History of Fillmore County, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 85

Author: Edward D. Neill
Publication date: 1882
Publisher:
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USA > Minnesota > Fillmore County > History of Fillmore County, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota > Part 85

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NEILS DAVIDSEN was born in Norway in 1834, and remained in his native country until 1861, when he came to America to seek a home. He ar- rived in this township the same year, and was em- ployed by farmers for the first few years. In Jan- uary, 1864, he was united in matrimony with Mise Martha Ellingson. Two children have been born of this union; Annie, the eldest, died in infancy, the second was also named Annie M. Mr. Davidsen purchased a farm in 1869, has since devoted his time to its cultivation and has a very comfortable home.

OLE DUSSCHEE was born on a farm in Norway in 1836, and came to America in 1854. He resided in Illinois one year, then in Winneshiek county, Iowa, one year, from which place he came to this county and purchased a farm in Fountain town- ship. In 1877, he built the Big Spring flour-mill, near Lanesboro, of which he is yet the proprietor. He was engaged in mercantile pursuits for a few years after. coming to Lanesboro. Miss Betsey Dumrud became the wife of Mr. Dusschee in 1873.

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Their children are Oscar L., Ida A., and Louisa B.

BARNABAS DAWSON, deceased, was a native of England, born on the 25th of September, 1825. He served an apprenticeship at the wheelwright and machinist trade after which he worked at the same four years. He married Miss Mary Ann Archer, a native of England, in 1849. They sailed for America on the 11th of October, 1851, coming directly to Wisconsin, and resided in dif- ferent parts of that State. They subsequently lived in Winneshiek county, Iowa, and while there Mr. Dawson was engaged in the erection of a mill in Carimona, Fillmore county, which was the first built in the county. He moved his family to the latter place in 1855. In August, 1862, he enlisted in the Seventh Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, Company E, blew the first bugle for the regiment to assemble and the last when it disbanded. After serving three years and two days he re- ceived an honorable discharge and returned to his family. When the railroad was built to this place he was employed by the company to erect its first building in Lanesboro, where he moved his family and remained until 1877. He was then engaged to enlarge the mill at Clear Grit, and soon after bought the hotel of that place, which he also enlarged and remained in the busi- ness until his death which occurred on the 4th of February, 1882, after much suffering. He left a widow and eight children; Alfred, James, Susanna M., Elizabeth A., John Henry, Clara B., Joseph W,, and Arthur B. C. They had three daughters who died; Annie, when four years old, and Mar- garet and Mary Anne in infancy.

JAMES DAWSON is a native of England, born in Derby county in 1851, and came to America with his parents when only an infant. He attended school until ten years old, then commenced learn- ing the wagonmaker's trade and afterwards learned the millwright trade. Soon after the Chi- cago fire he went to that city and found em- ployment in the "Old Eagle Works," remaining three years. In 1873, he came to Lanesboro and started a foundry and machine shop, which he con- tinued until 1877, when he sold and came to Clear Grit and has since worked at his trade. In 1874, he was joined in marriage with Miss Mary Gilbert. They have had two children; Herbert L. and Ernest, the latter of whom died at the age of two years.

GEORGE ISENHOUR is a native of New York,

born in Niagara county on the 7th of September, 1831. He attended school and learned the car- penter trade when young. In 1856, Miss Bar- bara Wagner, a native of Quebec, became his wife. In 1859, they came to Minnesota and located in Fillmore county, Mr. Isenhour working at his trade in Preston, Amherst, and Canton. He pur- chased a farm in section twenty in this township in 1867, and has since improved the land and made it his home. He owns a hotel and is Postmaster at Isenhour station which was named for him. He has a family of seven children; Melvina, Adeline, Fred, Clinton, Ora, Ira, and Myrtle.

L. L. OLSON, one of the first settlers in this township, is a native of Norway, born on the 27th of November, 1823. He was married in 1851, to Miss Annie Ellefsondatter. They emigrated to America the same year and came direct to Wiscon- sin, where Mr. Olson was employed by the Minne- apolis, St. Paul & Pacific railroad company. In 1856, he drove with an ox team to this place, lo- cated a farm in section one and immediately com- menced its improvement. For a number of years he was obliged to go to Winona, a distance of thirty-three miles, for provisions, and to Preston, nine miles distant, to a grist-mill. He now owns a fine farm with good substantial buildings, Mr. and Mrs. Olson have had thirteen children, three of whom died in infancy; those living are Ole O., Erick, Rachel L., Annie L., Lena, Andrew, Thomas, Estena, Elsie, and Betsey.

J. H. SKARIE dates his birth the 16th of Feb- ruary, 1831, in Norway, and when seventeen years old came to America. He first settled in Norway, Racine county, Wisconsin, but soon moved to Racine, where he served an apprenticeship with William Turnbull as carpenter. He afterwards went to Chicago and was employed in a sash and blind factory, but after working about two months met with an accident with a circular saw, losing one finger. He then returned to Norway, Wiscon- sin, and a few months later to Racine and again engaged with his old employer during the winter. In the spring Mr. Skarie moved to Decorah, Iowa, and worked at his trade until 1855, when he made a prospective tour through Winneshiek, Worth, Mitchell, and Winnebago counties, Iowa, and Freeborn county, Minnesota, in search of a home, but not satisfied returned to Decorah, bougnt a lot and erected a store building, which he rented. He was joined in marriage with Miss Selle Ander-

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son in 1855. They have had eight children, five of whom are living; Henry M., Julia M., Carl E., Oscar A., and William M., and three died in infancy. Mr. Skarie made other trips to this sec- tion, first in 1855, and again in 1857, and finally took land in Carrolton township, which has since been his home. He first lived in a log house, but now has a good frame building, and in 1877, built a fine barn.

JACOB WEYBRIGHT was born in Elkhart county, Indiana, on the 1st of February, 1837. He was reared on a farm and attended school in his native place. In 1855, he came to Black River Falls, Wisconsin, thence to Coon Prairie, and in the fall of 1856, to Buffalo Grove, Fillmore county, but returned to Coon Prairie soon after. The follow- ing February he again came to Fillmore county and was engaged in constructing the race of the woolen mill in Preston. In the winter of 1857 and '58 he made a visit to his native State, return- ing to Preston in the spring, and was engaged in driving team between the latter place and Winona,

until 1861. He was then employed by a lumber firm in Winona, in which occupation he continued until the first call for troops, when he enlisted in Capt. Bishop's company at Chatfield, but as the quota was full they disbanded. Mr. Weybright then went to Illinois, but again returned to Pres- ton, and in the spring of 1862, went to Chippewa Falls, where he had charge of a stationary engine, remaining fifteen months. Then after visiting Preston and Indiana, he made a trip to Califor- nia and was engaged in mining until enlisting in Company K, of the Eighth California Volunteer Infantry, where he served eleven months. In the fall of 1865, he returned to Iudiana, thence to Chicago, and attended Eastman's Business Col- lege until moving to Donglas county, Kansas. He was married in Fillmore county, to Miss Sarah Jane Eddy, the marriage taking place on the 6th of March, 1869, but at once returned to Kansas. They have two children, Eddie C., and Walter J. . In 1873, they came to Minnesota and settled in section twenty in this township, which has since been their home.

HARMONY.

CHAPTER LX.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION-FIRST SETTLERS-POLITI- . CAL-RELIGIOUS- SCHOOLS -- POST-OFFICES-VIL- LAGE OF HARMONY-GREENFIELD VILLAGE-BIG SPRINGS-WILTON CENTER-BIOGRAPHICAL.

The organization with this concordant desig- nation, is on the southern tier of towns in Fill- more county, the third from Houston county, the town of Bristol is on the west, Preston on the north, and Canton on the east. The Iowa River runs through section thirty-one, and two branches from the same river start near the center of the town to run southeast into it. The territory of the township has the regular thirty-six sections of a government town.

About one-third of the town, the central and southern part, is composed of prairie. There were originally but three bodies of timber in the whole township, on section ten about 100 acres, on seo-

tions thirty-three and thirty-four 250 acres, and on section thirty, about 100 acres. The balance, except the prairie, consisted of oak openings, or grub land, and there is probably at the present time more timber than when it was first settled, owing to its protection from fire.

The soil may be called a clayey loam, is quite uniform throughout the town, and makes the finest wheat growing districts in the county, but corn is now one of the most important crops, for while it requires attention after planting, it is nev- ertheless more certain than wheat.

There are three quite extensive ravines in the northern part, laying north and south, and through each flows a stream of greater or less magnitude, having their origin in springs, of which there are quite a number, the most import- ant and well known being Big Spring, which at an early day, attracted much attention. It comes up in the northwest part of the township, and pro-

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duces what is known as Camp Creek. This noted spring was in the claim of Moses Barnes, made in 1853. I was bere that the first hotel was built, in 1853, by Mr. Barnes, and being on the stage line he did a thriving business for several years, par- ticularly in the winter, when the navigation of the Mississippi was suspended, as this was on the St. Paul and Dubuque line. The second tavern in town was opened by Daniel Dayton, in section six, in 1855. At first he put up a log building, in the autumn of that year, and it was known as the Ravine House. The next year he constructed a stone addition, and it was continued as a hotel until about 1865. This building is now the resi- dence of Zara Dayton, a son of Daniel Dayton.

Camp Creek derives its name from the fact of the large number of immigrants and other travel- ers who came by this route, making a stopping place along the stream. The other rivulets re- . ceive various names, such as Partridge Creek and Dayton Creek, and in this part of the town they flow directly or indirectly into Root River.

FIRST SETTLERS.

The pioneer resident of the town was Calvin Hoag, who secured a place in section thirty-four in the fall of 1852. He entered the Union army during the war of the rebellion, and lost his life in the defense of his country. He was the only settler that year.

Iu 1853, there were but few comers, but among them was William Knox, who located on section twenty-five, where he still lives.

After Hoag, the father of Calvin, settled on sec- tion twenty-five. He died on the 7th of April, 1875, leaving his son James on the homestead, where he still lives.

Alexander Cathcart also came the same year and took land in section twenty-five, but he afterwards moved to Ohio.

In 1854, quite a large number flocked in, and a list of them, as far as possible, will be given: Moses Barnes, William Stork, William Bingham, George Chandler, William Chandler, Torgen Drenson, who is not now living, and Erick Erick- son, who is also gone; the latter brought five sons; Erick, who is now in Stevens county, Ole S. now dead, Thomas and Rev. Ole Erikson Solseth, who is a clergyman at Watson, Chippewa county; H. Nelson and two sons, Austin and N. H .; John Ellis, John Williams, who has since removed; Ole Quammen, and Andrew Oleson, who have also

gone; Tallak Brokken, Arne E. Kirkelie, S. E. Kirkelie, who is away; Nels Knudson and son, Nels H. Knudson; Henry Evenson and Loren Evenson.

The next year, 1855, those who came were Hal- nar Kirkelie, now deceased, Tor Kirkelie, who is now in Dakota; Ole W. Dahle, who has removed, Gulmand Egelson, now dead, Knud Peterson, and Thomas Halverson, both removed; Halver Johnson and Halver Berg.

The first birth was in September, 1854, Tone Drengson. She is married and now living in Da- kota.

The first marriage was that of Mr. Knud Peter- son to Miss Tone Johnson in 1857. He was the first Postmaster.

The first school was in the winter of 1856, and was taught by William Chandler.

The following letter from one of the early and prominent citizens is given entire, as it contains an interesting account of those early days:

"LIME SPRINGS, IOWA, April 20th, 1882.

Gentlemen : Your request was duly received, but I have had so much on my mind that I could hardly compose it sufficiently to write before, and if you can use what I here present, you are welcome to it, and can put it in suitable form for publication.

I was born on the 27th of February, 1808, in the county of Otsego, New York, and learned and carried on the hatter's trade in Cooperstown till the business failed. On the 1st of June, 1837, with my wife and child, we landed in Racine, Wis- consin, and settled in the north part of the town of Geneva, Walworth county, where we suffered un- told hardships in common with the settlers of that region. Our first purchase of provisions for a winter's supply was lost in Geneva Lake, leaving us destitute to fight our way, to keep soul and body together. Of the many things I did in that new country, nothing affords me greater satisfac- tion than the rememberance of my action on the great moral questions that agitated the community in which I lived at that time. I called a meeting at my house and organized the only Anti-Slavery Society ever existing in those parts, and strenu- ously advocated the cause, and it finally became very popular in the town, the county, and the State.

My wife was Angeline Johnson. We were mar- ried in Cooperstown, New York, on the 7th of September, 1835. As to our children, Adaline was born in Cooperstown, Edwin, William Ellis, Ann

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HARMONY TOWNSHIP.

Louisa, Charles Franklin, and Rosalie Gertrude in Wisconsin. Feeling that my work in Wisconsin was done we all removed, in the latter part of June, 1854, to Harmony township, Fillmore county, and on the 10th of August pre-empted a quarter of section ten.

We found, at that time, but few settlers in town. I recollect Moses Barnes was in possession of a claim, on which is the famous Big Spring, and Erick Erickson, Mr. Nelson, and After Hoag, with their faimilies, were in town. I am not certain, but think Hoag was the first settler in the south part. Knud Peterson was the first settler and pro- prietor of Greenfield, which was once quite a little village, but finally entirely disappeared.

In the development of the town it was my lot to enact a very prominent part, in the laying out of roads and attending to other things incident to a new settlement, having been Chairman of the board of Supervisors for many years, and Assessor and Justice of the Peace, each for one term.

The Indians were quite numerous when we first arrived in Minnesota, and they conceived a great admiration for our bright colored bedquilts, and for our improved rifle, which in the hands of our boys, William and Edwin, did great execution among the deer, and we had plenty of venison and deer skins.

At first Democracy was rampant in town, county, and territory, and in my efforts to free the town from this rule I was ably assisted by After Hoag, Daniel Dayton, and many others, by or- ganizing the anti-slavery sentiment in town in op- position to it, and after a hard struggle we suc- ceeded, and I can say without boasting that I be- came quite conspicuous as a leader in the struggle.

In the summer of 1854, I passed through where the county seat now is, the flourishing village of Preston, and nothing was then there to mark the site of a village, except a single log cabin, which, solitary and alone, stood amid the invisible pos- sibilities around it.

Since the 17th of May, 1873, when I was stricken with partial paralysis, I have retired into comparative obscurity. I shall be glad if you can make anything out of what I have written, but I fully realize that in a county history where so many hundred are mentioned, the allusion to each must be brief.

Most truly yours,

WILLIAM STORK.

POLITICAL.

The town was organized on that same 11th of May, 1858, when the original townships in the county held their first town meetings. It was held at the "Greenfield" schoolhouse. The judges of election were Moses Barnes, John H. Addison, and William Walter. The whole number of votes cast was eighty-one.

The following officers were elected: Supervisors, Francis Craig, Chairman; James E. McMillan, and Thomas Elliott; Town Clerk, O. S. Erickson; Assessor, After Hoag; Collector, Austin Nelson; Justices of the Peace, William Benson, and Wil- liam Knox; Constables, Thomas Ryan, and Thomas Halverson.

The officers for 1882 are: Supervisors, A. Dan- iels, Chairman; T. Brokken, and Thomas Ryan; Town Clerk, Samuel Aaberg; Treasurer, Edwin Stork; " Assessor, T. Brokken; Justices of the Peace, William Craig, and Samuel Aaberg; Con- stables, Thomas Ryan, and O. A. Craig. It will be seen that some of the men who were the town officers in 1858, are town officers in 1882.

RELIGIOUS.

This town has two churches, the Norwegian Lu- theran Evangelical, and the German Evangelical.

NORWEGIAN LUTHERAN EVANGELICAL .- This is situated in the northeast corner of section twenty- two. The society was organized in 1856, with ten members. The first minister was Rev. V. Koren, the second was Rev. Mr. Rasmussen, the third was Rev. Mr. Jenson, the fourth and the present pastor is the Rev. Tobias Larson, who came here in 1865. The meetings at first were held in the schoolhouse at Greenfield. The church was completed in 1867, and is of brick, 48x36 feet, and an annex 18x16 feet. It has a membership of about 100 at the present time.

THE GERMAN EVANGELICAL CHURCH .- This so- ciety was organized in 1874, and is located in sec- tion eight. Up to the year 1882, services were held in the schoolhouse No. 38, when a small building was constructed for both church and school purposes. When first organized there were about eighteen members, and now there are about twenty-five. The pastor is Rev. Frederick Kuethe.

SCHOOLS.

Harmony has seven full districts as follows : District No. 37, on section thirty-three. District No. 38, on section twenty.

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District No. 39, on section nine. District No. 40, on section twenty-three. District No. 42, on section twenty-seven. District No. 41, on section twenty-six. District No. 44, on section twenty-nine. Two districts are joint affairs, partly in this town, and partly in Prestou.

POST-OFFICES.

The first Post-office was called Peterson, and Knud Peterson was the Postmaster. The name was afterwards called Windom in honor of Senator Windom, but has been called Harmony since about 1872. There have been two other Post-offices in town, Big Spring, in the northwest part, and Wilton Centre in section one. But they have been discontinued and Harmony is the only one remaining.

VILLAGE OF HARMONY.

This thriving little village is a station on the Narrow Gauge railroad, which was started in 1880. Its location is in sections fourteen and fif- teen. It has two general stores, one hardware and a grocery store, the Post-office, a wagon shop, shoe shop, blacksmith shop, and lumber yard. There are two elevators with a capacity of 12,000 bushels each. The prospects for the village seem to be good.

GREENFIELD VILLAGE.

This was at one time quite an important little hamlet, but it is now extinct. It was located about three-fourths of a mile south of the present village of Harmony, about sixty rods east of the Norwegian church. It was started by Knud Peterson, in 1856, who built a store; the next year William Burchlard built a hotel, and several sa- * loons, these apparently indispensible adjuncts to every aspiring village, were in full operation.

For a time the town was in a thriving condition, but it gradually went into a decline, and no one could tell the exact time when it ceased to exist, it was so near dead so long before.

BIG SPRINGS.

James P. Tibbetts came from Bangor, Maine, to Preston in 1855, and pre-empted a quarter section of land in the town of Harmony, about a mile from Big Spring. As a speculation he had the land platted on paper, and recorded as "Big Springs," dividing the entire 160 acres into lots, with blocks for business purposes, blocks for residences, for

public institutions, for churches, and for parks, with a river flowing from the Big Spring, which was the center of the place, and to be the center of attraction. It was taken to Chicago and litho- graphed in colors. He was then ready for busi- ness, and went east and succeeded in selling most, if not all the farm in this way, obtaining from $25 for a residence lot to $150 for a corner business lot. All this time there was but one miserable little shanty on the place, which was eight miles from Preston and one mile from Big Spring.

The story is told by an old resident, among other incidents, that two ladies from Pennsylvania, having bought a corner business lot, came on with a view to opening a first class millinery store, and to their dismay, they found their lot a mile from a house, in the center of a slough, covered with grubs. It is hoped that the sorrow and sadness that filled their hearts on their return to their eas- tern home was compensated by the wisdom they had acquired, although this must have been ob- tained at the loss of their confidence in human na- ture. Several years later, when the taxes had be- come past delinquent, Mr. Tibbetts bought up the tax titles and the property was again sold, this time as a farm.

WILTON CENTER.

On section one is the site of this hamlet. By looking on the map the village seems to be made up of a store with a Post-office in it, a schoolhouse, a blacksmith shop, and a residence. But it should be remembered that the capital of the State, not many years ago, had a smaller number of build- ings than this.

BIOGRAPHICAL.

SAMUEL AABERG was born in Norway in 1847, and came to America in 1869. He resided for a time in Stoughton, Dane county, Wisconsin, then went to Howard county, Iowa, and engaged in farming. While there he married Miss Emily Nel- son, a daughter of Sondry Nelson, an early settler of that county. The union is blessed with five chil- dren, four sons and one daughter. In 1880, they came to Harmony and Mr. Aaberg took charge of the lumber yard of Day Brothers, continuing in their employ until the 26th of July, 1881, when the yard was purchased by Edwards & Osborne, for whom he fills the same position.

HOWARD V. BOICE is a son of Susan and Wil- liam Boice, early settlers in this place, the latter

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of whom was born in Dutchess county, New York, on the 3d of October, 1803. His native State claimed him as a resident until 1855, when he came west, spent the winter in Chicago, and in the spring of 1856, came to Filmore county, settling in the town of Preston, where he has since resided, until his death, which occurred'the 27th of March, 1866. His widow still lives on the homestead. She has had eleven children, eight of whom are living; Pheobe, now Mrs. Purdy Hart; Aaron, who lives in Missouri; Martin in Dakota; Sarah Ann, now Mrs. John Mills; Emily, now Mrs. Wmn. Dux- bury; Howard V., Willard, and Clayton. Howard V. was born in Herkimer county, New York, in 1845. He came to this county with his parents and remained with them until 1862, when he en- listed in the Second Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, Campany E; and was placed on frontier duty in this State to protect the settlers from Indians. In April of the same year he was severely wounded, on account of which he was disabled from further service in the field, but remained in hospitals at dit- ferent places till March, 1865, when he was honora- bly discharged. The maiden name of his wife was Mary Miln, a daughter of Henry Miln. She was born in Scotland, on the 25th, of December, 1849. The fruits of the marriage are three children; Jes- sie, Gertie, and Lynn. Mr. Boice's farm is located in section five, Harmony township, and contains 200 acres.

CHARLES W. BEACH is a son of Ashley Beach, who was born in Canada, where he lived until the spring of 1865, when he came to Fillmore county and settled in the town of Harmony. His wife was Miss Lucy Vail. They had three children; Almy, born in 1837, is the wife of Moses Vail; Miles, born in 1843, resides at Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Charles, the subject of this sketch, was born in Canada on the 3d of June, 1845. The maiden name of his wife was Wealthy Capron, a native of Canada. They have two children; Ines and George.

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History of Fillmore County, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 85

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

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