USA > Minnesota > Martin County > History of Martin County, Minnesota > Part 13
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destitute, gave them eight bushels to a family. With this help only. our people struggled through though com- pelled to sacrifice much stock and other property they could illy spare. But the locusts left the ground liter- alty fifled with their eggs. In the fol- lowing Ipring, after getting all the in- formation possible concerning the habit of their enemy, our people gen- erally concluded to hazard a crop. In May the locust eggs hatched, and a new host, unconceivable in number, commenced their desolating career, and have not paused till now, (July) when nothing of food for man or beast remains growing on our fields, save in some localities a small portion of the corn, and on this, our enemies are busy at work.
In the year of pioneering our people had to struggle with too many dificul- ties to get rapidly rich from original property. It is from no lack of indus- try that this second year of disaster leavss them little to fall back. upon. If the disaster was small in extent. the four thousand people of Martin county, could obtain relief without appealing to the country at larg ... But though our county appears to be the focus of the desolation, the disaster is more or less severe over a large extent of country. Labor will be soon unsalable, for the supply from the devastated districts will far outrun the limited outside demand,
Our people are exclusively an agri- cultural people, as early settlers must of necessity be, and hence this disaster sorely crippeled them. Several other counties suffered more or less, but none so severely as this. Some little aid was received from the State. Of $5,000 All that industry can do in such cir- cumstances, our people will do to help themselves. If economy could stretch their stinted means over the next four- teen mouths our people would ask no aid. Hardship and privation are too appropriated by the state, to the de- vastated district, Martin county, with over one-fourth the entire population, received less than one-twentieth part. Some little aid was given by private parties. _ A small amount of seed 'familiar to us to excite dread, but what
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shall we do when. labor will not buy us bread, and economy, becomes use- less because there is nothing to econo- mize?
What shall we do when winter rages wrathfully over these bleak prairies and our children cry for bread?
Countrymen, in our great affliction we reach our hands out to you for aid. nels, seeds. groceries, dried fruits for It God has bestowed upon you the fruits of the earth, remember they are but his gifts. When the suffering ask for bread, prove not yourselves un- worthy of God's mercies by offering them a stone.
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Many of us stood shoulder to should- er with many of you in the struggle which saved the nation's life. Forget not how danger jointly shared, made us bretheren and turn not from us in our deep affliction.
Christian men and women! Many among us claim wish you heirship to the common Father. He the Master has made you stewards of His. goods, is i, not his purpose that you extend a generous hand to his stricken chil- dren und account it as done unto Him?
It is no unusual occurrence for un- principled persons to take advantage of a calamity to enrich themselves at the expense of the benevolent. To guard against any such imposition in the present case, if any agents are sent from here the county commissioners will furnish credentials.
Our county has a fertile soil and cli- mate favorable to the growth of most crops. The locust scourge has never visited us till last year. From all we can learn of their habits it is every way possible that they will soon take final leave of us with no unusual.de- monstration. It is scarcely a matter for doubt that our county would soon become prosperous.
We think we know our countrymen too well to doubt that they will deal with us in the same spirit that they have always dealt with the unfortunate and we will only add further, "that poney to buy food which can be par- chased cheaper in places adjacent to the devasted districts, clothing, flan-
the sick, etc., will be gratefully re- ceived. All donations should be sent via S. M. R. R. to Winnebago City, ad- dressed to the Board of County Com- missioners, Fairmont, Martin county, Minnesota, who will transmit receipts for the same to the parties sending, and apply the donations to the neces- sities of the people, through the town Boards of Supervisors.
L. F. Brainerd,
- J. A. Armstrong, T. 8. Curtis, Wm. Bird, Jr., T. Nicholls. Committee.
STATE OF MINNESOTA, 88 COUNTY OF MARTIN.
Personally appeared before me J. A. Armstrong, County Auditor, and T. S. Curtis, Chairman of the Board of Coun- tý Commissioners, and made oath that the statements contained in the fore- going are true.
ALLISON FANCHER Clerk of the District Court of Martin [L. S.] County, Minnesota.
At this time there was a great deal of land held under .homestead, and permit was given from the land ofice to remove from the claims . tempor- arily, as will be seen from the .follow- ing:
GENERAL LAND OFFICE, WASHINGTON, D. C., June 10th, 1874.
Registers and Receivers, Minnesota- .
Enclosed herewith find copy of an
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set approved June 3d, 1874, entitled "an not to extend the time of pre- emptors on the public lands in the State of Minnesota to make-anal payments."
This applies to pre-emptors on of- fered and. unoffered lands ineinding Fort Ridgley and Sioux Reservations. It does not apply to any pre-emptors
SEO. III. That the same exemption from continued residence shall be ex- tended to those making settlements in save whose claims were not indicated 1874 and suffering the same destruc- on or before June 3d, 1874, and whose tion of crops as those making settle- period for proof and payment has not ment in 1873 or any previous year.
- expired prior to that date. To such it gives two additional years to the time allowed by other laws for proof of pay- ment.
You will give it effect accordingly. Please acknowledge receipt.
Respectfully.
S. S. BURDETT,
Commissioner.
RELIEF BILL.
The following is the text of the bill for the relief of settlers in this seo- tion, as it became a law.
SECTION I. That it shall be lawful for homestead and pre-emption set- tiers on the public lands in the coun- ties of Cottonwood, Nobles, Martin, Jackson, Murray, Watonwan, Rock, Lyon, Redwood, Brown, Chippewa, and Renville in the state of Minnesota and the counties of Iowa which com- pose the Sioux City land district and counties contiguons to either of the above exempted sections, where the crops of such settlers were destroyed or seriously injured by grasshoppers in the year of 1873, and where such grasshoppers shall re-appear in 1874 to the like destruction of the crops of such settlers, and be absent from said lands until May 1st, 1875, under such regulations as to proof the same as the commissioner of the general land office shall prescribe.
Szo. II. That during such absence no adverse of rights shall attach to said lands, such settlers being allowed to resume, and perfect their settle- ment as though no such absence had been enjoyed or allowed.
During all this time the English stood steadfast, and they kept on plowing and seeding just the same. We desire to say that it was the amount of money spent by them in giving employment to our people that saved an immense- amount of suffering. Although a very great 1088 to our English friends, there was con- siderable amount of beans harvested from the later planting, but as they were mixed with those which had not fully matured, they were in a some- what damaged condition, and did not pay the expense of harvesting. About the 1st of July the locusts appeared to be fully developed. To our new settlers for further information as to their size, habits of industry, general appetite and condition of health, we refer to the old settlers then here. After they reached their maturity they began to be uneasy, and on clear still days the air was filled with them. By looking toward the sun it was as though the air was filled with glisten- ing snow. They probably would have left us earlier bad it not been that some of them were not fully grown and developed. In some soil and loca- tions, they hatched earlier than in others. In driving along the road they would fly up in such swarms in front of the team that care had to be
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exercised to keep them out of one's to be southeast. The cause which im- face. About the 10th of July some of pels huge swarms to charge forth on the people claimed they were gradual- ly leaving. On the 10th the wind ap- pearing to be favorable, those, who were observing say at what appeared to be a signal, immense swarms rose into the air and passed out of sight. There were a few scattering ones left, not many. They could fly as well as birds. At this time there were not very many eggs laid here. Scientists claim that they only propogate their species once in that generation, and as they did not hatch out or return in sufficient numbers to do usany damage the next year, we are inclined to be- lieve it. The state issued a. . pamphlet giving a description of these locusts, their habits and general migrations, which is very interesting reading. It is to be hoped they will never again visit this county. Our readers do not want to confuse them with the com- mon grasshopper, as they are, a separ- ate and distinct species. On page 22. of the pamphlet above mentioned is a statement which we copy:
"The breeding grounds of the Rocky Mountain Locust are among, the higher valleys and dry sandy plateaus within the limits of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, and a strip the same width extending into Brit- ish America, the northern limit be- ing unknown. The common impres- sion from their appearance in hot dry years, and their apparent love of warmth and dryness, that they must be natives of a southern climate is not confirmed by observation in any way. They are not found in any numbers in New Mexico, but are found for a con- siderable distance north into British America. The general course when leaving the mountain ranges appears
their raids of destruction are not fully known, but from the suddenness of their appearance it would seem that some unerring instinct draws them across the plains to the rich harvest fields of the Mississippi Valley, But in either case, whether they advanced their lines of battle gradually across the plains or moved by chance, hunger, instinct or prevailing winds, they swooped suddenly down on us across 500 miles of desert. The Mississippi Valley is not their permanent abiding place. Swarms make their appearance in the air, pass on without alighting or alight gradually or in a body, lavage, leave some portion of their numbers behind, and pass on to sections. still 2 untouched. Other swarms come and go in the same way, and as the season advances and the pairing time comes, they move more slowly, circling about over the fields, or large bodies advanc- ing gradually, hopping over each other, the rear ranks flying far enough forward to clear the front;ranks. They . finally disappear without giving any one an opportunity to say exactly how or when. It seeres probable they die soon after departing.
In the latter part of June of this year F. A. Day came here and formed a partnership with C. A. Bullard and established a family journal known as the Martin County Sentinel, and. the writer has Number 1 of Volume 1 of that paper, published July 3, 1874. This year A. L. Ward bought. the building and real estate of T. F. Goff in Fairmont, consisting of blocks 12, 13, 21, 22 and 23. The building was taken apart and one portion moved to lots where Livermore & Rademacher have their machine office, and was
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used by A. E. Ball as a printing office and family residence, another part was moved to lots where the Bom- boy store now is, and was occupied by Cole, Pepper & Company as a hard- ware store. The other part was left on the lots and made into a hotel, and was used for a number of years, known as the Older Honse. Mr. Goff weut to Kansas and engaged in the mercantile' there, with what success, we are not
informed. Mr. Goff brought more by the locust devastations than tor capital to this place than any party coming here in the earlier days, and we regret that he was unfortunate in business. He retained his farm in Center Creek, near Granda on which his boys lived a number of years, and it was thought that he would return here and live, but he later sold this also to Mr. Ward.
We take from the first issue of the Sentinel in relation to these build- ings. The article is headed "Improve- ments," and says: "Mr. Ward, who re- cently purchased the Goff buildings, commonly known as Goff's Ark, which through wear and neglect had become somewhat damaged, has been repair- ing and remodeling the same, and the result of bis labor is three respectable appearing business houses." A stage line between Fairmont and Esther- ville was established this year. It had previously run from Blue Earth City, our people making connections at fenhassen. The Blue Earth City branch was now discontinued. The trips were made semi-weekly.
with the post office and the drug store.
Rev. O. P. Champlain who had been for years the pastor of the Congrega- tional church hers, moved away in July of this year.
There was no general celebration of the 4th of July this year, but there were a number of gatherings and pic- nic dinners, meeting more for the pur- pose of discussing the situation caused Celebrating the day. Arrangements were being made by those who conld leave to go to the eastern part of the state to work, and had iu view for those who remained to assist in car- ing for their families. This summer Fairmont built a new school house, which contained two rooms, and was two suories high, costing $2,500. The contractors were Byron & Philip St. John, and they did a good job, as is evident from the present condition of the building, ti being the one now oc- cupied as a blacksmith shop by M. Thiede and Mr. Stromberg and Mr. Eiden as wagon shop and painting rooms. It was thought at the time that it would last a good number of years, but we soon found we had to have another building. D. C. Thompson, of Center Creek moved into Fairmont and started a grocery store and restaurant. The town ap- peared to prosper as it had two news- papers, the Fairmont Chain, edited and published by A. E. Ball, and the Martin County Sentinel, by Day & Bullard; three hotels, one run by G. S. Livermore, the Fairmont House, run by Willis Snow and the Lake House run by E. M. Hyatt. There were four stores, Ward & Cadwell, general store, E. S. Snow, general
In June of this year, also, Fairmont's firs" bank was started by H. A. Munger and William Viesselman under the firm name and style of the Exchange Bank of Fairmont, and occupied the building on the lots where the Bullard House now is, being in the same room store, B. F. Chase, boots and shoes and
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Perry Munger & Son, drug store. We great deal of hay ont. There was a had a daily stage running between Jarge growth of weeds on the uncuiti- vated lands. Some of the farmers who had crops growing on a peninsula out in the lake had some of their crops saved, as the course of the locusts carried them by. Among the parties who thus saved a small portion of their crops were; W. H. Budd, Mr. Ott, George Tanner and some others. With the total destruction of crops, etc., political interest was kept up. and a new party was organized, which was called the Anti-Monopolists. This year T. A. Mumiey and Philip St. John had a furniture store here. The amount of flour received by the re- lief committee up to October 1st, was 38,100 pounds, pork, 2,000 pounds and salt 114 pounds, clothing valued at $350.50 and cash $2,368.75. Winnebago City and Fairmont, of which O. C. Gould and Willis Snow were proprietors. This gave us daily mail. We now bad six mail routes running through the county, all con- necting, and four run into Fairmont, Que from Estherville and Tenhassen, one from Winnebago and Center Creek, one from Jacksou and Lone Cedar and, Blue Earth City, one from Granada and Nashville, one from Winnebago City through the northern part of the county and one from Blue Earth City running through the southern part of the county. There were seventeen post offices in the county at that time, as follows: East Chain, Center Chain, Tenhassen, Dunnell, Andrew Johnson, Lone Cedar, Fairmont, Rose Lake, Pleasant Prairie, Center Creek, Amber Sperry, Nashville Center, Horicon, May, Benceuphalia and Cedarville.
The professional men in the county at this time were as followes: At Fairmont, Physicians: Dr. D. W. Hunt, and Dr. O. P. Chubb; Attorneys, M. E. L. Shanks, A. L. Ward and H. M. Blaisdell. Rose Lake, attorney, C. W. Hill. Nashville, Attorney, Hiram Mor- man. Pleasant Prairie, attorney, Thos. Nicholls. Tenhassen, Dr. Eli Denton. Center Chain. Dr. Shaver and Attorney A. L. Patchen.
J. N. Hyde and C. H. Visselman pur- chased the building formerly school house, and moved it to the west side of North Avenue. This building stood where the Syndicate block now is, and was later moved back into the alley and was torn down this winter. The sillsused in the construction of this building were a part of the old fort. The summer was quite pleasant after the grasshoppers left, and there wes &
In October the first term of school in the new building was commenced with D. P. Sackett as principal and Miss Emma Snow as assistant. The population as shown by the assessor's returns this year was 3,533, being & Joss from the 1870 census in four years of 332. The fall was a very late one, and those who had gone away to work put up hay as late as October. This fall A. E. Ball, the publisher of the Fair- mont Chain, left and finally went to St. Paul and published a paper there. This was the end of our third news- paper. In the fall some of the people who had remained during the sum- mer left with their families for the timber, where they could obtain work, and where the prices of produce were not so high, those remaining taking care of their cattle, etc.
We are under obligations to Hous- ton county, through their commis- ioners, this year for the donation of $975 cash to our relief committee. Mr.
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lden started our first meat market kare this year. Prior to this, we had rely eti meat peddler's for our sup- "'There were some potatoes Town, and our English friends raised ome "beans that were planted after the locusts left. Even corn planted on the stir of July made quite large ears, bud while not fully ripe made 'fair
H. H. Fowler, of Elm Creek, while anathg accidently received the dis- charge* of his gun in his hip, which sid him up for quite a time. Walter asby received a very dangerous kick "the head from a horse and it was not thought for a long time that he would
D. B. Rice run the East Chain mills. There was quite an excitement at the election this fall, on account of strife ith county officers. Edward Bigg, one of our English friends located at las# Chain Lakes, was drowned in that fake in the latter part of Novem- Fie ventured on the ice, which ute way. He had arranged to bring ds wife and children here from Eng. and the next year. The number of votes cast at the election In 1874 Was H, while two years before there were over 800.
The following amount was received by the relief committee from October 1st, . 1874, to January 1st. 1875: Cash, $1,107.70; clothing, $764.71: .
flour, 3,668 pounds; and pork, 140 pounds, This is only what passed through the hands of the relief com- mittee, and does not include private donations sent to individual parties.
M. E. L. Shanks, county attorney; James Bottomly, judge of probate; C. H. Viesselman, county treasurer; A. Bowen, register of deeds; Allison Fan- cher, clerk of court; N. C. Coates, court commissioner; J. W. Tanuer, superintendent of schools; E. M. Hyatt, coroner, and George W. Denning, county surveyor. Rev. E. Berry was onr representative to the legislature. In looking over the Martin County Sentinel of January, this year, we fiud the advertisement of the Martin County Bank, A. L. Ward, manager, office in the front root of Ward & Blaisdell's law office. The relief com- mittee had a good deal of flour during the winter for distribution. A peti- tion to the legislature asking for au apportionment of $5,000 was sent in.
Lieut. J. A. Manley, of the 20th in- fantry, was sent here by the govern- ment to take a list of those needing aid on account of the locnst devasta- tions. The United States government appropriated about $750,000 of which amount this state received abont $30,000 and the balance went to the Dakotas, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas and other places.
'The winter was quite cold, and a number of parties were caught out in storms, and while no deaths occurred, there were some narrow escapes. Del- bert Hubbard was caught out in a storm, and was out about 17 hours,. which resulted in the loss of a part of his foot.
The early settlers of this county were under great obligations to our English friends for the aid and assis- The commissioners met January 5th, 1875, present: T. S. Curtiss, Wm. Bird, Jr., C. P. Andrews, R. W. Thomas and W. D. Stedman; J. A. Armstrong, tance givon them during the dark times of the locust devastations. The English courage and pinck never let up, and while their loss was heavy, & connty auditor: C. H. Bullard, sheriff; benefit was derived by the settlers to
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whom they gave employment and kept money in circulation in buying horses and cattle and putting up buildings and making other improve- ments. It is impossible for us at this date to give the names of all the Eng- lish colonists. To my best recollec- tion the first to come here with Col. Shearman 1873 were: Daniel Mckay, Cecil Wrey and Ephriam Cole. In 1874 the additions were: H. M. Atkin- son, P. Sargentson, Capt. S. DeCardie, A. Biggs, Cecil Sharpe, G. Aldrich, J. C. MacKean, George Clouting, L. J. Archer-Burton, J. A. Archer-Burton and John F. Whitaker and wite. In 1875 Arthur Lyons, T. C. Smales, Gran- ville Sharpe, A. Percival, J. M. Farrar and family, K. F. F. Belliars and fam- ily, Capt. Belliars and family, G. F. Guion, F. A. Paterson, wife and brother, l'. Jarvis Edwards and C. P. Cunningham. It will be observed that very few of these parties are now here.
In the spring of this year D. W. Hunt and Otis Skinner under the firm name of Hunt & Skinner purchased the Ward & Blaisdell building and established a drug store. Ward & Blaisdell then built a new building in which the Martin County Bank was kept for a number of years. Col. Smith, who was appointed to make a ist of those needing aid reported in this county 1,369. For seed grain there were 620 applications and there were 6,100 bushels of wheat appor- tioned to the share of this county. This year the Grange discontinued their store and settled with E. S. Snow who had had charge of the same, and the goods together with those of Mr. Suow were sold to Samuel Hack- ett. O. C. Gould got the contract for hauling the government relief goods from Winnebago City here, consisting
of flour, pork, clothing, etc., and esti- mated to weigh about 30 tons. This year Arthur Moro came and investi- gated the country, his father pre- viously having made a large purchase of real estate through Capt. DeCardie. On his return to England, his report of the country was such that his father and family came here the next year of which mention will be made. I think it was this year that J. Hough- taling came here and purchased the hardware business of Ward & Cadwell, which he continued until his death, and the successors of whom is the present firm of Houghtaling & Coult. The firm of Ward & Blaisdell was dis- continned, Mr. Blaisdel continuing the practice of law, and Mr. Ward de- voting his entire time and attention to the banking business. J. M. Farrar purchased what was known as the Ellsbury farm on the east side of Buffalo lake, now owned by Mr. Wake, and Mr. Ellsbury moved to the eastern part of the state. John Ellsbury came here among the early settlers and was in business in this place most of the time as a blacksmith. He was a hard working industrious man, and the people were sorry to see him leave.
In the history published in the issue of April 9th, giving a list of the post offices in the county, the printers inadvertently left out Westford post ofce which I think was established in 1872 with William Lamont as post- master. C. O. True was appointed in 1873 and has held the office ever since. Mrs. Sarah A. True most of the time having charge of the office as deputy.
The report of the relief committee made June 1st, 1875, shows the amount of funds received and distributed from January 1st as follows: Cush, $991.86; flour, $1292; pork. $130.35 and -
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