History of Rice County, including explorers and pioneers of Minnesota and outline history of the state of Minnesota, Part 90

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 90

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JAMES ROACH, a pioneer of this county, was born in Ireland in 1822, and grew to manhood on a farm. In 1842, he emigrated to America, went from New York City to Albany, and thence to Buffalo, where he remained two years, then went to Ohio and after farming two years, removed to Indiana. In 1854, Miss Catharine Lawler became his wife. Two years later he came to Minnesota with two horses, a yoke of oxen, and a wagon, driving the entire distance, and located in Shieldsville, where he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land. He cleared some of the land, but in 1864, sold out and bought in section fourteen in this township; has added to it, and now owns a farm of one hundred and seventy- three acres. He has had five children, all sons, but one of whom is living, Thomas.

PATRICK RYAN is a native of Ireland, born in 1828, and reared to agricultural pursuits. In 1846, he emigrated to America, landed at Quebec and went from there to Ogdensburg,New York,two years later to Columbia, Ohio, and thence to Tor_ onto, Canada, in three years. He next removed to Medina, New York, worked on the Erie canal one winter, then came to Wisconsin. In 1856, he married Miss Mary Ryan and in 1857, they came to Minnesota. He purchased two acres in Fari- bault, but sold it in 1864, and bought a farm iu Wells, section fourteen, building his present frame house in 1879. He has had ten children; Johr, Johanna, James, Mary E., Katie, who was born in June, 1865, and died the 20th of April, 1880; Michael, Francis, Agnes, Daniel, Etta and Cora.

JAMES G. SCOTT, an early settler in this county, dates his birth at Trenton, New Jersey, on the 24th of October, 1824. His father purchased a fruit farm, on which they remained till in 1836, then

went to Ohio, where James learned the cabinet mak- . ers' trade. He then went to Wisconsin and worked at the business in Burlington, remaining till the fall of 1849, thence to Monroe, and in the spring started for California with five wagons and twenty- five horses. They made the trip in five months, remaining in Salt Lake City two weeks, from there to Sacremento, where our subject lived until 1854, then returned home by way of Norfolk, Virginia, thence to Chicago, and from there to Monroe. He subseqently visited Kansas, Nebraska, and Mis- souri, and settled in Rice county, Minnesota, on the 19th of June, 1854. He located in Faribault, building the first saw-mill that was built on the west side of the Mississippi in this State, pre- empted land on the east side of Straight River and commenced to build a saw-mill on the oppo- site shore, which he run in company with his brother till 1856. They sold out and opened an office for the sale of land warrants and did a gen- eral brokerage business. When the land office was moved Mr. Scott went to Wisconsin and pnr- chased eight hundred and ninety-six sheep, con- veyed them to his farm, and engaged in sheep raising. In 1862, Miss L. A. Wood became his wife, and the fruits of the union are two children; Mary and Walter. In 1871, he traded his farm for the Roberds' Lake Mill property, and the next year erected a saw-mill. Mr. Scott has been a pioneer in three States, and voted for- the admis- sion of Wisconsin, California and Minnesota. He was a County Commissioner for this county from 1871 to 1874.

FRIEDRICH SELZWEDEL was born in Germany on the 9th of May, 1831, and his younger days were spent at school and on a farm. In 1859, Miss Minnie Braun became his wife, and they have three children; Willie, Freddie and Anna. In 1868, they came to America and directly to Mani- towoc, Wisconsin, where Mr.Selzwedel was employed on vessels in the harbor. He then went to Min- nesota Lake, from there to Owatonna and thence to Faribault, where he engaged on the railroad. He bought property in the city but in 1873, traded it for land in Wells on section twenty, and erected his present house. He has been a member of the Methodist church fifteen years, and is at present superintendent of the Sabbath school.

JOHN L. SQUIER, one of the pioneers of this county, was born in Washington county, New York, on the 9th of April, 1811, and removed to

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HISTORY OF RICE COUNTY.

Monroe county with his parents when he was sev- enteen years old. In 1837, he went to Pennsylva- nia, bought a farm in Crawford county, where he lived two years, then returned to New York, and in 1844, came to Marquette county, Wisconsin. He purchased a farm on which he resided eleven years, then sold out and bought a saw mill at Harrisville, on Montello River, which he disposed of in the spring of 1855, and came to Minnesota, locating in Wells on a claim in section thirty-four, building first a frame house, but in 1872, erected his present frame house. Mr. Squier was first married in 1832, to Miss Roxanna Howard, who bore him eight children, three of them now liv- ing; Lucinda, Chauncey, and John H. She died on the 5th of April, 1850, thirty-eight years of age.' His present wife was formerly Miss Abbie J. Scoville. They have six children; Leonard, Emer- son, Dennis, Charlie, Elma, and Stella.

MARK WELLS is a native of Deerfield, Franklin county, Massachusetts, where his birth occurred the 29th of December, 1829. He was reared to agricultural pursuits and when twenty-one years old removed to Hampshire county and learned the broom maker's trade. In 1853, he came with a colony to St. Paul, and then on to Faribault, only five of the number reaching that place, the rest becoming disheartened remained in St. Paul. He located on section thirty-five in Wells on what is now known as the Mary Burgett farm, but soon moved to the city and engaged at his trade. He was married on the 15th of November, 1858, to Miss Orpha L. Haskins who has borne him four children, one of whom is dead. In 1863, Mr. Wells enlisted in the Eighth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, Company B, serving two years and eight months.

CLARK T. WINANS, one of the pioneers of Rice county, was born in Chemung county, New York, in 1824. He was married to Miss C. A. Winans in 1848, and in 1856, came to Minnesota, settling in Warsaw. In 1857 and '58, he was engaged in business in Faribault. In 1860, he exchanged his farm for timber land iu Wells, upon which he now resides.

NICHOLAS O. WINANS was born in Chemung county, New York, on the 30th of August, 1830, and attended a district school. In 1842, the family removed to Illinois and settled in Aurora, where our subject afterward engaged in the hardware business. In 1857, he married Miss Martha Ken-

dal, and the same year sold out and came to Fari- bault where he engaged in a provision store. In 1872, he bought a farm on section twenty-six in this township, and immediately began to improve it, building his present house the same year. He has three children; Clarke, Richard, and John.

THEODORE F. WINSLOW was born in Chattar- - augus county, New York, on the 24th of Decem- her, 1844. Iu 1861, the family came to Minnesota and located in Freeborn county where the father pre-empted land, built a house and lived until 1873, when he sold and removed to Faribault. In 1878, Theodore bought a tract of land in Wells, section twenty-seven, and moved on it in the fall of that year. He has improved it and built a good house. In 1879, Miss Mary Atkin became his wife and the issue of the union is two children; Minnie M., and Albert L.

CHARLES WOOD, a pioneer of this county, was born in Randolph, Vermont, on the 1st of August, 1811. His father died at Burlington when Charles was one year and a half old. He began hard manuel labor when very young, and when four- teen years of age learned the cooper's trade. In 1832, Miss Placeutia Atherton hecame his wife. She was a native of Waterbury, Vermont, born the 24th of October, 1810. In August, 1832, they started West, went from Burlington to Whitehall, then to Rochester, New York, where for two years he was engaged in coopering and selling dry goods and notions, thence to Greenfield, Michi- gan, one year later to Grand Rapids, and then to Crete, Illinois. In two years he removed to Joliet where he operated a sawmill on shares a number of years then returned to Crete. In 1850, Mr. Wood weut to California by land, making the trip in four months, but soon returned on account of sick- ness, and in 1854, came to this State and pre- empted land in Rice county, at the junction of Caunon and Straight Rivers, and engaged in farm- ing. In 1856, he built the first bridge across Straight River and in the fall one across the Can- non River. He was county Sheriff in 1856, also served two years as Collector and represented his district in the Legislature for the same length of time. In 1860, he bought a farm in Morristown and in 1863, an interest in Roberds' Lake Mill property; sold that in five years and purchased lots in town. His children are, Jane, Janet, Har- riet, Viola, Lucia, and Charlie D. His wife died in April, 1876, two children having died be- fore her. Mr. Wood makes his home with his son- in-law, J. G. Scott, in Wells.

WARSAW TOWNSHIP.

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WARSAW.

CHAPTER LX.

DESCRIPTIVE-EARLY SETTLEMENT -- EARLY EVENTS -TOWN GOVERNMENT-WARSAW DURING THE WAR -- MANUFACTURING - CEMETERIES - EDUCATIONAL -WARSAW VILLAGE-LAKE CITY VILLAGE-BIO- GRAPHICAL.

Warsaw township lies along the southern boundary of Rice county, being separated from the western boundary by one town. Its contiguous surroundings are Wells, Wal- cott, and Morristown, with Steele county on the south. The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad passes through two sections in the north- eastern part, making it one of the railroad towns of the county.

In the northeastern part the city limits of Faribault embrace the north half of sec- tion one, leaving 22,720 acres to comprise the area of the town. Of this about 2,000 acres are cover- ed with water. The Cannon river winds its pow- erful course diagonally through the northwestern part of the town, entering from Morristown through section eighteen, and flowing northeast- erly forms Cannon Lake, and leaves the town by way of section four and enters Wells. McKen- zie's creek, named in honor of Alex. Mc- Kenzie, an early settler, a stream of considerable importance, finds its source south of the town liue and winds its tortuous way northward through the center of the town, until its waters mingle with those of Cannon Lake. A small stream with the non-aesthetic appellation of Mud Creek, infringes on the southeast corner, and hastening its course through sections thirty-five, thirty-six and twenty- five, empties into Straight River in Walcot towu- ship. Dry Creek rises in Shieldsville and flows through the northwest corner on its way to Cannon Lake. The name this stream bears was evidently not given to characterize it, as the creek is scarce- ly ever dry; this, however, to a speculative mind,

will illustrate a point in one of the idiosyncrasies of mankind,

Cannon Lake is the largest and most beautiful Jake in Rice county, and covers about 1,451 acres. It extends almost across the northwest quarter of the town, embracing portions of sections thirty- four, seven, eight, nine, and ten, It is about four miles long and from one-half to one mile in width, being about 25 feet deep at the utmost The lake abounds with all local species of fish, and in early days this was made regular and oft-fre- quented hunting and fishing grounds by the Aboriginies, if such Indians may be termed. Many of the old settlers can call to mind occasions when there were as many as two hundred tee-pees on the shores of the lake, while the dusky skinned hunters were laying in winter supplies. The lake was originally named by the Indians, "Te-ton-ka To-uah," or the Lake of the Village, and it bore this name for a number of years. The story is told, and we give it as a legend, that after the name above given had been bestowed upon the lake by the Indians, a small colony of Frenchmen were driven by the red skins to the river, and they took to canoes. The colonists had been prepared for an emergency of this kind, and were supplied with fire arms, besides having a small cannon in one of the canoes. They were not, however, able to cope with their pursuers, and in attempting to pass the Cannon Falls, the canoe containing the cannon became capsized and went to the bottom. Search was made, and the Indians became superstitous in regard to it, as they were unable to find the slight- est trace of the lost gun. Since that time the river has always been known as Cannon River, and the lake being formed by it took the same name.

The soil of the township is mostly a dark loam, of about two feet deep, and a yellow clay subsoil, of about four feet, beneath which is a clay of a bluish color. This partains particularly to the timbered portions of the town. The prairie land

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HISTORY OF RICE COUNTY.

is made up of a dark loam from eight inches to a foot in thickness, with a yellow clay subsoil, un- derneath which is a bed of gravel or sand.

About one-fourth of the townsbip is made up of timber land, and the balance prairie, which is now the richest farming land in the State. The heavy timber consists of the well-known and common varieties, as red, black, and burr oak, rock elm, maple, basswood, and willow.

The Cannon Valley railway line was surveyed through the towu of Warsaw in the year 1872, and follows the bank of the lake, but for some reason the matter remained at this point until 1882, when work commenced on the line in earnest. This road is treated more fully on another page.

A report from this township published in 1868, says: "The larger portion of Warsaw is prairie, with occasional groves in the southern and middle portion, and a heavy body of timber belonging to and a part of the Big Woods, on the Cannon River, in the northern part. It has within its limits 21,000 acres of taxable lands, exclusive of town lots. The Cannon Lake occupies about 1,- 400 acres of the northern portion of its area. It has also 320 acres of school lands unsold, and one forty of railroad land. There is a considerable portion of the land of this towu owned by non- residents that can be bought for from $5 to $25 per acre. Its inhabitants are chiefly American, Irish and German, with a majority of the first named over all others."

The statement as to nationality of the inhabi- tants is applicable to the present time, the Ameri- cans having increased more rapidly than the other classes. The unsold lands mentioned have now all been transformed into fertile and productive farms, while the price of land varies from $25 per acre upwards.

As to values in Warsaw, the amount of property, real and personal, as given to the census takers in 1870, was $615,545, of which $125,970 represented the real, and $189,575 the personal property. The asssessed valuation for the same year was, $205,- 500. The assessed valuation in 1882, amounted to $316,331, of which $59,205 represented the per- sonal, and $257,126 the real property; showing an increase in assessed value of $110,831. The popu- lation of Warsaw in 1860, was 550; in 1865, 718; in 1870, 1,000; and in 1880, the last census, 1,150.

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

The earliest infringement by settlers in this town took place in 1853, and when started its set- tlement was rapid and constant until all the gov- ernment land within its borders was taken. When the first exploration by white men took place, it is impossible to state, as this had been the pathway and trading land of the Faribaults for years before the advent of actual settlers. The town being re- splendent with natural advantages and beautifying works of nature, when once started the settlement became irrepressble.

It is said that in the fall of 1826, Mr. Alexan- der Faribault established a trading post at the foot of the lake now known as Cannon Lake, but then called, in the language of the Dacotahs' "Tetonka Tonah," or Lake of the Village. Nearly ten years afterwards, this trading post was removed three miles eastward and established at the pres- ent site of the town of Faribault. After this, from the date of the removal, 1836, until early in the fifties, this neighborhood was without a settler.

In 1852, Alexander Faribault was in St. Paul on a trip for business purposes and met Mr. Peter Bush, a blacksmith, and hired him to go to Fari- bault and work. Mr. Bush was a Canadian Frenchman, and after considering the matter, de- cided to accept, and at once came to Faribault and became a resident of Rice county. He remained in Faribault the following winter, at work for Mr. Faribault. In the spring of the year following (1853), he decided to secure a claim and finally made his way into Warsaw and selected one of the finest farms in the county, on section three, at the foot of Tetonka Tonah, or Cannon Lake. Here he remained for a number of years, and became prominent in the early settlement of the county. A few years ago he began to show symptoms of a deranged mind, and he was finally, in July, 1881, placed in the State asylum.

The same year as the above arrival, N. N. Graves made his appearance and secured a habitation one mile and a half west of Bush, where he yet re- mains. This was the extent to which the town was settled this year, and the winter passed with but two settlers there.

The next year, however, the beauties and advan- tages of the Cannon River country began to be heralded abroad, and the prospective settlers be- gan to file in slowly, it is true, at first, but still civilation took a perceptible stride, and this year

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(1854, ) chronicled the arrivals of Edward Hollis- ter and Henry Daws who came and located near the lake. The former was a native of New York and still resides in the village of Warsaw where he is Postmaster; the latter was an Englishman, and remained until 1880, when the grim clutches of death seized him and he was called hence.

About the same time came Peter Dalcour and planted his stakes on section four, where he still flourishes.

Thomas Blackborn was another who availed himself of the opportunity and secured himself a habitation. He, however, only remained a few years, when he pulled up stakes and replanted them in the town of Morristown, where he has since been buried. His family still live in Morris- town.“

In 1855, the arrivals were more numerous, and among them we notice, J. B. Wait, who is still living on section twenty-eight.

F. Weatherhead drifted in and secured a claim in section eighteen, and was afterward one of the proprietors of Warsaw village.

Dr. Charles Jewett made his appearance and selected a claim on section twelve, where he re- mained a few years, and returned to New England, from whence he came.

Thomas Sprague arrived in the town in 1854, and almost immediately retraced his steps to St. Paul for provisions, but taking sick on the road, he died shortly after his re-arrival in the town. This occurred in the spring of 1855, and was the first death in Warsaw.

Others came in very rapidly, and a year from this time all the government land was taken. The prominent ones are noted elsewhere.

EARLY EVENTS OF INTEREST.

The first birth in Warsaw took place on the 24th of Novomber, 1854, being a son of Thomas and Desire Blackborn, and the child was named Wil- liam H.

The first marriage solemnized was on the 26th of August, 1855; the high contracting parties were Sarah Ann, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Elias Gilhousen, to Alexander Mckenzie. The affair took place at the residence of the bride's parents on section seven, the knot being tied by Charles Crump, Esq. Another early marriage was that of Peter Dalcour to Miss Lucia Woolett, on the 7th of December, 1857.

THE TOWN NAME .- In 1858, at the organiza-

tion,considerable difficulty was encountered in nam- ing the town. Dr. Charles Jewett, a prominent citizen, was present and insisted, and took the stump to declare, that he had a wealthy friend in Massachusetts by the name of Sargent, and if the citizens would name the town Sargent, he (Sar- gent ) would move to the town and make it his future home, besides building a town hall and donating $500 to the public fund. As there was already a Post-office in the town named Warsaw, in honor of a town in New York, from whence a number of the early settlers had come, it was but natural that a great many favored that name, but after listening to the appeals of Dr. Jewett, the feeling changed perceptibly, and upon the matter being put to a vote, five ballots were found in favor of Warsaw and five times that number favor- ing the name of Sargent. It was accordingly de- clared to be Sargent township. This was the cap- tion until 1864, when as nothing had been seen or heard of the rich man Sargent, the citizens of the town decided to re-name it, and accordingly had a bill passed by the Legislature in 1864, changing the name from Sargent to Warsaw.

BULLY WELLS .- This peculiar and eccentric character, although living just over the town line in Wells township, was more or less connected with the growth and development of Warsaw. He was a very peculiar and rough spoken man, and was always ready for a trade, although if his best friend asked to buy an article of him, he always replied that "he did not keep such things to sell," and made a present of it. He lived a short dis- tance north of Peter Bush's residence in Lake City, and for a year or more they were the only neighbors in the township. Wells, being a man of considerable means, would have his joke at any price. On one occasion, Peter Bush, being a blacksmith, had rnn up quite a bill for iron in St. Paul, and Wells, without saying a word to Bush, stepped into the place where the latter dealt and paid the iron bill. When Bush got his pay from the Indians he was doing work for, he went to St. Paul, and on telling them he was ready to pay his bill, received the reply that he had no bill to pay, and an explanation of the matter. Bush at once returned, and going to Wells told him he wanted to settle with him; Wells obstinately refused to have anything to do with him, and informed him that if he "hung around any longer spouting such nonsense he would lead him home."

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HISTORY OF RICE COUNTY.

Upon another occasion Bully was over at Bush's house, and Mrs. Bush told him that she had been offered $60 for a batch of honey by Faribault. Wells said it must be a pretty nice lot, and asked to see it. Upon being shown the lump, he remarked that he guessed he could make good us of it him- self, and thereupon loaded it up and took it home without saying a word in regard to pay. Things ran along for several days, nothing being said in regard to it. Finally he went over to Bush's and inquired if they did not need a cow; on being answered in the affirmative, he immediately went home and sent his hired man back with a cow, a load of hay, and $60 in cash, with the remark that he guessed that would balance the honey.

He was also bound to be called Bully Wells, and on one occasion ordered a man off from his place for calling him "Mr." Wells, saying he was "Bully" or nothing.

PETER DALCOUR AND THE INDIAN PONIES .- Peter Dalcour, of whom mention has already been made, was not accustomed to frontier life, and could not get to understand the Indians. On one bright spring morning he discovered a number of the Indian ponies in the meadow destroying the hay and grass. He went down and tried to keep them off, but could not succeed, and getting ex- cited he went to the house, got his rifle, and com- ing back commenced blazing away at them. It was whiz, bang, and when he quit firing he had killed fifteen ponies and twenty-five dogs. The Indians did not resent . this fearful slaughter, but the following spring one of them presented Dal- cour with a huge butcher knife, and he said he supposed it was to pay for the destroyed hay, and as a token of future friendship and regard. This occurred on the farm of Peter Bush while Dalcour was working for him. .

MURDER .- In the spring of 1874. Jacob Steck- ner, while out hunting ducks, found the body of his father, John Steckner, at the foot of Cannon Lake, in a condition that proved undoubtedly that he had been murdered. The deceased was a Pennsylvania German, aged about fifty-five years, and it was proven that he had lett the Lake Hotel and driven across the ice in company with another party, having about $30 in his pockets. This was the last seen of him until he was found silent in the arms of grim death. The head was battered in a horrible manner, and a club lying near by covered with the gere of the victim, proving, be-

yond a doubt, that there had been foul play, but as no testimony could he brought forward sufficient to convict, the matter still remains a mystery- and will until the old prophesy of "murder will out" proves itself true.

DR. CHARLES JEWETT, who is prominently men- tioned in connection with the pioneer life in this county, fulfilled his mission on earth on the third day of April, 1879, at Norwich, Connecticut, of chronic enlargement of the heart, at the ripe age of three score years and twelve. His nativity was in Lisbon, Connecticut, on the 5th of September, 1807. He was educated at Plainfield, studied medicine and graduated, and began the practice of his profession in East Greenwich at the age of twenty-two. In 1830. he was married to Miss Lucy A. Tracy, who survived him. He early went into the temperance work and was the agent of the Massachusetts Temperance Union, and was the best known total abstinence advocate in New Eng- land. He afterwards located in Millbury, Massa- chusetts, on a farm paid for by his temperance friends. Here he resided for five years, doing tem- perance work when wanted. In 1853, he went to Batavia, Illinois, where, in connection with other work he lectured on physiology in a school, which did not prove to be a success, and, as himself and family suffered from chills and fever, he removed to Minnesota in the spring of 1855, locating in Warsaw, on section twelve, and remained for three years, when he returned to Massachusetts, at the urgent invitation of the temperance people. A part of the time during the war he was a resident of Menasha, Wisconsin, at work in the temperance cause. In 1873, he removed to Norwich, Connec- ticut. He left a widow, four sons, and two dangh- ters. He was an earnest, amiable, talented, and true-hearted man, respected and beloved by all.

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History of Rice County, including explorers and pioneers of Minnesota and outline history of the state of Minnesota, Part 90

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