History of Olmsted County, Minnesota, Part 6

Author: Joseph A. Leonard
Publication date: 1910
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 736

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The association failed to secure the location of the State fair here for the fall of 1883, but George W. Van Dusen backed it to the amount of $2,000, and a fair was held by the association six days in September, was favored with good weather, and was highly successful. Great credit was given to Secretary C. Van Campen for the result and to his work and his advertising was due, largely, the general success of the fairs during the ten years of his secre- taryship.

At the fair of 1885 there was a baby show at which the noses of the Olmsted county babies were put out of joint. A Winona baby took the first prize.

This fair was more successful than those that had preceded it and so pleased were the business men of Rochester with the outcome that they made presentations of a gold-headed ebony cane each to D. A. Morrison, the president of the association ; C. Van Campen, the secretary, and John T. La Due, the general manager.

In a baby show at the fair of 1886 there were twenty-five entries of darlings, including a pair of twins, and the prizes which were allotted upon ballots by the spectators were taken by Ralph Flick, Carlos Brannon, Baby Edson, Clara Nelson, a twin, and Leola Jones, of Rochester; David James Maxfield, Byron; Roy Ostrom. Douglass and Celia Devilliers, Winona.

In a baby show at the fair of 1887, there were forty-five entries. and the prizes were taken by Charley Martin, Baby Whited and George C. Van Duzen, of Rochester : Trixy Pendergrass and Viola Wadleigh, of Plainview ; Birdie Collins, of Pleasant Grove : Nellie E. Patchin, of Viola; Grace Robinson, of Douglass.

The great attraction of the fair of 1888 was the public wedding, in which the principals were Thomas J. Elford, of Douglass, and Miss Adeline Postier, of Kalmar township. The novelty had been most thoroughly advertised as the great feature of the fair, and many valuable household articles had been pledged to the couple by the merchants of Rochester. The identity of the couple was a well-kept secret till they appeared for the ceremony. A bridal pro-

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HISTORY OF OLMSTED COUNTY

cession, with a band, marched along the race track to the front of the grand stand, where, on a pavilion elegantly decorated with flowers, the knot was tied by the cooperation of three ministers of Rochester, Revs. W. H. McGlauflin, Universalist ; J. F. Taintor, Congregational, and F. B. Cowgill, Methodist. Clave W. Blakely and Edward F. Cook, of Rochester, officiated as best men, and the bridesmaids were ten Rochester little girls in white: Mabel Van Campen, Bessie Bamber, Edith Richardson, Minnie Borlton, Frances Bliss, June Streeter, Ruth Swasey, Matie Leonard, Clara Listoe and Hattie Gilbert. The wedding guests were all the specta- tors that could crowd on the grand stand, said to hold not less than 1,500, and hundreds of others massed on the race track. The dis- tinguished couple attended the theater that night and left after the performance for St. Paul. They resided in Kalmar and in Roch- ester till the fall of 1906, when, with their family, they removed to Oregon, where they are now living.

At the baby show at the same fair there were seventy-seven entries, and prizes were taken by babies Hazel Rollins, May E. McPike, William Buckholz and Harold Wadsworth Knapp, of Rochester ; Clarence Bassler. of Chicago; Ross W. Durham, of Chatfield ; Clarence W. Collins, of Plainview ; Lulu May De Villiers, of Winona, and Lulu Owen, of Oronoco.

The feature of the fair of 1890 was a barbecue. A fat steer was donated by A. T. Stebbins and George Baihly. Grimm Brothers. Fred Rommel and Peter Lind each gave two pigs, and the multi- tude were fed one day on barbecue sandwiches and coffee.

Another barbecue of a fat young steer donated by Dr. William Ormond, of Rochester township, and a baby show were the special- ties of the fair of 1897. Twenty-four babies competed for the beauty prizes, which were won by Don Goodrich, of Claremont ; Ruth Southwick, of Farmington township, and Vira Jones, of Eyota.

A road grader was offered as a premium for the township sell- ing the greatest number of admission tickets to the fair of 1898. Several towns competed, but the closest rivalry was between Rochester and Farmington townships, and Rochester got the grader, selling 1.134 tickets to 824 sold by Farmington.

The Fair Association and its friends conceived the idea that as the fairs were for the benefit of all the people, the fair grounds ought to be owned by the county and the county commissioners so far coincided with that view as to submit the question of pur- chase to a vote of the people of the county. A mortgage on the property and the premiums due to exhibitors amounted to $4,000, for which sum the association offered the grounds, which were valued at $8,000. The election was held December 5, 1899, and resulted in a decided defeat of the proposition. The total vote of the county was 2,256, of which 1.835 were against the purchase.

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The vote was very light, showing general indifference both in the county and in the city of Rochester. The city gave a majority of 187 for the proposition out of a total vote of 501, and the county wiped out that small majority. The voters were willing to go to a fair but not willing to pay a cent apiece in taxes to perpetuate it.

Fairs were held by the association every year and were gener- ally fine exhibits of the stock and products of the surrounding country and of manufactures of various kinds, and were largely attended, but were not pecuniarily profitable, and the association was running in debt and struggling to get from under the mort- gage on its grounds. Various plans were tried to relieve the em- barrassment, but all failed.

A race meeting held on the fair grounds four afternoons in Au- gust, 1900, was participated in by a number of the fastest horses in the Northwest. There was a band, numerous fakers, plenty of noise and a good attendance of horsemen, but the general attend- ance of spectators was not sufficient to make it a paying entertain- ment. Several attempts have been made at various times to get up race meetings on the Rochester grounds, but, though Rochester and Olmsted county have been well-known centers for the raising and training of fast horses, racing as such has not proved attractive to the public. The people of Rochester and a majority of the thrifty, economical farmers of the county are not so speculative as to risk their toil-earned money on the speed of horses' feet.

The failure of the race meeting exhausted the patience of the Fair Association and it was decided to sell the fair grounds and disband the association. The grounds were sold to William W. Ireland for $6,425 and the association went out of business.

The Olmsted county fairs, which were the best of their kind, are no more. and those great gatherings of the farmers are but a memory. They were of great benefit in developing an interest in agriculture, in the diversification of crops and improvement in the methods of farming, and the change to dairying and stock growing that took place during that period, in advertising the resources of southern Minnesota and in furnishing an occasion for the gather- ing once a year of the people, in itself a valuable social benefit.

The development of the State fair as a grand show for the benefit of St. Paul and Minneapolis, at the expense of the whole State and supported by liberal appropriations by the Legislature, composed of a decided majority of country members, has done much to deprive such rural counties as Olmsted of their natural advantages as agricultural show grounds.

During the years from 1866 that the fairs were kept up there was a great deal of attention given to the raising and training of fast horses. Training stables were established on the fair grounds, horsemen and buyers came from other localities, and thoroughbreds were imported, raised and sold and Rochester and the surround-

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HISTORY OF OLMSTED COUNTY

ing country acquired an established reputation as a fast horse region. Captain Heaney was prominent as a fancier and brought Kentucky horses here. The firm of Simonds & Clough, Isaac W. Simonds and Charles Merrill Clough, had Allie Gaines, Silas Wright and others; Graves Brothers, George and Albert H., who were from Connecticut and were liverymen, had a horse farm near the city and owned Star of the West, Alexander, Hamdallah, Col- bert and other fine horses; John Groesbeck had Lady Groesbeck and others, and James Hamlet Easton had Badge and others. The ownership of a youngster with a pedigree was about equivalent to the ownership now of an automobile, and most owners of good young horses thought them destined to develop great speed. The fast nags mentioned, and a number of others, were famous in their day and generation and many of their descendants are among the valuable steeds of the present day, but the glamour of the race track has vanished. With the financial collapse following the dull times of 1887 horses of all kinds became almost unsalable for a few years, and the raising of the aristocratic class ceased to be profit- able, and though the best of carriage and draft horses are still raised here at a profit, the champions of the track are scarce.

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THE COUNTY'S WAR RECORD.

T HE firing on Fort Sumter by the rebels, the 12th of April, 1861, was the opening of the War of the Rebellion, lasting through four of the most tragically eventful years of the nation's history-four long years, during which the war and its events were the daily life of the country. The State of Minne- sota sent more than half of its voting population to the war.

Olmsted county's war record was highly creditable to its patriot- ism. Governor Ramsey made the first tender of troops to Presi- dent Lincoln and Minnesota was called upon for one regiment, but such was the loyalty of its citizens that nearly two regiments volun- teered under the first call. The greatest enthusiasm in behalf of the Union was aroused throughout the county. Meetings were held, enlistments were volunteered and companies formed. Though the population of the county was but 12,000, it furnished during the four years of the war 1,250 volunteers.

The First Minnesota Regiment was, as was to be expected, raised chiefly in St. Paul and the larger and contiguous towns, and only a few individual enlistments in it were from Olmsted county. The first organized action in the county was in June, 1861, when Company B of the Second Regiment was recruited with William Markham, captain; Daniel Heaney, first lieutenant; Abram Har- kins, second lieutenant. The regiment did distinguished service. It was conspicuous in the battle of Mill Springs, one of the first Union victories, and at Chickamauga repulsed one of the most desperate rebel charges of the whole war.

At Mill Springs, Hyrcanus C. Reynolds and John B. Cooper, of Olmsted county, were killed, and Milo Crumb and Andrew Drieske mortally wounded. Captain Markham, Justus B. Chambers and John Etzell were also wounded.

At Chickamauga the Olmsted county killed were Curtis L. Cut- ting, Samuel D. Calvert, Ambrose H. Palmer, Samuel Taylor and Flavius J. Crabb, and John L. Kinney, A. V. Doty and Greenville Farrier were mortally wounded. Captain Harkins lost his arm. George A. Baker was captured and sent to Andersonville and Ash- ley W. Wood was captured and died while a prisoner. At Mission Ridge, Benjamin F. Talbot was killed.

Colonel George, at a reunion of the regiment several years after the war, said: "The Second never misunderstood an order, never charged the rebels without driving them, was never charged by the

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HISTORY OF OLMSTED COUNTY

rebels but the rebels were repulsed, and never retreated under the fire of the enemy."

Col. William Markham was born in the State of New York in 1824. He and his brother, Matthew Markham, were sailors off the coast of Alaska in 1842 and 1843. They left the ship and went to California in 1845, and on the breaking out of the Mexican war they shipped in a United States man-of-war. At the close of that struggle they were returned to the United States. The ship in which they served brought the first shipment of gold from Cali- fornia to New York. The brothers went to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and from there came to Rochester in 1858, where they engaged in bricklaying and building.

Colonel Markham passed through the battle of Mill Springs with distinguished coolness and gallantry, and resigned from the Second Regiment and was appointed major of the Ninth Regi- ment and became its lieutenant-colonel. He participated with his regiment in the severe fighting that characterized the battles of Guntown, Tupelo and Nashville. He served till the end of the war and everywhere deported himself as a good soldier and a brave man. He returned to Rochester and lived there about a year and removed to Kansas, where he died in October, 1866. He was a very intelligent man and in his social intercourse displayed much originality of character and a rare degree of companionableness.

Daniel Heaney was a native of the Isle of Man. He came to Rochester from Indiana in 1855 and became the chief clerk in the store of John R. Cook. He for a while was also part proprietor of a store at Durango, now New Haven. Not long after leading his company in the battle of Mill Springs he became adjutant to Colonel Van Cleve and was later commissioned as quartermaster and con- tinued in that service till the close of the war, when he returned to Rochester. He was an enthusiastic horseman and introduced the Kentucky stock in Olmsted county. He built Heaney's block, the largest store building in Rochester, and was chiefly instrumental in establishing the fair grounds and race track. He was liberal and generous and exceedingly popular. He met with financial reverses and is now living at the Minnesota Soldiers' Home.

Lieut. John L. Gaskill, who enlisted from High Forest in 1861, was promoted to second lieutenant in 1864 and served till the end of the war, when he returned to Olmsted county.

Samuel A. Miller enlisted in Company B, and in 1863 was trans- ferred to Company E, First Kentucky Light Artillery, and pro- moted from second lieutenant to captain. He was born in Ohio in 1840 and came with the family of his father, Lewis Miller. to Haverhill township in 1858 and moved to Rochester in 1860. He learned the trade of a painter. After the war he was twenty-three years a commercial traveler and has since lived in Rochester. He is now truant officer of the Board of Education.

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HISTORY OF OLMSTED COUNTY

Company K of the Third Regiment was recruited in November, 1861, and was composed largely of Olmsted county men. It was officered by Mark W. Clay, captain; James L. Hodges, first lieu- tenant; Cyrene H. Blakely, second lieutenant.

Captain Clay was discharged in December, 1862, and Lieutenant Hodges became captain. Eben North was promoted to second lieu- tenant in October, 1864, and afterwards to first lieutenant of Com- pany G.

In November, 1861, the regiment was sent to Louisville, and while there measles became epidemic in the regiment. Of Com- pany K, George W. Russell, James L. Bundy and Samuel Northrop died. After doing provost duty at Nashville they were sent to Murfreesboro. In July, 1862, the unfortunate surrender of the regiment by Colonel Lester to General Forrest took place. The of- ficers were taken South and the privates sent to McMinnville, Tennessee, and paroled. Captain Mills and Lieutenant Hodges es- caped and got into the Union lines after severe experiences.

The regiment after its return to St. Louis was engaged in the protection of the frontier against the Sioux in Minnesota and Da- kota and did gallant service. The regiment was again ordered South in November, 1863. and was in active service till the end of the war. in Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi, and acquitted itself creditably.

The following members of the Third Regiment from Olmsted county died in the service: Grover B. Lansing, Amos Lisher, John Bump, Alpheus W. Bulen, William J. Corpe, Joshua C. Hartshorn. Martin Webster, Ira Andrus, John J. Campbell, Sam- uel Crumb, Robert Fulton, Frederick Gilbert, Christian Mark, Ben- jamin K. Moren, Charles W. Moon, William F. Scott, Roswell Stanton, John Snyder, Henry Ward and Edward R. Williams. Charles H. Weston was drowned.

Capt. Mark W. Clay was a native of New Hampshire. At the age of sixteen he worked two years in a shoe factory and then be- came a bookkeeper in Boston. His health broke down and he came West. He located in Oronoco village in 1855 and opened a shoe shop, which developed into a store, and was in that business when he went into the army. On his return from the army he again went into the mercantile business and was successful. His frame store building burning down, he erected the brick store and hall which is the largest business house in the village. Among his other enterprises he issued a paper for more than a year, inventing and building his own cylinder press, the cylinder being an old roller from the flour mill. He was postmaster in 1861 and for several years after the war. He was chairman of the township super- visors and clerk and treasurer. He was a very active and enter- prising business man and popular socially. He removed to Hutch-

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inson, Minnesota, became prominent in Odd Fellowship, and was elected grand master of the State. He died several years ago. .

Capt. James L. Hodges was a farmer ; one of the early settlers of Marion township. He returned to Olmsted county after the war, but removed to Arkansas. He was of good education and ener- getic and active in local affairs.

Capt. Cyrenus H. Blakely was a native of Vermont, born in 1837. He came to Rochester in 1859 and was one of the publishers, with his brother David, of the Rochester Post. He was commissioned as captain and commissary. He returned to Rochester after the war, but removed to Chicago and established one of the largest printing establishments in that city. He died in 1898. He was an able business man and of fine social qualities.

Lieut. Eben North was one of the earliest settlers of Pleasant Grove township, being a farmer. He came from New England. He returned to Pleasant Grove after the war and was a farmer there for a number of years and moved, a few years ago, to Cali- fornia, where he is now living. He held the office of town super- visor in Pleasant Grove and was highly esteemed.

Dr. Elisha W. Cross was commissioned as assistant surgeon and was promoted to surgeon of the Fourth Minnesota Regiment. He was born in Vermont in 1828, graduated as a physician in 1851 and practiced in Vermont till 1860, when he came to Roches- ter and went into partnership with his brother, Dr. E. C. Cross. who had come two years before. They had a large practice. In his military service Dr. E. W. Cross was in the battles of Vicks- burg and Lookout Mountain and in the battle of Altoona, where Gen. Corse received the celebrated dispatch from Sherman, "Hold the fort. I am coming," and was in Sherman's march to the sea. After the war he returned to Rochester and resumed the practice of his profession. He was highly esteemed for his courtesy and kindness. He died in 1899, after suffering several years, from a spinal complaint.

Company H of the Sixth Regiment was recruited chiefly in Olmsted county in 1862. Its officers were: William K. Tattersall, captain; Samuel Geisinger, first lieutenant; William Brown, sec- ond lieutenant. Lieutenant Geisinger resigned in 1864 on account of disability and Second Lieutenant Brown was made first lieu- tenant and William M. Evans was promoted from sergeant to sec- ond lieutenant. The regiment's first service was in protecting the frontier against the Indians. In 1865 the regiment was sent to Helena, Arkansas, where it sustained many losses from sickness. It was next sent to St. Louis on provost duty, and from there to New Orleans and was engaged in the siege of Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely at the close of the war.

Among the members of the regiment lost by sickness were the following: Samuel L. Gibson, Morgan L. Bulen, Americus Bo-

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right, Daniel H. Crego, John Chappens, Daniel McArthur, David L. Humes, George H. Woodbury, Eliphalet Speed.

Lieut. Samuel Geisinger was a native of Canada, born in 1816. His family moved to Ohio in his early childhood. He received an academic education and at the age of twenty-four moved to Indi- ana, where he was a dry goods merchant twelve years and county treasurer five years. He came to Rochester in 1857, bringing a stock of clothing, and opened a store in a building on Broadway that he had built. After two years' service in the army he re- signed on account of disability and returned to Rochester and en- gaged in the drug business in partnership with F. A. Poole, and later with Angelo Newton. He was postmaster for about a year, from 1865. For several years he was proprietor of a large farm adjoining Rochester, but lived in the city. He was enterprising, public-spirited and a prominent member of the community. He died on Memorial day, 1896.

Lieut. William Brown was a native of Canada, but moved with his parents to the State of New York when two years old and lived there more than ten years, going from there to Wisconsin, where he was treasurer of the city of Ripon, and coming to Olmsted county in 1861, where he worked at his trade, blacksmithing. At the close of his service in the army he resumed his trade in Roches- ter, and, in 1867, was elected sheriff and served two terms, being one of the most popular officers the county ever had. In 1876 he engaged in farming in Cascade township and was very successful. He afterwards moved to Rochester, where he died in 1894. He was of unusual intelligence, of fine social qualities, of the highest honor and most popular.

In August, 1862, O. P. Stearns and Milton J. Daniels, of Roches- ter. secured, within a few days, 101 recruits, all from Olmsted county. They were mustered in at Fort Snelling as Company F of the Ninth Regiment, with A. M. Enoch as captain; O. P. Stearns. first lieutenant, and Milton J. Daniels, second lieutenant.

The regiment was kept in the State for the protection of the frontier against the Sioux Indians till the fall of 1863, when it was sent South.

Captain Enoch was accidentally shot through the breast and resigned. Lieutenant Stearns was commissioned colonel of a col- ored regiment and Lieutenant Daniels became captain of the com- pany, with A. M. Hall, first lieutenant, and A. J. McMillan, second lieutenant.

The company, as part of the celebrated Ninth Regiment, saw much hard service and achieved a great reputation. It had the misfortune of being in the disastrous battle of Guntown, where it acquitted itself with much credit. It shared in the splendid victory of Tupelo and had a conspicuous part in the gallant charges ending in the grand victories of Nashville.

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In the battle of Guntown, through the mismanagement of the commander, General Sturgis, many of the regiment were captured. We give the names and adventures of some from Olmsted county.

Lieut. Alfred M. Hall, of Farmington, sent to Andersonville and transferred to Macon, Georgia, and from there to Columbia, South Carolina. He escaped but was recaptured. He was discharged with his regiment. Francis J. Heller, of Rochester, taken to prison at Florence, Alabama. While in prison he stepped one side to hang up his blanket and was shot dead. Henry Niles, of Salem, was cap- tured and taken to Andersonville. He was transferred from there to Millen, Georgia. He escaped from there and was caught and sent to Florence. He was later exchanged and rejoined the regi- ment. Edwin H. Adams, of Salem, taken to Andersonville and transferred to Florence, where he died. John Burns, of Rochester, taken to Catawba, Alabama, prison, and afterwards exchanged. He is now living at Rochester. Syvert Ellefson, of Rock Dell, sent to Catawba, where he died of wounds received at Guntown. Elisha and Orlando Geer, of Pleasant Grove, both sent to Andersonville. Elisha was transferred to Florence, where he died. Orlando died at Andersonville. Henry H. Howard, of Elmira, taken to Cataw- ba. Exchanged and returned to the regiment. He is now living in Marion township. Andrew C. McCoy, of Salem, sent to An- dersonville. Exchanged and returned to the regiment and is now living in Salem. Alpheus Merritt, of Kalmar, taken to Florence. He escaped by climbing over the stockade, was recaptured and sent to the prison at Salisbury, North Carolina, where he died. Daniel McArthur, of Farmington, taken to Andersonville and transferred to Charleston. He escaped by jumping from the cars and was dis- charged with the regiment. Eli Ruch, of Stewartville, sent to An- dersonville. He was transferred to Millen and nothing further is known of him. Richard R. Radcliff, of Stewartville, sent to An- dersonville; transferred to Charleston and from there to Florence, where he died. George Saville, of Farmington, sent to Anderson- ville, and from there to Florence. During his imprisonment he bor- rowed an ax of a negro and it became mislaid. In punishment the negro was compelled to inflict thirty lashes on Saville's bare back and Saville to inflict the same on the negro. Saville was after- wards released from the prison and discharged with the regiment. William Williams, of Rochester township, sent to Andersonville and from there to Florence. He was ordered transferred to Flor- ence and when on the way jumped the train. He reached Fort Johnson within the Union lines after a week's cautious progress through the enemy's country. He was discharged with the regi- ment. He is now living in Rochester. Oliver C. Whipple, of Haverhill, sent to Andersonville, where he died. Hiram Brooks and Albert Holt, of Salem, taken to Andersonville, where they died. Jacob Dieter, of Farmington, sent to Andersonville. He was or-

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History of Olmsted County, Minnesota, Part 6

Author: Joseph A. Leonard Publication date: 1910 Publisher: Number of Pages: 736

Author: Joseph A. Leonard
Publication date: 1910
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 736