USA > Minnesota > Freeborn County > History of Freeborn County, Minnesota > Part 26
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FORMER POSTOFFICES.
Among the discontinued postoffices in Freeborn county may be mentioned Bath, Buckeye, Clover, Knatvold, Lerdal, Mansfield, Moscow, Newry, Sigsbee and Trenton.
Bath. This office was established in 1876 at the residence of L. P. Carlson, on section 36. Mr. Carlson was appointed as the first postmaster and held the office for about two years. A. H. Peterson has since been appointed to the position, and later James St. John. The office was discontinued about 1907.
Buckeye postoffice was established in 1858; and the office was held in the home of the first postmaster, James E. Smith, on sec- tion 30, Manchester township. In 1860 a mail route from Man- kato to Otronto was established, and S. B. Smith appointed to
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take charge of the office. Some years later A. G. Hall became postmaster and the office was moved to his residence, where it was discontinued about 1870.
Clover. The postoffice was established in 1890, with William P. Pickle as postmaster. Originally the office was called Adair. but on account of its resemblance to the word Adrain it was changed to Clover. After Mr. Pickle came William Wohlhuter, Frank Yost, Peter Flesch and George Enser, the latter of whom was serving when the office was discontinued. Mail is now re- ceived by rural route from Albert Lea.
Knatvold postoffice was established in Freeman in the early nineties, with Thomas E. Flaskerud as postmaster, and he was succeeded by Erick K. Flaskerud. The office has been discon- tinued into Albert Lea.
Lerdal postoffice was located in the west part of section 17. Riceland township, and among the postmasters who have served in that office were H. Evenson, Martin O. Broten and Oluf Jorgen- son. The office was discontinued about 1909 and mail is now sup- plied from Hayward.
Mansfield. In 1875 this office was established, and James M. Emerson appointed to serve as postmaster. Among those who have been appointed to the position since that time are C. J. Flesch, Henry C. Becker, Henry J. Smith and Frank Becker. The postoffice was discontinued about 1909, being now supplied from Alden.
Moscow. A postoffice in the village of Moscow was established in 1858, and John G. Dunning was appointed as the first post- master, the office being located in the home of David Farr, in section 22. In 1860 Mr. Farr became postmaster, and he held the office for two years, after which Evan Morgan was appointed. Since that time K. Ryan has served as postmaster, also Emma Darley. The office has been discontinued and the mail is supplied from Austin.
Newry. In 1874 the postoffice at this place was established, with John Herron as postmaster, and the office was located in his home in the northwest part of section 9. The office has been dis- continued and mail is supplied from Blooming Prairie.
Sigsbee postoffice was established in the eighties, with Henry Bell as postmaster, who was succeeded by Andrew P. Tufte. The office has been discontinued in to Hayward.
Trenton. The Trenton postoffice was established in September, 1857, with George Watson as first postmaster. The office was . located in the northwest part of section 10, Freeborn township, but in 1858 when John W. Ayers was appointed postmaster was removed to section 3. T. S. Levold was the last postmaster, the office having been discontinued some time ago.
CLARENCE WEDGE
CHAPTER XXI
FREEBORN COUNTY HORTICULTURE
Native Fruits, Berries and Trees-Some of the Pioneer Horticul- turists-Their Long Life and Exemplary Habits-Horticul- tural Societies-By Clarence Wedge.
In beginning some notes on the work that has been accom- plished in cultivating trees and fruits in Freeborn county, it may be of interest to touch upon some of the features of its natural flora as the settlers found it when the country came under the influnece of civilization.
Among the native fruits that proved of value when there was no possibility of securing the cultivated fruits from the other settled regions we would mention the wild apple (Pyrus Coro- naria), the wild grape (Vitus Riparia), the wild plum (Prunus Americana), the wild strawberry and gooseberry. The native apple was fortunately a good keeper that could be stored and used for a considerable time into the winter; the largest and best flavored made passable sauce and perhaps as fine jelly as can be produced from any fruit whatever. The trees were very commonly found among the groves of the county. The wild grape was as abundant then as it is to-day, and while very small both in bunch and berry, was found in sufficient. quantity to be used largely in marmalades and jellies. The wild plum was undoubtedly the best of the native fruits, some select kinds hav- ing a flavor surpassed by few of the stone fruits of any climate. It was very plentiful among the thickets at the edge of the timber and along the water courses generally. It was the first of the native fruits to enter the cultivated lists, and through selection and hybridization has become the basis of the cultivated varieties of the north Mississippi Valley. The wild strawberry was abundant in favorable seasons, and while rather soft and difficult to pick, was of such excellent flavor as to be perhaps the highest prized of all the native small fruits. The wild goose- berry, both the smooth and prickly form, was found in consid- erable abundance on the big island in Lake Albert Lea and in other good timber soil and, in quality ranks well up with the cultivated varieties.
It may not be generally known that in Freeborn county we find the northwestern limit of the true shellbark hickory on the North American continent. It occurs on the peculiar light-colored
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soils found about two miles north of Twin Lakes in Pickerel Lake township, and in what was formerly the island of Rice Lake and its outlet, the Turtle creek, in Riceland and Moscow town- ships. The black walnut and butternut and bitternut hickory were found along the bluffs of the lakes and in the timber along the water courses quite commonly over the county, in some places, notably about Freeborn Lake, becoming of fine size and making extremely valuable timber.
The only evergreen native to the county is the red cedar, found only, as we believe, along the shores of Freeborn lake in Freeborn and Carlston townships, and near the south border of the county on what is known as State Line lake.
There is little doubt that the honor of establishing the first good-sized orchard in the county belongs to the Rev. Isaac W. McReynolds, then living about a mile directly west of the city. who planted apple seed in 1858; and when grown to proper size set out trees sufficient to cover about an acre. These trees in due time came on and bore considerable fruit, so that by about the year 1870 he was harvesting crops of fifty to seventy-five bushels. The product of this orchard was frequently mentioned in the county papers and the results achieved were such as to greatly encourage the planting of fruit trees at an early date in our county. However, like most of the early seedling orchards that were grown from promiscuous seed gathered from eastern orchards. they carried with them in their ancestry no special adaptation to the climate of the West, and one by one they suc- cumbed to severe winters and drouthy summers, till at the end of twenty years very little was left to show for the effort that had been put forth. At this date but one tree is left, probably the oldest apple tree in the county. Mr. McReynolds lived to the age of ninety-three years.
In the year 1865 R. C. Cady, living on section 4 in Pickerel Lake, planted a block of about three acres adjoining the northern boundary of the township of grafted trees procured from a nurs- ery in Berlin, Wisconsin, and also from his own grafting. A good share lived and have borne quite a quantity of fruit, perhaps a third enduring even to the present day. Among this lot of trees were some of the Duchess as well as crabs and some winter sorts. Mr. Cady thus probably had the honor of establishing the first good sized and successful orchard of grafted trees in the county. Mr. Cady was a thoroughgoing horticulturist and was very active in distributing the white willow, which at that time was looked upon as a valuable tree for making hedges along the roadside and for supplying fuel for the prairies. The white willow has proved perhaps the most valuable of all the timber trees for general farm uses up to the present day, and to Mr. Cady belongs a very large
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share of honor for appreciating its value and distributing it so widely as he did. Mr. Cady removed from Freeborn county about 1878 and settled in Kansas, in which event Freeborn county lost one of its most genial and unselfish citizens. Mr. Cady lived to the age of eighty-four years.
Some time about 1870 C. L. Smith, who later became a promi- nent man in the political and horticultural life of the West, endeavored to establish as one of his first ventures a small nurs- ery on the grounds now occupied by the Luther Academy. On account of continued sickness in the family and the slender means at his disposal, Mr. Smith was scarcely able to consummate his desires in this direction, and the nursery was abandoned within a year or two, before it was fairly established and before he had accomplished much of value for the community, and it is only for the fact that he afterwards became so prominent in the hor- ticultural fraternity of Minnesota and the Northwest that his name is mentioned in connection with this history. Mr. Smith is now a citizen of the state of Washington.
In the first plantings of this section of the state the trees most commonly used were the cottonwood and white willow, and it was largely through the efforts of C. R. Ransom, who later became a prominent merchant in Albert Lea, that the soft maple was given a large distribution and became one of the popular trees for grove and ornamental planting. At the time that Mr. Ransom established his home on the block at the intersection of Newton and Second streets, in 1866, he planted the larger share of his property to a nursery of soft maple and elm seedlings, which he distributed very largely when of suitable size as street trees in the city of Albert Lea. Those located on the central town site have large proved a disappointment on account of its sandy sub- soil being ill adapted to the health of this tree, but in the southern and western portions of the city on clay soils they have grown up and made some of the finest specimens to be found in the city. Mr. Ransom was also an enthusiast in grape culture, and to him alone belongs the honor of introducing the proper training and cultivation of the standard grapes of the old list, such as the Concord, Delaware, Agawam, and the like, into this county. Mr. Ransom was a very thorough cultivator and a man of tireless energy and enthusiasm in such work, and his vineyard of about one hundred vines was a model in appearance and produced the heaviest crops and perhaps the finest and largest clusters that have ever been grown in our county. Such a combination of enthusiasm and thoroughness is as rare as it is useful, and as is usual in such case, his neighbors and all observers became pos- essed with the idea of imitating hi example, so that on the whole he was one of the characters to whom much is due for the present
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prosperous status of the horticultural interests in our midst. Mr. Ransom lived to an unusually vigorous and healthy old age, dying in the year 1911, in his ninety-first year.
The pioneer in market gardening and perhaps the most promi- nent all around figure in the early horticulture of our county was George H. Prescott, who settled here as a farmer in the town of Bancroft in 1856, and after moving to Stearns county and returning several years later, planted out a considerable orchard of crab trees, the general idea being prevalent at that time that crabs were the only apple that could be successfully grown so far north as Minnesota. In about the year 1880 he became interested with W. P. Sergeant as manager in a large sorghum mill which was established in Albert Lea, under the patronage of Mr. Ser- geant. We believe that it was at this time that Mr. Prescott moved his family to the residence in New Denmark which they occupied up to within three years of the present time. The sor- ghum enterprise was a complete failure and was abandoned after two years' efforts in which the extremely wet and unfavorable seasons and the difficulty of hauling cane to the city over the muddy roads had proved almost insuperable obstacles. Mr. Pres- cott then turned his attention to market gardening, growing not only ordinary vegetables but large beds of strawberries and raspberries for the local markets, and became the leading author- ity on small fruits of the early days when the Wilson and Crescent strawberries and the old Philadelphia raspberry were the princi- pal varieties cultivated. Mr. Prescott was a very genial and public-spirited gentleman and an enthusiastic promoter and dis- seminator of horticultural information. He lived to the age of eighty-one years.
There is no doubt that the chief factor in encouraging the planting of what have proved to be the two most dependable vari- eties, the Duchess and the Wealthy apple, was the orchard estab- lished by S. S. Batchelder in 1868 on the farm in section 31 in the town of Bancroft, now occupied by the Wedge Nursery. This little orchard, occupying only a little over half an acre, was for- tunately planted almost wholly to the Duchess, which soon came into bearing; and the fruit, being brought to the city and sold in considerable quantity, gave the lie to the common assertion of that time that it was impossible to grow apples in Minnesota. A large share of the trees in this orchard are still living in fine health and bearing excellent crops for the present owner. Mr. Batchelder was no doubt the first to realize the great value of the Wealthy, and so highly did he esteem it and so eager was he to have it introduced in our section that he purchased root grafts of it and grew nursery trees which he distributed to a limited extent in his own neighborhood. Mr. Batchelder was a
,
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HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
man of fine education, high moral character and very considerable ability, holding a number of important offices in the county, among which was that of superintendent of schools. But of all the products of his active and useful life we believe that there are few that have given more joy and comfort to our people than the impetus which he gave to the planting of the Wealthy apple, which is now more generally prized than any other variety or perhaps all other varieties combined. Mr. Batchelder, although never in robust health, lived to the age of fifty-three.
The largest and most enterprising small fruit grower up to the present time is H. F. Hanson, who has grown strawberries by the acre for many years past and become recognized as an unusually shrewd and painstaking observer of plant life in gen- eral. Mr. Hanson began his plantations in about the year 1885, and after making an unusual success in strawberry and raspberry growing, he became attracted to the larger fruits, and at this time has an orchard only second in importance to that of the Wedge Nursery: Mr. Hanson has not only suceeded remarkably well with most of the cultivated fruits grown in this latitude, but has also engaged in seedling experiments, having produced at least one variety of strawberries, and has given examples of some of the most successful topworking experiments in growing winter apples. To him also belongs the honor of transforming the worthless cut-over island of Pickerel lake into a fine five-acre orchard.
The greenhouse enterprise that, undertaken on a small scale in about the year 1885 by Peter Clausen, has grown into the pres- ent fine establishment of P. Clausen & Son, known as the Lake Shore Greenhouses, located on the north shore of Fountain lake, and now under 50,000 feet of glass. Mr. Clausen has not only the honor of establishing the first greenhouse, but has also been one of the most earnest workers in the horticultural society and prom- inent exhibitors at the county fairs. Mr. Clausen's flowers and good cheer have always been a dependable factor in any under- taking for the advancement of horticulture.
The great age attained by our early horticulturists will not pass unnoticed by the reader. Careful inquiry has disclosed the fact that they were men of clean habits, and though living before the liquor habit had fallen into its present ill repute, were with- out exception total abstainers. Their calling leads up close to nature with her miracles not less wonderful than those recorded in the book of God. And so the atheist has been as rare as the drunkard among our horticulturists. Living out in the open with unclouded brains and clear faith, these men co-operated with nature to bring forth the best fruits of earth. Finding such con- stant rewards and ever-unfolding revelations, their minds were
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hopefully occupied and their interest in life unfailing to the end. No more wholesome life could be imagined, the ideal life that was in the mind of the Creator when he "planted a garden east- ward in Eden." Among the recollections brought up during the gathering of material for this sketch among the old residents was one of seeing Mr. Cady talk about his work with his arm around one of his trees, patting it lovingly as he talked, as if it were a child. Affection like this for one's work makes the cup of life sweet to the very last drop.
No history of the horticulture of the county would be com- plete without mention of the two horticultural societies which have met within its borders and largely contributed to the devel- opment of the taste for fruits and flowers and the joys of out- door life.
The Southern Minnesota Horticultural Society .- The prelimi- nary meeting for the purpose of organizing a southern Minnesota society was held in Albert Lea in October, 1893, when a program committee was appointed and F. W. Kimball, of Austin, was made president and Clarence Wedge, of Albert Lea, secretary. The first annual meeting of the society was held in Austin, Decem- ber 13 and 14 following, and a membership of about thirty secured. Since that time this society has held regular annual meetings in December or January and has grown to a membership of nearly a hundred persons. The meetings have usually been held in Austin and Albert Lea, but several meetings have been held in Spring Valley, and one in Owatonna. The society has been carried on as an auxiliary of the state society, its members being entitled to all the privileges and publications of the state society, of which it has been by far the leading local auxiliary. The pro- grams of the meetings and a large share of the papers read at its sessions may be found in the periodicals published by the state society. The following officers have been chosen from Freeborn county : President: A. W. Mas. 195 to 1907, inclusive; L. P. H. Highby, 1908; C. M. Peterson. 1909 to 1911, inclusive. Vice President : Geo. H. Prescott, 1893 to 1894, inclusive; Jonathan Freeman, 1895 to 1901, inclusive; Mrs. C. E. Brainerd. 1902; P. Clausen. 1905 to 1908. inclusive. Secretary : Clarence Wedge, 1893 to 1897, inclusive; Mrs. C. E. Brainerd, 1900 to 1901, inclu- sive; Jonathan Freeman, 1902; L. P. H. Highby, 1903 to 1905, inclusive; O. M. Peterson, 1906 to 1908, inclusive. Treasurer : Chris Berthelsen, 1909 to 1911, inclusive.
The Freeborn County Horticultural Society was organized on January 24, 1903, by a few of the leading enthusiasts of the county, who wished to have an opportunity of getting together more frequently than is provided for by the annual meetings of the southern Minnesota society. Its charter members were: C.
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Berthelsen, M. E. Giles, P. Clausen, C. L. Hill, A. W. Massee, O. M. Peterson, M. Fridholm, C. L. Luce, F. A. Rolph, Clarence Wedge, Geo H. Prescott, H. F. Hansen, D. C. Armstrong, J. O. Share, L. P. H. Highby.
This society has held frequent meetings, festivals and picnics and has proved a most valuable agency in promoting the remark- ably fine fruit and floral exhibits of the county fair, and in work- ing up interest in the meetings of the southern Minnesota society held in Albert Lea. In nearly all of the county fairs of Minne- sota the fruit exhibit has thus far been one of the minor attrac- tions. In Freeborn county the central exhibit under cover has for years past been the tables and fruits and flowers extending the whole length of the main building, and set forth and labeled with an accuracy and neatness excelled in no similar exhibit in this part of the country. The spirit of enterprise and good feel- ing that has made such things possible is largely due to the local organizations, which have brought about a closer acquaintance between fruit growers and nurserymen and a disposition on their part to work together for the general good.
The officers of the society have been as follows: President : M. E. Giles, 1903; A. W. Massee, 1904 to 1906, inclusive; L. P. H. Highby, 1907 to the present time. Secretary : L. P. H. Highby, 1903 to 1905, inclusive; O. M. Peterson, 1906; C. Berthelsen, 1907 to the present time. Treasurer: D. C. Armstrong, 1903 to 1905, inclusive; C. Berthelson, 1906; O. E. Dahlen, 1907 to the present time.
The author of this excellent article on the Horticulture of Freeborn County is himself one of the men who have made the horicultural development of the county possible. A thorough lover of God's outdoors and a close student of his chosen profes- sion, he watches the wonderful revelations of Nature with affec- tionate observation and appreciation. The following biography tells something of the achievements which he has modestly omitted from the history of the progress of the art in which he has taken so deep an interest.
Clarence Wedge, one of the leading nurserymen and horticul- turists of southern Minnesota, was born at a locality still called Wedge's Prairie, in Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin, June 30, 1856, son of Lucius P. Wedge and Mary Felicia (Clark) Wedge, the former one of the original proprietors of the village of Albert Lea. After his father's death, in 1858, Clarence was brought to Albert Lea by his mother and was here reared to manhood, attending the public schools and taking a three years' course in the University of Minnesota. His inclination to rural life was encouraged by his excellent stepfather, Augustus Armstrong, who gave careful at-
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tention to his training and who had broad-minded and advanced ideas on the education and training of youth. In 1876 Mr. Wedge began the farm life that he had long looked forward to upon a 200-acre tract two miles southeast of Albert Lea, which he named Echo Farm. While engaged in general farming and stock raising he became more and more interested in tree and fruit growing till, in 1890, he established the first commercial nursery in Free- born county. As the nursery enlarged he found that the soil at this place was poorly adapted to the use of labor-saving machinery and in 1900 removed to the historic site of Itasca village, two miles northwest of the city where the level land and lighter soil seems especially adapted to nursery purposes. In 1906 a partnership was formed between Clarence Wedge, the original owner, and his sec- ond son, Robert C., this partnership continuing to the present time.
Mr. Wedge is an earnest advocate of prohibition, having the honor of being nominated by his party for the position of lieu- tenant-governor, as well as for the office of congressman from this district. He is also an active worker in the Presbyterian body, one of the charter members and an elder of the Albert Lea church, and for several years served as its Sunday school superintendent. From December, 1902, to December, 1906, he served the Minnesota State Horticultural Society as president and he has also been prominent in other agricultural and horticultural organizations.
The subject of this sketch was married July 29, 1878, to Cor- nelia E. Todd, daughter of the Rev. J. D. Todd. She died in 1903, leaving nine children : Lucius P. lives in Washington, where he is engaged in nursery work; Robert C. is his father's partner ; Jesse C. lives at Kelliher, Minn. ; Margaret T. is now Mrs. Henry Todd of Crystal Springs, N. D .; Evelyn F. is a teacher in North Dakota; Philip is engaged in dairying at Walla Walla, Wash .; Ruth V., Ralph F. and Elizabeth are at home. Mr. Wedge was again married, June 17, 1905, to Mary B. Cutler, daughter of the late Ezekiel Cutler, of Decoralı, Ia. They have one child, an adopted son, Alan C., born Aug. 25, 1907.
Mr. Wedge is an earnest believer in the possibilities of fruit growing in Minnesota and was the first to plant a commercial orchard in Freeborn county from which apples were shipped in car lots, his young orchard of about thirty acres at Echo Farm having several times furnished three car loads for outside markets. He was also the first of our orchardists to recognize the value and adopt the process of topworking to produce true winter apples and has already grown by this method over 180 bushels in one season, composed of such standard sorts as Golden Russet, Wind- sor Chief, Talman Sweet, Fameuse, York Imperial and Jonathan, varieties that can not at this time be grown by any other process in this section. He also takes much satisfaction in the varieties
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