USA > Minnesota > Fillmore County > History of Fillmore County, Minnesota (Volume 1) > Part 35
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O. Dueland. He sold to Thomas Madland, but after two years or so they left. Mr. Valder's house, from the very first, was used as a tavern, but in 1858 he built a more commodious house, with a barn, and called it the "Newburg House." He continued to keep hotel until early in the seventies, when his son conducted it, and afterwards N. Philips, and lastly Dr. George Nye, who, about 1879, moved away. The village now consists of a church, a schoolhouse, a store and a few residences.
Following is an interesting list of all the merchants in the village of Newburg since 1854: Hans Valder, Gabriel Gabrielson, Valder & Dueland, Thomas Madland, Mr. Johnson, Joseph Pear- son, F. A. Hilbert, Gabriel Gabrielson, Gabrielson & Johnson, Gabrielson & Tollefson, Gabriel Gabrielson, Harvey & Allen, H. Harvey, Gabriel Gabrielson, Sherven & Spande, Sherven & Olson, D. Sherven, K. K. Lerol, Oscar Bagley, C. W. Eastman and East- man & Johnson. The firm of Eastman & Johnson, consisting of C. W. Eastman and T. A. Johnson does a flourishing business, and is the trading center for the people for miles around.
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O. P. HADLAND .
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CHAPTER XXVI.
BLOOMFIELD AND BEAVER.
Bloomfield Township-Etna Village-Ostrander Village-Beaver Township-Early Settlement-Early Events-Land Office Records-Incidents of the Early Days.
Bloomfield Township is the second from the south on the western boundary of the county. Its contiguous neighbors are Spring Valley on the north, Forestville on the east, Beaver on the south and Mower county on the west. Cutting across the township in a diagonal way are four different geological forma- tions. The stream that bisects its territory near the center of the town is the south branch of the Root river, and there are several creeks joining this, most of them coming from a northern direction. The little streams in the northern part of the town flow in that direction to mingle with the waters of another branch of Root river.
The western and middle parts of the town are prairie, and the southeastern, bluffy. The soil is of that peculiar black character so common in this region. Along the bottoms there is heavy timber on both sides of the river, while in the southeastern part it is hilly and rocky.
Early Settlement. The first settlers in Bloomfield were prob- ably Russell Rexford and family. Mr. Rexford died in 1856, and his widow married David Bender. One son died in the southern prison at Macon, Ga. The same year William T. Bly, a Baptist missionary, took up his abode in the township. John Bateman made some improvements this year, but did not settle until the following year.
At about the same time the sturdy pioneers from Norway began to arrive and settle in the central and western part of the town along the streams. Among those who led this influx were Peter Hadland and Ole and Mathias Hellickson.
Other settlers were:
1854-William B. McNee, G. W. Craig, John Bateman, S. H. Bateman, Albro Baker and C. T. Baker, Even Stensen and others. 1855-A. G. Langum, J. H. Shaw, George Barnes, Daniel Carey, Luther Wilcox.
1856-Hans C. Gullickson.
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1857-William Ostrander, William Truggs.
1858-W. J. Sherwin.
1859-Hawley Cooke.
Early Events. One Sunday in the summer of 1855 O. H. Bryant, one of the pioneers near Etna, purchased a fine span of horses and took them home. The next morning he hitched up his team, intending to drive over to a neighbor's on an errand. When he arrived at the ford he found that, owing to recent rains, the river had become a torrent. A number of friends tried to dissuade him from attempting to ford, but he, in confidence that his team could pull through, drove into the ford. He had driven but a short distance when the depth of the water compelled him to realize his folly. In attempting to turn around he capsized his wagon and was compelled to swim to shore, the horses being swept down by the irresistible current and drowned. The first store in Bloomfield was in a log cabin called a schoolhouse, about a half mile from Etna, kept by Reuben Odell. The goods were afterwards moved down, and in the course of a year sold out, when Hartley Parks erected a frame building in the village, and sold goods for about three years. The first settlers had to go to Decorah for all their goods. There was a marriage in 1856 between David Bender and Mrs. Russell Rexford. In June, 1856, there was a murder of an Irishman who had a claim and his body was thrown into the south branch. Some members of a half-breed family in the vicinity were arrested, but no con- victions resulted. The first burial in the cemetery at Etna was Russell Rexford in 1856. In 1859 a Sunday school was organized in T. C. Baker's granary by Daniel Scoville, with Samuel Crooks as superintendent.
Land Office Records. The first titles to land in Bloomfield township were issued by the government in 1855. Those who obtained land that year were as follows, the date of the issuance of the warrant being given first, then the name of the owner and then the section in which the land was largely located. October 12, Ole Hellickson, 17-20; November 7, Ole Oleson, 21; November 10, Ambrose D. Carey, 21; November 10, Daniel Carey, 22-27; November 10, John Evans, 21-22; November 10, James Shaw, 34-26-27; November 23, John Boyden, 8; November 23, Esbon Merrill, 17; November 29, Mathias Hellickson, 21; Novem- ber 29, Herbeon Olson, 27-21-22; December 10, John H. Miller, 9; December 21, Alonso Frink, 12.
Those who obtained land in 1856 were as follows -- the date of the issuance of the warrant being given first: March 22, Edward Owens, 10; March 27, Arthur L. Brown, 3; May 9, Purce Crane, 8; May 9, Israel Freeman, 7; May 9, Isaac Freeman, 18; May 9, Henry Green, 2; May 3, Andrew J. McKee, 9; June 12,
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MR. AND MRS. OLE HELLICKSON
MR. AND MRS. MATTHEW W. HELLICKSON
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Levi O. Hedges, 15; June 12, Simeon 'D. Lamb, 6; June 13, Henry Hendendorf, 10; June 15, Robert M. Hall, 17; June 16, William Truggs, 2-3-10; June 18, Lyman Fifield, 5; June 18, Stephen Ives, 4-5; June 21, John M. Slossan, 6; June 25, Job S. Strong, 4; July 9, Sterling Saylor, 6; July 15, William Pine, 2; June 21, Henry Cooper, 7; August 4, George S. Gold, 18; August 23, Henry M. Slater, 6; August 26, Oliver Rexford, 35-25-26; September 12, Samuel Davis, 10; September 12, George Fesler, 20; September 12, Anderson Pine, 1; September 19, Cutler Thompson, 5; September 24, Isaac D. Gaylord, 13; September 26, Charles H. French, 24; September 26, William B. French, 13; September 30, Crawford Kellogg, 8; September 30, Joseph R. Kellogg, 20; September 30, John Scovel, 14; October 15. George Brown, 18; October 15, Miron Conklin, 7; October 15, Peter S. DeGroodt, 15; October 15, Washington Lloyd, 9; Octo- ber 18, Peter Oleson, 27-28; October 20, William L. Mack, 19; November 11, Henry Gundlich, 9; November 11, John Macklay, 11; November 14, Hans C. Galickson, 15; November 24, Lansing M. Ells, 29; December 2, James Ingram, 1; December 11, Ben- jamin Swasey, 25; December 11, Horace Wilson, 34; December 17, Thomas Haywood, 29; December 17, Martin V. Wilder, 28. Political. The political meeting recorded here was held in October, 1857, before the regular state government went into effect. It was in George Craig's house, and commenced on Tuesday and held over until Wednesday at midnight before the election was decided. Mr. McNee was elected justice of the peace. On May 11, 1858, the first regular town meeting, to . fully organize the town, was held at the same place. The town officers elected were: Supervisors, O. B. Bryant (chairman), John Mallory and Joseph Campbell; justices of the peace, M. T. Gaylord and W. T. Bly ; clerk, S. A. Hunt; assessor, W. T. Bly ; collector, R. C. McCord; overseer of the poor, John Carey ; con- stables, A. C. McCord and Horatio French. Provision was made that the next annual town meeting be held at the house of Andrew Lanby, in section 15. In September a town meeting was held and a tax of $125 raised to meet current expenses.
Etna village was platted by Enos Gray as the surveyor and C. L. Colby as proprietor. Its location is the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 25, and was recorded as being "set apart and dedicated for village purposes" on September 18, 1867. The panic which followed the next month must have been a wet blanket to the cherished hopes and glowing anticipations, which had cut up a farm into lots, four rods by eight, to make a rural village. The village was laid out as "Tiffton," but as the postoffice was called Etna common usage obliged the villiage to adopt the same suggestive cognomen. The first postoffice
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established for the convenience of the settlers of this region was one mile east of Spring Valley. John M. Smith was the post- master. This was in 1855.
In the spring of 1856 the people in the neighborhood of Etna wanted a postoffice. One day there happened to be a half dozen persons at the house of Peter MeCracken, and the subject coming up, the question as to a name was discussed and it was proposed to settle the point by lot, and each one wrote a name on a slip of paper. Mrs. McCracken drew from the hat, where they had been placed, the name "Etna," put there by Charles Hanson, of Forestville. A petition was accordingly started and signatures were obtained at a precinct meeting at the house of Lathrop Abbott, in the town of Beaver. But the name created opposition, which went so far that the opponents of the name got hold of the petition, cut off the original heading and substituted another name and deposited it in the nearest postoffice to be sent to Washington, but the friends of Etna, by threats, induced them to withdraw it and it was destroyed. Mr. Hanson, however, got up another and procured a few signatures and sent it on, with a favorable result. Bedar Judd was appointed postmaster and held the office about one year, O. B. Bryant then had the office for a year, when he was succeeded by H. French. The town plat when surveyed was named and recorded as Tiffton, but has always been called Etna. A. Postle was the last postmaster. Mail is now received from Ostrander by rural delivery.
OSTRANDER VILLAGE.
Ostrander is a prosperous village in Bloomfield township, on the line of the Chicago Great Western. It has a Norwegian Lutheran Church, a school, a bank, a hotel, two elevators, a creamery, two general stores, implement store, restaurant, drug store, lumber yard, blacksmith shop, feed mill, a Woodman lodge, telephone service, a postoffice, and such other business and professional ventures as are common in a village of this size. The village was platted in 1890.
Early History. When the Winona & Southwestern was being built through the western part of Fillmore county it became evident that there would be a station somewhere between Spring Valley and Le Roy. Inducements were offered the company to choose the present site of Ostrander. William Ostrander gave the railroad a half interest in ten acres and a clear title to another five acres. Charles Ostrander gave a half interest in ten acres and a money bonus. H. M. Hellickson gave a half interest in ten acres.
The first building on the village site was the railroad station.
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W. J. MEIGHEN AND FAMILY
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Two elevators were immediately put up. The first store was started by Hans Hanson and L. E. Lundby, who came from Hurdal. Soon after this the McDermott store was started. McDermott sold a half interest to Nels Lewis. Six months later Nels Lewis became sole proprietor, and later sold to John Schonsby. The first residence on the village site was the house of Martin Johnson, which was moved from Herdal. C. Jacobson also moved his residence and blacksmith shop from Herdal Later he sold the shop to W. L. Moust, who still operates it.
The first house erected on the town site was built by H. C. Gullickson for Gust Rud, and was used as a hotel. The first residence built was that of Imbert Skarie.
In the meantime, before the line of the railroad had been decided upon, an attempt was made to start a village in Benning- ton township. A store was erected in 1888, but when it was discovered that the railroad would touch at Ostrander and not at Bennington, the latter village died a natural death. In 1892 Nelson Lewis moved the store to Ostrander. A store had also been started about two miles away by M. Kjolseth. This store was moved to the village and remodeled as a residence.
Several attempts have been made to incorporate Ostrander, but, owing to the hearty remonstrance, this has not been accom- plished. In 1904 an especially strong effort was made to have the village incorporated. A petition was filed with the county commissioners, asking for this boon, but a remonstrance was also filed, and the commissioners decided that they were not justi- fied in granting the petition, so the village and township still have a government in common.
Prominent Citizens. Among the men who have made Ostran- der may be mentioned: H. C. Gullickson, H. O. Larson, Hans Hanson, Otto Hanson, W. L. Moust, S. O. Halling, Henry Timen- sen, Christ Nelson, Even Aune, L. G. Hanson, J. O. Jameson, L. E. Lundby and others.
BEAVER TOWNSHIP.
Beaver is the southwest corner town of the county. Iowa is on the south of the town, Mower county on the west, Bloomfield on the north and York on the east. It is emphatically a prairie town with an inclination to flatness that, in consequence of the want of drainage, is disposed to be rather wet, although there are many places where the tendency is toward rolling, but not suf- ficiently so to be hilly. Part of the land was at first covered with hazel brush, a few poplars, and in some places there were oak openings. The west part of the town is particularly well watered. Beaver creek comes down from section 6 in a south-
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eastern direction to mingle its waters with the Upper Iowa in section 34. Spring creek arises not far from the center of the town and joins Beaver creek in section 33. Another little stream comes from Mower county and makes a confluence with the Beaver in section 17. There is quite a little pond in section 35, from which flows quite a stream at all times, but at some seasons it sinks into the ground to again reappear on its journey to the Upper Iowa. The soil in the east half of the township is usually a rich black muck with a clay subsoil which, in some places lays quite deep, and in other places there is a quick sand sub-stratum. The west half of the town, and along the southern line, the soil inclines to clay with a sand mixture. On sections 7 and 8 there was formerly a heavy grove, but most of the primitive timber has been removed. In the northeast part of the town, especially. there is a subsoil of limestone, the soil itself being a dark loam.
Early Settlement. This town being off from the regular emi- grants' trail, was not settled quite so early as some of the others in the county. In 1854 H. E. Edmunds, a native of Connecticut, arrived from Wisconsin in May, and having the whole town to select from, took a good slice of territory from section 31. L. Abbott, of Canada, came here in August of that year, and his choice fell in section 1. Mr. Callahan, who was murdered two years afterwards, had his claim in section 8.
In 1855 there were quite a number of arrivals, and of these we mention : Oliver Welch reached here in May and concluded to make a home in section 34. Lester Bennett, in the fall of that year, planted himself in section 1, but a few years later trans- planted himself to Iowa, and afterwards to Michigan. B. F. Holman, a native of New Hampshire, came in August, and his farm was in section 1. Jacob Leuthold secured a place in section 17, where he resided until 1860, and then went to Mantorville. Henry Huney, also from Switzerland, pre-empted a place in sec- tions 17 and 20. In 1866 he went to Rochester. John Halver, of Norway, came over from Wisconsin June 24 and settled in section 21. Andrew Peters, of the same nationality, arrived from Wis- consin June 21 and he found an unoccupied place in section 21. Turkel Timmonson came from Wisconsin and his lot fell in sec- tion 16.
In 1856 there was also quite an immigration, and in this list were several who are here recorded : A. Boynton, of Maine, came here from Wisconsin, and his selection was from section 1. Joseph Earl took Iand in section 35, but in 1866 went to Michigan. James Sample, a Scotchman, came from Illinois and established his home in section 7. He was afterwards found dead in the road, with indications that he had been thrown from his horse. Peter Clynfelton drifted around here in the fall, he remained several
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years and.removed to Iowa. Peter Myer, on his arrival, staked out a claim in section 16, which he improved for six or seven years and then went to Mower county. Henry Houk took his farm from section 18, but sold out in seven or eight years and went to Mantorville. Jacob Bradly came here from New York and secured a farm in section 18, and afterwards went to the Pacific coast, and from thence home to Switzerland. Jacob Gullman, of the same nationality, took a place in section 7, and the next year, 1857, sold to a countryman of his, John Myer, who improved the land and enlisted in the army when the war broke out. On his return he sold out and went to Pine Island. Gull- man took another claim in section 17. James Beaman came from New York and settled in section 15. In 1875 he went to Kansas. Of those who came in 1857 may be recorded:
John Boynton, of Maine, who had a place in section 2. He went to Iowa in 1866, and from there to Dakota. D. Brainard Griffin, of Vermont, came from Illinois, and his place was in section 15. He died in the service of his country during the Rebellion. Almon Griffin had a claim in section 16 and died during the war. E. D. Earle procured a farm in section 36, and he went to Kansas in 1879. Thomas Bogan came from Wisconsin and his land was on section 28. He died in 1878. Peter Glathart, of Ohio, was temporarily in section 32, but soon returned home. Hans Christianson, a native of Wisconsin, bought a place in sec- tion 5, but moved to section 16. John Balch stopped awhile in section 17, and then went to Iowa. Ole J. Hatlestad came and his land was in section 4, but he moved to section 5. James J. Hatlestad was from Wisconsin, and he got a farm in section 5. Christian Hanson, of Norway, came from Wisconsin, and his place was situated in section 4. In 1881 he removed to Clay county, Iowa. Elijah Gates located in section 16. Levi Gates, of New York, came from Illinois and settled in section 29, later moving to section 2.
In 1858 the rush of settlers seemed to be over, but of the few who came that year two or three will be mentioned; Nial Nicho- las, a native of New York, came up from Iowa and settled on section 9. He died in 1879. James Shepard, also of New York, came from Illinois to section 10, and in 1866 went to Mower county. H. G. Stockham, from Wisconsin, bought the northwest quarter of section 25.
In 1859 David Burns and Ira Baldwin put in an appearance on sections 16 and 35 respectively.
Some Early Events. Lynden Christian, son of Andrew and Mary Peters, first breathed the air of this world in Beaver on January 6, 1856. Andrew, son of Turkel and Katie Timmonson, was introduced to the light of day in October, 1855, and he was
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taken away in March, 1858. J. J. IIatlestad was married to Cath- arine Anderson in the fall of 1859. Christian Hanson married Mary Sample in the fall of 1859. In June, 1856, a man named Calahan, who had a claim on section 8, was murdered in his cabin and dragged to the creek, where his body was covered with willows. A man was arrested for the murder, but was not convicted. He, however, sold out and left the country. This is related as the first deliberate murder in the county. At an early day B. F. Holman went to feed his pigs, about eighty rods away one snow stormy evening, got bewildered and lost his way, but succeeded in reaching the house of L. Abbott, where he spent the night and returned home the next morning to find his family in a state of despair of ever seeing him again alive. The first blacksmith shop was started in 1857 by John Balch in section 17. He hammered away for a few years and then went away himself; and it is said that, discarding his leather apron he became a preacher. The first mass in town was said by Father Pendergast in 1859 at the house of John Bogan.
Land Office Records. The first titles to land in Beaver town- ship were issued by the government in 1855. Those who obtained land that year were as follows, the date of the issuance of the warrant being given first, then the name of the owner and then the section in which the land was largely located: September 11, Henry Edmonds, 31; October 12, Lathrop Abbott, 1; Decem- ber 10, Oliver Welch, 34.
Those who obtained land in 1856 were as follows: June 27, George W. Shimmar, 5-8; July 9, James Noble, 35; August 27, Relief B. Duncan, 31; August 29, Frederick Kords, 8; August 29, Edward Wimmer, 8; August 29, Christian Wise, 8-9; Octo- ber 24, Jacob McKee, 32; November 1, James Wolf Prentis, 30; December 12, William Eevym, 33; December 12, William A. Lang- worthy, 33; December 19, Charles Barlow, 34.
Political. The regular institution of the town as an inde- pendent municipal subdivision of the county was on May 11, 1858, and the meeting was at the house of Andrew Peters in section 21. William Beaman had the honor of requesting the gentlemen to come to order and Dennis Meighen and Andrew Peters were judges of election. The result of the balloting was as follows: Supervisors, Peter N. Glathart (chairman), George W. Pillsbury and Andrew Peters; clerk, D. B. Griffin; assessor, John H. Bonesteel; collector, Jacob Leuthold; overseer of the poor, David S. Patten; constables, Norman Gates and Jacob Leu- thold; justices of the peace, John H. Bonesteel and Elijah Gates; David S. Patten having declined to serve as overseer of the poor Toren Pasko was appointed in his stead.
Postoffices. A postoffice called Ettaville was established in
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1858, with E. D. Earle as postmaster, and the office was opened at his place in section 36. The next year Ira Baldwin was appointed, and he retained the office until it was discontinued a few years later. It was on the mail route between Elliota and Austin and came through once a week each way. The postoffice in Alba was established in 1859 and it was called "Alba" because the name was "short, eastern and ancient," as pithily stated by Andrew Peters. Hurdal postoffice flourished for some years in section 16. The last postmaster was E. Nordby. When Ostrander was started most of the activities of Hurdal were moved to that place.
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CHAPTER XXVII.
FORESTVILLE AND YORK.
Forestville Township-First Settlers-Arrival of the Meighens and Fosters Oldest Store in the County-Importance of For- estville Villages in the Early Days-Prominent Men-York Township-Early History-Hamlets of Greenleafton, Canfield, York and Cherry Grove.
Forestville Township is bounded on the north by Fillmore, on the east by Carimona, on the south by York and on the west by Bloomfield. It is a full congressional township, and in physical characteristics is not unlike the towns around it. The south branch of the Root river, so called, has in turn its north, middle and south branches, and the town is well watered.
The north and south branches have their source in this town- ship. They are beautiful spring streams, flowing out from the bottoms of cliffs more than a hundred feet high. The north branch is said to be the finest natural trout stream in the state.
The township received its name from the many streams within its borders, especially along the streams near the village, which has now become quite a summer resort. The township contains more and better timber than any other town in the county, has more beautiful natural scenery than the other towns, contains larger and better apple orchards and produces more apples, pos- sibly, than any other town in the state. This lead in apple pro- duction was due to the persistent efforts of the late Barnett Tay- lor, the pioneer horticulturist who settled in the village in the year 1856, and at once began to plant apple trees.
Early Settlement. The first settlers in this township were Levi Waterman and his brother-in-law, Joseph Bisby, natives of Pennsylvania, who came from Iowa in the fall of 1852, bringing their families, stock and household goods. Waterman settled in 12, while Bisby's claim was east of the Waterman claim, largely in Carimona township. Waterman sold out to Felix Meighen and Robert M. Foster, and after moving about a while, settled in Kansas and pre-empted what is now a part of the city of Wichita. He is now dead. Bisby remained, became a promi- nent citizen and ended his days here. The Watermans and the
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