USA > Minnesota > Freeborn County > History of Freeborn County, including explorers and pioneers of Minnesota, and outline history of the state of Minnesota > Part 86
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15th of April, 1817. He received a good educa- tion in the public schools of the village, and when fourteen years old began the trade of a cabinet- maker, and after four years at the same was en- gaged in the manufacture of the celebrated Kraus Haar pianos and organs. In 1842 he came to America, located in Erie county, Ohio, and fol- lowed his trade two years, then to Berlin Centre, and afterward to Litchfield, Michigan. In 1844 he was married to Miss Sarah Beck. After some years at his trade in the latter place his health failed and he came to Rock county, Wisconsin, where he resided on a farm five years and then moved to Mitchell county, Iowa. Since 1863, he has been a resident of this place, taking land in section two. He is a respected citizen, has always taken an active part in all school and local mat- ters, and assisted in the organization of the township, having since held a number of the principal town offices. His children are George H., Mary L., Samuel H., Elizabeth C., Isaac N., John C., and Sarah M.
WILLIAM JOST was born in Waldeck, Germany, on the 27th of August, 1842. In 1864, he came with his parents to America, and directly to Min- nesota, locating in section nine, Manstield. He now owns two hundred and eighty-four acres, about half of which is under cultivation, having a good house and barn. In 1870 he was joined in matrimony with Miss Caroline Frese, also a na- tive of Germany. They have five children; Fred- eric, Fredrica, Mary, Augusta, and Emma. Mr. Jost's father died at the advanced age of eighty- two years, and his mother still lives, aged seventy- two.
HENRY JAHNKE, one of the first settlers in Mansfield, is a native of Mecklinburg, Germany, born on the Ist of August, 1822. He there grew to manhood, attending school, and in 1852 came to America, first locating in Illinois. He was married in 1852 to Miss Mary Miller. Two years later they came to this township, and under the homestead law took one hundred and sixty acres in sections three aad ten, which is still their home. having a desirable farm well cultivated. Mr. amd Mrs. Jahnke have had six children, five of whom are living, John, Mary, Christ, Mina, and Louisa.
VALENTINE KATZUNG, a native of Germany, was years of age he came with his parents to America
JOHN KRAUS HAAR, an old settler in this place, , born on the 6th of January, 1844. When eleven is a native of Germany, born in the village of Shlenklfeldt, near Frankfurt-on-the-Main, on the { and located on a farm in Rockford, Ill. From
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HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY.
thence they moved to Kilbourn City, Wisconsin, and shortly after came to Minnesota and located in Blue Earth City. In 1864 Valentine enlisted in Company F, of the First Minnesota Volunteer In- fantry, was in the service one year and then honora- bly discharged. In 1867 lie married Miss Christiana Yost, who was also born in Germany. They have a family of seven children; Angust, Edward, William, Ferdinand, Herman, Bertha, and Ernes- tina. Mr. Katzung's farm is situated in seetion nine.
DAVID LAVALLE, one of the old and substantial citizens of this place, was born near Lake Cham- plain in Canada in 1839, He grew to manhood in his native place and in 1860, married Miss Lonisa Pearmsolt, who was also raised in Canada. In 1865, Mr. Lavalle came west and three years later located in Mansheld, upon the farm which is still his home. He has a family of six children; Elizabeth, David, Milda, Hulda, Eva, and John O. His father, Paul L. Lavalle, lives with him and is a well perserved man of seventy-three years, enjoying the comforts of life with his ehildren's ehildren.
JOHN NIEBUHR Was born in Hanover, Germany, on the 22d of November, 1828. He received his education there and in 1864, married Miss Catharine King. They emigrated to America in 1872, coming directly to this place and locating in section seventeen which is still their home. Mr. Niebuhr now owns five hundred and seventy acres of land, abont half being under cultivation, and has one of the largest dwelling houses in the place. He is an energetic farmer, keeping a fine lot of stoek and also raising small grain He has a family of ten children; Dora, Mary, Eliza, Kate, Henry, William, Louisa, Maggie, Minnie, and George.
REV. P. G. OSTBY was born in Trysil, Norway, on the 12th of August, 1836. He received a good education and at the age of twenty commeneed teaching school, and after two years entered a high school, similar to our Normal schools, where lie remained two years, then returned to teaching. In 1868, he eame to America and attended the College at Paxton, Illinois, and afterward at Marshall, Wisconsin, where he passed a theologi- eal course and was ordained as a Lutheran minis- ter. He was Chaplain for C. L. Clauson at St Ansgar, Iowa, for one year, then moved to Austin, Minnesota, and was pastor of the Norwegian
Lutheran church there for seven years. In 1871, he married Miss Garo B. Thornby, and they have a family of five boys; Johannas G., Bernhard I., Paul I. D., Selmar O., and James O. C. In 1878, Mr. Ostby came to Mansfield as pastor of the Lutheran Church of this place, and through his energy and benevolence it is now in a prosperons condition.
OLE I. OPDAHL was born near Bergen, Norway, on the 5th of January, 1853, and came with his his parents to America in 1865. After a residence of a short time in lowa the family removed to Minnesota and located in Nunda. In 1874, Ole was united in marriage with Miss Betsy David- son, also a native of Norway, and the same year came to Mansfield, buying land in section eleven which has since been their home. Mr. Opdahl takes an active part in the advancement of educa- tion, has held school offices and was a member of the board of Supervisors three years. His farm now contains three hundred and twenty acres and is well improved. He has five children; Louisa, Emma, Gilla, Eva, and David.
ALEXANDER PETERSON was born in Uddevalla, Sweden, on the 8th of August, 1829. At the age of fifteen he went to Norway where he received a good education. He was married in 1853, to Miss Enger Serena Norby, a native of Norway. In 1804, they came to America and resided in Iowa for three years, then moved to this place, settling in section twenty-four. His farm now contains two hundred acres of well improved land. Mr. Peterson is always interested in local matters and has held different oflices, is at present Town Clerk and also school clerk. His children are; Mary. Hanna, Caroline, Carl, Peter, Otto, and Alphons.
HIRAM M. PETTIT was born in Crawford county, Pennsylvania, on the 18th of July, 1833. He was raised on a farm, and in 1853, came west to Iowa, where he resided two years, then located in Min- nesota, but returned to Fowa in a few years. He was joined in matrimony with Miss Elisif Dibble in 1859. In 1861, he enlisted in the Twenty- seventh Iowa Volunteer Infantry, Company I, and after a campaign through to Mississippi, was tak- en sick and confined in the hospital at Jackson, Tennessee, five months, after which he was honor- ably discharged. In 1864, he entered land in section one, Mansfield, and now has it nearly all under cultivation, making a good home. He has filled a number of school and town oflices. Mr.
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and Mrs. Pettit have four children; Edison, Hud- son, Elmer, and Mary.
HIRAM J. STEWARD, a native of Maine, was born near Bangor, on the 21st of September, 1831. At the early age of twelve years he began working by the day, following the lumber busi- ness twelve years. In 1855, he was married to Miss Mary E. Steward, who was also born in Mainc, and they settled on a farm near Saint Al- bans. In 1862, Mr. Steward enlisted in the Twenty-second Maine Volunteer Infantry, Compa- ny K, went New Orleans and at the battle of Port Hudson, June 13th, 1862, was wounded in the right knee where the buckshot still remains. Aft- er a service of eleven months, he received an bon- orable discharge and returned to his home. In 1866, he came west to Iowa, remained three years and then came to Minnesota, taking land in sec- tion twelve where he still resides. He has a fine farm, and the tidy appearance of his home gives evidence of his castern education and habits. Mr. and Mrs. Steward have three children; Phedora C., Lizzie M., and Hiram H.
HENRY J. SCHMIDT was born near Joliet, Illinois, on the 26th of August, 1853, and when three years old came to Mansfield with his parents who were among the first settlers in this place. Henry was married in 1878, to Miss Caroline Leonhardi, also a native of Illinois. They have had two children: Henry and Arthur, the former having
died when one year old, and the latter on the 23d of September, 1882. Their farm contains two hundred and eighty acres with the greater portion under cultivation. Mr. Schmidt has been school Clerk six years, Town Treasurer four years, Post- master for a time, and is at present Treasurer of the school district. His parents are both dead, his mother having died when thirty-eight years old, and his father at the age of sixty -seven.
HENRY TUNELL was born the 29th of June, 1826, near Hanover, Germany. Wlien seventeen years old he enlisted in the army as a Volunteer, serving seven years and one month. In 1850 he married Miss Dora Olmyer and the same year emigrated to America. They located near Bloom- ing Grove, Illinois, and after farming there six years, came to Minnesota, settling in Mansfield on section eight, where he has a farm of four hun- dred and twenty acres, all cultivated. He has eight children; William C., Henry J., Charles, George J., Alvina D., Gustavus, Robert, and Ed- ward, all of whom are grown. Mr. Tunell is one of the influential citizens of this place: has been in the Legislature two terms; Chairman of the board of Supervisors fifteen years; school Director ten years, and Clerk of the, school board of Trustees. After the Sioux Massacre in 1863, he was com- missioned Captain of a Militia company for home protection.
MOSCOW.
CHAPTER LXVII.
LOCATION AND TOPOGRAPHY-EARLY SETTLEMENT- THE HONORED DEAD-STATISTICS-RELIGIOUS- VILLAGE OF MOSCOW-SUMNER VILLAGE-EVENTS OF INTEREST-MANUFACTURING, SOCIETIES, ETC. -BIOGRAPHICAL.
This is one of the eastern towns in Freeborn county; one lying between it and the northern boundary. Its contiguous surroundings are as follows: Mower county on the east; Oakland on the south; Riceland on the west; and Newry on
the north. Moscow is a full congressional town- ship of thirty-six sections or square miles, con- taining 23,040 acres.
The greater part of the township is what is called burr oak opening land, that is, small patches of burr and black oak timber, interpersed with natural meadows and prairies. Along the Turtle Creek, in sections seven, eight, seventeen, eight- cen, twenty-one, and twenty-two, considerable heavy timber is found, among the varieties being white, red, and burr oak, white and black ash, bass and elm, and on section twenty-six there was
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HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY.
a fine growth of heavy oak timber. where the first claim in the township was taken.
Turtle Creek is the principal water course in the town, entering from Riceland by way of sec- tions seven and eighteen, and taking a southeast- erly course, crosses the town and leaves through section thirty-six to enter Mower county. This stream furnishes an excellent water-power in sec- tion twenty-two, which has been improved to some extent, and greater improvement is now in contemplation and will probably be carried out. Deer Creek is a small stream whice rises in Newry, and taking a sontherly course, makes a conflu ence with the Turtle in section eighteen.
The soil is a clayey loam, dark in places and again of a lighter nature, with a tendency to sandiness in many places. It is well adapted to agricultural purposes, and is productive if prop- erly tilled.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
There seems to be a preponderance of testi- mony that the first claim in the township was taken in May. 1855, by a man named Nathan Hunt, who located in section twenty-six, and re- mained for about one year and sold to Alexander Schutt, who in turn sold to the present proprietor, Henry Fero.
The next to put in an appearance after Hunt, was a party composed of various nationalities: Robert Speer, a native of New York State, Thom- as R. Morgan, and Thomas Ellis, natives of Wales, who came from Wisconsin where they bad been for a few years, and accomplishing the jour- ney with ox teams by camping on the way, ar- rived here on the first'of June, 1855. It should be chronicled to the credit of the parties, as it is unusual to such journeys, that they did not travel on Sunday, and made the trip in one month.
Mr. Speer took a claim in section twenty-two. where he pitched a tent to live in while he was breaking, and he still holds forth on the same spot.
Mr. Morgan drove his stakes upon a place in sec- tion twenty-eight, and lived upon the place until 1881, when he rented and moved to Austin.
Mr. Ellis also took a tract of land in section twenty-eight, where he lived in comfortable cir- cumstances up to the time of his death, which oc- enrred in 1874, and his family are now in Dakota.
James Bush, John G. and James Dunning, soon after arrived, all being natives of New York State,
having stopped for a time in in Wisconsin and secured homes. Bush took his farm in section twenty-seven, where he erected a log house cov- ered with bark; but he soon built a better one and still lives upon his place. James Dun- ning halted in section twenty-seven, where he lived until 1876, and then removed to Kansas. where be now lives. John G. Dunning took a claim in sections twenty-two and twenty-seven. and continued his sojourn here nutil 1872, when he removed to Oregon.
Evan Morgan was another of the fifty-tivers. lle was a native of Wales, having become Ameri- canized in Wisconsin, and after his arrival in Moscow tarried a while in section twenty-one; but soon sold that place and removed to section twenty-two, where he may yet be found.
This is about a complete list of the arrivals in the year 1855. The year following there were a great many to make their appearance upon the pro- gressive scene in Moscow township, and as many of them as can be remembered will be chronicled.
Stephen N. Frisbie,a native of Connecticut, came rom Wisconsin early this year and secured a farm in section thirty-five, where he is yet to be found.
Nathan S. Hardy, a school teacher from the Empire State, arrived and kept Frisbie company by securing a place and erecting a habitation in the same section, where he yet holds forth. Will- iam Pace, an Englishman, who had been natural- ized in Wisconsin, joined this little settlement by taking a place in section thirty-four, where he remained until the time of his death in September, 1882.
Henry Fero, a native of New York, drifted in and took a slice from Uncle Sam's domain just north of this little settlement, in section twenty- six, where his light still holds out to burn. Two others in the persons of George W. Dearmin and Benjamin Martin, originally from North Carolina, but late of Indiana, extended the neighborhood above treated, westward, by securing and sub- duing claims in sections twenty-eight and twenty- nine. The former still resides in section twenty- eight, but the latter, after a sojourn of two years returned to Indiana.
Ashabel Barnhart, from the Buckeye State. pushed the neighborhood northward and selected his territory in section twenty-one, where he re- mained until his death in 1872, and his family now reside in Dakota.
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MOSCOW' TOWNSHIP.
Rufus K. Crum, a native of Pennsylvania, came from Indiana and took a claim in section twenty- eight. He remained for a number of years, lay- ing out a town site, and finally removed to Iowa. With Crum came George W. Davis, of the Buck- eye State, who took land in section twenty-eight: but one Minnesota winter was enough for him, and he pulled up stakes and left for Iowa, where he has since died.
A. A. Webster, of the Empire State, drifted in and anchored in section twenty-three, lived there awhile and then sold and removed to section fourteen, where he remained until 1879, and now lives in Dakota Territory.
About the same time David Gates, of the same descent, made his appearance, coming direct from Wisconsin, and located upon a place in section thirty-three, which he still owns; but in 1875 he removed to Austin.
Hiram C. Porter, a native of Vermont, came from Iowa this year, and settled just north of Gates in section twenty-eight, and lived here up to the time of his death, which sad event occurred in 1868. His son now occupies the place; while his widow became the wife of John G. Dunning. and now resides in Oregon.
Another of the arrivals this year was George Watson, a native of Pennsylvania, who selected his portion of Government land in section thirty. He was a member of the State Constitutional Convention; was elected a Senator to the first Minnesota Legislature; was the first Postmaster of the Sumner Post-office, and in 1863, received a Government appointment at St. Paul, where he now resides, He was joined, soon after his arrival to Minnesota, by Josiah W. Hardy, a native of New York State, who came from lowa, and plant- ed his stakes upon a farm in section twenty-five. He lived here for about one year, when he returned to Iowa, and in May, 1864 gave up his life in St. Louis, in defense of his country.
.
The Vanderwurkers, father and son, natives of Michigan, arrived this year, and commenced pio- neer life upon claims in Moscow, but both have, since 1878, pulled up their claim stakes, and re- moved; the former to Wisconsin. and the latter to Lyon county, Minnesota.
Robert A. Dearmin was another to arrive this year, locating in section twenty-eight; he may yet be onnd upon the original homestead, at this
writing, overturning the land for the crop of 1883.
Four Englishmen came in about this time, in the persons of Messrs. Bridle, Prey, Hallenback, and Galpin, who all took claims with the avowed in- tention of making this their future home: but the severe winter succeeding their arrival apparently satisfied them, as they all soon after pulled up stakes and left for parts unknown.
A. B. Lizer, George Balton, and Leonard Web- ster were also among the arrivals of 1856, and took farms. Lizer came from Wisconsin and locat- ed in section thirty-five, remaining until 1879, when he went to Kansas, Balton established him- self in section thirty-three, where he remained until called upon by the angel of death. Web- ster first settled upon a farm in section twenty- three, and remained in the town until 1880, when he went to Dakota.
Tollef Oleson and Ole Tollefson, whose names indicate their nationality, arrived late in this year, and squatted in section twelve, where they lived for a number of years. The son is now dead, and the father is living in Lansing, it is said, at the age of ninety-seven years.
Michael Murphy, an Irishman, also arrived this year, and took a place in section twenty-five, where his smiling visage is still on exhibition.
In 1857, we note the arrival of several pioneers; among whom were Francis Hardy, father of N. S. and J. W. Hardy; Daniel S. Ingraham; Samuel Degood; Samuel G. Lowry, and soon after, his son, Theophus Lowry; David M. Farr; and Leonard Ware.
THE HONORED DEAD.
DAVID M. FARR was an early settler in Moscow, having dawned upon the western scenes in section twenty-two, in the township of Moscow, in Sep- tember. 1856, and the next year got his family up- on the spot where they lived at the time of his deathı, which took place on the 8th of July, 1878, in Texas, at the age of 55 years. He was born in Orleans county, New York, on the 2d of Decem- ber, 1822, and was liberally educated. On the 20th of July, 1843, he was married to Miss Han- nah Robbins. His ability was recognized where- ever he was known, and he served in almost every local office. Was Justice of the Peace, Town Clerk, Postmaster, Supervisor, and for years was known as the model Assessor of Freeborn county. He was a good, careful, and correct surveyor, and
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HISTORY OF FREEBORN COUNTY.
a very useful man in the community. He left a wife and four children to bewail his sudden taking off, which was. as above mentioned, away from home.
HIRAM J. RICE moved into this county in 1857, and securing a foothold in section thirty-six in the town of Moscow, remained there up to the year 1876, when he went to Floyd county, Iowa, and there died. in September. 1877. He enlisted in the army, was a faithful soldier, but lost his health and never fully recovered.
THOMAS ELLIS died in the town of Moscow on the 13th of September, 1874. having fought the good fight and finished his course. He was a native of Wales. On coming to America he stop- ped a while in Ohio, and then pushed on to Wis- consin where, catching the tide that was setting so strongly into the new territory of Minnesota, he was brought out here in 1855, seenring a place where he remained through life. He was in the army during the war, was a kind father and hus- band, and was sadly missed.
ISRAEL N. PACE .- The year 1840, and Benning- ton, Wyoming county, New York, claims the sub- ject of this sketch as the time and place of his birth. From the age of two years he lived in Wisconsin, coming to this place in 1856. He was married on the 9th of December, 1867, to Miss Rosanna Farr. For three years he served his country in the Union army, in the Tenth Minne- sota Regiment, and was slightly wounded at the battle of Nashville in September, 1864. He was a good citizen, friend and neighbor, and left a wife and five children. The bugle call that sounded the rereille for his rising in the other life, was on the 17th of April, 1879, at the age of 38.
MRS MARY T. CHEADLE terminated her earthly journey on Monday evening, the 10th of Novem- ber, 1879, at the age of 54 years. Entering upon the activities of this life in Rockvale. Indiana, on the 7th of October, 1825, she, at an early day, married Mr. Cheadle, and with him lived and reared her family. During the war her husband volunteered in the army and left his bones to bleach on southern soil. Several years ago she came to this county and located near her reta- tives in Moscow. She was an exemplary member of the Presbyterian church.
J. S. HARRIS .- The balance sheet of this life was struck on the 8th of December. 1879. He was born in the Old Dominion, in Augusta coun-
ty, in 1823, and was one of the seven children who removed to Rockwell, Illinois, in 1844, and about that time he joined the Presbyterian church. Was married to Miss Ella Elsley in 1853, and in 1856, removed with his wife and one child to Iowa. In 1859 he came to Moscow. He was a constant and devont worshipper at the church of his choice.
STATISTICAL.
THE YEAR 1881 .- The area included in this re- port takes in the whole town as follows:
Wheat-3,842 acres. yielding 41,525 bushels. Oats-1,131 acres, yielding 32,700 bushels. Corn-998 acres, yielding 33,723 bushels. Barley-380 acres, yielding 7,641 bushels. Buckwheat-4 acres, yielding 30 bushels.
Potatoes-583 aeres, yielding 5.637 bushels. Beans-45g, yielding 56 bushels.
Sugar cane-32 acres, yielding 450 gallons. Cultivated hay-415 acres, yielding 590 tons. Total acreage cultivated in 1881-6,81334.
Wild hay-1.235 tons.
Timothy seed-45 bushels.
Clover seed-151 bushels.
Apples-number of trees bearing, 649, yielding 391 bushels.
Grapes-4 vines, yielding 105 pounds.
Tobacco-70 pounds.
Sheep-150 sheared, yielding 984 pounds of wool.
Dairy-308 cows, yielding 19.830 pounds of butter, and 15,050 pounds of cheese.
Hives of bees-2, yielding 50 pounds of honey . THE YEAR 1882: Wheat, 2,732 aeres; oats, 1,183; corn, 2,058; barley, 298; buckwheat, 16; potatoes, 853 ; beans, 2]; sugar cane, 534; enlti- vated hay, 81; flax, 306; total acreage cultiva- ted in 1882-6,7683.
Apple trees-growing, 1,521: bearing, 96: grapes vines bearing, 3.
Milch cows-275
Sheep-226, yielding 1,236 pounds of wool.
POPULATION-The census of 1870 gave Moscow a population of 592. The last census, taken in 1880. reports 650 for this town: showing an in- crease of 58.
RELIGIOUS.
The earliest settlers of Moscow were mostly Americans, with strong religions tendencies, rep- resenting varions creeds or denominations, includ-
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MOSCOW TOWNSHIP.
ing the Congregationalists, Methodists, Baptists. Campbellites, and Presbyterians, which faiths were held to with a Puritanic tenacity. All felt the need of religious instruction, and when a preacher of the gospel put in an appearance he was hailed with joy. The first to dawn upon the scene was "Elder" Phelps, a young man fresh from the dis- cipline of the theological college, who had located at Austin. He first preached in Rufus K. Crum's house, in section twenty-eight, in 1856, and lie occasionally preached in this vicinity until March, 1857; but no society was formed. Later in the same year he preached in Samuel Degood's house in section thirteen, and a class was formed with about fifteen members, with Isaac Vanderworker, leader. A Sunday school was organized about the same time, which was continued until 1880, Sam- nel Degood being superintendent a number of years. The last school was held at the school- house in section thirteen. Elder Reynolds was the regular preacher, and as most of the original members of the class have either removed to other localities, or died, it has been discontinued.
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