USA > Minnesota > Rice County > History of Rice County, including explorers and pioneers of Minnesota and outline history of the state of Minnesota > Part 55
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 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108
sult was a lack of books, as the impression pre- vailed that no other books could be used. Sec- ond, the so-called cheap text-book law has stimu- lated the idea that cheap teachers should also be procured, and the result has been the employment of a larger proportion of low grade, cheap teachers, and many of the best teachers have abandoned the profession.
The use of cheap text books naturally leads to the employment of cheap teachers, and the use of cheap apparatus, and results in lowering the standing and checking the progress of our schools.
The working of the text book law is burdensome not only to district officers, but to teachers and superintendents, as it takes up much valuable time that should be devoted to other work.
If the law is to remain in force, the Legislature should modify it so that the contractor shall be obliged to place the books within reach of the pupils without county or State assistance. If the books are the best and cheapest, they will be used. If they are not the best and cheapest, they should not be forced upon the schools through pains and penalties."
Like all innovations this law had to run the gauntlet. But it is believed to be working satis- factorily now.
Some statisticts from the last annual school re- ports are here given :
Scholars in attendance who are not of
school age, and those who are non-resi- dents. 151
Mumber entitled to apportionment 5,480
Total number enrolled in winter 4,750
in summer 3,664
Number of schools in all the districts 106
Average daily attendance in winter 3,013
66
in summer 2,473
Number of teachers in winter-men. 44
66 women
96
66
summer -- men . 15
66
46 women . 99
Average monthly wages-men. $31 69
= women 25 87
Number of schoolhouses ---
Frame
76 .
Brick 19
Stone
6
Log
9
Total 110
311
RELIGIOUS.
Value of all the schoolhouses and sites. $135,520
Number of common school districts. 103
Independent 1
Special 2
Whole number. 106
Number of teachers, men. 47
66 women 119
Total 166
Number of certificates granted during the year- 1st grade, men
women 5
2d grade, men 26
women 64
Total. 95
3d grade, men 10
women 39
Total 49 .
Number of applications rejected. 59
Number of private schools in the county- Catholic.
Protestant. 8
2
Total. 10
Enrollment in the above schools-
Catholic
280
Protestant
679
Total . 955
Eight of the teachers have attended a Normal school and six are graduates.
The total amount paid for teachers wages dur- ing the year ending August 31, 1881, was $32,- 385.27.
The number of scholars in the cities and villages below named is as follows --
Faribault 1,067
Northfield 544
Dundas 197
Morristown.
176
Shieldsville
81
East Prairieville 76
Brief items in relation to the several district schools will be found in the sketches of the towns in which they are located. The statistics here given will be of value as a basis for comparison at any future period, and they show at the pres- ent time that the school system of the State, in its application to Rice county, is an object of especial regard.
GRADED SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTY .- There are three of these graded districts, one in each of tlie following places: Faribault, Northfield, and Dun- das, and-a few prominent points in the workings of each are here given. Cost of buildings: Faribault, $45,000; Northfield, $30,000; Dundas, $5,000. Apparatus: Faribault, $500; Northfield, $75; Dundas, $50. Salary of Superintendent: Fari- bault, $1,500. Average monthly salary of teach- ers: Faribault, $41.11; Northfield, $40,50; Dun- das, $36.80. Number of scholars enrolled: Fari- bault, 1,084; Northfield, 594; Dundas, 204. Schools are kept from nine to nine and one-half months in each year.
RELIGIOUS.
In regard to the church edifices and the denom- inational schools, of which the people are justly so prond, and which have been the objects of such self-sacrificing devotion, it is but a simple act of justice to acknowledge the invaluable aid fur- nished by friends from the East. Large numbers who settled here were no sooner comfortably set- tled than they began to miss their accustomed religious privileges, and reflecting upon the admirable situation of those they left behind in this respect, would lose no time in writing to those who would be likely to assist in a true mis- sionary spirit, in building churches in the West, reciting the needs of the new community, with the imperative necessity of prompt action to save the new and fast swelling community in the West from impending infidelity. And, to the infinite credit of the East, it should be record- ed that the responses to these calls were efficient, and often sufficient to meet the exigencies of the occasion.
As a sample of what was actually done in the direction just indicated, an extract from a letter written by Dr. Charles Jewett to Rev. Dr. Jacob Ide, of West Medway, Massachusetts, will be re- produced here.
"Rev. and Dear Sir: Worn and wearied by hard service in the temperance cause, I thought to secure a little release from responsibilities and some relief from severe toil, by removing westward and devoting myself to the quiet labor of cultivating the soil. Well here I am, where the circumstances that surround me call for as severe and continuous labor as I have ever been called upon to perform, though I think the character of the service more conducive to bodily health than that to which I
312
HISTORY OF RICE COUNTY.
have been accustomed. I am as you see by the post-mark, in the territory of Minnesota, sixty miles south of St. Paul, forty west of the Missis- sippi, and in latitude forty-four, on the very out- skirts of civilization, where the Indian' chases the deer and the farmer follows the plow over the same acres, where heathenism and infidelity must be met on their own ground and conquered by Chris- tian faith and Christian love. * * *
Last summer, a few of us, feeling our responsi- bilities and spiritual needs, sustained at the village, two aud one-half miles distant from my residence, religious worship through a large portion of the season, where only the summer previous had stood more than a hundred lodges of the Sioux Indians. *
* * There are about twenty male members of Congregational churches, and per- haps as many females, who will unite in the for- mation of a church; and the 7th of May is fixed upon as the time for organization. We have as yet no place of worship, and hold our meetings in private houses. We want to build a church as early in the summer as possible, as there is no house in the village or on the prairies large enough to seat one-half the number who would attend on our worship, if we shall be able to secure, as we hope to, a faithful aud ahle religious teacher. But how we are to accomplish what we so ardently de- sire puzzles our bump of calculation not a little, and draws pretty heavily on our bank of faith. * * * Our old friends in the East must help us a little until we can get fairly on our feet, and then, with the blessing of God, we hope to be able to stand and become in turn, helpers of others. Minnesota is to be, I believe, the New England of the West, and exert, when it shall take its place among the States of the Union, a decided influ- ence on the right side of those great questions which are now agitating the country. The fol- lowers of His Holiness the Pope, ever ready to seize on the best points, have contracted to have a church built here early in the summer. Oh! shall that be the first church edifice in this lovely region ? God, and his faithful, forbid."
The communication of which this is an extract was published by Dr. Ide in The Congregational- ist, of Boston, on the 9th of May, 1856, with the following remarks by Dr. Ide:
" The following letter from Dr. Jewett is one of great interest. Though the churches, in the pres. ent state of things, cannot respond to the call
which every individual church in the West may be disposed to make, yet such are the circum- stances of the community in which Dr. Jewett is located, and such are the feelings of the friends of temperance and religion in the commonwealth to- ward him for his long self denying and effective labors in the cause, that they will, it is believed, deem it a privilege to respond to the affecting ap- peal which he now makes for a little assistance at their hands. Medway will cheerfully pay the tax which is laid upon her."
It is not strange that this appeal met a hearty response among a people who had sent millions for the purpose of Christianizing heathen savages, where, in an economical view, the expense and the return were woefully out of proportiou. Dr. Ide's church contributed $45; Milbury, where the Doc- tor had lived, gave $35; the Elliot church in Now- ton, gave a Sunday-school library of two hundred volumes and more than one hundred dollars; the church in Whitinsville gave a bell, which was one of the first to ring out its peals in this region, awakening the prairie echoes before one-half of people had their houses properly covered and pro- vided with comforts. It was such efforts as these, supplemented by labor at home that transformed "the wilderness and the solitary places to blossom as the rose."
It is very pleasing to be able to say in this connection that while this work is writing, the im- plied promise of Dr. Jewett that these benefac- tions should be repaid to other needy ones, when the ability should be acquired, is being fulfilled, as the Sunday-school is making arrangements to help pay for an organ for a Sunday-school out in Dakota, one or more of the teachers in which having gone from here. Indeed it is certain that this obligation has been repaid in like manner over and over again. This subject is introduced to show the community of interest between the sev- eral sections of the country.
Faribault and Northfield are noted for the num- ber of their churches, and in the other villages and throughout the county will be found a goodly number of the various denominations.
SEVERAL COUNTY ORGANIZATIONS.
AN OLD SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION .- This was or- ganized on the 4th of February, 1874, at Faribault, with Luke Hulett, as president, and F. W. Frink as secretary. A constitution was adopted aud the above mentioned officers were made permanent,
313
SOCIETIES.
with the addition of James Shants as treasurer, aud the following vice-presidents: G. L. Bush- nell, Northfield; J. S. Archibald, Bridgewater; Isaac Avery, Cannon City; Oliver Tripp, Walcott; William Close, Richland; H. C. Kolling, Wheeling; H. M. Matteson, Faribault; J. Buck, Morristown; J. W. Cowan, Wells; Peter Busch, Warsaw; Patrick Murphy, Shieldsville; Charles McBride, Erin; P. Cody, Wheatland; Ferris Webster, Webster; John L. Dearborn, Forest.
They had a grand reunion on the 23d of Feb- ruary, 1874, with speeches, songs, and a dance with a supper. The roads were badly blocked with snow, but about sixty turned out, and most of them although early settlers, were in the prime of life.
Luke Hulett called the meeting to order and quite a number of old settlers gave their early ex- perience, and from these speeches much of the earl history in this volume, relating to the early settlement of the county, was gathered, and so their stories will not be repeated in this sketch of the association.
At one of these meetings Mr. F. W. Frink re- marked that, "While the men were relating their exploits, too little was said of the noble women who had torn themselves away from the endearing ties of early association, and without whose aid and assistance all efforts to establish civilization here would have been futile," and he related inci- dents illustrating the heroic courage, fortitude, and hopefulness of the wives of the pioneers, who sub- mitted to their hard surroundings in a manner be- yond all praise.
At this meeting a committee was appointed to collect early history. Charles Jewett, H. B. Whip- ple, Dr. Schofield, J. C. Whipple, Mrs. J. C. Ide, George W. Newell, and the editors of the county papers, were made honorary members.
On the 4th of March, 1875, the annual reuniou took place in Faribault, and at this meeting Hon. O. F. Perkins made one of the speeches, an ab- stract of which is given elsewhere.
Mr. Mott contrasted the generons hospitality of the early times with the present, apparent paucity in this respect. Then, if a claim shanty had two be 3 there would be hardly a limit to the number that could be taken in. This occasion was an enjoya- ble one, with a supper, dance, etc., at the Barron House.
On the 13th of January, 1876, the annual re- union occurred. The Hon. Henry M. Rice was
present by invitation, and delivered a most inter- esting address, full of anecdote and historical rem- iniscences, a good part of which will be woven into the early history of the county. Bishop Whipple and others addressed the Association, aud at their conclusion the usual festivities were en- joyed.
·
The Old Settlers' reunion for 1877, was holden on the 4th of February. The address of the oc- casion was by Gen. H. H. Sibley, who paid a trib- ute to the character of Mr. Faribault, and present- ed, in a very pleasing way, various recollections of pioneer life, among other things that sometime in 1857, Charles E. Flandreau came down from Yel- low Medicine and removed quite a number of the Wanpakuta band of Indians, who were living on Mr. Faribault. The Rev. Dr. Neill was present and related some good anecdotes.
On the anniversary of the battle of New Orleans, in 1878, the Old Settlers' Association convened, and the exercises were of the usual interesting character.
At one of the meetings of the association, Cap- tain R. H. L. Jewett moved that Mrs. Emma Hulett Miller, of Hartford, Connecticut, the first white child born in Faribault, be elected an hon- orary member.
RICE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL ASSOCIATION .- Pursuant to notice the citizens of Rice county met in Crump's Hall on Monday the 22d of February, 1858, and effected a temporary organization by the appointment of H. Riedell, Chairman and R. Thayer, Secretary.
A committee on constitution and by-laws was then appointed, consisting of E. Stevens, A. B. Davis, and C. E. Davison. A committee on per- manent organization was also appointed, consist- ing of A. J. Tanner, Chas. Wheeler, and Dr. Tur- ner. These committees were instructed to report at their earliest convenience in the afternoon ses- sion.
Meeting convened at 1:30 o'clock P. M., pursu- ant to adjournment, and received the report of the committee on constitution, which was adopted.
The following officers were then duly elected for the ensuing year, being with few exceptions the names preseuted by the committee on permanent organization : President, .J. W. North, Northfield; first vice-president, Levi Nutting, Faribault; sec- ond vice-president, T. H. Olin, Northfield; third vice-president, I. N. Sater, Cannon City; record-
314
HISTORY OF RICE COUNTY.
ing secretary, L. A. Fish, Faribault; corresponding secretary, R. A. Mott, Faribault; treasurer, J. B. Cooper, Faribault; general committee, G. F. Pet- titt, Faribault; N. A. Swarthout, Cannon City; W. E. Mansfield, East Prairie; John S. Way, North- field; Ferris Webster, Minnemedalı; Mr. Bunnel, Wheatland; Allison Houck, Forest; Isaac Ham- mond, Houston; John Tufts, Shieldsville.
This association was resuscitated on the 25th of June, 1870, the last meeting having been held in May, 1863. The officers elected were: president, Charles Wood; vice-presidents, J. G. Scott, of Morriston, Benjamin Ogdin, of Northfield and T. C. Adams, of Wolcott; recording secretary, R. A. Mott; corresponding secretary, H. C. Whitney; board of directors, Levi Nutting, E. W. Dike, George F. Batchelder, D. Stevens, and Mr. Hud- son, with a general committee.
In September of that year the third fair was held, in Northfield.
CANNON VALLEY AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANI- CAL ASSOCIATION. This institution which seems to have supplanted all previous societies of a like character in the county, except local town associa- tions, wherever they exist, was organized in 1872, and the first fair held in 1873, which was the only one ever conducted by the association that was a financial success, although a number were after- wards held. The corporation was formed as a joint stock company; $15,000 was subscribed and $10,- actually paid in, by about seventy members. The first officers of the association were: President, John Harding; treasurer, Z. S. Wilson; secretary, Hudson Wilson.
The fair grounds were purchased of Randall Fuller, and about $5,000 in improvements made. The grounds embrace a half-mile track, stand, covered seats, and conveniences for exhibitions. The property finally reverted to Mr. Fuller in sat- isfaction of a mortgage he held. The last fair was given in 1876, and the year following the as- sociation formally disbanded.
THE RICE COUNTY GRANGE .- This was instituted on the 4th of March, 1874, with thirty members.
RICE COUNTY ANTI-HORSE THIEF SOCIETY .- An organization, the object of which is indicated by the name, was effected on the 1st of August, 1867, which has been kept in working order ever since, and it is gratifying to be able to state that, al- though horses have been stolen from various mem- bers of the association, they have in every instance
been recovered, and the thief not unfrequently caught and punished. The permanent officers of the society were: President, William H. Dike; vice-president, Luther Dearborn ; secretary, Thomas Mee; treasurer, Hudson Wilson; executive committee and other officers, G. M. Gillmore, Thomas Mee, D. M. West, Charles Shields, James G. Scott, R. M. Norton, W. S. Leonard, H. A. Swarthont, Thomas Kirk, M. S. Seymour, Joseph Covert, O. B. Hawley, H. C. Adams, Lyman H. Henderson, H. E. Barron, P. E. Brown, Samuel Dunham, C. Decker, T. H. Loyhed, J. C. Turner, S. P. Terryll, J. G. Clark, D. P. Smith, Samuel Barnard, S. M. West, J. A. Winter, F. M. West, C. A. Giddings. Charles Sweetzer, F. M. Baker, J. G. Scott, R. M. Norton, Henry Hall, Andrew Thompson, Oscar Decker. Over 100 members were at once enrolled. The organization is still kept up, and it is likely that the fact of such a well appointed society being in existence in the county has reduced the horse stealing business to a minimum here. The present officers are: Pres- ident, G. M. Gillman; vice-president, H. M. Mat- teson; secretary, Thomas Mee; treasurer, Hudson Wilson; with an executive committee and several riders in each of the towns in the county.
A Medical, and also a Bar Association existed in the county at one time, but very few traces of their existence now appear.
VARIOUS EVENTS.
In securing claims in this new county, as everywhere along the constantly moving frontier, there was, as there still is, opportunity for sharp practices which were often put in requisition. The land officers have simply to conform to the require- ments of the law, and to accept the sworn state- ments of the pre-emptor, and when he comes to prove np his claim, sometimes swearing is required by the exigencies of the case which would re- ceive the designation of "tall," in the local ver- nacular. The improvements which were some- times declared to have been made were often in constructive obedience to the law, not unlike that of a southwestern frontiersman who cut the dates of two different years on a couple of trees, and planting a hill of corn between them swore that he had raised corn between those years on that ground. By placing a whisky bottle in an aper- ture in the side of a shanty, it was not considered to be a very severe stretch of the conscience to swear that there was glass in the windows. It is
315
VARIOUS EVENTS.
not claimed that these things were done here in a more aggravated way than elsewhere.
As an actual instance of honorable alertness, a case is stated where a man had driven a stake with his name; and the law allowed thirty days in such a case for the man to occupy it. As the thirty days drew to a close that claim was closely watched, and as the would-be proprietor failed to appear, at midnight the new claimant drove his stake, and was at the land office in Hastings when it was opened the next morning. The claim was secured, although, in the course of the day, another man came to get hold of it, but too late.
Among others who came here on the represen- tations of Dr. Jewett, was a man whose wife be- came homesick and dissatisfied with the country. She was at the Doctor's house one Sunday morn- ing when he was preparing to officiate at religious service in some private house, and being pressed for time he asked the lady to select an opening hymn which she did by placing a mark on the page. On opening it to give out the hymn he was taken aback to find this selection :
"Ch, what a wretched land is this, That yields us no supply?"
Of course the Doctor regretted that they ever came West.
In those pioneer times Dr. Jewett had a hand mill in one corner of his house, to grind the meal used by his family, and some one told a man who lived miles away, that Dr. Jewett had a grist-mill, and so the man drove over with a wagon load of corn to be ground, rejoicing that civilization had reached Minnesota with one of its useful inven- tions. As he was introduced to the mill, his countenance would have furnished a good sub- ject for an artist's pencil.
The Doctor spent the winter of 1854 in New England, lecturing upon the agricultural resources of the West. He had maps of Minnesota, Illi- nois, and Iowa, with rivers, bluffs, and prairie land carefully prepared. and he also had boxes three feet long to show by vertical sections actual speci- mens of the soil, so that people could see for them- selves just what they would find ou coming west.
Newspaper articles like the following had much to do with filling up this region:
"TEN GOOD REASONS FOR EMIGRATING TO MINNE- SOTA-FACTS FOR NEW ENGLANDERS.
1st. Its lands, corresponding with the better portion of those drained by the Mississippi and
its tributaries, are unsurpassed in fertility by any portion of our Union.
2d. No State or Territory, at present inviting immigration, is so well timbered, or comprises such an excellent variety of woodland as Minne- sota.
3d. Even New England the land of water- falls can boast no superior manufacturing ad- vantages upon a water-power basis.
4th. The climatology and meteorology of Min- nesota are the wonder of the world. The disa- greement of the isothermal and geographical lines of latitude, brings the mean temperature of our seasons into correspondence with northern Ohio and southern New York, at the same time the dry, elastic, stimulating nature of our atmos- phere differs so vitally from the damp, consump- tion giving air of the Atlantic States, as to lead us with perfect confidence to enunciate proposi- tion.
5th. No State east or south of us can compare favorably with Minnesota in those causes which produce health and vigor, and upon which, in a great measure, the prosperity of a State depends. We have never seen, since we made this Territory our home, any person prepared to dispute this proposition, or even throw against it the weight of his opinion, while hundreds giving their own experience in evidence will attest its truth.
6th. Its geographical position as such as makes an early and thorough development of our mighty resources probable; commanding as we do, the head waters of the largest lake and long- est river in the world.
7th. So magnificeut a system of trunk rail- roads, based upon munificent land grants, has never before fallen to the inheritance of any State. '
8th. Such provisions for educational interests are without parallell in the history of the world. We have already four State Universities charter- ed. An immense University fund donated by the federal government, and for the maintenance of common schools, the magnificent bequest of one sixteenth of the area of the State, or about three millions of acres, worth probably from twenty to thirty millions of dollars.
9th. The character of the population of Min- nesota preseuts an anomaly in the history of west- ern settlements, and no more refined, intelligent, or moral people can be found iu so large an ag- gregate than are to be found in this new sov- ereignty.
316
HISTORY OF RICE COUNTY.
10th. And finally we have what all emigrants want, seven millions of the best of soil yet un- occupied.
We lack what emigrants can furnish us, the best of men.
Let us reciprocally satisfy these wants and thus fulfil our destiny."
In May, 1871, the question as to the settlement of the old railroad bonds by arbitration, which was submitted to the people of the State, and defeated, received the following vote in Rice county : For the measure, 625; against it, 507, a majority of 118 in favor of the proposition.
Potato bugs first became plentiful in 1868.
The number of marriages in the county during 1868, was 118.
In 1869, quite a movement was made to get up a new county with Northfield as the capital.
On the 7th of January, 1873, a terrible cyclone passed over the entire State and Rice county had its full share of the borean excitement.
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.