USA > Minnesota > Rice County > History of Rice and Steele counties, Minnesota, Vol. I > Part 65
USA > Minnesota > Steele County > History of Rice and Steele counties, Minnesota, Vol. I > Part 65
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Crystal Camp, No. 3129, Royal Neighbors, received its charter July 11, 1902. The present officers are: Emma Hollister, O .; Mattie Ridgeway, R .; Mrs. Amy Temple, T.
(Editorial Note .- Many events of much interest to Morris- town, especially concerning the numerous fires, together with the deaths and other important happenings, will be found re- corded in the chronological table of the county. Many other topics, such as the postoffice and newspapers, are treated under their respective titles elsewhere.)
CHAPTER XXXII.
DUNDAS.
Modern Activities-Early History-The Archibalds-Beginning of Industry-Schools-Churches-Old Mills.
Dundas was one of the first settled villages in Rice county, and is still a place of considerable business activity. It has three railroads : the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, put through in 1865 ; the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, put through in 1902, and the Chicago, Great Western, put through in 1882. There is a flour mill, the Dundas Flour Manufacturing Company, of which Henry B. Hermsmeyer is proprietor; two grain elevators, one conducted by Lora L. Babcock and the other by Campbell & O'Brien (James A. and Thomas J.) ; a telephone exchange, which connects with the Tri-State, the Dundas Rural Telephone Com- pany, of which Edward T. Muckley is manager; a hotel con- ducted by Mrs. Birdie Palmiter, known as Hotel Clarington; four churches, the Methodist Episcopal, the Presbyterian, the German Lutheran and Protestant Episcopal; a number of gen- eral stores, conducted by Alden Hassen, Willis W. Hassen (post- master), Onsted Brothers & Moshier (Carl J., Nels A. and Roy), Shandorf & Spetz (Fred and Aloysieus), and Alb J. Thielbar ; a grocery store conducted by William An Dyke; a meat market conducted by Clarence F. Komoll; William E. H. Morse, a physician ; and a shoemaker, a photographer, a jeweler, a black- smith, a livery, a barber and a saloon. The village is situated in Bridgewater township, three miles south of Northfield.
The land where the village now stands was pre-empted in 1852 by James Irish ; and he broke a few acres and then left, when II. M. Matteson came in the spring of 1855, paid Irish for his improvements, and commenced to get out timber for a mill. In June, 1857, J. S. and George N. Archibald arrived and pur- chased of Mr. Matteson the town site, and at once laid out the town. They threw a stone dam across the river and commenced the erection of the old stone mill. In the fall of 1856 a saw-mill was erected by a Mr. Veeley, about eighty rods above the Archi- bald mill site, on the river, and shortly after the completion of it the firm became James Babb & Vecley. A small dam was thrown across the river. which secured a three-foot head of
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water. The mill was equipped with a circular saw, and was purchased by the Archibalds a short time after their arrival, and used to timber the new grist-mill. After this was set in motion the work on the stone mill progressed rapidly, and in the same year it was completed and in motion. The mill contained four run of stones and was at that time considered the best mill in the state. It was two stories high with a stone basement. Flour made by the old mill was taken to St. Paul and Minneapolis by team, and won the reputation of being the best made in the state.
The first store started in Dundas was built and stocked by J. S. & G. N. Archibald in 1858. The store stood one block south of the bridge, and was known far and near as the "Dundas Cash Store." The first frame residence in town was put up by the same gentlemen at the same time. The next store, and really the first substantial one, was opened in 1859, by E. G. & J. J. Ault, with about a $3,000 stock. In 1861 George Kirkpatrick pur- chased the Archibald Brothers' store and stocked it up. The Ault brothers afterward put up a substantial stone building.
In 1858 the first hotel was put up in Dundas by H. Jenkins. It was not a very gorgeously furnished establishment, but it served the purpose until it was burned to the ground some years later. The next hotel was put up by H. C. Komoll, and known as the "Komoll House." Next was started the Franklin Hotel, kept by A. Frink. Mr. Cramer also started Merchants' Hotel, near the depot.
In 1870 Dundas had a population of about 500.
The first house or building ever erected on the town site of Dundas was put up in the spring and summer of 1855, by the owner at that time, H. M. Matteson. It stood on the west side of the river, built of logs, size sixteen by twenty feet, and for those days a good and substantial house. Mr. Matteson after- ward told Mr. Archibald, the owner, that he would buy the old house and lot back, and board it up so as to "preserve it for future reference," but Mr. Archibald stated that the house was in the center of the street and had to be torn down. Among the first, and we are inclined to believe the first death to occur in Dundas, was a daughter of William and Mary B. Taylor, named Calista, aged twelve, of diphtheria. This occurred in October, 1856. A daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Taylor was born January 4, 1856, and was the first birth. The child was christened Clara E. A short time after the occurrence above mentioned, Jacob, a son of Ira Markell, was born. An early death was the child of H. C. Komoll, the hotel keeper. William B. Taylor was drowned in April, 1866. The bridge over the Cannon river had been washed out, and he, as well as other employes in the mill, were obliged
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to go to and from their work in boats. One day, as he, in com- pany with the miller, Thomas Handy, and two others, were crossing, the boat was capsized and they were left struggling in the water. Two of the occupants were saved, but Taylor and Handy were swallowed by the greedy torrent and both met watery graves.
In the spring of 1879, the residents of Dundas having come to the conclusion that an organization of the village was neces- sary, accordingly took steps and had the village chartered. The organization was effected by the election of the following offi- cers : Council, E. T. Archibald (president), C. W. Brown, R. R. Hutchinson, J. T. Thielbar and F. Shandorf; recorder, D. W. Markell; treasurer, E. G. Ault; justice of the peace, J. R. De Cousins ; marshal. C. Runnels. The business of the village has been transacted in a commendable and economical way.
SCHOOLS.
The first school in Dundas was taught in 1858, in a building erected for a meat market, and had in attendance fifteen children. The teacher was Miss Mary Hutchinson, later Mrs. Drought. It was at this time organized as district No. 4, and a house erected soon after. The records commence on May 30, 1865, the first record being a letter from the clerk of the district to County Superintendent Buckham, stating that "if a teacher is not se- cured for the summer term our thirty or forty children must run wild until fall." In 1866 an appropriation of $600 was made to furnish an addition to the schoolhouse. On May 12. 1868, the district was organized into a graded school and $4,000 in bonds voted to erect a school building, the site selected being Maple Grove. Accordingly, in 1869 W. C. Cleland took the contract and finished one-half the building at a cost, when furnished, of about $5,000. In 1881 the requirements of the school demanded an increase, and the same contractor finished the other half of the building at a cost of $2.000, making the total cost about $7,000. The scholars are now housed in a comfortable brick building, and a principal and four assistants are employed, the eight grades and two years of high school being covered.
CHURCHES.
Protestant Episcopal. The first service was held in Archi- bald's hall in 1864. by Bishop Whipple. Their church was erected in 1868, by W. C. Cleland, contractor, at a cost of $7,000. and dedicated with Bishop Whipple officiating. Rev. W. J. Gould was the first regular pastor. As above stated, their church was built in 1868, at a cost of $7.000, and in 1874 a neat parson-
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age was erected at a cost of about $3,300. This was all put up at the expense of, and donated to the society by, J. S. Archibald, with a very little aid from a few others. Mr. Archibald, at the time of his death in 1875, bequeathed the sum of $15,000 to the church, making his total donations foot up to $25,000.
German Lutheran. The first service held by this denomina- tion was in the summer of 1866, in the old schoolhouse on the east side of the river, by Rev. Shultz. Shortly afterward the organization was effected, having at first about twelve members. Services were held at various places until 1881, when they com- menced the erection of a church edifice on Second street, on the east side of the river.
Presbyterian. This society formally organized in the year 1865, with Rev. J. I. Smith officiating, and had about twenty members. In 1867 they commenced the erection of a church, which was finished the following year at a cost of about $1,200. The church was dedicated on July 17, 1868.
Methodist Episcopal. This denomination erected a church and a parsonage. The former was finally sold. The parsonage was destroyed by fire March 2, 1879. The interest in the de- nomination later revived and the congregation is now housed in a comfortable place of worship.
OLD MILLS.
In 1857. J. S. and G. N. Archibald, natives of Canada, came to Dundas and put up the old stone mill upon the island, build- ing a stone dam across the river and securing a good water- power. Four run of stones were placed in the mill and opera- tions commenced the same year. The crops failing that year and the following one, the mill was not operated to its full ca- pacity until 1859, when a small merchant bolt was put in, and in this condition the mill was run until 1870. Shortly after building and commencing operations, the firm was dissolved; G. N. going out and J. S. continuing until 1870, when it became J. S. & E. T. Archibald ; and at that time the frame portion of the main building was erected, size thirty-five by seventy feet, five stories high, with a basement, and to this was added a stone wing thirty-six by eighty feet, joining the frame on the north. In 1866 the original dam, built in 1857, was washed away, and the year following rebuilt. In 1871 the mill was enlarged to an eight run mill, and in 1879. it was entirely remodeled and con- verted into a roller mill. Thirty-five sets of rollers were put in, and two burrs, making a capacity of 500 barrels per day. The power by which the mill was run was both steam and water, having nine feet of water fall, and a 150-horsepower steam engine
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-making the propelling force of the mill efficient and perma- nent. The steam power was added at the reconstruction of the mill in 1879, a substantial stone engine house being erected at that time. About the same time a side track was laid from the main line of the railroad to the mill door.
In 1869 the firm of Drought & Hutchinson purchased the ground north of the bridge, on the west side of the river, for a saw-mill. They at once put up a steam saw-mill with a per- pendicular and a circular saw. This was run by them for four years, and then sold to Jacobs & Dittis, who ran it until it was burned, two years later. In 1877 the site was purchased by James Peppin, who commenced the erection of the mill. Three run of stones were put in and an eighty-horsepower steam en- ginc. In 1880 the firm became Newell & Peppin, and the mill was remodeled and rollers put in, in addition to the burrs, mak- ing the capacity about 150 barrels. The flour mill was only operated for about one year, the proprietors having become involved in debt.
A small custom mill was erected in 1878 by Robert Cochran, in section 22, and was run by steam. For a short time it did a good business, but was finally, in the fall of 1880, destroyed by fire.
A saw-mill was established in Cannon City by J. M. Hoover, but after running there a short time was moved to his farm on section 32.
In the fall of 1856 a saw-mill was erected by a Mr. Veeley. It was run a short time by Babb & Veeley, and finally, in 1857, was purchased by J. S. and G. N. Archibald. It was run by water power, a dam having been built which gave them three feet fall of water. This was the first institution of a manufac- turing nature started in this entire section of the country.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
VILLAGES AND SETTLEMENTS.
Shieldsville-Warsaw Village-Lake City-Millersburg-Can- non City-East Prairieville-Other Villages.
SHIELDSVILLE VILLAGE.
Shieldsville is a picturesque village located on Lake Mazaska, two miles from Shields' lake, being practically surrounded by water, the majority of the residents being of Irish birth or an- cestry. The village proper consists of one church, a schoolhouse, two store buildings, a creamery, a saw-mill, and two blacksmith shops, and several dwellings. The postoffice is now discontinued, and mail is received from Faribault by R. F. D. No. 10. The village was platted June 12, 1856, by James Shields, the original owner of the land being Moses Lattourelle.
The following write-up of Shieldsville which appeared re- cently is still applicable: "Shieldsville was first settled by the whites in 1854. The first settlers were a hardy lot of men and women, and it is well they were, for in those days they had many difficulties and hardships to contend with. The land being heav- ily timbered was hard to get into a state of cultivation. All corn and potatoes had to be planted by the use of the hoe alone. Grain was raised by the most primitive methods, and when threshed had to be hauled with oxen to Red Wing or some other town on the Mississippi, there to be sold at a very low price and goods at a very high price purchased with this hard earned money. It took at least four days to make the trip from Shields- ville to Red Wing and back. Ginseng and cranberries were quite a source of revenue to the people, both of which brought good prices, and the supply was almost unlimited. Had it not been for those commodities, many of the first settlers would have been obliged to leave the country, as their clearings were too small to furnish them support.
About that time a few enterprising people started the village, and in a very short while there were a store and seven saloons in full operation. The village was booming, but the farmers were not as prosperous as could be desired. May 19, 1872, a total abstinence society was organized with a membership of eleven. In a few years this increased to nearly 200. As the
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result of this a no-license law was passed in 1885 and has since been in operation. A distinguishing feature of the Shieldsville landscape is the Catholic church, the Church of St. Patrick, erected in 1881. The material of the church is blue limestone. Its seating capacity is about 600. The spire can be seen several miles from the village. In 1909 the church was renovated and decorated. In 1890 the parochial residence was erected. It is a fine, substantial, two-story brick building. finished throughout in hard wood. There are four fraternal organizations in the village : Division No. 2, A. O. H .; St. Peter Court, C. O. F .; the M. B. A., and the Ladies Auxiliary. A. O. H."
The village was platted by Gen. James Shields and James Tuft, whose coming here is recorded elsewhere, in the fall of 1855. This was General Shield's second trip to this vicinity, and with him came Jerry Healy, John Burke, James Clarking, S. Smith and others, some of whom settled in the town of Erin. In 1856 Francis Maloney and others erected, with a saw and hatchet as their tools, the first store building in the village, and the firm of Johnson & Hanlin soon after opened a general mer- chandise store there. After running for a time it was sold to Joseph Hagerty and brother, who, after continuing for about fifteen years, went out of the business. The first business house, if such it may be termed, was started early in 1856, by Conner & Matthew. in a little log hut. In the fall of 1856. or early the year following, Francis Maloney opened a general merchandise store in a large thirty by forty-foot log structure, and in connec- tion with the general requirements of life, dealt out a large amount of stimulants, etc. During the Indian outbreak. he pre- pared himself for the red skins by keeping a large bottle of strychnine for each barrel of liquor, so as to be able to treat the expected visitors in a vengeance-like way. Mr. Maloney continued in business until 1873, when he retired. John Fox made his appearance, and about 1858 opened a blacksmith shop, which he ran for a time and then retired to Minneapolis. James Stack came early and also opened a shop. M. Cochran was an- other blacksmith, who hammered away for a time.
Catholic Church of Shieldsville. This parish, organized in 1856, embraces the territory of Shieldsville and Erin townships and a portion of Wells and Forest. In 1857 the old church building was erected at a cost of $1,200, which lasted until 1878. when their present excellent stone structure was built at a cost of about $16,000. This church was completed in 1882, and is one of the finest in the county, having a seating capacity of 620 persons, with standing room for over a hundred. A parsonage was also erected at a cost of about $1,000. A cemetery ground was laid out by this society, at the time of organizing the church.
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It occupies ten acres just south of the village, in which there are about 200 graves. When the first church was erected, it was left without seats, stove or any furniture. It remained in this shape until 1867, when Catherine Deming returned to the village after an absence of eight years, and, with vim and energy that was commendable, she. in company with a few other ladies, got up a pienic and ladies' fair from which was netted the snug little sum of $160, and with this the church was finished, a floor, stoves and seats being put in.
WARSAW VILLAGE.
Warsaw village is located in the western part of Warsaw township, in sections 7 and 18, on the banks of the Cannon river, just west of the head of Cannon lake. The river here furnishes good and sufficient water power to propel twice the manufactories the village has. It is about seven and one-half miles south of Faribault. In 1854, J. Freeman Weatherhead, a native of New Hampshire, migrated to Minnesota, freezing both legs so severely that he was obliged to have them amputated, and made his way to Warsaw township, securing by pre-emp- tion the northeast quarter of section 18. In 1855 he moved his family upon the farm and commenced improvements. Follow- ing him in 1855, came Christian Hershey, a native of Canada, and took the quarter section adjoining Weatherhead's on the west, in section 18. The same year A. Lamb, a native of Wis- consin, pre-empted a claim in the southern part of section 7. This, it will be seen, made quite a settlement in this neighbor- hood, and in 1857 they conceived the plan of laying out lots and blocks for the village of Warsaw, which was accomplished in this year. C. Hershey and J. F. Weatherhead platted the main part of the village on their farms in section 18, and Mr. Lamb staked out Lamb's addition in the southern part of section 7. This was all recorded as Warsaw. and started as a village.
Of the three original town proprietors, not one of them re- main in the township. J. F. Weatherhead passed on to the unknown world on the 2d of September, 1863, leaving many warm friends and a family to mourn his departure. Christian Hershey lived in the township until 1859, when he removed to Morristown. A. Lamb, who was of the Mormon faith, in 1858 pulled up stakes and joined his brethren in Utah.
The first house erected on the town plat was put up in 1855 .. by Christian Hershey, on section 7. In the spring of 1857, Hol- lister & Frink put up the first store building, and placed a stock of goods upon the shelves worth about $2,000. Immediately following them the firm of Clement & Belote erected a substan-
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tial store building and put in a small stock of general merchan- dise. This firm sold out in the fall to T. P. Towne, who con- tinued the business until 1859, and then turned it over to J. C. Turner, and the building was, in 1864, sold to district No. 14, and used for a school building. In 1858, Nye & McDonald put up a building and went into partnership in the mercantile busi- ness. They continued for about two years and dissolved, to disappear. A boot and shoe manufacturing establishment was started in 1857, by E. P. Peterson, and during the war he re- signed in favor of Moses Scars, who continued it until 1872. The first blacksmith shop was opened in 1856, by Henry Platt. The first hotel put up in the village was erected in 1856, by James Polar. At the present time Warsaw village consists of two stores, a creamery, a schoolhouse, a railroad station and several dwellings. A postoffice is located in one of the stores.
LAKE CITY.
In 1853, early in the spring, Peter Bush came to the shores of Cannon lake and pre-empted 160 acres in section 3. He at once put up a log habitation, cighteen by twenty fcet, and com- menced making it his actual home. He shortly after put up a small shop, eighteen by twenty feet, and being a practical black- smith commenced working at his trade. These were the first buildings erceted in either village or township. He hammered away at the anvil, and in 1856 conceived the idea and at once platted the village on his farm in section 3, and recorded it the same ycar as Lake City. Selling his shop to Frederick Roth in 1857, he went back to his birthplace in Canada. He remained away one ycar and then returned to his place, and again took up the hammer and blacksmith tools. continuing work at his trade until 1880. George Burns arrived in 1855, and put up a hotel, with a saloon in connection, near Bush's blacksmith estab- lishment.
MILLERSBURG.
The first settlement on the village site commenced in 1855, when James Fitzimmons came and pre-empted 160 acres and opened it as a farm. In the spring following he sold to George W. Miller, who also took some other land. Mr. Miller soon afterward platted the village and recorded it as Millersburg. Ile also put up a mill and a hotel. Next a store was started by Albert Fillmore just out of the village limits. He made up his mind to start an establishment, and went to the cranberry marsh on sections 6 and 7 and gathered a load of berries. These he marketed, and with the proceeds thereof started the first store in Millersburg. He ran this store one year and a half, when the
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calamity of bankruptcy overtook him, and he went to Minne- apolis, but has since died. The next store was started by Thomas Adams, in the fall of 1858, who opened a building opposite the hotel and put in a stock of groceries and general merchandise. He succeeded in withstanding the pressure for about one year, when the fate of the former merchant overtook him and he removed to Dundas. In 1857 the first blacksmith shop was started by Mr. Sellon in the same building that was afterwards converted into Adams' store. It was operated as a "bellows and anvil" establishment for about one year, when Mr. Sellon retired.
Millersburg now consists of two stores, a German Lutheran Church and a school, as well as several dwellings.
CANNON CITY.
Cannon City village was laid out in the fall of 1855 by the Messrs. G. A. and J. D. Sears, from Michigan, and was the first county seat of Rice county. The locality in which Cannon City is situated first received a settler in the year 1854, when Eli Cowen and Isaac Amy arrived and secured farms there. Truman Boss had also made his appearance and secured a habitation, when, in the spring of 1855, the Sears Brothers, of Michigan, arrived and conceived the idea of starting a village. There were three of the brothers-Gregory A., the oldest, who brought his family with him, Douglass, and William. They succeeded in platting and recording the town in 1855, naming it in honor of the Cannon river. The first house had already been erected on the town site by Eli Cowen and Isaac Amy, it being a small and rather cheap log structure, and the Sears Brothers at once opened a store and erected a store building near this. C. Smith House, for the firm of North & Carroll, Hastings, crected a good store and placed a heavy stock of goods upon the shelves ; and, as the postoffice was soon after established, it was made a part of the store and Mr. House appointed postmaster. Mr. Talbert erected and put in motion an excellent steam power saw-mill, with a circular saw, and did a splendid business for some time. there often being, in the winter of 1856, as many as 500,000 feet of logs in the yard at once. After running it for a time Mr. Talbert sold to the firm of Starks & Sears, who added a large flouring mill to it at a cost of about $10,000. W. L. Herriman, who had for a short time been operating a blacksmith shop on his farm a short distance from town, moved into the village and erecting a shop commenced awakening echoes in Cannon City, with the sound of the anvil. William An Dyke soon joined his "fellow son of the forge," and after erecting a building he remained for some time at his trade, finally removing to Forest.
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