USA > Minnesota > Freeborn County > History of Freeborn County, Minnesota > Part 43
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Geneva village is in sections 7 and 8. St. Mary's church is in the southwest part of section 13. There is a cemetery in section 8.
Early Settlement. 1855. Milton Morey is said to be the first settler in town. He took a claim in 1855, built a cabin and did some breaking that fall. About Christmas his dwelling was burned, and as he could not put up another, he took his family in an ox team and spent the winter in Austin, returning in the spring and putting in some crops. After a time he went to Dakota and settled near Yankton.
1856. Elmer Eggleston was the next settler. He was a native of Ohio but had come from Galena in 1856 and soon found Mr. Morey, who later assisted the young adventurer to stake out a farm in section 8, which he opened up and cultivated until 1863, when he sold out. In August of the same year Eliab Eggleston and his family joined the son. In May, Robert P. Farr, a native of Missouri, came and located in section 14. Along with him came Joseph W. Burdick, a native of New York, who selected his place in section 10, and there he established a home, in which he dwelt until his death, which occurrred April 24, 1877. Henry King, who was born in Canada, took up his residence in section 23. E. C. Stacy secured a place in section 7. He was one of the first three county commissioners appointed by the governor of the territory. Isaac Lyon, from Illinois, took a claim in section 8, which he soon disposed of to Jones & Robson. He afterwards lived in Steele county, and later in Warren, Ill. Samuel Wood- worth came here from the Badger State and planted his boundary stakes in section 26, and there he remained until 1866. Nathan Hunt got his real estate in sections 15 and 16, went into the army, and on his return located in Faribault county. Walter Drake, from the Nutmeg state, procured his slice of Minnesota territory in section 30. John Reed, from Kent county, England, located in section 22. In February, 1862, he enlisted in the Union army- and went to Fort Snelling, but in one month was mustered out. Thomas Cashman, of Ireland, came from Iowa, and cast his lot on section 13. Alexander Schutt, a native of the province of Quebec, Canada, came here from Ontario, and his choice was in
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sections 11 and 12. Burdette and Charles, sons of Eliab Eggles- ton, were early settlers, but both died young. John Hines was here a short time, but pushed on to Dakota. O. G. Goodnature, of Canada, arrived in June and transplanted himself in section 14. Patrick McDonald also came this year. Late this year two enter- prising men from New York state, James F. Jones and James A. Robson, arrived, secured a beautiful spot and located a town. Hans Eustrom, a native of Sweden, came here from Boston and located in section 4.
A large settlement came in 1857, among whom may be men- tioned the following: Bernhard Schad, an enterprising German from Red Wing, arrived and at once went into the blacksmith and wagon business. John Heath, Sr., took a claim in section 7, but afterwards removed to Albert Lea. Charles Henion, from New York state, came here from Wisconsin and secured a foot- hold in section 4.
Some of the arrivals of 1858 were: George Osborne, a native of Ohio, who spent a winter here and afterwards lived in Steele county. In about two years he returned to Geneva. He was in the army and afterwards for a time postmaster. He is now dead .: Thomas Hines, of Vermont, settled in section 16. He removed to Faribault county in 1864 and lived there until 1872. Robert Hill, a native of Pennsylvania, pre-empted a place in section 10 and afterwards lived with his son-in-law, Robert P. Farr, until his death, which occurred in 1865.
Among other early settlers whose names have been identified with the township were: Michael Fenton, who came in 1859; Lucius Gibbs and John Walaski came in 1862; Harvey Partridge came in 1864; Harrison Davis, in 1866; Dr. Willis Twiford, in 1873; Charles Vinton, in 1875.
Historical Sketch. The following in regard to this town was published in 1877: "It was first settled by Milton Morey, in the fall of 1855, who immediately constructed a log house, which was burned down on the Christmas following. To him also be- longs the honor of opening the first farm, which he did in the spring of 1856. E. C. Stacy, who settled in June, 1856, was the first lawyer, while his wife, who arrived in August following, was the first doctor. Robson and Jones were the first merchants and commenced the sale of goods in July, 1857. Schad and Drommerhausen, blacksmiths and wagon makers, were the first mechanics. In the same summer of 1857 a Mrs. Clark taught the first school in a log shanty at the village. The first schoolhouse was built by district No. 3, in 1858. In the summer of 1857 Rev. Isaac McReynolds held the first religious service. In 1858 the Catholics organized the first religious society, and built the first church in 1861. The postoffice was established in the winter of
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1856-57, which was supplied by special service from Austin. E. C. Stacy was the first postmaster. The first child born was Ralph Freeborn Drake, July 30, 1856. William Robson and Atlanta Smith were the first parties married, John Reed performing the ceremony in the summer of 1859. The first death was that of Mrs. Welcome Bacon, which occurred in February, 1859. James A. Robson opened the first hotel in June, 1858, although Judge E. C. Stacy had thrown his house open to the public ever since his first settlement. The first board of officers was elected May 11, 1858, consisting of E. C. Stacy, W. S. Bacon and John Bren- nan; H. Eustrom, clerk.
Early Events. The first child born in Geneva township was Irwin Burdick, born September, 1856; the second was Anna Schad, born September, 1857, the first girl in Geneva; and the third child was Eli Goodnature, born in September, 1857. The next two were Henry Eustrom and Harvey Robson, both born in February, 1858, and the next was George Reed, born in April, 1858. Seymour E., son of Eliab and Esther Eggleston, died December 24, 1857. The wife of W. S. Bacon died in the winter of 1857-58. Burdette E., son of Eliab and Esther Eggleston, died November 28, 1857.
Town Organization. The first town meeting was May 11, 1858, when the new constitution went into effect. The super- visors were : E. C. Stacy, chairman, W. S. Bacon and John Bren- nan; clerk, Hans Eustrom. The earliest records are lost, so there are no particulars as to what was done, or of the names of the other officers.
Early Mills. In 1858 Deacon Brant started the manufacture of shingles on section 8. The establishment was a marvel in its way and displayed a genius that should have been handsomely rewarded, for it was the missing link between hand labor and machinery. The blocks were cut the proper length by a cross- cut saw and they were then boiled to soften them and then were slashed up into shingles by a knife attached to a lever. In the fall of 1856 Bacon & Eggleston put up a sawmill on section 36 and kept it vibrating until the summer of 1857, when it was transferred to section 17, where Bacon run it for two years, having, in 1858, added a grist mill, which did good business until 1859, when it was discontinued.
Cemeteries. Geneva cemetery was situated in section 8, town- ship 104, range 20. It was surveyed by Chas. T. Andrews and the plat filed for record in 1885.
HARTLAND TOWNSHIP.
The township bearing this name is one of the northern tier of townships in Freeborn county, and in the second tier from the
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west. It is bounded on the north by Waseca county, on the south by the township of Manchester, on the east by Bath, and on the west by Freeborn. It is constituted as originally surveyed, of thirty-six sections, but the survey correction line passing through it cuts off 278.85 acres, making it so much less than the usual congressional township, and leaving about 22,861.15 acres. It is almost entirely a prairie township. The entire area of the town is well adapted to the modes of agriculture and crops of the day, and the farmers are, as a rule, in moderate circum- stances, with good farm buildings and modern conveniences. The soil is a dark loam, from eighteen to twenty-four inches deep, underlaid with a sub-soil of clay. Rocks or stone of any kind are scarce, and there is no limestone whatever. The soil in the burr oak region of Mule lake is more of a sandy nature. Three are two water courses in the town and one lake. Mule lake is situated in the four corners of sections 13, 14, 23 and 24, and constitutes the headwaters of the LeSueur river, which takes a northward course, bearing a little to the east, until it leaves the township, when it bears westwardly. Boot creek rises in sec- tion 10 and flows northwesterly to enter Waseca county. A few words as to the lake will not be out of place. The Indians named it Le Sueur, and it went by this name through the early settle- ment ; but, in 1857, a fine span of mules belonging to B. J. Board- man were drowned in it and the settlers began designating it as Mule lake until it was as generally known under this caption as the other. The township has one village, known as Hartland.
Early Days. It is said that the first settlers in this township were the Boardman brothers, who came in the spring of 1857, and located about Le Sueur or Mule lake, one taking on the south and the other to the east of that body of water. Both had families and at once commenced the erection of houses. They remained for about one year and then left.
About the same time two others whose names have been for- gotten made their appearance and took claims on the north and west sides of Mule lake, thus surrounding it. But little is known of the actions of any of these. Charles Sheldon joined this settle- ment at about the period of its starting, coming from Rochester and taking a place just north of Mule lake, in section 13. Levi Jones next put in an appearance, having come from Geneva, and jumped a claim, and during the summer he was joined by Will- iam Montgomery, who took a place just west of Uncle Sheldon's, built a house and remained until the next spring, when he left. Jens Thorson also came early that summer. In October, 1857, George McColley, of New York, accompanied by his family and brother-in-law, Charles Morehouse, came with a yoke of cattle, a cow and his household furniture, and located in section 29.
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It has also been said that a Goley family came this year. Charles Morehouse settled in section 20. About the same time came the Motson family, consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Motson (Madsen) and the five boys, Ole, Erick, Mot, John and Andrew, who all settled about George McColley's place. In 1858 Michael Fitzgerald and wife and Thomas Donovan arrived, having driven overland from Edgerton, Wis. In 1858 other settlers who came were Gull Gut- tormsen, Lewis Knudson and William Beede, and during the fall of that year John P. Duncan and John Huggins came from Wis- consin. Duncan located in section 20 and Huggins in section 28, where he remained until the war broke out, when he enlisted and later lost his life fighting for the preservation of the Union. The same year witnessed the arrival of Sandy Purdie, William C. Cram, Hat. Pierce and Jonathan Pickard.
Seth Challis came in 1859, from New York state, and settled in section 31.
Among other pioneers may be mentioned : Francis E. Phipps, Peter P. Shager, Carl Hendrickson, Ole Johnson, Walter Hansen, O. A. Seim, Hugh Armstrong, Hans Johnson, Jens P. Olson, Halvor C. Siblerud, B. W. Nolan, Gulbrand Olson, Elif Anderson, Gul. Thompson, O. Sheldon, Sivert, Louis, Ole, Knute and Thomas Knutson, Nels Pedersen, Peter Naas, Ingvald Grove and Iver Sorlie.
Early Events. The first birth in Hartland township was that of Mary A. McColley, August 9, 1858. Freeman Beede was another early birth. The first marriage ceremony performed within the limits of the town took place in May, 1859, the con- tracting parties being J. Seely and Frances Farris. The first death was that of Martha, a daughter of William and Judith Wrangham, on June 18, 1859. The township was named Hart- land by Mrs. O. Sheldon in 1858, and she also bestowed the same name upon the postoffice, which was established at the same time, with O. Sheldon as postmaster. During the late war of the rebel- lion bonds were voted to the amount of $1,700 to secure volun- teers. John McCartney, John McClelland and Perry Haugen, of this township, never returned, the second named leaving a wife and child to mourn his loss. Bonds to the amount of $10,000 were voted to the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad as a bonus. Michael Sheehan relates some interesting incidents of the pioneer days, among which is the story of his employment as the first mail carrier in the township in 1858. He was employed by O. Sheldon, the first postmaster, to carry the mail from Geneva to Hartland postoffice. Judge E. C. Stacy was postmaster at Geneva at that time. Mike made the trip on foot every Monday, carry- ing the mail on his back, and received the handsome salary of a dollar a week. The first postoffice in the township is still stand-
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ing on the John Donahue farm. The first school taught in the township was by Mrs. Charles Morehouse at her home in 1858. She had six pupils. The next school was in the winter of 1858, taught by James Seeley at his home. Among his pupils were Michael Fitzgerald, three Wrangham children, Peter Peterson and August Peterson.
In 1858 Rev. Isaac McReynolds, of Albert Lea, organized a Methodist class at the home of B. J. Boardman and held regular services for over a year. A church was organized in 1859 at William Wrangham's home, with six members. Rev. Corey was the pastor. A Congregational church was started in the school- house in district No. 8 by Elder Cobb. There were twelve mem- bers, and later a store building was purchased in Hartland and used for a church. Rev. Wilbur Fisk, later of Freeborn, was pastor at one time. A Presbyterian organization was effected in 1869 by Rev. William Wrallson and meetings were held regu- larly every three weeks for several years. The history of the Lutheran denomination is given on another page.
Official Record. The first town meeting was held at the house of O. Sheldon on May 11, 1858, and the following officers were elected for the ensuing year : Supervisors. B. J. Boardman, chair- man, J. L. Reynolds and J. C. Seeley ; clerk, E. Boardman; as- sessor, T. W. Calkins ; collector, B. J. Boardman ; constables, Alex- ander Spencer and James Sheehan; justices of the peace, T. W. Calkins and O. Sheldon; overseer of the poor, Jacob Heath ; over- seers of roads, E. A. Calkins and B. Cromwell.
The first meeting of supervisors was held at the town clerk's office, June 14, 1858, at which the town was divided into three road districts and the following gentlemen were made overseers of them : First, E. A. Calkins ; second, B. Cromwell ; third, Charles Morehouse. The early records of the township are curiosities. They consist of foolscap paper fastened together, about half the pages missing, having been destroyed by someone in the early days.
HAYWARD TOWNSHIP.
This township, which has also borne the name of Douglass, is the southeast of the six interior towns of the county, and the towns in contact with it are: Riceland on the north, Oakland on the east, Shell Rock on the south, and Albert Lea on the west. It is six miles square, like all the other towns in the county. An arm of Lake Albert Lea, three miles long and a third of a mile wide, lies near the yestern boundary, in a north and south direc- tion. A stream called Peter Lunde creek enters the lake in sec- tion 7, made up of two branches arising back in the town. The land may be described as prairie, with oak openings and meadow
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land interspersed, the prairie predominating. The soil as a rule is a black loam, productive of all crops in this latitude. The sub- soil is clay and gravel. The town has one village, also known as Hayward.
Early Settlement. Oliver Andrews, who came to Shell Rock in 1855, located his claim in Hayward township. His friends, however, were in Shell Rock, and many efforts were made to have his farm remain a part of that township, instead of being included in Hayward. Peter Lunde and Endre Gulbrandson came here in 1856. Peter Lunde had located in Mitchell county, Iowa, in the early fifties. To his home, early in the spring of 1856, came Endre Gulbrandson, a native of Norway, but a resident of Wis- consin. Gulbrandson had left his Wisconsin home and brought his family as far as Houston county, Minnesota, where he left them for a time, while he pushed on to Mitchell, where his relative, Peter Lunde, resided. Together these men came to Hayward township and selected claims, later going after their families, who arrived during the middle of the summer. In 1856 William Newlin settled in section 7, William Eddy in section 18, A. T. and Philo Butts in section 20, S. H. Ludlow in section 8, and Freeman Briggs in section 20. The same year came David Hayward, from whom the town is named. He settled on section 6 and remained about two years. Lysander R. Luce came in 1857.
Among the prominent Hayward citizens of the early days were: Andrew Sanderson, Peter Hanson, Engebrit H. Knatvold, L. W. Fay, A. N. Teslow, Nels Peterson, Christopher Nelson, Lars Lunde, Joseph Fern. J. W. Devereaux, Luther Phelps, Robert Campbell, Sr., Robert Campbell, Jr., Ole Ofsthage, Joseph Post, Moses Johnson, Ole Anderson, H. D. Brown, John Murphy, R. O. Braaten, H. C. Nelson, W. S. Waters, Andrew Frydenlund, John Frydenlund, George and Orson Buckley, John Dammen, John Park, Samuel Kirkpatrick, T. Wiley, Russler, Edmond Towne, Samuel Landis, Daniel Chute, Mathias Christopherson, Prescott Hall and many others.
Organization. The first town meeting in response to a legal notice was held on the first Tuesday in April, 1859, at the house of S. H. Ludlow. According to the records there were two mod- erators, S. H. Ludlow and I. W. Devereux. The officers of the election were H. M. Luce and Charles Bush. On motion the meet- ing adjourned to meet at the house of Charles Bush, where the following officers were elected: Supervisors, J. W. Devereux. chairman, Peter Lunde and H. L. Dow ; clerk, Charles Bush ; treas- urer, Peter Lunde; assessor, A. T. Butts; justice of the peace, Charles Bush ; constable, H. L. Dow. The whole number of votes cast at this election was nine.
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Cemeteries. There are two cemeteries in Hayward township, the Norwegian Lutheran cemetery, in section 9, south of the vil- lage, and the Bohemian cemetery, in the northwest corner of sec- tion 25. The Norwegian Lutheran cemetery association was organized in June, 1874, the chief mover being Endre Gulbrand- son. The first burial in the cemetery was that of Arne Overby, who died in the winter of 1874. The plat of the cemetery was filed for record with the register of deeds, December 18, 1880, and the trustees at that time were: A. N. Teslow, Andrew Frydenlund and Mathias Christopherson.
Early Events. Ole P. Lunde, son of Peter Lunde, was the first settler to arrive by birth in this town, being born May 27, 1858.
The first known death was that of an infant child of Philo Butts, in the winter of 1858.
Early Mills. A wind feed mill was erected in section 8 by M. M. Luce in 1877. It was two stories in height and when there was sufficient wind it could grind 200 bushels a day.
LONDON TOWNSHIP.
This is the southeastern subdivision of Freeborn county, with Mower county bounding it on the east, the state of Iowa on the south, the township of Oakland on the north, and Shell Rock on the west. It is a complete congressional township of thirty-six sections or square miles, and comprising the territory, technically speaking, of township 101, range 19. The greater part of the township is prairie land and is well adapted to tillage and profit- able agriculture. The general inclination of the surface is rolling, although it may be said to be more level than any township in Freeborn county. In and about sections 15 and 16 is the most broken, although not enough so to be impractical for cultivation. The soil is a dark loam, rich and productive, and is underlaid with a subsoil of clay. The best farming land in the town is the eastern part. There are few streams and only one lake to water the surface of London. This body of water lies near the center of the town, and is known as Elk lake, covering the greater part of 160 acres in section 21. Two streams flow across the north- eastern part of the town, and one traverses the southwest corner.
Early Settlers. About the first settlement made in the town- ship was by a party of various nationalities from Wisconsin, who in 1855 settled in sections 8, 9 and 10, in what was termed the burr oak opening land. This party was made up of the Budlongs, who later moved to Shell Rock; John T. Asher from Wisconsin, who is now dead; and some of the Bullocks and Carpenters who later removed to Oakland township, where friends and relatives had preceded them.
This was about all who arrived in London in the year 1855,
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and they passed the winter as best they could, depending upon each other for entertainment and keeping off despondency.
During the following year, however, many eastern people came in and located. Among those who arrived in 1856 were: Will- iam N. Goslee, a native of Connecticut, who had stopped for a time in Iowa, came from the latter place with an ox team, and in May, 1856, secured a place in section 13. Timothy F. Goslee came about the same time, but located just over the line in Mower county. Thomas Bonnalllie and Roger Gibson also came this same year. Benjamin Stanton joined this party by locating in section 12. In October, 1857, while engaged in building a log house, he was killed by a stroke of lightning. Just north of Stanton, in section 1, D. R. P. Gibson, a native of Connecticut, located. H. B. Riggs, late of Michigan, joined this party and made himself a home in section 11, where he remained for a number of years, and then removed to Shell Rock, where he later died.
D. B. Germain next came and located in section 12, where he remained until 1880, when he removed to Mower county. Avery Strong, a native of New York state, was another of the arrivals in 1856, who settled in section 13. Silon Williams came from Vermont at about the same time and planted his stakes in section 11. Edward Thomas also came about the same time. William Davis and a Mr. Lunt also arrived in 1856. Section 21 received a settler this year in the person of Ole Lewis, who remained a year or two and then left the country.
In the spring of 1857 James H. Goslee left his home in Connec- ticut and came as far as Dubuque by rail, from there taking the stage route to St. Paul, where he was engaged for a couple of weeks, after which he came on as far as West Union with a man who had horses for sale. The snow was very deep and he was delayed for several days, but finally found a man who was on a milling trip from Chickasaw county, Iowa, and with him rode to the latter place. Here he was detained for three days by a severe blizzard, and was finally carried on to Otranto, Iowa, from whence he walked to his brother's place in Lyle, Mower county. Being favorably impressed by the country he bought a place in sections 12 and 13 in this township.
In 1858 James H. Stewart, a native of the Empire state, made his appearance in London and located in section 24. The same year Joseph Chmelik and A. Raymond, Bohemians, arrived and took claims in section 5. Among others of the early settlers in the township were: James Van Winkle, who came in 1861; Henry Lang came in 1862; John Robertson, in 1866; Persons Bump, in 1868; Arthur E. Johnston, and John Manning came in 1879.
Early Events. The first birth in the township occurred late in
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the fall of 1856 and brought into existence George Adkins. The second birth occurred in February, 1857, being that of a child to Horace Lamb. The first death was that of Benjamin F. Stanton, who died by a stroke of lightning on October 6, 1857.
The Name. London received her name from New London, from which county in Connecticut came James H. and William N. Goslee. It was originally named Asher and then Lyndon, the name appearing on the county records spelled Lindon. The "New" was dropped from New London, thus giving the town its present designation.
London has a German Lutheran church in section 18, a United Brethren church in section 7 and a Norwegian Lutheran church in section 33, on the state line. There are cemeteries in sections 7 and 17.
MANCHESTER TOWNSHIP.
This township lies in the second tier from the north and also second from the western line of Freeborn county. Its contiguous surroundings are Hartland on the north, Bancroft on the east, Pickerel Lake on the south and Carlston on the west. It contains 11,689 acres less than a full congressional township, because of the "correction line" of the survey, and has thirty-six sections, comprising the territory of township 103, range 22, in all about 22,923 acres. Originally the greater part of the town was cov- ered with timber of small varieties, such as burr and black oak, maple, basswood, black walnut, butternut, ash and elm, inter- spersed with natural meadows and prairie land. The southwest- ern part of the town was principally burr oak opening land, except in sections 28 and 29, where is found the sugar maple, which is still to a considerable extent intact. The greater part of what was originally timber land is now under a high state of cultivation. The entire northwest portion of the town is a rolling prairie, and is among the best of farming land. The soil, as a rule, is a dark rich loam of from two to three feet in depth and underlaid with a subsoil of clay ; but this is particularly applica- ble to the timber land, as on the prairie a lighter tendency is ap- parent, while the subsoil is of clay and sand. All the land is very productive and well adapted to the mode of cultivation and crops of the latitude. The prairie land is made picturesque by groves of domestic poplar, which have been planted and well cared for by the thrifty settlers. The township is well watered and has its full complement of small lakes and water courses. A cluster of small lakes is found in the southwestern part of the town, and on the map appear the names of Lake Peterson, Sugar lake, Silver lake and Lake Whitney, which are all near together on sections 20, 21, 28, 29 and 30. The only one of these having an outlet is
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