.
"Pleasant View Farm," Mrs. Maggie Halverson; Aug- ust, 1912; in section 11, township 108, range 31.
"Brude Hill," Frederick A. Frederickson; December, 1912; in section 19, township 108, range, 31.
"Meadow Brook," C. C. Current; December, 1912; in section 1, township 110, range 32.
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"Cloverdale," Gottfried Schmidt; March, 1913; in section 4, township 109, range 32.
"Walnut Hill," Edward Hensel; June, 1913; in sec- tion 11, township 110, range 31.
"Holstein Dairy Farm," J. M. Hanson; July, 1913; in section 1, township 110, range 33.
"Elmwood," Marcus Frederickson; May 22, 1914; in section 18, township 108, range 31.
"Lake View," George Brudelie; May, 1914; in section 18, township 108, range 31.
"Sandy Lane Farm," N. P. Nelson; January, 1914; in section 15, township 109, range 34.
"Maywood," Herman Polkow and Anna Polkow; Oc- tober, 1915; in section 5, township 109, range 34.
COUNTY FAIR.
The Brown County Agricultural Society was organ- ized in 1859, but during the outbreak of the Indians in 1862 it went down. In 1864 a new organization was effect- ed, with J. Reinartz, president; J. Manderfeld, secretary; P. Gay, treasurer. Annual fairs have been maintained ever since the re-organization of the society. The present grounds were purchased about thirty years ago, and now they have good improvements, including a half-mile track. The association now usually pays out about fourteen hun- dred dollars in premiums annually to the winners of ex- hibits. The farmers and stock raisers are much interested and do their share toward making the county fair a suc- cess. Nine hundred and sixty-eight dollars are now re- ceived from the state each year for the maintenance of the
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fair. The officers in 1916 are: President, Ferdinand Crone; vice-president, J. Klossner, Jr .; secretary, William E. Engelbert; treasurer, F. H. Behnke. The association owes no debts.
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CHAPTER XI.
EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS.
In the matter of education the people of Brown county have ever stood abreast of any community in the common- wealth. No sooner had the German colonies that founded the city of New Ulm and braved the dangers and hard- ships incident to the settlement of what was in the fifties a "howling wilderness," on the broad prairies and rich but untouched valleys within her borders, made a permanent settlement than they began to plan for a good school sys- tem. Years have rolled away and townships have been organized and re-organized numerous times, and finally the present excellent public school district system has come to obtain.
On July 6, 1857, the first four school districts were formed. They were only temporary districts, however, made for the purpose of apportionment. On January 2, 1860, the total number of children in the several districts were as follow: Milford, 89; Linden, 26; Redwood, 47; Madelia, 37; New Ulm, 139; District No. 10, 26; Cotton- wood, 104; total, 465. Some of these districts, it will be observed are now situated in other counties than Brown. The amount of school tax at that date was $672, an average amount for each scholar of a fraction more than $1.43. In January, 1862, the number of scholars reported was four hundred and eighty-seven, and total amount of school tax
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was only $951.07. In January, 1867, an appropriation was made in order to send three suitable persons to the State Normal School at Winona, and pay their expenses while there, the consideration to be that they should agree to teach for three years in the schools of Brown county. In 1882 the reports show that there were sixty-five school dis- tricts and the total of scholars enrolled was 2,797.
PIONEER SCHOOLS.
The first school taught in New Ulm was in a small frame building, in which August Westphal opened a school on December 17, 1857, there being twenty-four scholars in attendance. In the summer of 1858 the school was divided into two classes, Frederick Forster taking charge of one and Mr. Westphal the other class. The first year's ex- penses for these pioneer schools were paid by the German Land Association. In 1859, the school consisted again of but one class taught by Mr. Forster, this being the first school term taught and paid for by regular taxation. In 1872 an independent school district was created, and by 1882 there were three school buildings, all built of brick. The high school was located in the center of the town, was thirty by seventy-five feet in size, two story in height, with two primary schools, one in the northern and the other in the southern part of town, each one-story buildings, twenty by forty feet in size. The high school building was erected in 1864, at a cost of five thousand dollars, and soon there- after enlarged. Each of the two other schoolhouses cost a thousand dollars each.
The 1881 school report shows that there were then in
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New Ulm four hundred and fifty scholars attending public schools. The Catholic people have always maintained large schools here, an account of which is given in connection with the church history given in this volume.
MILFORD SCHOOLS.
The earliest school taught in Milford township was at the house of Anton Henle in the spring of 1857, by a Pole, named Pokofski. In the winter of 1859-60, a log school house was built, and educational affairs kept pace with the growth of the township until in 1881 there were five build- ings. The tornado of that season destroyed the house in school district No. 9, but it was soon rebuilt.
COTTONWOOD SCHOOLS.
Cottonwood township was made a school district in 1860, and numbered No. 1; the first school was taught by Sarah Shaw. Great has been the advancement in schools since that time.
SCHOOLS IN HOME TOWNSHIP.
In Home township the earliest school was taught in 1866, by Miss Hattie Wright in a log house put up for that purpose, in the northeastern part of the township; it was later included in district No. 13. In 1881 there were seven school houses in the township, the average cost of each was about eight hundred dollars. They had all the furniture (24)
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and fixtures usually, at that date, found in school buildings, but not such as is demanded and furnished at this time.
SCHOOLS OF EDEN TOWNSHIP.
In a claim shanty, in the summer of 1867, Elen Eldred taught the first school in Eden township. By the follow- ing winter a log building had been provided for the school. It was erected by public subscription and stood in section 32; subsequently the district bought it, and it was then within what was then district No. 16. It was but a short time before two or three more good schools were started in this township.
SIGEL SCHOOLS.
Sigel township's first school was taught when the whole township constituted one school district-No. 4 and the date was 1864. In the late seventies there were several good school buildings; the one in district No. 6 was con- sidered the best school building in Brown county, outside of those found at New Ulm. With the passing of years these district schools have had competent instructors and kept up with the usual standard of district schools in Minnesota.
LEAVENWORTH SCHOOLS.
In Leavenworth township the first schools were taught by Mrs. Wylie in 1866, at her own home in section 17. The first school house was built on the subscription plan in 1868; it was a log building. In 1881 there were five good school buildings in this township.
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