USA > Minnesota > Rice County > History of Rice and Steele counties, Minnesota, Vol. I > Part 84
USA > Minnesota > Steele County > History of Rice and Steele counties, Minnesota, Vol. I > Part 84
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1855, and in 1870 settled at Blooming Prairie. John Warren died at Owatonna in February. 1884, of pneumonia. On Satur- day, February 16, 1884. William Davis died of cancer. He came to this county many years ago and was one of the pioneers in Meriden township, where he had lived for some twenty-five years. In 1882 he sold the old homestead and moved into Lemont town- ship, where he died. Patrick Collins, another of the pioneers of Meriden township, died February 5, 1884. Nathan Sage died at the residence of his son-in-law, Alanson Holmes, in the town of Meriden, February 23, 1884. Mr. Sage was born in New Berlin, Chenango county, New York, October 11, 1800. He had been a resident of Steele county for about ten years, at the time of his death. A fatal accident occurred on the Chicago & North- western railroad on March 7, 1884, at Owatonna. A brakeman named Elmer Tooke fell under the wheels of a car he was coup- ling and was horribly mangled. His left leg and arm were so badly crushed that the bones were broken into short pieces. He was taken to the Nickerson House, where he died the following morning. He was twenty-three years old, and his relatives lived at Zumbrota, Minn. Ambrose Benjamin Tiffany died of old age at the residence of his son, Oscar Tiffany, in Owatonna, March 31, 1884. He was born in Massachusetts, January 31, 1811. He moved with his parents to Cicero, N. Y., where he lived thirty- four years, removing to Wisconsin at an early day. He came from Wisconsin to Rice Lake, Minn., in 1855, where he kept hotel for a number of years and prospered. He was one of the first settlers there, and on his arrival found about three hundred Indians camped on its shore. April 7, 1884, burglars effected an entrance into the residence of P. Mallinger, at Owatonna, and stole $68 in money. Several other houses were broken into the same night. Thomas Foster died at his residence in Medford, on April 7, 1884, aged sixty-eight years. He was one of the early settlers in that neighborhood. J. H. McDaniels died on April 2, 1884, at his home in Blooming Prairie township, of paralysis. He was about sixty years old. Dr. R. W. Middaugh died among his relatives at Waupun, Wis., May 9, at the ripe old age of seventy- eight years. He was well known in Steele county. On June 3,
the dwelling house of William Siewert, in Deerfield township, was destroyed by fire. He had a light insurance upon the property .. Napoleon Searl died at his residence in Owatonna. June 10, 1884. He was born at Whitehall, N. Y., June 8. 1823. and lived in New York state until 1860, when he removed from Cattaraugus county, New York, to Owatonna. He was buried with Odd Fellow's honors. August Mollenhauer died at his home in Somerset township on June 21, 1884, aged sixty-two
HISTORY OF RICE AND STEELE COUNTIES 797
years. On July 28, 1884, Ganser's brewery at Owatonna was destroyed by fire. The loss was estimated at between $15,000 and $16,000; insurance, $7,000. September 3, 1884, Cornelius Hanson was killed by lightning while plowing in Lemond town- ship. The team was killed and the man's clothing was almost entirely burned off his back. Three stacks of grain which stood near by, were also burned to the ground. On Friday night, Sep- tember 12, 1884, at Owatonna, James Jacobs struck Policeman John Blair with a club, from the effects of which he died the following day. Jacobs was tried, convicted and sentenced to four years in the penitentiary. Rev. T. Ware died at his residence in Owatonna on September 16, 1884, of inflamation of the lungs. He was fifty-eight years old, and had been a resident of Min- nesota since 1861. Martin Blair died at his residence in Owa- tonna. October 9, 1884. He was born in Massachusetts, February 11, 1904. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity and was buried by them. Rev. N. Olson, pastor of the Norwegian Church in Owatonna, died October 15, 1884. He was seventy years of age. A fatal accident occurred on November 13, 1884. Chris. Behne, of Aurora, was run over and fatally injured, dying from the effects a few days later. It appears that Mr. Behne had been plowing and, having attached his team to the lumber wagon, started home for dinner, when his team, becoming frightened, ran away, throwing him off, and the wheels passed over his body with above result. George Hart died at the residence of his son, William Hart, in Havana township, on December 18, 1884. He was eighty-seven years old. Mr. Hart was born in Queen's county, Ireland. He had been a resident of Steele county for almost eighteen years. December 21, 1884, Gilbert Russel died at his home, in Lemond township, after a painful illness. He was fifty years of age. In November of this year, another presi- dential election occurred; 2,328 votes were polled in Steele county, as follows : James G. Blain, Republican, received 1,283; Grover Cleveland, Democrat, 1,006; J. P. St. John, Prohibition, 49.
1885. H. J. Robinson died at his home in Owatonna, Jan- uary 4, aged forty-one years. He had lived in Lemond township until about one year before his death. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. In January, the cheese factory at Dodge City, Steele county, was destroyed by fire. On January 25, the farmhouse of C. F. Ellis, in Aurora township, was de- stroyed by fire. Neils Ray and family who occupied the house, narrowly escaped with their lives, and Mr. Ray was seriously burned. W. E. Preiser, of the firm of Oppliger & Preiser, died of typhoid fever at Owatonna, January 30. He was born in Germany, January 1, 1859. On February 11, a fatal accident
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occurred at Owatonna. John La Bare was caught by his left arm on a belt which was revolving on a horizontal shaft in the machine shop of Howe & Company, and received injuries from which he died in about one hour. George Parsons died in Clinton township, February 14, 1885, aged seventy-nine years. He was one of the pioneers of the county. Sammuel M. Ring, died in Medford, Minn., February 18, 1885. He was born in Salisbury, Mass., February 28, 1806. In 1831 he married Lois W. Pike, who with four sons and three daughters was alive at the time of his death-one son and one daughter being dead. About the year 1845, Mr. Ring removed his family to Chelsea, Me., where he resided until 1856, when he came to Medford, and made a home upon the farm where he died. J. S. Hamblin, of Havana township, died on March 11, 1885, of heart disease. Mr. Hamblin was born in Addison county, Vermont, and was sixty-eight years old at the time of his death. He had been a resident of Steele county for about seventeen years. On May 13, 1885, a terrible calamity befell Henry Lewison who then lived one mile north of Aurora station. His house was burned down about midnight and the following children were burned to death: Hans, aged seventeen years ; Lewis, aged fifteen ; Barbara, aged nine ; Berent, aged seven and Samuel aged four. It appears that they were all sleeping up stairs, and hearing a noise and crackling of flames below, Mr. Lewison and wife, hired man and the boy aged ten years went down carrying the baby. Mrs. Lewison was burned on the face and hands but not seriously. When they got down they found the kitchen part entirely burned down, and the stairs by which they had escaped were immediately enveloped in flames. Their household goods were all burned. There was no insurance on the property. On June 9, 1885, Mrs. J. J. Guthrie, wife of the station agent at Aurora, gave birth to three living children-all girls. Their respective names were Mary Regina, Catherine Derina and Winnefred Lavina Guthrie. Dr. T. L. Hatch, of Owatonna, was the attending physician. He also attended Mrs. Wenzel Boucker, at Blooming Prairier, on October 20, 1878, when she gave birth to three boys, weighing about three pounds apiece. On July 4, 1885, three boys were drowned in the Straight river at Owatonna. The boys' names were : Milton Rhodes, adopted son of Lysander House; Albert Lutgens, son of Henry Lutgens, of Meriden, and Edward Erickson. Early in July, 1885. John Statler, a twelve-year-old son of Nicholas Statler, of Deerfield, was killed by lightning. R. A. Stoughton died of consumption at his home in Owatonna, September 19, 1885. On October 1, 1885, an accident occurred about a mile northeast of Owatonna, by which John Larson lost his life. He fell from a wagon and received
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injuries from which he died. S. M. Hastings died of old age at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. S. H. Stowers, on October 17, 1885. John Fritze, of Havana township, died on October 25, 1885, of heart disease. He was sixty-seven years old, and the father of a large family. Andrew Erdman died at his home in Havana township, on November 5, 1885, after an illness extend- ing over a period of two years. Mr. Erdman was born at Strocewo, Posen, Prussia, May 12, 1837. He attended school from the age of six to fourteen ; was then a farm laborer for about four years, after which he came to Beaver Dam, Wis., in 1855. When the Civil War broke out he enlisted on the Union side, but was soon afterward discharged for failing health, and later came to Steele county. He was a member of the board of county commissioners for several years. Nathan K. Hill died of heart disease at the residence of his son, J. H. Hill, in Havana town- ship, on November 16, 1885. He was born in Westbrook, Conn., July 28, 1814, and came to Steele county in 1874.
1886. On Thursday, February 4, Joseph Waurin, of Merton, committed suicide by hanging himself. Mr. Waurin had been more or less troubled with dyspepsia for about eight years, and it is thought he took this means of ending his misery. Mrs. Mary A. Hill died February 12, 1886. Mrs. Hill was born in the state of New York, October 11, 1811. She was married in 1839 to William Hill. On Thursday, July, 1886, a terrible accident took place in Medford township. It appears that P. J. Webber was mowing grass, and his two little children followed him for awhile, but finally disappeared. Mr. Webber inferred that they had gone home, but instead of that they were in the tall grass. He drove along, not knowing that they were in close proximity, and as little Eva, a four-year-old girl, stood in the way of the sickle, both of her feet were cut off. In Lemond, Saturady, March 20, 1886, August Jerger died at his residence, aged sixty-three years. Died in Owatonna. on Sunday, August 29, 1886, J. B. Jensen, aged sixty years. He had formerly lived in Meriden township. On September 3, 1886, Mrs. Ruth Ann Partridge, aged about sixty- five years, died at the residence of her son-in-law, Robert Lennon. Died of old age, at his home in Meriden, on Friday, September 17, 1886, Hon. H. D. Lewis, aged eighty-five years, six months and two days. Joseph Sawyer died of old age on September 20, 1886, at the home of his son, J. A. Sawyer. in Owa- tonna, aged eighty-four years, seven months and eighteen days. The deceased was born February 21, 1802 and at the time of his death was one of the oldest men in Steele county. He settled in Steele county early in the summer of 1856. Dennis Dugan died in Owatonna, Friday, October 15,
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1886, of old age. Mr. Dugan was an old settler in Stecle county, and at the time of his death was ninety years old. J. D. Holden, of Owatonna, died on Thursday, November 18, 1886. Mr. Holden was born in New Hampshire and was near fifty- eight years of age at the time of his death. He came to Owa- tonna in 1859 and had always taken a prominent part in public matters. On December 26, 1886, Thomas Lee stabbed and severely wounded John Bettleson in the thigh. His face was also badly cut. Lee was arrested. On December 26, 1886, Mrs. Ellen Casidy, aged twenty-one years, died at her residence in Summit township.
1887. January 15. Louis Sanford Horton, M. D., died at Owatonna. He was a native of Jefferson county, New York. February 11, Mrs. Eliza C., wife of William H. Rowland died at Meriden at the age of fifty-seven years. She was born at Bristol, Ontario county, New York, and was postmistress of Meriden seventeen years. April 9. A railroad meeting was held for the purpose of considering a bond issue for aiding the Red Wing, Duluth and Southern Railway. Resolutions were introduced to the effect that the existing railways were discriminating against Steele county. W. H. Kelley and C. S. Crandall figured prom- inently in the meeting. A committee consisting of W. A. Sperry, John Shea, J. A. Cotter, Oscar Murphy and W. A. Eggleston was appointed to call a meeting of citizens. May 1. A severe hail storm visited Aurora. Some damage was done to the German Lutheran Church. The hail stones that fell were as large as good sized potatoes. May 10. The station of the C., M. & St. P. Ry. burned to the ground, the total loss being about $4,000. The fire was discovered in the early morning and supposedly dis- tinguished, only to break out in fury a short time later. June 30. By a majority of 412 votes the people decided to issue bonds to the amount of $40,000 for the aid of the Duluth, Red Wing & Southern Railway. June 17. The elevator at Pratt, containing 2,000 bushels of wheat was burned, the total loss being $4,500. July 19. The city council of Owatonna appropriated $200.00 for the laying of the corner stone for the State school. July 26. The county commissioners waived issuance of $40,000 stock of the Duluth, Red Wing & Southern in lieu of $40,000 bonds voted to aid the railway. August 7. The home of W. H. Rowland, bet- ter known as the East Meriden postoffice, was burned, entailing a loss of $800.00. August 9. The corner stone of the State public school was laid, the exercises being in charge of the Masonic fraternity. Hon. W. R. Kinyon was the president of the day, and the Hon. M. H. Dunnell gave the address of wel- come. October 7. The elevator of the Winona Mill Company,
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burned in the early morning. The wind was blowing strongly, and the warehouse of N. C. Larson caught fire and was consumed. The large water tank of the Chicago & Northwestern was also consumed. The loss to the Winona Mill Company was $19,840, to N. C. Larson, $900.00; and to the railway company, $800.00 making a total of $21,540. November 18. Herman Henry Luers, a prominent business man died in Owatonna. He was born in Hanover, Germany, in 1848 and came to Owatonna in the seventies. December 7. Susan, wife of Sylvester McMitt died in Owatonna at the age of sixty-two years. She was born in Jefferson county, New York.
JUN 2 4 1952
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