History of Fillmore County, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 54

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 54

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Soon after this a survey was made by the chief engineer, H. W. Holley, from the Mississippi River to Hokah.

On the 8th of December, 1856, a public meeting of those favorable to the construction of the road was held in Chatfield. The meeting was called to order by William B. Gere, who stated the objects of the meeting, and gave a brief history of the en- terprise, stating that it was chartered in 1854, and thut $50,000 had been subscribed to the stock. G. W. Willis was appointed chairman of the meet- ing, and Edward Dexter was selected for Secre- tary. Earnest speeches were made by several gentlemen. A committee was appointed to solicit subscriptions to defray the expenses of an agent to Washington, to secure, if possible, congres- sional aid in the form of a land grant. It was nn-

derstood that this committee succeeded in raising about $1,300 in Chatfield, and James M. Cava- naugh, afterwards Member of Congress, was ap- pointed to proceed to Washington and look after a land grant. The thanks of the meeting were voted to Col. Thomas B. Stoddard, of La Crosse, for his untiring energy in the service of the en- terprise.

It will thus be seen what service was done by Chatfield during the struggling infancy and weak- ness of this corporation, and how remorselessly it was passed by when the company had secured strength and power. Ingratitude is the most de- spicable sin that exists.

The land grant passed Congress, and became a law on the last day of President Pierce's adminis- tration, on the 4th of March, 1857, and was among the last bills signed by the New Hampshire Pres- ident.

As there were other similar land grants, for roads in various parts of the territory, an extra session of the Legislature was called by Governor Gorman, to meet on the 10th of May, 1857, to pass the appropriate acts on the subject.

On the 3d of April the railroad company had a meeting at La Crescent, and a survey by the Chief Engineer, Mr. Holley, was ordered to be made at once, to begin at or near St. Peter, and to run thence east to La Crosse. The party accordingly started to make this survey, from Chatfield to St. Peter, on the 6th of April, 1857. At the meeting of the Legislature, it granted to the Southern Minnesota Railroad Company the lands pertain- ing to the line from La Crescent to Rochester, and also from St. Paul up the Minnesota valley to the Iowa state line.

The survey from St. Peter to La Crescent was completed early in June, but in the meantime a transfer of the stock of the company had been made by the directors to a Wisconsin company, the Milwaukee & La Crosse, which continued the survey but did nothing whatever in the way of grading. And thus it remained, until in 1858 the five million loan bill became a law, and then the company graciously graded twenty miles from La Crescent to Houston, and there it stopped.

In 1859, there was a kind of a supplementary collapse, and various roads went into bankruptcy, this among the others. About this time there was an attempt to float some railroad currency, but it was not a brilliant success.

In 1869, C. D. Sherwood, Clark W. Thompson, H.

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RAILROADS.

W. Holley, Dr. L. Miller, Hiram Walker, and their associates reorganized the company and obtained from the Legislature of the State the franchises and lands of the old company, upon the condition that ten miles should be completed in one year. But the time elapsed and the ten miles did not materialize, and the next year the Legislature kindly gave the company another year, and this time it succeeded in making the trip, and having the requisite ten miles in running condition by the 25th of December, 1866. During the previous winter an effort had been made to secure an addi- tional grant of land from Houston to the western boundary of the State, which was successful, and this aid was secured on the 4th of July, 1866. From this time the progress of the road was rapid. As above stated, the road to Houston was opened and running in 1866; to Rushford and Lanesboro in 1868; from Ramsey to Wells in 1869, and from Lanesboro the road was pushed on to Ramsey in 1870; the total distance being 167 miles. It will thus be seen that the road was finally constructed and put in operation by practi- cally the same men who conceived the project in territorial days, and obtained, through their efforts, the donations that made its success possi- ble, and without which it might never have been built. As to the personnel of the early and the later management, Col. T. B. Stoddard, of La Crosse; C. W. Thompson, of Hokah, and his brother Edward Thompson, of the same place; and Hon. H. W. Holley, the Chief Engineer, of Fillmore county, who were on the board of direct- ors in 1856, stuck to its varying fortunes and des- tinies through good and evil report till in 1870, the first division from LaCrosse to Winnebago City was completed.

As to the last land grant from Congress in 1866, without which the road could not, or would not have been extended west of Houston, perhaps the most credit should be given to Charles D. Sher- wood, Dr. Luke Miller, C. G. Wykoff, and D. B. Sprague, who joined their fortunes with the enter- prise at the reorganization in 1865.

The village of Lanesboro, which originated in consequence of this railroad, was platted in 1868.

In relation to the route of the road west of Lanesboro, where it leaves the Root River valley. the inside history would be remarkably rich read- ing, if faithfully portrayed. Chatfield, being on the main stream, had no shadow of doubt as to its going there; Preston, the county seat, confidently

expected the road. Either way would have avoided the terrible grade west of Lanesboro which will forever require a "pusher" to overcome. But in view of "other hearts that would bleed" the story perhaps better be left untold in this vol- ume.

It is not unlikely at some time not very distant, when this road shall become a part of the "Chi- cago, Milwaukee and St. Paul International line to the Pacific," that the bed of the road may be changed to follow one of the branches of the Root River from Lanesboro.

In 1870, the Southern Minnesota railroad under- took to build a branch from Fountain to Chatfield, and the town of Chatfield voted bonds to the amount of $65,000, provided it was completed to that point by the 4th of July, 1871. Work was commenced and some of the deeper cuts excavated, and it is reported that $70,000 was expended be- fore the project was abandoned, which was done, as is alleged, on account of the great expense.

THE CALEDONIA, MISSISSIPPI AND WESTERN RAIL- ROAD.

The initial proceedings that finally gave the county of Fillmore this road were had at Cale- donia, Houston county, early in November, 1873. Thomas Abbotts was President of the company then formed; A. D. Sprague, Vice-President; Nicholas Koob, Treasurer; N. E. Dorival, Secre- tary. It was a local enterprise, and was partially graded between the Mississippi and Caledonia in 1874. Then, the hard times continuing, the road remained, with occasional struggles to have it ironed and equipped, until early in the spring of 1879, when a plan was devised and carried into effect for its completion to Caledonia. The ar- rangement was with the Chicago, Clinton, Dubuque and Minnesota Railroad Company, to complete the road, iron and equip it, in consideration of the citizens of Caledonia voting a bonus of $20,000, which was done.

On the 25th of September the road was com- pleted and the first train entered the village of Caledonia amid the rejoicings of the people. Im- mediate steps were made to push on the enterprise to Preston, and such was the energy displayed, that on Christmas day, the same year, the loco- motive reached that point. Several towns in its course voted aid, the particulars of which are given elsewhere. The road has since been absorbed by the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Company.

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO .

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HISTORY OF FILLMORE COUNTY.

From the several station agents at the following named places in Fillmore county, we have been enabled to gather the statements made below, of the business done in 1880, on the narrow guage road :

PRESTON .- H. V. Peterson, agent.

Freight forwarded 9,320,920 pounds

Received 3,709,720 pounds

HARMONY .- W. E. Taylor, agent.

Freight forwarded

1,779.032 pounds

Received 1,163,699 pounds

Number of cars of grain shipped.

134

Number of cars of hogs

MABEL .- O. B. Nelson, agent.

Freight forwarded .5,138.180 pounds

Received. 3,551.019 pounds

Number of cars of grain shipped. 336

Number of cars of live stock. 106

CANTON .- D. O. Brien, agent.

Freight forwarded. 4,041,000 pounds

Received 1.607,000 pounds

Number of cars of grain shipped. 245

Number of cars of live stock. .

126

Shipped from Preston station during the year 1881:

Wheat,

pounds

4,050,000

Barley,

1,000,000

Oats,

150,000

Corn,

27,000

Rye,

168,000

Flour,

2,625,000

Mill feed, 66

325,000

Onions,

25,000

Flax seed,

24,000

Dressed hogs,“

250,000

Live stock, ‘

200,000

Miscellaneous,"

556,200

Total number of pounds,. 9,496,200 Number of pounds of freight received during the year 1881 2,268,830

Charges on the same. $8,471.16

Charges on freight forwarded.

$13,953.42

Total $32,424.58

The thirty-six inch guage road, from the Mis- sissippi to Preston, is said to be one of the best paying feeders to the trunk lines that is owned by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul company. The only fault found with the management is the want of close connection at the junction. That

is an awful dreary place to wait so many hours to take certain trains.

CHATFIELD & EYOTA RAILROAD.

This is a branch of the Chicago & Northwest- ern, and extends from Eyota on the Winona & St. Peter division.

Bonds were voted by the town of Chatfield in 1878, to secure the branch to this place; the work was soon commenced and in the fall of 1878, the trains were running. It has a neat depot put up at the foot of Twiford street. The branch is twelve miles long and extends into Fillmore county about two blocks; a side track extends to the flouring mill of Mr. Dickson. The citizens are very well accommodated as there are four trains & day.

THE NEWSPAPER PRESS.

The newspaper press of this county early occu- pied a high position among the papers of the State. Some of the first papers, which must have started under very discouraging circumstances, were edited and printed in a very creditable man- ner.

As is well known there is a great mortality among young newspapers, the death rate exceed- ing even that of the human race, in fact as many newspapers relatively die before five months of age as children before five years.

As to the whole list of papers in the county, it is not hoped even to give the names of all that have been started. It is astonishing what an ephemeral thing is a periodical, and remembering how valuable a file of newspapers becomes with age, it is a matter of surprise that so few preserve them. To those which have been fortunately pre- served this work is largely indebted for many items of interest.

About the earliest printing business mentioned in the county was when Ezra R. Trask, on the 22d of October, 1855, sold a press, type and material to H. C. Butler. This must have been in Cari- mona, the county seat then.

CHATFIELD DEMOCRAT .- This is the oldest paper now in existence in Fillmore county, and in fact may claim to be one of the oldest papers in this part of Minnesota. Started with the purpose in view of being a civilizer, and a ben- efit to its own and surrounding counties, it has prospered from the first. Never, during its ex- istence of over a quarter of a century, has it post-

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NEWSPAPERS.

poned or scaled an issue, nor issued anything but its full sized sheet, and always in its regular form. The first issue of this paper was upon the 11th of September, 1857, in Chatfield, by C. C. Hemp- hill, who started it upon the principles of democ- racy. It was a six column quarto sheet, all home print, and was hailed by the pioneers as an indis- putable evidence of their increasing prosperity, being considered a landmark by them in history and memory.

In 1860, C. C. Hemphill sold the paper to J. W. Bishop, who was editor and manager of the Demo- crat for about two years, when it again changed hands, and the Messrs. McKenny took the helm, and have since been managers and proprietors.

One remarkable incident connected with the Democrat is deserving of mention. It is the ad- vertisement of S. C. White, a merchant of Winona. The ad. has occupied the same place, same space, and the same column in the Democrat for upwards of twenty years. Not only as a matter of interest to those who shall hereafter peruse the history of Fillmore county, but as an article which deserves to be chronicled in history, the advertisement, as it is, is here given :

ESTABLISHED 1856.

S. C. WHITE,

Wholesale Grocer,

Jobber in

GREEN FRUITS,

CANDY, CIGARS, &c., &c. WINONA, MINN.

THE CHATFIELD REPUBLICAN .- The first num- ber of this paper was published on Saturday the 25th of October, 1856, at Chatfield. T. B. Twiford & Co., were the publishers, and H. W. Holley, editor. It was a six column folio, furnished for $2.00 a year, if paid in advance, and $3.00 if paid later. The imprint declared it to be "a Weekly Family Newspaper, devoted to Literature, Science, Art, Education, Mechanism, Agriculture, Horticulture, Politics, and General Intelligence."

Although Minnesota had not obtained her ma-

jority and become a State, and consequently had no vote in the presidential election, yet the names of "Fremont and Dayton" were run up to the mast head of the new paper, and moral, if no more substantial support, given to the cause. On the 13th of June, 1857, the names of O. Brown and H. W. Holley were announced as pub- lishers.

With number one, volume two, the paper was enlarged to seven columns and correspondingly lengthened. As this was before the "patent in- sides" epidemic, the whole paper was set up in the office, and it was a well edited and well printed journal.

In 1859, the editor of the Republican was sued by the editor of the Democrat for a libel, and a jury returned a verdict placing the damages at $100.

Mr. H. W. Holley, who is now an honored citi- zen of Winnebago City, kindly sent us his first four volumes, ending the 6th of November, 1860, from which many items of interest were obtained. At the latter date the paper was transferred to Preston and became the "Preston Republican."

THE WESTERN PROGRESS .- This was a paper which was started in Brownsville, Houston county, in May, 1869, by Mrs. Bella French and Richard O. Thomas,

In May, 1870, Mr. Thomas having withdrawn, and some of the enterprising citizens of Spring Valley desiring to have a local paper, offered in ducements to Mrs. French to remove the paper there, which was accordingly done, and it was published for two years, when she left it and en- gaged in literary work elsewhere.

A. M. Hutchinson was for a time the publisher and was succeeded by J. J. Sargent and M. T. Jones. On the 2d of February the firm was dis- solved, Mr. Jones continuing the publication. The paper meantime was changed to "The Vidette." In 1879, Mr. Jones was thrown from a buggy, and expired almost instantly. The paper then fell in- to the hands of Col. Van Leuven, and for a few months he had a partner who finally retired, leav- ing the Colonel solitary and alone at his outpost.

The paper is a six-column quarto of the republi- can persuasion.

PRESTON REPUBLICAN .- This paper was started in November, 1860, under this name, but it was really the Chatfield Republican removed to a new locality, and Elder Burbank was the editor, who afterwards sold to F. W.

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HISTORY OF FILLMORE COUNTY.

Hotchkiss, who managed it until turned over to his brother. With the number commencing on the 6th of February, 1867, W. A. Hotchkiss took charge as editor and proprietor. This was in the sixth volume.

The paper was a seven column folio, all set up in the office, and was a fearless republican sheet. In December, 1873, Major Hotchkiss procured a New Haven power press.

On the 17th of September, 1875, the paper, with the material and presses, was removed to Austin, and the name changed to "Mower and Fillmore County Republican," and so with number forty- seven, volume fourteen, its career in Preston was closed.

To follow it, however, in its perigrinations, it was published in Austin until 1879, when it be- came the organ of the National party and the name was changed to "National Republican." In September, 1880, it went to Minneapolis, and was printed there until August, 1881, when it was brought back by Maj. Hotchkiss to Preston. It is now in the twenty-first volume, and is pub- lished by Hotchkiss and Son, and is a seven col- umn folio devoted to the interests of the National party, the whole paper being set up in the office.

After Major Hotchkiss had removed his paper out of the county, there was no journal in Preston for a little over a year, when on the 28th of October, 1876, another

PRESTON REPUBLICAN appeared, and it still serves the public as a seven column folio, with P. P. Wall as editor and proprietor.

As its name indicates, it is republican in its political faith and teachings. The paper is well located on the east side of Court House square, in a brick building erected for its special use, with a store on the ground floor. From this, as well as from the other newspaper files in the county, much valuable information has been obtained by the compilers of the local part of this work. The newspaper press of the county is well up to the modern standard of current literary excellence, and in its history has not had an unusual share of vicissitudes.

THE PRESTON JOURNAL .- In 1856, a firm under the name of Getzel & Co. issued a prospectus for the Preston Journal, and having issued a single number, as it is stated, and secured some assist- ance in the undertaking, failed to go on with the enterprise.

RUSHFORD GAZETTE .- This paper was started

on the 1st of January, 1867, by S. J. Brown, who afterwards sold one-half interest to S. S. Stebbins. After awhile the "Temperance Fountain" was started in connection with it. Charles D. Sher- wood became proprietor. This publication was discontinued, and the "Southern Minnesotian" was started. This was a paper of character, and had considerable influence on the times.

Brown & Sherwood were proprietors until Sep- tember, 1868, when A. E. Ball & Co. bought the concern and managed it until the following April, when it was sold to S. J. Brown, who soon discon- tinued the publication.

In May, 1869, Frank H. Stout came from Ste- vens Point, Wisconsin, and run a paper until 1870, when he went to Kansas. This was called "The Rushford Era."

In April, 1871, Willis Osborne & Brother started "The Rushford Journal," and kept it in motion until January, 1873.

LABOR REFORM .- This journal was thrown out upon the tender mercies of this struggling world in April, 1872, and its life was prolonged by heroic sacrifices on the part of its editor and pub- lisher, Mr. A. E. Ball, up to the month of July, 1373, when it gracefully subsided to give elbow room for

THE RUSHFORD STAR, which was ushered into being in April, 1873, by T. H. Everts & F. W. Drake. On the 8th of August. 1876, Charles R. McKenney bought out Frank W. Drake, and issned his first paper on Friday, the 11th. It was vol- ume IV, No. 14, and was a four column quarto. At the end of the volume it was made a folio, and part of the time it has been a large quarto, but is now a good sized folio, and continues to thrive as a republican paper, meeting the wants of the northeastern part of the county.

SPRING VALLEY MERCURY .-- The first number of this paper was struck off on the 18th of March, 1880, at Grand Meadow, Mower county. The pro- prietors were Langworthy & Son. On the first of August, 1880, it was removed to Austin, in the same county, and continued until April, 1881, when G. E. Langorthy became editor and pro- proprietor. On the fifteenth of April, 1882, the paper was removed to Spring Valley where it is now published by Langworthy & Sons. It is a nine-column folio of the Republican persuasion.

THE SPRING VALLEY VIDETTE .- Is a six-column weekly published in Spring Valley by Col. H. C. Van Leuven who came here from Iowa. The

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BAR ASSOCIATION.

paper is the result of a consolidation with the "Western Progress," a paper which was moved early in the seventies from Brownsville, Houston county, published by Mrs. Bella French, and the "Spring Valley Citizen," published by J. J. Sar- gent and afterwards by Col. M. T. Jones.

On the 18th of August, 1879, Col. Jones was accidentially killed, and Col. Van Leuven then came and took charge of the paper and still manages it.

THE LANESBORO JOURNAL .-- This paper first saw the light on the 13th of June, 1874, at Lanesboro. It was published by the Wall Brothers, the per- sonnel being O. G. Wall and S. W. Wall. It was a six-column folio at $2.00 per year. It claimed to be rather an independent Republican paper, and started out with a business look. It was well printed and well edited, and was all printed in the office. In 1880, the paper passed into the hands of Mr. Fellows, and was enlarged to an eight- column folio, with patent insides. It seems to meet the requirements of the community as Mr. Fellows is a practical printer, a newspaper man, and a student as well as a scholar.

THE RADICAL .- - This is a paper, the character of which is indicated by the name, which was at first published in Fountain in 1880, and after be- ing issued a year or so went to Rochester and re- mained a few months when nostalgia brought it back again to its old stamping ground. The editor and proprietor was C. S. Powers. It is now pub- lished monthly by his son, and is a spicy sheet.

THE LANESBORO HERALD. -- This paper was first issued at the place indicated by its name, in Sep- tember, 1868, by Lute Christie, and was for a time conducted with ability but one of the diseases in- cident to newspaper infancy carried it off.

THE WYKOFF NEWS .- This candidate for public favor was ushered into existence in April, 1882, and is a modest four column folio, published every Saturday by A. R. Burkdoll, and looks crisp and business-like.

WYKOFF DOLLAR WEEKLY was projected into the light in 1878, by F. C. Stowe. It was a good sized eight column paper, but was discontinued in the spring of 1880.

WEEKLY RECORD .- Kruger Brothers started this paper in Wykoff late in the seventies, but soon moved it to Rochester. Then came the "Wykoff News."

There have been several other papers started in the county, but as their existence was very brief, no further mention will be made of them.

FILLMORE COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION.

At an early day there were few conventionalities or forms to be observed in handling cases in court, and the pleadings were usually of a motley va- riety, a mixture of logic, of traditional Jaw nomen- clature, usually with considerable common sense interlarded with more or less frontier slang. The justices court in particular was often the scene of drolleries and comical incidents of the most mirth provoking character. The line as to who should or should not practice in these courts, was not well defined. But about the year 1860, a Bar Associa- tion was formed, at the Court House, with Reuben Wells as President. The scale of prices which were adopted is here reproduced, with the names of the county bar at that time. It will be seen that some of these men now occupy leading posi- tions.

Fee Bill Adopted by the Fillmore County Bar, being Minimum Charges :

For proceedings for plaintiff before notice

of trial, including judgment by default. . $10 00 When application to the Court is necessary, or attachment is issued . 15 00

For proceedings for defendant before notice of trial 7 00

For either party after notice of trial and before trial. 10 00

Trial fee of separate issue of law or fact for plaintiff, $15.00. For defendant .. 12 00

Trial fee of issue of law and fact when tried at the same time for either party 15 00 For proceedings for either party when the action has been removed to the supreme court before argument 20 00

For argument.

30 00

For making application for, or opposing continuance of cause. 5 00

On amounts less than $250-25 per cent. to be deducted from the above rates, and over $1,000-25 per cent. to be added .. For trials of appeals and arguments of cer- tiorari's from justice's courts 10 00 For foreclosing mortgages on real estate by proceedings in court on default:

For any sum not over $250. ... 25 00 For any sum over $250, and not over $500 35 00

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HISTORY OF FILLMORE COUNTY.

For any sum over $500, and not over $1,000 40 00

For any sum over $1,000. 50 00

When defense is made $10.00 is to be added.

For foreclosing mortgages on real estate by advertisement:

For any sum not over $200. 10 00

For any sum over $200 and not over $500 15 00 For any sum over $500. 20 00 For collections without suit:

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History of Fillmore County, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 54

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

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