USA > Minnesota > Goodhue County > History of Goodhue county, including a sketch of the territory and state of Minnesota > Part 48
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Thus organized they met for worship in private houses, and occa- sionally in some one of the school houses.
In 1862, a small church was built on section 11, which has since been replaced by a fine edifice, erected on the site of the original, and capa- ble of seating 600 people. After the organization, Mr. Beckman continued as pastor until June, 1868, when he went away, and the people
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THE HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY.
were without a regular minister until July 1, 1870, when the Rev. J. O. Cavallin, took charge of the congregation and is the present incumbent. The church has now a membership of about 300.
At present the officers are-deacons, J. P. Gustafson, Fred Anderson, Peter Berg, John A. Holm, Victor Anderson, and John Larson ; trustees, F. I. Johnson, John Haggstrom, John Lorenz, Lewis Miller, M. A. Ander- son, and John Anderson.
The other church is located on section 30; the congregation is the out-growth of the Holden church at Wanamingo. It is styled the " Urland Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church." The organization took place the winter of 1871, and the building of a church was at once begun, which was completed and dedicated in 1874. It is an elegant structure, capable of seating 500 people.
The building committee were Rognold J. Onstad, Ed. L. Otterness and A. A. Flom. Rev. B. J. Muus, of Wanamingo, under whose charge they were prior to their organization, is their pastor, although he has been assisted since 1875 by Rev. M. O. Bockman, who preaches at the church every few weeks.
The first officers of this organization were: Trustees, Lars Flom, for three years; Tosten A. Melhuus, three years ; Ole A. Melhuus, two years; Rognold J. Onstad, two years, and Johannes Ingebrigtson, one year. Members at date of organization numbered 296. There are at the present time about 650. Officers at the present time are : Trustees, Lars Nelson, Iver I. Wangen, G. P. Otterness, Hans Rasmusen and Wm. Olson.
In 1859 the Rev. Mr. Barnes organized a Presbyterian church, and about that time the Methodists; but the American families were too few, the organizations languished for want of proper support, and there- fore have had no real existence for many years.
FIRE INSURANCE COMPANIES.
There are two local fire insurance companies in the township. The " Leon Fire Insurance Company " was organized under an act of the State legislature, passed March 4, 1876. Its officers are : president, R. G. Onstad; secretary, A. A Flom; directors, Mons S. Urevig, O. A. Melhuus and K. K. Hougo. This company has suffered comparatively no losses.
The other company is styled the "Scandinavian Mutual Protection Association." It was organized in 1868, and by an act of the legisla- ture incorporated in 1870. It insures against fire, lightning, storms and other calamities. No one can become a member unless he is conver-
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THE HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY.
sant with the Scandinavian language. An admission fee of $1 is required, and members are taxed in case of loss to repair damage ; but so far no losses have occurred. John Miller is president; vice presi- dent, John Holm; and the territory is divided into five districts, with two directors to each.
Here follows a list of the township officers from date of organization up to the present time; the first named in the catalogue of supervisors is invariably the chairman. The following constituted the various boards of supervisors :
Ellery Stone, George Seassons and William Olson, from 1859 to 1860. S. N. McGaughey, John Ingebrigtsen and J. Vanderberg, 1860-1861. Alexander Merritt, A. Larson and J. K. Stranahan, 1861-1862. Alexander Merritt, John Ingebrigtsen and Seth Davis, 1862-1863. James McGinnis, A. Larson and F. I. Collins, 1863-1864. Alexander Merritt, S. Anderson and A. Larson, 1864-1865. Alexander Merritt, R. J. Onstad and Fred. Miller, 1865-1866. Thomas Balfour, John Ingebrigtsen and John B. Lee, 1866-1867.
E. D. Stone, John Ingebrigtsen and Fred. Miller, 1867-1868. F. F. Dimick, John B. Lee and Charles Holm, 1868-1869. Wm. Greaves, E. D. Stone and S. Anderson, 1869-1870. S. Anderson, F. I. Johnson and E. D. Stone, 1870-1871.
E. D. Stone, Charles Anderson and John B. Lee, 1871-1872.
E. D. Stone, John B. Lee and Charles Anderson, 1872-1873.
E. D. Stone, Charles Anderson and T. S. Medje, 1873-1877.
Thomas Balfour, John Haggstrom and Charles Edstrom, 1877-1878. John Haggstrom, Nils Skog and Knut K. Hougo, 1878.
The town clerks were : Geo. F. Sargent, from 1858-1859 ; E. G. Bailey, 1859-1861 : E. A. Sargent, 1861-1863 ; D. E. Van Amburg, 1863-1865 ; E. A. Sargent, 1865-1866; E. G. Bailey, 1866-1868 ; Thomas Balfour, 1868-1869; M. T. Opsal, 1869-1873 ; John Edstrom, 1873, and the present incumbent.
Assessors : F. F. Dimick, 1858-1860; Fred. Miller, 1860-1861; John Surratt, 1861-1862 ; F. F. Dimick, 1862-1867 ; D. S. Van Amburg, 1867- 1868; Nere Holgeson, 1868-1871; S. Anderson, 1871-1873 ; C. J. Wing, 1873-1874; Ed. L. Otterness, 1874-1876 ; Mons S. Urevig, 1876, and the present incumbent.
Collector, E. D. Stone, 1858-1860.
The treasurers were : Wm. Olson, 1860-1861; E. Stone, 1861-1863 ; Wm. Olson, 1863-1877; Ed. L. Otterness, 1877-1878 ; M. T. Opsal, 1878.
Justices of the peace : D. C. Stranahan and S. N. McGaughey, 1858- 1860; James McGinnis, 1860-1864 ; M. Bryant, 1860-1862; J. K. Stra-
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THE HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY.
nahan, 1862-1864; Ira Babcock, 1864-1868; E. A. Sargent, 1864-1866 ; Fred Miller, 1866-1868 ; John Miller, 1868-1870 ; M. Bryant, 1870-1872; A. A. Flom, 1870-1879 ; John Miller, 1872-1879.
Constables, in order : E. D. Stone, O. L. Stranahan, B. F. Davis, John Lagerstrom, H. P. Davis, A. B. Crow, John Lagerstrom, A. Olson, H. M. Stranahan, B. F. Davis, Jonathan Poe, J. A. Holm, H. M. Stranahan, O. S. Urevig, John A. Holm, D. E. Berdan, O. S. Urevig, John Lewis, O. S. Urevig, P. J. Peterson, Ed. Berdan, K. K. Hougo and J. Holm.
WARSAW.
In 1858 the township of Warsaw was organized. It is bounded on the north by Lillian, east by Leon, south by Holden, and west by North- field, in Rice county. It is watered by the Little Cannon River, has some timber in the southeast portion, while the remainder is rolling prairie. The market towns are Hastings, Northfield, and Red Wing.
The first settlement made in the township was in June, 1855, by Moses, William, and Edwin George, Robert McCoskel, E. H. Sumner, Washington King, R. B. Wilson, J. E. Wright, and Francis McKee. These gentlemen 'made claims in the northern portion of the township, and at once began turning over the sod and preparing the soil for a crop the following season.
In 1856 a child was born to Mr. and Mrs. Washington King, which in those days was celebrated as an event of greater moment than the birth of a new star in the firmament.
John Chambers was the first man to lay down his shovel and go over the "dark river." He died in 1856. Rev. Isaac Waldron held the first religious services at a room in the house of Alex McKee, in the summer of 1858. The first school was taught by Miss Emma Babcock in a room hired of Alex McKee, the summer of 1859.
The business enterprise other than agriculture in Warsaw was a black- smith shop, put in operation by Mr. Johnson in 1864. Others have since been added, and the various branches of business have multiplied as the necessities required, until to-day these people are virtually inde- pendent of all save God and each other. They have a beautiful section of country, remarkably rich in the elements of natural productiveness, and on every hand it is teeming with thrift and prosperity. Timber and water, soil and climate, well-tilled farms and comfortable homes, both for man and beast, are some of the many blessings that cluster around this people, the fruits of their labor and the gift of the Great Giver.
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THE HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY.
HOLDEN.
The honor of turning the first furrow in this township undoubtedly belongs to Hans Ovaldson-now a resident of Belle Creek-who in the summer of 1854 broke about four acres on section 24, and soon after Ole C. Oakland broke a like amount on section 23, where they, the follow- ing year, raised a crop of wheat; but neither of them built a house till the following summer.
In the fall of 1854 Jens Ottun made a claim and built a sod hut on section 33, where he in the month of May, 1855, commenced breaking, and at the same time the building of a log cabin ; but on the 27th of the same month A. K. Finseth, K. K. Finseth, H. K. Finseth and Ole J. Bakke arrived at the claim of Mr. Ottun; the Finseths bought Mr. Ottun's claim and he returned to Wanamingo township, where he had previously made a claim; thus the Finseths became the first permanent settlers of Holden township, as the two mentioned at the first of this sketch had not yet made a claim.
Mr. Bakke made a claim on sec. 33, and Mrs. Bakke was, undoubt- edly, the first white female settler in the township. Females with red skins were plenty here at that time; and once when Mrs. Bakke was gone for a pail of water, a squaw entered the house and stole her babe out of the bed ; Mrs. Bakke, however, soon missed her child, and run- ning out of the house, heard its cries from the edge of the wood, where she soon arrived, whereupon the squaw threw the child upon the ground and ran off.
In the month of June, the same year, Ole O. Huset settled on sec. 23, Halvor Ennerson Vraalstad on sec. 27, and Thorbjorn Ennerson Vraal- stad on sec. 35; and in Sept., Mrs. T. Ennerson Vraalstad gave birth to the first native-born citizen of the United States, in Holden township.
In the same year, Ole O. Naeset and Erik Anderson settled on sec. 9, and Nels Mikkelson Dalsbotten on sec. 10, and Mikkel Johnson on sec. 15. Several log cabins were soon erected, and some with a roof, others without a roof, had, with the assistance of the covered wagons, to serve as places of abode for the industrious immigrants, while they were pre- paring the soil for their first crop.
The small supply of provisions they brought with them was soon gone, and the two towns on the Mississippi River, Red Wing and Hast- ings, had to be resorted to from which to procure the necessaries of life; the distance was great-over thirty miles-and the only accom- modation, train oxen and wagons or sleds, so that those journeys were, especially in winter, anything but pleasant. The prices of provisions at
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THE HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY.
those places were also very high, flour was from $10 to $12 per barrel, pork from ten to twenty cents per pound, butter from twenty to thirty cents per pound., etc.
During the summer of 1855, a large number of claims were taken, a few of which were occupied in the fall; but the most of them were unsettled till the spring of 1856.
The first settlers in the township were Norwegians ; but a few years afterwards a number of German families settled in the west part of the township, many of whom still reside there.
The first resident to commit matrimony, was Mr. K. K. Finseth, who married Miss Bergitte Halvorson. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. H. A. Stub, at the residence of the bride's father, in Rice county, on Sept. 13, 1856.
The first death was Erik A. Ethun, who died in the fall of 1855, and was burried near the north line of section 3.
In 1856, a State road was surveyed through the southeast part of the township, and the following year Norway post office was established in the township, and Ole O. Huset appointed postmaster, and served as such to his death in 1862. This post office has since been moved just over the line in Wanamingo township, and B. J. Borlang, is postmaster. About the same time Holden post office was established in the north part of the township, and T. E. Thompson, appointed postmaster. Eids- vold post office was established in 1875, on the daily mail route from Red Wing to Faribault, and Hans Christianson Westermo, appointed post master.
The first two winters the township was settled, were more severe than any since, and the snow was so deep that snow shoes were indispensa- ble. In the middle of April 1857, sleighs could still be used to good advantage, and spring work on the farms could not commence till about the last day of April. The crops however were good, and the township raised plenty of breadstuff for their own support, and had some to sell, but the price was very low.
The township was first attached to Wanamingo and other towns, for political purposes, until July 5, 1858, when the present township was organized and the name " Holden " given to it. Its political machinery was then set in motion by the election of the following officers : super- visors, K. K. Finseth, chairman, H. C. Klemer and Charles Nichols ; town clerk, L. K. Aaker ; assessor, G. Nichols ; collector, Charles Fogle- sang ; justices of the peace, W. C. Crandall and Ole Olson; constables, Peter N. Langemo and H. Ennerson Vraalstad.
The crops looked fine in the summer of 1858; but a severe hail storm
-
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THE HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY.
destroyed nearly everything, and the supply depots at Red Wing and Hastings had again to be resorted to for provisions for the families of the settlers.
At the first two town meetings, considerable interest was manifested, as the people were strangers to each other, and each one tried to elect those to office whom he knew best; but after they became acquainted with each other, the mutual confidence became almost unlimited, which has continued to this day, and the election to township offices has ever since been almost unanimous.
During the war, from 1861 to 1865, the aggregate amount of $14,000 was raised to hire volunteers for the service, and thus no drafting was needed to fill the quota.
The first census taken in the township was in 1860, when the popu- lation numbered 633 ; in 1865 it was 949; in 1870, 1199 ; in 1875, 1303.
The earliest agricultural statistics obtainable is for the year 1865, when the acreage of wheat numbered 2,846, and the number of bushels raised was 46,788, or a little over 16} bushels per acre; the lowest average yield was in 1869, when on an acreage of 6,443 acres, only 82,205 bushels of wheat were raised, or about 124 bushels per acre ; the best yield was in 1873, when 184,929 bushels of wheat were raised on 8,182 acres, or about 22} bushels per acre.
The highest average yield of oats was in 1865, 46 bushels to the acre ; the lowest in 1874, 17 bushels to the acre.
There is one church in this township, called "Vang's Church," in " Valder's district," on section four. It is a part of the " Holden con- gregations," and was finished and dedicated in 1868; it is a beautiful building, capable of seating 500 people. The district is in charge of Rev. B. J. Muus and his assistants, and has three parish schools.
WANAMINGO.
Wanamingo is bounded on the north by Leon, east by Minneola, south by Cherry Grove, and west by Holden. About half of the surface is a gently rolling prairie with every foot of land tilled; but the north branch of the Zumbro River, flowing in an easterly direction through the south part of the township, causes the land to be considerably broken, yet not so much so but that almost every acre has been turned by the plow. Spring Creek also enters the township from a southerly direction on section 32, and joins the Zumbro about a mile west of the village of Wanamingo. One of the east forks of the Little Cannon
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THE HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY.
River rises in section 3, and flows west, crossing the line near the extreme northwest corner of the township, so that one can readily see the advantages this township possesses over others in the county by reason of its many water privileges.
The first settlement was made in June, 1854, by the arrival of Henry M. Falla, Toege N. Falla, Jens N. Ottun, N. K. Fenne, Thosten Ander- son, Andru Baarnhus, John Stroeme, Andrew Hesjedal, Colboern Ektveit, Gilbert Nelson and N. J. Ottun. During the summer and fall a number of others came and settled in the township; all of them were Norwegians. In the spring and summer of 1855, however, a number of American families made claims near where the village of Wanamingo now stands. Of those early American settlers, however, only one remains, K. B. Smith, who resides on section 11. The township is now occupied almost exclusively by the Norwegian people, who, since their advent here, twenty three years ago, have made such rapid strides in agricultural and other improvements that " Wanamingo township " is now the leading farming township of the county.
In September, 1854, the first white child was born, named Knut N. Fenne.
The first death was that of Miss Bereth Anderson, in July of the same year.
The first marriage was a double wedding, and the happy parties were Toege N. Falla to Mrs. Oline Gilbertson, and Johannes J. Marifjaeren to Miss Soeneva Johnson, in June, 1855. The ceremony was performed by Rev. Nils Brant, now a minister in the Lutheran college, at Deco- rah, Iowa.
The first school was taught in the fall of 1857 by James Brown.
The first religious service was held in June, 1855, by Rev. Nils Brant, of Oconomowoc, Wis.
The first store in the township was opened on sec. 4, by Hans M. Sande and Knut Sanden, in the spring of 1857. They stocked it with goods and carried it on about a year, when Mr. Sanden was married, and his attention was turned in other directions. Mr. Sande concluded he could make more money farming, so the mercantile business was by them abandoned, and they are now both well-to-do farmers, residing in this township.
In 1858 James Brown platted and laid out forty acres of land on sections twenty-five and twenty-six, and called the proposed town Wanamingo.
The first store was built by J. F. Wright, the same year, and a few years afterward another was started by Paulus Miller. The former is now
31
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THE HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY.
enlarged and occupied by M. Halverson, general merchandise, and the latter by A. A. Urness, who also keeps a general store. In addition to the above business houses, there are in the village two blacksmith shops, two boot and shoe shops, one hotel, and one photograph gallery.
There are now in Hader two general merchandise stores, one fancy grocery store, one blacksmith shop, and one hotel by Mr. Purdy.
There is a mercantile association composed of about forty of the lead- ing farmers, called "The Aspelund Society." It was organized in 1875, and at once set about the erection of a store on section sixteen. The capital stock was at first $6,000, but has since been increased to $7,000. It was incorporated in 1876. First officers were : president, O. J. Wing ; secretary, N. J. Ottun ; treasurer, E. E. Sevareid; directors, Henry N. Talla, Hans M. Sande and Ole Lewis; N. J. Ottun was appointed man- ager.
The present officers are : president, O. J. Wing; secretary, Ole O. Huset; treasurer, E. E. Sevareid; directors, Henry N. Talla, Hans M. Sande, A. T. Rygh, and John Lewis, manager.
There are ten public schools, in which school is kept a greater portion of the year.
There are four post offices-Hader, Wanamingo, Aspelund and Nor- way.
There are a large number of blacksmith shops at different points, a number of which do a steady business; others are owned by farmers only to do their own work.
There is a flouring mill located about one mile from the village of Wanamingo, on the Zumbro River.
There are three Lutheran church organizations, the oldest of which is the " Eastern Church of the congregation of Holden," which was organized September 12, 1856, on lot six, section nineteen, in a grove where now stands Dr. Charles Gronvold's residence.
The circuit of the congregation then reached within ten miles of Faribault and east to Zumbrota, and consisted of upwards of seventy heads of families. The organization was effected under the supervision of the Rev. H. A. Stub. The trustees were : Knut K. Finseth, Kjostol G. Naeset, Halvon O. Huset, and Christopher Lockrem. They then secured one hundred acres of land, on section nineteen for church purposes, which they have improved by the erection of a good parsonage, barn, granary and outbuildings. After their organization they had no regular pastor, but were visited occasionally by Revs. J. S. Munck, L. Larson, and A. C. Preus, until the arrival of their present pastor, B. J. Muus, in 1859. In 1861 they built their present church,
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THE HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY.
which is a fine building, capable of seating at least 500 people. In 1863 the South Prairie congregation united with them. This congre- gation was organized by Rev. P. A. Rasmussen, of Lisbon, Ill., in the summer of 1856 or 1857, in the south part of the township. It is now known as the " Dale congregation," but still retains its connection with the Holden congregations.
The present officers of the Eastern Church are, trustees-Ole P. Hulebak, O. J. Wing, E. Gunhuus, Even S. Brakke, Baard B. Naeset, Johannes Svien, Anders R. Baestul, Rasmus H. Wikum and Einert Th. Wraalstad, with a membership of about 1000.
Rev. B. J. Muus, assisted by Revs. M. O. Bockman and T. A. Hansen, has charge of all the Holden congregations, consisting of seven different societies, and districts, viz .: "The Eastern Church of the Congre- gation of Holden," in Wanamingo township ; " Dale Congregation," in Cherry Grove township; "Urland Congregation," in Leon township; " Valder's" district, in Holden township; "Gol's" district, in Kenyon township; " Haegre" district, in Kenyon township ; and " Moland" dis- trict, which place of meeting is also in Kenyon township, but many of the members live in adjoining counties : they have all, with the exception of " Moland," fine church buildings.
In connection with each of those churches, they have a number of parish schools, as follows : Eastern district, 8 schools; "Dale," 4; " Urland," 3 ; " Valder's," 3 ; " Gol's," 2 ; " Haegre," 1; and " Moland " 1. These are conducted generally by teachers who are graduates of teach- ers' seminaries in Norway, or Decorah, Iowa. They give instruction in Norwegian language, religion, arithmetic, writing, &c., and hold school about three months in a year.
The next church organized was the " Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wanamingo," of Houge's Synod, which was organized in 1859 by Rev. A. E. Boyum. Although not ordained, Mr. O Hansen took charge of the congregation, but in 1861 he was ordained, and has ever since been actively identified with the interests of this church. On organization the membership was about 35, and the officers were: deacons, Stephen Lee and Ole J. Lee; trustees, Ole J. Lee, Hans M. Sande and Knut Sanden. There is now a membership of about 300, and the officers are : deacons, Hans M. Sande and John Avels Gaard ; trustees, Ole Salveson, Ole Sivertson and Ole J. Lee. In 1862 they built a small church, which in 1873 was superseded by the present elegant building capable of seating at least 500 people.
Rev. O. Hansen also had charge of the " Aspelund congregation," at Roscoe Center, which has just completed a splendid church at that place, about the same size as the one in this township.
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THE HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY.
" The Wanamingo Norwegian Lutheran Church " of the Norsk Danish Conference, was organized about 1872 or '73. The first trustees were: Thorsten Thoresen, John A. Skaar, John Swanson and Charles A. Swan- son. Their church, which is located about one half mile north of the village of Wanamingo, was built about 1873 or '74. The present trus - tees are : Forbjorn Vangestad, Ole Anfinson and Ole E. Skaar. The Rev. N. E. Vikre visits them once a month.
As Wanamingo township is the center of the Norwegian settlements of Goodhue county, it may be well here to submit a sketch of the char- acteristics of the Norwegian immigrants, which we have been enabled to prepare with the assistance of a learned friend, who is himself a Norwegian, and which will, of course, be applicable to Norwegian settlements anywhere in the county.
THE NORWEGIAN ELEMENT.
A large number of the inhabitants of the county, at least one-fourth, are Norwegian.
In the southwest part, where the country offers the greatest advan- tages for agricultural purposes, several townships are settled almost exclusively by them. In this fertile and suitable region, they have a better chance of having their energy and industry rewarded, than they had in Norway, where greater exertions were needed merely to gain a subsistence, whether it was as agriculturists on the small, stony and steep pieces of cultivated land, or as sailors and fishermen on the sur- rounding sea.
The Norwegians are also eminently fit to be the pioneers of civiliza- tion. In their lonely valleys, they have become more accustomed to live by themselves, and to be contented in their own company, than settlers from more densely populated countries; and they do not to the same degree, feel the want of social advantages, from which the pioneers, to a greater or less degree, are excluded.
Self-help was, in the old country, cultivated to a high degree, in regard to the mechanical work needed by the farmers. It was often a considerable distance to the next neighbor, and the farmers did much of the work themselves, where in other places a tradesman was called into requistion. Almost every one could, for instance, do his own horse-shoeing and other blacksmith work; thus they are well accus- tomed to the hard work called for in a pioneer country, because in their old home they had to work hard to make a living, and this rigorous training has made them hardy, strong and enduring.
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