USA > Minnesota > Morrison County > History of Morrison and Todd counties, Minnesota, their people, industries and institutions, Volume I > Part 21
USA > Minnesota > Todd County > History of Morrison and Todd counties, Minnesota, their people, industries and institutions, Volume I > Part 21
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WATER SUPPLY.
The climate, soil, water and other advantages liere found will ever attract men of means and brains to become partakers of blessings not found in many other sections of Minnesota. The small lakes of the county are valuable to the stock-farmer and dairyman. There are a few flowing wells within the county and water can be had at a shallow depth almost anywhere needed.
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MORRISON AND TODD COUNTIES, MINNESOTA.
There are over twenty-seven thousand acres of water-covered area and at all points in the county water may be had at a depth of from twelve to fifty feet. It is of an excellent quality and relished by both man and beast.
Wheat, barley, oats, rye, flax, corn and all kinds of vegetables are pro- duced with profit in Todd county. The potato and root crops are something wonderful. Clover and alfalfa are surprisingly large. To see clover standing nine feet high, as it does in many sections of Todd county, is indeed a sight once seen never to be forgotten. Again, there have frequently been made exhibits of mammoth red wheat standing nine feet high; Alsike clover, six and one-half feet; timothy, six feet, and corn eleven feet high-mark these figures on Todd county grains, corn and grasses.
The following is taken from a recent fair catalog : "A representative of the Sioux City (Iowa) Seed and Nursery Company was in Long Prairie yes- terday looking for clover seed. He said his firm, which is one of the largest in the country, had bought their entire supply of clover seed from Todd county. He has shipped sixteen carloads from this county since last fall (1914). He says Todd county is a wonderful clover seed region, not only for the yield but for the superior quality. He said that nowhere in the United States did his firm know of a locality where they could buy such clover seed as in this part of Minnesota."
DAIRYING IN TODD COUNTY.
About twenty years ago there was not a single creamery in operation in Todd county, but today there are seventeen drawing patronage from the farms of the county. Twelve are situated within the limits of the county- these are at Long Prairie, Eagle Valley, Bertha, Browerville, Grey Eagle, Staples, Burleen township, Reynolds township, Round Prairie, West Union, Hewitt and Burtrum. None paid less four years ago than one hundred dol- lars per month to their patrons for milk and cream, while many patrons received as high as two hundred dollars per month.
The business has proven profitable to all concerned and yearly other creameries are starting. Some of these creameries are co-operative con- cerns, while others are independent and private concerns. The largest of these is found at Long Prairie. Holstein, Guernsey and Shorthorn cattle are usually used in this creamery system in Todd county. The best market for the immense tonnage of butter from these plants is the city of New York, where excellent prices obtain the year round.
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MORRISON AND TODD COUNTIES, MINNESOTA,
REPORT FOR JUNE 1910.
Five years ago this last June the following report was made officially for the Todd County Creamery -- the single institution: Whole number of milk patrons, 199; number of hand separator patrons, 64; pounds milk received, 714,330; pounds cream received, 35,190; average test of milk, 3.78; average test of cream, 27.29; butter fat in milk, 27,114.5; butter fat in cream, 9,606.4 ; pounds of butter made, 44,785 ; butter sold to patrons, 1,297; paid for butter fat, net, $0.31 ; per cent. overrun, .22. Receipts from butter sold, $12,361.32; receipts for buttermilk sold, $13.00. Total, $12,374.32. Run- ning expenses, $655.65; sinking fund, $366.20. Total paid patrons, $II,- 352.47. This is one of the greatest industries ever launched in Todd county.
In 1915 the creameries of Minnesota have paid the farmers $44,000,000 for their butter fat. In the annual contest Minnesota won six out of eight championships. This would indicate that the present farmer is getting wiser than those who continually persisted in raising grain. Former State Dairy Commissioner White said, "No county in Minnesota has shown the development along creamery and dairy lines the past few years that Todd county has."
Up to ten years ago the chief agricultural occupation of the people was the raising of small grain. Immense quantities of wheat, oats, barley and rye were raised. However, about a decade ago, new settlers coming in from the southern part of Minnesota and from Iowa realized the possibilities in the dairy industry here and established the first co-operative creamery plant. Since that date the industry has grown by leaps and bounds and really revo- lutionized the farming business hereabout. Local papers publish, free of charge, monthly statements of these creameries, together with a list of the larger patrons; so that it is no uncommon sight to find two and three col- umns of the papers filled with the names of farmers who during the month have been paid checks exceeding fifty dollars. Many are receiving one hun- dred dollars and not a few as high as two hundred dollars per month.
The following is the name of the creamery and the sum each paid out in 1914:
Creamery.
Amount.
Long Prairie
$119,866.28
Bertha
113,537.53
Clarissa
1
107,932.38
Rose
J
1
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1
1
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54,550.82
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1
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MORRISON AND TODD COUNTIES, MINNESOTA.
Amount.
$44,838.22
38,533.54
102,349.35
59,596.22 86,889.91
41,926.04
80,541.75
54,820.64
63,461.85
47,032.93
21,529.15
68,924.10
45,320.10
12,832.03 47,526.13
$1,208,008.97
Creamery.
Grey Eagle
Round Prairie
Osakis
Sauk Centre Wadena Browerville
Eagle Bend
Hewitt
Swanville
Reynolds
Clotho
Verndale
West Union
Burtrum Motley
Total
Todd county may well boast of its agricultural society and its annual
1915, at Long Prairie.
The Todd County Agricultural Society was organized in 1883 with officers as follow: John Wait, president; M. Rodman, vice-president; J. I.
Belt, secretary; W. E. Lee, treasurer. The board of directors were as fol- low: J. F. Locke, Burnhamville township; A. H. Hendrickson, Kandota township; W. W. Powell, Long Prairie township; A. Murphy, Ward town- ship; Thomas Ward, Stowe Prairie township; P. W. Fuller, Iona township; A. W. Sheets, Long Prairie.
The first fair offered and paid out premiums to the extent of only
$106.50 ; on horses they allowed premiums to the amount of $8.50; on cat-
tle, $12.00, and on house plants, $9.50.
The present grounds contain nineteen acres just at the village limits.
A portion of this land was purchased by the society in 1884 and about 1909 the remainder was secured. The present value of grounds and improve- ments is ten thousand dollars. Fairs are always held early in September and are universally well attended, especially since horse-racing was placed
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AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
"county fair:" the thirty-third meeting of which was held in September,
2.18
MORRISON AND TODD COUNTIES, MINNESOTA.
in its proper sphere and not allowed to predominate over other, larger and more valuable interests to farmer and business men. The state also has an exhibit annually and all counties in the state may compete; but other premiums are reserved for the toiling men and women of Todd county who most generously patronize and maintain the society.
The improvements on these grounds at Long Prairie include a good enclosure about the premises; a cement-block building for school exhibits- and here let it be said that the children of the public schools of Todd county have, by the interest taken in such things, revolutionized the county fair and when it was almost to go down, reached forth and restored it to strength and practical workings. Then there is a rest room, twenty feet square; a woman's building, forty feet square; two barns for cattle, thirty by one hundred feet; a barn for horses, thirty by one hundred feet; an agricultural hall, with dome sixty feet high, built in a cross shape, thirty-six by seventy- six feet from wing to wing. All these buildings except the woman's room and rest room are constructed of galvanized sheet-metal. There is also a good half-mile track and a base-ball diamond.
The receipts of the fair in 1914 were $5,228; premiums paid. $1, 142. The present year's premiums are to be $1.500. There has been expended in improvements in 1915, the sum of $2.500. One full cattle barn is pledged to be filled with Holstein cattle of Todd county growth. This society is and always has been on the stock-company plant, two thousand dollars being the present amount of capital stock subscribed. It is free of debts. Fifty cents is the single adult admission to the grounds at fair time : children at twenty-five cents-free to all the first day. One dollar is the price for season tickets and twenty-five cents extra in the grand-stand. Teachers and school children are free on "school day."
Mr. Holmquist is the first paid secretary the society has ever had and it is believed that the move was a wise one, for he is doing excellent work and the recent fair bids fair to be one of the best in all the history of the county.
Presbyterian
Catholic LONG PRAIRIE CHURCHES
Lutheran
CHAPTER VI.
CHURCHES IN TODD COUNTY.
In Todd county, as in nearly all new counties, the school house was the first place for holding public worship by those religiously inclined. Prior to this, however, there had been prayer meetings held at the homes of Samuel Sergeant, C. S. Hamlin and Peter Loscy, which was before the erection of a school house in Round Prairie township, which was the first in Todd county. It was built in the summer of 1866-a small log structure with board roof. It was here in the autumn of 1866 that was held the first pub- lic religious service by an ordained minister, Rev. Buck, of the Covenanter denomination, the leading sect at first in this county. Beyond doubt this people had a regular church society in 1867, and by this people the trend of religious thought was governed for many years.
In this school house was the first baptism in Todd county, and the per- son baptized was John R. Mathews. Between 1866 and 1870 several min- isters occasionally visited this section of the country. Among them are recalled Reverends Cutler, Presbyterian ; Peter Losey, Methodist exhorter, and other Godly men. In 1868 a larger school house was erected in Round Prairie and for a number of years church services were held there.
FIRST CHURCH BUILDING.
Up to 1872 Todd county had no dedicated house of worship. It was during that year that a union church was built in what is now the village of Long Prairie. Later this building fell into the hands of the Baptists, who are still using it. For a number of years this was the only church building in the county.
In the early months of 1877, Rev. Dr. J. F. Locke, coming from New England on account of his health, settled in Burnhamville. After about a year his child died and there being no church building in the township, nor any minister aside from himself, he, in the open air on the lake shore conducted the funeral services.
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MORRISON AND TODD COUNTIES, MINNESOTA.
At that date east from Pillsbury the nearest church was at Little Falls -twenty-five miles away. North, it was sixty miles; south, thirty miles; west, ten miles. Mr. Locke decided there must be a Congregational church formed at Pillsbury, Swanville, Burtrum, Grey Eagle, Round Prairie, Clar- issa, Bertha and Staples, and in five years each place had a church built, dedi- cated and out of debt. Thus the seed was first sowed and in 1910 it was said there was not a township, and practically not a village in Todd county that was without a church building. Catholic, Congregational, Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, Christian, United Brethren, Episcopal, Lutheran, Free Methodist, Adventists and Christian all being thus represented. Not less than three hundred thousand dollars was expended by that date for church edifices. No county in Minnesota has a better church record than Todd. It has been remarked that the pioneer minister here was worth more to this county than all the politicians it ever produced.
Among the pioneer missionaries such names as John Jones, I. N. Eng- lish, Peter Scott. C. W. Woodruff, George F. Morton, John Norris, J. F. Oherstein, Father Brender, D. H. Mason, W. G. Palmer. B. F. Kephart, J. F. Woodward. E. N. Ruddick, William Hitzmann and others were con- spicuous for their good works.
In 1910 it was found that there were more than two thousand five hundred Sunday school scholars in Todd county, aside from Catholic and Lutheran denominations.
DENOMINATIONS NOW REPRESENTED.
The county had churches in 1911 as follow. At Long Prairie-Catho- lic, Methodist Episcopal, Baptist, Lutheran and Presbyterian.
Staples-Methodist, Congregational, Catholic, Adventists, Baptist and Episcopal.
Eagle Bend-Swedish Lutheran, Swedish Mission, Swedish Episcopal, Norwegian Lutheran and an English Methodist Episcopal.
Bertha-Congregational, Methodist Episcopal and German Lutheran. Grey Eagle-United Brethren, German Lutheran, Congregational.
Browerville-Two Catholic, United Brethren and Christian.
Burtrum-Congregational and Free Methodist.
Clarissa-Catholic, Congregational, Norwegian Lutheran, Swedish Lutheran and Norwegian Synod.
West Union-Methodist and Roman Catholic.
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MORRISON AND TODD COUNTIES, MINNESOTA.
Hewitt-Methodist Episcopal, United Brethren and Seventh Adventists.
Little Sauk-Swedish Lutheran.
Long Prairie-Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Catholic and Presbyterian.
Also churches at the original starting point as before stated, at Round Prairie.
Since 1911 there have been other churches added to the already long list ; hence it will be seen that Todd county is well equipped with churches of various denominations.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CONFERENCE.
Concerning the work of one single denomination, the minutes of the Methodist Episcopal Conference for 1914 show the following for Todd county : There were churches of this denomination in Todd county as follow : Eagle Bend, Hewitt and Bertha, Long Prairie, Staples and Clarissa.
At Long Prairie the church had a membership of seventy-eight; esti- mated value of church property, eight thousand dollars; Sunday school membership, one hundred and forty-six.
At Eagle Bend the membership was twenty-eight; estimated value of church property, two thousand nine hundred and fifty dollars; number in Sunday school, three hundred and thirty-six.
At Hewitt and Bertha charge the membership was one hundred and nine; estimated value of church property, six thousand five hundred dollars; number in Sunday school, two hundred and three.
At Staples the membership was two hundred and seventy-five; esti- mated value of church property, fifteen thousand dollars; number enrolled in Sunday school, three hundred and seventy.
OTHER CHURCH HISTORY.
The subjoined account of church life in Todd county is from the pen of an old settler and newspaper man, Mr. Sheets, who wrote in 1911 as fol- lows :
"In the development of the county from its earliest settlement, the peo- ple did not devote all their attention to material progress alone, but the educational and religious interests kept even pace with that of industry. What was done on these lines previous to the Indian outbreak can only be
Day
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MORRISON AND TODD COUNTIES, MINNESOTA.
conjectured, but it is known that there was a Catholic church in Long Prairie early in the fifties and no doubt there were other religious organiza- tions in the village. With the later and permanent settlement of the coun- ty, there is more certainty. So far as known, the first regular religious services were held in the new store building of Chandler & Fisher in the year 1868, conducted by Rev. John Jones, a Baptist minister living in what is now the town of Kandota. Services were held once a month until Febru- ary, 1872, when death put an end to his labors. The Baptist church was organized in August, 1872, under the supervision of Rev. J. E. Wood, state missionary, and soon after-perhaps the following year-Rev. P. W. Fuller, of Maine, became resident pastor. He lived on a homestead in North Reynolds.
"The Catholics a little later got into the field. The first services were held in May, 1869, conducted by Father Buh, in the home of Mr. Venewitz. In the fall of the same year a log church was built and soon after, in 1871, a frame church building was erected on the site of the present imposing structure. Rev. John Schenk was the first resident priest, beginning his work in the year 1874. He was a true type of the frontier priest, living contented in a plain, rough building with rude furniture. Many will remem- ber him as a man of austere bearing and little inclined to social life, but known to those who became acquainted with him to be quite companionable. He was studious and well educated. In 1876 the church numbered about one hundred and fifty families and was the place of worship for many Catho- lics living down the prairie towards the north as far as Moran brook. Many years ago the attendance was so large that on occasions of special interest, the members could not all be accommodated at one time in the church build- ing. There are now two Catholic churches in Browerville, one maintained by the Germans, the other by the Polish people of that vicinity. The Polish church edifice in that town, erected last year, is the finest structure of the kind in the county, with the Catholic church building in Long Prairie, second.
A VERSATILE PIONEER PASTOR.
"The Methodists were also early in evidence and it is probable they were the first in the field, although there are no records to prove this. Reverend Barkaloo preached about once a month in the Whiteville settlement, west of Long Prairie, as early as 1868 and perhaps earlier. He lived on a home- stead in Pope county, and held services in several places, traveling long dis- tances to meet his appointments. The Methodists of the county organized
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MORRISON AND TODD COUNTIES, MINNESOTA.
in 1870 and A. H. Reed was the first pastor. He then lived on a homestead in South Reynolds or Little Sauk and was also county surveyor for a time. He was followed by Rev. W. A. Putnam and afterward by A. A. Sutton, who held services not only in Long Prairie, but at different points up the river to the west. Rev. W. P. Fenlason came in 1875 and did pioneer religious work for two or three years, sometimes rustling his living at out- side work. He was on the log drive one spring on Partridge river and having been trained to the work as a boy in Maine, he surprised the lumber jacks when they put him in a perilous place to break a jam. When the boys found out he was no tenderfoot preacher, they made up a purse for him and sent him home.
"The United Brethren denomination was among the later of the pioneer churches, there being regular appointments in Hartford and in Grey Eagle in an early day. It may be said that this organization began in 1870, when the Sarff Brothers settled in Hartford and began to hold regular religious services before they had their houses built, holding meetings under the trees. They organized a class of a denomination known as Christian Union, an off-shoot of the Methodist Episcopal church, which is now extinct. When the eloquent Elder Tibbetts, of the United Brethren denomination, came up from Southern Minnesota he secured the merging of this class into one of the church he represented and the United Brethren denomination now has organized societies at Browerville, Hewitt, Grey Eagle, Clotho and Moran. In the early days Revs. Jacob and William Sarff preached regularly and worked on their farms at the same time. Among the pioneers of the United Brethren society were E. J. Reed, I. N. English, Reverend Cook and Rever- end Hankins.
FIRST SUNDAY SCHOOL ORGANIZED.
"Not connected with any denomination, but of equal importance, D. H. Mason deserves a place in the history of pioneer religious work. He was at the head of the organized Sunday school work. He was indefatigable in his work of organizing Sunday schools in all northern Minnesota, his first work in Todd county being done in the early seventies. Through his efforts, many Sunday schools of all denominations owe their inception. He continued his chosen work, always on the frontier, until a few years ago when his health gave way and he became insane. It is a curious fact that Rev. A. A. Sutton, who was, perhaps, Mr. Mason's most intimate friend at one time, also became insane about the year 1876.
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MORRISON AND TODD COUNTIES, MINNESOTA.
"The Lutherans probably have more organized churches in the county than any other denomination and very likely the largest membership. The writer cannot say when this society first made its appearance in the county, but perhaps it had its beginning in the Scandinavian settlements in Little Sauk, Gordon and Kandota. The German Lutherans had a church organiza- tion east of the village in 1875, when the genial Rev. W. F. Hitzmann first commenced his work. He remained in charge of the local church for about thirty-two years, until his health gave way and he removed to the southern part of the state in 1906. Rev. O. P. Ojen was also a pioneer Lutheran, having charge of the work in the town of Gordon and elsewhere in the Scandinavian settlements.
RURAL CHURCHES.
"The Free Methodist society has become a prominent factor as a relig- ious body in some parts of the county. Although it is not among the pioneer churches, it is doing work very similar to that of the first religious bodies. Its church buildings are all in the country districts and it is a part of the tenets of the church to avoid the influences of wealthy surroundings and worldly vanities. Among the evangelical churches the Free Methodists seem to be the most potent in keeping up religious interest in the sparsely settled country districts.
"Among the later post-pioneer churches might be mentioned what are known popularly as the German Methodists. They have flourishing churches at several points in Germania, Bertha and Iona. Like the Free Methodist this society is almost wholly in the country districts.
"The Christian church, or Disciples, have organized societies in Brower- ville and at Batavia, with preaching services about once each month, although in past years they have had resident pastors. They have church buildings at both points and have a zealous membership, which keeps up an interest in the Sunday school and church work."
LONG PRAIRIE METHODISM.
St. Peter's Methodist Episcopal church of Long Prairie, Todd county, was organized in the latter weeks of 1871. at a quarterly conference for the Long Prairie mission, Sauk Center district, when Peter Losey, Henry Reid, Horace Pierce, Alvah Sutton and Jacob Crouse, "trustees of the parsonage on said mission" were elected. This meeting was held at the Round Prairie
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MORRISON AND TODD COUNTIES, MINNESOTA.
school house and David Brooks was minister, with the presiding elder as chairman. On June 9, 1883, at a quarterly conference held at the Reynolds church, trustees were elected for the "First Methodist Episcopal church of Long Prairie" and for the "Methodist Episcopal church at Maple Hill."
But another record shows that prior to this a church had been organized. for at the Minnesota conference held on March 20, 1876, it is found that "Albert Allee, J. S. Mckay, Jeremiah Adams, Alonzo B. Curtis, and Thomas H. Shinneburger were elected to take charge of the estate and property of the Methodist Episcopal church at Long Prairie under the corporate name of the St. Peter's Methodist Episcopal church of Long Prairie. (Signed) E. R. Lathrop, presiding elder, and W. P. Fenlason (pastor), secretary."
On Monday, May 23, 1876, lot 9 in block 2, original town site was deeded to these trustees. On June 18, 1883, lot 10 in block 2, was deeded to the "board of trustees on condition that they agree to build a church during the summer and fall and to hold the same as a church lot."
The following have served as pastors at Long Prairie in this church : Revs. Alva Sutton, W. P. Fenlason, F. L. Post, J. S. Bouck, O. Barnett, J. S. Bean, H. C. Klingel, E. G. P. Sanderson, Doctor Williams, I. H. Snell, J. D. Deets, B. F. Kephart, E. H. Nicholson, George E. Tindall, C. W. Stark, Charles R. Oaten, E. R. Stevenson, H. A. Cleveland, F. J. Bryan, M. E. Hedding. The present pastor is Blaine Lambert.
The membership of the church in September, 1915, was about one hun- dred. The estimated value of church property was eight thousand dollars. The present building was remodeled from the former church and was doubled in its size in 1905, making a very neat bungalow style building, with leaded- glass windows and all finely furnished within.
It should be added concerning the interesting history of this church that its first building was the parsonage. The early preacher resided at Long Prairie and preached at five points, three of which were Bear Head, Long Prairie and Whiteville, the latter so called from the pioneer family name White, and the church was six miles to the west of Long Prairie. Rev. O. Burnett probably erected the church at Long Prairie in 1883 as well as one at Whiteville. The Methodist church at Reynolds was also a pioneer institution.
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