USA > Minnesota > Martin County > History of Martin County, Minnesota > Part 8
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HISTORY OF MARTIN COUNTY.
ed at the time of grant was not govern- ment land within the menning of the aot. This threw .insiderable land on the market which was fast taken up by actual settlers during the 15 years and resulted in settlers getting claim under the homestead, presemption and timber claim. After the rail road was built the Company had to part with a good many thousand acres of land they thought they owned when the department made the filings.
There was an effort made by parties who claimed to have inside .informa- tion to defraud and take away the land of settlers who had bought of the Railroad Company; what the Railroad Company and the settlers supposed to be Railroad land, but which under subsequent rulings of the land depart. ment was called government land. The department promptly squelched this by deciding that land really oo- cupied by a party or purchased by him, should have the right to complete his title by paying the government price for the 'and.
In the spring of 1865 Hosea S. True resigned the office of sheriff and Rich- ard James was appointed to fill the vacancy; at the same meeting A. Fan- · cher was appointed surveyor. The . first relief given by the county for the support of the poor appears this year to have been rendered in the shape of temporary relief to a party beretofore mentioned, Mrs. Whit- combe, and we believe that the county aided her in fonds to return to her home in Waseca. In the spring of this year, Aaron Smith who had . sotd -bis claim to the Michigan Company re- signed the office of county treasurer ; of the soldiers here at that time and and removed near to Fort Dodge, Iowa, and Aarou Andrews was appoint- ed in bis place. Mr. Smith built the bad lands, Dakota.
first water mill in this county, it being located where the dam at the foot of Lake George now is. He had a large family; one of his sons, Levinton, Smith held the office of register of deeds; Harvey Smith was deputy sheriff, and Mr. Smith was justice of the peace and member of the town- ship board. Levinton Smith went with him and resigned the office of register of deeds and R. M. Ward was appointed in his place. Later W. W. Carrington who held the office of county anditor remo ved trom this county, and A. L. Ward was appointed to fill the vacancy. Mr. E. P. Carleton who was one of the commissioners went with Kr. Smith's people,. and bought land in Webster county, "love. There was a school kept this summer, tho teacher being Miss Mary A. Tan- ner: There were three months school, and thre salary paid was $15.00 , per month:
In 1864 the government put up 's large amount of hay, it being the in tention to keep a company of cavalry here during the winter. The bay was not used as only a few soldier's were kept here, 'and although the settlers wanted it quite badly. there was so much red tape about it that no authority could be und to make the sule or purchase, and the bay waa, never sold, but in some way it: dis- appeared. Some of the soldiers who were here at that time engaged la' laber for themselves. Benj. Franklin, who our people will remember as be- ing the man without hands or legs, that came back here in 1892-3 and started - a summer resort at Silver Lake was one lost his arms and legs by being frozen. the next winter while on a trip in the
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HISTORY ORTMARTIN COUNTY.
Brackett's battalion went through beze in the early spring.of this: year on their way to the Missouri river to go from there in boste to join General Sully in his expedition against the Indians. They were kops. here two days by a bad storm and camped in. the timber then owned by W. H. Budd near where he and Peroy Wollaston now live. The storm was quite severe and they.burned up considerable tim- ber, rails, etc., for Mr. Badd and made quite a requisition on the people for supplies. In the spring of this year a family by the name of Jewett living on the Blue Earth river, two miles east of Garden City, were murdered. The work was supposed to have been done by Indians, some of the family were found in the house and some outside. The indications were that prepara- tions were being made for breakfast, as the table was set and the cooking utensils showed that a meal was nearly
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nothing particularily disturbed, sounds of firing of guns had been heard early in the morning by other settlers. To our best information it has never yet been clearly established whether the murderous work was done by Indians or not. At that time it was unquestioned, but later develop- ments caused some doubts to arise.
This caused great excitement; many
claiming to have seen the Indians skulking in the timber at different points on different days. Some settlers from this county had occasion to visit Mankato three days after the murder, came home on the east side of the river for the purpose of looking over the ground where the murder was committed. They came on the east side of the Blue Earth river, and un- til near Jackson Lake no settlers were
seen. When they reached Shelbyville where a hotel was kept, it was afier dusk, and the landlord would not allow any lights to be used in the house or taken to the barn, as he said that Indians had been seen in the timber that day, and that men had been driven out of the timber by the Indiana. We believe these were all false reports, but they also reached this county. A party living on Eim Creek came to town and told the people here that he had seen Indians up there, and that he had the day be- fore captured one and taken him to the soldiers at Willow Creek and that this Indian had told the soldiers that the woods were full of them. The people believed this to be true, and became very much excited. Some of them came to the town and arranged for a set of signals, and some of them came over and stayed during the night. The older settlers who knew this man told the people that they be- lieved it was all a lie, bu. to no effect until the next day when they went up to Elm Creek and found that no In- dians had been seen, neither had this party captured one and takem him to the soldiers as he had reported. Home guards were formed all through this part of the state. This county had two companies. Mr. Chatfield, of whom mention has previously been made as having a store at East Chain and building a mill there, belonged to one company, and on & scouting ex- pedition in search of Indians, in tak- ing a gun from the wagon, accidental- ly received a wound that caused his death. In the death of Mr. Chatfield that settlement lost & public spirited citizen and the town of East Chain one who if he had lived might have placed it on an equal footing with Fairmont,
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as he had considerable means, and had started in to build up a little village. During this excitement, the Indians being able to drop iu commit murders or other depredations and not be tracked and none caught or killed as they were able to hide in the timber or in the sloughs, Major Evans of Garden City who was a relative of the Jewetts and a prominent citizen of Blue Earth county organized the counties of Nicollet, Brown, Blue Earth, Watonwan and Martin and got their commissioners to meet and place at his disposal funds for the purchase of blood hounds to be used in tracking Indians should they commit further depredations. At the unanimous -re- quest of the people the commissioners of this county negotiated their orders for $900 for the purpose, which they turned over to Major Lvans, who went to Washington and there pro- cured further aid from the govern- ment aud also their aid in procuring "some wontheru blood hounds. He was gone about six weeks, and returned to Mankato with a large pack of bounds. By this time the excitement had some- what subsided and the people who thought themselves in no immediate danger, were not inclined to take any more of the hounds. than were
necessary. The commissioners in- s ruoted A. L. Ward to go to Mankato to make a selection of the bounds, and we ses from the commissioners records that he was gone four days and re- turned with three hounds and $41.88 of the $200 advanced for the purpose. We cannot say whether or not the action taken by the settlers in pro- ouring these hounds was the means of stopping the depredations, but none Were committed after that. The soldiers here had some rare sport with
the hounds of this county, They would go out and make a circuitons route and return to the fort, and then the dogs would be let loose, and they would take the trail and run the soldiers to the fort every time. While the soldiers were here, they took charge of them, but later they were kept by the county until the next year when the treaty of peace with the Indians made it unnecessary to keep them longer and they were sold at auction. This county was indebted to these dogs for some very savage watch dogs which were bred by these hounds and the settlers dogs. In the spring of 1865 Capt. Bird came here with his family and his father and mother. George M. and James W. Bird came later in the fall., The. summer of 1885 was employed by. the settlers in building houses and mela ing necessary improvements to live during the winter. A fourth of July celebration was held this year which was largely attended. The speech was made by W. D. Storey of Faribenlt county, who came here to live latest and on the resignation of A. L. Werd as county auditor, he was appointed to fill the vacancy. The war : wow be- ing over. the soldiers who went from here began to return, among them be- ing W. H. Budd, L. G. Swearingen. John W. Burdick, Edgar Kise, C. N. Bardwell. W. Wilsale, H. Clark, R. | Johnson, C. Personins, Milo Whit comb and Wm, Rice and others. Know Whitcomb died at Helens, Ark., and William Bird bought the claim of R. P. Carleton on the west side of Budd lake.
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HISTORY OF friTik COUNTY.
^th' our last letter the list was not complete of those who enlisted from this: county and: belonged to. other regiments than that in which we served. Isaac Johnson was with the 7th; "Wm. H. Swearingen. Henry Youngman, James Canfield and Daniel Canfield were with the 9th; James S. Hudson, George M. Scott, A. W. Young, L. F. True, Samuel - Carver, George Murray. L. F. Brainerd, H. Bennett, Jehu Hayworth, Frank Parks and J. Manley belonged to regi- ments of which we do not remember the names .: There were killed in bat- tle or died, in the south of exposure and sickness. Isaac Johnson, Daniel Califield, Enos Whitcomb, and James 8. Hudson; James Canfield returned to his relatives near Shakopee, Minn., where he died of sickness contracted in the service. The others at the close of the war returned home and again became citizens and tried to work for the interests of the county, and wake themselves & home. Our readers will recognize many of the names in the present residents of the county. There was a great deal of grain sowed in the county this year, and a county fair was held at the stockade. When
missioners had their winter meeting, but no business of any importance was transacted, only routine matters. It appears that the residents of township 102, range 29, had a petition which was granted for the establishment of a town to be called South Creek. There was a number of efforts made before this town was finally organized as Pleasant Prairie. There were four marriages this fall, W. H. Emery to Miss E. L. Bardwell; W. H. Swearingen to Miss ;C. H. Page; J. R. Friend to Miss A. Warner; and E. V. Comstock to Miss F. H. Hudson; two of them, we be- lieve, being soldier boys that had re- turned from service. This fall Aaron Andrews built an addition, being the frame part that was built on to the Lake House. It was thought to be a large thing and to make a nice hotel. The whole building was about 16 feet wide by about 40 feet long and a story and a half high. It was a ralying place for all parties and had a large custom. There was a great deal of travel through the county then as it was on the direct road to Sioux City, Estherville. Spirit Lake and other Iowa points from Mankato.
There were a number of new settlers wo returned home in the month of in the county this fall, who mostly August, we found there had been con- built sod houses : nd barns to shelter themselves. I am not sure whether or not a school was kept this year, but am quite certain there was none dur- ing the winter, John Ellsbury and a man by the name of Brownell had a blacksmith shop this: winter in the building formerely occupied by the Whitcomb family near where M. E. L. Shanks' residence is. Charcoal was a scarce article, but some was burned at Fox Lake; on the island, and they went out to get it, but were obliged to make a long circuit around siderable change made among the set- tlers. Those who were here when we went away had gone and others had come. to take their places. In and around Fairmont there were but few here when we returned who were here when we left: In the fall of 1865 there was a republican convention called, in which there were not offices enough to supply all the candidates; there was a bolted ticket put up, which was mostly elected; this was the first polit- ical contest in the county. The com-
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HISTORY OF MARTIN COUNTY.
on account of the deep snow. Major Brackett returned through here some time in the winter with his command from their excursion up the river against hostile Indians. The weather had not been very cold or stormy up to the first of Jannary, 1865, but there was good sleighing. There was a dance in the court house hall on New Year's evening, and supper was served at the Lake House. It was a swell affair and a number of parties were present from Jackson and other places. The court house was the old build- ing that is now used as a stable, and was let by the commissioners for such purposes and also for public meetings and religious services. The Ward boys had a good trade; goods of all kinds were high, it being just after the close of the war. Cotton sheet- ing was 50c. to 85c. a yard, calico 20c. to 25c., cotton thread 20c. a spool, tea from $1.75 to $2.50 per pound, kerosene 90c. to $1.00 per gallon, tobacco $1.75 to $2 a pound, and common stoga boots were from $5 to $8.50 per pair. Also at this time there had to be a revenue stamp (according to the con- sideration) for every mortgage, every bond, every note and every affidavit. During a lawsuit which occurred this year, one of the parties made an affi- davit fora change of venue, but lacked the 25c. stamp for it. The opposing counsel objected to its receipt. and the party offering, withdrew it as he did not dare file it and assume the risk of the penalty without the stamp. A party who went from here to Esther- ville to replevin some cattle, not hav- ing a revenue stamp, and being unable to purchase one in that town to put on his bond, was obliged to drive to Spirit Lake where the deputy collector lived to get a stamp to put on the bond be-
fore he could get his cattle. Dealers claimed to pay $7.00 at wholesale by the case for stoga boots, $2.25 a pound for the best tea, 18 and 19c. a spool, by the dozen, for thread, and 75c. for ( kerosene, so, if the prices at retail were high, the prices at wholesale were the same.
Gold was then at a large premium. ranging from $2 to $2.85, which was the reason given for the high prices of everything. In my opinion it was more of a speculation taken advantage of by the manufacturers and the money power. The soldiers received their pay in paper money so that they received no benefit from the big premium ou gold .. At this time also the prices of fur were very high on account of the paper money. The figures we have given were the prices in paper money. Of course gold being at a premium, if the articles were paid for in gold it reduced the price in proportion. January 3d, 1866, the commissioners met, and were: Chas. Dana, H. S. Wood, I. F. Bickford, Gal- liton Brown, county auditor; E. T. Boudrye, county treasurer; A. Bowen, register of deeds and E. D. Walker, sheriff. It being an entire new set of officers and not understanding the financial condition of the county very well, they called to their assistance E. D. Walker and Judge Thomas Nichols, of Pleasant Prairie. They spent several days in examining the books but were unable to find any- thing wrong. At this time the town of Nevada was changed to Silver Lake. E. T. Boudrye later resigned the office of treasurer and A. C. Hand was appointed to fill the vacancy. A. Fancher held the office of clerk of the district court, which office he held a number of years thereafter, when he
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HISTORY OF' MARTIN COUNTY.
was succeeded by Edw. F. Wade. This winter a good many settlers went into the woods to work and cut timber. It was during these times that timber was valuable, and it was claimed by some that no very strict regard was paid to lines, especially when the owner was a non-resident. Consider- able litigation was caused by the arrest of parties for cutting timber on the land of others. There were sing- ing schools and religious meetings held in various parts of the county, and people would go a long distance to attend them, as it was somewhat lonely living out on the prairies, and as they had nothing particular to do but keep warm, they were glad of any- thing to pass away the time. Bartholomew boy was talked of, and in the afternoon he volunteered to go to the house. He took with him a dog, thinking that might prevent his get- ting lost. The road then ran directly by the house. By looking down one could see the track, but could not face the storm as the wind would till eyes and face full, and it would freeze on. This party stated that his dog would not follow him but when he would stop and call, the dog would come to him, but that when he went on again the dog stopped. He finally examined the dog and found his eyes entirely covered with ice. The reason that horses and cattle leave the beaten path in such storms is that they are blinded with the storm and snow frozen on On the 14th of February a singing school was held in the township of Silver Lake and a dance at the resi- dence of I. G. Swearingen in Rutlaud township, where Julius Keister now lives. A number from Fairmont at- tended the dance. During the even- ing a storm came up from the north- west (what was called a blizzard) and lasted for 36 hours, and the parties were obliged to stay there. Some of them had left their children at home, and were very much worried. It took considerable persuasion to keep some of them from daring the storm and starting for home. There was then nearest house was the Lake House. south; on the north near now the resi- dence of Mi. Gamble was the residence of Mr. Bartholomew who was away, for goods. His wife was attending the dance and had left the boy at home. We mention, to show the fierceness of the wind and the atmosphere filled with snow, what a settler said of it. Being at the store, the safety of the their eyelids. The weather turned very cold during this storm. At Silver Lake two families of young people by the name of Pressler and Landaker started home from singing school. They had an ox team and sleigh filled with hay and blankets. As they were going with their backs to the storm, they thought they would get home all right, but the team left the road, and wandered around, with the boys taking turns scouting away from the sleigh trying to find the road and house until they got stuck in the drifting snow. The storm was so severe and the snow so only the store on the town plat; the | thick they could see no distance from the sleigh and did not dare leave. The Landaker boy stayed outside the sleigh, trying to see or hear some- thing, keping himself warm by pound- ing around the sleigh and lying be- tween the oxen. They were there two nights and one day before the storm ulated. The next morning after the storm Mr. Landaker's dog came to them and the boys found
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HISTORY OF MARTIN COUNTY.
their way to the house. The oxen McDuff was appointed county physi- cian. Thomas Nichols was appointed to go over to Browu and Faribault were frozen, and the three girls were frozen to death itting in the sleigh. The Landaker boy who was out- counties and copy those portions of side so much of the time lost ouly the records that belonged to this part of one foot. One Pressler boy county when attached to those coun- lost both feet and hands and two ties. It required considerable labor other boys lost both feet. The sleigh to make those copies, but that it was tracks showed that they had been economically done can be judged from within 10 rods of the house of A. the fact that only $20 was allowed for Fancher. It would seem almost expenses. There were some new set- incredible at this time that par- tlers coming in now, as the time for ties so near home should be un- the soldiers to get outo their claims able to reach their destination, or was almost expired, and those who in- that they should be frozen when pro- tended to come began to arrive. tected as these young people were. There was a school meeting in district The older residents will bear us out I on March 31st. At this meeting it was in stating that it was impossible to see found that the district was indebted any distance at that time, and that to the amount of $56.00 and it was de- when cue got out in a storm they got cided that a tax be levied to raise bewildered and lost all idea of direc- $115 for school purposes and $400 to tion. These deaths caused a gloom to build a school house, aud a committee rest over our thinly settled county, composed of R. M. Ward, James Swear- and the settlers to be very careful us ingen and Wm. H. Budd were appoint- to how they were away from home ed to select a place, and they selected during a bad snow in the evening and the location where the present school to seek shelter any time during the house is now. Mr. James Hill and his day when a storm came up. This family, including his sons Sommerville storm caught a number of teams here and Washington P., came here this that were hauling goods through to month. This spring also the Micbi- the Missouri river for Indian supplies, gan company who owned the townsite und they were detained until the sent their representatives here, Dr. O. roads were again broken through.
The commissioners met mu special Lonusberry started for this place in session and set off the township the fall of 1865 with a large flock of 102-29 and called it Pleasant, Prairie, sheep which he drove through, but and the first election was held on the the snow caught him while in central 7th day of March, to elect township Iowa, and he was obliged to remain officers, at the residence of A. J. Hodg- there until he was able to come on man. At this meeting the townships through in the spring. M. E. L. 101-31, 101-32 and 101-33 were detached Shanks came here in the latter part of from the town of Silver Lake and con- the winter of this year and bought the stituted one precinct and was called right of a party to his enim, and then Tenhassen. The first meeting being returned to his home and did not re- held for the election of officers as the turn until the fall. Table was consid- house of Cornelius Personius. Dr. erable dispute as to claims and some
P. Chubb and Col. Lounsberry. Col.
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HISTORY OF MARTIN COUNTY. .
cases of what was called claim jump- ing, which was discountenanced by the settlers. A party taking a claim was sometimes prevented by sickness or other reasons from going on to it within the time allowed by law, and after they had once been on they were sometimes obliged to take their fam- ilies away for the winter where they would be cutting timber or getting work to support themselves, which would leave their claims liable to be jumped, as it was called. We are glad to be able to state that very little of it was done in this county. There was one case at East Chain where a party who was trying to hold a claim for a friend who was detained from coming here in time. It was filed on by another party whe began to make improvements and he was order- ed off by the party representing the first owner, when he advanced on him with a view to violence, and the first in self defense shot and caused the loss of an arm. This raised quite an excitement and caused a great amount of litigation at the expense of the county.
Col. Lounsberry got here early this spring and brought his family with him and at once began to work in the interest of the company he represent- ed and endeavored to build up the town. He donated to the school dis- trict two lots for school purposes, and in September of that year a meeting was called in which it was voted to build a school house, the cost not to exceed $800 and a tax was levied to raise $500 and the rest was to be raised by the sale of bonds. The cost of the house was $793, without the seats. William Bird, R. M. Ward and W. H. Budd were the committee on building. The seats were donated by the people ) it being the house owned by M.s. R.
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