History of Fillmore County, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 64

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 64

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ADELBERT CLAY KNAPP is a native of New York, born in Parma, Monroe county, on the 10th of February, 1848. He was reared to agricul- tural pursuits, attending the district schools near his home until 1865, when he came with his parents to Iowa. He came to this county in 1874, and located in Bristol, where he drilled the first artesian well in that neighborhood. On the 18th of October, 1876, he was married to Mrs. Olivet Horton Miner, who was born in Binghamton, Broome county, New York, on the 15th of Decem- ber, 1851. They visited the Centennial and friends in New York and Pennsylvania, on their return home stopping in Illinois, where they re- mained until November, 1877; then located in Pilot Mound, where they have since resided. Since living here Mr. Knapp has been engaged in the artesian well business, having drilled through about 4,576 feet of earth and rock. His only son, Adelbert Clay, was born in Elgin, Kane county, Illinois, on the 21st of October, 1877, and died in infancy. Mrs Knapp's daughter, Myra, was born on the 1st of January, 1870, in Albin, Howard county, Iowa.

L. J. KELSEY is a native of Schoharie county, New York, born the 23d of December, 1839. He was reared to agricultural pursits until the age of seventeen, when he moved to Jefferson county, Wisconsin. While there he attended school, spending his leisure time farming. In the winter

of 1858 and '59, he was engaged in the manu- facture of shingles at De Pere, and the following spring formed a company and started for the gold mines of Colorado. While at Fort Larned, Kan- sas, they listened to a lecture by Horace Greeley, who discouraged their mining project, and follow- ing his advice they went to Nevada, spending the winter in Carson City, where Mr. Kelsey was engaged in the manufacture of shingles. The following year he worked in mines with some success, and in the fall of 1861, went to California, but returned to Nevada in the spring. On the 3d of October, 1863, he sailed for New York, via the Isthmus, spent the winter in the latter State with his father and brothers, and in the spring came again to Wisconsin. He soon after came to Minnesota in search of farming land, and was greatly pleased with this section of the country. He returned to Wisconsin, and in the spring of 1865 came to this place, where he mar- ried Miss Arvilla Hammer on the 25th of Decem- ber, 1865. In 1866, he bought a farm of William Moore, in section three, where he has since lived. He is now engaged in the erection of a new house. Mr. and Mrs. Kelsey have five children; Julia A., D. Jennie, M. Lizzie, George W., and Iria G.

JAMES MARTIN was born in Sussex county, England, in 1827, He married Miss Caroline Parsons, of his native place, in 1849. The fol- lowing year they left England, landed in Quebec, and came directly to Lewiston, New York, where Mr. Martin was engaged on the suspension bridge for one year; then returned to Canada. In 1852, they moved to McHenry county, Illinois, and two years later to Minnesota, coming with an ox team. He bought land in Pilot Mound to which he after- ward added, but in 1867, sold his first purchase. Of ten children born to him, seven are living. His son, William Henry, was the first white child born in this township.

ELLING MILLER, deceased, was a native of Nor- way, born in 1816. In 1840, he married Miss Kari Thorgerson, who bore him three children, only one of whom is now living. They came to America in 1848, and resided in Wisconsin until 1855, when they moved to Pilot Mound, where Mr. Miller erected the first blacksmith shop in this section of the country, and continued in the business until his death, which occurred on the 8th of February, 1860.

HANS MILLER, the only living child of the sub-

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ject of our last sketch, was born in Norway on the 3d of January, 1845. He came to America with his parents when about three years old, and after his father's death was dependent upon his own re- sources for a living. He resided with Peter Berg one year, then moved to Arendahl and was en- gaged in different occupations for several years, after which he learned the blacksmith trade of Truls Olverstead. In 1870, they formed a part- nership and went to Watonwan county, where they carried on a blacksmith shop one year. Mr. Mil- ler then purchased a farm aud resided there sev- eral years. On the 20th of June, 1872, he mar- ried Miss Hattie Thompson. She died in Feb- ruary, 1874, leaving one child, Ida C. The fol- lowing year Mr. Miller returned to Pilot Mound, and was engaged in business with Hiram Yates, in Pekin, until the fall of 1876. In the latter year he bought land in the village of Pilot Mound, and erected a house and blacksmith shop, where he has since devoted his time. The maiden name of his present wife was Leve Isockson, whom he married on the 21st of November, 1880. The result of the union is one child, Elling.

DUNCAN MOCONOCHIE, one of the early settlers of Fillmore county, was born in Canada on the 15th of December, 1830. He was reared on a farm and attended school in his native place. In 1856, he came to Minnesota and located a farm in Aren- dahl township, upon which he made improvements and resided a number of years. In 1858, he was joined in matrimony with Miss Jane Ferguson, who has borne him four children; Barbara, Hugh, Katie, and Alexander. Mr. McConochie being one of the first to locate in this section, was of course subject to the many inconveniences of a pioneer life. He came to this township in 1877, and owns a farm of three hundred acres. For the past two years he has been a member of the board of Su- pervisors.

S. B. MAYNARD, & native of Walworth county, Wisconsin, was born in 1847. He came with his parents to Iowa when he was fourteen years old, and a year later moved to Minnesota, locating in Winona county. In 1871, Mr. Maynard engaged in mercantile pursuits in company with M. M. Jones at St. Charles, continuing in the business until coming to Pilot Mound in 1880. He pur- chased the farm of S. Armstrong, upon which he has since resided. In September, 1875, he was joined in matrimony with Mrs. O. B. Cravath,

daughter of S. Armstrong. She was born in Shoreham, Vermont, in 1847, and came to this place with her parents in 1860. She married O. B. Cravath in 1866, to whom she bore two chil- dren, Wallace B. and Laura A. Mr. Cravath died in 1874.

JAMES MCKEOWN, one of the carly settlers of this place, was born in the northern part of Ire- land in 1822. In 1840, he came with his brother to America, landed in Quebec and went directly to Montreal, where he remained about nine years. While there he married Miss Jane Higgins. He then moved to Illinois, and was engaged in farm- ing until coming to Minnesota in 1855. The fol- lowing year he purchased land in what is now known as Jordan township, but soon after sold and came to this place, buying land in section seven- teen. Mr. and Mrs. McKeown have had seven children; Elizabeth, Jane, Maria, Ann, John T., William, and George E. Ann died when nineteen years old, and Maria at the age of thirty.

JOHN PULASKI is a native of Prussia, born in 1844. He came with his parents to America when eight years old, and located in Wisconsin, first in Watertown, then New London, and afterward in Oshkosh. In the spring of 1861, he enlisted in the army, but not being tall enough was not ac- cepted. The following October, however, he was accepted, and served in the Eighth Wisconsin Vol- unteer Infantry, Company D. The regiment was sent to Pilot Knob and participated in the battle of Frederickton, spent the winter in Cairo, and the following spring joined Pope's army, and was engaged in the battle of Corinth and others. He was discharged at the expiration of his term of service; re-enlisted in January, 1864, and received an honorable discharge in September, 1865. He was united in matrimony with Miss Elizabeth Mc- Keown, the ceremony taking place in 1869. Their children are Cora, Earl, Nora, Ernest, and Fred.

ASA SMITH, deceased, was born in Hartford county, Connecticut, in the year 1794. He learned the moulder's trade, at which he was engaged in Massachusetts, and afterward in other States. In 1819, he was joined in marriage with Miss Eliza- beth Tuper, a native of the latter State. After living in New York and Wisconsin, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, with five of their children, came west; located in Minnesota, and in the fall of 1855, came to Arendahl township and pre-empted land. The

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following spring they moved to Pilot Mound, where they were among the pioneers, and resided until their death. Mrs. Smith died on the 17th of November, 1859, and Mr. Smith in February, 1867.

ANDREW SORENSON, a native of Norway, was born the 4th of October, 1833. In 1856, he mar- ried Miss Isabella Torgenson. They came to Amer- ica the following year and located in Walworth county, Wisconsin, where Mr. Sorenson was en- gaged at the shoemaker's trade. In 1864, they came to Minnesota, arriving in this township on the 12th of March. Mr. Sorenson purchased land in section six which he has since made his home, having added to his farm from time to time. Of eleven children born to him, seven are living; Theodore O., Adolph, Olof J., Albert S., Ida A., Josie A., and Alma H.

STEPHEN SOUTHER is a native of New Hamp- shire, born in Lebanon, Grafton county, on the 23d of December, 1823. He moved with his parents to Hanover in the same county in 1832, thence to Warren, Washington county, Vermont, and in 1853, to Wisconsin. While in Vermont, in 1851, he married Miss Laura Armstrong. After coming west they resided on a farm in Sauk county, Wis- consin, until 1864, when they moved to this place, and located in section five. Mr. Souther has filled many offices of trust since living in the township. His children are Emma C., Ada A., Mary E., Katie A., and Eugene Burt. The latter died at the age of four years. Three of his daughters are married; two are living in Dakota and one in Dodge Centre, Minnesota.

ADOLPHUS SMITH is a native of Somerset, Eng- land, born in 1832. He came to America in 1856; resided one year in New York and came to Minne- sota, locating in Winona county, where he re- mained about a year. He then came to this place and purchased the farm upon which he has since lived. In 1866, he married Miss Sarah Fullerton, who has borne him seven children; Jane, Rebecca, Maria, Adel, Levi, Laura, and Elmer.

PAUL TOSTENSON was born in Norway in 1821. He was married in 1842, to Miss Manguil Kolstad. They came to America in 1853, and resided in Rock county, Wisconsin, until 1856, when they moved to this place, coming with an ox team. He pre-empted land in section twenty-seven where he built a house and resided during the summer;

then moved on the other side of the river and lived about six years. When he first came here, Winona was the nearest market town, and in the winter of 1857, he brought his flour on a hand sled from Preston, a distance of eleven miles. Mr. Tostenson built his present residence in 1863. His children are Thomas, Abolone, Sigrid, Mary, Hans, Karen, and Elling who died at the age of three years. Thomas, the eldest, was a soldier in the war of the rebellion from 1864 to 1865, and is still in the service, stationed at Fort Meade, D. T.

GUNDER THOMPSON WAS born in Norway in 1822. When twenty-five years old he married Miss Stena Thorson, of his native country. They came to America in 1861, and directly to Minne- sota, locating in Fountain in this county. In 1865, they moved to this township, bought a farm in section five and have since made it their home. Of thirteen children born to Mr. Thomp- son, nine are living.

ERICK TORKELSON, one of the first settlers of this place, was born in the southern part of Nor- way, in Aadalen, on the 5th of May, 1831. He came to America when twenty years old, and located in Rock county, Wisconsin, where he was engaged in farming and on the railroad. He was married to Miss Ingar Peterson in 1854. They came to Pilot Mound and took land in section thirty-two, but moved soon after and now reside in section twenty-five. His children are, Torkel, Sophie, Peter, Edward, Caroline, Ole, Martin, Julian, and Thea.

HIRAM F. YATES is a native of Montgomery county, New York, born the 14th of January, 1836. When about fourteen years old he came with his father to Wisconsin, where he learned the black- smith trade. In 1857, Hiram came to this town- ship, buying a farm in section seventeen, but on account of hard times during that year, was com- pelled to return to Wisconsin. He returned to his farm here in 1861, and soon after purchased a blacksmith shop. On the 15th of February, 1863, Miss Almira Hammer became his wife. In 1864, Mr. Yates enlisted in the Eleventh Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, Company I, serving eleven months. He has been elected to the office of assessor a number of times, and now acts in that capacity, has also been Town Clerk, Supervisor, etc. Mr. and Mrs. Yates have had three children, two of whom are living.

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RUSHFORD.

CHAPTER LI.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION -- EARLY SETTLERS-POLITI- CAL -- SCHOOLS -- MANUFACTURING- CITY OF RUSH- FORD CITY ORGANIZATION-PETERSON VILLAGE -BIOGRAPHICAL.

This is the northeast corner township of the county, with thirty-six sections in regular form, with Norway on the south, and its former yoke- fellow, Arendahl, on the west.

Southern Minnesota was settled by two separate streams of immigration, the earliest one to reach this county being through Iowa, and the other, coming from the east across the Mississippi, came up Root River, and so this was the early point of settlement.

There is always more or less confusion where there are towns, villages, and cities of the same name. Early in the sixties the Legislature of Minnesota passed an act that no two towns in the State should bear the same name, but here we have the town of Rushford, the city of Rushford, and the village of South Rushford, and it is a question whether an injunction would not hold, and be perpetual, restraining the city and village from using the name belonging to the township. They are, however, so closely identified, that the lines separating them are not sharply defined in this sketch.

PHYSICAL FEATURES.

This is emphatically one of the broken towns of the county. The Root River flows into the town from the west, between sections thirty and thirty- one, and running eastward leaves the town and county from section thirteen. Rush Creek was so called on account of the tall rushes that grew along its banks, where cattle and ponies could obtain a subsistence all winter. This creek is a contribution from Winona county, and coming in through section four makes a confluence with the Root River at Rushford City.

The valleys are quite wide in some places, and affor tillable land; the ridges are inclined to spread out and are generally under cultivation. The northwestern part of the township has an ex- tensive table, as a part of North Prairie, which extends across the northern part of Arendahl, and is the best farming portion of the northeastern part of the county, although it was at first neglected by the older settlers, who were attracted more particulary to the valleys.

The bottom lands of Root River were found by the first comers to be a wide and level tract, bounded on either side by irregular bluffs, with smaller valleys projecting into it from various dis- tances on either side. When first settled it was was mostly timber, brush, and grub land. Along the streams and the north side of the bluffs quite large timber was found, elm, maple, and black walnut predominating in the valley, and black, white, and burr oak, with some hickory, on the bluffs. A portion of Root River bottom is par- ticularly adapted to the raising of hay, being a natural meadow, destitute of trees, with a natural growth. There is a higher strip of land, or bench, between this and the bluffs.

On the ridges, or table lands, there is a clay soil; in the bottoms, or valleys, it is of a dark character and sometimes sandy, mixed with gravel.

There are many fine views to be had from the elevated points on the ridges overlooking the sur- rounding country.

At one time in the geological history of this section the whole land was on a level with the higher points now existing. The valleys have been washed out, completely disintegrating the several strata of rocks, and leaving their rough edges protruding from the sides of the bluffs, often appearing like ruins of ancient castles, with their crumbling entablatures, pilasters, and

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caratides, and presenting, particularly by moon- light, a striking imitation of the ruins of Palmyra or some other eastern city.

EARLY SETTLERS.

The Root River valley was the first part of the town to be settled, which it was by Norwegians coming directly y from Wisconsin via Mc- Gregor and Decorah, Iowa, with ox teams. The first came in 1853, and were Ole Olson Tuff and Oliver Goodrich. Mr. Tuff took a claim in sections twenty-six, twenty-three, and twenty-seven. It is south of the river and southwest of South Rush- ford. Mr. Goodrich settled east of Mc. Tuff and put up his shanty on the land now owned by Mr. Beers in section twenty-six.

These men loft their families in what is now Yucatan, Houston county, at a settler's residence, and in June came here and selected their land. About the first day of July they returned here with their families. Mr. Goodrich had a fantasy, which has been entertained by many another man, that he could conquer whisky, but in most cases it conquers the individual, as it did Mr. Good- rich, who died within a few years after his arrival.

Mr. Tuff still lives on his original farm, and the little shanty built twenty-nine years ago still stands near his comfortable residence. When he came here twenty-nine years ago, looking from his shanty, on every bluff across the bottom, deer could be seen, the streams were filled with trout, and other game was plenty on every hand.

In the same month of July another party of Nor- wegians arrived from Wisconsin and located in the valley. This reinforcement consisted of Erick T. Lien, who drove in with three yoke of oxen and procured a farm in sections sixteen and twenty-one where he still lives, having given the land he first cultivated to his son-in-law, and himself retiring from active work.

Ole Berland, secured a place in sections fif- teen and twenty-two, his family were still in Nor- way, and he lived in a little dug-out which was not noted for its cleanliness; a son and a daughter finally came over, but his wife remained on the other side, he made few improvements and died some time in the seventies. His son is on a farm in Norway township.

Erick Glaem took his land in section sixteen, and had no particular local habitation till two years later, when he brought his wife from Wis-

consin and settled down to business. He culti- vated his farm up to 1866, when he sold to H. Hendrickson who now owns the farm, while Mr. Glaem has gone to Yellow Medicine county.

The other member of the party was Peter Peter- son Haslerud, who went further up the valley and took the northeast of section thirty and com- menced improvements. He made the farm his home until his death on the 23d of September, 1880. He laid out the village of Peterson and had always been .an active and influential man in the community.

Arthur B. Bowe, a Vermonter, who had figured conspicuously in the early settlement of Spring Grove, came over here in 1853, and put up a claim shanty near the bluff, on what is now the G. B. Gates' farm, in section fifteen, and pretended to own all the bottom land that was-laying around unfenced. After flourishing around with his re- volver and failing in his intimidating dodge, he left in disgust and went to Pilot Mound, where he enacted his role a little more successfully.

In August, 1853, Gilbert Edmunds came and located in the southeast of section twenty-three, where a part of South Rushford now is. He was from Norway, and a married man. He made im- provements, and while loading logs on a wagon in the river bottom was killed, in 1855. His widow afterward married H. Hendrickson, and is yet liv- ing with him in section sixteen.

During the winter of 1854, a Mr. Webster came and cultivated some land in section twenty-four, but moved away a few years afterwards.

In 1854, several were added to the settlement in town. Swan Werlein located east of E. T. Lien, in section twenty-one, and there remained while he lived.

With the second party, that came in June, 1853, was Ole Torgerson, who also came from Wiscon- sin and overtook the party at Stevens', in Yuca- tan, and joining them came on and settled on the land which finally became Roderick McLeod's, on Rush Creek, north of the city, but he soon left for Winona, and now lives in Chippewa county.

Oliver Wilson came through at that time, a lad of seventeen years, who assisted E. T. Lien in dr.ving his oxen. He was too young to pre empt land, so he went to Iowa to work, and returned in 1856. He has since resided here, and is one of the largest farmers.

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In June, 1854, Roderick McLeod, a native of the north part of Scotland, came from Wisconsin, where he had stopped three years, and claimed 160 acres in sections ten and eleven. Part of this land was lost to him by being jumped, but he has since lived on the balance, and this was perhaps the first settler north of the city of Rushford. West of the town, William Johnson located land in sections fourteen and fifteen, in the fall of that same year, on which he lived until his earthly career was closed. West of this claim, in August, 1854, S. Thompson Jarnes, a Norwegian, planted a claim, and he still lives on it. Within a year or two the town was well filled up.

While these settlers were occupying land in what is now Rushford township, the nucleus of the present city of Rushford was also being formed. The first claimant here was E. K. Dyer, who had lived in Houston, Houston county, and came about April, 1854, with his family, a wife and two children, and built a log cabin near what is now the west end of Rushford Avenue. During the summer he cultivated a little patch of corn; he had a yoke of oxen, a cow, and a few hogs, some of which, during the season, were destroyed by bears. The following spring Mr. Dyer went to Zumbrota and thence to La Crosse, and after- wards to La Crescent.

Hiram Walker, his wife and two children, were the next comers in Rushford, and he still lives here. He was a native of New Hampshire, and came up here from La Crosse, where he had lived since 1851. His arrival was in August, 1854, after having traveled through quite a portion of the county in quest of a good water privilege, which he found at this place. Having decided to locate here he returned to La Crosse, and securing a boat, he, with two other families, Joseph Otis and S. S. Stebbins, put aboard their household goods, and started across the Mississippi and up the Root River, which they followed in its winding way until above Houston. Here an im- passable obstruction was encountered, and they were forced to abandon the boat and haul their goods the rest of the way with a team. In the meantime Mr. Stebbins had been taken sick, and his condition was such that it was deemed advisa- ble for him to return, and accordingly Mr. Otis took him back to La Crosse in a canoe. Mr. Walker, with the assistance of two hired men, Joseph Pease and R. H. Valentine, transported the

goods to their destination. Coming up the river, at the point where the boat was abandoned, Mr. Dyer and wife were met completely discouraged, and intending to leave the place never to return. Their two children had died of some kind of fever, and with their new home thus desolated they could not bear to remain there alone. Mr. Walker and his family reassured them, and they were pre- vailed upon to return, remaining through the win- ter. As soon as Mr. Stebbins, who was a brother- in-law, was comfortable enough to leave, Mr. Otis and family came up. Mr. Stebbins joined them later in the winter, and so there were four families in Rushford during the winter of 1854-55.

Soon after Mr. Walker arrived he began the erection of a mill on Rush Creek, which he got ready to run the following spring. The location of this mill was where the feed mill of D. J. Tew now stands.

William Johnson came up in the fall of 1854, and lived here until his death in 1881. He was a Canadian by birth, and came here from New York State.

During the first fall the question of a name for the place was agitated, and Mr. Dyer himself, it seems, had a preference for Pomfret, but this name was too "Vermontish" for the rest. But it was finally settled in this way: Mr. Dyer invited the whole population to partake of a Christmas din- ner at his house, and after the viands were dis- posed of, when the most happy feeling prevailed, the host started the question as to the town name, and various were the cognomens suggested. One lady proposed Rushville, which Mr. Walker amended by calling it Rushford. A vote was pro- posed, and the elective franchise freely accorded to the women. And it may be valuable to record for the benefit of Susan B. Anthony and her co-agi- tators, that at the first election held in Rushford every lady in town voted, and on the popular side, the result of the balloting being the present name, "Rushford."

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History of Fillmore County, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 64

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

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