USA > Minnesota > Rice County > History of Rice and Steele counties, Minnesota, Vol. I > Part 19
USA > Minnesota > Steele County > History of Rice and Steele counties, Minnesota, Vol. I > Part 19
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S. J. Clemens located in Warsaw in 1855, but finally moved to Cannon City township. Thomas Gallagher, of Emerald Isle nativity, secured a farm in section seven. 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 Company, 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. 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 Faribault, by which he finally lost it, and in 1872, removed to Osakis.
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 agricultural purposes in the town. He had settled on the old "Indian Trail," and the Indians in passing through from Red Wood to Wabasha, became a nuisance. The first thing they did
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after he had settled was to come to the farm and strike their teepees 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 west of the farm. On one occasion the redskins came to Mr. Owens' door for bread, and upon being handed a loaf laid down $2.50 in gold and refused to take it back or receive any change. Another time a new gun was left for a pan of flour. It was some time before the Indians could be taught what fences were made for, and in passing through the prairie land they would tear them down and march in bands directly through the growing grain and up to the house in childish ignorance that was very provoking, and Mr. Owens stationed one of his children at the point where they usually entered the field with instruction 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 redskins would leave quickly. This daughter, Amelia, grew to be a great favorite among the Indians, and many times the anxious mother feared they would abduct her. She finally sickened and died. For years afterward, the Indians, who had loved and petted the bright girl, would stop at Mr. Owens' door and enquire, "Pap- oose?" and on being told "Nepo" or dead, would go away sadly saying, "Too bad, too bad !"
Rev. John Hoover, with his wife and three children, and his son-in-law, William Neel, came from Ohio, and arrived in Can- non City township in April, 1855. He found all the claims marked, mostly with the names of Tripp, Boss & Co., William Dunn, and Sears brothers. and not knowing that these persons had no right to claim such quantities of 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," thinking that would surely keep out the rain. The second night after this was put up there came a frightful 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 notwith-
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standing this precaution, the water soaked through the bed and almost ruined his books. When Rev. Hoover was at Faribault, on his way to Cannon City, he was called upon to preach a funeral sermon over the body of an emigrant who had taken sick and died in an Indian hut in the place. Mr. Hoover protested that he could not, as he had nothing but his rough traveling clothes and could not appear in such unsuit- able garments. They insisted, however, and borrowed him a suit, in which he delivered the discourse to a congregation of two men and several women. This was on April 15, 1855. During the summer of the same year, Mr. Hoover posted up a notice that he would hold religious services on the shore of Crystal Lake, he being of the Methodist-Episcopal faith. 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.
Rev. T. R. Cressey was probably the first and most prominent missionary of the Baptist faith in Rice county. He originally came from Ohio, living, for a time, at Hastings. In 1855, he came to Rice county, settled in Cannon City township and was promi- nent among religious circles, preaching the first sermon in the town. In 1862, he went into the army as chaplain and did valuable service. Returning after the close of the war, he remained a short time and removed to Des Moines, Iowa, where he died.
Among the first marriages in the town was that of Elson Emerson to Charity Judd, at the residence of John Emerson, in 1856 or 1857. Another was that of Mr. and Mrs. Kiekenoff.
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 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, May 24, 1855, Amelia, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. WV. N. Owens, was taken away by death, and was buried in their garden, where the body 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 soid his claim and contemplated going back to his eastern home, when death overtook him.
Cannon City township was brought into existence for self- government shortly after the territory became a state, and the meeting for the purpose of organizing was held at the resi- dence of 1. N. Sater, in Cannon City, May 11, 1858. The meeting
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came to order upon call of I. N. Sater and officers pro. tem. were placed in charge of the meeting as follows: Chairman, Thomas Robinson ; moderator, Peter Chenneworth ; clerk, D. W. Albaugh. The meeting then took up the matter of township officers for the ensuing year, and elected the following : Super- visors, O. B. Hawley, chairman, Jesse Carr, and J. A. Starks ; justice of the peace, William N. Owens; clerk, C. Smith House; assessor, J. D. Carr; constable, 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. August 8, 1864, an appropriation was made to pay $200 to each man who should offer to enlist before September 5, 1864, the vote on the question being 63 for and 17 against the proposition. January 21, 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 to 29.
ERIN TOWNSHIP.
Erin township greatly resembles Forest and Shieldsville townships in general natural features, surface and scenery except for the fact that it has no lakes of any importance wholly within its borders, although many small streams traverse the valley to become affluents to the Cannon river. Tuft's lake on the south extends partially over sections thirty-four and thirty-five, form- ing the largest body of water in the township, while a small chain of lakes extend the sheet eastward and forms a southern boundary to section thirty-six. In the northern part of town Phelps' lake infringes on portions of sections five and six, entering from Wheatland; and one mile to the east a small body of water covers a few acres of land in section four. In the center of section ten is located a pond known as Logue lake, from which flows a small stream which wends its way eastward to Circle lake in Forest township. Another small brook, which joins the one mentioned, rises in section twenty- five, and flowing northward completes the unison in section thirteen.
The soil is mostly a rich, dark loam, with, however, a frequent tendency to a lighter nature, and sand; well adapted to the common crops of this latitude, and rich for all varieties of indigenous grasses for grazing. The entire town, with the
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exception of a few natural meadows, was originally forest, the noted body of timber known as the "Big Woods" claiming the greater portion of the territory.
The earliest actual settlement of this sub-division of Rice county was commenced early in the year 1855, and was, there- fore, a little behind the majority of towns, as most of them received a settler or two in 1854. As the name of the town implies, there were none but the descendants of the Emerald Isle to be recorded in the pages of its early history; and, in fact, for a number of years, until a good share of the govern- ment land was taken, there was not one resident of the town- ship of other than the Celtic origin. In fact, it is said. the arrival of pioneers of other nationalities, with a view to securing homes, was regarded by many of the citizens as an encroach- ment upon their rights and domain.
In the spring of 1855 a party of pioneers from various directions reached the town, in the southeastern part, with the determination to secure homes and promote civilization. The balance of the county had already received a number of settlers. Faribault was quite a hamlet, and near it already was heard the sound of the water-wheel and the buzz of the saw; but Erin was yet considered backwoods, and no pioncer had consented to accept the hardship, privation and toil the opening of the timber would necessarily cause. The first party to arrive con- sisted of Jeremiah Healy, Sylvester Smith, John Burke, James Cummings, John McManus and Owen Farley, most of them bringing their families.
About the first of this party to locate and select a claim was Jeremiah Healy. He located in the southern part of the township and put up a log shanty, 16x24 feet, the first in the township. After Healy had located, Sylvester Smith was next to select a place, which he did in sections twenty-five and thirty- six. He was a native of Ireland and had stopped for a time in Iowa, getting into Rice county with a yoke of oxen and im- mediately crecting a small log shanty. Soon after his arrival he managed to secure a grindstone, and for a number of years the settlers for six miles around would come to his place to sharpen their knives and farming cutlery. He also was for- tunate enough to secure the first grain cradle in the town- ship. When he first arrived with his family, consisting of his wife and two children, there were only three houses between his place and Faribault. John Burke planted his stakes on the claim of his choice, but only remained for a few years. James Cummings next secured a place on section twenty-seven and put up a small log shanty at once. John McManus, a single man, took a claim in the southern part of the town, near his
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fellow countrymen. He was joined in wedlock shortly afterward, making one of the first marriages in the town.
The last member of this party, Owen Farley, settled on sec- tion twenty-six. This entire party came in with ox teams and all settled in the south and southeastern part of the township.
In the same year, a little later in the season, the southwestern corner of the town received a settler and commenced building up a neighborhood as efficiently as the southeastern part. James Mc Bride settled on section thirty-one. He brought in consider- able stock and commenced pioneer life by putting up a log shanty. Shortly after McBride arrived in the fall, E. Clarken located on section thirty. This was the extent to which the township was settled this year, carrying the settlement up to the winter of 1855-56, which proved a very trying and severe one to the meagre settlement, as they, as yet, had had no time to prepare for it. A Mr. Condon was frozen to death while on his way to his claim near J. Cumming's place. He had gone to Shieldsville for groceries and provisions to supply the wants of his family, and on his way home lost the road, became discouraged and benumbed by cold, and gave up to the drowsi- ness which in freezing means deatlı. This misfortune was the third death that occurred in the township. Many of the settlers, however, anticipating a hard time, had avoided the danger by going to St. Paul for the winter, and returning the following spring.
The next year the settlement became more rapid and all parts of the town received a share of the incomers. Charles McBride arrived in 1856, and located on sections nine and six- teen. Andrew Kelly located in section twenty-six. He came in company with his brother, Frank Kelly, who took a quarter section adjoining his farm. Frank was married at an early day, and lived here until about 1862, when he mysteriously disappeared. D. and John Calihan came in 1856. J. O'Reilly and father came about the same time. Thomas and Peter Ash, brothers, also arrived at about the same time. Section thirty- three, in the southern part of the town, was the recipient of T. Flannagan, and about the same time of the year 1856, Henry Smith secured a home in section twenty-seven. Four Mulcahy brothers, Patrick, Timothy, Daniel and Dennis, natives of the Emerald Isle, put in an appearance this year and took farms near together, on and about section twenty-nine. The first two, Patrick and Timothy, died at an early day ; Dennis removed to Wells township about 1867. In section eight, the same year, Edward P. Carroll took the northeast, and Patrick Sheehan secured the southwest quarter. Just south of these parties, in
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section seventeen, B. Foley and Andrew Devereux each secured 160 acres.
John Doyle, originally from Ireland, settled on an eighty- acre piece of land in the southern part of section five. Hugh and Patrick McEntree, father and son, came in 1856, and the former took a farm in section twenty-four. Later Patrick mar- ried and purchased a place in section ten. E. Kiernan pre-empted a place in 1856. There were many arrivals this year besides those noted already, among which may be mentioned John Gorham, who remained on his farm until 1870 when he removed to Faribault ; the O'Sullivan brothers, Patrick, John and James; James Warren, who died in 1873; Dennis Dooley, Michael Rich- ardson, Charles Maguire, M. Kallaher, John Quinlan, E. Maher and T. McBreen, all of whom settled this year.
This carries the settlement up to the time when the influx became so rapid and constant that it is impossible to note the settlers in sequence. In 1860 the population of Erin had grown to 306, and almost all of the government land was taken. It should be noted in this connection that General J. Shields had a great deal of influence in developing this township, and especi- ally can the tide of Irish incomers be attributed to him, as he had located just on the line dividing this town from Shields- ville, and his advertisements in eastern papers inviting others to join him, attracted the attention of his countrymen, and they thronged in. A great many of the claims occupied by the settlers mentioned above, had been selected before the parties had arrived, by Jeremiah Healy, who was the first to actually secure a farm. By observation, he had picked up the rudi- ments of surveying and his knowledge was very useful to the pioneers in laying out their future homes. There have been as many as sixteen or twenty of them, in early days, stopping at Mr. Healy's log cabin-free of charge-while they were looking for farms.
The first child born in the township was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jeremiah Healy, in the latter part of 1855, in the south- ern part of the town. The child was christened Sarah, and she afterwards married John Dudley. The next event of this kind was in 1856, when a child named Catherine was born to Mr. and Mrs. John Burke. Another early birth was James, a son of Mr. and Mrs. E. Clarken. Mathew Smith was born in Erin at an early day.
In the line of marriages the township has a peculiar history. one, in fact, which is almost without a parallel. It is, that from the original settlement of the town up to 1878, only one marriage took place within the limits of the town. On the occasion George Levoy and Annie Berry were united by Father Robierric. The
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bride was the daughter of John Berry. The first marriage of residents in the town occurred in the winter of 1856, at Faribault, and were John Quinland and Bridget Martin. The ceremony was performed by Father Ravoux.
As early as 1857, the marriage of Mr. John McManus to Eliza Kelly took place at the village of Shieldsville. Another early marriage was that of Thomas Casey to Catherine Kelly.
Undoubtedly the first death to occur in Erin was Mary Ann, child of Sylvester Smith, October, 1855. She was buried in Shieldsville. This child's grandfather, Martin Smith, father of Sylvester Smith, dicd in 1855, at the age of sixty-five years. His remains were also interred at Shieldsville. The next death was Mr. Condon, in the early part of 1856, by freezing. He is mentioned elsewhere. In 1858, while Edward Riley and Syl- vester Smith were in the timber chopping wood, a limb from one of the trees fell and, striking Edward Riley on the head, killed him instantly.
When Sylvester Smith first came to the town in company with a few others, in 1855, they made their way with ox teams through the timber, having to cut their own roads. Their nearest places for supplies were Hastings or St. Paul. In 1856, they broke a little ground and put in and raised a small crop of corn and potatoes. The first crop of wheat was raised in 1857, and it was marketed at Hastings at 50 cents per bushel, the trip being made with ox teams, and occupying five days, camping on the way and cooking their meals by the wayside.
The first precinct election ever held, embracing Erin, was held at Shieldsville in 1855; the precinct comprising what is now known as Erin, Shieldsville. Wheatland and part of the towns of Forest and Wells.
The town of Erin was first settled in the month of May, 1855, and among the first to build a log cabin was Jeremiah Healy who, amidst the trials and privations of pioneer life, had succeeded in preserving a few seed potatoes and planted them near his cabin. Soon afterward, Father Ravoux, the first missionary in this part of the country, came traveling along on his Indian pony, and discovering this cabin with the inmates and a few scattering neighbors, he concluded to stop and hold the first service here.
This town was organized in common with the balance of the townships in Rice county, when the territory was made a state. The first town meeting was held on May 11, 1858, at the resi- dence of P. Ryan. The meeting was called to order by the elec- tion of Thomas Flannagan as chairman, and William Kerrott, secretary. A motion was then made by D. Dooley to name the town "McBride," then one to call it "Healy" in honor of
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Jeremiah Healy, but both of these were lost. A motion was next made by Mr. John Gorman that the township should be called Erin in honor of their nativity, and this was carried by a majority of seven. They then proceeded to the election of the following officers: Supervisors, John Conniff, chairman ; Timothy Foley, and Sylvester Smith; assessor, Dennis Dooley ; collector, John Gorman ; justices of the peace, Thomas Flannagan and B. Foley; constables, Michael Richardson and John Smith; overseer of the poor, Charles McBride; overseers of roads, Patrick Ryan, Martin Duffy and Edward Clarken.
A history of the Bohemian settlement in the northern part of the township is found elsewhere.
MORRISTOWN TOWNSHIP.
Morristown township is the southwestern corner township of Rice county, being contiguous to the counties of LeSueur and Waseca on the west and south and with the towns of Shieldsville and Warsaw on the north and west. It is com- prised of thirty-six sections, or 23,040 acres of which 20,503 exclusive of town lots, are taxable lands ; 900 are covered by its lakes, and a large part of the balance is under a high state of cultivation.
The Cannon river crosses the township from west to east. and seemingly divides the different classes of land, as all the territory north of the river was originally covered with timber of common varieties, while that to the south is principally prairie land interspersed with fine groves of timber, combining to make a beautiful and picturesque country, which, in connec- tion with its fine soil, excellent water and water power, soon attracted the attention of those seeking homes. The soil is mostly dark loam, with a blue clay subsoil, this applying particu- larly to the prairie, while in the original timber districts a tend- ency to sandiness is visible, with a subsoil of clay or gravel.
The township is abundantly watered by rivers, creeks, and lakes. The Cannon river has been mentioned above. It enters the town in the form of Lake Sakata, which it forms in sections nineteen and twenty. A mineral spring bubbles up on the south side of this lake, which posseses medical qualities. Sprague fake is a small body of water covering portions of sec- tions twenty-eight and twenty-nine. Pat's lake lies nestled in the midst of the timber in the northeastern part of the town. Mormon lake, so-called because in an early day the Mormons used it for baptismal purposes, occupies a few acres in the southwestern part of section twelve: while Bonesett lake is located just north of it. Devil's creek rises in Mud lake, in
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Shieldsville, and flowing southward, is joined by several small streams before it joins Cannon river. Dixon's creek finds its source south of the boundary, and wending a northern course mingles its waters with those of the Cannon in section twenty- three. Horseshoe lake infringes on the town in the northwestern part, and is the source of a small stream which connects it to Cannon river by way of sections eighteen and seventeen.
The carliest settlement was made in the fall of 1853, when John Lynch and Henry Masters came from St. Paul in a buggy, and on reaching the town, determined to stay, and erected a log house, taking claims in sections twenty-three and twenty- four, just east of where the village now is. Masters was a native of Illinois, and the following spring returned to his old home and brought back a team. In January, 1855, he was joined in wedlock to Anna Randall, by Walter Morris, this being the first marriage in the township. He remained until 1865.
Shortly after the settlement of Messrs. Lynch and Masters, in the spring of 1854, Andrew Story with his wife Mary E., and son Charles, four months old, made their appearance, Mrs. Story being the first white woman to set foot in the town, and took a claim in section twenty-two, just west of the settlement above mentioned. August 21, 1855, a child was born to Mr. and Mrs. Story, the first in the town; it was christened Ellic. The Story family remained in Morristown until 1862, when they removed to Kansas.
During the month of August, 1854, William and Bartemus K. Soule, brothers of Mrs. Story, came on from the East and selected claims south of Mr. Story's place. William took a farm in section twenty-three, but was too young to hold it and was bought out by Mr. Morris in the spring of 1855. He then went to section thirty-three. His brother took a claim in section thirty-four and remained there until 1861, when he enlisted and went to the war; returning he settled in Chippewa county, Min- nesota.
In the month of September, 1854, three brothers named Ben- son, Marshal, John and C. M., natives of Vermont, having stopped for a time in Indiana, arrived in the township. Marshal secured a home in section twenty-one, where he remained until 1865. John located in the southwest quarter of the same section and remained on it for ten years. C. M. secured a place on section twenty-three, but as he was too young to hold it, some one jumped the place, and in 1855, he took a farm in section twenty.
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