USA > Minnesota > Fillmore County > History of Fillmore County, Minnesota (Volume 1) > Part 29
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In 1876 a mill was built, surrounding farmers subscribing for most of the stock. The manager died a few years later and the machinery was reclaimed by the company from which it had been purchased. After remaining in idleness for several years the building was fitted up as an elevator and used until 1907 exclu- sively for cleaning grain in transit. Since that year it has been operated as a farmers' elevator, the volume of business increasing each year until 1911, when the season's shipments reached a total of slightly over 127,000 bushels of all cereals, with a money value of $200,000.
G. P. Haslerud was agent at this station from 1874 to 1903. He resigned rather than pay exhorbitant premiums demanded by surety company which bonded employes of the express company. He is now manager of the Peterson Hardware Co.
Municipal History. Peterson was organized as a village April 15, 1909. Burdett Thayer, assisted by Nels J. Amble, drafted the bill to incorporate 320 acres. The bill was introduced in Jan- uary, 1909, in the Minnesota legislature, and passed both houses successfully, becoming effective in February of the same year. Immediately after the passing of the bill the organization was undertaken. Details of the organization and incorporation were perfected and the first election took place April 27, 1909, in the office of Nels J. Amble. The judges of election were John Skar- stad and John Smaby. The clerk of election was A. O. Boyum. The officers elected were: President, Nels J. Amble; trustees, N. J. Smaby, Olaus Ensberg, C. R. Moen; treasurer, O. S. Retrum; clerk, Carl Johnson; justices, O. A. O. Moen, I. A. Boyum; con- stables, C. J. Wolstad, W. A. Wenneson (the latter did not qualify) ; assessor, Elmer Halvorson.
1910-President, N. J. Smaby; trustees, Olaus Ensberg, A. O. Boyum, J. P. Quickstad; treasurer, O. S. Retrum; clerk, Carl
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Johnson; justices, J. C. Dayton, J. J. Skarstad; constables, B. C. Benson, Ole P. Bye.
1911-President, Nels J. Amble; trustees, Olaus Ensberg, J. P. Quickstad, A. O. Boyum; treasurer, O. S. Retrum; clerk, Carl Johnson; justice, Carl A. Smaby ; assessor, Elmer Halvorson.
1912-President, N. J. Amble; trustees, J. P. Quickstad, A. O. Boyum, N. J. Smaby ; treasurer, T. R. Benson; clerk, Carl John- son; justice, George Austad; constables, M. B. Gullickson, Fred Green. C. A. Smaby, elected justice in 1911, resigned May 1. this year.
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milo white
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CHAPTER XXII
CHATFIELD CITY AND TOWNSHIP.
Location and Advantages-Early Days-Reminiscences of Hon. Milo White-Chatfield in 1858-Land Office-Municipal His- tory and Public Improvements-Commercial Club-Early Settlement of Chatfield Township-Land Office Records.
Chatfield, the metropolis of northern Fillmore county, and southern Olmsted county, has a population of 1,228, being ex- ceeded in population by but one city in Fillmore county, and but one city in Olmsted county. It has been known for its progressiveness since the earliest days, hav- ing at one time wrested the county seat honors from Wi- nona. Here were enacted many of the important incidents of of the early days of Fillmore county. The city is now prosper- ous, has a fine electric light and waterworks system, is well shaded, has many fine walks, and excellent streets, good schools, many churches, ample fire protection, a public library and rest room, extensive telephone service, two banks, a progressive newspaper, a hustling Commercial club, many handsome resi- dences, and the usual amount of business and professional activities.
Chatfield is on the left bank of the Root river, fifty miles from its confluence with the Mississippi, and at the mouth of Chatfield creek. It is on a broad and picturesque plateau, forty feet or so above the river toward which it gently in- clines. It commands an extensive prospect in all directions, except the northwest, where abrupt buffs interpose. Numer- ous springs gush out from the hillside. Looking north the valleys of three rivers challenge the admiration of the be- holder; looking west the eye can feast on forest scenery, and southeasterly, as the valley expands, beautiful farms with wood- land and prairie and bold headlands meet the admiring gaze, and eastward is seen a picturesque bluff with a high and fertile prairie beyond.
A brief directory of the principal business houses would read as follows:
General dry goods stores, C. H. White, Strafford & Atchison, F. W. Shimer, C. M. Culver. Hardware, H. H. Heydon, John
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Blonigan, George Underleak. Plumbing, L. M. Lumbard. Drugs, F. G. Barnard & Son, E. W. Buzzell & Co. Clothing, P. H. Laivell, F. A. Mundell. Groceries, Otto Rippe. Wonder store, H. C. Graves. Meat markets, Anthony Sharp, Henry & Siegel. Restaurants, Olson restaurant, O'Keef restaurant. Glove factory, A. E. Briggs. Harness, H. E. Nelson, E. J. Suther- land. Coal and grain, Caw & Lynch, Western Elevator Co. Lum- ber, Chatfield Lumber Co., Independent Lumber Co. Under- taker, J. P. Williams. Furniture, Towey & Hoffman, Hans Jorgensen, J. L. Etnier, C. H. Anderson. Notions and crockery, Frank Underleak. Monuments, F. A. Jennings. Photographer, A. A. Houghton. Tailor and ladies' furnishings, S. L. Peterson. Bakery, N. Seeley. Implements, E. J. Sutherland.
EARLY HISTORY.
A former publication has said: "The first man to arrive at the point where the city of Chatfield now stands was T. B. Twiford, who passed through here in 1853, on his way from below to Winona, and the situation so attracted his attention, that he induced a party of eleven persons to return with him, and the village was laid out, and slowly at first, buildings be- gan to be erected. G. W. Willis and James McClellan, with William B. and E. B. Gere, T. J. Safford, S. A. Sturgis and others were of the party.
"The first building put up in the village was a log tavern on the corner of Main and First streets. G. W. Willis was the proprietor, who kept it for some time, and then S. A. Sturgis and Isaac Day managed it. Simeon Crittenden came from Ohio and arrived here on September 20, 1854. He preempted a claim near town and went into the carpenter and real estate busi- ness. Dennis Jacobs came in August, 1854, located in the vil- lage, and remained here until 1880. J. C. Easton was an early settler and went into the banking business. Henry Wilder bought a stock of goods in 1854, which he exposed for sale in a log building. Solomon Ashley got here in July, 1854, and put up a house and went into the boarding house business. Frank Whitney came here in 1854, and took some land about a mile and a half from the village, in the south, and in two years went to Pilot Mound. Jack Bolsinger came here from Iowa in 1854, and opened a store, and continued the business two years. F. A. Coffin, in 1854, located north of the town. J. Mcclellan commenced the erection of a store and dwelling, and a stock of goods was put in. This was on the corner of Fillmore and First streets. Gere & Edwards started a real estate office in 1854, and this business seemed to flourish, for in 1858, there
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were thirteen real estate firms in town. The first sawmill was started in 1854, by T. B. Twiford, and before completion was purchased by Col. J. R. Jones who completed it. The mill was run by waterpower, and was equipped with a sash saw. T. J. Safford put up a store and placed a stock of goods in it, and also lived in the same building. The postoffice was estab- lished in 1854."
Reminiscences of Hon. Milo White. Hon. Milo White, the venerable former congressman now living in Chatfield, reached this place in 1855. He has written the following article for this history regarding the early days:
May 10, 1855, I arrived in Chatfield and found a stopping place or hotel kept by Isaac Day in a log house built in 1854. This hotel was a comfortable place. T. J. Safford and Alexan- der Sturgis each had a general store. G. M. Gere had a shoe shop. James McClellan had built a frame house in 1854, and in the winter of 1854-55 opened a little store in the front end of it. J. R. Jones had a sawmill on Mill creek, near the school sec- tion in what was afterward named Elmira township, Olmsted county, the townships then being unnamed. Mr. Jones was a lawyer, a prominent and honored citizen.
There was little else here in the way of business. Every- one was talking land. Many of the few settlers had claims to sell, although their titles consisted only of their names, or the names of their friends, written in pencil on the stakes set by the government surveyors at the corner of each quarter section.
July 4, 1855, I started for Decorah, Iowa, with our horses to buy flour. I found my way to the state line at Elliota, al- though no work had as yet been done on the road. The in- born spirit of patriotism broke out and a celebration was held. Thus, wherever a few American citizens are gathered together, in the cities, in the country, on the frontier or in foreign lands, the glorious Fourth is honored and reverenced, and I hope it ever will be.
Northern Iowa had been settled before southern Minnesota, and we were thus enabled to obtain flour in the summer and dressed pork in winter.
The fall rains of 1855 had made the trails very difficult for travel, and the journey was very hard on our horses. In those days horses did practically all the cartage for the people of Fillmore and Olmsted counties. I remember that once, on such a trip, coming from Decorah, we found that we could not get our wagon across the south branch of the Root river at Pres- ton. So we crossed on our horses and helped build a bridge across the mill race which John Kaercher had built to furnish power for his mill. The next day we found another barrier in
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Watson's creek. The creek was very deep, but narrow, and fortunately I found a large tree which had blown down across the creek. Consequently, using this tree as a bridge, I car- ried the flour across on my back in hundred pound sacks. Then we put the team through the creek, and arrived home just in time to find the people dividing up their last flour, giving a few pounds to each family.
In 1856 the population of Chatfield had increased and schools and churches were organized. The Baptists built a church in 1856, and others later. A schoolhouse was built in 1856, and a school on the north side in Olmsted county became district one, in that county. H. E. Loomis, the first teacher in this dis- trict one, Olmsted county, is still living here, after more than five decades and a half. Mrs. C. C. Onstine, reputed to be the first public school teacher in Fillmore county is also liv- ing here.
It was in 1856 that the land office was moved from Browns- ville to Chatfield, and a large influx of population set in to the village and the surrounding country. Land became an ar- ticle of trade. Eighty acres of good land could be obtained for a pair of horses. Or a man could pay a little money down on a piece of land, and give a mortgage for the rest. Farms were opened, new houses were erected in the village, and it seemed that the wave of prosperity was well on its way.
But 1857 found many of the people out of money, and the trade slackened, causing the failure of many of the merchants. In 1857 the wheat was a complete failure, and then ensued the hard times. Then came the year 1858 with its good crops, and thereupon began the shipments of wheat, which was exchanged for the money which the farmers so badly needed. Then in- deed the horse became man's best friend, carrying the produc- tions of the fertile land to the Mississippi river, and bringing back supplies and lumber.
Hauling wheat became a regular business when the great crop of 1859 was harvested. It required labor to take the wheat, clean it, sack it and load it to be hauled to Winona, and so I built a small warehouse, being the first to pay cash for grain in our town.
In the winter we had our goods shipped to La Crosse and hauled by team from there. I remember that one of my wheat teams got in the river and was drowned. A box of hardware of mine and some of the other goods which the team was carting are in the river yet for all I know.
The wheat trade gave employment to many, and the young men who were opening farms needed to earn all the money they could.
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The crop of 1860 was very good and was not all sold when our piping times of peace was broken in 1861 by the war. I never shall forget the day Fort Sumpter was fired upon. I was in Milwaukee at the time. The people were excited. A dry goods box was put on a street and patriotic speeches made. Re- grets were expresed for the effect it would have but no one expected four years of bloody conflict.
Chatfield did its duty and sent her quota of good soldiers when Abraham Lincoln called for men. Those who intending to get into the First Regiment had to go as Company A of the Sec- ond Regiment. Captain Bishop returned a general. His company made an honorable record. Many men who enlisted left their wives and children poorly provided for, especially those that stayed four years. Yet those blessed women would suffer and toil in silence through the war.
We stay-at-homes did not long enjoy all peace, for in 1862 the Indian War came with all its horrors. Gov. Alexander Ram- say authorized proper agents to take supplies for the Indian fighters who were defending the frontier and they came and took from my store such as they pleased, which the state paid for later. Some who had gone from here and settled far west came flocking back to safety, saying the Indians were not far away and would soon be here unless effective work was done. That induced volunteers to go out and that cleared the sulkers off the prairies west of us, the battle of New Ulm helped stay the on-coming savages and the hanging of thirty-seven Sioux on one scaffold had a very quieting effect. The Indians had no doubt grievances and knew no other way to get redress than by murdering women and children, though we hope that they have learned of better ways.
Now, after fifty-seven years of life here and more than eighty in all, we lay down the work for others to carry on and we recall many incidents of the past in our life, and are happy in knowing that we helped make a prosperous state with more than two million people.
Reminiscences of G. H. Haven. G. H. Haven, who has been prominently identified with the growth of Chatfield for many years, has prepared for this work an article dealing with these early days when Chatfield was the metropolis of southern Min- nesota. His article follows :
The land upon which the original town plat of Chatfield is situated was entered at the United States Land Office at Browns- ville, Minn., as follows: The northwest quarter of section five, town 104, range eleven, by Grove W. Willis on August 10, 1854; the northeast quarter of section six, same town and range, by Thomas B. Twiford on August 8, 1854. The plat of the village
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was filed for record August 28, 1854. At various dates thereafter additions to the original plat have been platted and recorded, including T. B. Twiford's Addition, Twiford & Co.'s Addition, Bristol & Jacobs' Addition, A. T. Kinson's Addition, O'Ferrell's Addition and in recent years J. R. Jones' and L. A. Johnson's Additions.
The first boom for Chatfield came in the spring of 1856 when the United States Land Office was moved here from Brownsville, Minn. This brought a considerable influx of population, including, during the year 1856, a number of men who afterwards filled public and other offices of importance in the state and territory. Among these were C. G. Ripley, afterwards chief justice of the state; Gordon E. Cole, who became attorney general; Charles McElrath, later auditor of the state; James M. Cavanaugh, one of the first members of congress from Minnesota ; James B. Power, afterwards land commissioner of the Northern Pacific Railway, and William B. Gere, United States marshal of the state of Minnesota.
When the first call for troops was made at the beginning of the Civil War in April, 1861, the Chatfield Guards, a militia com- pany, which had been in training for some time, responded to this call, most of its members volunteering in defense of their country. They were ready to start for Fort Snelling in April, but as the first regiment of the Minnesota volunteers was filled from towns nearer St. Paul, they did not leave Chatfield until June 22, 1861, becoming Company A of the Second Regiment, J. W. Bishop being captain and Charles Haven first lieutenant. The latter died at Nashville during the early part of the war and Captain Bishop rose to the rank of brigadier general by brevet, which position he held at the close of the war. Companies for the Fifth, Eighth and Eleventh Regiments were largely recruited from Chatfield and its vicinity, and many enlisted in other regi- ments than those mentioned. The volunteers from Chatfield and the surrounding country had an honorable and many of them a brilliant record in the Civil War.
One of the most notable movements in Chatfield at an early day was the establishment of the Chatfield Academy in Septem- ber, 1858, with J. W. Bishop, afterwards colonel of the Second Regiment, as principal and Sarah J. Knight as assistant principal. This really excellent school attracted students from Winona and Rochester during its first year and continued for several years, when, after a system of graded schools had been provided for, its existence was no longer a necessity and it gave place to the public schools.
Chatfield wrestled with the railroad problem for more than twenty years before a railroad was finally built to the town. The
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Root River Valley Railroad, a land grant road, was surveyed through the town in 1857, but no actual work was done on any road towards Chatfield until 1868. At that time $65,000 bonds were voted, payable upon the completion of a branch extending from a point on the Southern Minnesota, near Fountain, to Chat- field. Nearly one-half of the work in grading this branch was done in the years 1868-1869, when, on account of lack of funds, the project collapsed and was never revived. Various surveys were made and different projects considered from time to time, but it was not until 1878 that a branch of the Chicago & North- western was actually completed to Chatfield, the first train pass- ing over the branch in November of that year. Chatfield con- tributed $35,000 to the cost, the adjoining town of Elmira $10,000 and Jordan $5,000.
Small stores were conducted in 1854 and 1855 by James McLellan (said to be the first merchant in Chatfield), Bolsinger & Simons, T. J. Safford and possibly others, but it was not until 1856 that large and well assorted stocks of general merchandise were brought to Chatfield, the principal stores at that time being conducted by Bailey & White, S. A. Sturgis, Sebring & Sawyer, Augustus Haven, Forres & McLarty, and T. J. Safford. The business of Milo White, of the first named firm, succeeding to its business in 1857, was continued without interruption until he sold to his son, Charles H. White, in 1901, who still maintains the business. Augustus Haven, at his death in 1863, was succeeded by his son, George H. Haven, who operated the store until 1888 when he closed it out and bought the Root River Bank from J. C. Easton. Safford was succeeded at an early day by Charles M. Lovell, whose business was continued, from his death in 1892, by Frank W. Shimer. Levi Bemis was a prominent merchant in Chatfield for many years, being succeeded by Culver & Gould and Charles M. Culver. The first hardware store was established in 1856 by Badger & Harris, and the first drug store soon after by Eggleston & Barnard, succeeded by F. G. Barnard and F. G. Barnard & Son, by whom it is conducted at the present time.
"The Chatfield Democrat," the first newspaper, was estab- lished in 1856 and published continuously until 1902, when it was consolidated with the "News," and is still published as the "News-Democrat." "The Chatfield Republican" was established soon after the "Democrat," but after being published a few years, was removed to Preston.
The original flouring mill was opened for business in 1857 by Samuel T. Dickson and was operated until it burned down. A large flouring mill was built two miles from the city in 1874 by Dickson, Easton & Johnson, at the cost of $50,000. Wheat raising having since been almost entirely abandoned, it became unprofit-
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able, and the building and power have for some years been used by the Chatfield Electric Light Company. Other flouring mills in Chatfield and its immediate vicinity have been operated by James M. Cussons and John J. Beitzan. The Chatfield Woolen Mill was established by Griswold & Crissey in 1867 and successfully con- ducted by this firm and its successors until July, 1896, when the mill was totally destroyed by fire.
The country in the vicinity of Chatfield, with its numerous creeks and the two branches of Root river, is especially adapted to dairying. A cheese factory was conducted in the village for several years with moderate success. In the year 1881 the cheese factory property was purchased by the Chatfield Creamery Com- pany and a creamery with a large patronage was successfully established under the superintendency of H. A. Holmes, of Iowa. At that time there was only one other creamery in this part of Minnesota and cream was brought to Chatfield from a large terri- tory. With the multiplication of creameries the area contributing to this creamery has been materially reduced, but it still has a large patronage and turns out butter of the highest grade. About ten years after it was started it was sold to the farmers who supported it, and since that date has been conducted on the co-operative plan.
Wheat was the principal crop of this section until 1878. The wheat crop of 1877 was perhaps as abundant as any produced in this region, while that raised the next year was almost a failure, both as to quantity and quality. The wheat failure continued for twenty years, so that it was practically abandoned as a crop to be depended upon. The farmers were gradually driven to diver- sify their crops, so that at present there are few sections more diversified. This change has been of great permanent advantage to the country, although many, who were in debt, lost their farms before the change was brought about. Corn is now the most valuable grain crop, with barley and oats ranking next. Timothy and clover seeds, rye and flax vary in acreage and importance from year to year. Only small fields of wheat (five to ten acres to the 160-acre farm) are raised. Hay is a very valuable crop and cattle, hogs and sheep bring a large income to the farmers. Silos are coming into quite general use and nearly all farmers are realizing the importance of scientific methods in agriculture.
At the time of the early settlement of Chatfield a body of timber from three to five miles wide extended up and down Root river. A saw mill was placed in operation by Jud Crissey in 1856 and continued its work for ten or twelve years. This "timber land" has now, for the most part, given place to small farms, although a saw mill conducted by Kaiserlik Bros. does consider- able business.
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Chatfield in 1857. In 1857 Chatfield was the most flourish- ing town in southern Minnesota. On January 1 of that year, a local directory reveals the following: Four dry goods and gro- cery stores, three grocery and provision stores, eleven dealers in real estate, five lawyers, three doctors, three civil engineers, two hotels, one watchmaker, one stove and tinware shop, one boot and shoe shop, one livery stable, one Masonic lodge.
Chatfield in 1858. Following is a brief business directory of Chatfield published in 1858. Langworthy, O'Ferrall & Co. (I. F. O'Ferrall and S. C. Langworthy), bankers and real es- tate; Dexter & Ripley (Edward Dexter and C. G. Ripley), bank- ers and real estate; Nickolls & Co. (G. L. Nikolls and J. M. Cavanaugh), land agents; Osborn & Son, land agents; Morse & Bristol, lawyers and land agents; William B. Gere, lawyer and land agent; Jason C. Easton, successor to Gilbert & Easton, land agent; Simeon Crittenden, real estate; C. McIlrath & Co., land agents; Holley & Brown, real estate; J. R. Jones & Co., law and real estate; Edwards & Sharpe, land agents; Draper & Bro., land agents; A. Haven, general store; T. F. Goff, general store; C. M. Lovell, general store; Forres & McLarty, general store; C. C. Abbott, hardware; George C. Sherwin, furniture; D. G. Bailey, general store; F. G. Barnard, jeweler; S. Badger & Co., furniture and hardware; Joseph Schambault, boots and shoes; Datus Stevens, carpenter; Chatfield Flouring Mill (Jones & Dickson), William A. Spornitz, harness maker; R. W. Twitchell, M. D., physician and surgeon; O. P. Knox, master mason; Me- dary House (Cole & Glasgow) ; B. N. Ohlhues, liquors and cigars; John Manheim, billiard and oyster saloon; steam mill, J. Crissey ; Fillmore Nursery, Sauer & Brother; James M. Cavanaugh, at- torney; Wilson House, Charles Wilson; billiard saloon, Henry Hackney; Simeon Smith, lawyer; G. W. Willis, attorney.
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