History of Freeborn County, Minnesota, Part 40

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn. 4n
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago : H. C. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1220

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HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY

tice of the peace; Adolph W. Hanson, treasurer; L. Grove, con- stable; A. J. Stensvad, street commissioner and constable. In March, 1894, were elected Oluf Lee, president; J. W. Donovan, recorder; P. P. Gomsrud, T. C. Nolan, S. Samuelson, trustees ; A. M. Larberg, treasurer; John Amundson, Richard Donovan, constables. The first meeting place of the trustees was in the Donovan Bros.' hall, for which a rental of 50 cents a night was paid. In 1894 it was decided to erect a village hall for council meetings and fire apparatus. The contract was let to Johanus Rue for $265, and this building was used until the first of this year. In 1901 the citizens, by a vote of 39 to 33, authorized the installation of a water system, the original contract price for a 1,500 barrel tank raised 100 feet high on substantial iron sup- ports, eight horse power gasoline engine and engine house, being $5,300. Water main extensions and improvements place the value of the system at the present time at between $9,000 and $10,000. There are about 2,000 feet of mains and nine fire hydrants con- veniently located in various parts of the village. In 1908 a new village hall was erected. The building faces Broadway on the same lots occupied by the pumping station and water tank pre- senting a 40 foot front, two stories high with bell tower on south- east corner. The edifice is 60 feet in length, built of brick and stone. The jail occupies 25x30 feet in the rear of the first floor and meets all requirements of the state for the safe keeping of prisoners, being fire-proofed by heavy brick walls, cement floors and cement, brick and iron ceiling. Two steel cells are provided.

The front ground floor room, 25x40, has cement floor and is used as a meeting place for the fire company and housing for the apparatus. On the second floor the rooms are of the same size, the rear and smaller room being used as quarters for the village marshal and council room. The front room is devoted to public assemblages and the like, and is handsomely finished, has high ceiling and is well lighted. The building was erected at a cost of $5,300 by the local contractor, Ole Fennefos. The council under whose direction the hall was planned and built was composed of H. M. Christopherson, president; P. H. Donovan, recorder; L. Borgen, Lars Grove and O. J. Madson, trustees.

Fire Department .- A fire company was first organized in 1894, the officers at that time being, Knute Olson, chief; John J. Rue, assistant chief; J. W. Donovan, secretary. This company became disorganized later on and in 1897 a new company was formed with J. E. St. John, chief, John H. Hanson, assistant chief; M. L. Head, treasurer; A. H. Siblerud, secretary. John H. Hanson later became chief and served for four years. Up until the water system was installed a "Water Witch" hand pump apparatus was used. The department at present is well equipped for fight-

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ing the flames. Sufficient pressure is given through the water mains from the tank and additional water and force can be supplied by connecting the engine to the mains. About 700 feet of hose are on hand, two hose carts, six ladders and two hand chemical extinguishers.

Schools .- Hartland has an excellent school which has increased from a one-roomed district school to a state graded school, giving a two years' high school course. Torger Samuelson circulated the petition for the establishment of the district in 1878 and the first officers were: Torger Samuelson, director ; Olaf Lee, clerk ; Jacob Grenager, treasurer. The school building was built the same fall and is the same building now owned by Rev. J. J. Strand and occupied by Carl Christopherson as a residence. F. E. Phipps, Sr., taught the school in the years 1878-9 and 1890-91. Mr. Hill, of Albert Lea, succeeded him for one year. Roanna Challis had charge of the school the next year, Mr. Phipps the year follow- ing, and after Jessie Scoville had served two years Mr. Phipps was employed for three successive years. In 1889 the school was graded and S. J. Fuller and Rogna Thorkeldson were employed as teachers. In 1904, the third year under the principalship of Catharine Connors, the new four-room school house with base- ment was built. It is a. handsome building, beautifully located on high ground and surrounded on all sides by a grove. The grounds were purchased from Wm. Morin, after a regular school election at which the people voted to buy grounds, build the new schoolhouse and dispose of the old building and grounds. The cost of building was $5,352.47. Eric Severson had the build- ing contract. The school board at this time was composed of J. C. Sybilrud, director; H. M. Christopherson, treasurer; S. Samuelson, clerk. In 1906 four departments were established and the two years high school course was inaugurated by Miss Connors.

LONDON VILLAGE.

The village of London is located on the Illinois Central line, in the northwest quarter of section 25, London township. Pre- vious to the starting of this village, the old hamlet of London had been located near the cornering of sections 11, 12, 13 and 14. In 1900, when the Albert Lea and Southern, now operated by the Illinois Central was put through, a new village was started on William Morin's farm, the plat being surveyed by Frank H. Fisk and filed for record at the courthouse, October 16, 1900. The village now consists of two general stores, one implement store, one hardware store, a bank, a creamery, a lumber yard, a har- ness shop, a blacksmith shop, a railroad station, a hotel, a church, two elevators, and several residences. Two lodges, the Modern

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Woodmen of America and the Royal Neighbors also flourish here. A two-roomed brick schoolhouse, with basement is now under course of construction. The first building to go up in this village was the railroad station. The first business house was the office of . the London Lumber Co. Rudolf Isaacs, manager of this company, was the first resident of the village. In 1905 this concern was purchased by the F. I. Crane Lumber Co., of Austin, and is still in operation. Soon after the erection of the lumber office, N. H. Nelson erected a general store and commenced business in 1901. He is still in business here, and is also postmaster, the office being located in his store. The other general store is conducted by T. S. Johnson. The hardware merchant is S. Hyatt. The blacksmith is Chris Skjeveland. The hotel is kept by Hans Madsen. The older elevator is owned by John Lucas, and was erected in 1900. The newer elevator is owned by the Speltz Bros. M. S. Skamfer keeps the harness shop. The implement merchant is S. H. Hel- gerson.

MANCHESTER VILLAGE.

The village of Manchester is located in section 15, in the town- ship of that name, on the Minneapolis & St. Louis. It has a town hall, a fireman's hall used for theatrical and social purposes, a bank, a creamery, an insurance company, a railroad station, a Lutheran school (kept in the town hall when the district school is not in session), a postoffice, kept by Mrs. E. O. Fossum, a hotel kept by the same lady, an elevator, a general store, a hardware store, a blacksmith shop, several residences, an excellent fire company, good sidewalks, and gas street lighting. Knute Slette, · for many years postmaster, operates the elevator for Everett, Aughenbaugh & Co .; the general store is owned by Gunder Haakenson, Lytho Hartz and John A. Thykeson; the hardware store is operated and owned by Andrew Knudson, and the black- smith shop is owned and operated by Herman Hanson.

The village was originally platted in 1882 by Ole Peterson. It was replatted and surveyed in 1898 by H. W. Fish, the owners at that time being: Knute Slette, Claus Flindt, Ole O. Olson, Ole O. Myran, Jens Johnson, Kittel Halvorson, Even A. Lybeck, Bern- hardt Anderson, Hagan Torgerson and Manchester Creamery Co.

In 1877 Cosgan & White erected an elevator which was moved to section 23 soon after its erection, but was later moved back to the village. In 1878, Anton Anderson erected a black- smith shop, 24x28 feet, and commenced blowing the bellows. In the fall of 1881, an addition was erected, 12x28 feet, for a wagon shop, and an engine house, 10x12 feet, in which was placed a five horse-power steam engine to run the machinery. In February, 1878, a building was erected by H. R. Fossum and E. H. Stensrud,

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and a good stock of dry goods, groceries, and general merchan- dise was placed upon the shelves. In May, 1878, the postoffice was established.

OTHER VILLAGES.

Armstrong Village came into existence in 1878, at the instiga- tion of T. H. Armstrong, who that year erected an elevator. A store building was also built the same spring by Jason T. Goward. A postoffice was established in 1882, and G. H. Kenerson was appointed postmaster. In 1879, a Mr. Dewey erected a black- smith shop, but left in 1880. The railroad company erected the depot in 1879, and it was opened with P. D. Barticus, station agent. For many years B. A. Cady kept a store here. T. E. Flaskerud is now the village merchant. The village at the present time contains a station, a store, an elevator, a creamery, and sev- eral houses. The village is located in section 4, Pickerel Lake township.

Bath Village is a small settlement located on the line between sections 7 and S, Bath township. It consists of a store, a cream- ery, a school, a Catholic church, and a cemetery. The postoffice is discontinued.

Clover Village. The hamlet of Clover is located in section 33, Pickerel Lake township. It has a creamery and a store. Not far away is the German Lutheran church and a schoolhouse. The settlement is located on land owned by William P. Pickle. The history of the church and creamery appears elsewhere. The gen- eral store was erected in 1890 by William P. Pickle, and after passing through several hands is now conducted by George Enser.

Conger is a small village about ten miles west of Albert Lea. - It has a postoffice, a bank, a creamery, a lumber yard, a hard- ware store and a general store.

Crayon Park is located in the central part of section 6, Oak- land township.

Corning lies on the line between Newry and Moscow town- ships, but is largely in Mower county.

Hayward Village. This pretty hamlet is located in section 9, Hayward township, on the Southern Minnesota division of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul. Some time after the railroad was put through, it seemed desirable to establish a trading point at this place, consequently a store was opened by Oliver Nelson, a small station was built by the railroad company, and a ware- house constructed. The village was platted and surveyed by Will- iam A. Morin, on the land of Thomas H. Armstrong, and filed for record, October 12, 1886. The village now has a station, a post- office, three stores, an elevator, a creamery, a blacksmith shop, a feed mill, a bank, a hotel, and a number of residences. The his-

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tory of the creamery, the two-roomed school, and the flourishing bank are given elsewhere, as is that of the church. The elevator is owned by the Farmers' Elevator Company ,the two general stores by S. Skaug and H. W. Anderson, and the feed mill by - Anton Runden. The hardware store, owned for so many years by Vegger Gulbrandson, is now conducted by R. M. Gulbrandson.

Deer Creek is a hamlet in Iowa, just south of section 33, in London township.

Lerdal is a hamlet centered about a creamery, nine miles northeast of Albert Lea. The postoffice has been discontinued.

Mansfield is a settlement centering about a creamery nine miles south of Alden in Mansfield township. The postoffice has been discontinued.

Newry Village is located in the southern part of section 9, Newry township.

Moscow Village. In June, 1857, this little town was con- ceived, and was laid out in lots and blocks by Daniel Johnson, surveyor, for the proprietors, Nathan Owens, Benjamin Lindsey, and David M. Farr. It is located near the center of section 22, Moscow township. A postoffice under the name of Moscow was established at the village in 1858, with John G. Dunning as post- master, and office at David Farr's house, in section 22. In 1866, Joseph James, John Chandler, and James Dyrlyn, put in machin- ery and commenced operating a steam saw-mill near the main part of the village. In 1879, Arthur Sanderson and his son, George, erected a two-story frame building for a store and tene- ment, and in January, 1880, put in a good stock of general mer- chandise.

Moscow now consists of a creamery, a two-story schoolhouse, a store, and several dwellings.

Myrtle Village is located in the western part of London town- ship, in section 7, on the Illinois Central railroad. It is a thriv- ing hamlet with a bank, a creamery, a postoffice, a railroad sta- tion, two churches, and the usual business houses. In 1900, when the railroad came through, William A. Morin purchased forty acres, and the station was erected on his property. The village also occupies a part of the farm of A. A. Schuhmacher. Before the coming of the railroad, the hamlet of Myrtle centered around the postoffice in section 8. After the building of the railroad station, W. Birch and S. White erected a general store, and started busi- ness in 1900. In 1901, C. W. Hanson erected a general store. He still occupies this store, being also postmaster of the village. A brief directory of the village is as follows: Churches, United Brethren and Danish Lutheran; general stores, E. C. Robinson, C. W. Hanson; the Eclipse Lumber Co., manager, O. L. Meyers ; ele- vator, Speltz Bros., agent, A. Lang; stock buyer, A. Lang; black-

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smith, Carl Johnson; feed mill, A. Hanson; harness shop, John Belshon ; hardware and implement store, A. E. Samen. The his- tory of the bank and creamery is found elsewhere.

Oakland Village. This village is located on the line between Moscow and Oakland, on the original S. N. Frisbie claim. It was started soon after the railroad was put through in 1879. Oakland is now a little hamlet with two general stores, two ele- vators, two churches, a schoolhouse, a blacksmith shop, and other buildings. Alfred E. Denby was long associated with the village of Oakland, having built a store here and lived here for many years. The plat of Oakland was surveyed in section 2, township 102, range 19, by H. C. Lacy, in 1885, on land owned by W. W. Cargill.

Twin Lake Village is located in section 12, Nunda township, on the Minneapolis & St. Louis, its situation being at the outlet of one of the lakes which gives the village its name. Frederick McCall is the leading citizen of the village, and is widely known as the philosopher-poet of Twin Lakes. His daughter, Margaret A., conducts the general store. There is a grain elevator here, and the business houses usually found in a place of this size. The land upon which the village now stands originally belonged to William Wilson and J. M. Tanner. The first plat came into existence in 1858, at the instigation of Augustus Armstrong, and was laid into lots on the land of William Banning, but as no growth was developed, and no interest in the little village mani- fested, the lots and blocks were finally reclaimed as a farm. Matters ran along in this way, nothing being done in regard to it until 1869, when a surveyor again made his appearance and the lots and blocks of the village were again brought into exist- ence, about 80 rods north of the old plat, on land of Wilson and Tanner as above stated, and in the fall of this year John Donahue and William Knudtson erected the first business house and opened a stock of groceries and general merchandise. A store was opened by Frederick McCall in March, 1863, at his residence in section 14, and the Twin Lake postoffice, originally known as Nunda, was also kept here. In 1877, the business was moved to the village. In the fall of 1875, Peter Donahue opened a general store. In 1870, William Beatty assisted in the growth of the village and erected a hotel, which he conducted until 1877 and then sold it to Ole Nelson. In 1868, a building was erected and a blacksmith shop put into operation. In a few years it was transferred to the Booth Brothers, who conducted it for a year and then sold to B. H. Carter and John Donahue, who operated it for several years in partnership, and then Mr. Donahue purchased the entire business and still manages the concern.

A mill was erected at an early day, and later a schoolhouse.

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The railroad pushed its way through the village, and a depot and elevator followed, with the accompanying advantages, and with the years the hamlet assumed its present proportions.

In 1857, a saw mill was erected in the northern part of the southwest quarter of section 12, where the village was afterwards laid out, by William Banning and others, and commenced opera- tions with a forty-horse water power, making a capacity for cut- ting 1,000 feet per day. In 1863, David Perry, who owned an interest in the mill, took charge of it, employing B. H. Carter and increasing the capacity to 1,500 feet per day. After conducting it a short time he transferred it to Augustus Armstrong and J. M. Tanner. After this Mr. Tanner ran it for a time and in 1868 sold one-half interest to William Wilson, and soon after the other half was also transferred. The latter gentleman at once com- menced the erection of a flouring mill, which was completed in due time and became a valuable enterprise.

BANCROFT AND ITASCA.

Bancroft Village. In the fall of 1856 Morton S. Wilkinson, acting for a party of men prominent in territorial affairs, platted a village in sections 28 and 29, Bancroft township, with the in- tention of there establishing the county seat. In fact, the bill which organized the county originally provided that Bancroft should be the county seat, but this "joker" was discovered and the clause repealed. The Bancroft Land Company was in- corporated in November, 1856, with the following officers: L. Emmett, president; Charles Oldson, A. G. Blackman, Charles Enness and W. H. Oliver, trustees. These persons were, however, figureheads, and the real promoters were much more prominent men. When David Blakely reached Bancroft in 1857 for the purpose of establishing the "Bancroft Pioneer," he found on the village site a shanty and a saw mill. Soon, however, the agent, W. N. Oliver, erected a fine house, then the best in the county. A store was also erected, Charles Etheridge being the master builder. This store was nominally in charge of W. N. Oliver for the town site company, but was really conducted by Moses Com- fort, who was also sworn in as deputy postmaster, Mr. Oliver being the postmaster. The story of the county seat contest has been told. Gradually the village site was abandoned and finally, being put up at auction for unpaid taxes, the property passed into the possession of the county, 100 acres still being used as a poor farm. A previous history has published what is purported to be a history of Bancroft, and it is here preserved for future ref- erence, although little substantiation has been found for many of the statements contained therein :

"Thomas Edgar erected the first store in the spring of 1857

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and put in a stock of goods. This building was removed to Austin in 1859. The first building put up on the village site was a shanty erected just previous to the store, in 1857, by W. N. Oleson. He had first lived in a 'dug-out,' to which he brought his wife, but finally gave up this mode of life and became civilized. Oleson brought his wife from Shell Rock on a hand sled, as the snow was so deep. E. D. Porter opened a blacksmith shop, and J. V. Perry started the practice of law. A steam saw mill was moved to the village from Hastings by the town site company, which was set up and operated by B. F. Ross and Addison Caswell. The cost of the mill was about $2,500, it occupying a building 20x40, and for two years the mill kept piling up the sawdust of hard wood; but the entire concern was finally, in 1859, sold for taxes. The town site company commenced soon after the erection of a hotel by digging a cellar; but this was a failure and was given up. A saloon was started and had a brief existence."

Itasca Village. This village, sometimes incorrectly spelled "Itaska" in the early days and also known as Freeborn Springs, had a most interesting history. Its location was on the picturesque Paradise prairie, mentioned by Col. Albert Miller Lea as one of the most beautiful spots he had ever seen. In 1855, Charles C. Colby settled in section 6, Albert Lea township, and took land in section 31, Bancroft township, upon which the village was afterward platted. Later Samuel Batchelder secured land in the same locality. A. M. Burnham came from Shell Rock in 1857 and started booming the village. He erected an expensive house and made an effort to secure for his village the county seat location. In 1857 a postoffice was established under the name of Freeborn Springs, with C. C. Colby as postmaster, and for a time matters seemed very prosperous. When Bancroft was abandoned as a village, buildings were moved from there to Itasca, and in 1860 the "Freeborn Springs Herald" was started. But the village was defeated in the contest, and the beautiful grounds of the Wedge Nurseries now occupy the site, some of the apple trees of that nursery having been planted by Samuel Batchelder, one of the original owners of the land on which the village was platted. The names of Colby, Batchelder, Botsford, Burnham, Hall, Dunbar and Longworth were prominently identified with the early history of the village.

THREE FORMER VILLAGES.

Sumner Village. In 1857, a village was laid out into lots in section 31, Moscow township, by Rufus K. Crum, and recorded under this caption. A postoffice was also established the same year, with George Watson as postmaster, which was continued until 1876, Aaron McKune being the last mail-handler. In 1858,

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Mr. Crum, the proprietor of the embryo city, erected a house on the village site and used to entertain travelers. But all of no avail; gradually the interest, even of the town proprietors, weak- ened, and the village of Sumner became a thing of the past, and the fond hopes for lots, blocks, stores, schools and churches were abandoned, and the surer and more practical plan of making money, by transforming the imaginary lots and blocks into fields of corn and wheat, was resorted to.

St. Nicholas. This was the first village in the county and was started by Ly Brand and Thompson in 1855. Its history is- told elsewhere.

Fairfield Village. A village under this name was platted by Samuel Beardsley on the south shore of Rice Lake, in section 15, on a proposed road from Fairfield to Shell Rock. A postoffice was established and a regular mail route; it was on the same section as was the saw mill, and everything looked promising for rapid growth; but the railway never came and the village became a thing of the past.

CHAPTER XXX.

FREEBORN COUNTY TOWNSHIPS.

Location-Natural Features-First Settlement-Stories of the Pioneer Days-Town Organizations-Interesting Events- Albert Lea-Alden-Bath-Carlston-Freeborn-Freeman- Geneva - Hartland - Hayward - London - Manchester - Mansfield - Moscow - Nunda - Newry - Oakland - Pick- erel Lake-Riceland-Shell Rock.

Freeborn county has twenty townships, the town government of all conforming with the congressional township lines. While much of the story of the towns, especially that of the organiza- tion, land claims and boundary lines, is given elsewhere, it has been the intention of this chapter to take up the various town- ships separately, to describe the soil features, and to mention the names of such old settlers as are remembered, also relating some of the incidents of pioneer days. The histories of the creameries, the churches and other subjects relating to these townships appear under their respective names in other chapters. The story of the old settlers is told in the biographical chapters.

ALBERT LEA TOWNSHIP.

This township is the southern of the two center towns of the county, Bancroft being its comrade on the north, with Riceland impinging on the northeast, Hayward on the east, Shell Rock to the southeast, Freeman on the south, Nunda to the southwest, Pickerel Lake on the west and Manchester to the northwest. It coincides with the original government survey, having thirty-six sections. The principal river is the Shell Rock, which flows in an average direction toward the southeast, diagonally through the township. Lake Albert Lea is the largest body of water in town, and was once a magnificent sheet, with its irregular but gently curving outline and undulating surrounding meadows and hillside. Most of it lies in the town, but its length is about eight miles. Pickerel lake also laps over into its territory, as does White's lake, which Albert Miller Lea first called Lake Chapeau. Goose lake, a compact little body of water, may be found in section three. Fountain lake is an artificial pond created by the mill dam originally erected by Geo. S. Ruble. It hugs around

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History of Freeborn County, Minnesota, Part 40

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn. 4n Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Chicago : H. C. Cooper Number of Pages: 1220

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn. 4n
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago : H. C. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1220