History of Houston County, Including Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 55

Author: Edward D. Neill
Publication date: 1882
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 547

USA > Minnesota > Houston County > History of Houston County, Including Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota > Part 55

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).

For the year ending November 30th, the num- ber of marriages, divorces, and naturalizations in Houston county, was as follows: Marriages, 87; Divorces, 3; Naturalization-Norwegians, 25; Germans, 18; Irish, 6; French, 3; others, 2; to- tal, 52.

On Monday night of the 10th of September, the Post-office in Caledonia was entered and robbed of pennies and small charge to the amount of $8.

In October, a brakeman named Daniel Vann was killed at Hokah while coupling cars.

Early in December, a Reading room was estab- lished in Caledonia, and it flourished for a time as a valuable institution.

In Sheldon, on the 16th of December, William Phelps, a young man about seventeen years of age, a son of John Phelps, was fearfully burned by the explosion of a can of powder which blew out one side of the house.

THE YEAR 1878.

A very singular accident occurred in Caledonia on the 19th of February. A young man named Samuel Watson, employed in the stable of Ellis & Drowley, was leading two horses across the street when they suddenly shied apart, and thus strained both his arms, probably rupturing a branch of one of the sub-clarian arteries, producing an internal hemorrhage of which he died thirty-six hours af- terwards.

In the early summer a driving park was laid out and graded near Caledonia village.

In May, the store of Larson & Aslesen, in Brownsville, was broken into and $50 worth of goods stolen. Two men asleep in the store were not awakened.

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INTERESTING EVENTS.

GOLDEN WEDDING.

One of the most auspicious events in this county for many years, occurred in Brownsville on Satur- day, November 2nd, at the residence of Mr. George Schaller, the occasion being the celebration of the golden wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Schal- ler. Nearly 250 guests were invited from the various towns in the county, with per- haps thirty-five or forty from La Crosse, in- cluding a brass band and several members of the Leiderkranz Society. In order to comfortably accommodate his numerous guests, Mr. Schallar erected a large addition to his house and made other arrangements which fully accommodated the immense throng, so that on the day of the golden celebration everything was in readiness, and every- thing passed off as smoothly as could have been desired. For the purpose of transporting the La Crosse guests to Brownsville, Capt. Winslow's steamer "Vigor" was chartered, and numerous ve- hicles were employed to bring those from to wn to the scene of the celebration. At about five o'clock in the evening, the golden marriage ceremony was performed by Mr. A. Steinlein, City Justice of La Crosse, after which supper was partaken of. After refreshments were served, an able and elo- quent address was delivered by Mr. A. Steinlein, the sentiment of which is said by those present, to have been most beautiful and pathetic, embel- lished as it was with scholarly rhetoric and de- livered with force and feeling. Mr. Steinlein's ad- deress being in German, and as many Americans present desired to more fully understand its senti- ments, Capt. Harries was called upon to render an interpretation, which he did to the great pleas- ure and instruction of those who heard him. After the Captain had finished, Mr. John Ulrich, editor of the La Crosse "Nord Stern," made a few feeling and appropriate remarks, following which the band dis- coursed sweet music, and the Leiderkranz Society sang beautiful and soul stirring songs, This part of the programme being over, the spacious hall was cleared and dancing commenced, the first couple leading off being Mr. and Mrs. George Schaller, who seemed to enjoy the giddy whirl of the waltz as ardently as they did fifty years ago. Dancing continued until a late hour before the happy com- pany broke up; and when the guests were about to return to their home, it was the universal ex- pression of all that the occasion was one of un- alloyed pleasure, and that the golden wedding of

George and Eva Maria Schaller would long be re- membered as one of the most pleasurable events of their lives. The preparations made by the aged couple were extensive and elaborate, as well as liberal. Everything in the line of edibles, sweet- meats, viands, etc., were provided, and the slight- est wish of the guests was gratified to the fullest extent. One of the happy features of the occasion was the collection together of the numerous rela- tives of the venerable couple, who comprised some of the best citizens in the county.

In December, Mr. John Knock, a German liv- ing in the township of Brownsville, was killed by the fall of a large limb of a tree he was attempt- ing to fell. His skull was fractured, and he sur- vived but a few hours. He was a prosperous farmer and left a family.

Joseph Fleishman, of Brownsville, committed suicide in December, by shooting himself through the head with a pistol. Not long before his resi- dence was burned, which so depressed his mind, that he thus attempted to escape his troubles; his age was about fifty.

Moses Hewitt, a fireman on a freight train, was killed in August, by falling from the train near the west end of the bridge near LaCrescent.

A Society, called the Womans' Christian Tem- perance Union, was organized in Caledonia, on the 1st, of November, with many leading ladies of the village as officers.

THE YEAR 1879.

On the 6th of April, while Mr. John Higgins and Mr. Nels Emerson were hunting and fishing on Winnebago Creek, Mr. Higgins shot a duck, and the same ball glanced to the right and fatally shot his companion, Mr. Emerson, in the neck, 80 that he died two days afterwards.

In May, a man named Nicholas Krauss, who lived in Crooked Creek, was found dead in his house where he lived alone; he had probably fal- len and instantly expired. He was about seventy- four years of age.

DIED IN CALEDONIA .- September 25th, Philo Dibble, at the advanced age of 91 years.

SUICIDE .- Frank Seward, a young man living with Gilbert Thomas, shot himself dead in the presence of a young lady in the house. He was from New York. No reason is known for the rash act.

FIRE .- On the morning of September 5th, a fire was discovered in the rear of Mr. West's black-

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HISTORY OF HOUSTON COUNTY.

smith shop in Caledonia. The shop and a barn near it was consumed. J. W. Cook's building was in imminent danger, but was saved, which was fortunate as it contained a drug store, the Journal office and the post office. After burning a pile of wood in the rear of Cragen's saloon, the fire was subdued. A simultaneous fire occurred on a farm belonging to A. D. Sprague. A haystack and corn crib were destroyed.

THE YEAR 1880.

A LEAP YEAR PARTY. - The ladies of Caledonia, desiring to make the most of the quadrennial year, when conventionally they are supposed to have rights extraordinary,on the 4th of February in- augurated a leap year party at the Barnes House. The usual order of male preference in gallanting the ladies was reversed. All the details, the or- ders, and paying the bills were done in a most charming way by the women, who cer- tainly set an admirable example of polite atten- tion. All the usual social amusements were in- dulged in, and the supper was most elaborate, comprising everything from the most solid and substantial to the daintiest luxury. The festivi- ties were kept up with the fullest enjoyment until 3 o'clock A. M., when the ladies took their part- ners HOME. The success of the party may be judged by the following list of the various com- mittees :

RECEPTION .- Mrs. E. W. Trask, Mrs. S. Wil- liams, and Mrs. E. Buell.

FINANCE .- Mrs. J. Smith, Mrs. W. Dunbar, Mrs. D. Hainz, and Mrs. W. H. Harries.

FLOOR MANAGERS .- Mrs. G. J. Lomen, Mrs. E. S. Kilbourne, and Mrs. C. S. Trask.

TABLE .- Mrs. D. Sprague, Mrs. Weida, Mrs Spencer, and Mrs. Pope.

THE YEAR 1881.

FIRE-At Brownsville, on March 30th, the house of A. L. Darling was burned, entailing a loss, of $1,200, which was a total one to him, as an insurance policy had expired, and was to have been renewed the next day. Besides Mr. Darling the following persons were losers by the fire: Ed. Dean, Elmer Davis, James Wilson, Mrs. Henry Whicher, Miss Darling, of Winona, and Mrs. Holmes.

GOLDEN WEDDING .- On Saturday the 22d of October, at an early hour in the evening, the nu- merous friends of Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Dunbar,

met at their house in Caledonia, to celebrate with them the fiftieth anniversary of their wedding day. These occasions are not so common as to be per- mitted to go unrecorded. Fifty years is much more than an average lifetime, and what fifty years of wedded life signifies, with all the trials, troubles, and tribulations on the one hand, and the pleasures, pastimes, and poetry of life on the other, only those who have thus traveled side by side, can fully realize. There were a large number of presents in great variety, and most appropriate for the aged couple.

ANOTHER WEDDING .- A notable event in Ho- kah on the 26th of October, was the mar- riage of James S. Thompson to Miss Emma A. Towne. The bridegroom was one of the first children born in this part of the coun- try. His father, Hon. E. Thompson, was living here when his wife, being on a visit to her parents in Portland Prairie, was detained by the unex- pected freezing up 'of the river, and so Jimmie was born, near the Iowa State line, in the fall of 1852. The assemblage consisted quite largely of old settlers of the county, with personal friends from other places; among the latter were Mr. and Mrs. E. G. Perkins and Mrs. C. W. Thompson, of La Crosse; Mrs. C. Davis and Mrs. Alma Beers, of Chicago; Mr. and Mrs. G. J. Lomen and P. J. Smalley, of Caledonia; Mrs. Quintero, of Lyons, France, and Mrs. Cormack, of Stevens Point. The presents were numerous and valuable; Rev. J. H. Carpenter, of Paw Paw, Illinois, performed the ceremony. The supper, and all the surroundings, were in keeping with the joyous occasion. On Saturday morning the happy couple started for their future home in Coleman, Dakota.

THE YEAR 1882.

Ed. Healy, a young man residing at Houston, and who was making his first trip as freight brake- man on the Southern Minnesota division, January 4th, 1882, met with a horrible death between Wy- koff and Fountain. He was standing on the gang- way between the engine and tender, when the coupling suddenly gave way, separating the two, and precipitating him to the track. He was in some manner caught underneath the tender and dragged for fully an hundred rods before the cars could be stopped, as the train was on a down grade at the time of the accident. When extricated, the poor fellow's remains were mutilated beyond rec- ognition.

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COUNTY GOVERNMENT.

CHAPTER XLVIII.

HOUSTON COUNTY IN THE STATE GOVERNMENT .- COUNTY GOVERNMENT .- UNITED STATES COURT. -POST-OFFICES .- NEWSPAPERS .- MAPS, ATLASES, AND PLAT BOOKS .- AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES .- COUNTY SCHOOLS.

In 1849, Governor Alexander Ramsey, by proc- lamation, fixed the Council districts, making sev- en in all. Houston county was in the fourth. In the Territorial Legislature of 1849, David B. Loo- mis was in the Council from this district. In the House, Henry F. Stetzer was the member. In the second Legislature, which was in 1851, David B. Loomis was in the Council, and John D. Lud- den in the House. A new apportionment was made in 1851, so far as council districts were con- cerned. In 1852, Lorenzo A. Babcock was from the fourth district, in the Council, and F. S. Rich- ards in the House. In 1853, L. A. Babcock was in the Council, and James Wells in the House. In 1854, William Freeborn was in the Council, and O. M. Lord in the House. In 1855, William Freeborn was in the Council, and Clark W. Thomp- son in the House. A new apportionment threw Houston, in 1855, into the eighth district, and in 1856, Clark W. Thompson and B. F. Tillotson were in the council, and W. B. Gere, Samuel Hall, Wm. F. Dunbar, Wm. B. Covel, and Martin G. Thomp- son, in the House. In 1857, B. F. Tillotson and Clark W. Thompson were in the Council, and Wm. B. Gere, D. F. Case, Wm. J. Howell, John M. Berry, and M. G. Thompson were members of the House. Of course some of these men lived out- side of the county, in other parts of the district.

After the organization of the State, the officers took their seats on the 24th of May, 1858. Mr. William F. Dunbar was the first Auditor, serving until January 1st, 1861.

In 1859-60, N. E. Dorival was assistant Clerk of the House of Representatives, and the same session, George F. Potter was engrossing Clerk, and there may have been others with some State office.

At the constitutional convention, which con- vened on the 13th of July, 1857, the members from the eighth district, which included Houston coun- ty, were as follows : A. B. Vaughn, C. W. Thomp- son, John A. Anderson, Charles A. Coe, N. P. Col- burn, James A. McCan, H. A. Billings, Charles Hanson, H. W. Holley, John Cleghorn, A. H. But

ler, Robert Lyle, Boyd Phelps, and James C. Day.

In the first session of the State Legislature James C. Day and O. W. Streeter were in the Senate from this county. In the house were Ed- ward McIntyre, J. B. Le Blond, and Daniel Wil- son. In 1859-60, the Senators were : E. H. Kennedy and Fred. Gluck. Representatives, J. A. Anderson, C. A. Coe, and George Timanson.

In 1861, Houston county became a representa- tive and senatorial district alone, numbered the thirteenth. Thomas McRoberts was Senator, and J. B. Le Blond, Representative. In 1862, Charles H. Lee was Senator, and Samuel Aiken, Repre- sentative. In 1863, Charles H. Lee was Senator and D. L. Buell, Representative. In 1864, D. Cameron was Senator, and Thomas H. Conniff, Representative. In 1865, D. Cameron was Sena- tor, and F. N. Goodrich, Representative. In 1866, D. L. Buell was Senator, and J. P. Schaller, Repre- sentative. In 1867, D. T. Temple was Senator, and B. S. Andrews and E. H. Kennedy, Represen- tatives. In 1868, George F. Potter was Senator, and J. P. Schaller and Isaac Thompson, Repre- sentatives. In 1869, George F. Potter was Sena- tor, and Tosten Johnson and Isaac Thompson, Representatives. In 1870, D. L. Buell was Sena- tor, and W. E. Potter and Nathan Vance, Repre- sentatives. In 1871, D. L. Buell was Senator, and J. M. Thompson and Tosten Johnson, Repre- sentatives. In 1872, D. L. Buell was Senator, and W. F. Weber, John H. Smith, P. H. Rosendahl, and L. R. Hall, Representatives. In 1873, E. Thomp- son was Senator, and Tosten Johnson, A. Beard, M. L. Cooper, and P. H. Rosendahl, Representa- tives. In 1874, E. Thompson was Senator, and Wm. McArthur, M. J. McDonnell, E. W. Trask, and David Taylor, Representatives. In 1875, James H. Smith was Senator, and John McNelly, Wm. H. Snure, and M. J. McDonnell, Representatives. In 1876, James H. Smith was Senator, and W. E. Potter, M. J. McDonnell, John McNelly, and E. D. Northrup, Representatives. In 1877, John McNelly was senator, and Anthony Huyck, Wm. G. Mc- Spadden, M. J. McDonnell, and John .A. Eber- hard, Representatives. In 1878, John McNelly was Senator, and Edmund Null, Andrew Bye, Christof Evenson, and Charles Fetzner, Represen- tatives. In 1879, D. L. Buell was Senator, and Anthony Demo, J. M. Riley, Wells E. Dunbar, and E. F. West, Representatives. In 1881, J. P. Schaller, was Senator, and H. H. Snure, O. B.

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HISTORY OF HOUSTON COUNTY.

Tone, H. F. Kohlmier, and Lewis Redding, Rep- resentatives.

Houston county is in the tenth judicial district, and is associated with Fillmore, Freeborn, and Mower counties. The Judges have been Sherman Page and John Q. Farmer, the last mentioned be- ing the present incumbent.

THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT.

While Minnesota was still a Territory, in the winter of 1853-54, Houston county was set apart from Fillmore, and the first county election held on the 4th of April, 1854.

The county government was at first vested in a board of Commissioners, and a session of this body was dignified by the name of "court." The first commissioners' court to convene in the county was at 2 o'clock P. M., on the 26th of May, 1854, in Brownsville. The commissioners elect were Samuel McPhail, Ole Knudson, and Joseph Love- see. An organization was effected by the choice of Samuel McPhail as Chairman, and James A. McCan as Clerk. The first business that claimed the attention of the court was an arrangement of the county into voting precincts. Five of these, which subsequently became towns, had their boun- daries duly defined. The first to be named was Brownsville, with Mathew Alexander, John Mont- gomery, and Edward Thompson as Judges of election. Pine Creek was the next named, and elections were to be held at the house of Harvey Gillett. Francis Diamond, Peter Cameron, and Harvey Gillett were to be the Judges. Root River came next, with the election to be at the house of Ole Knudson; Joseph Lovesee, Ole Knudson, and John S. Looney, Judges. Spring Grove, at the house of James Smith, who with William H. Roe, and Sebjorn Peterson, should be the Judges. Caledonia, the elections to be held at the house of James Hiner, and Samuel McPhail, Samuel Arm- strong, and Edward Stewart were appointed Judges.

Assessors' districts were formed at that session, three in number. The first district was made up of Brownsville and three miles east and west of Caledonia precinct. The second district com- prised fifteen miles north and south, and twelve miles east and west, in the southwest corner of the county. The third district comprised Pine Creek and Root River precincts; D. D. Brown, R. L. Young, and George Cannon were appointed as- sessors of the first, second and third districts re-

spectively. The bills audited at this session amounted to $32.72, which represented the actual cost to the county of the first independent county election. Several petitions for the laying out of roads were received and laid over for future action. The Clerk was instructed to have a suitable desk made for the Register of Deeds. Two Constables were appointed, one for Brownsville, Matthias Richmond; and one for Caledonia, Thomas H. Parmelee.

On the 8th of June, 1854, the Commissioners' court again convened, and the laying out of roads claimed a large share of attention, and indeed the petitions for roads, and the remonstrances against particular ones, occupied a large share of the time of the early county legislature.

At this time the first tax was levied, which was one per cent. on all property in the county; nine mills of this was for county purposes, and one mill for Territorial use. Several important roads were provided at this session.

At & session on the 2d of October, an applica- tion for a license to sell spirituous liquors was granted to O. N. Thayer, in consideration of $25, paid into the county treasury. The school dis- tricts also received attention.

Peter Cameron applied for and received a per- mit to operate a ferry for $25. per year, and was allowed to charge the same toll that Wm.McConnell charges, whatever that was. The record does not reveal the location of these ferries.

October 28 .- At this session of the court, Charles Brown, of Brownsville, comes with an application to have Brownsville entered as a town site, accord- ing to the statutes in such cases made and pro- vided, which was favorably considered. The court about this time was occupied with roads, schools, and juries, with other details of county organization.

1855. January 2 .- The new board met; James Smith was chairman. Ole Knudson and Samuel Armstrong were the other members, and James A. McCan, Clerk.

In April, 1855, the county seat was located in Caledonia in accordance with the expressed will of the legal voters of the county. As a sin- gular omission, no mention of the fact of the re- moval from Caledonia appears on the minutes of the Commissioner's court, and for that matter the location of Brownsville is not mentioned, nor Cale- donia either, for some time afterwards. In the

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proceedings, however, there comes up a bill by Henry Palmer "for moving the books and papers belonging to the county." The county offices in Caledonia were first located in that inevitable log cabin of McPhail's, from which so many other things graduated. There was little except rou- tine business for this year, the roads claiming the larger share of attention.

1856 .- The court this year was made up of the following commissioners: Ole Knudson, Chair- man, Samuel Armstrong, and Alexander Batchellor. Money Creek precinct was this year set off. The clerk was requested to secure the government field notes for the use of the county surveyor.

1956 .- First meeting of the court on the 5th of January. Samuel Armstrong, Chairman, James C. Day, and Alex. Batchellor; McCan was still Clerk. The salary of the district attorney was fixed at $400, for that year. At a meeting on the 6th of July, the privilege was granted to Samuel Felton, of running a ferry at Houston, across the Root River, and the following rates of toll fixed: Two horses and wagon, twenty-five cents; one horse and buggy, fifteen cents; single horse or ox, ten cents; cattle, five cents per head; foot passengers, five cents; sheep or swine, three cents. During the year road petitions were num- erous, while remonstrances followed them up very closely. The difficulty of getting roads laid out brought scores of petitions for cartways, which were sharply followed by adverse petitions.

1858 .- The commissioners this year were Alex. Batchellor, Chairman, Henry I. Fox, and Frederick Gluck.

On the institution of the State Government, the form of county government was changed by an act of the State Legislature, entitled "An act for township organization" approved on the 13th of August, 1858. A Board of Supervisors superceded the Commissioners Court. On the 14th of September, at 2 o'clock P. M. The board for Houston county convened, and was called to order by James A. McCan, late County Clerk and Register of Deeds, and the following members an- swered to their names: Alonzo Adams, Alexander Batchellor, Charles H. Brown, John Brown, Stephen Bugbee, Daniel Cameron, D. F. Case, C. C. Chase, Frederick Gluck, Robert Kenny, Joseph A. Melvin, William Schminden, and C. W. Thompson. Stephen Bugbee was elected Chair- man of the board pro tem. D. F. Case, Alonzo

Adams,and Alexander Batchellor were made a com- mittee on rules for the government of the board in the transaction of business; and they afterwards reported a set of twelve, which were duly consid- ered and adopted. Mr. L. D. Selfridge appeared and presented a claim to a seat as a member from Brownsville, which, on being referred to a com- mittee, the case was investigated, and in due time a report was made disallowing his claim. C. W. Thompson was elected as permanent chairman, and on being duly escorted to the chair made an ap- propriate speech. The standing committe was appointed and the clerk was instructed to procure chairs and desks for the members. At the session on the next day, a clerk, E. S. Bugbee was ap- pointed; bills were audited, and the Register of Deeds was required to turn over all books and papers in his hands belonging to the board, to the Clerk. A resolution was adopted authorizing the Southern Minnesota Railroad to use any county roads they might desire, provided suitable high- ways for public travel were built near them. The sessions of the board were kept up for six days, and a large amount of business was transacted. The pay of the members was fixed at $1.50 per day, which gave those who were in attendance every day, $9.00 for this session.

And thus was the new system inaugurated, and a mile post in the history of the county auspici- ously passed.

Some time in the year 1858, the Clerk of the board drops out of sight, and the Auditor, A. V. Pierce, appears as the recorder of the proceed- ings.

1859 .- The board was reorganized in January, with C. W. Thompson as Chairman, and A. V. Pierce, Auditor and acting Registrar. Mathew Williams was Treasurer. No eventualities of im- portance came to the surface during the year. But it seems that there was not a remarkable amount of vigilance, or at least not sufficient to prevent the state of affairs which the following year de- veloped.

1860 .- Thomas H. McRoberts was Chairman, and A. V. Pierce, Auditor. The financial condi- tion of the county was found to be such, that a special committee was appointed to investigate its affairs in the most thorough way, and to report as to what could and what ought to be done. The outstanding county orders were in the market at from forty to fifty cents on the dollar, and the ex-

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amination of the situation created a panic, which was voiced in the following preamble and resolu- tions, unanimously adopted by the board at a reg- ular meeting in the spring of that year:

" WHEREAS, It is manifest from the report of our special committee, that the financial affairs of the county are rapidly plunging us into the abyss of insolvency, ruin, and disgrace; and it is also equally manifest that the exigency requires sound judgment and fiscal skill to extricate us from our difficulties and dangers; therefore, be it

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History of Houston County, Including Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 55

Author: Edward D. Neill Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Number of Pages: 547

Author: Edward D. Neill
Publication date: 1882
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 547