History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume II, Part 73

Author: Mitchell, William Bell, 1843-
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago : H. S. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1110

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February 26 .- The St. Cloud Lodge of Elks Friday evening in the presence of 40 or 50 visiting Elks and with almost the entire membership of 310 assembled dedi- cated the new hall in Carter block. The dedicatory exercises were in charge of Deputy Grand Exalted Ruler James W. Foley, of Stillwater, and were very im- pressive.

A complimentary banquet and ball given Wesley Carter last evening by a number of the citizens of St. Cloud on the occa- sion of the completion of his costly new business building was a pronounced suc- cess from every point of view.

March 12 .- Mrs. Julia A. A. Wood, of Sauk Rapids, whose name is identified with much of the early history of this part of Minnesota, died March 10, at St. Raphael's Hospital, in the 78th year of her age. She was married in 1849 in her native state, Kentucky, to William H. Wood, coming with him that year to Sauk Rapids, where they built the first frame house within the present limits of that village. It was known as "Lynden Terrace," and when burned in 1855 was afterwards rebuilt. Mrs. Wood assisted her husband in edit- ing the Sauk Rapids New Era, and under the nom de plume of Minnie Mary Lee contributed to the press many serial stories, poems and sketches, and was the author of several books.

April 2 .- The post office was removed during Tuesday night from the McClure block to the new granite building on St. Germain street, opening for business there on the morning of April 1. The land office has also been removed to this building, occupying rooms on the second floor.

The seventh annual convention of the Northern Minnesota Educational Associa- tion held in this city Friday and Saturday was regarded as one of the most success- ful in the history of the association. Papers were read by Miss Christine Goetzinger, superintendent of schools of Otter Tail county; Prof. J. A. Cranston, superintend- ent of schools at St. Cloud; W. S. Foster, president of the Milaca school board; Superintendent George A. Stanton, of Sauk Centre; Isabel Lawrence, of the Normal school, and Miss Clara Stiles, of the St.

Cloud public schools, on "Geography in the Primary Grades" and "Geography in the Upper Grades," and others. Governor Van Sant made a short address. The officers elected for the ensuing year were: C. W. Frazier, Little Falls, president; A. P. Rit- chie, Milaca, vice-president; P. P. Col- grove, St. Cloud, secretary and treasurer. . The body of Solomon R. Foot, the well- known old settler and Indian fighter, who died March 15 at San Pedro, California, arrived at Melrose, his old home, March 25 for burial. In 1861 Mr. Foot with his brother came from Ohio to Minnesota, lo- cating on the shores of Foot lake, in the township of Acton, Kandiyohi county. There were a number of Indians in the neighborhood with whom they were on friendly terms. At the time of the outbreak in 1862 he was shot by some Indians with whom he had been talking, after he had turned to leave them, but reaching the house barricaded the door and fought the redskins so successfully, his wife loading the gun while he did the shooting, that they withdrew after several of their num- ber had been killed. With his family he finally escaped, coming to St. Cloud, and as soon as he was able joined those who were engaged in protecting the frontier from the raids of the savages. When the trouble was over he located at Melrose, building a hotel and securing the estab- lishment of a post office, he being the first postmaster. In 1888 he removed to Minot, N. D., where he lived until a few years ago, when he went to California to spend his remaining days. He was 80 years of age at the time of his death.

April 9 .- E. E. Clark, manager of the street railway company, returned yesterday from Duluth, where he purchased five cars to be added to the company's equipment, making eleven in all.

April 16 .- John M. Rosenberger, city treasurer, died April 8, aged 61 years. He came to St. Cloud with his parents May 9, 1856, and later became one of St. Cloud's foremost business men.

Another pioneer to depart during the past week was George W. Smitten, of Le Sauk who died April 10, at the age of 76 years. He first located on a farm in Benton county in 1854; served for nearly four years in Company I Third Minnesota vol- unteers; after the war taking a homestead

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in the township of Le Sauk, where he re- mained until his death.

April 30 .- Alexander Ramsey, Minneso- ta's first territorial governor and the last of the war governors, died April 22 at his home in St. Paul, at the ripe age of eighty- eight years. He was in Washington when Fort Sumter was fired on and that day ten- dered President Lincoln a thousand Minne- sotians for the war-the first offer of the kind made-and when the formal call for volunteers came he answered it in per- son, "Our quota is ready, Mr. President." He served as governor of the territory from May 27, 1849, until May 5, 1853; as governor of the state from January 2, 1860, until July 10, 1863, leaving the govern- or's chair to take a seat in the United States senate. He was re-elected for a sec- ond term, serving in all twelve years in the senate. In 1879 he was appointed by Presi- dent Hayes secretary of war, serving until 1881, Governor Ramsey had considerable property interests at St. Cloud, on the east side, and was a frequent visitor here, especially during the later years of his life.

William T. Rigby, who settled in the township of Lynden in 1857, engaging in farming until about ten years ago when he removed to Clearwater, died there April 22, aged 78 years. He was quite promi- nent in Masonic circles, having the year following his arrival at Clearwater secured a dispensation for a lodge at that place, which was duly constitued December 20, 1858. He served his district in the legis- lature and was a justice of the peace for nearly a quarter of a century.

May 14 .- At a special election on the 7th, it was voted to issue $100,000 in bonds for the purchase of the water works, the vote being 510 for to 198 against the prop- csition.

May 28 .- St. Cloud is entertaining the Sixth District Federation of Women's Clubs, the meetings being held in the audi- torium of the new Carnegie Library. The sessions began last Thursday morning, con- tinuing through the following day. Mrs. La Penotiere, president of the state fed- eration, delivered an address at Unity church Thursday evening on "The Evo- lution of Women's Clubs." Mrs. F. V. Van Hoesen, of Alexandria, was chosen vice- president; Mrs. C. M. Sprague, of Sauk

Centre, corresponding secretary, and Mrs. Rose Sanderson, of Osakis, treasurer, the other officers holding over.

June 11 .- Williard Spaulding, one of Maine Prairie's early settlers, died June 2, at Kenmare, N. D., where he was making his home with his son, Daniel Spaulding, at the age of 71 years. The body was brought to Maine Prairie for burial.

The sixth annual convention of the Catholic Order of Foresters is in session in St. Cloud, with 400 delegates present. C. F. Ladner, of this city, was elected senior conductor; he was also chosen to be one of the five delegates-at-large from Minnesota to the International convention to meet at Dubuque August 11, and Chris. Schmitt was elected the delegate from the sixth district. P. H. Martin, of Duluth, was elected state chief ranger.

June 25 .- Mrs. Anna Connell, who came to Minnesota in 1853, where July 6, she was married to William C. Connell, then sheriff of Benton county, three years later moving to the homestead in the township of Le Sauk where both remained during the rest of their lives, died Tuesday, aged 74 years. Her husband had passed away twenty years ago.

July 16 .- The worst wind storm that has visited this part of the state since the fatal cyclone of 1886 swept over the city and the county to the east and west of it Thursday morning. The storm extended from a short distance west of Pleasant lake to the neighborhood of Duelm. A number of buildings were leveled to the ground or otherwise damaged by the wind, while several were struck by lightning.

James Jenks, who came to Minnesota in 1857, later locating at Fair Haven, died at his home in this city July 9, aged 72 years. After his residence at Fair Haven, Mr. Jenks removed to Maine Prairie, then to Clearwater, locating finally at St. Cloud in 1888, which continued to be his home until his death.

B. H. Dingman, another of our pioneers, died at Farming Sunday, aged 78 years. Mr. Dingman came to St. Augusta in 1856, afterwards moving to Richmond and later to Farming, being one of the first set- tlers in that town.

B. M. Greisen, of Cold Spring, well known throughout the county, dropped dead while at work with a surveying party. For many

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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY

years he was a justice of the peace at Cold Spring and last fall was a candidate for the state legislature.

July 23 .- Two more pioneers have gone to their rest. John T. Marvin came to Minnesota in 1858, where he engaged in farming until 1863, when he removed to Maine Prairie, making that his home for four years, when he moved to St. Cloud town, a short distance south of the city, where he resided on his farm until his death July 16, at the age of 68 years. John Dressler located first at Sauk Rap- ids in 1855, the next year crossing the river to St. Cloud, taking a farm near the city. When the call came for soldiers for the Union he enlisted in Company I, Seventh Minnesota volunteers, serving un- til the close of the war. Broken in health after his return he worked at carpenter- ing when his strength would permit. His death occurred last Friday, when he had reached the age of 67 years.

Chinch bugs are at work in many parts of the county. They are so bad at Maine Prairie that the farmers are cutting the half-ripened wheat for fodder.

August 13 .- John White came to Minne- sota in 1853, making his home at Marty, in the town of Maine Prairie in 1856, where he lived until his death which occurred August 2, when he had reached the age of 76 years.

August 20 .- A meeting of the German Catholic teachers of Stearns county was held in the city yesterday, with an attend- ance of twenty, to revive and continue the German Catholic Teachers' Association of Stearns county . An organization was ef- fected as follows: Gothard Harren, Free- port, president; H. Stetzel, St. Augusta, vice-president; W. A. Boerger, St. Cloud, first secretary; Conrad Dikemann, Roscoe, second secretary; J. L. Hohman, Albany treasurer.

September 17 .- Dr. Silas Marlatt, St. Cloud's first druggist, died Sunday at the Asbury Hospital, Minneapolis. Dr. Mar- latt was born January 8, 1826, at Yates, N. Y., coming to St. Cloud in 1857, en- gaging in the business in which he con- tinued until almost his last days. Death claimed the same day another of St. Cloud's early settlers, J. G. Huber, who had also located in St. Cloud in 1857, engaging first in mercantile and afterwards in the in-

surance business. He was in the 82d year of his age.

September 24 .- Sauk Centre's first coun- ty fair, which opened Wednesday of last week and closed Friday, was a success, notwithstanding the inclement weather.

The Merchants' Carnival at St. Cloud closed Saturday night. The Brainerd-Pat- terson people furnished the show and took almost the entire proceeds, the Merchants' Association, which did the work, having about $50 to its credit when the bills were paid.

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Ahman, of Rich- mond, celebrated their golden wedding Tuesday. They came to the United States in 1875, first taking a homestead in the township of St. Martin, where they lived until thirteen years ago, when they re- moved to Richmond village, which has since been their home. At the Catholic church Tuesday they renewed their mar- riage vows, the procession to the church being headed by their 50 grandchildren.

George Arnold, an early settler of the town of Luxemburg, died Tuesday at St. Nicholas. Although an alien at the out- break of the war he enlisted in Company F of the First Minnesota volunteers and served with honor. For more than 20 years he was chairman of the board of super- visors, although a Republican in a strong Democratic town. He was born at Rhine- feld, Switzerland, July 3, 1836.

The marriage of Jane Whittlesey Mit- chell to Frederick Davis Herbert, of New York, took place Wednesday at the home of the bride's parents in this city, the Rev. E. V. Campbell, officiating.

Married, at Litchfield, September 24, at St. Philip's church, Ethel Joubert, of Litch- field, to Edward A. Barthelemy, of St. Cloud.

October 8 .- St. Cloud now owns its own water works, the purchase having been made Saturday for $75,000, when the prop- erty was offered for sale by special master Howard M. Abbott, of Minneapolis, under a decree of the United States circuit court.

October 22 .- Michael F. Plantekow, familiarly known through the southeastern part of the county as "Father" Plantekow, · died at his home in New Paynesville, Wed- nesday, in his 83d year. He had settled in

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Paynesville township in 1859, taking a farm on the north side of Crow river.

November 5 .- Angus Haines, a promi- nent resident of New Paynesville and for several years principal of the St. Cloud High school, died Tuesday, aged 60 years.

November 12 .- Judge L. W. Collins, of St. Cloud, announces himself as a candi- date for the Republican nomination as governor.

Ferdinand Danzl, one of the first set- tlers of St. Joseph, and who operated a grist and saw mill at that place in the territorial days, utilizing a near-by water power, died November 5, aged 68 years.

Fred Daggett, who recently purchased the Sauk Rapids Free Press, has since bought the Democrat and the Sentinel, con- solidating the three papers into one.

November 19 .- There are now 714 creameries and 85 cheese factories in Min- nesota, 33 new creameries and 10 cheese factories having been established during the present year. Stearns county has 29 creameries, the largest number of any county in the state, Freeborn ranking sec- ond, with twenty-seven.

John P. Hammerel, one of St. Cloud's most active business men, died suddenly Saturday at his home in this city, aged 61 years. The deceased came to Stearns county in 1857, living with his parents on 3. farm in St. Augusta. In later life he was a member of the board of county com- missioners, mayor of St. Cloud and sher- iff of the county.

Mr. and Mrs. Christian Mahe, of Waite Park, celebrated Tuesday the 60th anni- versary of their marriage.

December 3 .- At the home of the bride's mother, Mrs. Hattie Schwab at Clear Lake, last Monday, occurred the marriage of Har- riet Schwab to Peter R. Thielman, of St. Cloud, the Rev. Father Kicken officiating.

1904.

January 28 .- Sunday was the coldest day ( in many years, the government standard thermometer at the state reformatory showing 42 degrees below zero as the mini- mum. The same instrument recorded 36 degrees below as the lowest point reached during the past twenty-four hours.

Mrs. Elizabeth Goedker who makes her home with her son, Henry Goedker, of

Sauk Rapids, and who while 87 years of age has been a widow for the past 36 years, was the mother of ten children, has 85 grandchildren, 52 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren. No less than 150 persons trace their direct descent from her and five generations are still living.

February 4 .- A tri-county branch of the Minnesota Farmers' Exchange was organ- ized at the court house Saturday. The counties included in the district are Stearns, Benton and Sherburne. The pur- pose of the organization is to control the prices of farm products. C. H. Block, of Fair Haven, was elected president and N. K. Hunt, secretary.

The Sauk Centre Congregational Church has extended a call to Miss Darling, pastor of the Detroit (Minn.) Congregational Church to occupy the pulpit of the Sauk Centre church. A handsome new edifice has just been completed.

February 18 .- The annual meeting of the Granite Producers' Association, of St. Cloud was held at the Grand Central Hotel Saturday evening. Officers elected for the ensuing year were: William Campbell, president; Albert Johnson, vice-president; J. F. Davis, secretary; A. M. Simmers, treasurer. A banquet followed the busi- ness session.

The St. Cloud and Fair Haven mail stage line has been discontinued after lo! these many, many years service.

February 25 .- The bill authorizing the building of a dam across the Mississippi river at Sauk Rapids has passed both houses of congress. This bill was intro- duced in congress at the instance of A. G. Whitney, of St. Cloud who owns the dam site.

J. W. Watson lias purchased A. Jacob- son's and E. A. Engebretson's interest in the Benton County State Bank, and has been elected a director and president of the bank.

March 3 .- John R. Sloan, who was a pioneer of the pioneers, died at his home in this city Sunday, aged 80 years. He came to Minnesota in 1849, and assisted in the construction of the buildings at Fort Ripley and also those of the Winne- bago agency at Long Prairie. He ran from Little Falls down the Mississippi the raft of lumber for the first frame house built

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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY

in St. Cloud, which was located in what is now Empire Park.

March 10 .- About forty representative citizens of St. Cloud met last evening at the public library and organized the Civic Improvement Association of St. Cloud. The · objects of the association are to work for the commercial and industrial develop- ment of the city, for an impartial enforce- ment of the laws; for sanitary improve- ment; for the establishment and improve- ment of parks, grounds and public thor- oughfares; and for the general develop- ment, improvement and beautification of the city. A constitution and by-laws were adopted, and officers elected as follows: H. C. Ervin, president; F. Schilplin, vice- president; James E. Jenks, recording and corresponding secretary; D. C. Abeles, financial secretary; C. J. Metzroth, treas- urer; with the chairmen of the various committees. The membership roll bears sixty signatures and this number will be rapidly increased to 100 or more.

Mrs. Catherine Eich, widow of Wolfgang Eich, who came to St. Cloud in 1858, died last evening, aged 71 years.

March 17 .- An invitation to what was possibly the first ball ever given in St. Cloud has been unearthed among some old papers. The invitation was written on common note paper and signed L. A. Evans, W. J. Fonseca and James M. Mc- Kelvy, the affair to be at Fonseca's store building, February 8, 1860. Gentlemen were requested to "notify the committee what lady they will escort to the ball, so that conveyances may be sent for them."

The Rev. Father Paneratius, parish priest at Farming, died suddenly there Friday evening, aged 58 years. For a num- ber of years he was friar of St. John's and after leaving there did missionary work at various places in this county and else- where.

March 31 .- Once more we have had the teachers with us. The Northern Minneso- ta Teachers' Association held its eighth an- nual convention in this city, beginning March 25 and adjourning the day follow- ing. There were the usual papers, with an address the first evening by Judge E. A. Jaggard, of St. Paul, on "The Relation of Education and the Common Schools to Crime and Criminals." The main thought

of the address was that education is the great preventive of crime. The officers elected for the ensuing year were: F. W. Carlson, Alexandria, president; O. F. King, Aitkin, vice-president; P. P. Colgrove, St. Cloud, secretary-treasurer.

April 7 .- The first annual exhibition of the Minnesota State Art Society is now in progress at the public library building. It will remain open for two weeks, with over 300 art works, some of them quite choice, on the walls. Over $600 in prizes is to be awarded by a committee composed of Mrs. Amelia Center, John Vanderpoel and Oliver Dennett Grover, of Chicago.

The bankers of the Sixth District group of Minnesota held their first annual con- vention during the past week, the sessions beginning yesterday and closing this after- noon. The visitors, some sixty in number, were welcomed by Mayor Robinson. A permanent organization was formed by the election of the following officers: W. E. Lee, Long Prairie, president; C. E. Oakley, Buffalo, vice-president; H. E. Mckenzie, St. Cloud, secretary-treasurer. A banquet at the Grand Central Hotel last evening was given by the St. Cloud bankers, Judge L. W. Collins acting as toastmaster.

April 14 .- For a short time serious dan- ger threatened the Tenth street bridge, the electric power plant and the Tileston mill when the ice in the Mississippi went out at this place last evening and the gorge from up the river came down in a swirl- ing, grinding mass of ice and logs. The ice was almost three feet thick and the huge cakes moved with almost irresist- ible force. For a time it dashed harm- lessly over the dam, but afterwards the logs and ice began to jam and pile against the center pier of the bridge, increasing in size and height until the crest almost reached the roadway of the bridge and the structure seemed to be surely doomed. But happily the section of solid ice in front of the bridge piers, which had been the cause of the jam, gave way, the mass crumbled and the danger was past, but not before the center pier had been pushed forward two feet on its foundation. A small section of the Sauk Rapids dam was carried out by the ice yesterday.

April 28 .- Married, at St. Paul, Thurs- day evening, at the home of the bride's mother, Grace Gardner, of St. Paul, to

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HISTORY OF STEARNS COUNTY

Willard Freeman, of St. Cloud, the Rev. J. H. Dewart officiating.

May 5 .- Aaron and John Faddens and Henry and Chris Theis, the "Rockville bandits," captured Friday at Crookston by Sheriff Bernick, were brought to this city Saturday and lodged in the county jail. They admit not only the burglary at Weis- man Bros.' store and the post office at Rockville, but also the burglary of the Cold Spring and Richmond post offices, the robbery of a Rockville saloon and vari- ous other crimes, some a year or more old. Quantities of the goods stolen at Rockville were found in their possession.

May 19 .- John Winter, a veteran of the Civil war, who came to Minnesota in the early '50's, settling later on a farm in Spring Hill township, died Friday at his home in this city, where he had resided for several years past. During the Civil war he served as a member of Company E First Minnesota Volunteer Heavy Ar- tillery.

May 26 .- Notice is given that the cent- ral heating plant will on longer be oper- ated, as it was run during the past winter as is claimed at a loss. The original scheme, when the plant was put in by C. M. Hertig, was to use the exhaust steam for heating, the live steam being utilized to supply power with which to run the street car line. Under the new plan the cars are run by electric power and steam is no longer needed.

June 2 .- The newly-incorporated "Farm- ers' Milling Company of Central Stearns county, Minnesota," which recently pur- chased of Joseph Muggli the Cold Spring dam and flouring mill, took formal posses- sion of the property yesterday. Consid- erable interest is felt as to just what the new owners, a syndicate of farmers in- terested in lands further up the Sauk river, will do with it.

Married, in this city, June 1, at the home of the bride's parents, Caroline Tilden Mitchell to George Wood Bacon, of New York City. The simple vows of the Quaker ceremony were exchanged, followed by a prayer by the Rev. E. V. Campbell.

July 7 .- Simon Stevens, who came to Minnesota in 1849, with his brother, Col. John H. Stevens, and six years later founded the village of Clearwater, died Tuesday at his home in that village, aged

77 years. He was one of the first men to explore the wilds of Lake Minnetonka.

Nathaniel G. Grant, one of the early set- tlers of the town of Le Sauk and a vet- eran of the Civil war, having served as a member of Company I Seventh Minnesota volunteers, died today at his home in Sauk Rapids, aged 66 years.

The marriage of Rizpah DeLaittre, of Minneapolis, to Charles S. Mitchell, late owner of the Alexandria Post-News, took place July 2 at the Oak Park Presbyte- rian Church, in Chicago.

July 14 .- Clearwater was the first town in Minnesota to introduce "Old Home Week," when former residents gather from afar to renew old acquaintances. The celebration this year began Tuesday and will continue over Sunday.

Married, July 7, at the home of the bride's parents in this city, Mildred Whit- tlesey to Edmund Beardslee Smith, the service being read by the Rev. E. V. Camp- bell .. Mr. and Mrs. Smith will make their home in Los Angeles, Cal.

July 21 .- William Gordon, who located in Brockway in 1855, died at his home in that town Friday last, aged 76 years. James Ingram, one of the old settlers of Sauk Centre, died July 13, aged 83 years.

July 28 .- Henry Nierengarten, Sr., came to this part of Minnesota in 1854 when a young man, living first at Sauk Rapids and afterwards taking a homestead in the town of St. Wendel, where he died yester- day, aged 63 years. Stephen Kieke, of St. Augusta, another pioneer and a war veteran, having been a member of Com- pany F Fifth Minnesota volunteers, died July 25, aged 81 years.

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History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume II, Part 73

Author: Mitchell, William Bell, 1843- Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Chicago : H. S. Cooper Number of Pages: 1110

Author: Mitchell, William Bell, 1843-
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago : H. S. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1110