History of Rice County, including explorers and pioneers of Minnesota and outline history of the state of Minnesota, Part 87

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 87

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JOHN D. GILBERT, a native of New York, was born in 1840, and came with his parents to Mich- igan in 1847, remaining, however, but two years, when they moved to Ohio, where J. D. grew to ma hood and received a common school educa- In 1859, he removed to Forest, Rice county, located in section two and has since been engaged in farming. In 1861, he enlisted at Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States Fourth Artillery, Com- pany I, serving three years and receiving his dis- charge at Nashville, Tennessee. He was married in 1866, his bride being Miss Martha Craven, a native of Pennsylvania. They have six children, all living at home. Mr. Gilbert's father died in Millersburg at the age of eighty-six years and his mother at the age of eighty-two. His only broth- er died in the army.

SAMUEL HALLCOCK was born in England in 1841, and came with his parents to America at the age of four years. They first located in Rhode Island, and also lived in New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, but in ten years came to Illin- ois, where Samuel attended school and engaged in farming. In 1865 he enlisted in the One Hun- dred and Fifty-fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and served till the close of the war. He was mar- ried in Illinois, in 1867, to Miss Hannah J. Hatch, of New York. They have had eight children, seven of whom are living. In June, 1876, they came to Forest, aud engaged in farming, which is still his employment. Mr. Hallcock has been school Treasurer five years.

487

FOREST TOWNSHIP.

WILLIAM HAMILL was born in England in 1812, received his education in his native country and learned the trade of a cotton spinner. He emi- grated to America in 1830, locating in Michigan, and was engaged in farming in that State five years, then removed to Massachusetts and was employed as a spinner in a cotton factory, but re- turned to Michigan in 1837, and engaged with Judge Sihblay one year. In 1838, he enlisted in the Fourth Artillery, served five years and then went to Detroit, aud from there to Jackson, where he was watchman in the depot. In 1854, Miss Phoebe Wooley became his wife, and two years later they came to Rice county and located in Forest in section one. In 1862, Mr. Hamill went to Idaho and was gone eighteen months, then re- turned home and has since devoted his time to agricultural pursuits. He has had three children, two of whom are living; William H., twenty-six years old, and Mary R., twenty years of age. Moses died at the age of six years.

CARL B. HIRDLER, a native of Germany, was born in 1828, and grew to manhood in his native country. He learned the shoemaker's trade. In 1851, Miss Mary Mism became his wife, and in 1860, they emigrated to America, located in New York City and engaged at his trade for a time; then moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and thence to Michigan, where he farmed twelve years. In 1875, he removed to Jackson county, Minnesota, and in August, 1876, came to Rice county, locat- ing on a farm in Forest, section nine, where he still resides. He has one hundred and nineteen acres of land, nearly all of which is improved with good buildings. Mr. and Mrs. Hirdler have had ten children, seven of whom are living, five in this county and two in St. Louis, Missouri. One child died on the ocean and two in Michigan. Mr. Hirdler has devoted some time to the practice of medicine. He has been Town Clerk and was Justice of the Peace in Jackson county. He and his wife and four children are members of the Second Advent Church, and he is Superintendent of the Sabbath school.

NILS LARSON was born in Sweden in 1834, re- ceived a common school education and was reared on a farm. He was married in 1860 to Miss Marma Andrias. In 1869, he came to America and located in Michigan, remained there part of one year, then removed to Wisconsin and one year later to Minne- sota. He engaged in a mill in Wells, Rice coun-

ty, and in 1871 purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Forest, section seven, where he is still conducting a farm. His family came from the "old country" in 1871. There are four chil- dren, all living in this State. Mr. Larson is Con- stable and also school director. Mr. and Mrs. Larson are members of the Lutheran church in Christdala, where he is a deacon.

JOHN MAJOR was born in Canada in 1829, and his native place claimed him as a resident until the age of manhood, being educated there and reared as a farmer. In 1849, he came to Jefferson county, New York, and engaged in Watertown as a carpenter and joiner. He was married on the 3d of July, 1853, to Miss Lenora A. Lyman, and in four years they came to Forest and located on a farm in section fourteen, where he has one hun- dred and forty-five acres, nearly all improved. He has been a member of the town and school boards several terms. He had one adopted child, George E., who was drowned in Wolf Creek on the 16th of June, 1881, at the age of twenty-four years. Mr. Major is a member of the Second Advent church.

JACOB MEYER was born in Germany in 1827, reared on a farm and received a common school education in his native place. He served in the German army for three years and five months. In 1853, Miss Marylina Cenen became his wife. They came to America the following year and settled on a farm in Wisconsin, remaining twelve years. Since 1869 Mr. and Mrs. Meyer have been resi- dents of this place engaged in farming. They have had seven children, six of whom are living.

C. F. MILLER was born in 1831, in New York, which was his home until the age of twenty-seven years, graduating from the Cortland Academy. He was married in 1856 to Miss Louisa Wright, a native of Massachusetts. Mr. Miller was engaged in wagon making in Waterloo, Iowa, for two and a half years, then in farming three years. He came to this place in a "prairie schooner" and locat- ed in section twenty-five, where he now lives. In 1871, he rented his place and went to St. Jo, Michi- gan, where he engaged in fruit culture, but re- urned to his farm after one year's absence. When there, his son, Orland D., aged twelve years, was drowned while bathing in the river, on the 5th of August, 1872. He has six children living, and all but one at home; Clarence E. is in Wash- ington, Dakota. Mr. Miller, in company with Mr. Kinney, introduced sugar cane growing and

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HISTORY OF RICE COUNTY.

manufacture in this county. He is a member of the school board, and he and his wife are members of the Congregational church.

G. A. MILLER is a son of G. W. Miller, who was born in New York in 1818, and lived in his native State until 3357, when he came to Forest and purchased land where Millersburg now stands, giving the place his name. He built and run the first saw-mill in the county, and was an energetic man in all improvements. He died in 1876, at the age of fifty-eight years. His wife died in New York, and is buried there. Our subject, G. A., was born in New York in 1846, and came with his father to this State. He was married in 1871 to Miss Amanda Russ, and they have a family of three children. He has been Town Clerk, and a member of the school board.

JAMES O'GRADY, deceased, one of the pioneers of Forest, was born in Ireland in 1800. In 1838, he brought his family to America, located first in Oswego county and then in Steuben county, New York, remained until 1851, and removed to Mc- Henry county, Illinois, where he engaged in farm- ing four years. He then came to Minnesota and located in this township, on section twenty, giving his whole time to his farm until his death in 1875. He had a family of eleven children. His son Timothy O'Grady was born on the 15th of June, 1837, and made his home with his father until his death. Ir 1855, he came to this county and staked out a claim in section one in Wells, then reurned to Illinois, and in 1856, came to Forest, where he pre-empted land in section twenty-two. He afterward gave the farm to his father, and after his death it became Timothy's. In 1860, he purchased more land in the township and carries that on in connection with the old homestead. Mr. O'Grady is a member of the County Board of Commissioners, and has been Chairman of the Board of Supervisors five or six years and Asses- sor one year. In 1881, he married Miss Mary Jane Shield, and they have one child, Mary Ann.

C. O. PERSONS was born in Sweden in 1846, and his native country claimed him as a resident until he reached the age of twenty-three. He at- tended common schools and was reared on a farm. He came to America, remaining only three years, then returned to Sweden, and in April, 1873, was married, returning to this country the following month. He located in Meeker county, Minnesota, and engaged in farming. While there he was a

member of the Board of Supervisors and of the School Board. In 1876, they removed to North- field township, and two years later to Forest, set- tling on section eight, where he still resides, hav- ing one hundred and sixty acres of land, ninety- five of which is improved. He is Assessor at pres- ent, and has held the office four years, and was census enumerator in 1880. Mr. Persons and wife are members of the Swedish Lutheran Church, and he is Secretary and Treasurer of the same. They have had five children, four of whom are living.

AUGUST RIECHEL, a native of Germany, was born in 1819, and there grew to manhood; re- ceived an education in the common schools and learned the blacksmith trade. He was married in 1855, to Miss Christine Luckert, and two years later they emigrated to America; remained a short time in New York City, then went to Newark, New Jersey, where Mr. Riechel engaged at his trade part of one year. He removed from there to Port Amboy, and one year and a half later to Wil- liamsburgh, working in a cork factory in both places. In 1861, he came to Forest, and located on section eighteen, where he built a log house and remained till 1875, then removed to section seven, where they still reside, having two hundred and fifty acres of land. He has been a member of the school board, and is at present treasurer of the same. Mr. and Mrs. Riechel have had ten chil- dren, six of whom are living; Adolph, twenty-six years of age; Annie Rachel, twenty-two years; August, twenty years; Henry, eighteen years; Willie, sixteen years; and Martha, eight years of age. Those dead are Hannah, who died in New Jersey, in infancy; Edward, who was acci- dentally shot in his father's house in Forest, and Albert and Emma, who died in infancy.

Z. L. SARGENT was born in Maine in 1818, and grew to manhood on a farm. In May, 1839, he removed to Illinois, where he married his wife, also a native of Maine, and in 1844, came to Wig- consin territory and engaged in farming. In 1854, Mr. Sargent came to Cannon Falls and pre- empted one hundred and sixty acres of land, then returned for his family, and during his absence his claim was taken. He then located in Forest, in section twenty-seven, which is still his home. He is the father of twelve children, ten of whom are living. He was in the Indian massacre, and was at Mankato when some of them were hung,

489

FOREST TOWNSHIP.

and afterwards enlisted in the army. Three of bis sons were in the United States service, and the oldest one died in the army. Our subject was the first road supervisor in the township, opening the first road. At the organization of the town he was a member of the Board of Supervisors, an l has held some office most of the time since, being a member of the board at present.

JAMES STRANGE is a native of Kentucky, born in 1826, and removed with his parents, at the age of one year, to Indiana, where he lived until twenty- one years old. He then came to Goodhue county, Minnesota, and in 1861, enlisted in the army, served two years and received an honorable dis- charge, after which he came to Forest and estab- lished the first blacksmith shop in town and is still engaged at the business. He owns forty acres of land and a good house and shop.

SIMON TAYLOR was born in the province of Quebec, Canada, in 1830, reared on a farm and re- ceived a common school education. In 1848, he' went to Massachusetts and worked on a farm in the summer and in the Bay State Mill in Law- rence during the winter. In 1849, he moved to grand River, Michigan, but being taken with the ague in a few days, as soon as he was able started for a healthier country, and after a slow and weari- some journey arrived in Appleton, Wisconsin. A year later he went south and spent a year rambling along and near the Mississippi river. In Decem- ber, 1852, he landed in Mobile, Alabama, where he remained until June, 1855, engaged in lumber- ing. He then made a short visit to Canada, and the 26th of July, 1855, found him near St. Paul, and in November following he pre-empted the quarter section on which he now lives, the first land taken in this township. From that time until 1865, he spent his time farming and teaching school in Minnesota, lumbering in Alabama, teach- ing school in Canada, and building railroad bridges for Uncle Sam in Virginia and Georgia. He was married in Canada in 1863, to Miss Maggie Saunders, who has borne him seven chil- dren, five of whom are living; two died in infancy. In 1865, he came with his wife and one child to his farm on which he has since resided. Mr. Tay- lor has, at different times, held the offices of Jus- tice of the Peace, Supervisor, Assessor, and Treas- urer. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

ELIAS F. TAYLOR is a native of Rhode Island,

born in 1825, and lived in his native State until eighteen years old, learning the trade of a spinner. He then removed to Illinois and made that State his home thirteen years, engaged in farming most of the time, and there married, in 1852, Melissa Sloan, of New York. In 1856, they came to Forest and pre-empted a quarter in section ten where he is still following farming. He was supervisor of roads, appointed by the Commissioners before the organization of the town and was made Chairman of the first board of Supervisors. He has been Assessor for five years, one of the Supervisors several terms and was census enumerator of the county in 1875. He is the father of two children, one living in Minneapolis and one in Northfield. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor are members of the Methodist church.

HON. JOHN WILLIAM THOMPSON was born in Attleborough, near Nottingham, England, on the 27th of July, 1827. He received a common school education, and while young his pocket money was spent for books and mechanical tools. He served an apprenticeship as engineer in his native coun- try and one year after was appointed foreman of the locomotive and machine works of the Shrews- burg and Birmingham railway. In 1852, he came to America and for two years engaged as engineer on the New York Central and the Rome and Watertown railroads. In the spring of 1854, he removed to Minnesota, locating near the mounds, two and a half miles south of Hastings, Dakota county ; the city of to-day, then contained only one log shanty owned by a Mr. Felton. In February, 1855, when the land office was located at Red Wing, our subject pre-empted his claim. His nearest neighbor to the south was a Canadian, who had married a Winnebago squaw and had a large family, having been a trapper in the territory for twenty years. The Winnebago and other bands of Indians made their rendezvous near his place and at times were very troublesome to those who could not speak their language. His neighbors to the westward were two families twelve miles dis- tant. In the summer of 1855, Mr. Thompson was Justice of the Peace in Dakota county and the same year made several trips prospecting through Goodhue, Dodge, Waseca, and Rice counties, and finally sold his former farm and settled in this county in the township of Forest, which has since been his home, being one of the earliest settlers in the town. He worked on his timber farm,

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HISTORY OF RICE COUNTY.

improving it, etc., until 1858. After the panic of 1857, farm products brought very low prices and after selling potatoes for fourteen cents per bushel, and wheat, after threshing it with a flail, for forty- six cents, he collected what money he could, cash sales not being frequent, and went to St. Louis College. After two years attendance he graduated with honors, then returned to Minnesota, remain- ing,however,but a few weeks, then went to Napoleon, Desha county, Arkansas, and formed a partner- ship with Chas. Merckle, a watchmaker and manu- facturing jeweler. After the presidential election of 1860 took place, and as soon as it was known that Lincoln was elected, the people of that county expressed freely their sentiments for war, and held a mass meeting at the court house in Napoleon, the county seat, and then and there voted two hundred thousand dollars in bonds to buy fire arms and ammunition to carry on war against the Northern States. During the following winter, companies and regiments were raised and drilled, and in March, 1861, to avoid being drafted into the southern army he went to Vicksburg, Missis- sippi, but here he was liable to be drafted, and in a few days returned to Napoleon to dispose of some private property. When the news of the fall of Fort Sumter arrived all men were immediately drafted into the confederate army, and Mr. Thompson among the rest. He and five other men were determined not to serve with the South and found a hiding place until they made their escape. Although the Mississippi and other rivers had overflowed their banks, they crossed at some places on logs and in other places in skiffs, and by traveling at night and after being chased by blood houuds, four of the six men arrived at St. Louis, Missouri, the other two having been shot while on the way. The same day of their arrival the fight at the court house took place between the United States troops and the State malitia, and our subject with two of his companions, the other one remaining in St. Louis, took the steamboat for Minnesota. He again commenced to clear his

land and in a few weeks his health was restored after his many hardships. On the 18th of August, 1862, he enlisted in the Seventh Minnesota Volun- teer Infantry, Company A, was ordered to Fort Ridgely instead of South as the massacre was just beginning. He took part in the battles of Birch Cooley, Wood Lake, Big Stone Hills, etc., and was in all the Indian expeditions of 1862, and '63, and in the latter part of October, 1863, was sent with . his regiment to the South, and at the expiration of three years they were discharged. Mr. Thompson was Chairman of the board of Supervisors at the . time of his entering the army and has held other town offices since the war. In 1871, he was ap- pointed Notary Public and the same year Post- master of Lester Post-office, still retaining both positions, and at present is Justice of the Peace, having held that office several years. He was mar ried on the 17th of March, 1873, to Charlotte Lundberg, who has borne him two children; John, who was born in June, 1878, and died in infancy, and Mary C., born the 27th of September, 1881, is still living. In the fall of 1877, our subject was nominated at the republican convention, and was elected by a large majority to the State Legisla- ture, and at the county convention in 1879, was defeated by only one vote in receiving the nomina- tion for re-election.

BENEDICT WYMAN was born in New York in 1635, and he was a resident of that State until 1852, then came to Wisconsin and engaged in farming. In 1862, he enlisted in the Eighteenth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry; was taken prisoner at Altoona, Georgia, and confined fifty-two days in the prison at Millen, in the same State. At the close of the war he was mustered out at Milwaukee; returned to Winneconne, Wisconsin, and in 1866, came to this township; bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in section twelve and still makes that his home. He was married in Forest to Miss Margaret Jane Taylor, a native of Canada, and they have four children, two sons and two daughters, all living at home. .

WELLS TOWNSHIP.

491

WELLS.

CHAPTER LIX.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION - EARLY SETTLEMENT BULLY WELLS -- EARLY NOTES OF INTEREST- POLITICAL-INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISES - EDUCA- TIONAL-SOCIETIES-BIOGRAPHICAL.

Wells township is one of the central townships of Rice county, and is next to the smallest in size. It contains the full congressional township, with the exception of two and one-half sections in the southeastern part, that have of late years been an- nexed to the city of Faribault. This leaves the town an area of 22,440 acres, of which a consider- able portion is covered with water. It is bounded on the north by Forest; east by Cannon City township and city of Faribault; south by Warsaw; and west by Shieldsville.

It is amply supplied with water by lakes, pouds, rivers, and brooks, and if any town in Rice county can be said to be noted for its beautiful lakes and streams this is the one. French Lake covers more land than any other, embracing 1,064 acres in sections seven, eight, seventeen, and eighteen, in the western part of the town, and ex- tending a short distance into the town of Shields- ville. Roberds' Lake is the next in size; a beau- tiful sheet of water, and is connected to French Lake by a stream called the "Inlet;" from the southeastern shore also flows a small stream con- necting it to the Cannon River. This, it will be seen, makes the two lakes a "chain." Roberds' Lake covers an area of about 700 acres, in sections fifteen, sixteen, twenty-one, and twenty-two, in the exact geographical center of the township. The floor of the lake is made up of a sand bed, making the limpid water pure and clear as crystal, while the shore is formed of bold promontories and rocks, broken here and"there with level stretches of pebbly beach. The lake is well stocked with fish, and is much frequented by pleasure seekers

from near and far, while a daily "bus" connects it to the busy little metropolis of Faribault. It re- ceived its name in honor of William Roberds.

The township contains several other lakes of less importance. Mazaska Lake enters the town from the northwest quarter and covers about one-third of section six. Dudley's Lake is a small body of water in the northwestern part of the town, lying mostly in section eight. Wells Lake is formed by the Cannon River in scctions thirty-three and thirty-four, and was named in honor of James Wells, after whom the town was also named- Peterson's Lake is located in sections thirty and thirty-one. There are a number of other small bodies of water in various parts of the town, some- times called lakes, but more properly known as ponds. Cannon River enters Wells from the south, traversing section thirty-three, forming Wells Lake, and after passing through thirty-four and thirty-five, leaves the township and enters the city of Faribault. Several small streams flow into this as it makes its way through, and help to sweli the torrent. The streams at many points furnish unexcelled water power, and this is made use of to a limited extent.

Originally this township was a timber territory, and covered with a heavy growth of the most sturdy varieties. Sections thirty-five aud thirty- six were the only portions of it that could, strictly speaking, he called prairie land; here and there, however, throughout the town, might be found small natural meadows and partial "clearings" covered with brush and hazel. For the greater part. the timber has now been cut down, and many fine fields and farms mark what was but a quarter of a century ago, a trackless wilderness. The soil is variable, in some places a tendency to clayey- ness being visible, and in others a rich dark loam. The whole is very productive, and it is doubtful if there is another locality in the State where the

492

HISTORY OF RICE COUNTY.

farmers are more universally prosperous and suc- cessful than in this town.

Fruit, in connection with other agricultural products, has also received considerable attention, and it has not been without success. Mr. Asa Bebee is one who has proven in a practical way that the theory of the impossibility of successful fruit culture in this country is a fallacy, and he has as abundant testimony a fine orchard of 500 thrifty apple trees,-undoubtedly as fine as any in the State, and of which the far-famed New York apple growers might well be proud.

A sketch of this township, published in 1871, states that it had 19,829 acres of taxable lands, 80 acres of unsold University land, a little over 320 acres of unsold school land, about 200 acres of government land, and 160 acres of railroad land. A majority of the population are of foreign origin, and consists of Canadian, Belgian, French, and Irish, although the American element is stronger than either of these, and nearly equal to them all. The population in 1860 was 461; in 1865, 624, and at the last census, in 1880, 1,100. The unsold land mentioned is now about all in the hands of actual settlers,

In 1870, the amount of real and personal prop- erty as given to the census-taker was as follows: Real estate, $268,150; personal personal $108,485; total, $376,635. The total assessed value of Wells for the same year, real and personal, was $164,- 343. For the year 1882, the total assessed valua- tion amounted to $220,414, of which $42,626 rep- resented the personal, and $177,788, the real property ; showing an increase of valuation in the last ten years of $156,071. In the last report, above mentioned, it states that in the township there are 389 horses and colts over one year old; 742 cattle over one year; 357 sheep, and 416 hogs.

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History of Rice County, including explorers and pioneers of Minnesota and outline history of the state of Minnesota, Part 87

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