USA > Minnesota > Rice County > History of Rice and Steele counties, Minnesota, Vol. I > Part 12
USA > Minnesota > Steele County > History of Rice and Steele counties, Minnesota, Vol. I > Part 12
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Mr. Nutting, on learning that Mr. Hulett was going to ex- plore for a location, inquired as to his plans, and informed him that himself and several other young men had just arrived in St. Paul, and desired to find a place to locate, and the result of the interview was that a party of six was thus formed, and with an emigrant team of two horses they started from St. Paul, leav- ing the family there, and made the first attempt to establish a
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permanent agricultural colony in Rice county. On May 13, 1853, the little party crossed the Mississippi at St. Paul, to the bottom opposite that little hamlet. Roads then were mere trails, and whatever facilities for transportation existed in the country any- where were due to nature and not art. That spring was wet, and before they had got out of the bottom the wagon was mired and the horses had to be detached, the wagon unloaded and hauled by human muscle, assisted by human brain, to high ground. During the journey they saw no more of humanity outside of their own party, except two settlers' cabins near the river. The first night they encamped in a grove fifteen miles from St. Paul, and a northeast storm which had been threatening through the night broke upon them in the morning, and its copious stores continued to drench them until they arrived at the slough within a few miles of Cannon City, which seemed to interpose a barrier against further progress, as there were ten inches of water on a network of roots for a road bed. The horses were unhitched and taken over, and then the young men hauled the wagon through. As they entered the woods between Cannon City and Faribault the rain ceased and the clouds began to disperse. and the pros- pect that opened up before them was most charming, looked upon in a practical way-good timber and good water lying contigu- ous to good cleared land, aggregating the very desideratum for a pioneer settler. The varieties of timber were familiar and Mr. Hulett was overjoyed. As they reached the brow of the hill opposite the site of the old Barron House, in Faribault. the sun, as it was about to set, broke through the canopy of the clouds, casting a mellow light upon the village of Wau-pa- ku-ta (Wapakoota), bank of Indians, comprising some sixty wigwams and stretching along where Main street was after- ward laid out. The vision presented was most enchanting and the newcomers felt that they had arrived in the promised land, which it was proposed to occupy, whether they had a commission to drive out the aborigines that inhabited it or not.
The next morning, May 15, 1853, the sun rose clear and the air was balmy, and having spancled the horses and set them to feed near where the stone mill was afterward built, the adven- turers ascended the hill near the present site of the Catholic Church. Mr. Hulett judged that this country being known, would be settled fast, and the indications pointed to the fact that it would be a business center. He therefore came to the conclusion that this would be his future home, and he so informed the young men who were with him, advising them to take a quarter section right there, hold on to it, and go to work and secure as soon as possible the two hundred dollars with which to pay for it. Of the number, however, only Mark Wells and A.
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McKinzie remained, Levi Nutting returning in the spring of 1855. Five claims were found staked out in the interest of Alexander Faribault, whom, up to this time, Mr. Hulett had not heard of. While returning to St. Paul for his family, Mr. Hulett and Mr. Faribault met and talked over the whole business, and although Mr. Faribault had resolved to have a French Canadian settlement, he was so favorably impressed with the new comer that he cordially invited him to take up his settlement at the desirable location, that they might together work in the inter- ests of building up a town. Upon his return to the present site of Faribault, Mr. Hulett found that Peter Bush, Edward J. Crump and James Wells were among others that had joined the pros- pective settlement.
General Levi Nutting was also one of the early settlers and his account of that first trip to Faribault from St. Paul is inter- esting. He came with Luke Hulett, Mark Wells, Mr. MeKinzie and others. The boat they crossed the Mississippi on was a little larger than a hogshead ; their stock of provisions consisted of flour, pork, ham, tea and coffee and a few other things. The first night they encamped one mile from Empire City. A fire was built and they "turned in" with their feet toward the embers. During the night a coal of fire dropped upon General Nutting's blanket and burned a hole through it, onto the Gen- eral's foot, causing him considerable discomfort. In the morning the journey was resumed and the party passed Castle Rock in Dakota county. At 5 o'clock in the evening of May 5, 1853, the party reached Faribault and found Peter Bush living midway between what are now the Straight river stone mills and the Front street bridge. This, with the cabin of Nobert Paquin. were the only residences of whites at that time occupied here. General Nutting remained three weeks, and as he had a good appetite, he often declared that he really enjoyed the diet, which consisted of "bread and pork for breakfast, pork and bread for dinner and some of both for supper."
The stone quarry hill was an Indian "burial ground," if such a name can be given to a place where the bodies were hung up in trees, after being tied up in blankets. There were from twenty to thirty of these repulsive objects swaying to the breeze over there at one time. While some of the party almost at once took up their residence near here, General Nutting did not come back until in April, 1855.
General Nutting once related how the town was named. It was soon after the arrival of Mr. Hulett, when a meeting was called at the Hotel de Bush, and as Mr. Faribault was so well known, his name was agreed upon and a petition drawn up and given. to General Sibley for a postoffice and a post route, with Alex-
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ander Faribault as postmaster and Mr. Davis as mail carrier.
Peter Bush made the following statement as to his advent at this point: In 1851, he started from Beloit, Wis., to St. Paul, with a load of wagons, and while there met several Cana- dians and trappers who were acquainted with this part of the country, and they told him that a good place to settle with his family would be at the junction of the Straight and Cannon rivers, as there was water power, wood, and prairie there. In August, 1852, he visited the place and was pleased with it, and saw Mr. Faribault, who was then stopping at Mendota; he told Mr. Bush, however, that he did not intend to remain there long. but proposed to locate near the Straight and Cannon rivers where he had already cultivated a farm, and an agreement was made to come here in April, 1853, and occupy the old trading post, which he did. He was not in the exclusive employ of Mr. Faribault, but did work for him, and also for Mr. Wells. The first settlers after Mr. Bush, according to his recollection, were Mr. Wright, Mr. Lull, E. J. Crump, John Dutch, P. Standish, and quite a number of men who had come to work for Mr. Faribault. When Mr. Hulett came, there were two cows here, and he wanted to get board at Mr. Bush's, who had a log house and a blacksmith shop opposite where St. Mary's Hall now is. with some land staked off, but was told that his claim would be jumped unless he had plenty of money to defend it, and so he was induced to sell it for $116, and removed to the lake, where he lived afterwards.
Hon. O. F. Perkins was another early settler. His experi- ence related before the Old Settlers Association was as follows: He left Vermont in 1854, fell in with the great western bound flood tide of emigration, and traveled by rail to the western terminus of the railroad, at Galena, Ill., and there took pass- age for St. Paul, on the Alhambra, which was two weeks making the trip. St. Paul then claimed 4,000 inhabitants. He went to St. Anthony and Minneapolis, spending the winter there. He had no business, but was invited to deliver an address on the Maine liquor law, which he then thought would be most admir- able for this new country, which he did with such success that he supposed the whole community was converted to his views. About that time the first suspension bridge across the Missis- sippi, at Minneapolis, was completed, and Mr. Perkins, at the celebration and banquet which followed this event, was called upon for a speech, and although all the public men there were intensely democratic, he introduced his anti-slavery views, which, had he been a little older he might have been a little more cau- tious in doing in such a presence. This, however, proved to be
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a turning point in his career, for J. W. North, hearing of the incident, invited him to go with him to Faribault, where just such daring men were wanted, and he accepted the invitation and rode out in a sleigh with him, being two days on the road. It was bitter cold, and arriving here the scene was in striking contrast with what would greet a visitor now. He re- mained a few days in mortal fear of having his scalp lifted, came back the following spring and opened a law office and studied up the claim business, boarded with Mr. Crump, and had his office up stairs. He afterwards moved into a blacksmith shop, but as business did not open up, he went to farming. He bought a bushel of potatoes for $2.50, and carried them to a spot of ground he had procured north of D. W. Humphrey's house, and planted them with an axe; did nothing more with them until fall, when the crop was sold to Dr. Charles Jewett for $35. He also planted some corn on the bluff near the stone quarry; it came up two or three times, by the aid of the gophers, but finally got ready to grow, and in due time it was harvested by the
cattle, and he concluded that raising corn was not his forte, that potatoes were his "best holt." Law being at a discount, he tried his hand at theology, and preached the first sermon, as far as he knew, in this region, from a book loaned him by Truman Nutting, and it was pure, unadulterated Calvinism, without any "sugar coating." He also assisted in the formation of the first Bible Society ; he was the secretary, and Frank Nutting local agent. According to his recollection, E. J. Crump was the first justice of the peace, and the first case before him was a replevin case for a gun worth $2.50. Mr. Perkins was the prosecuting attorney, but the case was sworn out of the jurisdiction of the court. When at work as a horny-handed yeoman, carrying his potatoes to plant, he met John M. Berry and G. W. Batchelder, and with his brother they all went to living together in a little board shanty.
Captain E. H. Cutts came to this state in 1853 and stopped awhile in Red Wing. When he came to Faribault, that year, he saw and heard one of the hideous scalp dances for which this region was famous in the early days. The Wapakootas had some Chippewa scalps and were skulking through the monotonous con- tortions of this sanguinary dance, accompanied with the most blood curdling yells. lle presided over the first debating club here, went back to Illinois, and after marrying, returned.
John C. Cooper came from St. Paul in June, 1854, in com- pany with the mail carrier who had the whole mail for the week on his person. It consisted of one letter and Luke Hulett's regular copy of the Tribune.
H. M. Matteson, one of the pioneers, started for this locality
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in February, 1854, and stopped where Dundas now is, made a claim of some land and began to improve it by exchanging work with Mr. Hoyt, giving him a day's work for a day's use of his oxen. Not being overstocked with provisions, he caught a large catfish which furnished him with meat for several days.
In 1855 began the real influx of settlement to this county, and the story of the early settlers in each locality is told in the histories of the various townships and villages.
CHAPTER IV.
ORGANIZATION AND BOUNDARY LINES.
Rice County Created in 1853-Its Indefinite and Extensive Boundaries-Four Counties Cornering at the Confluence of the Straight and Cannon Rivers-Western Boundary of Goodhue Defined in 1854-Sibley Sent to the Legislature- Act Passed Defining New Boundaries-Rice County Organ- ized by Governor Gorman-County Seat Established at Can- non City-Resentment by People of Faribault-Refusal to Pay Taxes-Election of Officers in Fall of 1855-Faribault Becomes County Seat-Records Transcribed from Mendota Documents-Last Change of Boundary Made in 1857.
The area that is now Rice county was a part of Wabashia (then spelled Wabashaw) county, from 1849 to 1851. From 1851 to 1853, it was a part of Dakota (then spelled Dakotah) county.
Rice county was created by act of the territorial legislature, March 5, 1853. Section 7, Chapter 15 (General Laws of Minne- sota, 1853) gives the boundaries as follows: Beginning at the southwest corner of Dakota county, thence west along said county line to Lake Sakatah, thence south to the Iowa state line. thence cast along said state line to the southwest corner of Fill- more county, thence along the west lines of Fillmore, Wabasha and Goodhue counties to the place of beginning.
It will thus be seen that the starting point of Rice county, as then constituted, was at the "southwest corner of Dakota county." The west and south lines of Dakota county are described in the act as follows: "Beginning in the Minnesota at the mouth of the Credit river, thence on a direct line to the upper branch of the Cannon river, thence down said river to its lowest fork." The upper branch of the Cannon river is the Straight river, and consequently this boundary line of Rice county started at the confluence of these rivers, ran southwestward to Lake Sakatal ; and thence south, crossing Waseca and Freeborn coun- ties about on the range line between ranges twenty-two and twenty-three to the lowa line. Thence it ran cast to a little village called Granger in township 101, range eleven, Fillmore county. Thence it ran in a direct line, due northwest to the place of beginning.
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Rice county therefore took in about two-thirds of the present platted city of Faribault, large portions of Morristown, Warsaw and Walcott townslaps, and small portions of Wells, Cannon City and Richland townships in the present Rice county. It included the four eastern townships in Waseca townships, and all but the four western townships in Freeborn county. It also took in practically all of Mower and Steele counties, about one- third of Dodge, a very small portion of Fillmore and Goodhue. and possibly a few sections in Olmstead county.
In February, 185, the government survey having been made, the eastern boundary was altered somewhat and assumed definite lines. This gave Goodhue county its present boundaries, and took that county away from the confluence of the Straight and Cannon rivers. However, three counties were still left "cornered" at the meeting of these streams.
This would indeed seem to be a discouraging circumstance in connection with the establishment of a county seat in Fari- bault, but the pioneers had views of their own, and while many would have considered that the obstacles in the way of securing a readjustment of county lines were too formidable to be over- come, they never abandoned their firm determination to make Faribault capital of the county. Thus it stood, with Rice, Dakota. and Scott counties cornering at Faribault, until the fall of 1854. when, as the territory to the south was rapidly filling up, it be- came certain that the next legislature would rearrange the coun- ties all through southern Minnesota. While everything was being done to make Faribault a business center, the political aspect of affairs was carefully scrutinized and it was at once determined that it was imperative to have a good strong clear- headed man who would be master of the situation as a repre- sentative in the legislature from this district, and Alexander Faribault, who was always quick to see what should be done, and as prompt to act, opened a correspondence with H. H. Sib- ley, urging him to be a candidate for the position, and insisting that in the fight over the county's boundaries, which was cer- tain to be a bitter one and the contest for county seats most distressing-to the defeated ones-he was the man to represent the interests of this section. Mr. Sibley replied that he would admit that his knowledge of the country might be of use to the settlers if elected to the position, and intimated that there would be opposition to him in the Minnesota valley, but, if nominated in the convention to be held, he could be elected. So the voters held a caucus at Mr. Faribault's house and appointed Alexander Faribault, N. Paquin, William Dunn, James Wells, Jonathan Morris, E. J. Crump, and Walter Morris as delegates to the convention soon to be held at Shakopee. Feeling that they
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might not all attend, Luke Ilulett wrote a resolution instructing the delegates to vote for Mr. Sibley, and authorizing them to cast the full vote of the delegation. Mr. Dunn, of Cannon City, who with all the others, was in favor of Mr. Sibley, positively declined to be instructed, insisting that he and the others knew enough to go to the convention and do their duty. James Wells also opposed the resolution, and notwithstanding Mr. Hulett urged its necessity in case of a contingency, which actually hap- pened, and that its passage implied no disrespect to the delega- tion, it was voted down. In due time the convention met, two of the delegates were not there, and the result of the first ballot was a tie between Mr. Sibley and a gentleman up the Minnesota river ; so the delegation then asked for the privilege of casting the entire vote for Mr. Sibley, but to this objection was success- fully made, as they had not been so instructed by their con- stituents. But Mr. Wells, who was well up in party methods, was equal to the emergency and retrieved his mistake in second- ing Mr. Dunn's objection to Mr. Hulett's resolution, by finding a man in whose palm a ten dollar gold piece exactly fitted, and the next ballot placed Mr. Sibley in nomination.
General Sibley was duly elected, and succeeded in making the county lines conform to the wishes of his Faribault friends. In the act defining the boundaries of various counties, including Rice, a provision was inserted to the effect that the legal voters could at any general election organize any of the counties therein defined county, provided that there were at least fifty votes cast for county commissioners, and empowering the first county board to permanently establish the county seat. With this con- dition of things the people of Faribault were content, as the place was fast filling up.
The boundaries of Rice county as given in the act of 1855 are as follows: "Beginning at the southwest corner of town- ship 109 north, range 18 west, running thence west on said township line twenty-four miles to the township line between ranges 22 and 23; thence north on said township line twenty- four miles to the township line between townships 112 and 113 north; thence east on said township line twelve miles to the township line between ranges 20 and 21 ; thence south six miles to the township line between townships 111 and 112: thence east on said township line twelve miles to the township line between ranges 18 and 19; thence south eighteen miles to the place of beginning." The above remains a description of the present boundaries of Rice county, with the exception of an addition to the county of twelve sections in the northern part of Bridgewater and Northfield townships, taken from Green- vale, Waterford and Sciota townships in Dakota county.
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The boundaries being definitely laid down in 1855 to the satisfaction of the people, the next step was the organization.
This was accomplished by Gov. Willis A. Gorman, early in 1855. Owing to the fact that the previous historians of this county belonged to the party which opposed the organization by the governor, very little has been handed down to the pres- ent generation in regard to this important period in Rice county history. It seems that during the summer of 1854 a town had been laid out three miles northeast of the village of Faribault by the Messrs. Sears, and given the name of Cannon City. It is probable that friends of the Messrs. Sears gained the ear of the governor, for after being urged by various citizens of the county, probably not residents of Faribault, the governor ap- pointed a provisional list of commissioners, and established the county seat at Cannon City.
In the fall of that year, however, the county proceeded to organize by an election under the act that had defined its boundaries.
There were three voting precincts, one at Faribault, one at Cannon City and the other at Morristown. Walter Morris, the founder of the latter village, had first located at Faribault, but not securing such an interest as he desired, transferred himself and his followers to Morristown. He evidently held the balance of power between Faribault and Cannon City, and it became imperative in the interests of the people at the confluence of the Straight and Cannon rivers that a compromise be made with him; this being effected by the preparation of a ticket for county officers with the larger part of the candidates from Morristown.
The election was held in November, 1855, and resulted as follows: Register of deeds, Isaac Hammond; sheriff, Charles Wood; judge of probate, Isaac Woodman ; county commissioners, F. W. Frink, Andrew Storer and George F. Pettit. Faribault was selected as the county seat.
Up to the time of this election Rice county, though it had received a name and been given boundaries, was attached to Dakota county for both civil and judicial purposes.
Alexander Faribault and his associates had family, business and social interests in Mendota, in Dakota county, and were therefore not inclined to consider this connection with Dakota county as other than just and proper.
But the newer comers were not disposed to yield in any way the palm of supremacy to the towns to the north, and were jealous of any efforts which tended toward delaying Rice county in taking an equal place among the somewhat older counties. Therefore when a tax was laid on personal property in Dakota county, and an effort was made to collect the tax in Rice
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county, the effort was much resented, although the Dakota county officials were acting under the act which provided that assessors should "assess all property therein (that is, in unorgan- ized counties) subject to taxation, and return the assessment roll by them made to the clerk of the board of county commis- sioners of the county to which their counties were attached for judicial purposes, and the board was required to levy the tax; and the collector of such county (i. e., an unorganized county ) was requested to collect the tax and pay the same into the treas- ury of such an organized county in the same manner as they were required to do in such organized counties of which they were officers."
This act clearly provided that the taxation money from Rice county should be paid into the treasury of Dakota county, but only a few paid it, and the election and organization of Rice county came so soon that the neglect or refusal of the others did not become a serious problem.
When the county government wheels were actually set in motion steps were taken to secure a copy of such records as had pertained to Rice county during its connection with Dakota county. Deputy Register of Deeds C. C. Perkins was directed to go to Mendota, which had been the county seat of Dakota county (Kaposia, now South Park, South St. Paul, became the county seat in 1854, Mendota in 1854, and Hastings in 1857). and copy all records of deeds, mortgages, and miscellaneous rec- ords pertaining to Rice county and transport the same to Fari- bault. Upon this authority Mr. Perkins went to St. Paul and purchased the necessary books, and thence to Mendota, where he transcribed the records as directed and returned to Rice county. delivering them into the hands of Register of Deeds Isaac Ham- mond in the early part of 1855. Since then the records have been maintained in Faribault.
By an act passed by the legislature May 22, 1857, several sections were annexed to Rice county in the following words: Be it enacted . . . that the southern tier of sections in town- ship 112 north, of ranges 19 and 20 west, be, and the same are hereby annexed to and shall hereafter constitute a part of the county of Rice . . . said portions of counties annexed shall form a part of the representative district of the county to which they are annexcd. . .
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