History of Fillmore County, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 108

Author: Edward D. Neill
Publication date: 1882
Publisher:
Number of Pages:

USA > Minnesota > Fillmore County > History of Fillmore County, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota > Part 108

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WILLIAM B. MCNEE was born in Delhi, New York, on the 16th of November, 1815. He was united in marriage, in 1845, with Miss Susan Jane Craig. In 1854, they removed to Illinois and re- mained one year, then came to Minnesota and lo-

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BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP.

cated in Bloomfield, where he has three hundred and sixty acres of land, most of which is improved. Mr. and Mrs. McNee have five children. He has been County Commissioner, and held other local offices.

WILLIAM OSTRANDER is a native of New York, born in 1819. The next year his parents removed to Erie county, Pennsylvania, where he was reared on a farm and received his education. In 1843, he went to Indiana, where he remained five years, engaged in farming and milling. On the 15th of October, 1845, he was joined in marriage with Miss Jane Butts, who died in 1849. He engaged in the grocery business in Pennsylvania until 1856, then came to Wisconsin, where he remained one year, and thence to Bloomfield, Minnesota, where he has since been engaged in farming. He was married again in 1880, to Mary Ann Sayres, a native of England. Mr. Ostrander has been a member of the school board ten years.

LYMAN E. POSTLE was born in Friendship, Alle- gany county, New York, in 1831. When ten years old he removed with his parents to Wiscon- sin. He completed his education at Madison Uni- versity, studied surveying and worked at it about three years, when he removed to Minnesota and engaged in farming. Miss Anna C. Lea became his wife in 1856. She is a native of England. They have been blessed with eight children, three of whom are married. Mr. Postle enlisted in the First Minnesota Mounted Rangers and served one year and one month. He has been Town Clerk and Constable several terms, and Postmaster for eleven years.

W. J. SHERWIN was born in New York, in 1827, and grew to manhood in his native State. He came to Minnesota in 1858, where he married the eldest daughter of Rev. W. T. Bly. They have four children. His mother lives with them, aged eighty-two years. They are members of the Bap- tist Church.

R. F. SPENCER, M. D., was born in Vermont,

where he lived until twenty-two years old. He attended school there, and studied medicine. He then removed to Wisconsin and taught school and practiced dentistry. In 1861, he came to Minne- sota, remained four years, then returned to Wis- consin and thence to Vermont. In 1868, he came to this State once more, and then went to Dakota where he practiced medicine for three years, when he permanently located in Etna, Bloomfield town- ship. He was married in 1874, to Miss Carrie Hovey, a native of Wisconsin. They have one child, six years of age. Mr. Spencer is the pres- ent Justice of the Peace in this town.

WILLIAM TRIGGS was born in England in 1815, where he attended school and grew to manhood on a farm. In 1850, he came to America and worked on a farm in Illinois until 1856, when he came to Bloomfield and engaged in farming, which he still follows. He was married in 1862, to Mrs. Lucy Pike, a native of Maine. She was a widow with one child. Mr. and Mrs. Triggs have one child, named John, thirteen years old.

LUTHER WILCOX was born in Canada in 1818, and reared as a farmer. He was married in 1840, to Miss Sarah Glidden. She died in 1842, leaving two children. He was married again on the 16th of June, 1846, to Miss Mary Ann Ricks, who has borne him five children. In 1855, he came to Bloomfield, Minnesota, where he has since been a farmer. Mr. Wilcox has been Justice of the Peace twelve years.

HENRY WOODEN was born in New York in 1836. He received his education in his native State, and when twenty-two years of age removed to Illinois. He enlisted in 1861, for three years, then re- enlisted and served one year. He married Miss Sarah Norton, a native of Ohio, who has borue him three children. His mother, Sarah Wooden, a native of New York, is living with her son. She came to Minnesota in 1864. His father died when sixty-four years of age, on the place Henry now occupies.

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HISTORY OF FILLMORE COUNTY.

SUMNER.

CHAPTER LXXII.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION -- EARLY SETTLEMENT-EARLY EVENTS-EDUCATIONAL - RELIGIOUS -MANUFAC- TURING-HAMILTON VILLAGE-WASHINGTON VIL- LAGE-BIOGRAPHICAL.

The township bearing the above apellation is one of the most productive in Fillmore county, and, in location, holds one of the four prominent places, being the northwest corner township. It is hemmed in on the north and west respectively, by the counties of Olmsted and Mower, and its contiguous townships on the east and south are Jordan and Spring Valley.

The townships may justly be said, in a degree, to be noted for its excellent springs welling up in innumerable places-water as clear as crystal- and for its fine groves of natural timber. The western part is made up of level prairie, inter- spersed with a few groves, while the western and southern parts, although now, as a rule, under a high state of cultivation, at the time of first set- tlement was covered with hazel brush and "oak openings." The soil is generally a rich, dark loam, varying from twelve to forty inches in depth, with a subsoil of blue clay, limestone sand, or gravel. In the extreme southwestern part of the town the soil has an apparent tendency to sandiness, with a gravel subsoil, but this is con- fined to very few sections. The town is well watered by various brooks, creeks, and the Root River. The latter stream bobs in and out along the southern line of the town, making its final exit through section thirty-six into Jordan township. The Kedron Brook derives its source in section eighteen, and flowing in a southeasterly direction delays not in mingling its waters with those of Root River. Various other small brooks, arising from the numerous springs, flow into and are swallowed by the larger branches. The southern part of the town is rolling, and in places towering

bluffs of threatening aspect rear themselves to a height of 300 feet. All this region is well adapted to stock raising. The balance of the town is com- posed of prairie land and oak openings, the soil being very fertile and suitable for all kinds of grain raising and agriculture.

The town's area constitutes the full thirty-six sections of a government township, and in addi- tion to this, one and one-half sections cut from the northwest corner of Spring Valley, making thirty-seven and one-half sections.

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

Sumner was not behind the balance of Fillmore county's townships, and like the majority of them commenced its evolutions towards civilization in 1853. Of course the perfectly natural, and always the first question to be asked when early settle- ment is spoken of,. will be the first querry here: "Who were the very first pioneers to attempt de- velopment in the town?" In preface to the ans- wer of this always interesting question, we will say that, as a rule, this is a more delicate matter to determine with any degree of certainty than would be imagined; but, notwithstanding the fact that in other towns old pioneers dislike very much to grant the honor of being the "Oldest Settler" to any particular party or parties, we are pleased to state that the general rule does not prevail here, and the early settlers are conceded by all.

It is quite clear that the earliest exploration, with a view to establishing a home, was by the Hayes party in 1853, and arrived about the mid- dle of May. The entire party who settled that month consisted of three persons, H. S. H. Hayes, David Allen, and D. D. Fraser, and of the three, two are still living in the township.

H. S. H. Hayes came from New Hampshire, and arrived in Sumner on the 25th of May, 1853. He took a claim in sections twenty-seven and twenty- eight, and is still making that place his home.

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He is mentioned more fully in another place.

David Allen arrived at the same time from New York, and located on sections thirty-three and thirty-four, where his "lamp still holds out to burn."

D. D. Fraser, another of the party to arrive at the same time, came from Ohio, and located a claim in section thirty-two, where he lived for five or six years, and moved out of the township.

Deacon Gulielmus Carter arrived later in the same year, landing in Sumner in October. He is still living in the town, at the village of Hamilton, and is the oldest man in the township, having been ushered into light on the 1st of December, 1799, being yet able to get about and has good eyesight. He came from Massachusetts, and is mentioned more fully under the head of biograph- ical.

Daniel Davis also made his appearance on the scene late in the same year, and secured himself an excellent farm on section twenty, where he may yet be found.

The balance of the year was spent by the hardy pioneers without interruption and almost in soli- tude.

The following year, 1854, brought a number of acquisitions to the meagre settlement.

J. O. Stout pushed his way into the town, and shortly after commenced the erection of a saw- mill. He is still living on section thirty-four.

C. O. Comstock also arrived with Stout, and commenced improvements on a farm; he also still resides in the town.

Philo Bradley, now decased, arrived, and his widow still lives on the homestead in section four- teen.

John E. King reported in person and still "holds the fort" on the pre-emption he first secured in sec- tion fourteen.

Darius Comstock also arrived this year, securing a farm in section twenty-six, and in 1870, was called to his final account. His widow still lives on the place.

S. C. Jolley and C. Millet arrived, secured farms, and are still residents of the township.

In 1855, the influx to this region commenced in earnest.

S. G. Keck arrived early in this year, and died thirteen days after his arrival; his son James now lives on the claim.

W. W. Parkinson arrived and is still living in Sumner.

After this date it would be folly to to undertake to name the arrivals in sequence, but the most prominent of them are traced in another place.

ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Kedron Post-office was established in 1869, and is located in the southeastern corner of section seventeen. W. D. Bradford was appointed Post- master when the office was first established, and held the office for a number of years. Geo. Hood received the appointment in 1877, and retained the office for a few months, when Mr. Smith was ap- pointed. It was discontinued soon after.

A Good Templars Lodge was instituted tuted at Sumner Center in 1874, but finally dis- banded from lack of interest.

A Grange was also instituted in 1873, and failed, donating its funds, as did the Good Tem- plars above mentioned, to a public library, of which Mrs. Smith is librarian, the office being at the house of S. T. Smith, on section seventeen. This was organized in 1879, and now has 105 volumes.

In 1857, Sumner was an election precinct, and the polls were open in Martin Ricker's house. J. M. Cavanaugh was elected to Congress.

A Friends Society was partially organized about 1856, and the first services were held on sec- tion thirty-three. In 1874, the Quakers erected their present church edifice on section thirty-four.

Sumner Cemetery is in the southern part of section twenty-eight, and was set apart for a burial ground in 1862. The first burials here were the remains of Ernest Gove, a child of C. B. Gove, and the wife of W. W. Beers, who died in April, 1863. The ground contains two acres, and was purchased of G. A. Hayes.

Sumner was named by the earliest settlers in the town in honor of an act of Charles Sumner.

H. S. H. Hayes, Esq., was the first Justice of the Peace in Sumner, receiving his commission from the Governor in 1854.

The first marriage was performed by Hon. H. S. H. Hayes on the 4th of February, 1855, the contracting parties being David Allen and Miss Sepha Ann Carter, and they are still residing in the town.

The first birth in Sumner was a son of the above named parties, David and Sepha Ann Allen, and took place on the 18th of November,

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1855. The son was christened Frederick Trist- ram Allen.

Another early marriage was that of Mr. Caleb O. Comstock to Miss C. E. Carter, at the resi- dence of the bride's parents on section thirty-two.

The first death was Mrs. Joshua Stears, who died in October, 1856.

POLITICAL.

The organization of the town of Sumner was effected on the 11th of May, 1858, after the or- ganization of the Territory into a State. The first town meeting was held on that day at the house of T. W. Cocorey, and the records show that William B. Melvin was made Chairman, pro. tem., of the meeting, and C. D. Sherwood, Mode- rator. Walter S. Booth was then elected Town Clerk. Henry Plummer and H. P. Sleeper were made clerks of election, and William B. Melvin, I. M. Choate, and William H. Doane, were judges of election. The sum of $150 was appropriated for town purposes, and it was voted that horses and cows could run at large, but sheep and hogs were restricted of that freedom.

The following officers were then elected, all of whom served, to-wit: Supervisors, C. D. Sher- wood, Chairman; C: W. Knight, and James H. Tedman; town clerk, D. T. Booth; assessor, John Jolley; collector, W. T. Horton; overseer of the poor, L. Chamberlain; constables, D. C. Hender- shott and W. H. Clarno; Justices of the Peace, C. Brownell and W. S. Booth.

It was decided to hold the next town meeting at the house of Martin Richer. There were 140 votes polled, and the records of the meeting are dated on the 13th of May 1858, but the town meeting is recorded as being held on the 11th. The board met again on the 19th following, and divided the town into six road districts.

Since the organization of the town its govern- mental wheels have moved with very little frio- tion, and no town in the county has been better managed than this, not only financially but pleasantly.

At the town meeting on the 14th of March, 1882, the following officers were elected: Super- visors, D. N. St. John, Chairman; C. A. Prouty, and F. W. Millett; Clerk, C. M. Colby; Treasurer, Edwin Doten; Assessor, Eben North; Justice of the Peace, Henry E. King; Constable, Henry Gam- mel.

EDUCATIONAL.

This township is divided into nine school dis- tricts, employing one teacher in each. The first school in the township was in the winter of 1855- 56 in district No. 25.

All of the districts in the town are in a flour- ishing condition, being well managed and well kept. The wages for teachers, in common with other towns, are comparatively low, ranging from $20 to $30 per month.

DISTRICT No. 121 .- This was the first district in the township to receive organization, which was effected November, 1857, at the house of Mr. W. W. Parkinson. The officers first elected were: Trustee, H, M. C. Ballow; chairman, and Richard Freeman; clerk, I. M. Choate; Treasurer, Walter Woodmansee. The following spring $600 was appropriated to build a school-house, and the contractor instead of following instructions, put up one at a cost of $1,200. This made the district considerable trouble, besides involving them in a law suit which was decided against them, and the carpenter succeeded in getting judgment for the amount. The first school was taught by I. M. Choate in his house, in the winter of 1856-57; and in the fall of 1858, by Nathial Parker, being then known as District No. 30. The present school-house is situated in the northeast corner of section twenty, and has on enrolled about thirty- two scholars.

DISTRICT No. 123-This was the second dis- trict in the town, being organized in the winter of 1857. A log house was built by subscription in 1860, which lasted until it was destroyed by fire in 1876. Their present brick house was erected soon after, in 1876, at a cost of $800, in the southeast corner of section fourteen. The first teacher to preside in this district was Miss Martha Guill; the present teacher is Florence Swartz.

DISTRICT No. 126 .- This district was also or- ganized about 1857, their house being built about this time by S. P. Green, on section thirty; but as the trustees of the district refused to accept the building he attached it on a carpenter's lien and moved it to section twenty-nine, where it was used for religious purposes by the Methodists. The present house of district 126 is situated in the center of section thirty. The present officers are Messrs. Babcock, R. Steffins, and S. Wilson; Miss Nellie M. Grant is the teacher.

DISTRICT No. 118 .- Was organized in 1864,

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with the following officers elected: Director, Chester Hart; Clerk, G. B. Hendricks, and Treas- urer, R. Vandel. School was first held by Polly Layman in Chester Hart's granary, and afterwards in various places until 1866, when their school- house was erected in the southeast corner of section two. Prior to the organization of the district a subscription school was held in a log hut by Mary Brady, which had twelve scholars in attendance; this was in the year 1860.

DISTRICT No. 119 .- This district really received its organization in 1864, but after the organizing steps were taken, matters of the district stood at one point until 1876, when the organization, in a practical sense, commenced. In the year 1876, a meeting was held at the house of Z. D. Lassell, and the following gentlemen were made officers: Director, Z. D. Lassell; Treasurer, Edwin Todd; Clerk, W. H. Kendall. The same spring their schoolhouse was erected in the northwest corner of section ten, and the first school taught by Martha Wooldridge.

DISTRICT No. 120 .- In 1867, a meeting was held at the house of Mr. Randall, on section six, which organized this district, and the following were the first officers: Treasurer, Edson Owen; Director, David Jolley, and Clerk, W. B. Randell. Miss Frances Amelia Owen was the first to call school to order after the organization of the dis- trict. Their schoolhouse was erected in the south- west corner of section five, at a cost of $600. Previous to this organization a select school had been held for a number of years on section six, taught by Miss P. Stewart. The present officers are: Director, Johu Kelley; Clerk, John McBride, and Treasurer, J. Strain; Miss Margaret Kelley being the teacher.

DISTRICT No. 125 .- This district is claimed to have been partially organized in 1855, and a schoolhouse was erected that year, the size of which was 24x36 feet, and cost $600. The pres- ent house is a frame structure, 26x34 feet, and was erected in 1869 at a cost of $800. It is located in the eastern part of section thirty-three. The first schoolhouse built by the district was destroyed by fire.

DISTRICT No. 122 .--- The present neat house now in use by this district is situated in the southwest_ ern corner of section fifteen. The organization was effected at a meeting held in the house of Martin Ricker in 1862. The first school was

taught by Ferdinand Stevens in 1863. Their present house was erected in 1874, and is now in good order. The first floor of the schoolhouse is used as a Town Hall, while the second story answers for school purposes.

DISTRICT No. 124 .-- The house now in use by the citizens of this district is a neat frame, and stands in the southern part of section twenty-five.

DISTRICT No. 125 .- This is the Hamilton dis- trict, and embraces the locality surrounding the village. Their schoolhouse is the best one in the township, and is located in Hamilton, having been erected at a cost of about $1,000.

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

The Presbyterian Church was organized about 1870, and the same year the society bought three acres of land for a church building, paying M. S. Harwood $125 for it. They commenced their building in 1871, but it was not completed until 1875. The first sermon in the building was deliv- ered in 1875, by Rev. Geo. Ainsley. The pres- ent pastor is Rev. John E. Beachor, having in the charge thirty members. The church is located three miles north of Washington village.

PRESBYTERIAN CEMETERY.

This association was organized on the 28th of May, 1870 having, when organized, an attendance of eleven members. The first interment made in these grounds was the remains of Euphemia, daughter of Thomas and Jane Ferguson, in 1871.

MANUFACTURING.

The town of Sumner, possessing as it does as fine water power advantages as can be found in the country, of couse is not without manufacturing industries.

SAW-MILLS .- In 1855, a saw-mill was erected, and commenced running in the village of Hamil- ton, by Booth, Morris, and C. D. Sherwood. It was in good running order and kept piling up sawdust for two or three years, when the proprie- tors got into a tangle and the property was divided to satisfy them, the company being de- clared dissolved.

Another mill was built and put in operation at an earlier day than this, which has also suc- cumbed. In 1864, D. D. Fraser erected a saw-mill on the banks of Bear Creek, in section five, just over the south town line, with an upright saw and 20x40 feet, at an entire cost of abont $4,000.

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HISTORY OF FILLMORE COUNTY.

In 1856, J. A. Stout & Co. erected a large saw- mill on Bear Creek at a cost of about $4,000, which, after being operated for some years, was merged into the stone flouring mill.

THE STONE MILL .- This valuable acquisition to the town was built in 1866, by J. A. Stout, at a cost of about $8,000. The size of the mill was 25x35 feet, two stories, and had a capacity of about thirty-five barrels per day. It is situated on Bear Creek, in section thirty-four. Since building it has changed hands several times and been im proved so that its capacity is now about fifty bar- rels per day. The present proprietors are F. A. & J. A. Branum, and the mill has the reputation of making excellent flour.

UNION MILL .- This mill is located just south of Washington in section thirty-six, on Bear Creek. It was built by Mr. C. Hart in 1855, and since that time has run almost constantly, although it is now a very different mill from what it was then, it has been so much improved by additions and ma- chinery. It is now equipped with one run ot stones, and six set of corrugated and smooth rolls. It receives power from the Bear Creek, through the medium of a Lafell wheel, and ten feet fall, having a capacity of about thirty barrels per day. T. O. Kilborn is the present proprietor.

THE TUNNEL MILL .- This manufacturing en- terprise is located on the Bear Creek, in section thirty-four. The mill was commenced in 1869, by J. A. Stout, and completed in 1871. It has a ca- pacity, if worked to its utmost, of fifty barrels per duy. The mill receives its power from a tun- nelled race. The river, in meandering in and out of the town, makes a bend in the shape of a "Horse Shoe," as it is justly termed in the local- ity, and Mr. Stout adopted this natural advantage and made his race in the form of an underground passage from one side of the "shoe" straight across, cutting off the bend in the river, and thereby gained an abrupt fall of twenty-five feet, building his mill at the lower mouth of the tunnel. It is claimed that four men were engaged in dig- ging the tunnel one year, and that they used three tons of powder for blasting. In addition to the mill, Mr. J. A. Stout, in 1881, commenced op- erating a sorghum mill, with which, in that year, he turned out 2,000 gallons of molasses. His en- tire machinery is run with the water-power ob- tained through the tunnel.

HAMILTON VILLAGE.

This village is situated in the southwestern part of Sumner township, its town plat extending to the boundary line of Mower county, occupying portions of sections six and thirty. It lies on the north bank of the middle branch of Root River, which furnishes one of the best water-powers in the county. Adjoining the town are the "Hamil- ton springs," that continue boiling up, fresh, clear and sparkling water, both summer and winter, at the rate of 1,500 gallons per minute.

In location it may truthfully be said the village of Hamilton is a success, and the non-arrival of the hoped for railroad alone blasted its prospects. The first house erected was put up in 1853, by Adam Zedygar. In 1855, Daniel Booth, from the New England States, arrived, and had the village of Hamilton platted and recorded. Immediate steps were taken to secure a Post-office, in which they succeeded, and in 1856, an office was estab- lished under the name of "Elkhorn," and Jacob McQuillan was appointed to handle the mails. Charles Davis arrived in 1855. Booth & Randall made their appearance, and put in a $3,000 stock of goods. A blacksmith shop was started in 1856, and the town for a number of years "boomed." Several saw-mills were erected and put in operation, besides a custom grist-mill.

The village now has about thirty buildings all told. Several general merchandise stores, several blacksmith shops, one schoolhouse, one harness shop, one hotel, several vacant business houses, and about twenty residences.

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History of Fillmore County, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 108

Author: Edward D. Neill Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Number of Pages:

Author: Edward D. Neill
Publication date: 1882
Publisher:
Number of Pages: