USA > Minnesota > Fillmore County > History of Fillmore County, Minnesota (Volume 1) > Part 50
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the inmates met a watery grave, except Mrs. David Weisel. She was found the next morning on the river bank near a huge pile of driftwood where had lodged the bedstead on which she was sleeping, and to which she had clung while floating down among the logs and driftwood in the mad current of the boisterous stream, a distance of about one half of a mile. When the bed had lodged she at a hazardous risk of her life had relinquished her hold on the bedstead and half drowned began the perilous task of climbing out on the driftwood to the land. This in an ex- hausted condition, she accomplished, thereby saving her life. Speaking pecuniarily of the David Weisel family, they possessed nothing but their home, the sawmill and the corn cracker, all of which was swept away by the flood and destroyed. Three mem- bers out of the household of four were drowned.
Onward sped the seething body of water from the Weisel home in a northeasterly direction a distance of about a mile by the way of the river. Here the destructive element struck the residence of Jonas C. Wellington which was situated on the southwest corner of the east half of the northwest quarter of section 17 township 102 range 8 (Preble township), sweeping it away while the inmates were sleeping. The occupants of this household were Mr. and Mrs. Jonas C. Wellington who were aged people, and Charles C. Gage their grandson four years old, all of whom were drowned.
From the Wellington. residence the large onward rushing body of water in its boisterous rapidity coursed its way in a northerly direction a distance of about a mile by the way of the river to the sawmill owned by Nels Johnson, and operated by Jens Soli, and the residence of Jens Soli a short distance below the sawmill, which was situated near the north line of section 17, township 102, range 8 (Preble township). Here the flood swept away the saw- mlll, logs and lumber against the residence of Jens Soli and demolished the cabin. The inmates of the Soli household consisted of Jens Soli, Catherine Soli, his wife, and their three children ranging in age from one month to six years old, and a sister of Jens Soli, that was known as Nels Hanson's widow, and her two children ranging in age from eight to twelve years old, all eight of whom were drowned on that eventful night. Their bodies were found on the bottom land bordering on the river, extending the distance of about six miles below the Soli residence. From the Collins Hall mill to the David Weisel mill the Weisel creek was bordered with timber, and in many places the valley was narrow between the hills, and where the valley was narrow the bark was knocked off some of the standing trees by the driftwood to the height of twenty to twenty-five feet above low water mark,
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the marks of which were visible for about one quarter of a century after this flood .- By William Willford.
Hunting and Fishing. Game was plenty in the early days and the sportsman who is compelled to trudge all day for the privilege of catching three or four trout or getting an occasional shot at some small game envies Squire Elias Lint as he relates some of his hunting and fishing stories-true stories at that. One winter's day when the mercury registered 20 below he went to what was then called Runnel's Pond, cut a hole in the ice and caught 44 trout as fast as he could pull them out, some measuring 17 inches in length. He threw them on the ice and they froze instantly so hard that they would break like a stick if an attempt was made to bend them. Taking the trout home he put them in a tub of fresh water when a transparent scale of ice formed about the fish and upon this melting they became as lively as when first caught, some actually jumping out of the tub.
Another time he went hunting for deer down on Camp creek, and not finding any fresh tracks he concluded to bring home a string of trout, but he had no bait, although he always carried his fishing tackle, summer and winter. In this dilemma he be- thought himself of his red flannel undershirt and cutting off a piece he baited his hook and it had no sooner struck the water when it was eagerly swallowed by a speckled beauty. He caught several more in the same manner and finally took a fin and caught all he could drag home on the snow.
Deer were equally plentiful in those days and Squire Lint was light on foot as well as a crack shot. In the winter of 1855-56 he supplied his neighbors with venison, free of charge. One afternoon, alone, he killed four deer within sight of Preston near where the Glenville cemetery now is, one large buck being struck by a bullet and killed without touching a hair.
List of Old Settlers. A previous history of this county con- tained a list of prominent citizens who were in the county previous to January 1, 1856. This list is here appended, not as an authentic directory of the pioneers, but merely that the names may be preserved as a partial list of those who helped to lay the way for the present prosperity of the county. The list follows:
Lorenzo Luce, Horace Leach, Joseph Stevens, David B. Free- mier, Sylvester Benson, William Jolly, Martin Davis, Thomas Brooks, Forest Henry, William Renshaw, Wm. R. Wattles, James R. Findley, William Barnes, William B. Norman, R. M. Foster, William Weimer, John L. Green, J. P. Kennedy, J. D. Bennett, H. K. Soper, Andrew J. Drake, William Drake, George Burling- ham, II. S. H. Hayes, G. P. Steere, Sands Brownell, L. S. Morgan, Simeon Crittenden, Levi Heaton, Charles E. Todd, Osten Peterson, Caleb Onstine, John Simber, John Jones, Edwin Wilson, Robert
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S. Warren, Bela K. Ingalls, John H. Varnell, John Bateman, Harrison Pine, Myron Conklin, Osborn Merrill, R. W. Twitchel, S. B. Murrill, Martin Kingsbury, Charles A. Coger, Ephraim Steb- bins, Thomas Warner, Jacob Ham, Martin Henderson, S. B. Mussell, Henry A. Billings, James L. Sharp, David Bender, Joseph Weymouth, John Ogg, Thomas J. Smith, Wm. H. Stevens, Edwin Hamilton, John I. Hubbard, Edwin D. Gere, A. T. Hay, Thomas Taylor, Thacher Blake, Hiram H. Wilder, Gulbrand Gulbrandson, Andrew Beauson, Aaron Newell, Levi Bullis, Francis Inghram, Elias C. Koonty, B. F. Tillotson, Sylvanus Allen, Nelson Darling, Elijah Austin, A. P. Darling, George B. Gere, M. Wheeler Sar- geant, L. H. Springer, David C. Kennedy, M. G. Thompson, Grove W. Willis, Henry L. Edwards, Horace E. Loomis, F. A. Coffin, John Plumteaux, Charles B. Willford, Henry Goodman, Peter Peterson Boer, Oleson Guilbronson, Arthur Bome, Henry L. Ed- wards, J. W. Sturgis, George W. Willis, Isaac Day, J. W. Elliot, David Dickerson, Wm. R. Elliot, Henry C. Wheeler, Andrew Cheney, Charles T. Lapham, Charles B. Kimball, Knud Johnson, Lars Tolifson, D. B. Baker, William Bucker, C. French, Charles Wilson, A. W. Fargo, Tulef Helgerson, Samuel F. Dickson, Charles B. Allen, Elijah Austin, Hugh Cox, Edwin Thayer, Harley B. Morse, John W. Sleepier, Wm. K. Tribue, Thomas B. Twiford, B. M. White, M. L. Edwards, James Nicholas, James Goudy, James M. Graham, Wm. Smith, Hans Johnson, Richard D. Bull, E. B. Jones, Harley B. Morse, Charles M. Foote, Charles Wilson, Columbia French, Samuel D. Short, Edwin Pickett, Joseph W. Brackett, G. B. Calder, George Provost, John Kingsbury, Nels Bareson, Thomas Armstrong, John R. Bennett, Andrew Gray, Alfred Clark, Jeremiah Clark, Enoch P. Wickersham, A. Oren, David Wisel, Justus Sutherland, W. H. Vaughan, D. W. Morrill, George McMaster, William Meighen, Benjamin Philbrick, Joseph Bisby, Joseph W. Crees, W. H. Strong, J. M. Jaquish, Harvey C. Marsh, Joel Fisher, John M. West.
A Pre-Settlement Incident. When the first settlers of Rush- ford arrived, they found, near where the Catholic church now stands, a grave with a rude wooden headboard. From the fact of its being marked in accordance with the habits of civilization, they were led to the presumption, that it must be the grave of a white person, but the mystery of a death at this place could not be penetrated from any known circumstances. Who it might have been thus wandering beyond the confines of civilization, and overtaken by the angel of death excited considerable curiosity. That there was some friend near to place the remains beneath the sod, and mark the spot was certain. Thus the matter re- mained until some years ago, when two residents of the town, Henry Stage and C. W. Gore, were on a hunting expedition among
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the lumbering camps of Wisconsin, when they met a man who, on learning they were from up the Root river, related the follow- ing incident : Some time about 1845, this man, whose name is not remembered, came up the Root river to where Rushford now stands, with his brother and another man on a hunting and trap- ping tour. They made a camp at this place, and were proceeding to make themselves comfortable when the brother was taken vio- lently ill, and as they had little medical knowledge and no medi- cine, they were in a deplorable condition. The man rapidly grew worse, and after terrible suffering, became delirious, and finally death came to his relief. This was a sad time for this little party, away from home and friends, but they made the best of the situation and buried him silently, hewing out the rude memorial which was afterward found, but the name had been obliterated. This man related their experience with the buffaloes, which at night would remain on the bluffs but in the daytime would be on the bottom lands feeding and quenching their thirst from the river. This place was on the south side of the river, near the farm of O. O. Tuff. The camp was on the north side, and at that time the herd did not cross the river. Of course toward fall the buffaloes would return south, to revisit this section the coming season. Soon after this, the first white death in this region, the camp was broken up and the lonely adventurers sorrowfully wended their way down the river .- From History of Freeborn County, 1882.
Early Days in Amherst. After crossing the Iowa state line, July 26, 1853, we found Albert Nicholas, who guided us past the lonely little cabin of John Kingsbury to the camp and cabin of Uncle Jim Kelley, just south of Lenora. Still further on were Uncle Jake Vought and Charles Kingsbury. At about this time, John Vail had discovered the boiling sand in the sparkling waters that the people of Preston drink today.
The Kelleys led a frontier life, hunting and fishing being their highest ambition. Uncle Henry Onstine bought of James Kelley, Jr., and William McHenry, three claims (what is now the poor farm, the William Maust farm, and the plat of Henrytown) for a consideration of $376.00, designing it for himself and two sons- in-law. A Mr. Woodruff had taken the Henrytown claim early in the spring, built a little cabin near the Henrytown schoolhouse and split a few rails, when a party of Indians came in one day when Mr. Woodruff was away and gave Mrs. Woodruff a great scare. She could not be reconciled to such visitors, and hence James Kelley bought the claim for a cow and an old rifle. Mr. Woodruff then took the claim that Prosper now occupies, but sold it to Mr. Brodie for a horse and a watch. John Livingood, a step-brother of James Kelley, sold the claim known as the
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MR. AND MRS. D. W. BACON
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Barton farm, to Uncle Michael Onstine. John was also of a shiftless nature, and it was he that dealt the fatal blow in the Telyer murder.
Our mail we got through kind neighbors from Decorah, until the next year, Mr. Onstine was appointed postmaster at Rich- land. For our farm utensils we went to Lansing, Iowa, and to Pocket City, as McGregor, Iowa, was then called. For our gro- ceries and house supplies we went to Decorah. In the meantime, A. D. Sprague unloaded about $1,000 worth of goods at Mc- Phailsburg, Houston county, where we did our trading for some time.
Our claim shanty being only 12x14, it was my experience, as well as that of many others, to sleep in the covered wagon a part of the winter of 1853-54, while many dug in side hills and made habitations covered with bark or sticks, with hay or earth. -From Newspaper Clipping.
Storms of 1902. The county suffered greatly from storms in 1902. May 17, came a great flood which did about $20,000 damage at Preston, completely flooding the "flat" so called. During the thunder storm which accompanied the rainfall, H. M. Conkey was killed by lightning at Preston. Three children of Herman Willbright living east of Forestville were drowned, while their parents were attempting to drive with them to a place of safety.
Three days later came a great hail storm which did much damage to the crops in various parts of the county, demolished buildings in Fountain and Chatfield, and flooded the tracks in various places between Preston and Mabel.
Cyclone of 1905. A cyclone swept Fountain and Pilot Mount, August 19, 1905, killed one man, Tosten Danielson, and damaged considerable property. It formed a mile west of Fountain village, sweeping through the village, and overturning small buildings. Northeast of the village, near the river, the storm did the most damage, destroying buildings and crops, and uprooting many trees. Carl Danielson was the heaviest sufferer, his house being demolished, and his step-brother Tosten being killed. The storm also did considerable damage in Pilot Mound, demolishing the brick house of Frank Sanders, and destroying the house occupied by Andrew Mennis. Fortunately the course of the storm was mainly along the river, and was broken up somewhat by the rough country. By the time the storm reached Rushford it had moder- ated to a strong wind.
Reminiscences of W. F. Davis. W. F. Davis, now of Bowdle, S. D., was one of the early pioneers of Jordan, and has taken a deep interest in the history of the early days. His reminiscences, which are here presented, were prepared for this work, and give
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an accurate picture of affairs and events in Jordan and Fillmore township as he saw them in those far distant days. Mr. Davis says :
March 4, 1857, I left the south part of Iowa and rode a horse to Fillmore county, Minn. I arrived in Fillmore village, March 17. At the place where I spent the winter in Iowa the ground was bare. In Minnesota the snow was two feet deep. The top of the snow which covered the road was four feet above the ground. It was very difficult for two teams to pass, especially if both were loaded. I learned that there had been much travel on the road to Decorah, bringing in provisions for the settlers. In Fillmore village carpenters were at work building a hotel for Lafayette Phillips. In a few days men were at work on a stone grist mill. I spent the following summer at work for Edwin Pettis, who lived about three miles down Root river from Fill- more. Mrs. Pettis was my sister.
I was told this story: A homesteader, a Polander, living on his claim, a half mile west of Fillmore was shot and killed by a man by the name of Walker, the fall of 1856. Walker drew the body into the woods and left it for wild beasts. A company of citizens put a rope about Walker's neck intending to hang him, but finally yielded to his entreaty for life and let him go.
The crop of 1857 was a failure. That was when we saw hard times. Many a man and boy wore shoes made of grain bags. The crop of 1858 was good, but the price was low. I saw barley sold in Fillmore at twenty cents a bushel. I took wheat for Edwin Pettis, to Winona and sold it for forty cents a bushel, also dressed hogs at $2.00 a hundred. In 1864 I sold wheat in Winona at $2.00 a bushel and fresh pork at $14.00 a hundred.
The township of Jordan was well settled, but strange to say, it had no post office or store, or even a blacksmith shop. Near the east side of the town lived Harper Tyson; he had two sons and three daughters. The daughters are still living, but the sons have passed away. Joseph Tyson took the measles while in the army and died. Edwin, the youngest, was killed. To remove a gun from a wagon box, he took hold of the muzzle and drew it toward him, and the hammer catching on the end gate was dis- charged, thus ending his life.
The farm of Edwin Pettis lay along Root river, 400 acres in section 34, township of Jordan. Harper Tyson and his brother, Oswald were in section 35, same township, as was also a family by the name of McConville. Henry McConville filed on 160 acres of land in 1856. During the winter of 1857, returning from Chatfield, in the night, he got lost in the blizzard and perished. He left a wife and five children, four at home and one, Kate, the oldest was still in Ireland and married. She and her husband,
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Daniel McGowen came to Minnesota in 1859. The children depen- dent on Mrs. McConville were three boys and a girl-John, Patrick Henry, James and Mary. All have passed over the river but James, who lives at Wykoff. Mr. McGowen, after being in the county a year or two, had quite an adventure. He left his wife with her mother and went west of the river to do some work. He started for home on a Saturday morning in June, in- tending to cross the river on a foot bridge. He reached the river after sunset, to find the foot bridge gone and the river a raging torrent. Eager to reach home he concluded to swim. So he threw off his clothes and boots, and plunged in. He suc- ceeded in reaching an island half way over the river and was so frightened he did not dare to try the balance of it. He sat in the brush until daylight and then began to yell for help. Perry Loughrey, living a mile down the river heard the cry, rode a big, strong horse, and rescued him.
Cephas Farrington and son, Eugene, had farms joining E. Pettis on the north. They also owned 80 acres of land on section 36.
Joining C. Farrington on the north lived Peter Loughrey. He had five sons and six daughters. All were in Minnesota but one daughter. Hiram Loughrey lives in Chatfield and Perry lives on the old homestead. Further down the river on the east side lived Robert Norton. He had six children. In 1866 or 1867 he moved to Jackson county, Minn. The next family, a mile north of Norton was David Pray. They had three sons and a daughter, Charles, Henry, Francis and Mary. Charles Pray, P. H. McCon- ville and Walter Wright, (a young man living with Edwin Pet- tis), enlisted in the regular army the fall of 1861. Charles Pray was wounded at the battle of Gettysburg. Henry Pray enlisted early in 1862, and died in a hospital. About fifty rods southeast from David Pray lived Solomon Wells, in 1857. A mile further east lived Kimball Phillips, among stony hills. Half a mile south of Phillips lived Tobias Walker, a son-in-law of Peter Loughrey.
Crossing Root river near Pray's, and going up on the west side, I came to William Carpenter's. They had one child, Emily. A young man, Wilson Garrett, was visiting there with his sister, Mrs. Carpenter. Going on a short distance I came to Mr. Fargo's. They had three children, Frank, Lena and Lucretia. Frank Fargo went into the army, took the typhoid fever and died. About eighty rods farther I came to Nathan Carson's. Their first born, Henry, was a babe in the cradle. Nathan's father lived with him; also his brother William was there much of the time. In the next house up the river lived Lyman Harris, in a double log house. I think it was in 1859 that he sold out to Ansel
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Craine. At the head of a ravine running into the bluff, not far from Harris, lived Abel Tillison, a bachelor. He lived his life out alone. Going on up the river a mile I came to three houses, not very far apart. In the first lived Jackson Best and family, in the second Gabril Martin and family. Jackson Best was a son-in-law of Peter Loughrey, and Mrs. Martin was a sister of Mr. Best.
In the third house, near by, lived Daniel Barnes. They had one son, Isaac, who some years later learned the photograph trade, and followed it in Chatfield. Up the river half a mile or more, I came to Widow Newell's. Among the children I saw James and Moses. There was a man about the place, courting the widow, named Richerson. They were married and lived happy ever after. The Newell farm joined Peter Loughrey on the east. Valentine Woodburn made his home with the Newells. He joined the Third Minnesota Infantry and was killed in battle just before the surrender. Going up a long hill to the west, through a forest of oak, to the south of Jordan creek, I came to Perry Odell's. I do not know how many were in the family. I saw one boy, Gibson. About thirty rods west, in a small log house, lived P. Odell's father. A beautiful farming country lay to the west, known as Jordan valley. The next farm belonged to Arthur Palmer, with three sons and two daughters. The sons were Wesley, Galrusha and Harrison.
On the next farm west lived Samuel Wilson. I well remem- ber his son, IIenry. Working in a sawmill in those early days, he threw his leg over the log that was being sawed, and allowed the saw to amputate a leg. "That ends my dancing days," he was heard to say.
Southwest from Fillmore, perhaps two miles, at a place known for many years as Thompson's mill, in 1857, lived Mr. Pond and family. I am told that he built the mill. In the same neighbor- hood lived Lipe Mosher. Northwest from Fillmore, near the river, in 1857, lived Mr. Brinker and family, and half a mile fur- ther down Sylvester Carroll, a son-in-law of Peter Loughrey, and a little further down Adam Frinsood.
In Fillmore, among the old timers, I remember Geo. Sheppard, Mr. Huff, who kept a hotel, Mr. Mosher, Mr. Bartlett, Sam Hyde, Beverstock, Hendrickson and Mr. Mantor; a few years later Bill Shepton and Charles Albro. In 1862 gold and silver money dis- appeared. Sam Hyde and other merchants issued their own paper money.
East of Fillmore, up a long hill, lived a settler on the right ; I forget his name. On the left hand lived Mike Gary, a farmer and blacksmith. He had a large family; mostly girls. Further east lived, and still lives, Earl Kellog. His near neighbor on the
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right, (if I am right), was Robert Crowell, and further east Mr. Hall. Turning the corner at Hall's, I came to Jacob Hostet- ter's, on the north side of the road. These people lived in Fill- more township.
Samuel Wilson tried to winter a herd of cattle on straw and they died, and he was so disgusted with Minnesota as a stock country, that he sold out and moved to Oregon.
The next farm, on the left, going west, belonged to Mr. Tabor. "A fine old English gentleman, a boy of the olden time." How many composed the family I don't know. I knew three of the sons, Charles, James and Henry. Mr. Tabor built a large barn in which the Methodists held service. There were many families in and around the valley I never chanced to meet. I knew Mr. Robins and four sons, Mark, Fred, Cal and Herb. Mr. Robins had a son-in-law, Mckinney. Mr. Robins owned a large farm at the head of Jordan creek. John Moore lived in the same neigh- borhood; also two brothers, Elick and Richard Buckingham.
At Arthur Palmer's,a road branched off and went to Fillmore village. In the first house on the Fillmore road, lived Daniel McCollum. There were several girls in the family, and a boy, John. One daughter married Charles Tabor. Neighbor to Mc- Collum lived Wm. Clark with five sons. Three of the boys were Perry, Charles and Harvey. Under the hill between Mr. Clark and Fillmore, lived Simon Hartman in 1861. He discharged a gun that had been loaded some time, and it burst, shattering a hand. He died from blood poisoning.
I should have said that a half mile west of Earl Kellog's, on the east side of the road lived, in 1857, John Stewart. His children were grown up, and two of his sons, John and James, enlisted in the army. James lost his life in the army. John and George, and a sister, Mrs. Durfy, are still with us.
Going on north from Mr. Hostetter's, I came to Albert Odette's place; a fine natural grove, west of the road sheltered his house. Half a mile west lived his father-in-law, Marquette, a French- man. He had two sons and several daughters. One son, about ten or 12 years of age at that time, was mentally afflicted. The old man and Joe, his son, were famous as breakers of prairie. They broke with six yoke of oxen and a plow that cut twenty- eight inches.
The next family west of Odette on the north side of the road was William Baily. He lived fourteen years in his claim shanty. It was 14 by 16, had a shed roof, one door and two windows. Mr. Bailey was a hard worker. The next farm on the west side of the road belonged to the writer. It was the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 36 in Jordan. I bought the land from the state in 1862 for $5 an acre. There were other
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