History of Rice County, including explorers and pioneers of Minnesota and outline history of the state of Minnesota, Part 100

Author: Neill, Edward D. (Edward Duffield), 1823-1893. 1n; Bryant, Charles S., 1808-1885. cn
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Minneapolis : Minnesota Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 626

USA > Minnesota > Rice County > History of Rice County, including explorers and pioneers of Minnesota and outline history of the state of Minnesota > Part 100

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At the town meeting in spring of 1882, the fol- lowing officers were elected: Supervisors, Patrick Sullivan, Chairman, John Quinlan, and Patrick Mangan; Town Clerk, Thomas Cummings; Jus- tices of Peace, Thomas Cummings and Andrew Devereux; Treasurer, Owen Farley; Constables, Edward Rouin and Thomas Carroll; Assessor, Michael Carroll. There is no town hall in Erin, and elections and town meetings are held at the residence of Michael Carroll.

FOWLERSVILLE POST-OFFICE

This office was established in 1856, with Bar- tholomew Foley as Postmaster, and the office at his house. In 1857, John Smith was appointed Postmaster and the office was removed to his house in section eighteen, where it remained for eight years, until Charles Cooke became Postmas- ter, when it was again changed and kept in Bern· ard Tague's house in section sixteen. Here it was kept for a short time when Edward Carroll was made Postmaster, and it was removed to his resi- dence in section eight. Four years later Edward

Kiernan was appointed to the office and the name changed, to be finally, in 1880, discontinued.

EDUCATIONAL.

In Erin we find rather less than the average number of school districts in the towns through- out the county, there being only five. The dis- tricts are all, however, efficiently managed, and the educational advantages here are at par with the general run of neighboring towns. The school buildings are neat and substantial, and the schools are well attended, employing one teacher in each district, a short sketch of which are given below.

DISTRICT No. 46 .- This was the first district organized in the township, having been effected about 1857, and a log schoolhouse rolled together in the southeastern part of section fifteen. The school grew rapidly, and in 1865, Miss Powers taught a term with thirty juveniles on the benches. In 1872, the old log schoolhouse was dispensed with and their present house erected near the center of section eleven, at a cost of $300, where Miss L. Dooley first distributed knowledge. The pressnt school officers are: Messrs. Daniel Cali- ahan, Patrick McEntee, and Edward Kiernan, respectively director, treasurer, and clerk. The last school was taught by Miss Anna L. Kiernan, with twenty-five scholars present. The land on which the schoolhouse stands was generously donated by Mr. Daniel Calihan.

DISTRICT No. 49 .- The first school in this dis- trict was taught in the summer of 1860, in the log house of Dennis Dooley, and Bridget Fitzger- ald first taught the young idea how to shoot. The first school board consisted of Messrs. Dooley, Coffey, and Mehan. In 1863, the schoolhouse was erected of logs in the eastern part of section thirty, the land being donated hy E. Clarken. The first school was attended by twelve pupils, and it has increased until there are now about twenty enrolled.

DISTRICT No. 68 .- First came into existence in 1858, when the first school was taught in the win- ter by Andrew Devereux in John Gorman's log house in section fifteen. Shortly afterwards Pat- rick Sheehan deeded the district one half an acre of ground in section eight and a log house was put up. This was about a half a mile north of the present site, to which it was removed in 1859. In 1873, the present frame building was erected at a cost of $400, on the same site in the southern part of section eight. The present

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HISTORY OF RICE COUNTY.

school board consists of Messrs P. Sheehan, B. Foley, and P. Cassidy; the school now enrolls about forty-two scholars.

DISTRICT No. 69 .- The first school in this dis- trict was taught in a log house on Anthony Kel- ly's land, in the summer of 1857, with Mrs. Ryen as teacher. The winter school was taught by Anthony Kelly in a little log hut that stood on the Warren place, the inhabitants having agreed that it should be held part of the time in one end, and the remainder of the time in the other end of the district. In 1859, the district was divided, and this obtains the original number. A log building was put up this year on the site of the present building, the school ground having been donated to the district by Andrew Kelly. This house was burned to the ground on the evening of election in 1870. It seems that on the day fol- lowing, E. J. Healy, now a merchant of Fari- bault, was to commence teaching a term of school having been hired by the school board under tlie bitter opposition of some of the residents and one member of the board, and the building was nu- doubtedly burned by some of the lawless to pre- vent the school being taught. In this design, however, they signally failed, for Mr. Healy went to work, plastered a log building on theMcCul- lough place, and two days after the fire, school was called to order in this building and kept for five months by the plucky teacher. At the time of reorganization this was a very large district, and the first school was attended by about twenty- five scholars. At present the register shows about twice that many enrolled, and the present officers are: Director, Patrick Mangan; Treasurer, B. Riley; and Clerk, H. Cummings.

DISTRICT No. 98 .- This district comprises as its territory portions of the townships of Erin and Forest, and its schoolhouse is located on the line between the two towns in section twenty-five. The district is in good standing, well attended, and ably managed, having been organized some time during the sixties. Their present school structure was erected at a cost of about $400, be- ing a neat frame building. .

BIOGRAPHICAL.

DANIEL CALIHAN was born in Ireland in 1823, and when young engaged in agricultural pur- suits. In 1851, he came to America and for five years resided in New York, engaged in brick making. He was married in that State in 1852,

to Miss Ann Simpson, a native of Ireland. For a time after leaving that place he was engaged in a stone quarry in Rock Island, Illinois, quarrying some of the stone for the first bridge built across the Mississippi. In the spring of 1856, he came to this county and located a farm in section eleven, Erin, which has since been his home. He has held local offices and has taken an active part in organizing the schools. He was in the army from 1864 until the close of the war, being with Sherman in his famous March to the Sea. Mr. and Mrs. Calihan have have had seven children, four living; Arba, aged twenty-nine years, is the wife of Thomas Cahill, clerk in the State House at St. Paul; Bessie, Miles, and Mary.

JAMES CUMMINGS was born in Ireland in 1806, and lived in his native country until 1846. He then came to America, landed in Quebec, Canada, and was engaged in railroading one year, then came to the States and followed the same business in Vermont two years. He carried on a farm for six years in Clinton county, New York, and then moved to St. Paul where he was engaged in the construction of the Catholic Church. Since 1856, he has been a resident of this place, he being one of the first six to settle here; his farm is located in section twenty-seven. He was married in his native land in 1845, to Miss Alice Kirk. They are both members of the Roman Catholic church in this place. They have had nine children, three of whom are living and at home; Thomas M., who is Justice of the Peace and Town Clerk; William H., aged twenty-four years, and Annie J., aged nineteen years; Mary died in Canada at the age of one year; Patrick died in Vermont when an infant, James died in Vermont at the age of two years, John died in this place when thirteen years old; James, second, died after coming here, and Ellen died in infancy.

EDWARD CLARKEN was born in 1825, in Ireland where he received his education and resided until twenty-two years old. After coming to America he located in Maryland and remained eight months, then in Virginia and engaged in rail- roading and mining for eight years. He was married in the latter place and his wife is a na- tive of Ireland. They have had ten children, nine of whom are living, eight at home and one in St. Paul. Mr. Clarken came with his family to this place in 1856, and has since made his home in section thirty, where he owns one hun-

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dred and sixty acres of land. He is a member of the school board and also of the Catholic church.

JOHN CORLEY was born in Ireland in 1842, and lived in his native country until the age of nine years. He emigrated to America with his par- ents in 1851, and located in Pittsburg, Pennsyl- vania, where he was educated and afterward taught school, remaining in the State sixteen years. His father died in the latter place, and in October, 1866, he and his mother came to Rice county, Minnesota, and located a farm in section thirty, Erin township, which is still their home. Mr. Corley was united in marriage at Shieldsville in 1869, to Miss Margaret Maloney, a native of Maine. She died on the 5th of September, 1870, aged twenty-two years, leaving one child, Mary Bertha, who died at the age of three months. He has been a member of the board of education for several years and is at present school treasurer. He and his mother, the only members of the fam- ily now living, are both members of the Roman Catholic church.

ANDREW DEVEREUX was born in County Wex- ford, Ireland, in 1836. The Devereux family are of Norman descent and have lived in Wex- ford, Ireland, for centuries. The father of the subject of this sketch, Patrick Devereux, was a farmer in good circumstances and emigrated to Canada in 1850, landed in Quebec, and after a so- journ of two days settled on a farm of two hun- dred acres, presented him by his brother William, about twelve miles from Prescott, upon which they lived five years. The family consisted of five children, Andrew being the eldest. The sec- ond, Robert, was shot and instantly killed while herding cattle in this place. The deed was done in November, 1861, by a villain named Lydon, and the death of Mr. Devereux was mourned by a large circle of friends. William, the third child, died in Ireland at the age of seven years; John, the fourth son, is still living and owns a farm in this township, his father living with him; Mary, the youngest and only daughter, married a man named Bernard Cassidy and lives in the city of Stockton, California. After a residence of five years in Canada Mr. Patrick Devereux returned the farm to his brother, sold out his effects and came to the States, settling in Iowa, twelve miles south of Dubuque. There Andrew commenced to shape his own fortune, working at farm lahor during summer months and attending school win-

ters. He remained with his father until August, 1856, when he came to Minnesota territory and after traveling over the greater portion of the State finally located in Erin, where he built a shanty and also made claims for several of his couutrymen. At the beginning of the winter he returned to his home in Iowa and commenced the study of surveying, which he completed in six months. He then came again to this place in company with his brother Robert, for whom he made a claim adjoining his own, and where, as previously mentioned, he lost his life. In the win- ter of 1857, Mr. Devereux taught the first term of school ever held in the township and the following summer worked as a deck hand on a Mississippi steamer. At the close of navigation he went south as far as Lake Providence in Louisiana where he acted as foreman for a contractor, repair- ing levees. The following summer he spent at his father's and in September, 1860, the whole family moved to Minnesota. Iu August, 1862, he en- listed in Company H, of the Tenth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry and was appointed duty Ser- geant. He spent part of the winter in camp at Swan Lake, Nicollet county, and from thence was sent to LeSueur to attend a military school taught by Lieut. Col. S. P. Jennison. In the spring of 1863, he joined Sibley's expedition and partici- pated in several engagements with the Indians, driving them across the Missouri River, but they soon returned, however. The regiment returned to Fort Snelling and then south, having their winter quarters at St. Louis where they remained six months, and in the spring of 1864, joined the First Brigade of the First Division of the Six- teenth Army Corps, commanded by Major Gen- eral A. J. Smith, and was engaged in all the bat- tles in which the division took part. He was hon- orably discharged at Fort Snelling in September, 1865, with the rank of First Sergeant, and imme- diately returned to his farm. On the 3d of June, 1866, Mr. Devereux was married to Miss Mary Cassidy and is now the father of six children; Robert, aged fifteen years; Margaret, thirteen; William F., eleven; Mary Jane, nine; Kate, five; and John B., fifteen months.

DENIS DOOLY was born in 1820, in Ireland, where he recieved his education and learned the carpenter trade. In 1842, he came to Canada, where he found employment at his trade and re- sided fourteen years. He was married there in

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HISTORY OF RICE COUNTY.

1843, to Miss Mary Allen, a native of Ireland. In September, 1856, Mr. Dooly became one of the pioneers of this place, locating a farm in section thirty-two, where he has since resided. He has · been a member of the school board for several terms, and always takes an active part in school matters. Mr. and Mrs. Dooly have had seven children, five of whom are living and all in this State; Patrick, thirty-five years of age; Mary Ann, thirty-two; Louisa, thirty; Daniel, twenty-eight, and Hattie, twenty-six. One child died in Canada and one in Shieldsville, Minnesota.

TIMOTHY P. FOLEY, a native of Minnesota, was born in Erin township in March, 1860. His father was born in county Cork, Ireland, and is of a very ancient family. He emigrated to America in 1845, landing in New York City where he worked at the stone mason trade two years, at the end of which time he engaged in agricultural pursuits for six years. He moved from New York to Iowa, and three years later he came to Minnesota and pre-empted land in this township. He returned to Iowa and married a young lady by the name of Donahoe, a native of county Wexford, Ireland. She is a lineal descendant of the O'Donahoes, formerly valiant Knights of Ireland, who upheld Christianity while in its infancy in that country, their gleaming swords finally establishing the Christian religion there. Mr. and Mrs. Foley moved to his new home in Minnesota and imme- diately began improvements on his farm and the surrounding country, petitioning for the first pub- lic road in the township. He established a Post office which he kept a number of years, and also held other local offices. Of a family of ten chil- dren, nine are living; Elizae, the eldest, is a dress- maker living in Minneapolis, aged twenty-four years; Timothy, twenty-two; Mary Ann, twenty; John,eighteen; Catherine,sixteen; Bridget, thirteen; Thomas, eleven; Bartholomew, nine; William, the youngest living, is six years of age, and Margaret E., the youngest of the family, died at the age of ten months. Timothy, the subject of this sketch, received a good common school education and is now engaged in farming.

THOMAS FLANIGAN, one of the early settlers of this township, was born in Ireland in 1823, reared on a farm and received a common school educa- tion there. In August, 1844, he came to America, was engaged in a tannery in New York City one year, after which he removed to Rhode Island and

was employed in a cotton factory in all its differ- ent departinents. While in that State he was married in May, 1848, to Miss Ellen Hughs, a na- tive of Ireland. In April, 1857, they came to Rice county and settled in this township in sec- tion thirty-three. He has a fine farm, well im- proved; has been chairman of the board of Super- visors several terms, a member of the school board, Justice of the Peace, and was Justice of the precinct at the organization of the town. Mr. and Mrs. Flanigan have had nine children, five of whom are living; Cilia, aged thirty years; Clarry, twenty-three; Eliza, twenty-one; Joseph, nine- teen, and Ella, seventeen. Three children died in Rhode Island and one in this place.

' ANTHONY M. KELLY, another of the early settlers of this place, was born in Ireland in 1814, and at- tended the common school in his native country. In May, 1840, he was married to Miss Judith Ganghan. Just five years later they came to America and located in Indiana where he was en- gaged in farming and surveying on railroads. He was subsequently employed as overseer in an asylum in Indianapolis. In 1856, they came to this place and located in section twenty-eight which is still their home. Mr. Kelly has been Justice of the Peace, Town Treasurer, Assessor, and a member of the school hoard, taking an ac- tive interest in all educational matters, having taught the first winter school in his district. Of ten children born to him, five are living; Bridget, born in 1845;Thomas M.,in 1850; Kate E.,in 1853; William A., in 1857; and Joseph P., in 1859; one daughter died in Ireland aged four years; John died in Indianapolis at the age of seven years; one in infancy; Philip and Mary Ann, in this place, of diphtheria. The family are all members of the Catholic church. Joseph P. was elected Justice of the Peace just as he attained his ma- jority.

WILLIAM KERROTT was born in February, 1810, and raised on a farm between Newry and Lough- brickland in county Down, Ireland. He received a fair business education in various private schools kept by itinerant teachers and assisted in all de- partments of farm labor until the age of seven- teen years. He then entered the employ of Wil- liam Francis Hart, Esq., his father's landlord, as under steward and gardener at Greenogue in county Dublin, discharging those duties five and a half years, until the death of his employer. He

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was afterward engaged as foreman and salesmau in Livingston's nursery and public gardens in the suburbs of the city, and later acquired the posi- tion of steward in a popular semiuary at Port Bella from which place he departed for Liverpool, England, on the 11th of May, 1835, and sailed for America the 18th of the same month. He landed in New York on the 24th of June and enjoyed the first 4th of July with friends in Albany. Coming westward by way of the Erie Canal he found em- ployment for some time in Rochester, and then engaged in the construction of new locks at Lock- port on the latter canal, thence to Canada and settled at the first lock on the Grand River, as- suming the duty of Deputy Collector, Lock-mas- ter, and section Superintendent on the first divis- ion of the said canal, discharging these duties for twenty years with marked success and satisfaction to the civil officers and directors. He was mar- ried on the 20th of May, 1839. On the 15th of May, 1856, they moved to Minnesota, and on the 9th of June following filed a claim in this town- ship. By his advice his parents' family followed him in the fall, coming in the steamer "Lady Franklin" which sunk causing the loss of all their effects and scattered the family of six boys and two girls to struggle for self-support. In March, 1858, Mr. Kerrott organized an election precinct in the town of Wheatland, and conducted the elec- tion; afterward organized the town of Erin and was its first Town Clerk. His wife, having a distaste for the privations and struggles of frontier life, made a visit to friends in Chicago where she died. In October, 1859, Mr. Kerrott went to New Orleans; in 1860, worked on levees at Lake Bolivar, Mis- sissippi; in 1861, was in Tunica county, thence north to Memphis and took passage for Colum- bus, Kentucky, landing under fire of the Rebels at Fort Pillow, where he acted with the sappers and miners for some time. He returned to Mem- phis and remained until it was occupied by Fed- eral troops, being present at the naval conflict be- fore the city surrendered. He was watchman of Government freight transportation and also Su- perintendent of a wood yard on Wolf Island. In 1866, he accepted employment at the National Cemetery on the M. & O. railroad but two years later returned to Minnesota and has since lived in this county always holding some office of trust- Town Clerk, Justice of the Peace, etc., every one of which was vacated on his own motion, having

no blot or stigma to stain the vista of fifty-seven years.

CHARLES McBRIDE, one of the first farmers to settle in this township, is a native of Ireland, born in 1812. He was married in 1830, to Sarah Mar- tin. Two years later they emigrated to America, located in Westchester county, New York, and re- mained in the State six years. They afterwards resided in New Jersey one year and in Iowa nine years, engaged in farming. In the spring of 1856, Mr. McBride came to Erin, bringing the first horse team in the township, and settled in section nine where he still lives. His wife died in 1858, and is buried in Shieldsville cemetery. She bore him eight children, seven of whom are living. He married his present wife, Miss Alesia McHall, a native of Ireland, in 1861. The result of this union is ten children, six of whom are living. His children all live in the State and six are at home. He and his wife are members of the Roman Catho- lic church. Mr. McBride took a very active part in organizing schools in an early day; he hired and paid the teacher who taught the first school in this township; has been a member of the board of supervisors and of the school board, each sever- al terms.

PATRICK MCENTEE was born in Ireland in 1844, and lived in his native country until 1852. He came with his parents to Virginia where he atten- ded school, completing his education, after coming to Minnesota, in St. Paul. The family settled in section twenty-four in this township in 1856, and our subject remained at home until 1869, when he was married to Miss Mary Ann Dooley, a native of Canada, the ceremony taking place in Shieldsville. The same year he moved to section ten which he still makes his home. He has been Chairman of the Board of Supervisors two terms, a member of the school board several terms and in 1880, took the census. His parents still live in this township, his father aged seventy-five years and his mother ten years younger. He has two brothers and two sisters in this place, one sister in St. Paul, and one in Chicago. Mr. and Mrs. McEntee have had seven children, three of whom are living; William, Patrick, and Agnes.

EDWARD RUINN was born in Canada in 1840, and his native place claimed him as a resident until the age of twenty-six. He was united in marriage in 1862, with Miss Catherine McKinna, a native of Ireland. They have a family of nine

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HISTORY OF RICE COUNTY.

children; Timothy, nineteen years of age; Pat- rick, seventeen; Catherine, fifteen; Julia Ann, thirteen; Mary, eleven; Margaret, nine; Louise, seven; Teresa, five, and Edward J., three, all living at home. Mr. Ruinn at present fills the office of Constable.

SYLVESTER SMITH, one of the first settlers iu this township, was born in 1814, in Ireland where he received his education. He came to America in 1842, located in Sullivan county, New York, and remained in that State ten years. He was mar- ried in New York City, in 1851, to Miss Sarah Brady, a native of Ireland. They resided in West

Virginia three years, then came to this place and settled in section twenty-five, which has since been their home. He has been a member of the school board several terms, and was one of the first to organize and maintain the school in this sec- tion, it being by subscription; has also been a member of the board of Supervisors two terms. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have had seven children, five of whom are living; John, Matthew, Julia, Mary, and Annie. Mary A., died in infancy in 1855, and was the first death in the township, and Sarah E. was drowned in the lake while bathing, in June, 1875.

NORTHFIELD.

CHAPTER LXV.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION-EARLY SETTLEMENT-ITEMS OF INTEREST-POLITICAL-WAR RECORD-SCHOOLS -INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISES-RELIGIOUS.

Northfield township is situated in the extreme northwestern portion of Rice county, adjoining Dakota county on the north, Goodhue county on the east, and contiguous to the townships of Bridgewater and Wheeling on the west and south; embracing as its area, including the city of North- field, forty-four sections of land, or 28,160 acres, almost all of which is under a high state of culti- vation, and admirably adapted to all agricultural purposes.

The surface of the township is varied and diver- sified. It is really a prairie town, smooth in places, but everywhere is noticeable the rolling tendency. As you approach the eastern line, along Prairie Creek, the land is more broken and hilly, covered with a heavy growth of timber. Here are many ledges of barren rock extending along the line of timber and prairie where it breaks its sur- face to make room for the stream. Along the en- . tire western and southern boundaries the surface is more broken and hilly, and as you retreat from these you enter the prairie land which is undulat- ing and beautiful. The soil on the prairie is a dark, rich loam, and in the timber, or in the hilly land, it is of a lighter color.

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History of Rice County, including explorers and pioneers of Minnesota and outline history of the state of Minnesota, Part 100

Author: Neill, Edward D. (Edward Duffield), 1823-1893. 1n; Bryant, Charles S., 1808-1885. cn Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Minneapolis : Minnesota Historical Co. Number of Pages: 626

Author: Neill, Edward D. (Edward Duffield), 1823-1893. 1n; Bryant, Charles S., 1808-1885. cn
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Minneapolis : Minnesota Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 626