USA > Minnesota > Rice County > History of Rice County, including explorers and pioneers of Minnesota and outline history of the state of Minnesota > Part 54
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RICE COUNTY JOURNAL .- This is a leading newspaper in the county, published in Northfield. It was first established in 1872, by C. A. Wheaton. It was at first independent, and claimed to be the organ of no individual, clique, or ring, and was a neatly printed eight column folio, ably edited and well managed. Mr. Wheaton died in 1882. It is now published by Wheaton & Pierce, Mr. Pierce, being the editor-in-chief. The paper is now a well printed nine column folio.
DUNDAS NEWS .- This was started on the 4thi of November, 1876, by Henry E. Lawrence, the for- mer publisher of the "Monday Morning News" in Minneapolis. This was published for three years, when it was removed and became "THE NORTH- FIELD NEWS," the first number of which was is- sned on the Ist of November, 1879; Henry E. Law- rence, editor and proprietor. It is an eight column folio, well printed and well edited.
MORRISTOWN ENTERPRISE .- On the 27th of July, 1967, the Morristown Enterprise Company printed the first number of this paper. The geu- tlemen interested in the publication were J. N. Powers, C. W. Howe, and H. L. Howe. J. N. Powers was editor and publisher. It was issued on Thursday of each week at $1.50 per annum. In size it was 10x13 inches, with ten three-column pages, and was stitched by a New American machine. The company published but three papers, when it was bought by J. N. Powers, and he continued it until the winter of 1877, when he went to Waterville.
MORRISTOWN MESSENGER .-- In 1878, H. S. Bar- low published a five column paper, 14x24 inches, ou a wooden press made by himself. This was issued on Tuesdays. In a few months S. B. Coe bought an interest in the establishment and Bar- low left. In 1879, Mr. Coe sold to A. E. Verity, having changed the name to the "CANNON VALLEY MESSENGER," which was published several months, when it fell a victim to one of the fatal diseases which afflict newspaperdom.
As to one of the Morristown papers, we insert the following extract from a neighboring paper which is its own explanation:
"A RICE COUNTY JOURNALIST.
A correspondent of a Missouri paper writing from Morristown, this county, speaks as follows
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concerning the office and proprietor of the Mes- senger, published at that place, and we challenge the entire State to produce another sncli instance of grit, genius, and native abilty :
There is a small paper published here, called
THE MESSENGER,
which has a good circulation, and is certainly an illustration of success under difficulties. I spent this forenoon in the printing office, and the sight of it is worth a visit to Minnesota, for it has no equal in the world. There is not more than fifty dollars worth of material in the office, and its two presses were made by its proprietor, Mr. J. L. Barlow, whose only tools consisted of a hatchet, hand-saw, and jack-plane. They are built en- tirely of wood, with the exception of the levers and two iron rods, and their appearance is indis- cribable, yet they do good work. The mantle of Faust must certainly have fallen on Barlow. He is not only a printer and mechanic, but a photo- graphic artist as well, and Morristown may well boast of a sort of universal genius."
OTHER PUBLICATIONS.
A little book entitled "A brief circular relating to Rice county, Minnesota, showing its resources, advantages, and the inducements it offers to those seeking homes in the West," was published in 1860 by Holley & Brown, and edited by C. Williams. It was a neat little pamphlet and well calculated to serve the purpose for which it was intended.
A county map was published in the early winter of 1873, by W. M. Lawrence, of Dundas.
In 1878, a large wall map, representing each farm with the ownership, and being complete in all respects, was published by Warner & Foote, of Red Wing.
In 1868, Mr. F. W. Frink published "A Record of Rice county, Minnesota, being a review of the settlement, growth and prosperity of the county, and a brief description of its towns and villages." It was neatly printed at the "Central Republican" office, and was a book of thirty-two pages. In 1871, an appendix was added and a new edition published. It was a valuable little work, Mr. Frink being one of the earliest settlers, and most of the time in public life, intimately associated with county affairs, was admirably qualified to prepare such a book.
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HISTORY OF RICE COUNTY.
RAILROADS.
MINNEAPOLIS & CEDAR VALLEY RAILROAD .- The seventh Territorial Legislature of Minnesota granted a charter, which was approved on the first of March, 1856, for a railroad from the Iowa State line, near where the Red Cedar crosses it, and thence up the Cedar valley, along the Straight River valley, and through the "big woods" to Minneapolis, a distance of 100 miles. Gen. H. H. Sibley, of Mendota, Gen. James Shields, of Faribault, Franklin Steele, of Fort Snelling, F. Pettitt, and Judge Alanson B. Vaughan were named as commissioners to open subscription books and to make arrangements for the perma nent organization of the company at Faribault, This, according to the act, must be done previous to the first of March, 1857. These gentlemen suc- ceeded in securing stock subscriptions to the amount of $200,000, and a preliminary meeting was held at the office of Shields & Mccutchen on Wednesday evening, the 28th of January, 1856 and a resolution was entertained to call a meeting of citizens to see how materially they were inter- ested in the project. In response to the invitation the meeting took place in Crump's Hall, which was crowded. Dr. Charles Jewett, who had been a great apostle of temperance in New England for years, but who now resided here, was called to preside, and R. A. Mott was appointed secretary. Stirring speeches were made by the President of the meeting, by Hon. M. L. Noble, by Messrs. Peat and Conover, from Iowa, agents of the Cedar Valley Railroad, and others. A letter was read from Gen. Shields, who was in Washington, with gratifying assurances that a wealthy company stood ready to to build the road, and that it would be promptly built no one in town allowed himself to doubt.
In 1862, an act of Congress was secured to facilitate the construction of the Minnesota & Cedar Valley Railroad. In 1864, the nearest place to the cars was at Rochester, and a stage route was arranged to connect there.
The railroad passed through various vicissitudes which it seems unnecessary to recapitulate, and it finally became the Minnesota Railway Company, and under this name reached Northfield in Sep- tember, 1865, and finally, Faribault, and so on to its southern connections, and at last became ab- sorbed in the great Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Panl Railway Company.
It is now a part of that great railway system, with its more than four thousand miles of track. The service is regular, with morning, evening, and mid-day trains in both directions, and ample freight accommodations.
The railroad, as it is laid through the county, is a north and south line, having connections at Owatonna and Ramsey, with east and west lines, and also at Farmington, in Dakota county, and a road is building from the west to intersect at Faribault, and running near the present line to Northfield, and thence east to Red Wing by the way of Cannon Falls. From St. Paul and Minne- apolis the road comes down to enter the county near the northwest corner of the town of North- field, where it strikes near the Cannon River which it follows, not very faithfully however, as it is sometimes three miles away, until reaching Fari- bault, it crosses this stream west of the center of the town, and then in a like manner takes up the companionship of the Straight River to leave the county east of the center of the southern boundary. In its course it passes through or touches the towns of Bridgewater, Cannon City, Wells, Warsaw, and Walcott, as well as Northfield, already mentioned. The stations in the county are Northfield, Dundas, and Faribault.
In 1871, there was considerable talk and pre- liminary work on a railroad scheme called the Green Bay, Wabashaw & Faribault Railroad Com- pany. The idea was to connect this part of the country with the Mississippi and great lakes direct. The road got so far as to appear on some of the maps, which is much further than many another railroad scheme has progressed, where there was quite as much noise.
CANNON VALLEY RAILROAD COMPANY .- This company is really one of the oldest in the State, as it is the same corporation that was chartered in May, 1857, under the name of the Minnesota Cen- tral Railroad. The route was to be from Red Wing to the Missouri River. Additional acts and amendments have been passed at various times al- most every year since. In 1867, it was arranged that the road should go from Red Wing via Can-
non Falls, Faribault, and Blue Earth, to the sonthern boundary of the State. The capital was at first fixed at $5,000,000. In June, 1872, Con- gress passed an act to permit a railroad bridge across the Mississippi at Red Wing, and the State of Wisconsin had the necessary legislation for a
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RAILROADS.
connection with roads in that State. This was a land grant road, and the chartered rights included the improvement of the Cannon River. Various contending interests and arrangements by old es- tablished lines with each other conspired to pre- vent the construction of the line, the name of which had been changed, as well as the plans, as to the location. But a complete history of this and other roads that have been projected would make a large book, and we can only allude to what has actually been done. At last the men who were interested in this line were no longer to be beguiled by promises and in the winter of 1881- '82, the company was reorganized under the name of the Cannon Valley Railroad. The capital was fixed at $800,000 in shares of $50 each. The in- corporators , were A. B. Stickney, William Eli Bramball. Conrad Gotzian, William B. Dcan, R. G. Deathe, Joel May, and J. C. Pierce. It was re- solved to build the road, and the Legislature in a special act having authorized the everal towns and cities along the route to furnish aid, the fol- lowing in this county voted the sums severally set against their names: Morristown, $10,000; Fari- bault, $50,000; Northfield, $10,000; Cannon Falls also voted $10,000, and Red Wing $50,000.
In May, 1882, grading was commenced at sev- eral points, and the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Company, seeing that a rival line was build- iug, backed up by a powerful rival company with Chicago and western connections, at once made a survey practically over the same route, and put on a large force of workmen to complete a line before this new company could possibly do it. The position occupied by this line is said to be a sort of neutral ground by a common under- standing between the "Northwestern" and the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul companies. As this work goes to the printer, the following account from the "papers" will reveal the status of the case :
"NORTHFIELD, July 10 .- The excitement over the railroad war in this city reached a climax yes- terday, when the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul road, in order to cross the Waterford wagon road, worked their tracklayers all day. The officers of the company claim they did it be- cause the travel is light on Sunday and the public would be less inconvenienced. The sit- nation now is about as follows: Both com- panies have large crews of graders at work all
along the line between this place and Red Wing. Their lines cross each other in four different places. Work is being pushed and it looks very much as though both roads would be built. Gen. Supt. Clark, Asst. Gen. Supt. C. H. Prior, Attor- neys Flandreau, Wegg, and A. D. La Due came to Northfield to-day for the purpose of looking over the situation of affairs and to inquire into the legal aspect of the case. They make the fol- lowing statement: In no case has the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul road located a mile of track on the located line of the Cannon Valley railroad. They say the Cannon Valley made the first pre- liminary survey, and the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul the first permanent location. After the latter company located their line, the Cannon Valley changed their preliminary survey in several places and planted their stakes within a few feet of the located line of the other road. The Milwaukee road claims that the law allows the right of way to the first permanently located line. Friday, an injunction was served on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul by the Cannon Valley railroad, and it is understood from good authority that they will make a motion to have it removed to the United States court. It is reported that the Cannon Val- ley company have changed their line in the city limits and will run nearer the river than the new track laid by the other road.
The Milwaukee road has either brought or served notices of suits for condemnation of a right of way from Cannon Falls to Red Wing.
A survey is being made by the Chicago, Mil- waukee & St. Paul road for a road between Fari- bault and Waterville, which survey will be con- tiuned in the towns on the Minnesota River. This is to retaliate for the movements into their terri- tory.
The Cannon Valley road have surveyed a line from Red Wing to Cannon Falls on the south side of the river, crossing the river half a mile below the town, and crossing the other road just east of the depot.
NEWS VIA MILWAUKEE.
MILWAUKEE, July 10 .- Engineer Sheldon, of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul road, left for Cannon Falls, Minn., to-day, where he will take charge of the surveyors at work on the branch. Reports from the latter place, as well as from differ- ent points along the projected line, are to the effect that both the Cannon Valley and the Mil-
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HISTORY OF RICE COUNTY.
waukee roads are making strenuous efforts to secure the right of way along their parallel routes. The Cannon Valley officials, at last report, had even gone so far as to institute an action against the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul company. Nevertheless the work near Northfield is being pushed rapidly forward by both companies. The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul has a large force of men laying rails as rapidly as the grading will permit. The Cannon Valley has already let con- tracts for the grading of its road from Northfield to Dundas. The Milwaukee officials here claim that the road to Red Wing will be in operation January 1, 1883.
It is certain in any case that the Cannon Valley company will build that road."
EDUCATIONAL.
The first school opened in the county, as far as we are able to learn, was kept by Edward J. Crump. Mr. A. Faribault and Luke Hnlett fur- nished most if not all of the children to attend. This was in the winter of 1853. Accounts of the early efforts to establish schools in several towns are given here as a sample of the early methods, and how soon the teachers and scholars adapted themselves to their surroundings, and how faith- fully they pursued the paths leading to knowledge. No attempt is made to cover all that was done at that time.
In the spring and summer of 1857, there were three private schools opened in Faribault, one kept by Mrs. Dunning and daughter in a room west of the land office, one by Miss Tuttle in Crump's Hall, and the other by Miss Haskins in the house of Col. Stevens. This was just before the public school building was completed, which the citizens so commendably began at such an early day.
Miss H. G. Fisk, of Warner, New Hampshire, opened a select school in the room which had been occupied by Miss Dunn. Miss Mary A. Fisk taught music in the summer of 1857.
In September, 1857, Miss Parish, of Vermont, opened a select school in Faribault.
School district No. 6 had a schoolhouse, 26x32 feet, and sixty scholars. Richard Hoodland was teacher.
District No. 7 was set off from No. 1 in the fall of 1857. The school was kept in a house belong- ing to G. B Dutton, about a mile from Faribault. Miss Sarah Fish was an early teacher.
About this time there was a log house in dis- trict No. 12 on East Prairie; it was ceiled and bat- tened overhead, and there were thirty-one schol- ars. E. Lyman Kendall was the teacher.
The following is taken from the local press, and was published in the winter of 1857-58.
"SCHOOLS IN RICE COUNTY.
No. 1, FARIBAULT .- Seldom has our pen been exercised to make a more pleasant or satisfactory report than that which comes under the above head. The money panic pouncing upon us at a time when the district was considerably involved in consequence of the purchase of a lot and the building of a first class schoolhouse, etc., has made the duties of the trustees arduous and thankless.
Some time in November last, three teachers were employed and a partial but imperfect system of grading effected, Miss Mary Fisk taking charge of the primary department in Crump's Hall, and Mr. Fish and Miss Parish, each occupying a room in the schoolhouse, superintending the higher de- partments. These schools closed last week. We have visited them from time to time, and now pro- pose to give others the benefit of our observa- tion.
Miss Fisk has had under her tuition in number from forty to fifty scholars, generally of the younger class. The feature in this school, most striking to the casual observer, has been the perfect system attending every exercise ; the best of order uniformly prevailed, and so perfect was the teacher's self government that not a word or gesture seemed to escape her without bearing a significance which her pupils readily understand. In fact we have no hesistation in pronouncing it for system and good manners the model school.
Many of the scholars were backward for their age; yet their reading, spelling, and mental arith- metic recitations were full of interest, especially were we pleased with their prompt recitation of passages of scripture, common tables, and their vocal music.
Miss Parish came among us last fall a stranger, but her reputation as a teacher, which she had established in Vermont, had preceded her. Of superior education, clear and pointed in her ex- planations, beloved of her school, were she but a little more thorough in her government we could find no point to criticise. Besides the tuition of
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EDUCATIONAL.
about fifty pupils, comprising her department of this school, Miss Parish has superintended a class in algebra and one in astronomy from the other department, both of which have made excellent improvement, considering the number of classes she has heard, and the double amount of labor performed, she has certainly achieved great snc- cess.
The department over which Mr. Fish has pre- sided has been the largest and most difficult to man- age. He made a general examination of his classes last Saturday afternoon. The review was made with a design to ascertain the real improvement made and without any special preparation having been made for the occasion. The questions were pro- posed by the visitors as well as teacher. The per- formance was really very creditable and far sur- passed the general expectation. We think one geography class, a large class in Weld's gram- mar, the second class in spelling, and the entire performance in arithmetic to be worthy of particular notice, evincing such thorough mastery of ele- mental principles as is seldom attained.
The general demeanor of the school gave evi- dence that it had been under the tuition of a gen- tleman.
We want to give no undue praise to these teachers, and if we could not truthfully have spoken well of them we should probably have said nothing. But it is apparent to those who have visited our schools that under many difficulties these teachers have done for us this winter a noble work, and we should not withold that reward so dear to every teacher's heart, and yet the last to be conferred, viz: appreciation.
Our schools should have continued at least an- other month, but circumstances forbade it. We hope our citizens will fill out by a select term the time which to their children is so precious.
At some future time we will call up the subject of books, the endless variety of which is the source of the first great evil with which the teacher is obliged to contend."
"No. 2, MORRISTOWN. - By C. S. Crandall, teacher. MR. MOTT, SIR :- In compliance with your re- quest, I report at the earliest opportunity.
The room I occupy is in a log building 16x18 in size. It is comfortbly warm, heing ceiled and battened.
I have over fifty scholars in all and an average at- tendance of about forty. They are about equally
divided into male and female and range in age from four to twenty.
I will attempt to give you a list of books in use, which you will find rather of a mixed account, the result I suppose of gathering scholars from all parts of the Union. My reading classes mostly use Sanders' series, I have fifteen in Sanders' fifth, six in MeGuffey's fourth, and five in Sanders' second. In Sanders' pictorial primer I have a class of eight little girls and the smartest class you ever saw, too. Besides these classes there are several independent classes of one reading in his own book. In spelling, Sanders' speller is used by five; the elementary by twenty. In arithmetic I have a class of four young men now working in proportion, another class is in fractions; Ray's work part third is studied by twelve, part second by five, Colburn's mental by eight. In grammer I have five classes as follows: two pupils in Browns' grammar, one in Smith's, one in Welds', one in Wells', and one in Hazen's. In geography, I have six in Mitchell's large edi- tion, and two in the primary.
These are all the important facts I have to com- municate. C. S. CRANDALL."
"No. 3, SHIELDSVILLE .- This district was organ- ized just in time in the present winter to receive its share of the public money; as a matter of course there was no schoolhouse till that time; a log house was fitted up for the purpose, with tempo- rary seats and desks, size 14 feet by 20; although not very comely in apperrance, yet it is quite com- fortable.
The number of scholars in the district is eighty- four; twenty-seven is the number of attendants, the average about twenty-two. The books in use are as follows, introduced by myself the present winter: Thompson's arithmetic, Wells' grammar, Mitchell's geography, Colburn's mental arithmetic for small scholars, Sanders' series of readers and speller. With a few exceptions, these are the books used.
There is to be a new schoolhonse erected in the spring.
The scholars, I think, are as far advanced as they will average in the other schools in the county.
The inhabitants are interested in improvement, and though from a foreign soil, they are loyal to Uncle Sam in the great principles of government and schools.
WM. BENTLEY, Teacher."
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HISTORY OF RICE COUNTY.
"No. 4, WARSAW .- The whole number of scholars is seventy-three, average attendance about fifty. The text books in use are Sanders' series of readers aud speller, Adams' and Thompson's arithmetics, Colburn's mental arithmetic, Mitchell's school and primary geography, and Wells' grammar.
Our schoolhouse, you will remember, was de- stroyed by fire in November last. We have since occupied the building formerly used as a store by Hollister, Frink & Co., dimensions, 16x32 feet. It is inconvenient, especially for so large a school. yet under the circumstances a better one could not be procured.
The scholars have been well disposed, and have made good progress in their studies; and I be- lieve the school, as a whole, will compare favorably with other schools in the county; at least I am willing it should stand upon its own merits alone.
E. DARLING, Teacher."
"No. 5, CANNON CITY .- I. N. Sater, teacher. This school, under its excellent superintendance, has made fine improvement this winter. The average attendance has been fifty-seven. With the exception of an excellent class in natural phi- losophy, only the common branches have beeu taught.
To an advanced arithmetic class special notice is due; the large number of adults, including eight over the age of twenty-one, has given this school a close resemblance to our higher institu- tions.
In size the schoolhouse is 32x40 feet, with 14 feet posts. It occupies a picturesque site, and is a thoroughly finished, imposing structure, doing honer to the taste of its builders. It cost $1,400.
The apportionment of the county fund this year gives this district $275."
The state of Minnesota has a law in relation to text books, which, under its provisions, are pro- vided through the county officers, and, to reveal the sentiment which usually prevailed in school circles in relation to the law and its workings, an extract from the County Superintendent's report from Rice county for the year 1880, is here given :
"The school work of Rice county has not been as satisfactory for the year just closed as in the three previous years, for two reasons. First, the change in text books which has taken place has been slow and tedious. Books ordered early in the spring did not arrive until after the summer schools had been in session one and two months. The re-
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