USA > Minnesota > Fillmore County > History of Fillmore County, Minnesota (Volume 1) > Part 53
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The present schoolhouse was built in the fall of the year 1874, and the old log building was torn down and used for fuel during the winter term of school. The first term of school in this building was taught by Helen Nash, of Lanesboro, a lady of more than ordinary teaching ability. The next winter term was taught by Jesse C. Johnson, a man who had already been
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tried several terms in this school and found to possess teaching ability of the highest order. Others who followed immediately after as teachers were Edgar Clark, S. P. Watkins, Edwin Brady, Thomas Duxbury and J. H. Duxbury.
Among those I remember as having at one time or another wielded the rod of authority in this school, and not already men- tioned, are Julia Mills, Hattie Scott, Mary Flemming, Mary Arnold, Rose Ford, Rosella Slater, Anna Krees, Tena Webye, Grace and Mary Mills, Mary A. and Anna G. Duxbury, Henrietta Rose, Jennie Henderson, Fanny Engle, Herbert Dunn, Edith Catheart, Katie Wrenn, Joseph Maloney, E. C. Goodwin, Louis and Warren Cummings, Anna Thompson, Nettie Peterson, Fanny Ayer, Luther Ilamm, Guy Gowdy, George Harsh, Mrs. Fifield, W. P. Durst, Emily Dayton and Maud Vought. Those of the above named, who obtained most of their education in this school, and afterward held the position of instructor in the same, are Anna Krees, Thomas Duxbury, J. II. and Mary A. Duxbury, Anna G. Duxbury, Grace and Mary E. Mills and Henrietta Rose.
The Scotland School. The people of this district finished a log schoolhouse in the spring of 1859, and the first teacher therein was Katherine Bursell, now Mrs. James Rice, of Canton. Following her came Duncan Murray, who perished in the bliz- zard of January 9, 1873. He was followed as teacher by Miss Garrison. Then came David Miller, Henry Tillotson, Ella Hoyt and Miss Daniels, but the order in which they taught has not been ascertained. Ida Butler taught the summer term of 1868; Hunt Edwards the winter term of 1866-67; A. J. Stead the winter of 1867-68; Alice McMurtrie the summer term of 1868; Alfred Edwards the winter term of 1868-69; and Laura Gale the summer term of 1869.
T. E. Fleming, who taught in the winter of 1869-70, was the first to hold sessions in the new schoolhouse. Since then the teachers have been as follows: Laura Gale, summer of 1870; J. H. Adams, winter of 1870-71; Matilda Galbraith, summer of 1871; G. M. Durst, winter of 1871-72; W. A. Nelson, summer of 1872 and winter of 1872-73; C. A. Thompson, summer of 1873; C. W. Prosser, winter of 1873-74; Charles Valder, summer of 1874, winter of 1874-75; R. A. Hunt, winter of 1875-76, summer of 1876, winter of 1876-77, summer of 1877; L. P. Watkins, winter of 1877-78, summer of 1878; M. H. Meade, winter of 1878-79; Jennie Foot, summer of 1879; J. H. Jewett, winter of 1879-80, summer of 1880, winter of 1880-81, summer of 1881, winter of 1881-82, summer of 1882, winter of 1882-83, summer of 1883; James McNee, winter of 1883-84; Kate Wrenn, summer of 1884; Thomas Duxbury, winter of 1884-85; Kate Wrenn, summer of 1885; Kate Maloney began November 26, 1885, taught a month,
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then resigned, went west, settled on a claim near Seattle, Wash., and there perished in a prairie fire in the spring of 1887; Jacob Gossman, winter of 1885-86; Hattie Stahl, summer of 1886; Ella Grant, winter of 1886-87, summer of 1887; Eugene W. Gibbs, winter of 1887-88, summer of 1888, winter of 1888-89, summer of 1889, winter of 1889-90, summer of 1890; Ann E. Ferguson, winter of 1890-91, summer of 1891; Laura Rolfe, winter of 1891-92, summer and fall of 1892, winter of 1892-93, summer of 1892; Agnes Cathcart, winter of 1893-94, summer of 1894; Rupert Barnes, fall of 1894; Bertha Caple, winter of 1894-95; Rupert Barnes, summer of 1895; Cora Fairbanks, winter of 1895-96, summer of 1896; Mary B. Longwell, fall of 1896; Guy Gowdy, winter of 1896-97, summer of 1897; Mary Taber, fall of 1897, winter of 1897-98, summer of 1898, fall of 1898, winter of 1898-99, summer of 1899; Nellie Allison, 1899-1900; Agnes Cathcart, 1900- 01; W. A. Alexander, 1901-02; Beulah Ramer, summer of 1902; Lydia Hahn, 1902-04; Myrtle Case, 1904-06; Vida Russell, 1906- 07; Ruby Dunn, 1907-09; Zella Case, 1909-11; Stella Harstad, 1911-12.
The Noonan Case. On Saturday, October 17, 1874, Patrick Noonan, who lived three miles from Fountain, started for the latter place with a load of wheat, telling his wife as he left that he proposed to have "a spree and a row." Mrs. Noonan, there- fore, sent her boy to town to inform the parties to whom Mr. Noonan would sell his wheat, of his intentions, and warned them not to let him have any money. Finding he could not get the cash for the wheat, Mr. Noonan borrowed $25. After drinking heavily, he began quarreling with a young man known in that vicinity as John Shinners, whose real name was John McDonald. After some harsh words, Shinners hit Noonan a blow in the face, but before the blow could be returned they were parted by the saloon-keeper. After this, during the whole evening the matter seemed weighing on Noonan's mind, and he was unusually silent and reticent, and seemed meditating a plan for revenge. That night Noonan met a clerk in the saloon, one Eric Gilbertson, and in course of conversation showed him a piece of lead whittled nearly round, about the size of a hen's egg, and told him he had "made that for Shinners and would fix him." Nothing more was done at that time, Noonan sleeping in the shoe shop over night, saying nothing to anyone.
About 9 o'clock the next morning (Sunday), Noonan walked up town, apparently sobered off and in good humor. He met Shinners at the corner, and the following words ensued : Noonan : "What did you hit me for last night ?" Shinners: "Because you insulted me." Noonan: "How did I insult you?" Shin- ners: "It makes no difference. I don't feel at all like apologiz-
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ing." Noonan: "Then tell me what you hit me for." Shinners: "Because I liked it." Noonan: "Well, you're a curious sort of a man." Shinners: "That's just the kind of a cat I am. I hit you because I liked it, and I am just that kind of a cat."
Shinners then went into the shoemaker's shop, and in a few moments came out, and, as he went by, Noonan tried to hit him. Shinners warded off the blow, at the same time making a jump into the street. If he had turned and grappled Noonan it is said the crime might have been avoided, but the moment he saw the weapon, which Noonan had done up in a handkerchief and used as a slung-shot, he thought his only safety lay in flight. He ran out in the middle of the street at his utmost speed, but Noonan was too much for him. He caught him just before he reached Patrick Ferris' hotel, and aimed a blow with his slung-shot, which hit him on the back of the neck, knocking him down. He hit him three or four quick, successive blows after he went down, one very severe one on the right side of the head, near the crown, which broke the skull; then, giving him a kick, ran up the street, exclaiming as he ran, "I done that because I liked it, by G-d! I've fixed him, d-n him!" Shinners died two days later.
Noonan made his way to the woods, and the most diligent search failed to unearth him. Nearly ten years have rolled by, and his whereabouts still remain a mystery. His family resided on the old homestead until March, 1882, when the entire family -mother and three children-left for parts unknown. It was generally supposed by the residents and pioneers that they had gone to meet the exiled husband and father, but where, no one but his family and himself know.
The above account from a former history of this county gives the earlier history of the case. But another chapter was to be written after a lapse of thirty years.
After committing the deed, Noonan went to Wabasha county, where he stayed three weeks. There he heard of Shinners' death. Driving twenty-five miles to Lake City, he boarded a train for Milwaukee, and from there made his way to Fulton City, Ill. Then he went west and had various experiences until arrested in Helena, Mont., and brought back to Fillmore county in 1902. The case was tried in November, the prosecuting attor- ney, John W. Hopp, being assisted by R. J. Parker, and the defense being in the hands of Thompson & Gray. Noonan was found guilty of manslaughter in the fourth degree and sentenced to one year in prison.
Abstract of Titles. Fillmore county has a complete and care- fully compiled set of abstracts of title. It was compiled and owned by Lars O. Hamre, who was assisted in this laborious work by O. C. Dibble. The undertaking was commenced in 1875.
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March 1, 1884, the entire set of abstracts was purchased by the Thompson Brothers. Several years later, A. W. Thompson pur- chased the interest of R. C. Thompson, and is the sole owner at the present time. The abstracts and index have been kept up to date, the work in the offices now requiring the attention of three persons.
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CHAPTER XXXVII.
POLITICAL HISTORY.
Story of the Political Movements in Fillmore County-Original Democratic Influence Brought by Land Office Officials-Re- publicans Gain Control on Railroad Taxation Question-The Grange Movement-Greenbackers-Alliance-Men Who Have Been Prominent in State and National Politics .- Edited by Samuel A. Langum.
The political history of Fillmore county, so far as it concerns service in county office, has already been given in previous chap- ters. But there is an interesting story of political movements still untold. This story is formulated with the greatest difficulty. The leaders of the early days are dead, or at that stage of life where details of names and dates are no longer held clearly in the memory. The records are lacking in that personal element which would prove so interesting in a history of this sort. And unfortunately, although many of the leaders were men of literary ability, none has left us such a story as would enlighten us as to those stirring times when the policies and politics of Fillmore county were in the course of formation.
In general it may be said that the county was at first Demo- cratic and the officeholders were of that faith. While since 1860, the county has been considered Republican, the contests between the two parties were close for many years; and in the first twenty-five years of the county's history many Democrats served on the county boards and were elected to the legislature, repre- senting Democratic portions of the county. Even in those years, however, the county officers, elected as they were from the whole county, were largely Republican.
The People's movement, under various names, and sometimes fused with the Democratic ticket, was a considerable factor in the political life of the county from 1873 to 1902, its principal vic- tories being in 1873, 1878 and 1890. Since 1902, except for occa- sional candidates, the Republican ticket has been the only county ticket in the field.
Previous to the removal of the county seat to Preston, the people had been too busy in providing for themselves homes and
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Pom' Brachen
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in building up new towns to pay much attention to politics. Members of the territorial legislature and the county officers had been elected with little regard to their party predilections.
In the spring of 1856, the United States Land Office was removed from Brownsville to Chatfield, and the land officers being administration Democrats, proceeded to organize their party. Their first political meeting, it is said, was held in Tillotson's grove on what is now the county farm. Being in a territory the people of Fillmore county then had no vote in the national elec- tion of 1856, and there was no general canvass. In the spring of 1857, the Republican party was fully organized and entered the contest for six delegates to the Constitutional Convention. The county was thoroughly canvassed and the result was the election of the Republican ticket. The delegates were: H. A. Billings, of Spring Valley ; H. W. Holley, of Chatfield; A. H. Butler, of New- burg ; N. P. Colburn, of Carimona ; John Cleghorn, of Elliota, and Charles Hanson, of York.
The county election in 1858 was a contested one. The can- vassers threw out vote from the town of Chatfield on account of alleged illegal voting, and this gave the Republicans a majority of 100, but finally the matter coming into court, the judge (Wilson) reversed the action of the board, and ordered the Chat- field vote to be counted, thus keeping the Democrats in power.
In 1859, the Republican party went into the field on the motto "No taxation for railroad purposes," and carried the state and county principally on that issue.
In 1860, when there was a state movement to form a People's Union party, several Fillmore county men were interested. How- ever, only the two parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, went into the campaign.
In 1863, Charles D. Sherwood, of Fillmore county, was speaker of the lower house of the Minnesota legislature, and in the cam- paign of that fall was the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, serving in 1864 and 1865. Fillmore county at that time was one of the most populous in the state, and many of her citi- zens were men of state prominence.
In the fall of 1865, Major John R. Jones, of Fillmore county, was on the Democratic ticket as candidate for secretary of state.
In the fall of 1866, the two parties in the field were the Repub- licans and Democrats, and this arrangement continued for several years. In 1868, John Q. Farmer, afterward a distinguished judge, was speaker of the house, his residence being at Spring Valley.
In 1869, the Prohibition party appears in state politics for the first time. A number of votes for this party were polled in Fill- more county.
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Horace Greely with his Liberal Republican ticket drew a few votes from the county in 1872.
The Grange movement began to be felt in state and county politics in 1873. The Grange, or as it was officially called, the Society of the Patrons of Husbandry, was an organization of farmers all over the United States, with local Granges in prac- tically every hamlet and township, the object being the better- ment of farm conditions and the welfare of the poor man. The Civil War issues were dead, and new issues were now before the people, the principal one being the increasing powers of the railroads and other monopolies. The Grangers, or, as those of the movement who were interested in politics called themselves, the Anti-Monopolists, first went into the Republican state conven- tion of 1873 and endeavored to control that party. The Fillmore county representation was especially strong. When the first fight came over the selection of a speaker of the convention, J. Q. Farmer, of Spring Valley, received 138 votes against 166 for W. H. Yale, of Winona. As a nominee for lieutenant governor on the ticket, N. P. Colburn, of Fillmore county, received 136 votes against 170 for A. Barto. The Grangers and Anti-Monopolists, not satisfied with the Republican platform, formed the People's Anti-Monopoly Party, and the Democratics fused with them.
In 1876, the Greenbackers, who constituted a movement which was the outgrowth of the Granger and Anti-Monopoly move- ments, began to be felt, and in the fall of 1877 an active campaign was conducted in this county. It was in this campaign that Thomas J. Meighen, who had been interested in the previous People's movements, so called, came to the front as a political factor, he being the first chairman of the Greenback county committee. He was subsequently chairman of the Alliance county committee.
In the fall of 1877, William Meighen was a candidate for governor on the Greenback ticket.
The campaign of 1878 was one of the most interesting ever held in the county. There was a straight Republican county ticket in the field, and against this was arrayed a county fusion ticket of Greenbackers and Democrats. The fusion ticket suc- ceeded in electing Ole Allen, sheriff, and sent C. S. Powers to the senate and J. N. Graling and Peter McCracken to the house. They were re-elected in 1880.
In 1879, the same party elected Ed Stevens as a member of the board of county commissioners. In 1881, they elected R. M. Foster. In 1882, they re-elected Mr. Stevens and elected Thomas Quinn, and thus with Stevens, Foster and Quinn, the board of county commissioners in 1883 and 1884 was in control of the Greenback, or at least the Fusion, party.
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In 1881, while this Greenback movement was at its height, W. W. Braden, from this county, was elected state auditor on the Republican ticket, serving from January, 1882, to January, 1891.
In 1882, Milo White, of Chatfield, was elected to congress on the Republican ticket.
The Alliance movement had its beginning in 1887. It was especially strong in Fillmore county, and at one time there were no less than twenty-five local organizations here. The Alliance movement, like the Granger movement, concerned itself with the material as well as the political life of the farmers, and like the Grange, had purchasing agents, stores and elevators. It also had a number of creameries, and was really the progenitor of the present co-operative movements among the farmers.
John A. Lovely opposed Milo White as a candidate for the nomination as congressman on the Republican ticket, and the convention, which was held at Kasson, took 113 ballots, extended over a period of three days, before Mr. Lovely won out and had his name placed on the ticket. Mr. Lovely was in turn defeated at the following election by Judge Thomas Wilson, of Winona.
In 1888, C. G. Edwards, of this county, was a delegate to the national Republican convention at Chicago, and was placed on the committee on resolutions.
In 1890, W. W. Braden, of Fillmore county, was candidate for nomination of governor on the Republican ticket. The conven- tion gave him thirty-four votes, while Nelson received seventy- five and Merriam 350.
The Fusion ticket, consisting of Alliance, Democrats and Pro- hibitionists, in 1890, elected Ole P. Hadland and A. H. Gilmore to the legislature, and through their efforts a bill was passed, lower- ing the salaries of the county officials of Fillmore county. The bill, which under the suspension of the rules, passed the senate and house on the day it was introduced, provided that the propo- sition be submitted to the people of the county. The question being duly submitted in the fall of 1891, the people by an over- whelming majority voted in favor of the reduction. These special laws have, however, been since repealed.
In 1891, the People's party having been born, Thomas J. Meighen was named the chairman of the People's party state central committee. In 1892, A. D. Gray was one of the Republican presidential electors.
In 1896, Thomas J. Meighen was candidate at large for presi- dential elector on the Democratic ticket. The same year, Burdett Thayer was presidential elector on the Republican ticket. A. D. Gray was a delegate to the Republican national convention. In 1908, R. E. Thompson was presidential elector on the Republican ticket.
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In 1900, William Meighen was nominated on the Democratic ticket as a presidential elector, and the same year Thomas J. Meighen was candidate for lieutenant governor on the Fusion Democratic-People's ticket. Two years later Thomas J. Meighen was a candidate for governor on the People's ticket.
In 1902, Samuel G. Iverson was elected state auditor on the Republican ticket, and has since retained that position.
In the fall of 1910, Sidney J. Anderson, a young lawyer from Lanesboro, was elected to congress from the First district, and is still serving.
The Republican party is now and has been for many years firmly entrenched in the county. The present Republican county committee is composed of the following gentlemen: E. K. Blex- rud, chairman ; W. B. Huntley, Geo. Andrus, C. K. Foss and J. P. Johnson.
From the foregoing brief review it will be seen that Fillmore county has taken a somewhat active part in the affairs of state and nation, and many of her sons have been entrusted with posi- tions of honor and emoluments. As intimated at the beginning of this chapter, the making of a complete history, embellished with interesting personal experiences, especially of the earlier days, is an impossible task owing to the passing away of the men who participated, while the even tenor of latter-day events leaves no room for extended comment. Hence this narrative must of neces- sity be largely composed of facts, names and dates-a mere matter of chronology.
Publishers' Note. The editor of this chapter has refrained from mentioning his own prominent part in state and national life, and for this reason the following brief note is appended :
S. A. Langum was elected secretary of the state senate in 1895, and held that position for eight consecutive sessions, includ- ing one special session, breaking the record for continuous serv- ice. In 1898, he was a candidate for secretary of state against Albert Berg, the then incumbent, and fell short forty votes in a convention of 1,000 delegates. Again in 1900, he opposed Peter E. Hanson and others, leading on the first ballot, but again failed of nomination through a series of untoward circumstances. At the close of the 1907 session of the state senate he was by resolution requested to serve as secretary of the 1909 senate, composed of the same senators, an honor never before bestowed by that body, but he was destined not to comply with the request, as in December, 1907, he was elected postmaster of national House of Representatives at Washington, serving as such during the Sixtieth and Sixty-first congresses, retiring with incoming of a Democratic house.
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JAMES C. MeNEE AND FAMILY
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CHAPTER XXXVIII.
AGRICULTURAL HISTORY.
Pioneer Farmers-Breaking the Ground-Early Drawbacks- Census Report of Live Stock and Farm Products-Roads and Bridges-Fillmore County Agricultural Society-Underground Waters-Edited by John C. Mills.
Fillmore is acknowledged as being among the best and most prosperous agricultural and stock raising counties in Minnesota. Its people are wide awake and keep step with the procession in industry and culture. The first settlers of the county were mostly farmers, and they were, with but few exceptions poor men, as is the case in the history of every agricultural region. In fact, few had more than enough to barely get settled upon their lands; but they came with that which was in those days equal to it- training in agricultural pursuits, brawny hands that were able and not ashamed to work, and in connection with industrious habits the energy and determination to win success. The country was new, and there was no alternative but that success must be wrought from the soil, which was their only wealth and their only hope. And, in spite of all the obstacles and inconven- iences, notwithstanding the fact that the whole aim of the farm- ing community has changed, success attended their efforts. Nor is the end yet reached, but the county has a mine of wealth yet undeveloped, which as years roll on, will grow more and more valuable as the agricultural population becomes more and more able to utilize it.
In the earliest days, when the land was first broken, it was grubby and hard, and rutabagas were largely grown. Gradually the common vegetables were raised, and wheat early became the main product, and for a number of years excellent crops were raised with scarcely a failure. At the present time, wheat has given its former place to other cereals, and the farmers find other avenues, especially dairying and hog raising, in which to devote their time and energy.
The farms of Fillmore county are similar to the farms of any other county having a similar climate and soil. It has its good farms and its poor farms. Agriculture, like every other trade or
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profession, has its failures and successes, but perhaps not so many complete failures.
The high altitude gives to Fillmore county an ideal climate.
Its mean temperature for summer is 70 degrees, the same as middle Illinois, Ohio and southern Pennsylvania. The extreme heat that is felt in these states is here tempered by the breezes of the elevated plateau. Its higher latitude gives two hours more of sunshine than at Cincinnati. This with an abundance of rainfall, 26.36 inches annually, on a rich soil, accounts for the rapid and vigorous growth of crops and their early maturity. There is a uniformity of temperature during the winter season in southern Minnesota, with bright sunshine, dry atmosphere, good sleighing and infrequent thaws that make life a pleasure in this bracing, healthy climate.
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