History of Fillmore County, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 58

Author: Edward D. Neill
Publication date: 1882
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and they both perished; the little one at home was found stark and stiff, as was also the mother and wife in the road. This almost unparalleled event created a profound shock in the community.

DEATH OF REV. ELI ENGLE .- Mr. Engle went to his reward on the 11th of May, 1872, at the age of fifty-two years and nine months. He was born in Alleghany county, Maryland, on the 25th of Sep- tember, 1817, and when still a young man, joined the Methodist Church at Western Port, Maryland. Soon after he was licensed as an exhorter, which position he nobly filled for two years, then re- ceived local orders, and worked faithfully for twenty-four years in this ministry. He had an especial love for evangelical work. He had the love and respect of his wife, the reverence of his children, the esteem of his neighbors, and was cherished by his church.

DEATH OF JONAS CONKEY .- Father Conkey, as he was familiarly called, on account of his kindly, genial ways, was called to the other side on the 15th of September, 1872. He was a native of Bridgeport, Vermont, born in 1795. He was in Clinton county, New York, while young and up to 1844. He afterwards lived in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa. Since 1861, he lived in Minnesota. In 1830, he was received into the Presbyterian Church at Plattsburg, New York. At the organ- ization of the Presbyterian Church in Preston, he was constituted a ruling elder, which position he held until his death, which wes at the residence of his son, William P. Conkey. He was a most worthy citizen.

THE YEAR 1873.

The greatest snow-storm and the most intense. cold remembered in the county was on the 7th, 8th, and 9th days of January of this year. The thermometer stood from 26 degrees to 30 degrees below zero, and the howling storm made the tem- pest a most frightful one. Many lives were lost all over the State. A snow-storm with the glass so low is a phenomena not often witnessed in southern Minnesota.

SILVER WEDDING .- On Monday, the 6th of January, Mr. and Mrs. William Carpenter, of Preston, celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of their wedding day by a tea party at which their particular friends were invited, and Mr. Carpenter presented to his quarter of a century bride a charming silver tea set. And thus this worthy couple started on the journey of life anew

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for the next station, the golden stopping place, which so few married couples reach in their earthly pilgrimage.

DEATH OF MRS. JULIA KING .- Julia Scott was born on the 13th of April, 1827, and on the 16th of May, 1860, was married to Almond King, being his second wife. She came into the care of two children of her husband by a former wife, and subsequently had two of her own. These cares, duties, and responsiblities she met in a remarkably satisfactory manner, and was an affectionate wife, a tender and devoted mother to her own and the little motherless ones under her charge, and a good neighbor. She started across the unknown river, in Carimona, on the 20th of August, 1873.

THE YEAR 1874.

HORSE THIEVING .- In this year a vigilance committee was organized to operate against horse thieves. The knowledge that such an institution existed settled the whole business.

GHASTLY .- On Wednesday the 10th of June, the citizens of Sumner were horror stricken and excited over the finding of the remains of two human beings in a box, in a branch of the Kedron. Dr. Grover, the coroner of Rushford, was sent for, but the surmises that there had been a murder most foul, wore dispelled when it was found that they were cadavers left in the brook by an enthus- iastic medical student, to macerate, that he might the more easily secure the skeletons.

SAD ACCIDENT .- About the middle of June a party of Scandinavians were crossing the Root River at Newman's ford, on their way to a wed- ding, when the horses became frightened and un- manageable and ran, violently throwing the occu- pants of the wagon out in deep water, drowning one of the women and her little babe, thus sadly turning a festive occasion into one of mourning.

RAILROAD ACCIDENTS. - On the 20th of Jnne there were two railroad accidents on the Southern Minnesota road. High water was the cause in both cases. One of them was two miles and a half west of Spring Valley, where the train going west, on crossing a culvert, after the engine and tender had got over, the cars went down and were pro- miscuously piled up. Fortunately no one was in- jured. The other accident was seventeen miles west of this, and happened about the same time, to the train moving east. Here the water was very high, up to the bottom of the rails, so that they appeared all right to the engineer, but the support

had been washed away, and as the engine came upon the foundationless rails down it dropped with the tender; Cumming's, the fireman, was crushed and instantly killed, while Brown, the en- gineer, escaped death with broken bones, and other contusions.

In July, while removing the temporary bridge at the point of the Spring Valley accident, Wil- liam Nobles was instantly killed by being struck by a timber that was being hauled out by an engine, and Robert Lossing was also injured.

On the 14th of August, Frank Kefas, a son of Henry Kefas, was drowned at Lanesboro.

In September a large black bear came within a half mile of Lanesboro.

The following figures show the amount of busi- ness done in Lanesboro this year:

Flour sold, 77,299 barrels; amount paid for wheat $440,400. Barley bought, 57,000 bushels. Lumber sold, 2,082,200 feet. Disbursements: flour and wheat trade, $4,000,000, and this at a single point in the county, which will convey an idea of its resourses.

On Saturday night, the 7th of November, the valuable flouring mill of Valentine and Tew, at Rushford, was destroyed by fire. There was also consumed 9,000 bushels of wheat. The total loss was $20,000.

About four miles from Lanesboro, on the 28th of December, the wife of Thomas Flaherty, who had become insane and attempted to kill him, while he was in town to procure assistance, set fire to the house and all the buildings, and they were con- sumed. She was sent to the insane asylum.

MURDER .- On Saturday, the 17th day of Octo- ber, 1874, Patrick Noonan, who lived three miles from Fountain, started for the latter place with a load of wheat, telling his wife as he left that he proposed to have a spree and a row. Mrs. Noonan knowing him to be a man of his word, especially in a case like this, sent her boy to town to inform the parties to whom Pat would sell his wheat, of his intentions, and warned them not to let him have any money. The boy did as directed, but this did not prevent Pat from going on his contemplated spree. Finding he could not get the cash for the wheat, he borrowed $25 from other parties, and started out for his spree, going first to a saloon. After drinking rather heavily, he began picking a quarrel with a young fellow

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EVENTS OF INTEREST.

known in that vicinity as John Shinners, whose real name was John McDonald .-- why he went by the name of Shinners is still a mystery. After some harsh words, Shinners hit Noonan a blow in the face, but before the blow could be returned they were parted by the saloon-keeper.

After this, during the whole evening the matter seemed weighing on Noonan's mind, and he was unusually silent and reticent, and seemed medi- tating a plan for revenge. That night Noonan met a clerk in the saloon, one Eric Gilbertson, and in course of conversation showed him a piece of lead whittled nearly round, about the size of a hen's egg, and told him he had "made that for Shinners and would fix him."

Nothing more was done at that time, Noonan sleeping in the shoe shop over night, saying noth- ing to any one.

About 9 o'clock the next morning (Sunday ), Noonan walked up town, apparantly sobered off and in good humor. He met Shinners at the corner, and the following words ensued:

Noonan: "What did you hit me for last night?" Shinners: "Because you insulted me."

Noonan: "How did I insult you?"

Shinners: "It makes no difference. I don't feel at all like apologizing."

Noonan: "Then tell me what you hit me for." Shinners: "Because I liked it."

Noonan: "Well, you're a curious sort of a man." Shinners: "That's just the kind of a cat I am. I hit you because I liked it, and I am just that kind of a cat."

Shinners then went into the shoemaker's shop, and in a few moments came out, and as he went by, Noonan made a pass at him. Shinners warded off the blow, at the same time making a jump into the street. If he had turned and grappled Noonan the terrible crime might have been avoided, but the moment he saw the weapon, which Noonan had done up in a handkerchief and used as a slung-shot, he thought his only safety lay in flight. He ran out in the middle of the street, with Noonan close at his heels, and ran at his utmost speed, but Noonan was too much for him. He caught him just before he reached Pat. Ferris' hotel, and aimed a blow with his slung shot, which hit him on the back of the neck, knocking him down. He hit him three or four quick, successive blows after he went down, one very severe one on the right side of the head, near the crown, which broke the_

skull, then giving bim a kick, ran up the street, exclaiming as he ran, "I done that because I liked it, by G-d!" "I've fixed him, d-n him!"

Shinners was taken up, but mortal aid could not save him, and he died two days later.

Noonan made his way to the woods, and the most diligent search failed to unearth him. Nearly ten years have rolled by, and his whereabouts still remain a mystery. His family resided on the old homestead until March, 1882, when the entire family, mother and three children left for parts unknown. It is generally supposed by the resi- dents and pioneers that they have gone to meet the exiled husband and father, but where, no one but his family and himself know.

DEATH OF WILLIAM SMITH .- Mr. Smith was a well known merchant of Lenora, born in West- moreland, Oneida county, New York, on the 14th of September, 1826. In 1848, he went to Cali- fornia, and after a while returned as far as Ohio, where he remained a single winter. In 1855, he came to Minnesota, as one of the first settlers. In 1862, he began business in Lenora and con- tinued until his death, which was the result of an accident, having been thrown from his carriage. He expired on the 5th of December, 1874. He had just completed a fine residence and moved into it.

DEATH OF HON. A. H. BUTLER .- Mr. Butler was born in Marseilles, New York, in 1816, and early turned his attention to farming. In 1856, be had the prevailing western fever, which brought him to Newburg, in Fillmore county. He at once took an active part in the politics of the rising young state of Minnesota, and was among the first republicans elected to the State Legislature. He was for several years County Treasurer. For two years before the final summons came for him to cancel the debt of nature his health had been failing, and he expired on the 7th of December, 1874, at the age of 58 years. He was a promi- nent Odd Fellow, and left a. wife and adopted daughter. Rev. Mr. Wakefield officiated at his funeral.

OLD SETTLERS' CLUB .- At a meeting of some of the early settlers of the county, held at the office of Hon. B. F. Tillotson, in Rushford, on the 13th of December, 1874, to take into consideration the formation of an old settlers' club, a call was issued to meet on the 22d of February, 1875, to those who had been here eighteen years or more.

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HISTORY OF FILLMORE COUNTY.

This call was signed by B. F. Tillotson, S. S. Stebbins, G. J. Onstine, J. R. Jones, H. A. Bill- ings, N. P. Colburn, Hiram Walker, R. Whitte- more, M. McLarty, F. G. Barnard, J. F. O'Farrell, J. H. McKenny, S Benson, W. W, Fife, S. M. Hunt, Willard Allen, D. Higby, T. J. Thayer, C. D. Sherwood, Niles Carpenter, George G. Stevens Henry Stage, Joseph Otis, Wm. W. Snell, John Murphy, C. M. Lovell, S. B. Murrell, Berge Olsen, T. M. Chapman, W. L. Kellogg, John Klecker. This list of itself constitutes quite an old settlers' squad.

THE YEAR 1875.

On the 22d of February the meeting above re- ferred to was held, and a plan for organization was adopted.

The President was B. F. Tillotson, of Riceford; Vice Presidents, Millard Allen, of Spring Valley, and J. P. Howe, of Granger; Recording Secretary, William Barton, of Amherst; Corresponding Sec- retary, H. R. Wells, of Preston; Treasurer, W. W. Fife, of Preston. A soliciting committee was appointed consisting of Niles Carpenter, W. W. Braden, and William Barton.

Some years later a more extensive meeting was held and an organization effected which, it is hoped, will be kept permanently alive.

DEATH OF MARK COMFORT .- This occurred on the 5th of February, 1875, at Winona, but his re- mains were brought to Lanesboro for burial. He was a man well liked among his acquaintances, and was a brother-in-law of Mr. E. Kenin. He left a wife and six children with many other friends, to mourn his loss.

In January the store of S. A. Hunt of Spring Valley was robbed of about $200 worth of goods.

RAILROAD ACCIDENT .--- On the 7th of February, there having been an accident by which some freight cars were ditched, about a mile and a half east of Lanesboro, a train that had been sent out to assist in transferring the freight, met with another accident, by which the cabose jumped the track and went down a trestle eighteeen feet, and although the car was well filled with men and tools, no one was more than slightly injured. It seems a most marvelous escape.

DEATH OF JOEL S. SAWYER .- He was an early settler, a valuable and a faithful man. Thus, one by one, the pioneers drop out of sight. The debt of mortality in his case was cancelled on the 24th of May, 1875, at Chatfield.

GOLDEN WEDDING .-- At Lenora, on the 3d of July, the fiftieth anniversary of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. D. L. Bryant was joyfully com- memorated, and proved to be a very happy event to the aged couple. Seventy-five persons were present to participate in the auspicious event. Golden weddings are indeed rare occasions, and when they do happen they must be regarded as monuments erected along the avenue that has been traveled under such a diversified sky, and amid so many changing events, such vicissitudes, such alternations of elevated and depressed hopes, such rough and rugged paths, and anon, such pleasant sailing, that we can but look upon a couple who have been half a hundred years side by side enjoying life together, with reverence and admiration.

The mutations of time develop changes and mark the transition from blushing youth, and however thorny the path, there must be a prepon- derance of pleasant recollections for those who can look back so far to the time when they pledged themselves to each other, whether their fond an- ticipations, the result of loves young dream, have been fully realized or not.

On this occasion the venerable pair were ten- derly remembered by numerous presents of a fit- ting character. A bountiful banquet was spread, Dr. Wheat and others made appropriate remarks, and the bridegroom and bride of a half century renewed the journey of life toward their diamond wedding which they will be more likely to cele- brate on

"That other side, that heavenly shore, For there no evil shall betide, No grief afflict them more."

In 1875, there were in Fillmore county 2,989 farms, and 276,167 acres of cultivated land.

STORM OF STORMS .- On the 30th of August, much damage was done on the Root River, bridges, dams and other property joined the aqueous cav- alcade in its march to the sea.

SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION .- In August, a stack of barley which had been put up in a damp con- dition, on the farm of Mr. Crippen, took fire under such circumstances that it must certainly have caught of itself.

SOLDIERS REUNION .- On the 5th of July a re- union of the veterans of Company A, Second Regiment Minnesota Volunteers, took place at Chatfield.

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W. C. Garrett was called to the chair and John F. Healy was appointed secretary. The following veterans answered to their names: L. Ober, H. G. Case, S. B. Moon, G. R. Shipton, C. E. Burk, W. R. Shipton, B. Farrington, L. J. D. Place, Sam Farrell, A. C. Case, A. F. Caffin, L. Lovejoy, D. E. Runals, T. E. Kilburn, D. B. Edwards, Simeon Foote, D. D. Farrell, William Mitchell, William Ober, Samuel W. Wellman. It seems almost useless to report that the boys had a good time.

HAIL STORM .- On the 3d of August, a hail storm about one and one half miles wide, swept through the county on a " bias," cutting across Bristol, Forestville, and Spring Valley, leaving a sad scene of devastated crops.

DEATH OF A. G. CHATFIELD .- Judge Chatfield was one of the early citizens of Minnesota, and an honored man, and as he was the individual in honor of whom the first county seat of Fillmore was named, it is eminently fit and proper that his biography should have a place in this work.

He was taken HOME from Belle Plaine, where he resided, on the 3d of October, 1875, after some months illness. His native place was Otsego county, New York, where he remained until grown up to be a good lawyer. He married on the 27th of June, 1836. In 1838, was a member of the New York legislature, and in 1840, while a mem- ber of the Assembly, served on a committee with Samuel J. Tilden, in regard to the "anti rent " troubles. While in attendance upon the Supreme Court at Washington, he formed an acquaintance with Hon. H. H. Sibley, the Delegate from Minne- sota in Congress, whose glowing accounts of the territory very favorably impressed him, and so Mr. Sibley procured his appointment as Associate Jus- tice of the Supreme Court of the Territory.

His commission was dated in 1853, and in June he came to his new field. His district was very large. He located in Belle Plaine and organized that village.

DEATH OF BENJAMIN SHERMAN .- "Uncle Ben" left the busy mart of this world on the 11th of October, 1875. He had been living for some time in a sort of hermitage near the lime kiln. He was born in Geneva, New York, and was one of the earliest settlers here. He had arrived at a good old age, and had sons and daughters who would gladly have cared for him, but being kind of inde-

pendent, he preferred to look after himself, and so lived in the secluded manner he did.

BURGLARY .- On the 7th of November, the mer- chant tailor shop of J. H. Roberts, in Chatfield, was broken open and robbed of clothes and newly made up suits to the amount of from $250 to $300. The burglars, whoever they were, escaped, and no arrests were made.

THE YEAR 1876.

Mrs. Sarah N. Engle, wife of Walter Engle, of Preston, was called away from her five young children on the 5th of February, at the age of forty years.

Mrs. Lull, the mother-in-law of Mr. Walter, of Carrolton, attained the age of ninety-four years, and finally passed on to seek the golden gate in February of this year.

In February there was a revival of religion in Spring Valley and at other points along the Southern Minneseta railroad.

In this year there was considerable emigration to the Black Hills, but the people of Lanesboro boasted that there had never been a well marked case of Black Hills fever in towo.

ROOT RIVER FLOOD .- Early in March there was a great flood, which kept up several days, and large amounts of property were swept away. A few of the losses will be mentioned: Kelly Brothers and Mosher's lumber yard went out, and a cooper shop at White & Bryon's mill followed the prevailing fashion. Peter Hanson's harness shop also joined the procession. C. L. Colman and John Paul's lumber yard were both consid- erably damaged. H. A. Billings had a lot of wood that disappeared. The railroad trestle went out. Thompson & Williams' mill was seriously damaged. At Whalan, the mill of Williams, Fall & Co. was damaged. At Rushford, the new bridge and the long bridge accepted the pressing invitation to move on. The woolen mill also received consid- erable damage. The railroad lost bridges all up and down the river. The new bridge at the west end of the village of Preston went out at about 11 o'clock on Friday the 8th. It moved down the stream under the first bridge, and the people made a rush to the next bridge, the iron one, to see how it would receive the shock; when it struck, the structure trembled, but nobly stood the onslaught, and the enemy himself went to pieces. The headgates of the Conkey flouring

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mill were carried away and the dam considerably demoralized. The water was up to the window caps of the first story of Wheeler's woolen mill. As the water rose on the flats, there was a lively time among the men, women, children, horses, cows, pigs, chickens, and rats. The only time re- membered like it was in 1859, when the water rose quite as high.

At Lanesboro much damage was done, and at Rushford a rushing business was also done, as in- deed happened all along the river.

DEATH OF GEORGE W. SAWYER .- He was sud- denly removed from active usefulness here on the 29th of March, 1876, at the age of forty-two years. He was born in Watertown, New York. He was cashier of the bank in Lanesboro, also insurance and express agent, with a large amount of other business on his hands, which he dispatched with a geniality that made him a general favorite. He was a whole souled man, who established unal- loyed friendships with large numbers, who sadly missed his pleasant face.

HOMICIDE .- At Amherst, on the 6th of April, an insane woman, wife of Enger Erickson, murdered her husband by chopping him about the head with an axe as he lay in bed. She was sent to the insane asylum.

BOILER EXPLOSION .- On the 31st of August, there was an explosion of a boiler used with a threshing machine, about five miles from Chat- field, on the farm of Chauncy Jones. Mr. Law- ton, the engineer, Charles Arnold, the band cutter, and William Bennett were instantly killed, and several others were injured.

ROBBERY .-- In April, the store of Julsrud & Co. was robbed of about $500 worth of goods.

SILVER CURRENCY .- In May, silver began to take the place'of fractional currency. The re-in- troduction of silver after about fifteen years of banishment was a matter of curiosity, particularly to the rising generation, a majority of whom, eighteen years of age, could not remember ever having seen a silver quarter or a dime, and as the bright emblems of light and truth came in sight, the local press bubbled over with enthusiasm.

HAIL STORM .- A thunder storm with hail burst upon the devoted village of Lanesboro on the 20th of May, The hail was said to have been unus- ually large and copious, the ground being actually covered with the icy pellets, and the tes- timony of those who were present is concurrent

that the hail stones varied from the size of a filbert to that of a hen's egg, which, of course, is accord- ing to the conventional size in every well regulated hail storm. The damage to vegetation was great, but as there was little wind, the glass escaped serious breakage. .

FLOOD .-- On the 20th of May, 1876, there was a freshet which was particularly severe in Pilot Mound, the rain being the heaviest known for years, roads were washed and fences swept away. The railroad bridge spanning Rush Creek was also washed away.

An unknown man was discovered on the track of the railroad on the 24th of May and run over by a freight train, and mangled beyond all possi- bility of identification. The train hands declared that he was cold when they reached him, and the theory was that he had been murdered and then placed on the track. It was afterwards discovered to have been clearly an accident.

In May, some young salmon were placed in the mill pond at Lanesboro, some of the citizens hav- ing made up a purse for this purpose and Mr. B. A. Man went to Red Wing and brought the fish, which were procured of the State Fish Commis- sioner. This is believed to be the first deposit of this kind in the waters of Fillmore county.

Early in June a military company was formed in Rushford. M. D. Edinger, Captain; G. W. Rockwell, First Lieutenant, and Joshua Weber, Second Lieutenant.

CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION. - The centennial anniversary of American Independence was cele- brated in Fillmore county in several places, but at Lanesboro special preparations were made to have the occasion accord with the inspirations of the day.

As is usual at such times, Young America, promptly at mi.lnight, announced the ushering in of the day by the ringing, clanging, jangling of the bells, and after that hour the citizens, like Macbeth, could "sleep no more." The popping of the irrepressible fire crackers, and the toot of the tin horn, that horrible unmusical invention of the enemy of human nerves and sensibilities, were lit- erally abroad in the village. And during the day this din was decorously supplemented by a national salute.

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History of Fillmore County, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 58

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

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