USA > Minnesota > Olmsted County > History of Olmsted County, Minnesota > Part 20
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72
The educational interests of the city have been well cared for, and that department of local government has kept well up with the city's growth and development in other respects. The first school was taught in the summer of 1856 by Miss Mary Walker. afterwards Mrs. L. B. Joslyn. S. G. Whiting and J. P. Gurr, while on a trip to Dubuque for merchandise, engaged here in Fillmore county and brought her with them. She taught in the log school house east of the river. From that time the public schools were kept up, but for about ten years under great disadvantages from the lack of suitable buildings. Rented rooms in the business part of the town and the basement of the old court house were made temporary tem- ples of learning. In 1860 C. F. Anderson, who had established the Rochester Literary and Classical School in 1858, was employed by the city to teach a public school in connection with his institution. He was a native of Sweden and a sailor, and came to New York and acquired an academic education. He came to Rochester about 1857. After teaching school he established a stationery and notion store, which he conducted till about 1884, and removed to Min- neapolis, where he practiced law. He died in August, 1904, aged about seventy-seven years. He was very energetic, well informed and quite eccentric.
In 1866 a tax of $25,000 for building a school house was voted with nine votes in opposition. Under this authority the site for the Central School building was purchased and its construction com- menced. It was completed in 1868. The building is in the center of a block of land on Zumbro street. 'It is of brick, of four stories and a high basement, and includes sixteen rooms and commodious hall. It has well proportioned rooms, is a very handsome building and was at the time of its erection equal to any school building in the state. It cost about $75,000.
Another election was held in 1875, at which 127 votes were cast for and only 14 against building ward school houses in the first and the third wards. They were built by Horace E. Horton and are handsome frame structures. The one in the first ward is named the Phelps School in honor of William F. Phelps, a prominent educator, at one time president of the Winona Normal School, and the one in the third ward is called the Northrop School for Cyrus Northrop, president of the State University.
Digitized by by Google
197
HISTORY OF OLMSTED COUNTY
A few years later a pretty two-story frame school building was erected in the southwest part of the city and named the Hawthorne in honor of the author of that name.
The last ward school house to be built is the Holmes, named for the celebrated author. It is a handsome two-story frame building on Fifth street east of the river. It was built in 1896.
By the year 1895 the increase of scholars had necessitated the finding of separate quarters for the High School and a building on Zumbro street that had been used as a business college by Dr. Darling was purchased and refitted and has been used for that pur- pose. It is a roomy and good looking two-story building, but the school has outgrown it and it is now understood that a new high school building will have to be erected within a year or two.
The first principal of the Central School was Miss M. C. Bate- man, from Lansing, Michigan. In 1868 W. P. Hood, from Red Wing, was appointed superintendent of the city schools. He served about two years. C. C. Curtiss, now of Minneapolis, served less than a year. Charles H. Roberts, of Geneva, Ohio, was superin- tendent from 1870 to 1878. He invented a school desk, engaged in the furniture business, taught in different places in the state and came back to Olmsted county and carried on a large farm in Marion township for the breeding of blooded horses. He was born in 1842 and died in September, 1907. He was grand master of the Order of United Workmen in 1883.
J. K. Davis, from Ann Arbor, Michigan, served two years as superintendent. He was followed by Henry O. Durkee, from La Crosse, who served about five years, and he by S. S. Parr, and he by Darius Steward. Edward Adams followed and after one year was succeeded by Frank D. Budlong, who entered the Episcopal ministry. In 1899 Lester S. Overholt came from Michigan, and is still superintendent.
There have been numerous private schools started in the city from time to time, but none has achieved real permanency, though several of them deserved it.
The first private school was taught by Mrs. Melissa Sloan Brown in 1856 and 1857, at her residence. She was a daughter of Wil- lard Sloan, who came to Rochester in 1856. She died in May, 1904, aged eighty-two years.
P. C. Compton moved a building from Lower Town in 1861 and fitted it up for the Rochester Academy. After about two years he was succeeded by O. S. Porter, who taught about a year and changed the school to a hotel-the Porter House.
The Rochester Seminary for Young Ladies was started in 1863 and conducted about a year by Mrs. Heman C. Green and Mrs. S. L. Baker.
The Rochester Seminary, a Methodist school, was established in
Digitized by Google
198
HISTORY OF OLMSTED COUNTY
1864 and conducted by Rev. J. L. Farber, and afterward by B. B. Herbert, who is now editor of the National Editorial Journal. It lived about two years.
The Rochester Female Institute was a Presbyterian school, estab- lished in 1864 by Mesdames M. R. Andrews and M. Rice. It survived a few years.
Pike's Normal School was started in 1866 by F. A. Pike. It lasted several terms.
The Rochester Training School was established by Sanford Niles and his wife, Priscilla Niles, in 1877. Horace H. Witherstine was at first associated with them. In a year its title was changed to Rochester English and Classical School. It was a successful school and it was continued until 1882, when it was succeeded, in 1883, by the Rochester Seminary and Normal School, conducted by E. W. Young, under the patronage of the Methodist church. The present high school building was erected for this school. It was continued several years. After its discontinuance the building was purchased for Darling's Business College and Phonographic Insti- tute, which was established in 1879 by Delbert Darling and William Brainerd. This was the longest lived of all the private schools. Mr. Brainerd retired from the school and it was continued by Mr. Darling seventeen years. He was a native of Wisconsin, born in 1853, and graduated at a business college. He was a practical educator and his school was the first in the city to teach the use of the typewriter. He was elected mayor in 1890 and served two terms. He moved to Fergus Falls in 1901 and died there in Octo- ber, 1902.
William Brainerd is one of the best known Olmsted county teachers. He was born in New York City in 1839, moved to Con- necticut and came from there to Rochester in 1867 and taught in various schools of the county. He has made a special study of geology and astronomy, and has lectured on the latter subject in different parts of the county. He is now a resident of Rochester.
The Industrial School was started in 1896 by George F. How- ard and James H. Chapman and was conducted by them till 1903, when W. D. Moffett, from Minneapolis, succeeded Mr. Chapman and formed a partnership with Martin A. Beatty and established the Rochester Business and Normal College. In about a year Mr. Moffett left, and the school was conducted by Mr. Beatty and Miss Kate Leonard as teacher of typewriting and stenography, and then by Mr. Beatty alone about a year longer.
Mr. Beatty is a native of Haverhill township, and taught several years in the district schools of the county. He moved to South Dakota, where he is now teaching. Miss Leonard is the daughter of J. A. Leonard, and is a resident of Rochester.
About 1899 Mrs. Grace Bear established a school for the teach-
Digitized b Google
199
HISTORY OF OLMSTED COUNTY
ing of typewriting and stenography, and built up a popular insti- tution, which she conducted about four years, when she sold out to Moffett & Chapman, and it was consolidated with their Business College.
Mrs. Bear was a daughter of A. D. Robinson and the wife of Joseph A. Bear. She is now a teacher of stenography at Los Angeles.
The only schools of Rochester now are the public schools, the Academy of Lourdes and the Lutheran Parochial School. Though the city and surrounding prosperous country would seem to have many youths to whom the public schools are unadapted, most efforts to supply that want have failed.
The first Rochester newspaper, the Olmsted County Journal, was started in the winter of 1857 by . Evans & Robbins, a couple of young men from Massachusetts. In 1858 it was bought by John H. Hyatt and Martin L. Stewart, and its name changed to the Free Press. Hyatt was afterward for years a landlord at Windom, in this State. In 1859 Fred A. Soule became the publisher and in about a year discontinued the paper. Later he moved to Chicago, where he died in July, 1894.
Charles Cottam, from Indiana, started the Rochester Democrat in September, 1857, and published it about two years. He went to Chicago and was employed as a printer in the office of the Times.
The first preaching in Rochester was in December, 1854, by an itinerant whose name is to fame unknown. He preached one night at McReady's and the next night at Head's. Robert Welch, who made a claim in 1855, adjoining the town on the north, and after- ward became a florist and gardener, was also a Free Will Baptist preacher and preached frequently. Reuben Reynolds, a Congre- gational minister from Michigan, made a claim north of the town and also preached. Thomas Tait, a baker from Scotland, and a Congregational minister, also preached. After the completion of the log public building, in the spring of 1856, it was used as a church, and Rev. Reynolds became the regular preacher, occasion- ally assisted by the others.
The first organization of a church seems to have been that of the Methodist Episcopal denomination. The first Methodist service was preached by Rev. Nelson Moon at the log house of James Crabb in South Rochester. At a conference held at Red Wing in July. 1856, the Oronoco mission was established, with Rev. Joshua M. Rodgers, from Indiana, as minister. The mission included Oronoco, Pine Island, Greenwood Prairie, Mantorville and Roch- ester. The first quarterly meeting was held February 14 and 15, 1857. In July, 1857, Rev. Rodgers was succeeded by Rev. S. N. Forest, who died at Rochester in the spring of 1857. The suc-
Digitized by by Google
200 .
HISTORY OF OLMSTED COUNTY
cessive ministers of the church since, most of them serving two years, have been: Reverends Phœbus, Ezra Tucker, G. W. T. Wright, W. A. Chambers, Norris Hobart, A. J. Nelson, Ezra R. Lathrop, Daniel Cobb, William C. Rice, H. P. Satchwell, J. Whisher, C. E. Cline, John Stafford, W. K. Marshall. F. B. Cowgill. Frank Doran, E. P. Robertson, George P. Avery and Ora A. Tay- lor, who came in 1903, and still is pastor of the church. Rev. Staf- ford, Rev. Cowgill and Rev. Avery each stayed three years.
Rev. Ezra R. Lathrop is a son of Junia Lathrop, who came from Indiana and located on a farm in Farmington township in 1855. Ezra was born in Indiana in 1831 and was admitted to the Min- nesota Conference in 1857. To attend the first quarterly meeting, held at Rochester in February, 1857, he walked through the deep snow from the farm, a distance of twelve miles. He was chaplain to the Tenth Minnesota Regiment in the War of the Rebellion, and was chaplain to the Minnesota house of representatives in 1870. He is now retired from labor and residing at Hastings, Minnesota.
Rev. William C. Rice was born in Illinois in 1840 and in 1856, with the family of his father, William R. Rice, settled on a farm in Cascade township. He worked on the farm and taught school, graduated from Hamlin University and was admitted to the minis- try in 1864. He was appointed to Rochester in 1870 and was for eight years alternately pastor at Rochester and presiding elder, residing at Rochester. His health failing, he spent a few years in farming, and was for a year editor of the Rochester Post. He resumed the ministerial profession and has filled various appoint- ments. Besides being a preacher of unusual ability, he has supe- rior business qualifications and a range of knowledge of worldly matters not generally possessed by members of his profession. He is now living at Fergus Falls and is not in active service.
Fev. Frank Doran, who was stationed here seven years, from 1896 to 1903, and is now in Winona, was a very eloquent speaker, and the best mixer of any minister in the city, being equally friendly and popular with the unregenerate outside the church and the saints of the amen corner. The degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred on him by Hamlin University during his pastorate at Rochester.
A frame building intended as a chapel was built in 1858, but was too small for services and was made a parsonage. The foundation of the present large church was laid in the fall of 1864. It was badly damaged by the cyclone of 1883, but has been restored and much enlarged since and greatly improved.
The semi-centennial anniversary of the founding of the church was held in September, 1907, lasting three days, with meetings of the church and a banquet at German Library Hall on the night of the 14th instant. The large hall was crowded and an elegant repast
Digitized by Google
201
HISTORY OF OLMSTED COUNTY
was served by the ladies of the church. John C. Crabb was toast- master, and a history of the church was read by P. L. Dansing- burg: reminiscences of early Rochester were given by J. A. Leon- ard, and addresses were made by Dr. W. W. Mayo, E. A. Knowl- ton and W. H. Dodge. Homer Steadman spoke in behalf of the Baptist church, W. H. Knapp in behalf of the Congregational church, Dr. Christopher Graham in behalf of the Episcopal church, Archie P. Gove in behalf of the Presbyterian church, C. E. Calla- ghan in behalf of the Universalist church, and Martin Heffron in behalf of the Catholic church. A. W. Blakely spoke for the press of the city, John M. Rowley for the Masonic lodge, and Matthew Markham for the Odd Fellows. Presiding Elder F. M. Rule and Rev. W. C. Rice and Rev. Frank Doran, former pastors of the church, were called on and made brief remarks. The speak- ing concluded with a response by Rev. Ora W. Taylor, the pastor of the church, which was one of the most eloquent addresses ever delivered in Rochester. On Sunday able sermons were delivered by the former pastors, Rev. Frank Doran and Rev. W. C. Rice.
Dr. Cornelius S. Younglove came to Rochester from Dixon, Illinois, in 1856. He was born in the State of New York in 1824. He was an educated and skilful physician, highly respected, and had a large practice. He removed to California on account of his health in 1891, and died there in 1906.
The pioneer brick mason was Thomas Ireland, from New York State, who came in 1856, laid the first brick in a chimney, and was for years the leading mason, building and plastering a number of the large brick buildings first erected, such as Heaney's Block and Cook's Hotel. He moved to Appleton, Minnesota, about 1870, and died there a few years ago.
Granville Woodworth, a carpenter, came to Rochester in 1857. He was born in the State of New York in 1832, moved to Janes- ville, Wisconsin, in 1855 and came from there to Rochester. His skill as a workman brought him the best jobs in the new town, and he became a leading contractor, and built most of the best build- ings, among them Cook's Hotel, portions of the State Hospital, the jail, Heaney's Block, the Universalist church, Blake's resi- dence and his own very handsome home. About 1889 he suc- ceeded to the grain and coal business of Samuel Whitten. He was twice elected alderman and was several years a member of the cemetery board. He died in August, 1904, about three years after he had retired from business. He was very liberal and unostenta- tiously benevolent : For instance, at the time of the cyclone he quietly handed to Henry M. Richardson $200 and told him to use it where needed and say nothing about it. He has many other deeds of charity charged to his credit wherever those accounts are kept.
Digitized by Google
202
HISTORY OF OLMSTED COUNTY
The Baptist church was started in the log house in East Roches- ter in June, 1857, at a meeting of which J. P. Gove was chairman and C. F. Anderson clerk. A church organization was effected in August of the same year. Rev. E. Wescott was the first pastor. It was the first church to build a place of worship, erecting, in the spring of 1858, a small wooden meeting house, at a cost of $1,200, on a lot on Zumbro street, near the river. It was painted yellow and was decidedly unattractive in appearance. Its site is now crossed by the track of the Chicago Great Western Railroad, and the Sunday excursion trains of that wicked road now run over the ground where Elder Westcott preached against the sin of Sabbath- breaking. The baptisms were performed, until the new church was built, in the river near the church.
At noon on a Sunday, on one of those spring days at the break- ing up of winter, when the sun shines bright and the air has a shiv- ery chilliness, my attention was attracted by a crowd at the river, and, going there, I found Norton C. Younglove and Milton J. Daniels standing on opposite banks of the river, each armed with a board, with which they were pushing aside the floating cakes of ice to clear a space for the immersion of some half a dozen men and young women. On the erection of the new church, a baptistry was built in the church, making a compliance with the creed more com- fortable for the believers.
In 1860 Rev. Westcott resigned and moved to Dodge Center, where he died a few years ago. He was succeeded by a young man, Rev. D. A. Mason, who stayed till 1868. He was succeeded by Rev. L. A. Abbott, who stayed till 1872, and in 1873 was suc- ceeded by Rev. R. Telford, who was succeeded in 1874 by Rev. C. H. Remington, who was succeeded in 1877 by Rev. R. W. Arnold, who resigned in 1882. He was followed in 1883 by Rev. D. D. Read, who stayed till 1886, and was succeeded in 1887 by Rev. J. A. Heritage, who was pastor from March to September. Rev. E. R. Pope came in 1887 and left in 1894. Rev. W. H. Davenport's term of service was from 1894 to 1895, and Rev. A. O. Stevens' from 1896 to 1897. Rev. F. P. Leach came in 1897 and left in 1900. Rev. F. C. Whitney stayed from 1900 to 1907. Rev. G. H. Gamble, who is the present pastor, came from Minneapolis in April, 1907. The present membership of the church is 330.
A new church building was erected in 1870 and dedicated Janu- ary 1, 1871. It is a large and tasteful brick edifice, on the corner of Franklin and Fourth streets, and cost $16,500.
The church celebrated the semi-centennial of its organization in September, 1907, by holding a series of meetings every night, commencing on Wednesday, the 17th instant, and continuing all day Sunday. An address of welcome was delivered by Rev. G. H. Gamble, and greetings were extended from pastors of other of the
Digitized by Google
203
HISTORY OF OLMSTED COUNTY
city churches. The history of the Sunday school was read by Mrs. Ida Churchill, and of the church by Mrs. H. W. Garrett, and ad- dresses were made by Rev. E. R. Pope, the church's pastor from 1887 to 1894.
George Baihly was the pioneer butcher. He was born in Ger- many in 1837, came to America in 1854 and to Rochester in 1857. He started business in partnership with William Black, but soon did business alone, starting in 1858 in a shanty north of the American house and next putting up a small frame building on Broadway. This was followed in 1870 by the two-story brick building, still oc- cupied as the Baihly meat market, which was one of the best build- ings erected in the city up to that time. He was a large buyer of cattle for the eastern markets and had dealings with nearly every farmer for miles around. He was considered the best judge of cat- tle in the region, was of unusual industry and enterprise and very prosperous in his business. He served two terms as alderman. He died in July. 1895. The business is now conducted by his sons, Ralph and Walter, who are equally successful in its management. His son Arthur is successfully engaged in the same business in partnership with Frank Rommell.
The grocery store of De Wolf & Hawes was established in 1857. F. Marion Hawes was from Whitewater, Wisconsin, and was a wide-awake. social young man. He went to St. Louis and from there to Chicago, and was engaged in the insurance business. Mr. De Wolf formed a partnership with N. N. Hammond. He was for several years a grain buyer and was postmaster under President Cleveland and filled the office with the greatest public satisfaction. He came to Rochester from the State of New York. He died November 29, 1907, aged eighty-six years.
Dr. Edwin C. Cross came to Rochester in 1858. He was born in Vermont in 1824, was educated in an academy, attended medical lectures at Dartmouth and Andover colleges and graduated at Cas- tleton. He practiced in Massachusetts and Vermont before coming West. He did a large practice here. being part of the time in partnership with his brother, Elisha W. On the 4th of July, 1894, he was driving a span of spirited young horses in Rochester, when they were frightened by a fire cracker, ran and became uncontrolla- ble, throwing him out of the carriage and breaking his thigh, which resulted in his death within a few days.
His son, Dr. John Grosvenor Cross, after practicing the pro- fession a few years in Rochester and taking a post-graduate course in Vienna, moved to Minneapolis, where he is now practicing.
The pioneer hardware store was built on Broadway by Horace A. Brown in 1856. He was a tinsmith, born in New York State in 1832, went to Illinois in 1856 and came from there to Rochester. In 1872 he sold his hardware business to A. T. Stebbins and en- gaged in the milling business with Mrs. Ameigh, which he retired
Digitized by Google
204
HISTORY OF OLMSTED COUNTY
from about five years ago and has since been spending his summers in Rochester and the winters in Florida, and is still an active man.
One of the early merchants was Heman C. Green, a native of New York State, born in 1831. He was a surveyor and came from Missouri in 1856 and engaged in the grocery business in partner- ship with a Mr. Sherman. He married a daughter of Mrs. Baker, the postmistress. In 1870 they moved to South Dakota, and have recently celebrated their golden wedding at Mitchell, where they were the original settlers.
Franklin A. Poole came to Rochester in 1857, from Dubuque. He is a native of Ohio, born in 1834. He was sent here by a Dubuque firm to make a settlement with Sherman & Green, grocers, whose business was wound up. He was clerk in the postoffice for Mrs. Baker, and afterward for John W. Everstine, and then was employed in the drug store of John D. Ameigh, who died in 1863, at the age of twenty-eight years.
In 1863 Mr. Poole became a partner with Henry B. Upman in the drug business, and has continued in that business ever since. He removed to Red Wing and lived there six years, but came back to Rochester, is still conducting a drug store, and is one of the most respected business men.
Rochester Lodge, No. 21, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, was organized in August, 1857. The first officers were: Worship- ful master, L. H. Kelley; senior warden, Charles C. Jones; junior warden, J. W. Williams; secretary, David Lesuer; treasurer, Abraham Ozmun; senior deacon, Edwin C. Dorr; junior deacon, C. D. Houghton : tyler, Peter Cassiday. The first meetings were held in Lesuer Hall, a little low second-story room over Lesuer's store. It was part of the time used by day as a millinery shop, and the brethren had to move the feminine paraphernalia out of their way before opening lodge. A lodge room was afterward fitted up over the Free Press office, at the corner of Broadway and Fourth street, and still later, in 1864, commodious rooms were built by the lodge in the upper story of the Graham Block, at the corner of Broadway and Zumbro street. The present Masonic Temple at the corner of Zumbro and Main streets was completed and dedicated in January, 1901. It is a large and handsome three-story brick structure, with the first story occupied by the offices of Drs. Mayo, Stinchfield and Graham and the drug store of Webber & Heintz, the second story by the lodge room and banquet and reception rooms, and the third story by an ample public hall. It constitutes elegant Masonic headquarters. The lodge now has 175 members.
A golden jubilee of the lodge was held on the 23d of August, 1907, in the Masonic Temple, in celebration of the semi-centennial anniversary of its organization in 1857.
The exercises consisted of a meeting of the lodge in the after-
Digitized Google
205
HISTORY OF OLMSTED COUNTY
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.