History of Houston County, Including Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 87

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 87

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).

These suggestions are not made here because they apply more forcibly to Union than to many other places in Houston county.

ST. PETER'S CHURCH-LUTHERAN .- Services were held in a schoolhouse as early as 1861. The Rev. Mr. Ebert officiating. In 1870, the church was erected. The first trustees were: Fred. Helm, Fred. Peipon, and Nich. Hening. The first cler- gyman after the church was put up was Rev. Frederic Wright. The nextminister was the Rev. John Jahn. The present incumbent is the Rev. Charles Gutknecht. The present trustees are: Aug. Tessen, William Kesten, Henry Dileken, and Charles Menze. When the church was first or- ganized it had eighteen members, and now there are twenty-four. The church is a frame building, 22x40 feet, is located on section thirty-two, and was originally built as a Union Christian Church, but finally became denominational.

GERMAN REFORMED CHURCH .- The society was organized about 1874, and started out with eight members, and soon after a church was put up 22x36 feet. It is a neat structure, with a spire, is painted white, and has a seating capacity of 200. It cost $800, besides the volunteer labor, and is located on section thirty-one.

Rev. Julius Grant was the first pastor. He was born in Germany, came to this country and re-

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mained a while in Wisconsin, but came to Minne- sota in 1875, and had this and Mound Prairie as a charge for four years. The supply is now fur- nished by three clergymen, who preach on succes- sive Sundays, Mr. Ranchen, of La Crosse, Mr. Can- ner, and Mr. Hicker.

METHODIST .- The earliest religious service by this denomination was by a minister from Hokah, at the residence of Jacob Klein, in 1859 or '60. A class was organized in 1863, in connection with like societies in the vicinity. Rev. John Kolbe officiated once in four weeks. The next minister was Rev. August Lambrecht, who came from Wis- consin, preaching every alternate Sunday, and re- maining about three years. Then Rev. John Prayor officiated, followed by Rev. Edw. Schuette. The church was built about six years ago and cost $800, and is of wood, 24x32 feet, located on sec- tion twenty-nine.

DISCIPLES CHURCH .- Services were commen ced about thirteen years ago, at the schoolhouse, by Rev. Charles Chant, an Evangelist from near Wi- nona. In 1869, a regular society was organized by Rev. Ebenezer Grant, with six members. In 1875, the church was erected, with a seating ca- pacity of from 100 to 120. Rev. J. G. Harrison supplied the pulpit at one time. Since 1879, there has been no regular supply. The church is in section twenty-nine. Meetings are kept up by the members, and the Sunday school is still sustained.

BIOGRAPHICAL.

ELIJAH BUMP, one of the prominent political men of this town, is a native of New York, born in Genesee county, on the 24th of May, 1823. He moved with his parents to Erie county, Penn- sylvania, when eleven years of age. In 1845, he was joined in matrimony with Miss Martha M. May, of Ohio. Mr. Bump purchased his present farm in 1856, but resided in Wisconsin until 1864, since which time he has been a resident of this place. He has held a number of local offices such as Town Clerk, Justice of the Peace, etc. Mr. and Mrs. Bump have been blessed with three children, the eldest, Loren E., enlisted in the Eleventh Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, when fif- teen years of age, serving till the close of the war, and is now employed as engineer on the Southern Minnesota Railroad. During one of the severe storms he remained on his engine for three days without food. John A., the second, resides in Da- kota on the Northern Pacific Railroad, and Louisa

is the wife of M. T. Chase, a merchant at Rush- ford.

CHARLES BROWN was born in Ashtabula, Ohio, on the 9th of December, 1847. He assisted his father in the mill until 1861, when he enlisted in the One Hundred and Eleventh Pennsylvania Vol- unteer Infantry, serving eighteen months and par- ticipating in the battles of Culpepper Court House, Alexandria, and Antietam. On receiving his dis- charge he went to Indiana, and soon after to Chi- cago, where he engaged to go overland to Cali- fornia, with a herd of horses and mules. He remained in the latter State about eighteen months, and on returning home found both his father and mother had died during his absence. Mr. Brown was united in marriage with Miss Annie Freeman and soon after came to Houston county, where, with the exception of a year and a half spent in Iowa, they have since resided.

WILLIAM F. BECKER was born on the 10th of November, 1861. His father, Philip Becker, came from Germany to America with his family, and was among the first settlers of Milwaukee. In 1854, he moved to La Crosse, where he opened a carpen- ter shop and remained until about 1866, when he purchased a farm about thirty miles from that city, which is still his home. William remained with his parents until 1880, when he came to this town and engaged with his brother-in-law, F. Berns- dorf, in the Union mills.

FREDERICK BERNSDORF is a native of Prussia, born on the 19th of November, 1847. He assisted in his father's mills until after the death of the lat- ter, which occurred in 1859. Then, when his mother again married, Frederick engaged in other mills for a time, returning to the old one three months before its destruction by fire. It was soon rebuilt, the property sold, and the family, consist- ing of eight children, came to America in 1865. They located in Missouri, the subject of our sketch remaining at home until the age of twenty-one years. He went to St. Louis, but not finding the employment he wished, came to Wisconsin and en- gaged in a mill about ten miles from La Crosse, remaining four years. On the 20th of November, 1879, he was joined in matrimony with Miss Carrie Becker. They came to Union the same year and Mr. Bernsdorf rented his present mill until May, 1881, when he bought the property, taking a part- ner a few months after.

JACOB B. BECKER is a native of Germany, boru

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in the kingdom of Bavaria on the 17th of February, 1806. He came with his family to Canada in 1846, purchased land and remained until 1860. In the latter year he came with his children to Union and purchased land of D. Klein, erecting a house in which he lived two years, then built the present residence. He afterwards transfer- red the property to his son Henry, who, a few years later exchanged farms with his brother Jacob P., with whom our subject now lives. . Mr. Becker has a number of children living in this vicinity. Three daughters reside in the township; Cath- arine, the wife of J. Klein; Elizabeth, the wife of J. Krick; and Caroline, now Mrs. Adam Hainz. Another daughter, Mary, the wife of John Fassenauer, died in 1876, aged twenty-four years. A son, John, resides in Hokah, and Jakob P., in this place, as already mentioned. The latter is the eldest son and resided in Cal- edonia from 1860 till 1877. He was married to Miss Catherine Stiem on the 15th of July, 1867. They have had six children the eldest of whom died in 1869.

REV. CHARLES GUTKNECHT, pastor of the Lu- thern Church at Union, is a native of Mecklen- burg, Germany, born on the 7th of January, 1851. In 1870, he came with his parents and brother to America, resided for one year in Farnham, New York, then came to Minnesota, locating in Jordan, Scott county. In 1874, he entered the Concordia College at Springfield, Illinois, graduating in 1879. The same year he was united in marriage with Miss Mary Lauer, of Stacy, Minnesota. She has borne him two children, Clara and Ida. Soon after graduating, he was ordained and came to Union, which has since been his home. Besides his charge in this place he conducts services in the Evangelical Lutheran Churches at Hokah, Brownsville, and Portland Prairie.

KNUD JOHNSON was born in the northern part of Norway, on the 11th of April, 1826. His father died when Knud was but six years of age, after which he supported himself by herding cattle and working for the farmers. At the age of eighteen years he went to Christiania and learned the shoe- maker's trade, at which he was engaged until 1851. He then came to America, was six weeks on the ocean, having encountered heavy storms, and arrived in New York in June. He came to Dane county, Wisconsin, and the following Sep- tember went into the Michigan pineries, remaining

during the winter and spring, In 1853, he went to Dane county, Wisconsin, and was employed in a saw-mill for a time. He then went to Stillwater and was engaged in rafting on the lakes, and thence to Fillmore county, where he purchased a farm and made his home for five years. In 1857, he married Miss Maria Johnsdatter, of Spring Grove. They came to this place and Mr. Johnson bought his present farm on which he has since lived. His wife died, and in 1869, he married Miss Berit Evansdatter. Never having been blessed with any children of their own, they have adopted two of Mr. Johnson's nephews.

JACOB KLEIN is a native of Bavaria, born on the 19th of December, 1824, and came with his parents to Canada in 1840. He came to Union in 1854, took a claim in section thirty and erected a shanty, where he resided about a year, cooking his own meals and doing his own housework. In 1855, he was united in marriage with Miss Agnes Snure, daughter of Henry Snure, one of the first Bettlers of the place. They went to Canada but soon returned to Union, where his wife died about a year after her marriage. In 1860, he returned to Canada and married Miss Catharine Becker who has borne him six children; Louis, Elizabeth, Wil- liam, Addie, Jacob, and Allie. In 1874, Mr. Klein erected his present fine stone residence. He has held the office of Supervisor a number of times be- sides other local offices.

WALTER KRICK, one of the leading political men of this town, is a native of Bavaria, born on the 16th of December. 1832. When nineteen years of age he came to Canada, and the following year was joined by his mother and brothers. In the spring of 1855, he came to Union and pre empted a claim of one hundred and sixty acres in section thirty-one, the family following the next year. They erected a log house, in which they lived two years, then built the present frame struc- ture. In about 1863, they added one hundred and sixty acres to their former purchase, and a few years later divided the farm between the four brothers, Walter retaining the south half of the original claim, where he now resides. In 1867, he was united in marriage with Miss Louisa J. Snure. They have been blessed with three daughters.

JOHN KRICK, a brother of the subject of our last sketch, was also born in Bavaria, his birth dating the 26th of December, 1838. , His father died

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when John was an infant, leaving his mother and four brothers with a very small farm, which they cultivated until coming to America in 1852. They came to this place in 1856, and in about 1866, divided the farm as above stated, our sub- ject retaining that portion on which the first house was built. His mother resided with him until her death, which occurred in 1871. Mr. Krick has held a number of local offices since his residence in the town. He was joined in matri- mony, in 1868, with Miss Elizabeth Becker. Their children are Louis and Lizzie.

HENRY SNURE is a native of Canada, born about fourteen miles from Niagara Falls in 1804. In the

spring of 1854, he came to Union with his nephew, W. H. Snure, and erected a shanty in which they resided one season. Then our subject re- turned to Canada and brought with him to Union four daughters and one son. In the fall of 1855, he again returned to. Canada, disposed of his property there and returned to this place, accom- panied by his wife and youngest daughter. In 1865, his wife died, and two of his daughters, Mrs. Demo and Louisa, made their home with him. In 1867, Louisa married Mr. Krick, and Mr. Snure resided with her five years, but for the past year has made his home with Mr. and Mrs. Demo. Since leaving Canada he has devoted the greater portion of his time to the carpenter trade.

WILMINGTON.

CHAPTER LXV.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION - FIRST SETTLERS -FIRST BIRTH - FIRST DEATH - PORTLAND PRAIRIE - FIRST REAPER - HOG CHOLERA - RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS-BIOGRAPHICAL.

This town is the third from the Mississippi River on the southern boundary of the county, which is also the State line. In form and size it coincides with a township of government survey.

In its topography it is not unlike the neighbor- ing towns, quite broken and uneven, but with a productive soil, bearing in its primitive condition a light growth of small oak, poplar, and hazel brush. In the southeast corner, Portland Prairie extends into the town and embraces several sec- tions. This prairie is rolling and somewhat broken, interspersed with groves which have in- creased in size since the suppression of the prairie fires.

'The town originally labored under the native disability of this section of country, a want of wa- ter for domestic and stock purposes, and the set- tlers had to resort to the "hauley system" as they

facetiously called it, to procure a supply, and as the dependence was upon natural springs, this made considerable labor, as the distance was often quite long.

The method most frequently adopted now, is to create artificial ponds by throwing dams across little ravines at suitable points to secure a supply, which the clayey nature of the soil retains from one rain to another, to be used for watering the stock. Where wells are sunk they have to be quite deep to reach the water bearing strata which is often one hundred and seventy feet below the surface.

The character of the soil on the more elevated portions is of a clayey nature, while in the de- pressions the soil is richer in vegetable mould with a gravel or clayey subsoil. Portland Prairie has a rich dark loam with a sub-stratum of clay.

The town is devoid of any barren spots, being productive with ordinary treatment.

FIRST SETTLERS.

The new territory of Minnesota was set off from the northwestern territory in 1849, and the first settlements of course were along the Mississippi

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River, which was the only thoroughfare at that time. The tide of emigration on the southern boundary extending from the river, got ahead of the government survey, even of the State line, and some of the early settlers found the claims they had staked out bisected by the surveyor's chain, leaving part in Minnesota and a part in Iowa. In June, 1851, a family of Robinsons, consisting of the widow of James and her family of sons, Wil- liam, Henry, John, and George, the oldest being hardly of age, came from Columbia county, Wis- consin, and located near the State line, celebrat- ing the 4th of July by the raising of a log house. Henry Robinson, one of the brothers, took a claim of eighty acres in section thirty-six, and put up a shanty in 1852.

A tribe of Winnebagoes was at that time on the Iowa River, and they not unfrequently came among the white settlers to barter their peltries. Henry Robinson at this time cultivated his land, but re- sided with his mother on the Iowa side of the line until 1861, when he moved to his present home. The first cabin in due time gave place to the com- fortable residence, now the home of Mrs. Wm. Robinson.

In the year 1852, there came George Carver, a sturdy pioneer, who occupied the Iowa side of the line. The same year a small settlement was made on section thirty-two, near the present mill and store north of Bergen Post-office. There were four in the party, all natives of Ireland. John Edger was one of them, he broke up twenty-five acres the following summer, but soon sold out and removed to the southeast part of the town, but sub- sequently went to Iowa, where he still resides.

Michael Callahan was another, the father-in-law of Edger. His claim, which be held with Mr. Edger, was sold to Ole Bye. Charles Kelly also selected land just north of the others, but he, with a blacksmith named Michael Tanner, not finding work, soon left.

Gjermund Johnson was unquestionably the first Norwegian to enter the town, which he did in the summer of 1853, taking a claim on section sixteen, putting up a shanty and making some improve- ments, but he soon changed to sections seven and eighteen, where he now lives on a good farm. Ole Bye, who bought the claim as above related, after- wards, in 1856, moved to the east line of section thirty-three, where he resided until the time of his death. During the season of 1854, many perma-

nent settlers located on Portland prairie. Among the more prominent Americans who came were C. F. Albee, Dr. Alexander Batchellor, John McNelly, Jeremiah Shumway, J. G. Cook, James and Duty Paines and others.

In the part of the town where the Norwegians reside, the early settlers were Halver Peterson, Knudt Severson, Knud Olson, and Ole O. Hefte, besides several others.

The Americans came from Rhode Island and Massachusetts, arriving by the river, at Lansing, without having any specific knowledge of where they were going except "to Minnesota." The land office was located at Brownsville, and some of the party having examined the location, they all con- cluded not to look any further. This party bought out John Edger, and it is said that for a time the cabin had sixteen inmates.

Settlers now begun to come in quite rapidly. Asa Sherman, it is claimed, built the first frame house on the prairie. He was afterwards, as it was supposed, drowned in the Mississippi. The house he built is the old one now on the Metcalf place.

George Shumway, R. E. Shumway, John Albee, and Horace Arnold arrived together in 1855, and about the same time Arnold Stone, James Emer- son, and Amos Lapham arrived. All these must be regarded as the first comers, and down to the spring of 1856, there were built about eight dwel- lings, and most of these were small and rude log cabins. Further arrivals of well known par- ties subsequently took place in about the follow- ing order: Cornelius Metcalf, jr.,in 1857; his father and family, William Cass and Leonard Albee, with their respective families, in 1858; H. W. Pease, from Maine, the same year; D. P. Temple in 1859; L. L. Lapham in 1860; E. C. Arnold in 1861; H. P. Kelly in 1862; C. F. Wright in 1863; and Amos Arnold and Joel S. Yeaton in 1864. Quite a number of others are remembered as transient residents, while many, arriving soon after, still re- main.

THE FIRST BIRTH .- A few days after the arrival of Mr. Charles Kelley and his wife Margaret, in the fall of 1852, while they still lived in their wagon, the premonitions appearing, Mrs. Kelly was taken into the house or cabin of Mr. Edger, near by, where a son was born and his name called James, who is now a man nearly thirty years of age, and a resident of Northern Iowa, where he is in business in New Albin.

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THE FIRST DEATH .- Soon after Ole Bye bought his place, his wife was taken sick and died in August, 1853, and was buried in Winneshiek county, Iowa.

THE FIRST MARRIAGE .- The initial event of this character to vary the monotony of pioneer life, was the union of Ole A. Quarle and Sarah Ev- erson, which was celebrated by the Rev. Mr. Car- son, of Decorah, at the house of Gjermund John- son, on section seven, in 1855. They lived in the town, raising a family of children, of whom four are still living. Mr. Quarle died in 1877, and his widow still manages the farm.

Portland Prairie was the first part of the town settled, and as that lies partly in Wilmington, partly in Winnebago, and partly in Iowa, all mak- ing one neighborhood, little attempt will be made in a description of the locality, to regard the town or State line. The county records show that the ownership of the prairie farms, for a dozen years or so from the first settlement, frequently changed hands. The Germans and Scandinavians were appearing to take up the remaining vacant lands, or purchase of the Americans who desired to sell their improvements. Like most frontier places the first residences were not commodious, but com- fortable log cabins, requiring little except a few days' hard labor to erect. Many families had to bear their inconveniences many years before the luxury of a frame house could be enjoyed. The farming at first was of a rude character, with appliances such as were in vogue before the era of machinery, and while there was an abiding faith in the ability of the soil to produce root crops, corn and oats, there was many a dubious shake of the head when wheat was mentioned.

But like many another question, practical ex- periment soon solved the problem in the affirma- tive, although most of the flour at first used came from outside of the county. Wheat, oats, aud corn soon began to be established crops. The trouble of getting it ground, at first very serious, was in a few years rendered satisfatory by Messrs. Harney & Edward Bell, who built a log mill and set it to running in Dorchester.

The first reaper was a McCormick, which, al- though an improvement upon the sickle and the cradle, must be regarded as the progenitor of the present self-binder, developed by the law of selec- tion and the survival of the fittest. It was intro- duced by Samuel Evans about the year 1857, and

a threshing machine arrived about the same time.

At first there was absolutely no market for any- thing outside of the settlement, so the people de- voted their time to making themselves comforta- ble, and to do this, what was regarded as a recrea- tion, hunting and fishing, was a part of the em- ployment. The amount of money in circulation, especially during the panic of 1857, would require but a few figures to represent.

There was a single heavy old time made rifle, brought here by Charles Albee, ard this was brought into frequent requisition to kill deer at long range, which were found along the river bluffs. The prairie chickens also had a peculiar fascination for the New Englanders, while the enormous catfish of the Mississippi were a never ending source of astonishment, in comparison with the diminutive namesake in eastern waters. About the first marketing of wheat realized the munificent amount of thirty-eight cents a bushel, in Lansing; which was also the nearest Post-office for some time.

In 1856, a mail route was established between Brownsville and Dorchester, and Dr. Batchellor was appointed Postmaster, and Con. Metcalf was deputy. John Cook was the next Postmaster, and during President Lincoln's administration R. E. Shumway was appointed.

The residents in the northern part of the town, as a rule, came by way of Brownsville, while those in the south generally came through Lansing or McGregor. There were then two settlements of Norwegians, those who were in the vicinity of Ole Bye, in the southern part, and those who rallied around Gjermund Johnson, in the northern portion of the township.

Another important settlement at an early day, as well as at present, is known as the American Settlement, the personnel of which has already been given. The predominating element is still American on what is called the prairie; there are a few of Irish extraction, but the rest of the town was settled by people from Norway.

Four years after the general settlement of the community the first schoolhouse was built. Be- fore this time it was hardly required, as most of the settlers were young men whose children were not yet of a school age. The mail facilities were so slow and imperfect, that few newspapers were taken. Letters or papers mailed in the East were ten to fifteen days on the road, and news on reach-

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ing the settlement would be so old as to lose its quality as news, and the settlers had recourse each winter to the debating club, which met in the house of Dr. Batchellor, and afterwards in the school- house, where the relative gratitude due by Ameri- cans to Columbus or Washington was most vehe- mently argued; with questions as to the beauties of nature and art, and whether capital punishment should be abolished. Thus the tedium of the long winter evenings was bridged over.

The war of 1861, of course created the usual ex- citement, and enlistments were the order of the hour. The names of those who enlisted from this town, as far as ascertained, will be found in the county history.

The Sioux massacre of 1862 caused the most alarming panic throughout the whole Northwest, extending to Lake Michigan. The roads were filled with panic stricken settlers fleeing from the imaginary tomahawk and scalping knife.

The people of Wilmington, like the rest, became thoroughly frightened, and while some remained on their farms, most of them started with their fam- ilies and what few valuables they could carry, for Lansing. When near the southeastern part of the town, in the vicinity of Mr. C. F. Albee's farm, the American residents succeeded in halting the fugitives, and to assure them that there was no danger, C. F. Albee and A. Sherman started on horseback for Spring Grove, to learn whether the Indians were really there, as all comers reported, murdering the people and burning all before them. Everything having been reported as quiet as the conventional Potomac, the people slowly went back to their recently forsaken homes, but as many of them had turned their cattle into the grain, the losses were quite heavy.

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History of Houston County, Including Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Part 87

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

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