History of Rice County, including explorers and pioneers of Minnesota and outline history of the state of Minnesota, Part 93

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 93

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During the fall Mr. Owens broke two acres of the prairie, and later in the fall and through the winter he fenced eighty acres; being the first fence put up in the township; also making, at the same

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HISTORY OF RICE COUNTY.

time, by night work, with a draw-knife, shingles enough to cover the houses of Samuel Howe, John Ralier, and his own, which were each 16x24 feet.

All of these settlers mentioned had come in un- prepared for the extreme "newness" of matters which they found, and as provisions and lumber were very scarce Mr. Owens, in October, 1864, started by team to Hastings to lay in a supply. When he got there he found nothing but one little hut, where was kept a few articles for sale, but they were out of provisions and lumber was not to be thought of. He then went to Prescott and Doug- lass where he succeeded in getting provisions and a few rough boards. Mr. Owens is still living in section thirty-five and may be called the pioneer tavern keeper of the town, as from his very first advent he, more or less, kept tavern until about 1870. Of his sons, two of them still remain and are promineut men in Rice county, while William N. and Ancel E. Owen are now in the territory of Montana, both having done valuable service for their country, the first in crushing the rebellion, and the last in the Indian war at Fort Abercrom- bie.

But we digress. To return to the time of Mr. Owen's arrival in October, 1854. After Corsett had sold his farm he took a claim in Walcott town- ship and finally found his way to Redwood county, where he died some years ago.

About the time that Owens settled, a few more made their appearance. A party who were natives of Vermont having stopped for a time in Wiscon- sin, from whence they came direct. M. N. Pond and wife, and Prof. Ide, his father-in-law, with Mrs. Ide and her two daughters, made up the party. They came direct to Faribault, following the trail of Mr. Thomas Sprague, who had settled in Warsaw, and arrived at their destination in due time, having lost the single wagon trail. They then started to East Prairie in search of farms. There was not a track through the timber nor a sign of civilization, and they were forced to tedi- ously cut a pathway through the heavy and tangled woods. When they got to the prairie they found signs of someone's having already been on the ground, for on a stake, conspicuously planted, appeared the warning words:

" 6,000 ACRES -

of this land is claimed by TRIPP, Boss & Co."

Whoever this remarkable "monarch-of-all-they-

surveyed" firm were, the sturdy pioneers allowed them to claim it, and proceeded to select and settle on the best farms they could find. Prof. Ide took a claim in section thirty-five where the village now is, while Mr. Pond secured a place in sec- tion thirty-six, where he at once erected a hewn log hut, making shingles therefor with a draw- knife; the fact has been omitted that they had brought with them a yoke of oxen and team of horses. Here Pond remained until the survey was made which discovered to him that he was upon a school section, and he at once sold for $200 and re- moved to the timber in section thirty-three, in which he took the southwest quarter and at onee put up a bark shanty ; peeling the bark from sap- plings, unrolling and nailing it to the posts he had prepared, making a shanty sixteen feet square. He moved into this in the spring of 1855. The winter of 1855-56 was a very severe one, and as soon as the thermometer was put out the mercury would at once bob out of sight, while the anxious shiverer was still in doubt as to how cold it really was, and it became a standing joke that two thermometers must be tied together perpen- dicularly to find how cold it was; but, it was an ac- tual fact that for ninety days there was not a min- ute's thaw. This was quite an unfortunate sur- prise to the early settlers as the winter before had been very mild, and it is stated on good authority that musqnitoes were seen in December and men could work in shirt sleeves, almost all winter. However, they stood it, as they were obliged to, many faring badly; but it is a strange fact that stock stood out of doors all through the frightfully severe winter, enduring the cold and did not suffer, apparently.

A number of others came about the same time and increased the settlement in the southern part of the town, and many pushed their way over the line and took farms in Walcott. Among these were George Marks and Mr. Emerson. The latter first took a claim on East Prairie, but afterwards re- moved to Walcott where he engaged in a mill. Oliver Tripp, a native of the state of New York, came on the 15th of August, in 1854, and took possession of some of the prairie land in section thirty-six, where he still remains,having purchased adjoining lands until he now owns a farm of 320 acres, a part being in Walcott and Cannon City. W. L. Herriman was another who came in 1854, arriving from Ohio in the fall of the year named

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CANNON CITY TOWNSHIP.

and secured a claim a short distance north of the farms occupied by the parties above mentioned. He was a blacksmith by trade and assisted in the early settlement of the village by starting the first blacksmith shop. He has held the office of Town Treasurer for sixteen years and is still a prominent man in the town.

Mr. Truman Boss came early in the fall of 1854 and secured a place in section twenty-two, where Mr. C. Erb now lives. He left a number of years ago.

Mr. John Thompson, a native of Scotland, ar- rived in Cannon City township in 1855, and as- sisted in the settlement of East Prairie and the village, by aiding in the erection of a steam and grist mill, an account of which is found on another page.

M. C. Sweat, a native of Vermont, after stopping in Wisconsin for a time, made his appearance in the year 1854, and took a claim north of the East Prairie settlement, in section twenty-three, where he still "tills the soil," having since his arrival spent some time in the Rocky Mountains, besides doing his country service in the late war. Mr. Sweat was joined the following year by a New Yorker in the person of H. C. Tripp, who with his family made himself at home on an adjoining farm in the same section where he still holds forth, now having 240 acres of land and one of the finest brick residences in Rice county.

About the same time another native of the Em- pire State put in an appearance and joined his fellow New Yorker by purchasing a claim in sec- tion twenty-five. This was E. B. Orcutt, of Oneida county, and after having stopped for a time in Wisconsin, he made his arrival in 1855, with two yoke of oxen. He still remains on the claim he originally secured, having one of the finest farms in the town. Mr. Joseph Covert, of New York, came about the same time, and should be mentioned as prominent among the early set- tlers, although he first took a claim and lived over the line in the town of Wheeling. In 1868, he removed to his present place in section twenty- five of Cannon City, adjoining Mr. Orcutt's on the south. He has been and now is among the most prominent and public spirited men in the township and county.

Still another crowded into this section this year, -1855-in the person of Roswell Bryant, of New England, who, with his family, after stopping

for a time in Indiana, made their way to Minne- sota and became identified with Cannon City township pioneering by securing prairie land ad- joining the places above mentioned. He still re- mains on the place.

H. A. Swarthout, of Pennsylvania, came two years later, in 1857, and purchased the farm he now owns in sections twenty-six and twenty- seven.

In the meantime other parts of the township had begun evolutions toward civilization, although as yet the north and south portions were as far apart, in a social sense, as it is now distant from St. Paul. Until the settlements grew so large as to merge together there was no intercourse between them, and one "heard not, neither did he see, what the other did." Below we shall endeavor to give most of the prominent arrivals in the northern settle. ment, as they grew, and gradually converging be- came one.

About the first to commence a settlement in the north was what was known as the Closson party, of Wisconsin. They consisted of Calab Closson and his sons J. Clark, Joseph, Amasa, and Schuy- ler, who all took farms adjoining, in the northeast- ern corner of the town, arriving late in the year 1854. They at once erected log houses and stables as they had considerable stock with them. Caleb, the father, remained here until about 1872, when he removed to the northern part of the State, where he is yet. The two oldest sons, J. Clark and Joseph, were both married; the former is now a drayman at Faribault, and the latter is still on the farm. The other two boys, Schuyler and Amasa, took claims here first, then went to the army and died from the effects of injuries re- ceived there. These were the most prominent pioneers in the northern part of the town, and the "Closson Settlement" is still often spoken of by the old pioneers. Section five, a few miles west of this settlement, received an initiating settler soon afterward in the person of John Dungay, a native of England who came from Chicago, where he had been working at the carpenter trade for sev- eral years, and secured a good farm in Cannon City township. He at once erected a comfortable honse, sawing the lumber therefor with a whip- saw, also preparing lumber and making probably the first wagon made in Rice county. He re- mained on his original place until 1862, when he removed to where he lives at present, in section sixteen.

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HISTORY OF RICE COUNTY.

Thomas Van Eaton, late of Wisconsin, made his appearance in the spring of 1855, and helped fill in the gap between the two settlers above men- tioned by taking a farm in section three. He afterwards turned out to be a preacher, and was finally murdered near Sauk Centre by the Indians during their outbreak, they cutting off his head and leaving his body lying in a slough. The ghastly, grinning skull rolled over the prairie for nine years before it was identified and buried.

Messrs. Godfrey, father and son, secured farms in the northern part of the town in 1855, and moved on them the following year.

Jesse Carr, a native of the Empire State, made his appearance the same spring, 1855, and pre- empted a farm in section four, where he began im- provements at once, and still remains on the place, at the ripe old age of seventy-two years.

About the same time George A. Turner, of New York, arrived and took a place near Mr. Carr, and still lives in the township.

Thus it will be seen that by the fall of 1855 the town had become pretty well settled and all parts had representatives in the pioneer line. Sears brothers had arrived and the village of Cannon City brought into existence, while Prai- rieville in the south, had made a very noticeable stride. A few more of the most prominent arrivals can be noted.

F. Van Eaton came from Indiana in 1856, and secured a place in the northern part of the town, where he has been a school clerk for fifteen years.

C. H. Mulliner, a native of New York State, came to Minnesota in 1855, and in 1856 secured a place in Cannon City township, where he still re- mains, a prominent man among the most success- ful farmers.

O. B. Hawley, another of Cannon City's public spirited men, arrived from New York State, in 1856, and settled on his present farm in section twenty-six, which his father, E. Hawley, had pre-empted the year previous. Mr. Hawley was Chairman of the Board of Supervisors which or- ganized the township in 1858, which office he held for eight terms.

John Jepson, one of the pioneers of Minnesota, arrived in 1856, and took a farm in section four- teen in Wheeling. He has since moved to Cannon City and become prominently identified with the interests of the township.

S. J. Clemans located in Warsaw in 1855, but finally moved to Cannon City township, where he still remains.

Thomas Gallagher, of Emerald Isle nativity, se- cured a farm in section seven, where he still re- sides.

F. Strunk, of the state of New York, came to Rice county in 1864, and in 1873 formed a stock company under the title of Cannon City Mill Com- pany, and erected a flouring mill on the Cannon River, in section eight.

William Dunn was among the first settlers in the northern part of the town, coming about the latter part of 1854.

A German named Sherman came in at an early day in 1855.

Joseph Fancher, and J. and Elson Emerson, came from the east and settled on sections three and eleven. They have since gone to parts un- known.

Thomas Bowles, or as he was familiarly known, Deacon Bowles, of Michigan, a brother-in-law of the Sears brothers, came to Cannon City in the spring of 1855, and took a farm near the village. He mortgaged his farm to some capitalists of Fari- bault, by which he finally lost it, and in 1872, re- moved toOsakis.

EARLY ITEMS OF INTEREST.

In 1854, when William N. Owens arrived in the southern part of the town, the particulars of which have already been noted, he broke two acres of prairie land which was the first sod turned for ag- ricultural purposes in the town. The following year he sowed this to oats from which he put up a stack that he sold in the field for $50. At the same time he put in six bushels of wheat, and raised, besides enough for seed, 100 bushels, which he sold for $2.00 per bushel, and could have got more if he had asked it. It was cleared with an old fashioned hand fan. He had settled on the old "Indian Trail," and the Indians in passing through from Red Wood to Wabasha, hecame a nuisance. The first thing they did after he had settled was to come to the farm and strike their tee- pees directly in front of his house, in a little grove which was there. This was more than the pioneer family could bear, and as soon as they were rid of them, Mr. Owens and his son repaired to the grove where they felled every tree and turned over the sod, so that the Indians, on their return, were forced to seek shelter in the timber half a mile

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CANNON CITY TOWNSHIP.

west of the farm. On one occasion the red skins came to Mr. Owens' door for bread, and upon be- ing handed a loaf laid down $2.50 in gold and re- fusel to take it back or receive any change. An- other time a new gun was left for a pan of flour. Mr. Owens says that had he been prepared for trading he could have made a fortune in furnish- ing provisions to them. It was sometime before the Indians could be taught what fences were made for, and in passing through the prairie land would tear them down and march in tribes directly through the growing grain and up to the house,in caildish ignorance that was very provoking, and Mr. Owens stationed one of his children at the point where they usually entered the field with in- structions to lead them around the piece of grain. This finally taught them to be more careful, but they proved to be so bothersome that Mrs. Owens bethought a plan and carried it into successful execution that cured their propensity for laying around the house. She got her daughter, Amelia, to go to bed when she saw them coming, and then she would meet them at the door and blandly tell them "Mecosha Sharada," which means small-pox, and the red skins would "light" out like a pack of dogs.

The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Owens, Amelia, who is mentioned above, grew to be a great favor- its among the Indians, and many times has the anxious mother feared they would abduct her, but finally the messenger of death called her away from the home in which she had so long been a bright figure, which left a deep and lasting im- pression on the small colony. For years afterward, the Indians, who had loved and petted the bright girl, would stop at Mr. Owens' door and enquire, "Papoose?" and on being told "Nepo," or dead, would go away sadly saying, "Too bad, Too bad!"

Rev. John Hoover, with his wife and three chil- dren, and his son-in-law, William Neel, came from Ohio, and arrived in Cannon City township in April, 1855. He found all the claims marked, mostly with the names of Tripp, Boss & Co., Wil- liam Duun, and Sears Brothers, and not knowing that these parties had no right to claim the land, he purchased a farm of a man named Carr, who had settled on sections ten and eleven and was living in a little pole shanty, one half of which constituted his stable, and the other half his dwelling. Mr. Hoover at once moved on the

place and erected a log house, which he covered with a roof of four thicknesses of "shakes," think- ing that would surely keep out the rain. The sec- ond night after this was put up there came up a "rightful storm, which they found to be about as severe in the house as out of doors, and to save his library the Elder placed it under the bed, but notwithstanding this precaution, the water soaked through the bed and almost ruined his books. When Rev. Hoover was at Faribault, on his way here, he was called upon to preach a funeral ser- mon over the body of an emigrant who had taken sick and died in an Indian hut in the place. Mr. H. protested that he could not, as he had nothing but his rough traveling clothes and could not ap- pear in such unsuitable garments. They insisted, however, and borrowed him a suit, in which he delivered the discourse to a congregation of two men and several women. In fact, when the shroud which had been made was brought forward there were not enough men present to raise the corpse, and it was split open in the back and tucked under. This was on the 15th of April, 1855. During the summer of the same year, Mr. Hoover posted up a notice that he would hold re- ligious services on the shore of Chrystal Lake, he being of the Methodist Protestant faith, and after inaugurating it, seats were made of logs, and spread over the grounds here and there. Many well attended and able meetings were held here at which Mr. Hoover officiated, and a Sunday school was organized, which is still in force. William Neel now occupies the farm secured by Mr. Hoover.

Rev. T. R. Cressey was probably the first and most prominent missionary of the Baptist faith in Rice county. He originally came from Ohio, lo- cating first, for a time, at Hastings. In 1855, he came to Rice county and settled in Cannon City township, where Mr. Turner now is, and was prominent and foremost among religious circles, preaching the first sermon in the town. In 1862, he went into the army as chaplain and did val- uable service. Returning after the close of the war, he remained a short time and removed to Des Moines, Iowa, where he died. He was a true Christian, an earnest worker, and was beloved and respected by all who knew him.

Among the first marriages in the town was that of Elson Emerson to Charity Judd, at the resi- dence of John Emerson, in 1856 or '57. Another was that of Mr. and Mrs. Kiekenoff.

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HISTORY OF RICE COUNTY.

The first death occurred in the spring of 1855, and was Mrs. Warren, mother of Mrs. John Pratt, at the latter's residence in the southern part of the township. A coffin was made under the shade of a tree by Mr. M. N. Pond, from the boards of a wagon box, and was stained with a red wood cane. Her remains are now at rest in the Prairieville cemetery.

A few weeks after this death, on the 24th of May, 1855, Amelia, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. N. Owens, was taken away by death, and was buried in their garden, where they remained until the burial ground was laid out. Rev. J. Hoover, of Cannon City, preached the funeral discourse.

A man called "Doctor" died at the residence of Truman Boss in the fall of 1855. He had just sold nis claim and contemplated going back to his eastern home, when the grim monster overtook him.

POLITICAL.

This township was brought into existence for self-government shortly after the territory became a State, and the meeting for the purpose of or- ganizing was held at the residence of I. N. Sater, in Cannon City, on the 11th of May, 1858. The · meeting came to order upon call of I. N. Sater, and officers pro tem. were placed in charge of the meeting as follows: Chairman, Thomas Robin- sou; Moderator, Peter Chenneworth; Clerk, D. W. Albaugh. The meeting then took up the mat- ter ot township officers for the ensuing year, and elected the following: Supervisors, O. B. Haw- ley, Chairman, Jesse Carr, and J. A. Starks; Jus- tice of the Peace, William N. Owens; Clerk, C. Smith House; Assessor, J. D. Carr; Coustable, John Cusey. The first records of the township are in such condition that it is impossible to ascertain to a certainty who were the first officers, and the above are as near correct as we can determine. The name of Thomas Bowles also appears in the first record as making a motion to vote $200 to defray town expenses, which was carried.

This township voted sums at different times to pay bounties to volunteers who should fill the quota. On the 8th of August, 1864, an appro- priation was made to pay $200 to each man who should offer to enlist before the 5th of September, 1864, the vote on the question being 63 for and 17 against the proposition. On the 21st of Jan- uary, 1865, another special town meeting was held for the purpose of levying a tax to pay

bounties; but this was defeated by a vote of 63 against and 29 for.

At the annual town meeting in the spring of 1882, the following town officers were elected: Supervisors, E. Walrod, Chairman, O. R. Ingram, and F. Van Eaton; Clerk, Thomas Sloan; Treas- urer, W. L. Herriman; Assessor, H. C. Leasure; Justice of the Peace, Franklin Carter: Constable, John Struthers.

EDUCATIONAL.

DISTRICT No. 8 .- This district, which embraces the village of Praireville, effected an organization at the first meeting of the Rice County Commis- sioners in January, 1856, although school had been held the year previous, in the fall, by Mr. Haugland in a schoolhouse erected in the summer of 1855, by K. Merrit, the lumber having been drawn from Hastings. This was a very good building and served the purpose until 1876, when the present neat and substantial brick house was erected on the same site in the village of Prairie- ville, at a cost of $1,800, being heated by a furnace and supplied with necessary apparatus for a suc- cessful school. In 1858, James Anderson, Clerk, reported this district as having thirty scholars, and a year later E. Austin reported sixty-five.

DISTRICT No. 9 .- The first school taught in this district was in the winter of 1856-57, at the resi- dence of William Dunn, by Miss Mary Swart- hout, with an attendance of about fourteen scholars. The district was organized the same year, and a schoolhouse erected soon after. Their present school building is located in the eastern part of section twelve, and cost $400; the number of scholars at present is about eighteen. This district, in January, 1858, reported to the county commissioners as having thirty-two schol- ars. Geo. Douglass was Clerk.

DISTRICT No. 10 .- This is the district embrac- ing the village of Cannon City. It was set apart and organized under its present number, at the very first meeting of the board of County Commis- sioners, in January, 1856. The first school was taught the summer before the organization, in a store building belonging to North & Carroll, by Miss Fannie Havlin, with twenty-five scholars present. In January, 1858, J. Sanborn, Clerk, re- ported this district as having ninety-two scholars; and one year later, James D. Carr who was then Clerk, reported 103 scholars. This was to deter- mine how much of the apportionment money this

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CANNON CITY TOWNSHIP.

district was entitled to; it being that year sixty- five cents per scholar. The district now has a very neat and commodious building on block eighteen in the village, which was erected in 1873, 18x28 feet, of brick, at a cost of $1,700. It is furnished with patent desks and necessary ap- paratus. The last term was taught by Miss H. Ray, with seventy scholars.

DISTRICT No. 25 .- Effected an organization in 1862, and a log house was rolled together at that time, 14x16 feet. Miss Mary Carr taught the first school in this building, with fifteen juveniles on the hard wood benches. The district now has a fine brick schoolhouse, 20x30 feet, that was erected in the northeastern part of section seventeen at a cost of $600, with patent seats and heated with a furnace. S. N. Haynes was the last teacher, there being an attendance of fifteen.

DISTRICT No. 30 .- This educational organiza- tion came into existence in 1857, and the first school was taught in a building 18x24 feet, which the district erected in the northern part of section twenty-five, on G. G. Durland's land, the Inmber being hauled from Hastings, and there were ten scholars present. The location of the present school structure is the southwestern part of the same section, there being now an attendance of eighteen pupils. This district, in 1858, reported to the Commissioners that they had thirty-five scholars in attendance.

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History of Rice County, including explorers and pioneers of Minnesota and outline history of the state of Minnesota, Part 93

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