USA > Minnesota > Freeborn County > History of Freeborn County, Minnesota > Part 45
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94
416
HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
220 acres in section 2. It is supposed that the lakes received the names of Upper and Lower Twin lakes from the fact of their similarity in size. Goose creek constitutes the outlet of these lakes, and flows through sections 12 and 13 on its way eastward to Freeman township, eventually to help swell the Shell Rock. State Line lake, which name was suggested by the fact that the extreme southern point of the lake touches the Iowa and Minne- sota state lines, is the smallest in town, covering about 400 acres of land, mostly in section 33; from this flows a creek bearing the same name and entering Iowa. All of these lakes abound in fish of various species, among which are pickerel, suckers, bass and bullheads. Almost all of the land in the town is under a high state of cultivation, and as the soil is rich and well adapted to the crops and modes of cultivation of the day, as a natural sequence the farmers are all in comfortable circumstances.
Nunda township has two villages-Emmons and Twin Lakes. Norman is just over the line in Iowa. There is a town hall in section 15, and the township also has a number of churches and cemeteries.
Early Settlement. The early or earliest settlement of Nunda dates back to 1856, and was rapid and constant until all the vacant land was secured and occupied. Among, if not the first settlers in the township, were James Wright and Anthony Bright, who came in the winter of 1855-56 and commenced what was known as the Bear lake settlement. Wright took a claim on sec- tion 16 and remained until 1857, when he sold to John V. Wohl- huter. Anthony Bright took a place in section 21, south of Wright, and in 1857 sold out and left. Patrick Fitzsimmons, a native of Ireland, made his appearance from Winneshiek county, Towa, and joined this settlement in May, 1856. He took a claim in section 16, where he lived up to the time of his death, which occurred July 18, 1866. It was he who named the township Nunda, in honor of towns of the same name in which he had lived in New York and Illinois. He was a prominent man in the town- ship. Frederick McCall, still a resident of Nunda township, came in and settled in section 14. Nels Bergeson and Nels Nelson Valaker. natives of Norway, came to Minnesota in 1856; the first came direct to this town and took a place in section 28; the latter did not arrive here until 1859. It should have been mentioned in connection with the above that Charles Fitzsimmons and Irvin Elsworth came in the early part of 1856, and it is said by some that they were the first. Fitzsimmons placed his signet upon a quarter of section 16, where he remained until 1868, and then re- moved to Martin county, Minnesota. Elsworth pre-empted a place in section 14, where he lived for about one year. In the fall of this year (1856) Harry Brown arrived in the township and
417
HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
made a habitation in section 7, where he remained until 1858. Seneca Stockdale was a native of Ohio, having been born March 26, 1801, and after attaining the age of fifty-five came to the township of Nunda, arriving July 14, 1856. He took a farm in section 1, where he remained for about thirteen years, and then removed to section 3, remaining here until his death, which oc- curred February 7, 1871. Henry G. Emmons, one of the most prominent men of the county, came in this year and established himself in the southern part of the township. Others who came in 1856 were Erick Erickson, Nels Olson, Finley Stockdale and Charles Grimm, who lived outside of the township but had land here.
The year 1857 marked a large influx in population. Nelson Boughton, a native of New York, took a farm on section 35, where he lived until 1859, when he was murdered by Henry Kreigler. Alonzo White, of Vermont, came about the same time and settled in the same section, where he lived until 1859, after which he went back to the East. James Carle, of the same nativity, also came at the same time and took land in sections 34 and 35, where he lived until 1860. Lafayette Hall, of New York, came and set- tled in this vicinity ; in 1860 he went to the eastern part of the state. Michael Donahue had arrived in the spring of 1857 and settled a mile or so north in section 23. Martin Forbes also came at the same time and settled on the same section. John Honan, a native of Ireland, came in 1857 and settled on section 24. John M. Geissler, a native of Germany and one of the pioneers of Free- born county, came to Nunda in 1857 and selected a place in sec- tions 3 and 10. He was one of the most prominent men in the township in public matters and held many offices of trust and importance. John V. Wohlhuter, a native of Germany, came to America in 1847 and in the fall of 1857 to this township and pur- chased a farm near Bear Lake. R. A. White made his appearance in the spring of this year and settled on section 9. William White and son, Frederick, came to this country at the same time. George Hall and Johnson Hall, from the Eastern states, came to Nunda in the spring of 1857 and took farms in sections 3 and 4, where the latter lived for a time and then went east. John Donahue, originally from the Emerald Isle, but later from Illinois, arrived in July, 1857, and settled with his parents on section 14. Others who came in 1857 were Soren Sorenson, John Banning, Patrick Duffy and John Roach.
In 1858 the Cunningham family settled on section 23. Narve Esleson, of Norway, secured a habitation in section 33. Knudt Oleson in 1861 had also secured land and has since been joined by others of his countrymen. John McGuire, a native of Ireland, on the 23d of June, 1860, made his appearance and settled on sec-
r
418
HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
tion 14. B. H. Carter, a native of the Eastern States, arrived in Nunda in 1861 and located in section 1. Narve Flaaten, Peter Larson, Tosten Nelson, Stenger Jellum, Hogan Rasmusson and others also came in 1858.
Among other early settlers in the township were: N. N. Walker and Helge Larson, who came in 1860; Louis Marpe and Toston Nelson, came in 1863; Jerry Callaghan, in 1864; Iver O. Opdal and William Pickle (to Freeman in 1859), in 1865; J. R. Jones and Christ Yost, in 1866; Ole Toraldson, in 1867; Andrew Thompson, in 1868; H. H. Edwin and Ellef Evenson, in 1874; Alexander Freemott, in 1876.
Township Organization. Politically speaking, the residents of Nunda first came together in 1857, late in the fall, for the elec- tion of a representative in the territorial legislature, and in the spring following, an organization of the township was effected, and later on May 11, 1858, they again assembled, and made their organization substantial by the election of town officers. Among the first officials were: Supervisors Patrick Fitzsimmons, chair- man; J. V. Wohlhuter, and Henry Tunell; clerk, William B. Spooner. This meeting was held in John Hoffman's house, in section 22.
Early Events. Among the early births in the township were : Louis H. Emmons, who was born December 30, 1856; John David McCall, February 24, 1858. In the fall of 1856 the first marriage took place, being that of Louis Proebstein and Elizabeth Ban- ning. Another early marriage was that of Isaac Kendall and Christina Clark, in April, 1858. The first death recorded in the township was that of Jacob Zimmerman, on March 23, 1858. Mrs. Patrick Fitzsimmons died in November, 1858.
Business Industries. A blacksmith shop, located in section 4, was opened in the spring of 1866, of which William Pickle was the owner. In 1876 another shop was established in the north- east part of section 30, and H. H. Evenson was the owner. In September, 1880, a general merchandise store was started by George Emmons, in section 32. This was continued until Decem- ber 6, 1881, when it was moved to Norman, Iowa. A blacksmith shop was established in the southwestern part of section 9 by John Bettner in 1876. In the spring of 1872, Mr. George Reim erected a shop and commenced blacksmithing in section 8. A sorghum mill was started in section 8 in 1873, which had a capa- city of about forty gallons per day.
Cemeteries-State Line Cemetery. This burial ground is located on the Iowa and Minnesota state line, in section 32, con- taining about one acre of land surveyed into lots. The ground was platted and laid out in 1861, on the land owned by T. Nelson. The first burial was that of Christina Emmons.
419
HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
St. James Catholic Cemetery. Located in the central part of section 24, was laid out and dedicated to burial purposes August 29, 1876, land being donated by John Honan. The first burial was that of John Honan, September 9, 1876.
Bear Lake cemeterey was located in section 4, township 101, range 22. The first trustees were: R. A. White, W. P. Pickle, S. A. Foster, Wm. P. Spooner and John M. Geissler. It was sur- veyed by John M. Mertz. The plat was filed for record March 8, 1876.
Brush Hill cemetery was located in section 15, township 101, range 22. The first trustees were : Louis Marpe, Louis Yost and J. H. F. Leonhardi. It was surveyed by H. C. Lacy, and the plat filed for record July 2, 1878.
NEWRY TOWNSHIP.
This is the northeast township of Freeborn county and is there- fore one of the most prominent towns as to the location. Its boundaries are as follows: Steele county on the north, Mower county on the east, Moscow township on the south, and Geneva on the west. It is a full congressional township, embracing the territory of township 104, range 19. The surface of the town is quite rolling and is made up mostly of oak opening land. The greater part of the prairie land is found in the northern part of the town. The soil in the west, north and eastern parts is a dark loam of from two to three feet in thickness, and underlaid with a subsoil of blue clay; and in the southern and central part it is more sandy, with a subsoil of gravel. There are not so many water courses or lakes in this town as in a majority of its neigh- bors, yet it is not altogether devoid of them. A small body of water lying in section 2 is known as Newry lake, Oak, or John- son's lake, lies in section 26, and from it flows a substantial little stream which empties into Deer creek in the northern part of section thirty-four.
Newry township has a hamlet of the same name located in the southern part of section 9. St. Mary's Catholic Church is located in section 18, and the cemetery is south of it. The Red Oak Grove Norwegian Lutheran Church is over the line in Mower county.
Early Settlement. The Red Oak Grove locality extends into this township, and it is believed that as early as 1855 several members of the Norwegian colony that came to Oak Grove settled over the line in this county. Ellof Kinetson and family, natives of Norway, were the first to arrive, making their appearance in 1855, and claiming a place in section 25, where they remained until 1874, when Mr. Kinetson died and was buried in Mower
420
HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
county. The family, with the exception of the youngest son, Halver Ellofson, removed in 1876 to Otter Tail. Christian Erick Rukke and family, natives of Norway, who had stopped for a time in Illinois, were among the number to arrive this year, and they took a claim in section 36, where they remained until 1868, when they secured a place in section 26. Helge Oleson came at the same time from the same place, and planted his stakes in section 10.
In the spring of 1856 a colony of Irishmen came from Illinois and secured homes. The party consisted of Thomas Fitzsimmons, William and John Bell, John Brennan, and Patrick Creegan, and all of the party settled on land near the center of the town. About the same time Ole O. Thorson, a native of Norway, came from Dane county, Wisconsin, and secured a home in section 36, where he remained until 1857, when he removed to Olmstead county. In 1856 Christian E. Rukke also located in the township. The following year settlers came in so rapidly that it is impossible to trace them in sequence, and by 1860 all of the government land in the township that was really valuable had been taken. Thomas A. Helvig was one of the settlers, locating in section 13, in 1867.
Early Events. The first birth in the township occurred Feb- ruary 9, 1856, being that of a daughter to Christian E. and Randi N. D. Johnson, who resided in section 36. The child grew to womanhood in the township, and, in 1876, married John G. Quamm. The first marriage ceremony was performed by Rev. C. L. Clauson June 5, 1858, and united the destinies of Halver Ellofson and Caroline Fingerson, the latter of whom died six months later, this being the first death in the township.
Organization. The town was organized May 11, 1858, and the first officers elected were as follows : Supervisors, John Brennan, chairman; Daniel Hollywood, and William Bell; clerk, Thomas Fitzsimmons ; treasurer, C. E. Johnson ; assessor, Patrick Creegan ; justice of the peace, Thomas Hollywood.
OAKLAND TOWNSHIP.
This is one of the eastern towns of Freeborn county, and is bounded as follows: Moscow township on the north. Oakland on the south. Mower county on the east, and Hayward township on the west. It is a full congressional township, the integrity of the original government survey remaining unchanged, as in all the towns of the county. Unlike all other of Freeborn county's sub- divisions. this has no lakes or water courses; but water can be obtained by boring to a reasonable depth. A little brook is marked upon the map as rising in the northern part of section 6 and flowing northward into Moscow. The entire western part of the
421
HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
town was originally made up of what is termed "oak opening" land, or prairie and natural meadows dotted with groves of small growth burr and black oak timber, and there was also consider- able moderately heavy timber. The eastern part is prairie land . with the usual rolling tendency, which, toward the south, becomes rather low and marshy, yet not sufficiently so to be wholly imprac- tical for agriculture. The soil is a rich dark loam, with a subsoil of clay and gravel, and the entire township is well fitted for the crops and modes of farming of the present day, yielding abundant harvests.
Oakland has one village, bearing the same name as the town- ship, and located in section 2. Crayon Park is the name applied to a locality in section 6. The Bohemian Dance Hall is in the southwestern part of section 30. There is a cemetery in section 22. The Norwegian Lutheran Church and cemetery are located in the northeastern part of section 6.
Early Settlement. It has been stated that the first settlement in the township of Oakland was made in 1855, by a party from Illinois. This party consisted of G. W. Carpenter and family, and W. L. Carpenter, with Joel Bullock and family and Lemuel Bullock. George W. Carpenter located in section 10; W. L. Carpenter, a young man, secured a piece of land in section 3; Joel Bullock, with his family, made himself at home in section 4, and Lemuel Bullock made a claim in section 3.
The next settlement was made near the center of the town by a party of Irishmen, who arrived in July, 1856. Cornelius Kennevan, together with his family, among whom were three sons, came at this time, and located upon a good farm in section 22, where he remained until the time of his death, which occurred in 1880. John Murane, a native of Ireland, arrived at the same time and located in section 27. He remained upon his original homestead until 1874. Within a few weeks after the arrival of these Irishmen, a couple of Norwegian brothers, Ole and George O. Gunderson, late of Wisconsin, made their appearance and took claims just north of the above mentioned parties, in and about section 9. Ole took a claim of 160 acres in this section, brought his family and erected a log hut among other improvements. He remained here until 1877. Francis Merchant, Sr., a Frenchman, was also among the arrivals of 1856, and settled in section 1. Reuben Babcock was among the arrivals of 1856, coming in November of that year from Illinois, and filed upon 160 acres in section 15, where he located his family, erected a log house, and remained until 1859, when he sold his place and removed to Albert Lea. Asa Bullock, Jr., a native of Vermont, arrived in Oakland in the latter part of October, 1856, and pre-empted 160 acres, where he erected a log house and remained until 1864.
422
HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
Early Events. The first birth in the township was that of a child to Samuel Bullock and wife, in February, 1856. The first marriage of parties living in Oakland took place in the winter of 1855 and 1856, and united W. L. Carpenter to Prudence Bullock, and L. E. Bullock to Yuba Carpenter, being a double wedding. It is said that the first death in Oakland occurred in the spring of 1858, being that of Asa Bullock, the father of a large family of early pioneers, who had, in 1857, located in section 9. W. L. Carpenter and L. E. Bullock turned the first sod in the way of breaking in the township, in section 3, in the spring of 1856. They also put up the first dwelling houses in Oakland, of logs.
Town Organization. The town was organized May 11, 1858, at a meeting held at the home of Thomas Riley, in the north- eastern part of the township. Asa Bullock was chosen moderator, and 31 votes were cast, resulting in the election of the following officers : Supervisors, Asa Bullock, chairman; Willard L. Car- penter, and Henry Hollenshead; clerk, Cornelius Kennevan; col- lector, John Murane ; assessor, John Murane; justice of the peace, Cornelius Kennevan; constable, James Robinson; overseer of the poor, James Robinson ; pound master, Asa Bullock, Jr. In 1864, bonds were voted to the amount of $1,000 to pay bounty to volun- teers to fill the quota assigned the town and thus prevent a draft. In the spring of 1865 another special meeting was held and again bonds were voted.
PICKEREL LAKE TOWNSHIP.
The township bearing this appellation is among the center towns of Freeborn county, having as its contiguous surroundings, the township of Manchester on the north; Nunda on the south; Albert Lea on the east; and Alden on the west. It is constituted as originally surveyed by the government officers, of thirty-six sections, or 23,040 acres. The surface of the town may be said to be diversified, as it comprises both timber and prairie. In early days the greater part of the eastern half of the town was timber of divers varieties, among which were burr and black oak, maple, basswood, beach, elm, butternut, and some black walnut. The surface is rolling, in places given to abrupt hills called "knolls," which also help to make the scenery picturesque. One of these, known as "Jennings Point" in section 2, rises higher than the surrounding country, and is the highest point in the county, it being 1,342 feet above the level of the ocean, and 667 feet above Lake Superior. The soil, in the eastern part, is a rich dark loam of from two to two and one-half feet in depth ; underlaid by a sub- soil of yellow clay of about twenty feet, beneath which lies the blue clay. Toward the west the soil becomes of a lighter nature,
423
HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
with a tendency to sandiness, the depth of which varies from eight to eighteen inches; having a gravel loam and sand subsoil of twelve feet, underneath which is the sand bed. There is no lime or sandstone to speak of, but in places there is a profusion of boulders. The best of water is found at reasonable depth. The township is well watered by various lakes and streams. White's lake lies in the northeastern part of the town, covering about 160 acres in section 1; this was originally known as Albert Lea Lake, but since 1856, when A. W. White preempted a claim touching it, the lake has been known under its present name. Pickerel lake, after which the town was named, derived its appel- lation from the abundance of fish of this name found in its waters. It lies in the eastern part of the town, in sections 13 and 24, and extends into the town of Albert Lea. In sections 23 and 26 are located the Little Oyster lakes, so called because of their shape. Next comes the upper Twin lake, the largest body of water in the ' township, lying in the southeastern part, mostly in section 35, and extending southward to make connection with its twin, the Lower lake, which lies in Nunda township. The lakes of this town are the headwaters of the Shell Rock river.
There are two villages in this township, Clover and Arm- strong. There is a German Lutheran church in section 21, and a cemetery in section 16. The German Methodist Episcopal church is in section 23, and there is a cemetery in the same section.
First Settlement. Charles and William Wilder (or as many spell it, Weilder) and A. D. Pinkerton, made their appearance and located on and about section 12 in 1855. Charles Wilder at once commenced and completed the first dwelling shanty in the township. John H. Snyder, a land speculator, arrived the same year.
In the following spring, 1856, John Ruble, a native of Penn- sylvania who had stopped for a time in Rock county, Wisconsin, made his appearance and was the next settler in the township. He brought his family with him and settled upon 160 acres in section 11, where he opened the first farm in the township. In the fall of the same year another settler located in this section. This was A. W. White, after whom the lake was named. He was a native of the Empire state, and remained upon his farm until 1861, when he removed to the village of Albert Lea. Christian Bohle came with his family and located in section 15. Henry Schneider, who later achieved much prominence, and Frederick Fink, who also became a prominent settler, lived with Bohle during the winter of 1856-57.
In 1857 Louis Marpe settled in section 29, but in 1866 moved to Nunda township.
Section 11, in the Ruble settlement, received an additional
424
HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
settler also about the same time as the last named, in the fall of 1857, in the person of Frederick Woodward, fresh from the "Badger State," who secured a habitation there and remained until 1861, when he enlisted in the army, and upon his return settled in Iowa, where he lived up to the time of his death. In 1857, Charles and A. K. Norton, natives of the "Green Mountain" state, came here. Charles planted his stakes on a farm in sections 13 and 14, while his brother, A. K. Norton, bought land in sec- tions 13 and 23, where he remained until 1861, when he enlisted in the army, and upon his return settled elsewhere. Luther Smith also arrived this year. He was a native of New York and settled in section 3, where he lived until the war broke out when he also enlisted.
E. Jennings, a native of New York, first made his appearance in this township in the spring of 1862, but returned to Illinois for his family which he had left there, and he came again in 1865, and settled in sections 2 and 3.
The settlement in the western portion of the township did not commence until about 1860, when L. L. Lovell made his appear- ance and took a farm in or adjoining what was afterwards known as Lovell's grove in section 8. W. G. Bloe came with Lovell from the eastern states and took a place in section 18. He remained here until 1872 when he left the country. In 1863, Mortimer Whitney came and took a place in section 7 where he remained until 1871, when he removed to Owatonna. N. H. Stone, a native of Pennsylvania, was another early settler, arriving in 1864. Knudt Knudtson, a native of Norway, arrived during the same year.
Others among the early settlers, who were associated with the history of the township, were: B. A. Cady, who came in 1861; William Schneider, came in 1862; Anson Hanf, in 1864; Henry Eberhardt, in 1865; John George Widman, in 1872; August Yost, in 1876.
Cemeteries .- Salem Cemetery of the town of Pickerel Lake was situated in section 23, township 102, range 22. The first trustees were Geo. Drommerhausen, Claus Flindt, Wm. Schneider. It was surveyed by Wm. G. Keller, and it was filed for record September 6, 1882.
Official Record. At a meeting of the county commissioners, held at Albert Lea September 5, 1865, a petition was presented, signed by William C. Pentecost and twenty-four other legal voters and residents of Pickerel Lake, asking to be separated from Albert Lea and made a separate political organization. The request was granted, and on motion of Commissioner Andrews, it was ordered by the board that $400 of a special tax of $1,500, voted for roads and bridges, and for finishing the county build-
425
HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY
ings, be granted Pickerel Lake for roads and bridges. The board then selected the following as township officers until the time of the annual election: Supervisors, John Ruble, chairman; J. France, and J. H. Converse; clerk, A. W. White; treasurer, E. Jennings ; justices of the peace, R. C. Cady, and William Schnei- der; constables, O. Kenfield and Peter Lampman. The clerk refused to qualify, but his place was filled by the appointment of R. C. Cady. The first annual election was held at the house of John Ruble April 3, 1866, and the following officers were elected : Supervisors, John Ruble, chairman; Joseph France, and J. H. Converse; justices of the peace, R. C. Cady and William Schnei- der; assessor, John Ruble; treasurer, E. Jennings; constables, William Weiser and O. Kenfield; clerk, R. C. Cady, overseer of highways, A. C. Howe, W. C. Whitney, J. Smith, E. Ames, and A. C. Davis. Peter Lampman was afterward appointed to fill a vacancy.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.