USA > Minnesota > Fillmore County > History of Fillmore County, Minnesota (Volume 1) > Part 13
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1877-The nineteenth legislature assembled January 2 and adjourned March 2. The second and third districts were repre- sented in the senate by C. H. Conkey and C. G. Edwards and in the house by H. C. Grover, J. M. Wheat, Frank Erickson, Dwight Rathbun, Seger Berg and P. M. Mosher.
1878-The twentieth legislature assembled January 8 and ad- journed March 8. The second and third districts were repre- sented in the senate by J. M. Wheat and C. G. Edwards and in the house by H. Christopherson, Daniel Currie, Hans Gunvalson, C. H. Colby, Francis Hall and P. M. Mosher.
1879-The twenty-first legislature assembled January 7 and adjourned March 7. The second and third districts were repre- sented in the senate by J. M. Wheat and C. S. Powers and in the house by G. C. Grover, Ole O. Stedjee, Nels Ellertson, E. V. Far- rington, J. N. Graling and Peter McCracken.
1881-The twenty-second legislature assembled January 4 and adjourned March 4. The second and third districts were repre-
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sented in the senate by J. M. Wheat and C. S. Powers and in the house by G. A. Hayes, Ole O. Stedjee, E. Lovland, J. N. Graling, P. McCracken and George Andrus. This was the first of the biennial sessions. Since that date the legislature has assembled every alternate year. An extra session of the 1881 legislature was called to consider legislation in regard to the state railroad bonds. The session commenced October 11 and closed November 13. By the apportionment of 1881, Fillmore county was made the second district, with one senator and five representatives.
1883-The twenty-third legislature assembled January 2 and adjourned March 2. The second district was represented in the senate by J. M. Wheat and in the house by R. R. Greer, A. Plummer, Burdett Thayer, R. E. Thompson and C. T. Baarnaas.
1885-The twenty-fourth legislature assembled January 6 and adjourned March 6. The second district was represented in the senate by J. M. Wheat and in the house by M. A. Maland, R. E. Thompson, O. G. Wall, O. H. Case and D. K. Michener.
1887-The twenty-fifth legislature assembled January 4 and adjourned March 4. The second district was represented in the senate by C. G. Edwards and in the house by S. G. Iverson, T. Tousley, Charles M. Colby, L. H. Prosser and O. J. Hattlestad.
1889-The twenty-sixth legislature assembled January 8 and adjourned March 23. The second district was represented in the senate by C. G. Edwards and in the house by M. A. Maland, J. H. Phillips, John N. Johnson, Orrin Turber and E. R. Morris. By the apportionment of 1889, Fillmore county remained the second district, but its representation was cut down to one sen- ator and three representatives.
1891-The twenty-seventh legislature assembled January 6 and adjourned April 20. The second district was represented in the senate by E. D. Hammer and in the house by Ole P. Had- land, J. R. Nelson and A. H. Gilmore.
1893-The twenty-eighth legislature assembled January 3 and adjourned April 18. The second district was represented in the senate by E. D. Hammer and in the house by John R. Nelson, S. A. Langum and C. I .. Wooldridge.
1895-The twenty-ninth legislature assembled January 8 and adjourned April 23. The second district was represented in the senate by R. E. Thompson and in the house by E. Johnson, D. M. Leach and C. L. Wooldridge.
1897-The thirtieth legislature assembled January 5 and ad- journed April 21. The second district was represented in the senate by R. E. Thompson and in the house by D. M. Leach, L. S. St. John and N. O. Henderson. By the apportionment of 1897, Fillmore county was constituted the fifth district with one sen- ator and two representatives.
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1899-The thirty-first legislature assembled January 3 and adjourned April 18. The fifth district was represented in the senate by R. E. Thompson, and in the house by N. O. Henderson and C. D. Allen.
1901-The thirty-second legislature assembled January 8 and adjourned April 12. The fifth district was represented in the senate by R. E. Thompson, and in the house by J. H. Burns and C. D. Allen. An extra session to consider the report of the tax commission assembled February 4, 1902, and adjourned March 11.
1903-The thirty-third legislature assembled January 6 and adjourned April 12. The fifth district was represented in the senate by R. E. Thompson, and in the house by J. H. Burns and S. A. Nelson.
1905-The thirty-fourth legislature assembled January 3 and adjourned April 18. The fifth district was represented in the senate by R. E. Thompson, and in the house by O. N. Thundale and Burdett Thayer.
1907-The thirty-fifth legislature assembled January 8 and adjourned April 24. The fifth district was represented in the Senate by S. A. Nelson, and in the house by O. N. Thundale and Burdett Thayer.
1909-The thirty-sixth legislature assembled January 5 and adjourned April 22. The fifth district was represented in the senate by S. A. Nelson, and in the house by Burdett Thayer and John Rustad.
1911-The thirty-seventh legislature assembled January 6 and adjourned April 19. The fifth district was represented in the senate by S. A. Nelson, and in the house by John O. Rustad and Thomas Frankson.
CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATION.
The first congressional district in which from the time of the admission of Minnesota as a state Fillmore county has been included, has been represented in congress as follows: J. A. Cavanaugh, Democrat, March 12, 1859, to March 4, 1859; Will- iam Windom, Republican, March 4, 1859, to March 4, 1869; Morton S. Wilkinson, Republican, March 4, 1869, to March, 1871; Mark H. Dunnell, Republican, March 4, 1871, to March 4, 1883; Milo White, Republican, March 4, 1883, to March 4, 1887; Thomas Wilson, Democrat, March 4, 1887, to March 4, 1889; Mark H. Dunnell, Republican, March 4, 1889, to March 4, 1891; W. H. Harries, Democrat, March 4, 1891, to March 4, 1893; James A. Tawney, Republican, March 4, 1893, to March 4, 1911; Sidney A. Anderson, progressive Republican, March 4, 1911, to March 4, 1913.
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Until Minnesota became a state it had only one representa- tive in congress, a territorial delegate, who was not allowed to vote. The first territorial delegate from Minnesota was Henry H. Sibley, who was first sent ostensibly as a delegate from the territory of Wisconsin, though living on the present site of Men- dota at the mouth of the Minnesota river. He sat as a territorial delegate from January 15, 1849, to December 5, 1853. He was succeeded by Henry M. Rice, who served until December 7, 1857. W. W. Kingsbury was elected to succeed him and served until December 6, 1858. As has been noted, the United States senate February 23, 1857, passed an act authorizing the people of Min- nesota to form a constitution preparatory to their admission to the Union. In accordance with the provisions of this enabling act, a constitutional convention was held July 13, 1857, at the terri- torial capital. October 13, 1857, an election was held, when the constitution was adopted and a full list of state officers elected. Three congressmen were also elected at this time: George L. Becker, W. W. Phelps and J. M. Cavanaugh. But it was after- ward found that Minnesota was entitled to only two congressmen and the matter was amicably adjusted by the withdrawal of Mr. Becker. By this election the Messrs. Phelps and Cavanaugh became the first members of congress from the state of Minnesota.
In the winter of 1857-58 the legislature divided the state into two congressional districts, the southern part becoming the first congressional district and the northern part the second, Fill- more county thus becoming a part of the first congressional dis- trict. By the apportionment of 1872, the state was divided into three congressional districts. The first district contained the counties of Winona, Houston, Olmsted, Fillmore, Dodge, Steele, Mower, Freeborn, Waseca, Faribault, Blue Earth, Wartonwan, Martin, Jackson, Cottonwood, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone and Rock.
By the apportionment of 1881 the state was divided into five congressional districts. The first district contained the counties of Houston, Fillmore, Mower, Freeborn, Steele, Dodge, Olmsted, Winona and Wabasha.
By the apportionment of 1891 the state was divided into seven congressional districts. The first district contained the counties of Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca and Winona.
By the apportionment of 1901 the state was divided into nine congressional districts. This apportionment has continued to the present day. The first district now consists of the counties of Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca and Winona.
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CHAPTER X.
EARLY DAYS.
Early Routes of Travel-Difficulty of Carting Produce to Market -Hardships Endured by the Pioneers-Changes in Methods of Agriculture-Stories and Incidents Which Are Now Nearly Forgotten-The Fillmore County Moonshiners-By William Willford.
More than a half century ago when the staple crop in Fillmore county was wheat, a "state line" or main thoroughfare was established that crossed the township of Newburg near Mabel. It started as far west as range 13 and over it the early settlers of the southern part of Fillmore county, and the northern part of Howard and Winneshiek counties in the state of Iowa, traveled to market their wheat and dressed pork at Brownsville, Minn., and La Crosse, Wis., both on the Mississippi river. The distance from the eastern part of Fillmore county to Brownsville was about forty miles, and to La Crosse about fifty-five miles, but many of the settlers had to travel from sixty to sixty-five miles to reach these market points. This route took an easterly direction by Elliota and entered Newburg township (town 101, range 8), near the southwest corner of section 31; then running in a north- easterly direction ; crossing sections 27 and 26; and passing a hamlet on section 25 known as Belleville. The route entered Houston county, in section 30, town 101, range 7. thence running in a northeasterly direction across Houston county, by the way of what was known by the teamsters as Norwegian Ridge, through Caledonia to Brownsville.
Another market thoroughfare started in the south central part of Fillmore county, running in an easterly direction, by the way of Lenora and Newburg in Fillmore county, and Riceford in Houston county, and making a union with the state line route on Norwegian Ridge. All the teamsters that desired to market at La Crosse, left this main thoroughfare at Caledonia, and going by the way of Hokah could reach La Crosse by crossing the Missis- sippi river on a ferry boat.
The grain and pork was marketed in the late fall and in the winter time, but largely in the winter months. The marketing of wheat in the winter time was what tried the settlers as to their grit and endurance, especially when the thermometers registered
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30 and 35 degrees below zero, and the ground was covered with about a foot or more of snow. At times it was not so cold, but the teamsters had to encounter a good stiff wind that made huge snowdrifts, and filled the sleigh tracks full of snow immediately after they were made, so that the teams had to be depended on to follow the road, as it was impossible for the drivers to discern them. The teams used at this period on the farms and the hauling of grain to market were of both oxen and horses.
The clothing of the settlers in the fifties was mostly home- made and largely flannel and a fabric called linsey. The settlers when marketing their wheat and pork in the winter time were clad in the following manner: Flannel undershirt and drawers; linsey shirt; a vest; a coat ; home-made woolen pantaloons that were lined; a cloth, muskrat or coonskin cap; and woolen mittens faced with cloth or deerskin. The footwear consisted of a pair of woolen socks, and cow hide boots. Overcoats and overshoes were to them unknown. In the latter part of the fifties came a substitute for the cow hide boots known as "shoe packs," which were made out of cow hide that was tanned with what was called the "oil process" and made similar to an Indian moccasin, with two straps coming together over the instep of the foot and fastened with a buckle. Later another style of footwear was used, called "boot packs," made of the same kind of material, and the same shape as the "shoe packs" only with the leg added.
The loads of wheat hauled over this great thoroughfare con- sisted of thirty to forty bushels to each load and it usually took Fillmore county settlers three days to market a load of wheat or pork in favorable weather. But it often required one or two days longer to make the trip when the snow was deep and the weather cold and stormy. If the roads were badly cut up with "pitch holes" the locomotion was very slow and tedious indeed.
In the winter of 1856 and 1857 the "pitch holes" were so large that a great portion of the farmers sold their loads of wheat in Caledonia to a man who was prepared to buy in emergency cases, paying 20 to 30 cents per bushel and perhaps making part payment in goods out of his store, for which he charged almost unheard of prices. The market price for No. 1 wheat in Browns- ville and La Crosse in the fifties ranged from 30 to 60 cents per bushel. In 1857, the time of the panic, Fillmore county settlers delivered dressed pork in La Crosse and sold it for $2 per hundred weight and were paid off in what was called "wild cat" money that might, perhaps, be worth its face value when the settler arrived home, or might not be worth a penny. In June, 1858, the writer delivered a load of good No. 1 wheat in McGregor, Iowa, and sold it for 45 cents per bushel. It took four days to make the trip.
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C. A. Webster, better known as "Put" Webster, had an experi- ence with "pitch holes" when on one of his trips to Brownsville in wheat growing times. He left his home in Winneshiek county, Iowa, on a midwinter day in the fifties, when the ground was covered with a thick blanket of snow, with a horse team hitched to a long sled on which was loaded about forty bushels of wheat. His brother T. R., with a team and also a load of wheat, accom- panied him, both bound for Brownsville. All went well and no trouble was experienced in crossing the "pitch holes," which they found to be many, until they had passed the point on Nor- wegian Ridge, where the Lenora, Newburg and Riceford route formed a junction with the state line route, and from there the "pitch holes" became more numerous and larger. In one of these huge "pitch holes" the roller to which the tongue of Mr. Webster's sled was fastened broke, thereby leaving him remote from any habitation with a tongueless sled, and no way of repair- ing it. Thoughtfully, on leaving home, he had put a log chain in his sleigh box, which he could use in case of an accident or emergency. He got the chain and fastened it to the ends of the runners of his sled, and the whiffletrees to the center of the chain. As he was putting the tongue of his sled on the load of wheat he discovered a score or more of wheat haulers coming behind him. In an instant a thought flashed in his mind that if all those teams succeeded in passing him he would be doomed for a night's drive, as all the hotels would be filled. He hastily hitched his horses to his tongueless sled and seating himself on the load, not forgetting to brace himself well with his feet and legs, he started for Hotel Burns, four miles west of Caledonia. He went down in the "pitch holes" at an angle of 45 degrees on the double quick, and out at about the same angle but not the same speed. He soon arrived at the hill going east off of Nor- wegian Ridge, and on casting his eyes down the long and steep descent hesitated for a moment whether he dared to risk taking the perilous ride that flashed before his imagination. But as he was speeding rapidly down the hill he determined to take his life in his hands and chance the result. He beckoned to those ahead of him to get out of the road, which they did instantly, and away he went at a breakneck speed, the farther the faster, until he reached the bottom of the hill, and at this time the momentum was so great that he soon was at the top of the hill toward Hotel Burns. He arrived at Hotel Burns in advance of the score or more of teams that followed him, repaired his sled and made the round trip in the usual time.
The log cabins of the Fillmore county pioneers were not a pretty bit of architecture, but the settlers did not contemplate remaining always in such an humble and primitive habitation. It
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was "tough sledding," especially in 1857, which was the time of the panic, but they stuck to their claims and raised wheat which they were compelled to market at some point on the Mississippi river, and by and by many of them built frame buildings which were not so pretentious as are the houses of today, but in those days, by comparison, fine mansions. All the while they worked from daylight to darkness, and when they could no longer see their way to plow and hoe in the fields they worked with their brain-planning to solve the many problems of life in frontier Minnesota, for Fillmore county back in the fifties was real frontierish in its environment.
When the panic of 1857 struck Fillmore county it was sparsely settled, and many of the settlers who were somewhat isolated from their neighbors became discouraged and gave up. They had braved the hardships of pioneering as long as they cared to, they remembered the trail that led them Minnesotaward, and many a dilapidated covered wagon squeaking aloud for want of axle grease trundled its way across the hills, valleys and fertile prairies out of Minnesota and back to Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and other of the older states, never to return. Truly the outlook at this period was very discouraging. But many of the middle-aged and the young men who came here from an old settled country and who financially were poor were fortified with two attributes of success foresight and grit. Their foresight told them that the discouraging conditions were only temporary. Their grit gave them the necessary staying power. Those that stayed had their judgment verified, and although they suffered extreme privations, a few years brought a gradual change for the better. Even then prosperity was written only in the dictionary, and dictionaries were scarce in Fillmore county those days. But through it all the men of grit and foresight battled on, and after a while they moved from their first frame house into a better one-very much the same type of architecture, but larger. The pioneers of Fillmore county have only done as hundreds, yes, thousands of other Minnesota pioneers have done. All over Min- nesota such men and such successes are written in local history. While it is a tribute to the men, it is also a tribute to the state- a vindication of the foresight of the early day optimist, and a refutation of the once widespread belief that Minnesota was a God forsaken stretch of waste land unfit for habitation other than Indians, wolves, owls and rattlesnakes. The man who had faith and who backed his faith by sticking to his cabin is now reaping a reward of luxury in a land of fulfillment; and today may be seen in Fillmore county as fine farms, with splendid houses and commodious barns, as can be found anywhere in a month of travel. The man who lacked faith and who abandoned his log
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cabin and his claim more than a half century ago is (if living) in many instances now out looking for another claim on which to erect another log cabin in another untried country-a victim of lost opportunity.
Sometimes an early settler in the first part of the fifties made claim to enormous tracts of timber land that was well supplied with springs and spring brooks, and like the native Winnebago Indian felt that he was monarch of all he surveyed. One of those greedy specimens of humanity, who perhaps had never heard of the golden rule, lived on section 10, town 101, range 9, and laid claim to the greater part of sections 10, 11, 14 and 15, in town 101, range 9. When a new settler (who was sometimes called a "tenderfoot") appeared on his domain the speculator would say to him, "I can fit you out with a location and will sell you a part of my claim." The price was fixed according to the location and which ranged from $200 to $600 a quarter section. The new claim seeker, not conversant with the United States land laws at that time, would pay the price asked for a claim, obtaining no more nor less than simply the speculator's consent for the "ten- derfoot" to settle on the land, as the title was vested in the government of the United States. In making this deal perhaps nearly all of his ready cash was gone. He built a log cabin as a home for himself and family, and then had to "fish or cut bait" in order to support his family. This was not the only "land shark" in Fillmore county, as a score could be named. As soon as they disposed of their entire holding they had settled on, another location was mapped out, and again they were watching for a victim. And today if any of those early day "claim huck- sters" own a farm in the county it is considered a poor one, worth $40 to $50 per acre, while other farms are selling at $70 to $125 per acre.
With many of the present generation there seems to be a query as to why the first settlers in the fifties located on such rough land while there were good claims to be had on the fertile prairie. This is very easily answered. They certainly had good reasons for so doing, and they were-wood and water. In the first settlement of the country many springs were to be found in the hilly and timbered sections of the country from which flowed the best of clear water from the fountain head. In the fifties there were some settlers that located on the prairie and hauled their needed supply of water from the nearest spring or spring brook. It is said that some of the early settlers on Highland prairie hauled water a distance of more than five miles. At this period well drilling machines were unknown in Fillmore county. The first well drilling contrivance that was operated in this part of the county was in 1858 and 1859 on the farm of Gorwood
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Bursell, Sr., on section 36, town 101, range 9. It consisted of a kind of spring pole arrangement and was operated by the foot. The hole drilled was about four inches in diameter, and about twelve inches a day constituted a day's work drilling. The pro- curing of water was a success, but the quantity was not sufficient to satisfy a 1,400-pound ox a single day, as the output was only about four pails full of water in twenty-four hours. The quality was excellent and I can say from an experience that it was astonishing how it would quench thirst.
Some of the farm vehicles and tools used by the early settlers of our country in the fifties were lumber wagons, bob sleighs of home manufacture, sleds with long runners of home manufacture, "A"-shaped harrows, wood beam crossing and breaking plows, cradles to cut the grain, scythes to cut the grass, hand rakes to rake the hay and the grain from the swath, single and double shovel corn plows, spades, shovels, axes, hoes, iron wedges, bettles or mauls used to split the rails for fencing, frows to rive out the shakes or clapboards to cover the log cabin, and a limited num- ber of carpenter tools. Five or more settlers would own a fan- ning mill to clean their grain, and in the first few years of settle- ment an eight-horse sweep power separator threshed all the grain grown in two or more townships.
At this period it was about 150 miles to the nearest railroad, which was the Illinois Central; forty to seventy-five miles to markets, which were at Mississippi points; ten to thirty miles must be traveled to obtain a supply of groceries and flour; and one to twenty-five miles to mail or receive a letter. The children had to travel one to five miles to school, and church-going people had to travel one to ten miles to church.
The church services were held in a schoolhouse, if one was conveniently located; if not, the services were held in a settler's log cabin. On the Sabbath day, when church services were to be held, ox and horse teams that were hitched to lumber wagons with board seats placed on the top of the wagon box seating from two to eight persons in each wagon, were seen coming from every direction to the house appointed for worship.
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