History of Houston County, Including Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 75

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

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. Ross bought the place, and they lived there six or seven years, when he sold to John, who did not keep it long but transferred it to an Illinois man, who never settled on it, and the property is still occupied by renters. John Ross engaged quite extensively in lumbering, running his timber to Galena and other points below. He made other claims at various points, but did not consider them worth holding, and so they were abandoned.

It is supposed that the oldest living settler in town now is Patrick Collins, who settled here in May, 1854, and resides on section thirty. John Cauley and family came the same year; he has since died. Thomas Brady and Patrick Donahue came about the same time, and also Patrick Mc- Cue, D. Friney, and Daniel Kennedy.

Michael Crowley came from Louisville, Ken- tucky, where he had lived five years. He died a few years afterwards, and Mrs. Crowley died No- vember 14th, 1880.

Michael S. Brady came here in May, 1856, from Chicago, where he had been for eighteen months. He came originally from County Cavan, Ireland, in 1847. He had been some time in Ohio and in Pennsylvania, where, in the year 1855, he had married Miss Margaret Sheridan, who died about six years after. In March, 1862, he again was married to Miss Mary Lamb. They had eight children, five of whom are living.

THE FIRST BIRTHS .- The first remembered births in the township were Michael and Patrick, twin sons of Patrick Donahue, who are both living at the present time, one here and the other in Da- kota. This was in July, 1856.

EARLY DEATHS .- One of the first casualties was the case of James Malon, who started to go to Brownsville in December, 1855, and perished in the snow. He was living with his sister, Mrs. Hughes, and went to do some trading, and taking

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the wrong track got lost in a severe snow storm, and his remains were not discovered until the follow- ing spring. He was at first buried in town, but afterwards taken up and re-buried in or near Brownsville. His sister, above alluded to, died quite suddenly while on a visit to friends in Wis- consin, and her remains were brought here and buried in the Catholic cemetery. Her son, John, still lives here on the old place in section twenty- seven. These people were early settlers.

THE FIRST MARRIAGE, of which there is any ac- count given, was not until 1859, when Mr. Den- nis Brady and Miss Ann McCue were thus united, and they still reside here.

THE FIRST MARKET the settlers had was in Wis- consin, at a place called Victory, which was reached by crossing the river in skiffs, or they could go to Browsville, or down to Lansing, either place be- ing about fifteen miles.

THE FIRST DEATH. - It is evident that the first death in town was a case of accidental drowning in September, 1854. It seems that Patrick Crow- ley, a young man, son of Michael, while taking some oxen to water, was by them crowded over a high bluff, and although he was soon taken from the water where he had lodged against some brush, all efforts at resuscitation proved unavail- ing.

AN INCIDENT .- Soon after Ross came, a man named Smith located a claim near him, but he Boon sold to a Norwegian who brought his wife. Not long after the man died suddenly, and four days later they were found, with his wife too sick to get up from his side. After the man was bur- ried, Ross carried the woman to Lansing, where she was lost sight of.

The two Rosses took the body, rolled it in a sheet, placed it in a box, and in a grave under an oak tree near the spring, not far from the cabin, and the oak still stands as a sentry over his last resting place.

ORGANIZATION.

The township organization was effected in 1858. The first election was held at the resi- dence of Patrick Donahue. The board of super- visors elected were: Robert Kenny, Chair- man, John Ross and Patrick Donahue. Alex. Durkee was chosen Clerk, with John Ross, assist- ant and also Treasurer; Alex. Durkee was made Constable; Robert Kenny and Michael S. Brady

were elected Justices of the Peace, Patrick Don- ahue was put in as Road Master.

It seems that there were hardly men enough to go around, so the offices were thus doubled up.

Everything seems to have gone on smoothly for the initial year, as everything was serene when the political year 1859 dawned upon the scene. The new election took place and Mr. Robert Kenny was returned as Chairman of the board, and on the last day allowed by law, presented his bond, with John Ross as surety, and then the trouble began. It seems that the Clerk had other views, and induced the other supervisors to name a rela- tive of his for the alleged vacancy. Mr. Kenny was not the man to remain quiet and allow him- self to be thus technically slaughtered, so the matter was referred to the District Court, Judge Donaldson being on the bench at the time. Mr. Kenny employed Hon. Daniel Norton, State Sena- tor, as counsel. The result of the affair was that the clerk was required to accept the bond as ten- dered, and Mr. Kenny was declared the lawfully constituted Chairman of Supervisors.

JEFFERSON VILLAGE

This place was formerly called Ross's Landing, from John Ross, whose family still live in New Albin, across the line in Iowa, and who died a few years ago. He was the nearest resident for quite a while, and in Winnebago may still be seen an old guideboard pointing to Ross's Landing.

In the fall of 1868, Anton Eck located about three-fourths of a mile north of the State line, on a slough, and started a hotel; he still resides there. The next to put in an appearance was James Cal- lihan, who also opened and kept a hotel. In the fall of the next year, 1869, Lewis Hayes located here and built a large building, the lower story arranged for a store and the upper one for a dwell- ing. The store is now empty, but Mr. Hayes still lives here.

The land where the village was laid out was bought of Mr. Wm. Robinson by Wm. and R. P. Spencer, and surveyed and recorded as a village plat. When the railroad was building there was a disagreement as to damages, and the case went to the supreme court. The railroad company finally run their line by the water's edge.

Wm. Robinson built a warehouse for storing grain, and was for several years in that trade. That same fall Mr. Hayes rented his store to Jobn

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Robinson and Mr. Tartt, who opened it and con- tinued in trade for several years. After that Mr. James Bisset took the store and run it about a year, when, closing out, that wound up merchan- dising here.

Mr. Wm. Robinson, in the course of two years or 80, sold out his business and rented his warehouse to different parties. He died a few years after- wards, at his residence on Portland prairie, Iowa, having just disposed of his remaining interest to the railroad company, a half still belonging to R. P. Spencer, of Lansing Iowa.

The present ownership of the warehouse is vested in the Railroad company and Mr. Harvey Randall of New Albin.

Another early settler was Isaac D. Smith, the father of Mrs. Hayes, who arrived in the fall of 1869. He was a native of the state of New York, as were his children; he had been living seven or eight years in Lansing; his widow still lives here, as well as a daughter.

Mr. Hayes originated in Vermont and came west to Lansing in 1852. His wife was Miss Sophia Smith, who had been living in Baraboo, Wisconsin. The railroad came through in 1873, but there never was a station here, and it is idle to speculate now as to what might have been had there been no contest with the company. But what did happen was this, the railroad company bought some land just south of the State line, and started a village called New Albin, which had a rapid growth for a few years, absorbing what of life had been infused into Jefferson, so that it ex- pired without a struggle. There is a water tank to mark where it stood, and the trains whistle re- morselessly by, regardless of the hopes that lie buried here.

The few residents who live at the village, as it is still called, are engaged in fishing in the sloughs making up to this point. They cultivate small gardens at the base of the bluffs, but the principal industry is the gathering of fish, using for the purpose immense seines, with which they take at one haul sometimes 50,000 pounds, and one of the fish stories they insist upon being true is that about Christmas, 1879, they made one haul which secured nearly 100,000 pounds. The principal variety of fish thus landed are sheeps head, or white bass, buffalo, pickerel, pike, and often enor- mous catfish, weighing forty or fifty pounds each.

As to New Albin it is not disrespectful to say

that it had a vigorous infancy, and was nursed with fond care, but ere long, the diseases of in- fancy peculiar to some unfortunate western cities threatened its life. Its friends from the country occasionally come down and a boat on the river timidly ventures up to the bank. What is to be the result no one can predict. It may be that new life will be infused into the arteries of its trade, and that its vigor will return, and health and prosperity will restore it to usefulness. Let us hope so, and be ready to welcome it back to the busy world.

RELIGIOUS.

ROMAN CATHOLIC .- The first mass known to have been celebrated in Jefferson, was at the house of Daniel Kenny, on section seventeen, in 1854 or '55 by Father Pendergast, who had six appoint- ments on his circuit, and officiated once in two months at each, spending the most of his time in Winona, where he resided. He was relieved by Rev. Father Essing, of Brownsville, who began about 1859, and held monthly meetings quite reg- ularly at the house of Michael S. Brady for several years, or up to about 1868, when the Rev. Father Mathew succeeded him, and taking hold of the work in earnest, he soon organized a church, and in the spring commenced the erection of the present edifice, which was in due time completed. Services since the occupancy of the church have been monthly or semi-monthly. The present pastor is the Rev. Father Wm. Brennan, of Brownsville, who started with about twenty-five families and now numbers forty or fifty. The church is a neat frame structure, 30x40 feet, with a ten foot addi- tion for the chancel. There is a spire and belfry, but as yet, no bell. The first interment in the church yard was Michael, son of M. C. Brady, twelve years of age. The location of the church is on an elevation north of the Caledonia and New Albin road, on the northeastern part of section twenty-eight, about four miles from New Albin.

SCHOOLS.

DISTRICT NO. 48 .- This district was organized about 1860, when a summer term was taught by Miss Mary Donahue at the residence of John Cauley. Afterwards a school was taught in Mr. Collins' claim shanty. In 1864, a schoolhouse was constructed, and the following year Miss B. Gertrude Hacket, of Dubuque, taught the first term in the new house, which was the first one

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erected in the district, and was of moderate size, but is still in use.

DISTRICT No. 44 .- This had been in a district connected with a southern part of Crooked Creek, and was organized in 1876. The earliest teacher was Miss Theresa Manix, of Caledonia, the second was Miss B. Gertrude Hacket. Miss Anna Kelli- ker has previously taught in the house of P. Mc- Cauley on the Crooked Creek side of the line.

DISTRICT No. 82 .- This is located in section thirty-five, in the old village, and was organized in 1870, and in the winter of 1870-71, Miss Ella Haines, of Dorchester, Iowa, taught school. It has from six to seven months school each year.

DISTRICT No. 27 .- This district was organized in 1863. The first teacher was Anna Johnson, who taught in the summer of 1864. The school has little uniformity as to length of school terms, but it usually is from three to four months each year. The schoolhouse is of logs, and was built about the time the first district was organized.

A REMINISCENCE .- The conventionalities of official correspondence are sometimes cut across by innovations, which relieve the monotony of traditional forms. Here is an instance where struggling genius was not repressed by any fear of departing from the regular forms in such case made and provided. It was received, and due notice taken, by E. W. Trask, the County Auditor at the time:

"Notice is hereby given, that Jefferson John, On the 9th day of March, thereabout or thereon, Was duly elected to an office of trust, And by law is equipped, to rake in the dust, That is coming or due to Jefferson Town, From a five hundred note to a dollar bill down. His oath and his bond are duly on file, And ready for action in case he'd beguile The good town of Jefferson of its tin; John Murphy is Treasurer, so be it, Amin."

"Given under my hand March's 31st day, And the very same eve I sent it away. A. D. 1880, at the gloaming, or dark, Sic Semper Tyranis; M. Crowley, Town Clark."

BIOGRAPHICAL.

ROBERT KENNY, who is prominent among the early settlers of Jefferson, Houston county, Min- nesota, dates his birth the 28th of November, 1835,

in Kilmoganny, Kilkenny county, Ireland. He came with his parents, Daniel and Mary Kenny, to America when ten years old, and in the spring of 1854, with his brother Thomas, came to Town one hundred and one north, range four west, afterward called Jefferson township, his parents joining him in 1856. In May, 1861, he was united in mar- riage with Mrs. Elizabeth Kirby, widow of the late Mr. Kirby, who had long been a resident of Bankston settlement, Dubuque county, Iowa. Mr. Kenny's father died in July, 1868, and his mother in October, 1873. The subject of this sketch re- sided in various places until 1872, when he was among the first to build a house in New Albin, Al- lamakee county, Iowa. In the early days of Houston county he was quite conspicuous in local politics, but of late his time and talents have been devoted to his business. He is a man of more than ordinary business ability, and has been quite suc- cessful in life. Mrs, Kenny died in April, 1879, and was buried in the Jefferson Catholic ceme- tery. Two children were born to them, Mary, who now keeps house for her father, and Ella, now at- tending school.

PETER MCDONALD, another early settler in this town, is a native of Canada, and came to this State with his brother, Ensign, on the 18th of October, 1855. For a number of years they had resided in New York, returning to their home just before com- ing west. Mr. McDonald was joined in matrimony with Miss Catherine McMullen, the ceremony tak- ing place in Waterbury, New York, in July, 1852. Mr. McDonald and his brother came west to Chi- cago, thence to Victory, and crossed in a skiff to this place, landing about midnight in October, 1855. The next morning Peter selected a claim in section seven, Ensign having been here the season before and taken land in section twenty-eight. Mr. McDonald brought his family here the following spring, and has since moved to section thirty- four, where he now lives. He enlisted in Com- pany C, of the Second Minnesota Volunteer Infan- try, the 27th of May, 1864, and served till the close of the war. Of six children born to him, three are living.

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LA CRESCENT.

CHAPTER LVIII.

DESCRIPTIVE-EARLY SETTLEMENT - INTERESTING EVENTS - TOWN ORGANIZATION - VILLAGE - LA CRESCENT TOWN SITE COMPANY -MANUFACTURING -- SCHOOLS-CHURCHES-BIOGRAPHICAL.

This is the first river town in the county coming down the Mississippi, is the northeast township of Houston county, and embraces about twenty- seven sections. Winona county is on the north, the Mississippi on the east, Hokah on the south, and Mound Prairie on the west. The thriving city of La Crosse is over the river opposite, in Wisconsin. It is the terminus of the Southern Minnesota railroad which comes from the west, and is the junction of two other divisions of the Chicago, Milwaukee, & St. Paul railroad.

PHYSICAL FEATURES.

From the Mississippi River the bottom lands ex- tend well back into the township. In the south- east corner is Target Lake, a body of water three- fourths of a mile long and half as wide, into which Pine Creek empties. This stream runs diagonally through the township from the north- western corner, and lays in a characteristic valley. In the north part of the town the bluffs come quite near together. The best farming land is in the valleys, which are exceptionally healthful. The south western part of the town includes a high ridge extending from the Pine Creek valley to that of the Root River, but with ravines penetrat- ing it at various points.

At first it was supposed that the ridges would never be settled, but the German immigrants com- menced locating there, and the strong clay soil has proved valuable.

Pine Creek is fed almost exclusively by springs ! from every hillside. As to timber, there is yet !

considerable on the bottom lands and some fair specimens on the ridges.

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

Undoubtedly the first man of European extrac- tion to set his foot on the soil of La Crescent with a view of creating a home, was Peter Cameron, a native of Deerfield, Oneida county, New York. He was the eldest son of Daniel Cameron, and was reared upon a farm, but became restive under the uneventful restraints of such a quiet life, and at an early age moved westward, buying furs through Michigan and Indiana, and finally to where Chicago now is. From that point he sent out four-horse teams to gather in the peltries from the Indians and trappers in Illinois and Wiscon- sin, and finally his base of operations became the Mississippi. He continued making trips by land and water between Galena and Fort Snelling. After a time he concluded to take a claim on the site of St. Paul, but finding himself anticipated, came down the river to La Crosse, and in 1842, built a claim shanty, and entered into trade doing some lumbering business and making improve- ments. In the spring of 1851, Mr. Cameron came across the river and erected a commodious double log house on section ten, near a fine large spring. A part of the house still remains. At the same time he located 240 acres of land, which became the east half of the southwest and the west half of the southeast of section ten, and eighty acres south of the above, and also 300 acres in sections thirteen, fourteen, and twenty-four along the Mississippi River. He began improvements and did what he could to build up a village, encouraging people to locate here. In 1855, business interests took him to La Crosse again, where, while engaged in build- ing a saw-mill, he died on the 30th of July, 1855. and there his remains were buried.

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LA CRESCENT TOWNSHIP.

His wife was a remarkable beauty who flourished at that time, and is better known as Mrs. Van Sickles.

Part of Mr. Cameron's original claim was what was afterwards laid out as a village, and it was his evident intention to return and found a city on this western bank of the Father of Waters. Thor Halverson, a Norwegian, was the next man to ap- pear, and he constructed a residence of a primi- tive character, on the southeast of section three. This was in 1852. He made few improvements, did some wood chopping, but worked away from home most of the time. He remained here until 1881, selling the land as he could from time to time, a part of it being in the village. The Gil- letts were the next comers but they will be alluded to in the village sketch.

This same year, 1852, a settlement was started on Pine Creek near the northwestern part of the town, the immigrants following up that stream, . and it was known as the "Pine Creek Settlement."

Samuel Hooper was one of the pioneers here, and of his origin or history nothing is known, ex- cept that he came and built a cabin with one-half in this and the other half in Winona county, and that he worked there until 1854, when he departed, and Mr. P. Ferguson now owns the place.

In October, 1852, William Meyers, a German, established a claim on section six and rolled up some logs for a shelter, but sold out the next year, and took another farm further north on the same section, where he remained until summoned to that "bourne from which no traveler returns," in 1873.

In the early summer of 1852, Mr. F. Duren lo- cated on the same section, constructed a residence in the prevailing style and began to break up land, but in 1855, he left, and Mr. M. F. Welch now cultivates the farm. It is said that Duren went over into Winona county, thence to Chicago, and finally to Germany, to avoid the terrible draft during the war.

In the same summer, 1852, Henry Wetgen opened a farm on the east half of the northwest of section six, and improved and worked it until his removal from earth in 1871. His wife and two children remain to till the farm and keep up the home he provided. .. They must be the oldest liv- ing settlers in town.

On the 29th of July, 1853, Johannes Tuininga, a Hollander, located on the southwest of section siz, and he is still there. The next day after his

arrival Martin Cody, from the Emerald Isle, staked out his claim on section eight, and here he lived and wrought for several years, but finally made the village his home, where he now lives, one of the oldest men in town. Mr. M. Farrell now occupies this farm. After this the valley rapidly filled up, and many of the early settlers still oo- cupy their original farms.

CAMERON'S CANAL .- No one can predict what might have happened if Cameron had lived. His projects and conceptions were on a vast scale. Remembering that rival cities on the mighty Mis- sissippi, those on the western bank usually carry off the palm for superiority, he proposed to meas- ure swords with the young contestant for the championship over in Wisconsin, and as a practi- cal measure began the construction of a canal from the river to the high land available for a town site. The canal began at the river in the lower part of section thirteen, and terminated near the center of section fourteen, at a point in Pine Creek where a fragmentary lake or slough makes well up to the first bench. The lake is quite shoal in places, but the bottom is far from being compact, and it was thought the action of the steamers in passing through would secure and preserve a good depth. This canal was started in 1854, but Mr. Cameron had so many interests that it was not pushed very vigorously, although it was completed as above stated.

A steamboat was also built in La Crosse, 150 feet in length, and launched, but on account of the death of the proprietor it did not receive the machinery, and the whole enterprise was aban- doned.

INTERESTING EVENTS.

An early, if not the first birth, was a lively lit- tle daughter of Henry and Margaret Anna Wet- gen, who was born in October, 1853, on section six, and who received the christian name of Chris- tiana. She is now Mrs. G. Baden, of Hokah.

Another uncertain point is as to the first death, but it is supposed to have been that of Catharine, a two year old daughter of Mr. Detrich Day, in the fall of 1854. Her remains were at first depos- ited on the farm, but afterwards removed to the cemetery.

THE FIRST STORE .- In the spring of 1854, Peter Cameron and D. Richardson put a stock of goods in the old house of Cameron, which is yet stand- ing near the railroad track. There were severa

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hundred dollars worth, and Mr. Richardson, who still lives north of the village on his farm, attended to the customers. The establishment was main- tained for about a year.

AN INCIDENT .- At an early day, when physi- cians were a luxury on this side of the river, and not readily obtainable by the new colonists, the wife of Mr. J. Tuininga was bitten by a rattlesnake, but, as he had no money, he consequently supposed it impossible to procure a doctor, and so he pro- ceeded to do the best he could. He had, with a ton and a half of hay, bought four fowls, which had raised twenty-four chickens, and, in obedience to some tradition, he began to kill the chickens one by one, and laying them open, applied them to the bitten part. This was kept up until the last bird had made a blood warm poultice for the suf- fering woman, and still one side was swelling and there was no alleviation of the symptoms. The family were in despair when a stranger was seen coming up the road. The sorrowful story was soon told to him, with the anxious inquiry as to whether he was not a doctor? and explained that he had no money to pay one. The gentlemen told him that he was not a physician, but handed him $10 and told him to go for a doctor at once, which he lost no time in doing, and the woman recovered. The stranger was pressed for his name and gave it as H. M. Rice, of St. Paul. Mr. Tuininga never forgot this act of kindness, and years afterwards he saw this name on a ticket at the polls for Gov- ernor, and he voted the straight ticket of that party the only time in his life.

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History of Houston County, Including Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 75

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

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