History of Fillmore County, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 90

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 90

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nation effected an organization in the schoolhouse of District No. 98, Mr. J. Oakey was class leader, and it constitutes a part of Fillmore circuit. Rev. Joseph Hanna was pastor, and Rev. W. M. Bow- dish is the present supply.

Other meetings were held as early as 1856, in another portion of the town. Rev. Benjamin Crist was the preacher, and he was followed by Rev. J. Oakey. An organization was secured with Mr. A. Buckingham as class leader. Meetings were held at stated intervals in the schoolhouse for a number of years, but finally, as the attendance fell off, Fillmore absorbed the congregation. Meetings have been held in No. 98 schoolhouse and other places, as there is still intermittent ser- vices.

SCHOOLS.

DISTRICT No. 97 .- This came into existence in 1855, at the house of A. Palmer, and that same year a schoolhouse was got up, a commodious frame structure on section thirty-two, which served a good purpose until it was sold in 1870, for $20. While it stood it was used for a Town Hall, and for a general meeting house, as well as for schools. The new house was built the last mentioned year, at a cost of abont $1,800. Mrs. Maroline Whitta- ker was the first to commence a school in the new house.

DISTRICT No. 98 .- The earliest school here was in the house of Mrs. Mackey, on section twenty, in 1858, although the district is said to have been defined in 1856. Miss Jane Green presided over the first school. The first house was put up with logs by the people of the district, and a subscrip- tion secured the shingles and windows, the first teacher to attempt to "get the hang" of the new schoolhouse wss Sedate Pebbles. In 1876, a new one was erected of brick, with a stone foundation, the whole costing $1,400. Isaac Bergen was the man to inaugurate the brick schoolhouse.

DISTRICT No. 99 .- In 1855, this district was defined and organized, and a school building erected the first year, the farmers furnishing the logs, and all turning out on a given day and put- ting up the structure on section five. Susan Rucker was the first to attempt to teach the young idea how to shoot. In 1860, this schoolhouse was transformed into smoke and ashes, and the school was suspended until 1864, when the building now found on section eight was erected.

DISTRICT No. 100 .- In the winter of 1857, a

school was opened in this district, the schoolhouse being built that year in the usual way by volun- tary contributions, on section twenty-four. Jeru- sha W. Thacher seems to have been the first teacher. The first building was used until 1875, and then a substantial brick edifice was com- pleted, at a cost of $825.

DISTRICT No. 101 .- The first school here was in the summer of 1858, and the district was put in running order that year, and a schoolhouse built. H. T. Wilson conducted the school. The house was built of those logs which seem to have been so available at that time. Each man in the dis- trict subscribed so many logs, so many nails, a window, a board or two, and so the house went up. This was the shortest way to get a school build- ing, and imposed a lighter burden than any other method, and so it was usually adopted. A new building was put up here in 1870, in section twenty-six.

JORDAN VILLAGE.

This was laid out in 1855, on the northeast quarter of section thirty-two and the southeast half of the southeast of section twenty-nine. Mr. J. M. Gillis opened a store there, and kept it going for about a year. At the same time there was a blacksmith shop put up, but the fire in its forge was never kindled, because the village never materialized, although it was put to a good use, and is now on the farm of William Hutton.

BIOGRAPHICAL.

F. P. BOWERS was born in Pennsylvania in May, 1832. He attended school and did general farm work when a boy. In 1848, he left his native State for Freeport, Stephenson county, Illinois, where he was engaged on the river, lumbering, rafting, &c. In the spring of 1854, he became a pioneer in Minnesota, and staked out a claim in Jor- dan, Fillmore county, in section seven. He re- mained but a short time on his claim, going from there to Pleasant Grove, where he built a saw-mill, the first in that section. In 1855, he assisted in the organization of a Sabbath school, of which he was superintendent two years. In 1857, he was united in marriage with Miss Anna Rawley. The same year he returned to his farm in Jordan, where he has since lived. He first built a log house, and lived in it thirteen years, when he erected a frame house. He has a family of five children; John, Clara, Edwin, Lucy, and Mattie.

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Mrs. Bowers died in 1874, at the age of thirty- four years.

WARREN H. BROWN, son of Harry Brown, was born in Wirnebago county, Wisconsin, on the 27th of February, 1851. When he was about four years of age his parents removed to Winneshiek county, Iowa, where they lived until 1856, then came to Albert Lea, Minnesota, where they were residents until 1859. They then came to this town, and his father bought a farm in section five. Warren lived at home till he was twenty-one years of age, when he went to Nebraska for one season, thence to Wisconsin. In 1873, he was joined in marriage with Miss Helen M. Daty. He resided in Sumner two and a half years, and in 1875, re- turned to the old homestead. Warren's father died in 1875, at the age of fifty years. His mother lives with him on the old place. Mr. and Mrs. Brown have had seven children, three of whom are now living; Clara, Henry, and Idell. Two pair of twins died in infancy.

WILLIAM CARPENTER was born in Herkimer county, New York, on the 23d of December, 1813. When he was about three years of age his parents moved to Oneida county, where he lived until twenty-one years old, then went to Canada. In 1835, he was united in marriage with Miss Phebe Garratt, a native of Canada. They moved to Walworth county, Wisconsin, in 1849, where he purchased a farm and lived until 1853, then sold it and came to Carimona, this county. He staked out a claim near Waukokee, but in 1854, sold it to J. Colburn, and removed to Jordan, section twenty-four. He first built a log house, and in 1870, erected the frame house in which they now reside. In 1856, he built a barn, 30x44 feet. Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter had one child, Emily. She married L. D. Crosby, and died on the 21st of September, 1880, leaving two children, Lee and May.

GROVE M. FARRINGTON was born in Herkimer county, New York, on the 19th of May, 1845. His parents moved to Wisconsin when he was eleven years of age, and settled in Baraboo, where they lived until 1858, then came to Minnesota and bought land in Jordan, section twenty-six, where his father still lives. When a boy Grove attended the district school and Chatfield Graded school, and also worked on his father's farm. On the 1st of March, 1866, he married Miss Hannah Tyson, a native of Indiana. They have four children;

Charles Alton, Burton D., Clarence H., and Ralph M. In 1876, Mr. Farrington built their present house.

E. V. FARRINGTON was born in Herkimer county, New York, in 1836. He was reared on a farm, and when twenty years old came to Baraboo, Wis- consin. He afterward made a visit to Kansas and Missouri, and then, in 1858, came to Fillmore county, locating in Jordan township, where he still owns a farm. On the 28th of December, 1865, he was married to Miss A. E. Sheldon. They have had four children, two of whom are living. Mr. Farrington has always taken an in- terest in political affairs, and while a resident of Jordan filled many af the local offices; was a mem- ber of the House of Representatives in 1875, and again in 1879. Since the last election he has filled the office of Juge of Probate.

THOMAS FERGUSON was born in county Kirkeud- bright, Scotland, in 1841. He attended school in his younger days, and when eighteen years of age was apprenticed to learn the stone-mason trade, and after three years service was employed as jour- neyman. He was united in marriage with Miss Jane McVinnie in 1863. He left Scotland in 1869, and came to America, going directly to Pitts- burgh. In the spring of 1870, he removed to Chester, Olmsted county, Minnesota, remaining one year then came to Jordan, this county, and purchased a farm in section seven, of Andrew .

Findley. Mr. Ferguson works at his trade most of the time, and when not so employed, works on his farm. In 1878, he built the Town Hall in Jordan. Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson have been blessed with seven children; Eliza, Samuel, Eu- phemia, Jennie, John, Thomas, and Violet. The third, Euphemia, a beloved daughter, died of lung fever on the 31st of October, 1874. Her remains were the first to be placed in the Washington Presbyterian Cemetery.

WILLIAM J. GREINER was born in Pennsylvania in August, 1825. When sixteen years of age he commenced to learn the carpenter trade, at which he worked as long as he remained in Pennsylvania. In 1850, he was united in marriage with Mary A. Garber, also a native of Pennsylvania. In 1857, he came to Minnesota and purchased a half inter- est in a saw and grist-mill in Jordan, his brother owning the other half. He remained here but a short time, then went back to Pennsylvania but returned in 1859, and run the mill as long as it

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was in running order. Of late years he has turned his attention to farming and stock raising, having cleared a nice farm. Mr. and Mrs Greiner have had eight children, five of who are now living; Alice, Samuel, Morris, Luther, and Miles. His brother, David Greiner, was also born in Pennsyl- vania, his birth dating in 1820. His early home was on the farm, but he afterward learned the carpenter trade also that of a millwright, which he followed until 1855, when he came west to Jordan, this county. In company with two men named Mahoney, he built the only saw and grist-mill in this town, and run it until the time of his death, on the 25th of December, 1866, at forty-six years of age.

CHARLES HANLEY was born in Ludlow, Ver- mont, in 1846. He attended school and assisted his father on his farm. When fifteen years of age he came with his parents to Jordan, where his father bought a farm in section twenty. His mother died on the 26th of April, 1870, and his father on the 4th of May 1873, at seventy years of age. Charles was united in marriage in 1869, with Charlotte A. Ault They have had two chil- dren, Ruth B. and Nellie, both dying while quite young. Mr. Hanley occupies the old homestead with his brother, and has held offices of trust in the town, being the present assessor.

PETER LOUGHREY, deceased, was born in Hunt- ington county, Pennsylvania, on the 31st of De- cember, 1798. When about eighteen years of age he removed with his parents to Ohio, where he was united in marriage with Miss Margaret Carroll .. He moved from Ohio to Illinois, lived there a few years, and thence to Iowa. In the spring of 1855, he came to Minnesota and settled in this county, in the town of Jordan, staking out a claim in sec- tion twenty-six. He improved the land and built a house in which he lived until his death, in Feb- ruary, 1882, at eighty-three years of age. His wife died on the 21st of May, 1878, aged seventy- eight years. They had eleven children, ten of whom are now living. His son, Perry A., was born in Scott county, Iowa, on the 9th of June, 1840. He came to Minnesota with his parents and made his home with them while they lived. He now oc- cupies the old homestead. Hs was united in mar- riage with Miss Julia Wilson in March, 1874. They have two children Peter F., and Perry Lee. He has been elected to offices of trust in the town and is at present one of the supervisors.

JOHN MAWER was born in Yorkshire, England, on the 29th of December, 1825. He attended school until twelve years of age when he entered an Agricultural College which he attended three years. He was then apprenticed to a gardener and served three years. He followed that voca -. tion until 1850, when he emigrated to America. He went directly to Michigan and settled in Te- cumseh where he remained one year, then was on a farm two years. In 1857, he married Margaret L. Cozad. In August, 1864, he came to Minne- sota, settling in this county, in Jordan, where he took a claim in section thirty. He has improved the land and built a good house and barn. Mr. and Mrs. Mawer have been blessed with six chil- dren, four of whom are now living; Silvia Anu, Laura A., Ida M., and Margaret Ellen. Mr. Maw- er has held several offices in the town and was the first town clerk.

GEORGE MAWER, deceased, was born in York- shire, England, in 1800. He lived on a farm, and in 1823 was married to Rebecca Reed. After his marriage he learned the weaver's trade and worked at that occupation about fifteen years when he went to farming once more. In 1850, he left his native land with his family, consisting of his wife and five children. They went to Michigan where he lived until 1854, when he came to this county, where two of his sons had been living a year. He selected a claim in Jordan, in section twenty-nine, improved the land and built a residence. They were blessed with thirteen children. His first wife died in 1852. In 1862, he married Mary Cad- walder, who died in 1870. Mr. Mawer died in 1875.

DUVALL McKENNY, son of Captain J. H. Mc- Kenny, was born in St. Louis county, Missouri, on the 8th of July, 1836. In his younger days he at- tended school in St. Louis, and later went to Prof. Sheldon's Academy in Burlington, Iowa. In 1853, he went to California where he was engaged in mining and freighting until 1867. He then came to Chatfield, Minnesota, where his father was liv- ing. In July, 1867, he married Miss Hortense R. Robbins, daughter of Marcus Robbins. The same year he purchased one hundred and seventy-five acres of land in Jordan, section thirty-one, where he now lives. He has for many years been con- nected with the M. E. church, has been secretary of the Fillmore county Camp Meeting Association, and for many years superintendent of the Sabbath

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School. Mr. and Mrs. McKenny have been blessed with three children; Mary P., Marcus R., and John H. He has been Justice of the Peace six years.

JOHN MURPHY was born in Green county, Ten- nessee, on the 24th of February, 1810. When he was four years of age his father died. His mother married again and now lives in Indiana. When he was twelve years old he went to work for himself, and was engaged at farm labor for six years. In March, 1830, he married Miss Mary Julian. He worked as a tanner until 1856, when he came to this county settling in Jordan, where he bought land in section thirteen. He has since purchased land adjoining that in Chatfield. In 1856, he bought a steam saw-mill, which he moved on his land in Jordan, and run it several years then sold to Kincaid & Doud, who moved it to Chatfield. He then erected a saw-mill on Bear Creek that runs by water-power. Mr. and Mrs. Murphy have had ten children, five of whom are living; Nancy, Catharine, Sarah, William, and Ira. Amanda died on the 29th of August, 1839, aged four years. Archibald died on the 6th of October, 1850, one year old; Almira on the 30th of April, 1879, forty-eight years of age; Oliver on the 5th of August, 1863, thirty years of age, and Caroline on the 7th of November, 1878, at the age of forty years. Mr. Murphy was one of the first board of supervisors in the town and has been elected sev- eral times since.

A. NYE was born in Washington county, Ver- mont, on the 25th of August, 1828. He remained in Vermont until, 1856, when he came to Minne- nesota and pre-empted land in Sumner, this county. He boarded with Thomas Brooks, in Jordan, and while there the house caught fire and was burned with all its contents, including Mr. Nye's trunk in which was $1,800; $400 of this was in gold which he recovered, and $1,400 in bills on the Montpelier Bank, which returned him $1,300. He was in Ver- mont until 1862, when he returned to this county and purchased a farm in the town of Jordan, sec- tion five. In 1867, he built a barn, 42x60 feet. He lived in a log cabin four years, then erected the brick house in which he now resides. In 1871, he was joined in marriage with Miss Julia Fulkerson, a native of Missouri. They have had four children; Medora, Keziah, Eliza, and Helen.

RICHARD P. OSBORNE was born in Stockholm, St. Lawrence county, New York, in June, 1820.

He attended school until seventeen years of age, when he commenced surveying with his father, who was a civil engineer. He married, in June, 1850, Miss Irene E. Wright, a native of Vermont. He was engaged in farming as well as surveying and carpentering in his native State until 1863, when he came to Minnesota and settled in the town of Jordan. In 1873, he went to Sumner and resided there two years, then came back to Jordan and bought a farm in section twenty. where he still lives. Mr. and Mrs. Osborne have had four children; Frederick N., Edwin O., Frank W., and Ira B. His father, whose name was Nathan Os- borne, was born in Lanesboro, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, m 1782. In 1817, he married Miss Jane Ann Platt, who was born in Plattsburg, Essex county, New York, in 1797. In 1802, he moved to Stockholm, where he was one of the first set- tlers. He died there in 1849. His widow is living with her son in this county.

JAMES TABOR, deceased, was born in England, on the 23d of July, 1795. In his youth he attended evening school. When fourteen years of age, he learned the wagonmaker's trade, at which he worked three years. He then entered the English Army in which he served four and a half years, and was then honorably discharged. In 1817, he way united in marriage with Miss Jane Exton. They were blessed with six children, three of whom are now living. In 1830, they left their native land for America, landed at Quebec and went from there to Montreal on a flat boat, thence to Wellington. His wife died in 1832. In 1833, he married Miss Ann H. Nash, also a native of England. He lived in Simcoe county about eighteen years, employed in farming and running a whip-saw. He furnished the lumber for the first boat that run on Lake Sim- coe. He moved from there to Waterloo county where he took two hundred acres of land. He was one of the first settlers in the township of Marysborough. He improved the land, built a house and barn, and resided there until February, 1855, when he became a pioneer in this county, taking land in Jordan, section thirty-two, where he lived until the time of his death on the 11th of June, 1869. His widow makes her home with her children, of which she had nine. Their son, C. H. Tabor, was born in Canada, on the 23d of Febru- ary, 1839. He came to Minnesota with his parents, with whom he lived until 1861. On the 1st of January, 1862, he was united in marriage with

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Miss Elizabeth McCollum. The same year he purchased a farm in section nineteen, where he still lives. They have had six children, three of them now living.

EDWARD J. WILLIAMS was born in Cherry Valley, Otsego county, New York, on the 7th of January, 1815. When he was about three years of age his parents moved to Leroy, Genesee county. His father was a millwright by trade. In about three years they removed to Canada, near Niagara. In 1835, Edward married Eliza Bennett, and in 1837, they went to Lockport, New York, where he bought a farm. In August he sold his farm to his father and engaged with Clark & Sumner, contractors, who were at work widening the canal. The next spring he bought a canal boat which he run two or three years. In 1840, his wife died, at twenty-four years of age. One year later he run a ferry boat across the Niagara River. On the 28th of January, 1843, he married Miss Eliza O. Kane. He built a house at Niagara, on the Canada side, in which he

lived until 1847, when he sold and went to Kane county, Illinois, where he purchased a farm. In 1856, he bought a steam saw-mill at Burlington, which he run a few months, then purchased a hotel which he kept one winter, then moved back to his farm. In 1858, he sold and removed to McGregor, Iowa, where he bought town lots, built a house and barn and remained two years. In 1860, he came to Minnesota and settled in the town of Chatfield, where he lived until 1872, when he bought a farm in the village of Jordan, in section thirteen. He has since improved the land and purchased more in section twenty-six. His son, George N., enlisted in August, 1863, in Company D, of the Eighth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, and was killed at the battle of Murfreesborough on the 7th of De- cember, 1864. Mr. and Mrs. Williams had twelve children; George N., Edward J., who died when a year old; John A., Mary E., who died in infancy; Mary A., Edward L., Edwin H., Wallace F., Frank- lin W., Minnie B., Georgie Etta, who died when two years old, and Freddie J.

YORK.

CHAPTER LXIV.

DESCRIPTIVE - EARLY SETTLEMENT-POLITICAL- POST-OFFICES-EDUCATIONAL-RELIGIOUS-VARI- OUS EVENTS - GREENLEAFTON - CANFIELD - CHERRY GROVE-BIOGRAPHICAL.

The town with this Saxon name was an original government township, and is second from the western line of the county on the southern tier, with Forestville on the north, Bristol on the east, Iowa on the south, and Beaver on the west. It may be said to be a prairie town, although in some parts it is quite hilly, particularly in the northeast- ern and southeastern portions, where there are some quite abrupt bluffs.

The soil is loam, varying from a light sandy to a dark clayey variety, with a large amount of hunus and usually a porous limestone foundation. Some of it, however, has a clay subsoil.

There are no large water courses in town, and the streams that do exist are remarkably peculiar,

sometimes being a raging torrent and then com- ing down to be a little rivulet, to disappear alto- gether. There are numerous springs that start up with a copious flow of water which may continue on the surface for quite a while, to finally dive down into some subterranean passage and per- haps reappear as another spring, it may be outside the limits of the town.

Unlike many other towns in the county, wells are easily sunk from ten to fifty feet, and an abundance of water procured. There is a stream that starts from a spring on section thirty-five and creeps along in an easterly direction, to leave the town near the southwest corner. Other streams come from toward the west, to be lost near the central portion. Another little creek cuts across the southwest corner, making for the Iowa River, and one also starts from section fifteen, to be joined by a branch or two in its struggles toward the Root River.

In the western part of the town, the land is

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inclined to be flat, and to secure the best results the natural drainage should be stimulated by arti- ficial methods. When the pioneer arrived there were some groves of fine timber, consisting of burr, red and white oak, which have disappeared, but there is a vigorous growth of wood now where was formerly scattering brush. The town has a good soil so situated as to be most valuable for agricultural purposes, including tillage and stock raising.

EARLY SETTLEMENT. .

This town is reported as having been first set- tled in 1854. Knud Olson and Even Knudson, natives of Norway, came here from Iowa in that year, in the month of August. . Mr. Olson took his land in sections twenty-four and twenty-five, and Mr. Knudson in sections twenty-three and twenty-six. The same month Ole Kettleson, who had been stopping in Bristol, settled on section three. Mr. Knudson lived on his farm until 1867, when he sold out and removed to Redwood county. Mr. Olson now lives on section fourteen, and Mr. Kettleson is on section fifteen.

In 1855, there were several arrivals, among them Peter McCracken, a native of Scotland, came here from New York State, and placed his sign manual on some land in sections three and ten, where he yet remains. He is a very prominent man, iden- tified with the interests of the county, and has held various public offices.

Ira Henderson, who was born in Erie county, New York, made a claim on section four on the 4th of June, the same day that Mr. McCracken did.

A. S. Adams had a place in section nine, but he has gone to Forestville.

Osman Olson came here from Wisconsin, and claimed a farm in sections fifteen and sixteen, and his widow still lives on the place.

Knud Anderson came in November and claimed the southeast quarter of section eleven.

Frank Olson, who had made a brief stay in Wis- consin, took a place in section fifteen.

Joseph Betts came from Wisconsin and occupied the northeast quarter of section fifteen.

Ole Tistleson, who afterwards moved to Iowa, located in section twenty-five.

Henry Shadwell, a native of England, settled on section three, but has since moved to Otter Tail county.

Halver Burgess, from Norway, came via Wis-

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History of Fillmore County, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 90

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

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