USA > Minnesota > Martin County > History of Martin County, Minnesota > Part 2
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HISTORY OF MARTIN COUNTY.
by the name of Harrison took a claim on land now owned by Thomas Allen in Center Creek township. There were no women with the settlers the first year. Some of them built quite comfortable log houses, but the ma- jority of them put up claim sbanties, and in the fall left for the East, proved up on their land and did not come back (though some did come back in the spring of 1858). In June there were some additions to what is now Fairmont by three families, who made claims, but left the latter part of July on account of the reports of the ludian depredations. There were also some additions to the settlement at East brother, and Alfred Wilber, who re- turned with his wife and her sister. In the Center Chain neighborhood Dr. Shafer came and took the claim where the Center Chain postoffice is now. West Chain also had a new arrival in the person of Mr. Campbell.
On the 27th of July or thereabouts some of the settlers left the country and some went into the fort for safety, owing to an alarm caused by an article published in the Mankato Independent, July 25th, 1857, which is here inserted:
Correspondence of the Pioneer and Democrat.
SIOUX AGENCY, M. T. ) July 17, 1857. 5 Our relations with the Sioux Indians have never worn such an ominous as- pect as at this moment. Step by step have the negotiationsassumed a bellig- erent character, until now, there is no alternative but fight. The Superin- tendent (Cullen) has taken the decisive ground that the Sioux na ion must aid in the capture and surrender the of murderer, Inkpadutah, and his party,to the civil authorities, in view of the
Article of the Treaty of 1851, which guarantees eternal peace and friend- ship between the contracting parties. At first the Indians appeared to regard the surrender or destruction of Ink- padutah as a matter of duty; next they would act in connection with the troops; and now they deny altogether the obligation to do anything in the matter. Thus stand the parties. The Superintendent, acting under explicit |instructions, with ampie testimony that the Sissetons, a portion of the Yanktons, and possible some of the Mauwekton Indians, sympathize wich the spirit Lake murderers, while they on their part, throw themselves upon Chain by the arrival of Mr. Older and [ treaty stipulations, as they interpret them, aud ignore entirely the Inkpa- dutah party.
Yellow Medicine is not the great spot of interest. We left there day before yesterday. at 3 o'clock p. m. Then all was quiet. the Superintend- ent awaiting the arrival of the Lower Sioux who were going up to hold a grand union council, and decide there- in, what they should do towards the capture of Inkpadutah. On our way here, we met the Indians going up in considerable numbers, and they are still moving that way; their wives and children, with few exceptions, remain here.
Yesterday morning the rumor of the stabbing of a soldier, by an In- dian of the Coreem (Keposia) Band reached us. These are the circum- stances: At dusk, in the evening of Thursday, 15th inst. the soldier went to the river, near the improvement, for Water and while quietly and unsuspect- ingly passed by an Indian, received a stab in the back. We have not learned the name of the wounded mau; it was rumored that he was mortally
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HISTORY OF MARTIN COUNTY.
wounded, but by advices from there this morning, we learn that he- still lives. The Indian sought the protec- tion, at the Sisseton camp. Major Sherman sent an officer and guard to demand his surrender which was not only peremptorily refused, but a large number of Indians paraded and level- ed their guns upon them. The officer was not supported strongly enough to insist upon his surrender. He report- ed to Major Sherman, who immediate- ly put his battery in motion to fire upon them. The Indians sent a depu- tation begging him to give them till morning and that they would give him up the culprit. The lateness of the hour and the desire, if possible, to avoid a collision induced the Major to grant the time. Later advices say that the Indian was not given up at 4 o'clock a. m. this day.
There are now at Yellow Medicine some 165 men, Major Sherman with his battery, one company of the 10th Infantry, and Major Patten and Cap- tain Sully of the 2d Infantry, with their commands. Nothing could be more opportune than the arrival of the division of the 2d Infantry, four companies, under Col. Abercrombie. We learn that, then, the Colonel await- ing an express, will, if necessary, pro- ceed to Yellow Medicine with all the available force at his command, per- haps one hundred men, and garrison the Fort with citizen soldiers.
The Indians now at Yellow Medicine number 5,000 at a low estimate.
The treaty Indians, at that Agency, count 4,250. We think 750 is rather a low estimate for the addition from the plains. In addition 200 lodges of Cut-heads are reported to be at Lac- qui-parle,and on their way down. This would collect a force of 6,500; and with
the Yanktous, who have just left for the plains, 7,000 to 8,000. We have still some 2,500' Mauwakantons, or Lower Sioux; so we would have to count at least 10,000 Indians. In case of a war, we may or may not count all those as enemies. We are not dispos- ed to place much reliance upon the only branch of the family from whom we could expect any aid-that is the Lower Sioux. They are reported- those who went up-to be on this side of the Yellow Medicine river. All the other Indians, and our troops, are on the other side of the river. They won't mix with the others, and main- tain now, if not an attitude of friend- ship to us, at least one of indifference in the coming struggle.
Here, then, are the figures, and you and the people of the Territory will see and judge what is best to be done: Should a war break out, of which there are too many chances, there will . be 19,000 Indians-say 2,000 fighting men-against 200 troops; or ten to one.
We do not wish to alarm, but to sug- gest that the possibility of an Indian war be considered, and that provision be made to meet it and close it up be- fore winter sets in.
On August ist there was an addition to the settlement on Center Chain Lakes by the arrival of John R. Gile and wife, Isaac Winchet and Geo. W. Mattox, and on West Chain Lakes the number in the settlement was in- creased by Wm. Z. Clayton and Geo. Merriam.
At a public meeting of the citizens of this section of the county it was de- cided to make the fort six logs higher and cover the sides and roof with sod. After the fort was completed most of the settlers returned to their claims.
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HISTORY OF MARTIN COUNTY.
Before leaving the fort the following agreement was made: 1
FORT BRITT, August 8, 1857.
We the undersigned, claimants and citizens of Chain Lakes, Brown County, Minnesota Territory, feel to join together for each other's mutual as- sistance towards sustaining our just rights, sur- rounded. as we are, even by circumstances the most critical for ought we know; feel that it is our bounden duty to mutually pledge our honors as Americans to be true to each other whether pres- ent or absent as to our claims, that we will en- desvor, in case of absence, of one or any of the party. to sustain their rights against any other person or persons. and shall use onr utmost en- deavor to avoid any and all illegal proceedings that would have a deleterious effect upon the well-being of this vicinity,
Signed,
Jno. R. Gile, Geo. Mattox, Isaac Winchett,E. B. Hall, Benson C. Hinkle, A. Wilber, J. C. Hudson, William Hendricks, Isaac Lewis, Jas. S. Hudson, W. Z. Clayton, Geo. G. Britts, Gilbert Shafer, Wm. H. Budd, Columbus Tuttle, A. W. Young, Thos. A. Cain, Wm. S. Campbell, Geo. Tuttle, Samuel Dorning, Geo. Merriam.
After being at home a few days word was sent us that Mr. Britts, and the men with him in the fort, had some suspicion of Indians, so they searched the woods near the fort, and iu doing so Mr. Britts was shot in the left side, a slight flesh wound being inflicted.
He saw an Indian and snapped his rifle at him but missed fire. He then fired his revolver and the Indian fell.
judge of probate of Faribault county. These men stayed all night and took turn on guard. August 10th Capt. Britts and as many men as could be spared from the fort without leaving ifunguarded, went into the woods to scout and look for Indians and try to find the Indian shot by Mr. Britts. They could not find him but did find blood on the leaves near the place where he fell and along a trail leading to the lake. They also found a small tepe, but after a thorough searen through the woods found no Indians. After being housed up at the fort for a few weeks, fighting mosquitoes and keeping a sharp lookout for the dusky savage, some of the men, with their families, returned to their claims, others left for the East, while a few remained in the fort. Those who be- longed to the bachelor settlement of Fairmont returned to their homes without getting auy great prizes, to commence the work of waiting for times to change.
There were some claims taken in Center Creek township by A. Parks, . Chas. Parks and sons, and Mr. Meeder. A. N. Fancher and Thos. Allen also took claims in this township in the spring of 1858. In Nashville & settlement was made by Ira Clenich and some others in 1859 and 1860.
Mr. Britts being afraid of ambush re- treated back a little, when he met the men who went out with him and they In these early times of the first set- tlements of Minnesota there were not many ways in which one could earn money, and it would seem that there would not be many outlets for money, still provisions had to be bought. When the writer came to Minnesota he had $1200. When he had obtained proviisons and supplies for the first year's settlement and got his cattle back from where they had been block- all returned to the fort. Dispatches were sent out to inform the settlers, most of whom reached the fort in a short time. We then organized our- selves into a company for defense and elected Geo. Britts captain aud Wm. H. Budd lieutenant. August 9th six men came from Blue Earth City, Messrs. Young, Lee, Jellett, Clark, Bowen and Kiester, the latter for a number of years state senator and aded in [owa, the sum total of his
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HISTORY OF MARTIN COUNTY.
possessions in money was $2.50. We ; of 1857, many of whom never returned. presume this was largely the case with By the act of the territorial legisla- tion in 1857 this county was separated from Brown and Faribault counties and described by towns and ranges, al being taken from Brown county with the exception of a tier of towns on the eust. all the other settlers, and accounts, with the Indians scares, for so many of them leaving. Any observer of the settlement of new countries knows that the first settlers, those who pave the way for developments, are either com- pelled to leave on account of misfort- une, lack of means of support, and in most instances lose what little proper- ty they possessed.
In the fall of 1857 Isaac Lewis and B. C. Hinkle built a house in Fairmont. Mrs. A. W. Young and Mrs. Jno. Giles were the first white women to visit the bachelor settlement, coming from Fort Britt. Mrs. Giles' nickname was "Dick" and this name was given to the lake upon which her husband took a claim.
The first wedding in Martin county was on the 24th day of September, 1857 at the house of Calvin Tuttle (Tenbas- sen) the contracting partles being Lousia Tuttle and W. S. Campbell, the ceremony being preformed by J. C. Hudson. The writer was there and partook of the wedding cake. There were no liquid refreshments except cold water, no orchestra or bridal pro- ce sion but the occasion was enjoyed by all who attended.
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Britts. In the fall of 1857 Mr. George Britts and family left the country and did not return, saying they had had enough of frontier life. Mr. Seely Shafer and family left for Wisconsin and were gone nearly two years before they came back. Nearly two-thirds of the settlers left the county in the fall
In October, 1857, the north half of section 8, town 102, range 30, was sur- veyed for a town site by the Des Moines and Watonwan Land Company, and was called Fairmount (afterwards by petition changed to Fairmont). The same company had located several town sites for speculative purposes, the law then allowing parties who wanted to establish town sites to hold a section of land by having a house built on each quarter section. This house was to represent store, blacksmith shop, hotel and carpenter shop. This company wanted some houses built and tried to negotiate with the writer for building the same. Having beard before of town site speculators we agreed with them that we would build one house, and if that was paid for we would build the others. E. B. Hall, A. L. Sharpe and myself built the first house on the town site. The building of this house was not paid for, and there were no more built. This company surveyed and made a plat of Fairmont, which has ' since been copied by Deputy
The first white child born in the county was about a year previous to this time, in the full of 1856. A daugh- Surveyor Sawyer, but was void as they . ter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Geo. | never required any title to the land. Britts, and was named Mary Virginia ; As to subsequent plats we will speak of them in due order.
In the fall of 1857 Gov. S. Medary appointed I. S. Fisher, A. L. Sharpe and Wm. H. Budd as commissioners to organize the county of Martin and locate the county seat. These parties met December 16th, 1857, and organized the county and established the county
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HISTORY OF MARTIN COUNTY.
seat of Martin County at Fairmont. I. S. Fisher was made chairman of the board of commissioners, E. Cook Smith register of deeds and clerk of the board of county commissioners, B. C. Hinkle, treasurer; Isaac A. Lewis, sher- ift. There were no appointments made of probate judge or clerk of court. The commissioners had their first meeting January 4th, 1858, when they completed the list of officers, but most of them failed to qualify, salaries too small for an object, no salaries be- ing paid for the first two years.
The first election held in the county was held at Fairmont, April 15, 1858. The question of the credit for railroad bonds was voted on at the time. In order that our new settlers may know what the railroad bonds were, let them ask those who were here ten years ago. The judges of election were I. S. Fisher, A. L. Sharpe and Wm. H. Budd. Clerks of election, I. A. Lewis and B. C. Hinkle. There were seven- teen votes cast at this election, but lo, when these' returns reached the cap- ital at St. Paul, and after passing through the different hands at that place, they were credited as 1,700. The voting of these railroad bonds nearly bankrupted the treasury and no railroads resulted .. Later settlers will remember them as the Seely-Chamber. lain and other railroad bonds.
At the meeting of the commissioners April 24, 1858, petitions were received and granted establishing three election districts, the first election district consisting of what is now the towns of East Chain, Silver Lake, Tenhasseu, Lake Belt and Lake Fremout. The secoua consisted of the towns of Pleas- aut Prairie, Fairmont, Rolling Green, Manyaska and Jay and the south ball of Center Creek. Ruthind. Fox Lane,
Fraser and Eim Creek. The third consisted of the north half of the towns above mentioned, also the towns of Nashville, Westford, Waverly, Galena and Cedarville. The judges of elec- tion appointed for the first district were, A. Wilber, A. W. Young and W. S. Campbell, and the meeting was held at Fort Britt. The records are lost as to who were appointed in the see- ond and third districts. My recollec- tion is that there were no elections held in the third district as there were not enough settlers.
The first settlement made in what is now Fox Lake and Elm Creek was made by Lewis, James and Andrew Tweed, three brothers, in the spring. of 1858, two of them married. One of them lived on the north side of Fox Lake, and two cf them on Elm Creek. Two brothers by the name of Hanson had claims on Twin Lakes, one of them married. These people were all Nor- wegians. They lived there till the spring of 1863. James and Louis Tweed came to Fairmont and are still living in the township of Fairmont.
In February, 1858, a bridge was built across the inlet of Lake Okomanpedan. .The timber for this bridge was fur- nished by Calvin Tuttle and sons. It had to be hewn and framed, the plank being split timber. When the timber was all framed some of the Center Creek people came to the raising of the bridge, which was 160 feet long. We think that we were there about two weeks and helped frame it. We thought at the time that we had done something for the good of the public.
The year 1858 was a year of hard times in the older settlements, but brought more settlers to this county, in what is now Waverly, Rutland and Westford townships. Mr. H. H. Fowler
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HISTORY OF MARTIN COUNTY ..
returned with his family, Mr. Geo. S. mail was brought by Andrew C. Dann Fowler also returned with them. and a Mr. Sherlock. Not long since. Mr., Dunn, speaking of the carly days of Fairmont, said that he did not think the landlord ' at Fairmont at that time set a very good table. For bread the landlord set his man "Fri- day" to grind corn on a piece of stove- pipe that had holes in it like a grater. Some of it was grated coarse and some of it left almost whole, but it was the only way to make bread in those times. This was before the time of baking powders. Philo Morse, W. W. Carrington, F. Adams and S. H. Parker (single men), also came. John W. Sleepier and family and Willard Harrison and family, and some others settled along the banks of Center Creek near Winne- bago. Mr. A. C. Dewey and wife, Wm. Johnson and family, Isaac Johnson and family, Chas. Johnson (single) and A. F. H. Brigham and Mr. Nichols (both single), settled in Faimout. Dr. Shaf- er returned to Center Chain Lakes with his wife and sister. There were also some new settlers at Tuttle's Grove, Tenhassen, and A. N. Fancher settled at Center Creek. There was also in this year a settlement of four or five single men in the towns of Galena and Cedar.
In the spring of 1858 some of the men who had taken claims the year before came back and staid long enough to pre-empt their claims, others did not return, abandoning their claims entirely. Those who were here weut to work and put in corn, potatoes, beans, rutabagas, plenty of melons and carrots, large quantities of squash and "garden truck," all of which cume very good, for we had learned the lesson that we must work or the ship must sink.
In May 1858 Minnesota was admitted into the union and became the thirty- second state.
There was a very fair crop raised in 1858 by those who planted, but a large amount of damage was done to the corn by the black birds.
In the fall the first post office in the county was established at Fairmont. W. H. Budd was appointed postmaster, and took the oath of office at Win- Lebago City Oc. ober 9, 1858. The first
In making the first trip with the mail Mr. Sherlock lost the mail sack in the Blue Earth River, and that trip was lost, unless it was that the distri- bution of the mail in the river noti- fied the fish to come up, for there was high water the next spring and plenty of fish came up the river to the lakes.
The first death in the county was the death of Mr. Nichols, who was killed by the falling of a tree in the fall of 1858, on the land now owned by Mr. Shigley.
On the first day of December Benson C. Hinkle was given the contract to carry the mail from Winnebago City to Fairmont once a week, and took the oath of office as mail carrier before Wm. H. Budd, justice of the peace.
September and October of 1858 were very wet months. Lakes and streams were high, and we could make but slow progress in traveling. Crops bad to be watched constantly to keep the blackbirds from destroying them, more especially the corn crop.
Maj. Sherman, afterward Gen. Sher- man. then commander of a four-gun battery, with six horses on each gnu, came through Fairmont with his com- mand from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, on his way to Fort Ridgley, ou the
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HISTORY OF MARTIN COUNTY.
Minnesota River. He was obliged to come this way on account of the high water on low lands west, and better roads this way, and thinking he could get better sustenance for his command in the way of grain and provisions. He did some work on the bridge at Tuttle's Grove in order to move his artillery across. He had sixty-four mule teams and eighty head of horses. They camped near Mr. Ott's house in Fairmont township. They got corn in the shock of Mr. Hall to feed for the night. The writer sold him 80 bushels of corn at 75 certs per bushel. This was in the fall of 1858. While in camp here a child of one of the families connected with the battalion died.
The route from here to Fort Ridgley was down Lake Avenue, across the out- let of the lakes near where the rail- road bridge now is, then northwest across Lily Creek, west to Center Creek, then north through Rutland township, taking a northeastern course and crossing the lakes between Twin Lakes and Lake Charlotte, above where the county poor farm now is, where the lakes divide, the water north of the ridge running into Elm Creek and south into Center Creek. The com- mand followed the lakes on the east side to Elm Creek. where the Fowler settlement was and still is, theuce north by way of Perch Creek. east of Madelia, between the latter place and Butterfield's mill. They were obliged to take this route on account of high water. The direct ronte from Fort Dodge, Iowa, to Fort Ridgley ran through the towns of Lake Belt, Man- Jaska, and Cedar, by way of Cedar Lake, but as above stated, this route could not theu be taken on account of high water. These were the first troops to pass through Fairmout after the settlement was made. Previous to
that time Lieutenant Albert Lea, after whom the thriving little city in Free- born county is named, passed through going west on an exploring expedition.
Also Gen. Fremont with his com- mand had gone through this country, and the name of some of his meu can now be seen cut in the rocks at Pipe- stone.
The fall and winter of 1858-9 was not very cold, and not much snow fell, enough, however, to make some sleigh- ing, but it was not deep. The lakes and creeks were very high.
There was a boat built here, the lumber of which it was made was sawed by a whip-saw. If our readers do not know what that is let them in- quire of Webster's dictionary. That was the only kind of saw mill in this part of the country at that time. The boat was built by Isaac Johnson, W. H. Budd and some others. It left here in April 1859, and went east by the following route: From Center Creek to the Blue Earth river, down the Blue Earth river to the Minnesota, from the Minnesota to the Mississippi. F. H. Brigham, A. L. Sharpe and Sam Dorning were the passengers, and they took their outfit with them. The writer heard from them after they reached St. Paul and La Crosse.
The following is a copy of the doou- ment issued by the executive office, giving us legal authority to constitute election districts. which had been pre- viously made, in advance of the au- thority received from the governor:
STATE OF MINNESOTA, EXECUTIVE OFFICE, St. Paul. October 28, 1868. Messrs. Benson C. Hinkle und Henry H. Fowler, of Martin County, Minn .:
GENTLEMEN :- You are hereby appointed com- missioners to divide the county into towns in con- junction with William H. Budd, heretofore ap- pointed, under provisions of the act to provide for township organizations.
Very respectfully, HENRY H. SIBLEY.
By FRANCIS BAASIN, Governor.
Sec'y of State. [STATE SEAL. ]
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HISTORY OF MARTIN COUNTY.
February 8, 1859, the commissioners met at Fairmont and constituted three election districts, comprising the territory heretofore mentioned. The southern district, District No. 1, Was called Nevada; District No. 2 Fair- mont; District No. 3, the northern, was called Waverly.
There were some additions to the set- tlements in 1859, but very few. An- drew Everett and family settled near Fort Britt, Henry Pratt and family settled in. Fairmont at East Chain Lakes, as also did Burton Rowley. This year Mr. A. Wilber built a dam at East Chain Lakes, and a mill was built there later. The crops were quite good this year; corn, potatoes and "garden truck," and some wheat was raised on Elm and Center Creeks.
- Aprit 26, 1859, another wedding oc- curred in the County of Martin, the contracting parties being De Witt Older and Miss Elizabeth M. C ark, who was a sister of Mrs. Wilber of East Chaiu. They were married at the residence of Gilbert Shafer, at Ceuter Chain, Rev. J. C. Hudson officiating.
In the spring of 1859 the state passed a law that the chairman of the town supervisors shonid act in place of the old county commission-rs for the trans- acting of conuty business. Andrew Everett was chairman of the board in Nevada precinct, W. H. Budd in Fair- mont precinct and John W. Sieepier in Waverly precinct. An assessment was made in June of this year on the property in the different precincts, and was the first ever made in the county. The spring of 1859 was rather a cold season, the 4th of July being so cold that fires were needed.
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