History of Goodhue County, Minnesota, Part 49

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago, H.C. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1264

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1906, Rev. Alex. Coffin was assigned to Grace church and closed his work with the parish May 10, 1908. On May 17, Albert Twichell was appointed. October 8 Bishop Edsall made his annual visitation to this parish. At 8 p. m. Grace church was well filled by a congregation of 125 people. The Rev. Charles W. Holmes, of West Concord, assisted Mr. Twichell in the service. Mr. Twichell presented a class of six adults for confirmation. October 9 at 9 a. m., Bishop Edsall ordained Albert Twichell to the deaconate. The candidate was presented by the Rev. Frank A. MeAlwain, warden of Seabury Divinity school. A student from Seabury Divinity School took up the work as a lay reader by appointment of Bishop Edsall. The sermon was preached by the Rev. William Wilkinson, of Minneapolis; Revs. Rollitt, Fow- ler and Holmes taking part in the service. After the ordination services, by invitation the elergy with the vestry and their wives repaired to the house of L. F. Irish, where they were entertained at a sumptuous banquet, which was followed by a most delight- ful social hour. On Sunday afternoon, November 15, 1908, fire caused by a defective flue broke out in the church edifice, which ruined the interior. Services were continued without a break in the Guild hall with a constantly growing congregation. As soon as the matter of insurance on the church edifice was settled they immediately commenced the renovation of the church. In March, 1909, one Sunday before Easter, services were resumed in the renovated church. The pastor, Rev. Twichell, having completed his studies and examinations for priest's orders, was advanced to the priesthood on Easter, April 11. 1909, by Bishop Edsall, in All Saint's church, Minneapolis. The rectory project, which was planned before the fire, was again taken up and sufficient money raised by the rector to pay the purchase price of a property that was originally built for the rectors of the church. The latter part of August. the rector moved into the rectory after it had been thoroughly renovated.

The Church of the Redeemer ( Episcopal). of Cannon Falls, was the ontgrowth of the labor of Timothy Wilcoxson, who walked all the way from Hastings. Minn., a distance of nineteen miles. for the purpose of preaching a sermon in a small frame house owned by William P. Tanner. This event. important in the religions annals of Cannon Falls, took place November 3. 1857. At that time there were but four communicants in the village of that faith : Mrs. William P. Tanner. Mrs. A. E. West. Miss H. A. Love and Mrs. J. D. Wheat. Rev. Wilcoxson continued hold- ing monthly services until September. 1865, when the Rev. S. S. Burlson. of Northfield. took charge until June 24, 1866. Febru- ary 20. 1866. a meeting was held at the school house, at which

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time it was arranged to build a stone church. The building committee named was: J. E. Chapman, Eli Ellsworth, J. D. Wheat, J. D. Jennings and W. P. Tanner. This committee solic- ited subscriptions and bought lots 3, 4 and 5, block 34, in Cannon Falls. This building was begun on February 28, 1866. The par- ish was duly organized under the state statutes, April 16, 1866, with J. E. Chaplain and J. D. Wheat as wardens. Eli Ellsworth, W. P. Tanner, James II. Abbott and A. J. Phelps were elected vestrymen.

The corner stone of the church was laid Jume 28, 1866, by Bishop H. B. Whipple, the Rev. S. S. Burlson assisting. The stone was laid on the northeast eorner. It contained a copper box, in which was deposited a New Testament, prayer book, and the usual newspapers and specimens of eoin. The edifice was completed in March, 1867. The first services were held on the last Sunday in March, 1867, Rev. S. S. Burlson officiating. The communieants at that time numbered fifteen. In February, 1867, a call was extended to this divine to beeome the rector. but he deelined. Rev. G. W. Dunbar became reetor on Easter day, 1867. The church was eonseerated by Bishop Whipple, May 1. 1867. The cost of the edifiee as reported. ineluding lots and furniture, was $3,577.86, of which $300 was raised outside the parish. De- cember 11, 1870, Rev. G. W. Dunbar resigned, and J. D. Wheat, a parishioner, conducted the services until June, 1872, when the Rev. William John Carley became reetor. He resigned in 1875 and again Mr. Wheat conducted the services until July, 1877, when Rev. F. J. Tassell was called. In 1877 a reetory was built. at a cost of $1,300. The present pastor is Rev. T. G. Crump.

BAPTIST.

The First Baptist church of Red Wing was organized January 21, 1855, at the home of Rev. T. R. Cressey, in a house located on what is now Fourth street, between East avenue and Bush street. At this meeting the Rev. Cressey acted as presiding officer and W. S. Grow was chosen secretary, the organization being per- feeted under the title "First Baptist Church of Red Wing," with the following eharter members: W. S. Grow, Martha M. Grow, Mary A. Whelan and Cecelia A. Brown, admitted by letter, and Jeremiah and Hannah Fuller, admitted as new members. WV. S. Grow was elected as first elerk and the Rev. Cressey called as pastor. First services were held in a distriet school- house located on what is now the corner of East avenue and Fourth street. In 1869 a church edifice was dedicated on the same property. Among the pastors following Rev. Cressey were :

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Enos Munger, W. W. Whitcomb, William E. Stanley, E. R. Pierce, W. S. Theker, C. W. Eede, J. Rounds. C. Raboteau, J. S. Festerson, L. R. Thomas. F. R. Morris and William E. Barker. Several years ago services were discontinued. In 1903 the church edifice was purchased by the Swedish Baptist people and remodeled into the present church, which the latter congregation occupies.

The Baptist Church at Zumbrota had its beginning in June. 1858, when the Rev. Isaac Waldron, of Northfield, assisted by the Rev. Mr. Shephard, held services in a little board house owned by JJoseph Cate. July 17. 1858, the church was organized with a membership of thirteen, and Samuel Person was the first dea- con. A church edifice. 24x36, was built in 1864. This church went out of existence many years ago.

SWEDISH BAPTIST.

First Swedish Baptist Church in Red Wing was organized March 4. 1892, and consisted of the following members: Thomas Hallberg. Mrs. Anna Hallberg, Alfred Hallberg, J. A. Oman. Mrs. Matilda Oman. John Seline, Mrs. August Pehrson, Mrs. A. Johnson, Gustaf Falk, Mrs. Anna Falk, Fred Johnson, Lars P. Sandberg, Andrew Sandberg. Emil Carlson, Mrs. Hanna Alen. The first officers were: Chairman, Emil Carlson : secretary, L. P. Sandberg ; treasurer, Alfred Hallberg ; deacons, Emil Carlson and Thomas Hallberg: trustees. JJohn Seline. Fred Johnson, Emil Carlson. The Sunday school and a Ladies' Aid Society were also organized and are still at work.

The first pastor was Rev. L. J. Walters. Following him were Rev. G. R. Anderson. Rev. Anton Nelson, Rev. J. O. Backlund, Rev. M. Ohlin. Rev. August Nordine, and the present pastor, Rev. O. S. Lindberg. who took charge of the church October 1, 1906. In 1893 a house and lots were purchased on the corner of Fifth and Potter streets. The house was remodeled into a church, where the services were held until the summer of 1903, when a modern church building was erected, which was dedicated September 27 of the same year. The old meeting house was again remodeled into the present parsonage.

A Young People's Society was organized in April. 1895, and now numbers thirty-one members. The present membership of the church is seventy-three. and the present officers are: Chair- man, O. S. Lindberg; vice-chairman, G. Gustafson; secretary, W. Stone: treasurer, C. A. Hanson; treasurer of the building fund, A. W. Fredine; deacons. Thomas Hallberg, G. Gustafson. John Monson : trustees, Fred Johnson, G. Gustafson and JJohn Monson. The officers of the Sunday school are: Superintendent, Mrs. Alma Hopkins; vice-superintendent. Ingvar Juhlin; secre-

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tary, Roy Ilopkins; treasurer, Esther Pehrson. The officers of the Young People's Society are: President, Ingvar Juhlin; vice- president, Edith Lindberg: secretary, Charles Krantz; treasurer, Fred Johnson, Jr. The officers of the Ladies' Aid Society are: President, Mrs. Hannah Dahl, treasurer, Mrs. G. Gustafson.

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE.

Christian Science in Red Wing has had a history parallel to that in most places. On April 15, 1905, a few Christian Scientists met and held services at a private residence, Ida G. Beauford acting as first reader. On March 14, 1906, they organized tem- porarily, to be enabled to transact business. In the same month two rooms were rented in the Gladstone building, in which to hold services and open a reading room. Services were held in these rooms from March 25 until July, when, larger quarters being needed, Fraternal hall was rented for the Sunday services, the Wednesday evening meetings being held in the reading rooms. In August, 1907, Miss Beauford decided to make her home in Chicago, and Mrs. Sara E. Myers, of Ripon. Wis., was invited to read. In November, 1908, Mrs. Myers withdrew from the so- ciety and Mrs. Clara M. Palmer was elected to fill the vacancy. In March, 1909, the society was organized in conformity with the rules and by-laws of the church manual of the First Church of Christ Scientist, in Boston, Mass., with twelve charter mem- bers, as follows: Miss Grace Thoburn, first reader; Mrs. Laura Etta Purdy, second reader; Mrs. Ellen M. Schuetz, president; Mrs. Clara M. Palmer, treasurer; Gena Thoburn. secretary ; G. W. Allison, director; Amos Staples, director; Sybil McConnell, Mrs. Nellie Velander, Mrs. Mary Staples, Mrs. Dora Buel, Jennie Erickson. The Sunday services at Christian Science churches consist of similar services to that of other church denominations, aside from the sermon, which in Christian Science churches con- sist in reading from the Bible and the Christian Science text book, "Science and Health, with key to the Scriptures," by Mary Baker Eddy, and the lesson sermon is uniform throughout the world. At the reading rooms in the Gladstone building the pub- lic are always welcome.

CHAPTER XXV.

ANECDOTES AND ADVENTURES.

Address by Judge Wilder-Office Experiences-A New Setting to an Old Tale-Pleasures of the Early Days-On Thin Ice-C. J. F. Smith's Adventures-His Arrival-An Early Journey -Writings of the Rev. J. W. Hancock-Indians and Whisky -Difficulties of Travel-A Canoe Trip on Land-The Mys- terious Wild Girl-Oil Well in Red Wing-Coal and Gold Also Found.

The employments and diversions of the early settlers are well exemplified in an address delivered before the Old Settler's Association by Judge E. T. Wilder in January, 1883: "In May, 1856. in company with Charles Hall, father of O. M. Hall, I left Dubuque for Minnesota. Traveling with our team, we went west to Waterloo on C'edar river, then up that stream, visiting Cedar Falls, Waverly, St. Charles, Osage and other smaller places, thence through Austin, Owatonna. Faribault, Cannon Falls and smaller places, to Red Wing. Returning from this point south, we passed Poplar Grove, Oronoco, Rochester and Decorah, to Dubuque. The incidents of this trip were not a little diversified. Hotel accommodations, even in towns, were by no means inca- pable of improvement. In this particular Red Wing was not an exception. The regulation diet was fresh pork, from shoats of the racer variety, dried apples in different forms, a decoction of the tea plant with little or no sugar, and now and then a dish of corn coffee. The only bright, sunny spot we found on the whole route was Owatonna. This trip was purely one of observation. No point pleased me as well as Red Wing, and no section equaled in promise what we saw in Goodhue county. In a few days I returned to Red Wing to look over the ground again, and with more care. This was abont June 20. At this time I formed mimerons acquaintances, prominent among whom were Judge W. H. Welch, Messrs. Phelps and Graham. J. C. Weatherby, James Lawther and Messrs. Smith, Towne & Co. Of the latter firm I then saw more of Mr. Towne than of his partners. My inter- views were mainly with him, and though long since gone to his rest, I am pleased to say that in all my intercourse with men, few

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as strangers have ever met me with more cordiality and gentle- manly courtesy than he. The result of these investigations was a determination to remain here. I rented an office in the second story of a wooden building, then nearly completed, standing on the north side of Main street. Red Wing at that time contained a population of perhaps 600.

"A few days after, I returned to Dubuque and sent A. W. Pratt forward with our office furniture, following him about July 10. I found the building before referred to completed and occupied. In the west compartment on the lower floor was the United States land office ; in the east, the hardware store of Clark & Cooper; and in front, over them, was our office. In front. over the land office, were Messrs. Smith, Towne & Co., and back of them, the law office of Murdock & Bristol. From that office radiated many matters of practical importance to this land district. From well nigh all parts of the state came attorneys to be heard in cases of contest in the land office court. In this block were concocted the thousand and one practical jokes that contributed not a little in those days to save our people from ennui. Those who are familiar with that period in our history need not be told that our friend Pratt was the presiding genius in this department, supported by Phelps Everett as his efficient and unfailing aid. While a volume could be filled with their efforts in this field, I will only give a specimen. Messrs. Clark & Cooper had ordered and received the bell for the new Presby- terian church. It stood upon the sidewalk in front of their store ; its position was such that it could be easily rung. I had just returned from the East with memoranda for numerous business entries upon our books. I was seated at one side of the table in our office and Pratt at the other, making entries at my dictation. It was a hot day in summer and the office windows were wide open. We had progressed with our work but a little time, when clang, clang, in full tone, went the bell; not a single tap or two, but persistently. Of course it disturbed us. An exclamation of annoyance on my part was followed by Pratt's quick movement to the window to discover by whom the bell was rung, and to request its discontinuance. From him came the remark, 'The scamps have run ; they must be the same cubs who have kept the bell going for the past two nights. They don't let a fellow sleep.' Our work was barely resumed when the boys gave notice of their return by interruption number two, and with increased power. Pratt moved rapidly to the window ; the boys were just disappearing around the corner. This game was kept up two or three times more. At last Pratt left his seat, saying, 'Confound them, I will catch them anyway!' Going to the closet, he produced a pitcher of water-the best part of a

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gallon-and taking position behind the wall, near the window, watched the movements below. Some time elapsed with no results. Meantime he stood and watched. At length came the sound of the bell with still increased volume, and simultaneously out went the contents of the pitcher, followed by the joyous outery. 'I hit the biggest fellow squarely in the face! I guess they'll stop now.' And they did.

[Editors Note-In a published account of this affair, appear- ing in the Rev. Hancock's "History of Goodhue County," Judge Wilder has made the following annotation: "Mr. Hancock omits the point of this story. Ten years later I learned I had been 'sold.' Mr. Pratt, by the use of a cord, rang the bell himself. -E. T. W. "]

"The first religious service I attended in Red Wing was in July, 1856. in the seminary building of the Hemline University. A local preacher, not now in the city, officiated. I remember nothing of his sermon. further than that by way of illustration he presented to his congregation by a word picture a pig which, trying to force itself through a rail fence. finds itself caught so that it can move neither forward nor backward. On his way from meeting. Mr. Pratt. being in the company. suddenly stopped and with a tone and expression of anxiety said, 'Hold on, Judge, I have to go back.' 'Why, what's the matter?' 'Why, don't you hear that poor pig squal? I must go back and get him out of the fence.'

"In those days the range of amusements was limited, and sports of the field and streams had many votaries. Allow me to photograph one feature of a fishing trip and a single hunting trip. As soon as the ice in the river was known to be firm. parties would be seen. each with his blanket, spear and decoy, at an early morning hour, moving with dignity toward the favorite runway for the day's sport. The language of the thermometer was ignored. Twenty or twenty-five below prevented no one from keeping a previous engagement. Reaching the designated point. the first step was to build upon the bank a big log fire, the next to ent the number of holes and then commenced the work of the day. Seated upon the ice under his blanket, with spear in one hand and the string of his decoy in the other. the sportsman would watch for his prey. until by reason of his cramped position his limbs uttered their protest, then join his comrades at the fire, swap yarns. roast and eat salt pork. and then again take up his spear and decoy for the second installment of what some of you would characterize as discomfort and folly. Again and again I have heard the question. 'What pleasure can there be in this ?' If I could take one of the skeptics under my blanket and compel him to keep perfectly still. the answer would readily be given.

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Like a Hash, like a ray of light through the clear. pellucid water, striking at the decoy as he goes under and beyond the hole, darts a twenty-pound muskalonge. The nerves respond as to a current of electricity. Now, not a motion, not a noise, not even a long breath. In a moment or two he comes moving slowly, cautiously, suspiciously back. You see the very tip of his nose as it pro- jects above the ice. In the slowest. most cautions manner pos- sible, watching everything, he moves steadily on toward the decoy, and then, when he has passed so far under the hole as to present his head and shoulders inside the wall of ice, a quick. sharp downward blow skillfully given with the suspended spear. and the fellow is yours. If in this there is not excitement, if there is not pleasure which a sportsman feels to his very finger's ends, then the recollection is strangely at fault.

"Occasionally our trips were made to points some distance away, the journeys being undertaken by teams. One trip of this sort will not readily be forgotten. The party consisted of Dr. Sweney, Prof. Wilson, Teele, Downing, Brundage. Abe Thomas, Dr. Hoyt and myself. The shoes of the team had been recently sharpened ; we drove up the river some distance and then across the island and struck the Vermilion slongh at a point five or six miles above its mouth. We had in that neighborhood a good day's sport, Mr. Downing using hook and line and catching 'snakes,' the balance of the company using spear and decoy. taking fish. We returned by the Vermilion slough. Moving at a good round trot, without warning we entered upon a sec- tion of ice so thin that a jet of water of an inch or more in height followed each cork of the shoes of the horses as they were raised from the ice in our progress, and so feeble as perceptibly to yield to the weight of the load. You may well imagine that at that moment our sleigh contained white faces, pallid lips and nervous men. It was madness to stop; our only chance for safety consisted in going on and over the weak ice if possible, and this the driver instinctively appreciated. Applying the whip promptly and smartly, the team fairly flew until solid ice was reached and safety assured. For a brief period the strain was painfully intense. It was an experience no one of that party was ever ambitious to repeat.

"In the summer of 1857 a company consisting of Mr. Going, Mr. Williston. Brown and others left Red Wing for an extended chicken hunt. In the vicinity of Hader the troop was ranging over quite an area, yet within sight and hearing. Two of the company fired at a covey of chickens, and in a direction not toward, but away from Mr. Going. The reports of their guns had barely reached us when all eyes were turned to Mr. Going some distance away, who, howling in agony, was at intervals

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hurling curses loud and deep at the heads of our companions for their supposed carelessness, while he was with both hands holding up one leg, and at the same time trying to preserve his equi- librium by hopping and jumping. not quite gravely, upon the other. All feared he was seriously wounded and were at his side with the least possible delav. . He was still grasping and rubbing the calf of his injured leg and obviously suffering intense pain. We placed him gently upon the ground, removed his boots and so much of his clothing as was necessary for a thorough examination, when, to our surprise as well as his. no blood, no wound. no mark, not even a scratch. could be found. Further examination disclosed the fact that a single shot had struck him on the upper lip. had passed through and lodged against the skin upon the inner surface of the lip, and that was the extent of the injury. Two questions were asked: First, where did that one shot come from? and second. what is the nervous connection between the lip and the calf of the leg ?"

C. J. F. Smith, in speaking of practically the same years, onee said: "In the month of June. 1854, 1 first set foot in Red Wing. I took dinner at the Red Wing House, then kept by Andrus Durand. The most striking feature of Red Wing was then. as it is now. to one approaching the place on a steamer, the bold, isolated Barn bluff. About the only thing I remember doing on my first visit here were: First, to climb to the summit of that bluff, right up to its precipitous nose, and take a view of the extended landscape. the winding river skirted with timber, the plateaus and bluffs in the distance, all together making an enchanting picture. The next thing I did was to purchase about two, or it may have been twelve, acres of land. The said land was described as being on the side of Sorin bluff and was pointed out to me by a wave of the hand while standing on Bush street, said description being apparently satisfactory to the pur- chaser who was bound to make an investment in the land of promise. Suffice it. to say I have never heard where that land lay, or that the seller has so much as a shadow of a title. Yet there is no doubt of land being there on the sides of the bluff.

"On my next visit I came to stay-on July 3 of the same year-having on board the steamboat from St. Louis a small stock of merchandise, which I persuaded the captain to leave on the upper side of the Jordan, the usual landing being a few rods below. A large number of inhabitants flocked down to the river as the boat drew to the shore. The goods were put into an unfin- ished store which stood at the foot of Broad street, near the ground now occupied by the Milwaukee depot. The doors not being vet hung, I stayed with the stuff that night. which was

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perhaps altogether unnecessary, as everybody was imbued with primitive honesty in those days. In fact everybody was bent on making money faster and easier than by stealing. The exper- ienee of that first night will never fade from my memory. I had no sooner composed myself for the enjoyment of sleep on a pile of mattresses than a whole battalion of mosquitoes presented their bills in battle array. accompanied by wierd strains of music, which awoke me to the necessity of immediate fortifica- tion. So I surrounded my couch with inverted chairs, barrels and boxes, spreading over the whole a web of mosquito netting. I then crawled into my barrack, but my hope of safety was soon dispelled. My attempts at self-defense seemed to increase the energy and fierceness of the assailants; and if only a few found their way in, the hungry ery of the ten thousand without and the possibility of all soon following snit forced me to rise, and grasp- ing the netting, scatter their ranks for a few moments. But the same attack and counter attack were enacted over and over during that longest of long nights, and I wonder to this day whether or not all the mosquitoes in the neighborhood were not notified that a fresh subject had arrived in town that day.

"Our communication with the rest of the world was by the Mississippi river in the summer, but in the winter this means was eut off most effectually by the ice. True, there was a post route by the river valley, but the mail was carried by a one-horse train. The great mail route from St. Paul to Galena passed through Oronoco, out back from the river some twenty or thirty miles. Hence the necessity arose for a better road, or rather that some definite roadway should be made passable for teams to various points in the interior, which then were tributary to Red Wing for steamboat landing. To secure this desirable result, a party was formed consisting of William Colvill, Jr., who was later the hero of more dangerous expeditions, T. J. Smith, Spencer, Fellows and one or two others, with myself and a Mr. Hunt, a teamster. The only way out of Red Wing to the back country was then by the street now called Central avenue, and between the Twin bluffs. This was the starting point for Oronoco. Featherstone, Cannon Falls, Faribault, Owatonna and other places then known. Our object in this expedition was to find the shortest practicable route to Oronoeo, including a place to ford the north branch of the river Zumbro .. We were to be met by another party from the other end of the route, supposed to be as much interested as ourselves. About six miles out we struek the bend in Hay creek, and some five miles beyond, on the prairie. we passed a large burr tree. and not far from it a kind of basin, which seemed to be a receptacle for the surface water. These land- marks have sinee been largely obliterated. The first night we

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History of Goodhue County, Minnesota, Part 49

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn Publication date: 1909 Publisher: Chicago, H.C. Cooper Number of Pages: 1264

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago, H.C. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1264