History of Fillmore County, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 73

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 73

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C. A. WHEELER was born in Yates county, New York, on the 4th of August, 1825. When he was quite young, he entered a woolen factory in Dres- den, and remained in that occupation in different parts of the State until twenty-one years old. Then came to Michigan, but returned to New York in about a year, and soon after removed to Ohio. While there be married Miss Harrriet Allen, in 1852. They afterward resided in Michi- gan, and in 1861, came to this place. Mr. Wheeler Jeased the Preston Woolen Factory, with Mr. Wallace as partner, for a number of years. The firm then bought the property, and some time after Mr. Wheeler purchased the interest of his partner, and has since continued in the business. He has one daughter, May, and a son named Charles, died when young.

REUBEN WELLS, one of the old settlers and prominent political men of this county, was born in Washington county, New York, on the 17th of November, 1802. When he was seven years old

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the family moved to Luzerne, Warren county, where Reuben received his education. He was af- terward engaged in mercantile and lumbering pursuits, at the same time studying law, and in 1856, was admitted to the bar at Glen's Falls in the same county. He was married in 1828, to Miss Catherine Leaven, who bore him two chil- dren, one of whom is living. Mr. Wells was a member of the New York State Legislature for two terms, and always took an active part in po- litical and educational affairs. In 1857, he came to Fillmore county and took land in York town- ship upon which he lived until 1863, when he came to Preston. On the organization of the town of York he was chosen Chairman of the first board of Supervisors, was also Chairman of the first board of County Commissioners. He was elected County Attorney in 1862, and filled the office two years; was a member of the State Senate in 1859 and 1860. When the village of Preston was or- ganized he was its first Mayor and retained the office three terms, has also held other offices of trust and has been Court Commissioner for the past twelve years. Mrs. Wells died on the 8th of January, 1877. On the 27th of November, 1879, Mr. Wells married Mrs. Mary A. McKenny, who died on the 16th of February, 1882. Since com- ing to this place Mr. Wells has been engaged in the practice of his profession.

EDWIN O. WILSON is a native of Norway, born on the 15th of September, 1821. He attended the public school near his home, and graduated when seventeen years old, after which he taught school three years. In 1843, he came to America and

soon to Boone county, Illinois, thence to Mineral Point, Wisconsin, where he was employed in the lead mines. He purchased land in Boone county, Illinois, in 1846, but sold some years later on ac- count of ill health, and came to this place. In 1848, Miss Betsey Olson became his wife. They located a farm on section nineteen, Preston town- ship, and immediately erected a log cabin, 14x20 feet, remained in it two years, then built their present frame building and have since added to their farm. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have had twelve children; L. Matilda, John, Ellen, Ann, Clara, So- phia, Mollie, Osman, Edwina, Minnie, Willie, and Bernhard. Ellen died in 1879, aged twenty-seven years.

JOHN VAIL, one of the oldest settlers of this place, was born in Pennsylvania in 1825. When about seventeen years old he commenced learning the carpenter trade at which he was employed in his native State until 1852. He then came west, resided in Iowa one and a half years and moved to Preston where he located a claim on the present site of the Court House. He was joined in matri- mony with Miss Margaret Ream in 1854. In 1855, Mr. Vail sold his farm and moved to Bristol township where he purchased land and re- mained twenty-seven years. Mr. and Mrs. Vail had eleven children, eight of whom are now living. Mrs. Vail died in 1871. His pres- ent wife was formerly Miss A. M. Pond. This union has been blesed with three children, two of whom are living. On the 18th of April, 1882, they moved west, intending hereafter to make their home in Montana.

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CANTON.

CHAPTER LV.

DESCRIPTIVE- EARLY SETTLEMENT - INCIDENTS-

POLITICAL --- TOWN BONDS-INDUSTRIAL ENTER- PRISES - SCHOOLS-CHURCHES-LENORA- ELLI- OTA-BOOMER-BIOGRAPHICAL.

The town with this oriental name is the second on the southern tier from Houston county, with New- burg on the east, Iowa on the south, Harmony on the west, and Amherst on the north. It has the regular thirty-six sections of a government town.

The township is particularly adapted to tillage purposes and stock raising, as it is well watered with springs, yielding water of great purity, and in abundance. The soil is varied and of superior quality, while the timber and stone is ample for home use, although a large part of the whole town is under a high state of cultivation. In the north- east part Richland Prairie comes down into the town to the vicinity of Lenora, while in the ex- treme southern part, a narrow strip of Looking Glass Prairie is found. North of this the first settler found burr. oak openings, with a scattering but fair growth. Since the suppression of the fires the timber has been gradually encroaching on the prairie. But this has been arrested by the culti- vation of the land, and the whole western part of the town has been transformed into a beautiful prairie dotted with charming groves. Along the central part of the eastern town line it is more broken, with occasional stony points, and with heavier timber. The northern and southern parts of the town have a dark loam, while the remainder is of a clayish nature and very productiue. The "sink holes" in this town are quite numerous.

A stranger coming into the town would not fail to notice the fine buildings and well kept farms which give such an air of thrift and prosperity to the inhabitants, who maintain the front rank in . modes of farming. The creameries are well sup-

plied, and stock raising is rapidly absorbing re- munerative attention. It is really a model town- . ship.

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

It is not unlikely that the town of Canton re- ceived the first white settler in the county, in the person of Albert Nichols, who came by the way of Iowa, and secured land and a home in sections twenty-five and thirty-six on the 7th or 8th of March, 1851, and remained through the following winter, it is supposed, the solitary inhabitant of Fillmore county, a veritable Alexander Selkirk

"Monarch of all he surveyed, His rights there were none to dispute."

He was from the state of New York, and appre- ciated the value of wood and water, which he had seen wanting in so many places during his pros- pecting. While he secured his wood and water he got very poor land. He was an active, pushing man, built the first saw-mill hereabouts, was an active politician and remained in town until the year 1860, when he moved to the vicinity of Win- dom, in Jackson county.

In the spring of 1852, other settlers began to appear, among them the Kingsbury brothers, four in number; S. V., John, Martin, and Charles, from New York State, who came direct from Rockford, Illinois, with teams, and selected their farms near the town line of Newburg. S. V. Kingsbury se- cured the south half of the southwest of section eighteen, on which he put up a shanty in the spring of 1853, and has since made his home there.

John Kingsbury staked off a claim at the same time, but made no improvements then, moving up to Carimona; returning, however, the next year and taking a farm in section thirteen, where he has since resided.

Martin Kingsbury secured a homestead in Pres- ton, where he now lives.

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Charles Kingsbury took his claim just east of the town line, in Newburg, and the brothers all lived together there the first winter, but his place was soon sold.

It is evident that two men, whose names are said to have been Washburn, had located on section two and been frightened away by the Indians, as they had left evidences of improvement, but were gone in 1852.

At this early day there was a land claimant here who rivaled the heirs of Jonathan Carver in his pretensions. His habitation was just south of where Lenora now is, and in addition to the 160 acres around his cabin, he claimed thousands of acres and proceeded to stand guard over it with a shot gun, threatening to shoot any man who should presume to drive a stake anywhere in his vast do- main. He was a regular "bulldozer," although this was long before the coining of that graphic word. His pretensions were based upon the right of conquest or discovery, as he declared that he had hunted all over this region before the advent of other white men. In humble imitation of the civilized nations of the globe, he succeeded in making his claims so far respected that he realized quite handsomely from his methods. He sold 400 acres to Elijah Austin, besides many others to the new comers. He was a married man, coming from Wisconsin, and had raised a family, and after some years he left for pastures new, still further west, but his remains now occupy a lot the ordinary length and breath of a human form.

Godfrey Wolford was a character who put in an appearance in the summer of 1852, from Ohio, with his wife and children, and stuck his stakes in section twenty-three, in the southeast quarter, on what is now the farm of George A. Bacon, Jr. Here he lived and worked and fished and hunted, and told his stories for eight or ten years, and then went to Martin county, where he died in 1881.

In 1853, there were quite a number of acces- sions to the town, among them Nelson Darling arrived in the spring and went on to section twelve, but after a year or two removed to Newburg.

B. F. Tillotson came with the Onstine party and took land in Amherst, but his house was south of the town line, and in Canton. Tillotson married Hannah Onstine, and became a prominent man who is elsewhere mentioned. His farm finally be- came the County Poor farm.

Elijah Austin, already spoken of, came here

from Monroe county, Wisconsin, in 1853. His land was in sections eleven and fifteen. He was one of the first County Commissioners appointed by the Governor, was the first Postmaster in town, and in all respects a prominent man. In about 1856, he removed to the vicinity of Fari- bault, and afterwards farther west.

T. J. Eames took land in section ten, in 1853, on what is now the Sauer farm, and finally went to Texas.

One of the first comers was W. McHenry, who had the land afterwards belonging to Mr. Tillot- sơn.

Shortly after Nichols settled, Archibald Donald took quite a tract of land in the eastern part of section thirty-six. He came from Scotland and remained awhile in Milwaukee, but in 1852, came to this town and remained until death, which was by drowning, at Preston, in 1865. Four of his sons are successful farmers in town. Most of the early settlers are gone.

James Graham was a settler in section twenty- five.

In the southwestern part of the town another settlement was commenced in 1853, coming from Moline, Illinois, headed by Captain Julius Elliott, the founder of Elliota village. The year before be had come up the Mississippi to Wild Cat Bluff, and thence west as far as this region, which pleased him so much that he returned, and was instru- mental in bringing quite a colony, among them Matthew Williams and Mr. Syford, who came with a team, bringing lumber from Iowa. Elliott took the southwest quarter of section thirty-two. Williams quarrelled with the others and went to Houston county, where he afterwards flourished as a defaulting County Treasurer. Syford remained on section thirty-three for about seven years, when he went to Kansas. Captain Elliott brought his family here in May. Robert Armstrong, the only remaining one of this colony, took the southwest quarter of section thirtythree, where his home has since been.

William Marley and Mathias Heard came also from Moline with six yoke of oxen, some cows and other stock. They had been river men on the lower Mississippi. Heard secured a place in sec- tion thirty-one, but afterwards sold and went to Harmony, and finally to Kansas, where he is now. Marley located in section thirty-one, and after- wards in section twenty-nine. He was a native of

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Baltimore, Maryland, and is now in Kansas.

Several claims were made this summer, and there was rather serious trouble in adjusting the owner- ship question that arose.

Elder William Bly planted himself in the south- east quarter of section thirty-two. He was a preacher, but not a member of this colony. He soon sold to Charles B. Kimball, whose widow now lives on the place. These settlements occurred in 1853.

E. P. Eddy also arrived in 1853, and secured a foothold in section one. He now lives in Amherst and is a leading citizen.

Silas Pennock got here in 1854, and stationed himself where he has since lived. He is now one of the very oldest settlers in Canton. Up to 1857 there was quite a rush of men seeking homes in the then "Far West."

Prominent among the pioneers not already men- tioned who came in and located in the above region, should be named James M. Graham, Dr. J. M. Wheat, the present State Senator, Elder Dyer, John Jacobson, Lyman Seelye, George Mc- Master, Mr. Bryant, William Armstrong, Wheeler Brothers, William and Horace, Patrick McKenny and others.

EARLY BIRTHS .- There is always more or less rivalry as to the first birth in any town, and in the county, and one is here presented that may upset the rival claims of many who have been anxious for this distinction. David Donald, son of Archibald and Elizabeth Donald, was born on the 7th of January, 1853. He is married, and lives on his well-improved farm in section thirty-five.

The first girl born here must have been Eliza A. Armstrong, daughter of Robert and Eliza Armstrong, who was born on the 25th of July, 1853. She still lives in town.

THE FIRST MARRIAGE .- From the most reliable information obtainable, John M. Kingsbury and Cordelia West were united in the bonds of wed- lock by Elder William Bly, on the 25th of July, 1854. They still, with their family, live in town.

FIRST DEATH .- A step-child of Mr. Nelson Darling was taken away in the summer of 1853, and was buried on section twelve on the farm of H. L. Tolifson.

INCIDENTS.

A BEAR STORY .- The following story would probably be told by every old settler in town three hundred and sixty-five times a year if so

many new listeners should come along. The inci- dent, as here related, is as near the truth as will ever be told, unless one should hear "the bear's side of the story."

In the fall of 1856, the footprints of a large bear were discovered in the light snow. This at once caused a ripple of excitement, and Warren J. Howell followed the trail to a "sink hole," which, in this case, was perhaps fifteen feet across at the top, and a dozen feet below it became narrow, like a well, with jagged stone sides, which would per- mit a man or bear to ascend or descend. This part of the shaft was about twenty-five feet deep. A few feet from the bottom was a lateral crevice or pocket about ten feet in extent under the ledge, and here his bearship had taken refuge. Quite a party had assembled, and various methods suggested to dislodge this terrible "ursa major." Smoking was resorted to without effect, as no current could be, made to carry it to his snug retreat. Finally the remembrance of General Putnam and the wolf came to their relief, and Mr. Howell, strapping his gun to his back, went down, not yet knowing the position of Mr. Bruin. Dis- covering the cave, he called for a pole and suc- ceeded in punching the animal so that he started to come out, but the way was blocked by the human intruder, who fired and wounded the bear in the shoulder, and also extinguished his light. The proximity was getting uncomfortable, and Mr. Howell suddenly remembered that he wanted to see a man at the mouth of the hole, and so he made no unnecessary delay in getting out. This ended the first round, and first blood was awarded to the man. After the smoke of the bat- tle had cleared away, Mr. Howell returned to the fray, and this time the brute was laid low, and after an infinite amount of engineering and tug- ging and hauling he was brought to the surface, the hero of the encounter escorted to his home, and the bear steak duly distributed. This vertical cavern is about a mile and a half north of Boomer, but has never been thoroughly explored, and it is possible that it is an entrance to subterranean chambers that may rival the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky.

ANOTHER BEAR STORY .- One day in those early times, Mr. Nichols, who was a redoubtable hunter, was notified that there was a big bear in the brush, so he took his gun and started in pur- suit and soon came up with the unsuspecting

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brute, as he lay in the thick underbrush, and creeping up within suitable distance, fired, killing the animal at the first shot. On coming up to the spot he found, very much to his chagrin, that it was a black calf belonging to Mr. Graham. Here was a dilemma. The question was how to get out of the scrape? His genius proved equal to the emer- gency. He went around to Mr. Graham and wanted to buy a calf, and after considerable hig- gling, succeeded in making the purchase, and then he incautiously told the story, which he ever re- gretted, as it has often been repeated as a huge joke on him.

INDIAN STORY .- In 1862, at the time of that Indian panic among the settlers, John Glass, who lived in the southwest part of the town, on hearing that the Indians were coming, seized a pitchfork and started for Decorah, and sure enough, as he was making the best of his way in the shadowy darkness, what should confront him but a stalwart Indian right in the path. Feeling, with the Hibernian, that the only way to avoid a danger is to meet it square in the face, he charged upon the enemy, transfixing with his pitchfork, and breaking the tines in a charred and grinning stump, that had no murder in its wooden heart. Mr. Glass sur- vived the conflict, and returned after his masterly retreat, to tell the tale of the fields he had won.

POLITICAL.

At the meeting to organize the town on the 11th of May, 1858, there was a spirited contest over the name, and quite a number were suggested, but the struggle was finally narrowed down to two names, "Elyria," suggested by E. P. Eddy, and that of "Canton" proposed by Fred Flor. The vote de- clared in favor of Canton, but the Elyria party gave up reluctantly, and the first town book ordered had this name on it. It thus got on Mr. Bishop's map, published about that time, but it was never the legal name of the town.

At this election Mr. E. P. Eddy and William S. Marsh were sworn in as judges, and William Will- ford and S. V. Kingsbury as clerks. The meeting was at the log school house in Lenora. Accord- ing to the record the following persons were elect- ed, although several parties think there must have been a different result: Supervisors; J. Woodle, Chairman, O. Holmes, and William Marley; Jus- tices of the Peace, Silas Pennock and John Cleg- horn; Constables, G. R. Miller and William Wil- kinson; Clerk, E. F. Dyer; Assessor, S. V. Kings-

bury; Collector, C. B. Kimball; Overseer of the Poor, Reese Rush.

The town was divided into nine road districts, and a tax of two days work levied for each person not exempt by law.

On the records up to 1860, the name Elyria is carried along in the town books when it is dropped out of sight. There are in town now seventeen road districts.

RAILROAD BONDS .--- In 1879, a proposition was made to bond the town, to assist in the con- struction of the Narrow Gauge railroad. At the first election the proposition was rejected by a good round majority, but the money must be had in some way, and so a second town meeting was held. The officers of the road were deeply interested, particularly those who lived in Preston, and the citizens of the coun- ty seat generally were anxious as to the result, and were well represented at the polls. Carriages were procured to convey the voters to the polls, and the point was carried, though there are many in the town who have not cheerfully acquiesced in the result, and still talk of "intimidation" and "bulldozing," to mention no harsher charge. There is some satisfaction, however, that there is a railroad, as it furnishes a market right at home without those long "hauls" which so rapidly ab- sorb profits. In the fall of 1879, the town issued bonds to the amount of $12,000, to assist in build- ing the Narrow Gauge railroad. The bonds bear seven per cent. interest and are to run twenty years unless sooner paid. At the spring election in 1882, it was voted to pay $1,000 of the princi- pal.

TOWN OFFICERS FOR 1882 .- Supervisors, J. R. Nelson, Chairman, G. E. Mahaffey, and George Johnson; Clerk, George W. Harsh; Treas- urer, P. H. Harsh; Assessor, S. S. Willford; Justices of the Peace, C. W. Graham and James Manuel; Constables, J. W. Graham and Conrad Abrahamson. At this meeting the usual vote against granting licenses to sell intoxicating beverages was passed, there being eighteen votes for license and two hundred against it. This town has never permitted saloons and feels proud of the record.

EARLY INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISES.

A tannery was started in 1859, by William Bur- sell, on section twenty-five. A building 18x22 feet was first put up and quite a business was

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done for two years. His bark mill was placed on a large stump for a foundation and was also utilized for grinding corn.

SAW-MILL .-- In 1859 or '60, a saw-mill was con- structed about twenty rods below the spring on the farm of Mr. Nichols, it had an over-shot water wheel twenty feet in diameter. The building was 18x40 feet, with a perpendicular saw that would cut three or four hundred feet of lumber a day. This was kept in motion for about four years.

THE WINCH MILL .- About the time that Nich- ols' mill stopped making saw dust, Marshall Winch put up a mill about a mile and a half south- west of Lenora, which was not unlike the other, except that it had a better power. A brother, Anel, finally bought the affair and a few years af- ter a freshet washed it out.

SORGHUM MILL .- In 1880, a mill was erected 30x84 feet, on the farm of P. Brode, near the rail- road. It has a four horse-power press run by an engine of fifteen horse-power and has a twenty foot Cook evaporator. It can turn out several hun- dred gallons of syrup in a day, which is purified by the best processes. The establishment was built and is owned by six enterprising settlers: Dan. O. Brien, G. W. Sprague, S. P. Sprague, G. M. Traxler, Frank Allison and P. Brode. It is a valuable enterprise.

SCHOOLS.

DISTRICT No. 20 .- This was set off from a dis- trict north of it extending into Amherst. The schoolhouse was built in 1867, and is on the southeast corner of section eight and cost about $600. The first school was taught by Miss D. Stewart.

DISTRICT No. 21 .- In 1858, Elder W. Morse, a Baptist clergyman, began teaching school from one house to another. In 1860, the present house was built on the farm of Josiah Fay in section eighteen.

DISTRICT NO. 22 .- In 1855, a school was opened in a house built the year before by A. Eastman, in section fourteen, on the northwest part, but the next year was removed to the southeast of the same section. The building is now used by Wil- liam Willford as a stable. The first school was taught by Miss Clarisa Eddy. The schoolhouse was built in 1865, and is on section fourteen.

DISTRICT No. 23 .- On the east of section twenty- five the first school was kept in a claim shanty be- longing to John Graham, on what is now the farm

of Engebert Ellingson. This was in the fall of 1856. In the winter of 1857-58, a log house was constructed for school purposes on section thirty- six, on land now owned by J. Donald. The pres- ent brick schoolhouse was built in 1872, at a cost of $800 besides volunteer labor. The first teacher in the district was. Miss Sarah West Benedict.

DISTRICT No. 24 .- In 1866 the first school was called to order in the present schoolhouse by Miss Alice Baker Sprague, and the regular sessions have since been held there. At the first school there were tweuty-six names on the register. The location is on the southeast corner of section twenty-eight.

DISTRICT NO. 26 .- In a frame house of W. Will- ford's on section twenty-one, in 1862, the first school was opened by Miss Hannah Bursell and taught here for a single term, when a temporary frame structure was put up near the east line of the same section, and there one term was also taught. Then the present schoolhouse was built on section sixteen, at a cost of about $300.

The schools of the town are well supported, good teachers are employed and good work is ac- complished.

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History of Fillmore County, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 73

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

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