History of Fillmore County, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 88

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 88

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again four years later, when Halver went to work for himself. He was employed on a farm, and in 1864, went to Brownsville, where he clerked in F. A. Hilbart's store. He returned to the old home- stead and in 1867, was joined in wedlock with Miss Inger Aplan. The issue of the union has been eight children, seven of whom are now living; Nellie, Oliver, Emma, Halver, Carlina, Ida, and Овсаг.

KNUTE KETTELSON was born in Wisconsin on the 10th of February, 1849. Five years later his parents moved to Chickasaw county, Iowa, and and established a claim. Knute lived at home until twenty-one years of age, then he purchased a farm in Howard county, Iowa, where he lived seven years, then sold and came to Granger. He married Miss Louisa Gilbert. He bought a store of H. Slawson, and has now a large stock of goods. His father died in 1874, and his mother several years before. Mr. and Mrs. Kettelson have two children, Mary J., and Karl H. S.

D. J. LATHROP, M. D., was born in Aurora, Erie county, New York, in 1851. He first attended the district school, and at nineteen years of age en- tered the medical department at the University of Buffalo, where he graduated in February, 1872. He received his diploma from ex-President Fill- more, then Chancellor of the University. The fol- lowing spring he came to Granger, Fillmore county, where he succeeded Dr. Jones. He started a drug store where the Post-office now is, but in 1877, sold out to Mr. Andrews. Dr. La- throp is the only resident physician in the town.

ADAM R. MARK was born in Venango county, Pennsylvania, in 1840. His father came to Bris- tol in 1856, and bought eighty acres of land in section eleven, where he lived five years, then sold and went to Preston. Adam lived with him there some time, but finally returned to Bristol, bought eighty acres in section twenty-three, where he re- sided eight years, then removed to section four- teen, where he purchased eighty. acres of land. On the 24th of July, 1862, he was united in mar- riage with Miss Duska Serfling. In 1873, he completed the house where he now lives. His father, Henry Mark, is living at Guthrie Centre, Guthrie county, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Adam Mark have had six children; Franklin P., Mary E., Thresa M., Emma L., William H., and Burton R. Mr. Mark is Chairman of the board of Supervi- sors. He also owns a house and lot in Preston.

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BRISTOL TOWNSHIP.

WILLIAM McGOWAN is a native of Scotland, born in March, 1825. His parents came to Amer- ica in 1841, landed in Quebec and went to Ottowa. William engaged to work on a farm, and after- wards was employed on a steamboat, but subse- quently returned to farming, and in 1856, left Canada and became a pioneer in Fillmore county, where he took land in Bristol, section thirteen. At the beginning of the war he enlisted in the Third Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, Company C. They were ordered South, and he was with his reg- iment to the last. He was taken prisoner once, but was soon paroled - and came home. In 1863, he re-enlisted at Little Rock, Arkansas, and came home on a furlough. He was discharged and mustered out in 1865. His father, whose name was William McGowan, came to Minnesota with his son, and settled in the town of Harmony, but died in 1856. His mother died in 1879. In 1865, he was married to Mrs. Margaret McGowan, widow of James McGowan, who died in 1864. They had six children; William, Mary J., who died in infancy; Eliza J., Robert, Margaret, who died when five years of age, and George. Mrs. McGowan's maiden name was Margaret Arm- strong. They have one adopted child, Charlie.

WILLIAM NELSON, deceased, came to Bristol with M. C. St. John in 1853. He had a claim in sections thirty-four and thirty-five. He was a single man, and enlisted for three months in the Second Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. At the ex- piration of his term he re-enlisted, and came home on a short furlough. He was wounded at the bat- tle of Antietam and died in about three weeks. His mother lives in Iowa, near the Minnesota line, not far from the former claim of her son.

MICHAEL O'CONNER was born at Abbey's Leaix, Queen's county, Ireland, on the 10th of August, 1831. He left his native land in 1853, and came to America, landing the 25th of September, at Boston, where he learned to make boilers, work- ing at his trade two years. In 1854, he was united in marriage with Miss J. Mulhall. He worked on a farm in Lake county, Illinois, and in 1856, came to this county, traveling by rail, steam- boat, and team, settling in Bristol and staking a claim in section three. He improved the land and built a log house in which he lived eight years, then erected the frame house in which they reside at present. He has since purchased seven hundred acres of land, and keeps a large stock of cattle.

Mr. and Mrs. O'Conner have had thirteen children; Andrew, Cicily, Elizabeth, who died on the 19th of May, 1877; Anastaria, Michael, Timothy, Alice, Frances, Martha J., Mary, Sarah, John, and Hannah.

CHANCEY F. ROBINSON was born in Erie county, New York, on the 17th of February, 1857. He at- tended school, and later worked on his father's farm. In 1873, he came to Bristol, arriving there the 9th of March. For eight years he worked on a farm in town. He was joined in marriage, in 1878, with Miss Ella M. St. John. Two years later he purchased a farm of Dyer Ellis, in section twenty-six, and moved on to it in 1881. Mr. and Mrs. Robinson have one child, Ada.

DAVID W: SEELY was born in Bradford county, Pennsylvania, in 1833. When about five years of age his parents removed to Potter county. In 1854, he was married to Miss Lydia A. Andrews. Three years later he came to this county, arriving the 5th of July' and settled in Bristol, taking a claim in section twenty-five. He improved the land and erected a dwelling house. In 1862, he joined Captain Colburn's Volunteer Company and went west to meet the Indians, going as far as Winnebago City, and returning in October. He sold his farm in 1865, and purchased one in Blue Earth county. In the latter part of April he joined a company of minute men and started in pursuit of the Indians who murdered the Jewett family. The same day he was accidentally wounded in the arm, and it was soon after ampu- tated. In June he returned to his farm, but soon sold it, purchasing his former farm in Bristol. Frank Schultz bought it of him in 1876, when Mr. Seely came to Granger, purchased two lots aud a dwelling house, in which they now reside.

M. C. ST. JOHN, one of the first settlers of this part of the county, was born in Genesee county, New York, in March, 1817, and removed with his parents to Chautauqua county, when eleven years of age. He was joined in wedlock with Miss Sally B. Reed in 1838. She is a native of Murray, Orleans connty, New York. Mr. St. John moved to Racine county, Wisconsin, in 1843, where he bought a farm, built a house, and lived ten years, when he sold and became a pioneer in Minnesota. In company with his brother he bought a claim in Bristol, also pre-empted land in section thirty- six. He built a log house, 16x22 feet, which was the first house in the town. They lived in that

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eight years, when he built the frame house in which he resides at present. Mr. and Mrs. St. John have had three children; Laura, who died in 1864, at the age of twenty-two years; Lorenzo, and Ella M.

BENJAMIN SERFLING was born in Saxony, Ger- many, in January, 1846, and emigrated to America with his parents when three years of age. They landed in New York, and came to Kane county, Illinois, where they lived until 1858, and then re- moved to Minnesota, settling in Bristol, where his father pre-empted forty acres of land in section ten. He afterward bought forty acres more and built a house, in which he lived until his death, which occurred in 1869. He was buried in Bris- tol Center Cemetery. Benjamin lived with his father until eighteen years of age, then went to Chicago, where he drove an ice wagon. He was married on April 2d, 1868, to Miss Sophia Kent. Mr. Serfling joined Frank Howe's Champion Cir- cus of Chicago, with which he traveled two years, visiting the principal cities of the Northwest. He then came to Bristol and bought a farm on section ten. In 1874, he moved to Granger and opened a billiard hall, which he still owns. In 1878, he made a visit to Kansas and came back by the way of Dakota. Mr. and Mrs. Serfling have five chil- dren; Mary, Charlie, Lee A., Laura, and Bennie.

JAMES SPRINGSTEEL was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, in 1818. When quite young he made sash and blinds, and followed that trade for one and a half years. James went to Illinois the year that Harrison was elected President, and was engaged in hunting aud trapping. He was em- ployed as a stage driver for a number of years in Indiana and Illinois. He was united in marriage in 1851, with Mrs. Mary J. Hutchinson, of Ohio: Three years later lie became a pioneer in this county, and claimed land in section thirty-four, but afterwards sold one hundred and twenty acres of . this to Granger and Lewis. He purchased one hundred and sixty acres of Isaac Vanhoughton and built the first house in the village of Granger. Mr. and Mrs. Springsteel were blessed with five children; Theodore, Cassie L., Charles E., James and Frank. His first wife is now dead. The maiden name of his present wife was Miss Mercy A. Crowell. They have one child, Stella B.

nine years of age, he removed with his parents to Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania. They settled in the wilderness and cleared a farm. Mr. Thacher married Miss Annie M. Glidden, a native of New York. They resided in Pennsylvania until 1856, when they moved to Bristol, this county, taking land in section two. He built the first frame house in the town of Bristol, and lived in it up to the time of his death, on the 14th of November, 1871. His widow departed this life on the the 20th of May, 1872. His only son, Daniel, was born in Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania, on the 4th of December, 1835. He came to Min- nesota with his parents, and now lives on the old homestead. He pre-empted one-hundred and sixty acres of land in 1857, part in Bristol, section two, and the remainder in Carimona, section thirty- five. One year after he disposed of his interest in the latter township and has since dealt exten- sively in real estate. In January, 1859, he was married to Miss Mehitable D. Page, a native of Vermont. They had three children; Ada J., Sophia M., and Orson D. In the spring of 1861, he built a barn, hauling the lumber from Mc- Gregor, a distance of eighty miles. His first wife is dead. The maiden name of his present wife was Miss Elizabeth Grooteboer. They have two children, John B. and Ray. In 1878, he built the large frame house in which they reside at present. Mr. Thacher was the first tax collector in the town.

TORGER TOLEFSON is a native of Norway, born on the 11th of October, 1818. He lived there until twenty-eight years of age, and was a farmer. He married in 1842, Miss Isabelle Felland, who was born in Norway in 1820. He emigrated to America in 1846, and landed in New York, from which place he went to Dane county, Wisconsin, and bought sixty acres of land. He lived there until 1854, then sold and came to Fillmore county. He owns a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Bristol, section eleven. He erected a log house, which had a sod roof, and the first few years he had a very hard time, having to go a great distance for seed, besides paying high prices for it. Mr. and Mrs. Tolefson have had nine children; Annie, who died in 1868; Tollef, Ole, Tone, Nellie, Esther, Jane, Grace, and Isabelle. In 1878, Mr. Tolefson built the frame house in which they now reside.

DANIEL USHER, a native of Rhode Island, was born on the 22d of February, 1825. Miss Hannah

ORSON THACHER, deceased, was a native of Ver- mont, born on the 3d of May, 1805. When about | F. Hall became his wife on the 16th of December,

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1847. Three years after, he moved to Spencer Massachusetts, where he bought a saw-mill and afterwards built a sash and blind factory in com- pany with his brother, J. S .. Usher. They remained there about seven years, then sold and went to Woodstock, Connecticut. In three years he went to North Coventry, where he remained

until 1861, thence, on the 1st of June, to Bris- tol, this county. He purchased a farm in section twenty-seven, where he lived until 1881, then re- moved to Granger, where he lives at present. Mr. and Mrs. Usher have had two children; George A., who died on the 25th of July, 1875, in bis seventeenth year; and Annie E.

CARIMONA.

CHAPTER LXII.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION-EARLY SETTLEMENT --- EARLY EVENTS-TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION-WAR NOTES- INDIAN SCARE-EDUCATIONAL -- MANUFACTURING RELIGIOUS -- CARIMONA VILLAGE-WAUKOKEE -- BIOGRAPHICAL.

This township is the southwestern of the four central townships of Fillmore county, and is bounded on the north by Fountain, on the east by Preston, on the south by Bristol, and on the west by Forestville. Its form and size is identical with the original United States survey. At least two- thirds is under cultivation, and the remainder is timber and pasture land. The original settlers found burr, white, and red oak openings, but pre- venting the annual fires, allowed the brush and timber to grow and thus produce what is called grub land. The surface is rolling, and the soil on the higher portions is a clay loam from six to ten inches deep, with a yellow clay subsoil, and on the low lands the soil is a black loam from eighteen to twenty-four inches deep, with a blue clay subsoil. At first it produced an enormous yield of wheat, but the wheat-making material seems to be ex- hausted while its corn-making properties continue to be most admirable, as also the ability to pro- duce fruit and root crops. The south branch of Root River runs across the town from section eighteen in quite a direct channel to section one, when it leaves for Preston. Willow Creek comes from Bristol and flows through the eastern tier of sections to join the south branch in section one. There are also numerous springs to assist in water- ing the town. The northern and eastern parts are particularly adapted to stock raising, while the

central, south, and southwestern sections, are well adapted to tillage.

The town was quite well filled up in 1853, al- though there were a few claims located the year previous. The nationality of the original settlers was about two-thirds Irishmen, and one-third each of Germans and Americans, and as they came with a common object to establish homes for themselves and their posterity, there has been the utmost con- cord and unity of feeling and interest.

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

The summer or fall of 1852, is supposed to be the time of the first entry of the van guard of civilization, which so rapidly encompassed this whole region. Edwin, Joseph, and W. C. Pickett, with their father, David, uatives of New York, came here from Indiana. Martin Kingsbury, also from New York, came direct from there, and the same year came Sylvester Benson, another New Yorker, and William Carpenter, with J. Howel, who located in this town. Some of them came with teams drawn by oxen, in which they encamped until a log cabin could be put up, which was 14x16 feet. The same cabin still stands in the village ..

In 1854, George and A. P. Day, natives of New York, Christopher Fritzsommers, a native of Ire- land, Samuel R. Ayer, of Canada, Peter Young, of New York, and others came in.

The earliest settlement in town, outside of the village, was that of Martin Kingsbury, William Carpenter, and Sylvester Benson, who came in the spring of 1853, and camped on Willow Creek, on section twenty-five. William Wilbur bought one . of their claims afterwards. John B. Palmer ar-

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rived in the fall of 1853, and got a farm in section nine.

W. H, Strong, who arrived in the spring of 1854, at once became a prominent citizen and built a hotel the next year, which did an immense busi- ness. William Chalfant came at the same time. The Picketts had two younger brothera, Philo and Alonzo, and their father, as already mentioned, who afterwards died. William Sitler was here a short time and then returned to Pennsylvania. William Holton came as a lad about the same period, and still lives in Carimona.

In 1855, J. W. Brackett came here and engaged in trade, but did not remain long. W. H. Roberts was a settler this year in the village. Jacob Diley was another, who came about this time. George Babcock aud Ebenezer Newcomb, from New Eng- land, are also remembered as comers this year.

This village was on the great stage route, and when navigation closed, particularly, there would be regular lines of stages, the most prominent of which was M. O. Walker's, and extras without number.

EARLY EVENTS.

In 1856, a family came to the town from Iowa. Mr. Wm. Rendals, took a claim in section thirty- one and engaged in business in section twenty-four, in Buffalo Grove. In 1858, Mr. and Mrs. Rendals both died of typhoid fever, and a supposed part- ner in the business in which they were engaged, which was the manufacture of coin, came up from Iowa and secured the machinery moulds, and a certain amount of fifty and twenty-five cent pieces all ready to be "shoved." For the convenience of the mill an ostensible blacksmith shop was erected, and in this place the counterfeiting was carried on, how extensively will never be known, as, if any of the spurious coin was passed, it was taken into a neighboring State and never issued near home. His daughter married his partner, Mr. Warren, and they went to Dakota.

It is said that a case was being tried before a Justice in town at one time, and the magistrate was found to be fast asleep when J. R. Jones, one of the attorneys, adjourned the case until the court should awake.

EARLY BIRTH .-- Orissa C. Kingsbury, a daugh- ter of Martin and Caroline Kingsbury, was born on the 19th of June, 1854. She is now married and living in Nebraska.

MARRIAGE .- In the spring of 1856, Mr. John

Warner and Miss Lizzie Rendals were united in mariage by Rev. John L. Dyer, at the residence of the bride's parents.

DEATH .- In the spring of 1855, Mr. John Woolsey died of over-heat while at work. He was buried west of the cemetery, and is supposed to be the first death in town.

A BAD MISTAKE .- At the time of the Indian panic, about the 1st of September, 1862, Mr. E. McGowan suddenly started off with the rest of the people for Preston, leaving his pocket book, con- taining $800 in cash, and on his return he found that some one had taken care of it so effectually that he never saw it again.

TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION.

In accordance with the act of the Legislature of Minnesota, approved on the 19th of March, 1858, the first town meeting was held on the 11th of May, following. The officers of the election were: Chairman, H. R. Wells; Clerk, J. T. Nickerson; Judges, Samuel Hull, Abraham Anderson, and W. T. Little.

The officers elected were: Supervisors, William H. Strong, Chairmain, J. H. Kegan, and Daniel Garrison; Justices of the Peace, E. Pickett, J. W. Brackett, and W. H. Wilbur; Clerk, Abram Kalder; Assessor, S. R. Ellis; Constable, B. B. Strong; Collector, B. B. Strong; Overseers of the Poor, W. C. Pickett, and Joseph Bisbey.

The first meeting of the board of Supervisors was on the 28th of May, when the road business received attention, the districts having been at that meeting designated and the overseers appointed. Thus the governmental were set in motion, and they have been running with little friction up to the present time, as honesty and economy have characterized town affairs.

At the last town meeting, held on the 14th of March, 1882, the following officers were elected, T. H. Morgan being Moderator: Supervisors, Joseph Price, Chairman; A. Sand, and John Healy; Clerk, O. L. King; Treasurer, W. M. Roberts; Assessor, E. F. Maloney; Justice of the Peace, H. G. Hill; Constable, John T. Healy.

At this meeting arrangements were made to build a Town Hall for town meetings, and the transaction of all town business. It is to be located on the converging corners of the four cen- tral sections in town, in the geographical center, and for this purpose a bond of $400 was author- ized. In 1876, a bond was voted to assist in build-

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ing Kramer's bridge across the south branch of Root River, and this is the extent that the town has ever been involved in debt.

CARIMONA IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION.

It is said that almost every able bodied man in town enlisted to serve their country in its hour of peril, and that the Union sentiment was well nigh universal.

THE INDIAN SCARE.

On that terrible occasion the panic in town was almost universal. The fighting material being away at the front, those that were at home felt that they were at the mercy of the bloodthirsty savages, and every soul left, as is reported, for Preston, to escape impending destruction.

SCHOOLS.

DISTRICT No. 70 was organized in 1861, with the following officers: Director, Cornelius Carl; Clerk, P. Flynn; Treasurer, James Kaygen. The location of the school building is on section thirty-two. The first school was taught the first year of its organization in the residence of Mr. M. Flynn, by Miss Lucy Okey. The schoolhouse was put up in 1862, and was of logs, 14x16 feet, and cost $300. Another house was constructed in 1873, 18x20 feet, at a cost of $600. The first school taught here was by William Allen with forty pupils.

DISTRICT No. 71 .- In 1862, this district was set apart and organized. The first Director was J. Savage; Clerk, S. Stevens; Treasurer, William Davis. A school was taught in this district in 1860, by Miss Jerusha Thacher, in Scott Steven's house, with eleven scholars. In 1863, a log build- ing was put up, 18x20 feet, in section twenty- seven. The next year Miss Alice Lancaster kept the school with fifteen pupils. The building cost $200. The present officers are Ross Workman, A. Sicking, aud Nels Johnson.

DISTRICT No. 73 .- This is the Waukokee school. In 1854, a log schoolhouse was rolled into form 16x20 feet, it had twenty scholars, and the next year the house that now exists was constructed, 20x30 feet, and furnished with a bell weighing seventy-five pounds. Miss Jessie Thacher now wields the sceptre of authority. The schoolhouse is located in section twenty-five.

DISTRICT NO. 76 .- An early school was got to- gether here and taught by Miss Ellen S. Morgan with twelve children, in Whitmore Ford's house in

section ten. The next year, 1858, the district was organized. In 1861, the house now standing was built on section eleven, 16x22 feet, the land being donated by Mr. W. Ford. The house cost $300. Mary Ford is the present teacher, with twenty- two scholars. The present officers are: . Clerk, C. Brady; Director, Frank Day: Treasurer. T. H. Morgan.

DISTRICT No. 171 .- This was not organized till 1877. The schoolhouse is on section seventeen, is 16x24 feet, and cost $300 or more. The first Director was J. Healy; Treasurer, C. Smith; Clerk, T. Delaney. The first school was taught by P. Healy, in the residence of J. Healy, with fif- teen pupils. Mary Healy is the present instructor.

MANUFACTURING.

SAW-MILL .- In the winter of 1854, the two brothers, A. R. and George Day, commenced the erection of a saw-mill on section eleven, to be ope- rated by water power, and in the spring of 1855, it was completed, and George sold his interest to his brother, who ran it till 1865, when, having sawed up most of the available lumber, the gate was shut down, and there the institution still stands as a connecting link between the past and the present.

RENDALS & WARNER'S SAW-MILL .- This was started in the fall of 1854, and run by the firm up to the time that Mr. Rendals and wife died in 1858. Afterwards the mill was secured by Mr. E. Thomas, who operated it until it was bought by William A. Miller, who dismantled the building and removed the lumber to Forestville, and it was made into a barn by John Vail. The machinery is now laying around on the Miller place. This Ren- dals was the man who was found to have been making spurious coin.

KRAMER BROTHERS FLOURING MILL. - This mill is in section one, on the south branch of Root River, and was constructed by Jacob Kramer in 1877. It is 32x72 feet, and 40 feet high, and is supplied with six run of buhr stones and four sets of rolls, which are propelled by a Lafell wheel. It is a general merchant mill and has all the modern facilities for turning out 100 barrels of choice flour each day. John Kramer is the manager.

RELIGIOUS.

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH .- The only church edifice in town is the Catholic, on section thirty-

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one, which was built in 1875, at a cost of $2,000, and is a frame structure. The first remembered mass in town was by Father Callaghan, at the house of Edward Maloney in 1857. The present priest is Father Riordau.

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History of Fillmore County, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 88

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

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