History of Fillmore County, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 65

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 65

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The following document was then drawn up and duly signed, the original now being in the hands of Dr. Grover:

"The undersigned having met at the house of E. K. Dyer at a Christmas supper, voted, that we will vote for the name of Rushford to be the future

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name of the Town 104, Range 8, also to be the name of the village near the mouth of Rush Creek. RUSHFORD, December 25th, 1854.

(Signed,)

E. K. DYER, WILLIAM JOHNSON, JOSEPH OTIS, HIRAM WALKER, JOSEPH PEASE, R. H. VALENTINE, E. T. DYER,

C. WALKER, M. C. OTIS.

The last three were the ladies of Rushford.

Mr. Dyer was soon after appointed a Justice of the Peace, and during the winter or early spring exercised the functions of his office by uniting in marriage Halvor Sennes with the lady of his choice, whoever she was, it being the first occasion of the kind in town. It is understood that the parties are yet living in Fremont, Winona county.

As an unusual fact it may be stated that Mr. Walker still lives in the primitive residence he first erected, although it has since been much im- proved.

The next prominent old settler was William W. Snell, a native of North Brookfield, Massachusetts. He was the son of a Congregational minister, and was born on the 3d of April, 1821. He arrived on the 4th of May, 1855, bought a lot of S. S. Steb- bins and built an unhewn timber residence on the spot where the public schoolhouse now stands. His wife and child were left in Lawrence, Massa- chusetts, and as soon as his house was prepared he sent for his young family, and they arrived in Oc- tober. Mr. Snell held religious services in the house of Mr. Stebbins on the Sunday following his arrival here.

On the 3d of May, 1857, Mr. and Mrs. Snell or- ganized a Sunday school, which may have been the first in the county, as it certainly was in Rush- ford.

EARLY BIRTHS .- Two births occurred at a very early day, George Peterson Haslerud, the present Town Clerk, on the 10th of November, 1853, on section thirty; he still lives on the same section. In October of the same year Jurie E. Lien was born at her father's house in section twenty-one, she remained in this wicked world but eight years, and was buried on the farm of Mr. St. T. Gjernes.

DEATH .-- The first death was indeed a sad affair.

The wife of Ole Olson passed away soon after their arrival in the summer of 1853. At the funeral no one was present but Mr. Tuff and Mr. Goodrich. The boards to make a coffin were taken from the wagon body they had brought.

A trapper had previously died sometime in the forties, as mentioned elsewhere.

THE FIRST STORE .- When that pioneer party was coming from La Crosse, Mr. Stebbins, who was taken sick, had a supply of merchandise that was brought along, but the store itself was not opened until he finally reported in person, although Mr. Walker had sold from them before he arrived.

POLITICAL.

This township was organized on the 11th of May, 1858, and included Arendahl. The town meeting was held at the residence of Peter Peter- son, in section thirty. The following were the first town officers elected: Supervisors, Henry Mead, Chairman, Lewis Thompson, and Ole Tor- gerson; Clerk G. W. Valentine; Assessor, Hiram Walker; Collector, C. G. Hulbert; Overseer of the Poor, R. H. Valentine; Constables, C. G. Philbrick and Nels A. Gullickson; Justices of the Peace, Peter Peterson and Hiram Walker. Arendahl was separated from Rushford in 1862.

TOWN OFFICERS FOR 1882 .- Supervisors, Ed. Johnson, Chairman, Owen Mohan, and Ellof Jen- son; Clerk, G. P. Haslerud; Treasurer, Oliver Wilson; Assessor, Iver Olson: Justices of the Peace, E. R. Bird and Charles W. Gore; Consta- bles, A. H. Noyes and James St. John.

RAILROAD.

The railroad is the Southern Minnesota, now owned by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Panl Railroad Company. It first reached this point on the first of January, 1867, and for some months it remained the western terminus of the road. It being a part of the great through line the railway service is all that can be desired, there being one express train each way daily and several accomo- dation trains, and a daily mail.

SCHOOLS.

DISTRICT No. 18 .- The first school held here was in the basement of the house of Joshua Emery, in section two, in the summer of 1857, and was taught by Martha Emery, who a few months afterward was married to H. Stage. The school was continued here for several years. In

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1859, an attempt was made to build a schoolhouse, and they got out some timber and hewed it, and actually commenced work on the building, which was located where the Catholic cemetery now is, but the poverty of the settlers compelled them to abandon the work. In 1867, they succeeded in erecting their present frame building, in section two, at a cost of about $500. There are now from thirty to fifty scholars in attendance.

DISTRICT No. 160 .- The first school here in this district was a small one of logs in section six, on the land now owned by G. Olson. In 1878, a large frame building was constructed in section seven, on the farm of R. Torsons, at a cost of be- tween four and five hundred dollars.

DISTRICT No. 146 .- The first school here was held in a granary belonging to Otis Batrick, now on the farm of G. B. Gates, in section fifteen, and here the school was taught up to 1866, when the present frame house was built in the western part of the same section. Miss Eva Walker taught the first school as we are informed.

DISTRICT No. 154 .- It is located on section twenty-five. The first school was held in the granary of Hans Hanson, in section twenty-five, in 1880, and the same year the present frame house was built at a cost of about $300. The first term was taught by Tilda Oldhouse of Rushford.

DISTRICT No. 17 .- This is the Peterson district and was established in 1856. It was at first No. 42. and took six sections from this town and six from Arendahl. The earliest history of this dis- trict is rather obscure, but a school seems to have been kept in a log building built for that purpose on the land of Peter Peterson Haslerud, where the village of Peterson now is. Here it was held until the present frame house was put up in 1870, on the land of Easton and Barton, in section twenty- nine on the west side of the river. The cost was about $500. Now there are about fifty children in this school. Those from Peterson have to be ferried across the river, and for this purpose a boat is kept, and it requires considerable management to keep the concern on the right side of the river at the right time.

DISTRICT No. 144 .- The first school in this dis- trict was taught in the year 1866, by Miss Nancy Willet, the district having been organized the previous year. The school was in a small shanty near where the store of George A. Hayse now is. The first board elected was composed of the fol-

lowing gentlemen: George A. Hayse, A. T. Ben- son, and W. F. Gates. In the year 1870, it was decided to build a new house, which was done on lot seven, South Rushford, at a cost of $1,000. Be- fore the district was divided there were as many as 130 pupils, now there are about twenty. It is known as the South Rushford school.

MILLS.

SAW-MILL .- The well known as "Gore's" was built in 1858 and '59. It has a vertical saw and could rip up from three to five thousand feet a day. It has been kept in continuous running order, but has of late been operated in the summer only. It is propelled by water from Rush Creek with a fall of seven and one-half feet. Its location is on Rush Creek and on the land of C. W. Gore, who built and has since owned it. The upper story of the mill was used for various manufactures such as horse-rakes, furniture, and the like, until timber begun to get scarce, when, in 1868, a part of the machinery was sold, and that for the manufacture af pumps substituted, which Mr. Gore began to make at the rate of about 200 a year, which is still kept up.

RUSH CREEK FLOURING MILL .- This mill util- izes the same water power that the saw-mill does. The building is two stories and a basement, is 24x40 feet and cost $3,700. It has three run of stones, and has recently attached dryers, so that oat meal can be manufactured at the rate of 100 bushels a day. It has two turbine wheels, was built and is owned by Gore, McLeod, and Stage.

SUGAR-MILL .-- Most of the farmers cultivate more or less amber cane, and some of them have facilities for making their own syrup, but in 1880, a mill was put up in connection with the saw-mill power, and about 400 gallons of not very good syrup was turned out. In 1881, 1,500 gallons of a superior quality was manufactured. The inten- tion is to have granulating facilities and to make sugar.

There is another mill at Peterson. Mr. C. H. Kelley commenced to manufacture sorghum in 1880, at this place by putting up a building 20x23, with a horse-power crusher and a Cook evaporator with a capacity of from 40 to 80 gallons a day. In 1881, it was sold to E. R. Bird who still runs it. There are several other small mills in town.

CITY OF RUSHFORD.

Rushford was called at an early day, the Trail City, on account of the intersection of several

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Indian foot paths. It is the gateway to the county from the east, and is entered by a defile which widens out into quite a valley, but again grows narrow, and running into various branches con- veying streams of water, finally lose themselves upon the ridges.

Like Athens, Rushford City has its acropolis crowned with ruins, which, although wanting in magnificence and historic reminiscence, have a legendary interest. West of the city the bluffs rise several hundred feet with jutting crags, the tops being covered with soil and clay. On one point there are four mounds together, and another on the very summit. Early explorers rifled them of the peculiar relics usually found in such heaps.

The usual love lorn story which has named so many "Maiden's Rocks" is told in relation to this rocky projection-"a beautiful Indian maiden -- a gallant young lover-relentless old chief for a father-a gala day-the tribe assembled on the plain-the maiden in bridal array appears on the crag-sings her death song -- leaps from the rock and is transformed into a shapeless mass! This skeleton of a romance is readily filled up.

HEALTHFULNESS .- This place was early noted for its healthfulness. Mrs. Snell brought with her a case of remedies, and used to treat the sick among the women and children. Previous to June, 1860, there had been but four natural deaths in the place, and these were children of Robert Jackson and Mr. Dyer. Dr. Everts was a physician, com- ing here at an early day, in 1856, but it was too "miserably healthy" for him, and in a few years he sought a more promising region.

CITY ORGANIZATION .- In 1868, Rushford was incorporated as a city by a special act of the leg- islature. A single clause, however, was so am- biguous that there was considerable trouble after- wards, as it provided that the city should con- tinue a part of the town for all purposes not speci- "fied in the act, and a second mandamus was secured before the rights and duties of the town and city were relatively settled. The first city election was held on Monday, the 5th of April, 1868. The town election was the next day, and the city dom- inated everything. In 1869, an amended charter severed the connection between the city and the town. But it was some time before the matter was satisfactorily arranged, as it was complicated by the bridge bond indebtedness which had been

incurred before the city was chartered, to the extent of $8,000.

The Supervisors of the town had voted a tax of $2,000 to help pay these bonds, the County Auditor exempted the city from this tax, and suit was brought to compel the latter to bear its share of the burden. When the cause was heard the authorities were required to levy the tax in city and town alike.

C. H. Conkey was the Auditor, and on his book the first extension was erased and a new space ruled on the margin. When Mr. A. H. Butler, the Treasurer, was in the city collecting the tax, he was asked what the erasure meant, and he replied that "that was where the mandamus had struck."

It may be well to mention here that the bonds were finally paid in 1877, and a new bridge of iron constructed in 1879, at a cost of over $5,000.

The first officers elected under the city charter were: Mayor, S. S. Stebbins; Councilmen, John Everson, H. D. Weed, and F. M. Smith; Treasurer, A. K. Hanson; Clerk, John Larkee; Attorney, T. A. Lebar; Justice of the Peace, Lewis Peterson; Constable, E. S. Hewitt. The first meeting of the new government was on the 16th of April, 1868. The better class of men have, as a rule, held the city offices.

The present officers are, Mayor, G. J. Oustine; Aldermen, M. J. Desmond, D. J. Tew, E. D. Hostvet, and Peter Dahl; City Attorney, C. M. Enos; Clerk, Ole Berg; Justice of the Peace, G. W. Rockwell; Assessor, T. S. Reishus.

FIRST SCHOOL .- The first school taught here was a private one by Mrs. Mead, in her own house on the south side of Rushford Avenue, in the win- ter of 1857-58. The first public school was opened by Miss Waters, on Monday, the 1st day of Feb- ruary, 1858, in a claim shanty built by Mrs. Nims, between the residences of Mr. Weed and John McLeod, about three-fourths of a mile north of the Post-office.

RUSHFORD GRADED SCHOOL .- This was created by a charter in 1868, but was not organized until the 20th of February, 1869, and in March the fol- lowing persons were elected as officers: Niles Carpenter, Joseph Otis, John C. Smith, John Ho- bart, Joseph E. Atwater, and George B. Parker. The first teacher was G. W. Kemp, a medical stu- dent, who, during the second term was taken sick and went home to die, in Indiana. In 1879, the

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large schoolhouse being insufficient, a new one was built for the primary department.

This district was made up from the old county district, No. 16, and succeeded to the property. The schoolhouse cost about $1,200.

The schools in Rushford have always stood high, as they have been liberally provided for. J. H. Moore, Miss Jennie Willis, Miss Burdick, and Prof. E. J. Thompson were among the early teachers.

The present teachers are, Prof. E. R. Shepard, Miss Hattie E. Man, and Elizabeth Prescott.

THE LIBRARY .- In the summer of 1866, the first steps were taken toward the establishment of a library. But little was done until several years later, when Mr. and Mrs. Stevens, signified their purpose to donate a lot and building for library purposes, and several others proposed to raise $1,000, to make a success of the undertaking. The library is still in existence, and while Mr. Stevens owns the property, Mrs. Stevens is the main worker, and not unfrequently gets up enter- tainments to replenish the treasury.

POST-OFFICE .- The first Postmaster was S. S. Stebbins, whose appointment preceded the office some time, and he had to skirmish around the country to get some mail to distribute. The nearest office was at Looneyville, twelve miles away. The mail came here from that point and was delivered from his store. Those who have had the handling of the mail since, were C. G. Hulbert, Hiram Walker, G. M. Willis, G. W. Graham, and S. G. Iverson, the present gentle- manly Postmaster, who entered upon his duties in 1881.

The business of the office for the year ending on the 30th of June, 1880, was $2,015.36. The business for the year ending June 30th, 1881, was $2,233.98.

STORE IN SOUTH RUSHFORD. - Mr. William Blum- mer came here in the spring of 1866, and opened a general merchandise store, which he continued for about one year, when he sold out to Larson & Olson, who, after managing it for nearly a year, disposed of it to Charles Davis, who in turn, in the fall of 1869, transferred it to the present owner, George A. Haysc, who is still proprietor and car- ries a fine stock of goods.

DRIVING PARK. - The Garden Valley Agricul- tural and Driving Park Association was formed in June, 1874, and was organized as a joint stock company with a capital of $5,000 in shares of $10

each. Grounds were leased of Reuben Whittemore on the south half of section twenty-three, at a rental of $50 a year, and fenced and graded at a cost of $2,000. The officers were: President, R. Whittemore; other officers, G. A. Hayse, E. French, and Hiram Adams. Not sufficient interest being manifested in the enterprise to sustain it, a failure was the result, and the property passed into the hands of a receiver.

The city contains one bank, three hotels, two flouring mills, one foundry, one woolen-mill, with the usual array of attorneys, physicians, artisans, merchants, etc., found in a city of one thousand inhabitants.

MANUFACTURING.

To the primitive mill already mentioned as started in the spring of 1855, Mr. Walker soon added a corn cracker, which proved a very valu- able acquisition for the community, supplying as it did an imperative demand, and it was kept in motion day and night, turning out about a bushel an hour. Mr. Walker soon after built a regular grist-mill, and got it in operation in April, 1857; the saw-mill was also wholly converted into a feed- mill and both were kept constantly in motion until destroyed by fire in 1874. Previous to this, how- ever, it had been purchased by the brothers Valen- entine and Tew who erected the present Rashford City mills the following year. It is a three-story stone mill, has six run of stones and four sets of rolls-two smooth and two corrugated-purifiers, brush machines, and all the necessary machinery for a first-class mill. The capacity is seventy barrels per day. In August, 1879, D. J. Tew be- came sole owner.

WOLLEN MILL .- Mr. Walker also built a woolen mill which was put in operation in 1863; it is still running although partially destroyed by the high water of 1875, which, however, was replaced and it has since manufactured many thousand dollars worth of goods.

FOUNDRY AND MACHINE SHOP .- In 1869, E. G." Chase leased water-power and ground of Hiram Walker, and erected a machine shop and foundry, but a year later it was destroyed by fire. There was no insurance on the property, but the value of the enterprise was considered so important, that the village rendered him financial assistance in re- building the works. But there seemed to be a fatality connected with the establishment in Mr. Chase's hands, and fire again swept it away in the

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winter of 1871-72, and Mr. Chase became discour- aged and made no further attempts to rebuild. Mr. Walker, however, took hold of the work, re- constructed the shops, and the machine shop and foundry are still conducted by him.

FLOURING MILL .- B. D. Sprague came to Rush- ford in the spring of 1866, and in company with N. M. Reed bought the water-power on Root River of Mead, Sherwood & Whittemore, constructed a dam and erected a flouring mill which was sup- plied with four run of stones, and was completed and set in operation in 1867. After running it about two years. Mr. Reed sold his interest to S. C. Barton and John Paul of La Crosse, and the new firm conducted the business seven or eight years, when Mr. Sprague purchased his partner's interest and he still owns the property. After a busy life of fourteen years the old mill was discon- tinued in 1881.

THE NEW MILL .- In 1874, Sprague & Co. built another mill about half a mile below the old one, and two years later, as above mentioned, Mr. Sprague bought the whole business. It was . originally furnished with six run of stones, was afterwards increased to thirteen run, and in 1880, converted into a roller-mill with all the modern facilities for manufacturing added. It now has a capacity of 225 barrels per day.

During the excavations at the site of this mill a lot of ancient pottery was unearthed, and samples were deposited in the rooms of the Historical Society at St. Paul.

RUSHFORD WAGON FACTORY .-- In the year 1860, John Albertson, after working six years at his trade in Illinois, came to Rushford, and in a small building began making and repairing wagons, and after working a year John Nelson bought an interest in the shop. They did a successful busi- ness for five years, when Nelson died. Ole Laugen then became a partner, and during the year 1868, the firm made 115 wagons, and employed fifteen men. In 1869, H. W. Holmes came to Rushford and opened a wagon factory, running it one year, when A. J. Stevens joined him, and together they run the concern for three years.

In 1872, a consolidation was effected between the two companies, and the new firm was composed of Stevens, Albertson, Holmes & Laugen. This was the Rushford Wagon Factory Company, and the erection of a building was at once commenced, that cost $10,000. It was of stone, two and one-

half stories, 84x70 feet, and a dry-house, 30x 40 feet, all heated by steam. In 1875, the company, finding a demand for carriages, bug- gies, and sleighs, began their manufacture. In . 1878, they employed thirty-seven skilled mechanics, and used no timber until it was three years cut. The machinery cost $10,000, and as showing their care in every respect, when a wheel was done and ready to receive the tire it would be placed in boiling linseed oil, and then, after a season in the dry-house, the tire would be set. James Hennessey had charge of the blacksmithing; John Albertson of the wood work; G. J. Walker was the bookkeeper; and A. J. Stevens was the general business manager. On the 7th of September the whole establishment was burned at a loss of $30,000, and has not been rebuilt.

RUSHFORD ARCTIC CREAMERY .- In the spring of 1881, this establishment was constructed, and on the 13th of May put in operation by E. A. Hostoet and C. C. Hourn. It is 28x52 feet and situated near the station. It has a four horse-power steam engine driving two large churns, with a capacity of 1,500 pounds a day. From various causes the first year's venture was not financially successful, but of its ultimate success there can be no doubt.

RUSHFORD BREWERY-On the 10th of October, 1875, Mr. J. Pfeifer purchased of Stark, Thomp- son & Co. the Rushford City Brewery, which is situated in Stebbins & Walker's addition. Its capacity is ten barrels a day. It is worked with horse-power, employs three men and furnishes the amber colored beverages for both divisions of the city.

RELIGIOUS.

CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF RUSHFORD .- This society was organized on the 19th of May, 1860, Rev. Wm. W. Snell being the pastor, and Rev. D. Burt, of Winona, assisting in the services. The original members were Wm. W. Snell and wife, Jane E. Snell, Mrs. Lucinda Newcomb, Mrs. Eme- line Ada Hitchcock, and Wm. D. Stark.

Mr. Snell has continued the pastor from the first. The membership of the church has in- creased from the primary number, five, to sixty. The character of the organization is in accordance with Congregational usage. A Sunday school was opened with a dozen members in 1857, and has been continuous up to the present time, and now has upwards of eighty pupils.

THE CHAPEL .- As before stated, Mr. Snell was -- !

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mainly instrumental in the erection of this chapel. Services had usually been held in Mr. Snell's small living room, which is now the kitchen of . their residence. Bat about 1859 or '60, his father sent him the sum of $200 to use as he saw fit, sug- gesting at the same time that it might be properly applied to make their dwelling house a little more comfortable. Many of our readers will be sur- prised to learn to what use this money was put, to see the self-sacrificing wife and mother counseling that this money should be used toward building a house of worship, although it had been sent by a fond and thoughtful parent, with a hope of adding to the conveniences of their frontier home. So the money was thus expended, $100 being added by a friend from the East, and something over $100 raised by the citizens. It is, however, a matter of satisfaction to relate that Mrs. Snell has since been provided with the addition to her house, which at that time, with so much self-abnegation, she was willing to forego for the public good, and that she now lives in the enjoyment of peace, prosperity, and plenty.

CHURCH BELL .- The Ladies' Sewing Society, in the fall of 1861, resolved to procure a bell for the chapel, and so devoted the $20 in the treasury to that object. Mr. Snell was going east, and took the funds along, and securing the additional amount from eastern friends, the bell was procured and shipped to Rushford, and on the 1st of Jan- uary, 1862, its ringing peals invited the villagers to worship. It is still in service, and the only church bell in the place. It is claimed to be the very first church bell ever heard in the State, but that is improbable.

NORWEGIAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN TRINITY CHURCH .- This was organized in connection with the Norwegian Augustana Synod, by Rev. A. Scheie, on the 2d of May, 1868, and as there was a Lutheran Church in town, the name "Second" was added. The question of slavery had agitated the church, and this was the anti-slavery wing. Eighteen families joined the new organization. Mr. Scheie remained one year, when Rev. P. Asb- jornsen came from Winona, and the schoolhouse was bought and arranged as a church. In 1871, Rev. A. Wright succeeded to the pastorate, and he is still the incumbent. The church was soon found to be too small, so it was disposed of, and a lot on Broadway secured, where a church 50x30 feet was erected, in 1873. In the corner stone was

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History of Fillmore County, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 65

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

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