USA > Minnesota > Stearns County > History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume II > Part 83
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The township was organized by the county commissioners in 1859, and the first election held April 5, 1859 at the village. The meeting was called to order by T. C. Partridge. Calvin J. Boobar was moder-
ator, Albertis Montgomery, clerk, and Samuel Young, M. L. Patten and N. J. Robinson judges of election. Officers were elected as follows: Supervisors, Albertis Montgomery (chairman), T. C. Partridge and S. Young; clerk, James Jenks; as- sessor, J. H. Locke; collector, William Heywood, overseer of the poor, H. H. Mayo; constables, G. A. Bibber and Sum- ner Leavitt; justices of the peace, H. P. Bennett and C. J. Boobar; pound master, J. K. Noyes; highway overseers, J. P. Taylor and John K. Noyes. The public hall is situated in the village. It was built by the G. A. R. The building was erected about 1888 and used by the post for about eight years when the post re- moved to Annendale. At about the same time the Masonic lodge also went to An- nendale. The products of the town are mostly cattle, hogs, potatoes and corn. Very little grain is raised for sale, most of it being fed to stock.
The first school was kept in a store- house, in the winter of 1856-57, by Anna M. Boobar. A school house was built in 1866, which was replaced in 1880, by a large two-story building which was de- stroyed by fire in 1905 and was in turn replaced by a cement block building in 1906. This is modern in every respect. There are three other schools in the town- ship, located in sections 30, 27 and 14. School is being held in all four. District 1, the first district in the township, was organized March 14, 1859, by electing C. J. Boobar, A. C. Smith and A. Montgom- ery trustees and James Jenks clerk.
FAIR HAVEN VILLAGE
The early settlement of the township clustered about Fair Haven village, and much of the early history of the two is identical. Thomas C. Partridge settled on the present site of Fair Haven in May, 1856, and had the village platted by E. O. Haven in July of the same year. The dam and mill were constructed in the spring of 1857. In the summer of 1857 Charles Abell opened a general store. In the fall, Partridge & Hayward started a clothing store, and J. K. Noyes erected a substantial log building which he used as a tavern until his Octagon hotel was completed. The log tavern was also used
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as a fort during the Indian outbreak of 1862. The first postoffice was established in 1858 and John K. Noyes appointed post- master .. Orrin D. Webb erected a grist mill in 1859. James Tucker built a frame hotel which was destroyed by fire in 1882. A. Thayer built a two-story hotel which is still standing.
S. Leavitt opened a blacksmith shop in 1861. In 1866 the railroad came through, and Grinols & Cooper opened a general store. In the fall of 1866, the Octagon hotel owned by John K. Noyes was de- stroyed by fire. In 1867 the store of Grinols & Cooper was destroyed by fire. Later it was rebuilt. In the spring of that year a freshet carried the dam and flour- ing mill down the river. Both were re- built by the owners, J. A. Linscott and William Vie.
Fair Haven village is located on the north side of the Clearwater river in sec- tion 4 township 121, range 28. It is about eighty feet above the level of the river and lakes. The town site is almost ab- solutely flat and was formerly covered with brush and timber. The park which is in the center of the village still retains its virgin oaks. The cemetery lies in the most eastern part of the village and is most beautifully located.
Up to 1888 Fair Haven was one of the most prosperous villages in the county but the building of the "Soo" line only two miles away to the south and the start- ing of a new town known as South Haven naturally detracted from the old town to the new on the railroad. The village still has a general store which is doing a good business, conducted by C. Thorn. The grist mill still is running on the original site, and is owned and operated by Grant Graham. The water power is supposed to be one of the best west of the Twin Cities. The capacity is fifty barrels a day. There are two churches, Baptist and Lutheran, the Baptist being situated in the northern part of the village. It has been occupied the past three years by the Methodists. The German Lutheran church is in the southern part of the village, has a large membership and is very prosperous, hav- ing at least one hundred and fifty mem- bers. The school house is situated near the center of the village. It is a one- story building of cement blocks. It has
two rooms and has a capacity of about 100 scholars.
The dwelling houses are a little better than the average for a village of its size and as a whole are kept in fair repair. The Minnesota Central Traction Co. is building a line from Minneapolis to St. Cloud through Fair Haven, and it is ex- pected that this line will restore to the village its importance and prosperity of former years.
(Note-This history of Fair Haven town- ship and village has been compiled from articles by E. H. Atwood and R. M. Van Dervort.)
FARMING TOWNSHIP
Farming is situated not far from the geographical center of the county, and embraces townships 124 north, range 31 west. The surface is undulating, and in some places hilly. The Sauk river crosses the southwest corner, running in a south- easterly direction. There are a number of small lakes, the largest of which are the Big Rice Lakes in the eastern part.
The first settler was Nicholas Evans, who came about 1858, and settled on sec- tion thirty-one. The next spring, John H. Terfear, William Korte, and his brother settled in the town, but very little im- provement was made till after the war.
Farming was organized in 1873, and the first election held on March 11, at which the following officers were elected: Su- pervisors, Gerhard Brunner (chairman), Patrick Cavanagh, and Mathias Thelen; clerk, Valentine Garding; and Assessor and Treasurer, Christ Nichaus.
A German Catholic church on section thirty-two was built in 1880, and the first service held on June 6, 1881. Christ Meyer taught the first school in the town.
GETTY TOWNSHIP
Getty is situated in the northwestern portion of the county, and was originally a rolling prairie, the exceptions being Getty's Grove in the western part, which extends into the town of Raymond, and Pesheck's Grove in the eastern part. Its area is 23,040 acres and is contained in township 125 north, range 34 west. The soil is principally a rich black loam with a clay subsoil, except in the northeast cor-
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ner, where a light sandy loam is found, caused by the Sauk river, which crosses this portion of the town in a southeasterly direction. There are also a number of small lakes and some good hay meadows.
John J. Getty, in honor of whom the town is named, was undoubtedly the first permanent settler. He came July 6, 1857, and settled on section 19, in what has since been known as Getty's Grove. John H. Layman accompanied Mr. Getty, and took land in sections 18, 19 and 20. A. J. Bennett settled in section one, about 1858. Franz Pesheck lived on Mr. Getty's farm in 1862, and the following year, made a claim in section fourteen. Jacob Hurley settled on section nineteen, about 1863. The town was but sparsely settled prior to the Indian outbreak, but after the war the population has steadily increased.
This town was organized in 1865, and embraced all of the present territory of Raymond, but was reduced to its present limits on the organization of the latter town in 1867. The first officers were: Supervisors, Jacob Hurley (chairman), Robert Watson, and Newton Sanders; clerk, Jacob Church; treasurer, F. Pesheck; assessor, A. J. Bennett; and jus- tices of the peace, M. H. Palmer and Sam- uel Haulenberry.
On September 6, 1875, a postoffice was established at the residence of G. Gilbert- son, on section nineteen, but was discon- tinued after an existence of about four years.
The town is divided into several school districts. The first school was established mainly through the efforts of J. J. Getty and was held in a log cabin house on sec- tion nineteen, by Mrs. Hattie Biele. This district was organized in 1867, and num- bered fifty-three. The old log school house was burned down in 1876, and a neat frame building was erected on the same site. District number fifty-four was organized the same year, and the first school held in B. A. Veeder's residence. In a few years a log school house was built on section fourteen, which was re- moved, some years later, to section ten, where a frame building was erected in 1880. District number sixty-one was or- ganized about 1868, and the school house located on section twenty-six. District number eighty-two was organized in 1871,
and the first school held the same year. The building was erected on section five.
GROVE TOWNSHIP
Grove is situated in the northwest part of the county, and embraces township 125 north, range 33 west, and is chiefly prairie, although containing a number of oak groves with an undergrowth of hazel brush. The soil varies from a light sandy to a black loam, and is very productive. Its area is about 23,040 acres.
The first to settle in this township were Henry and Xavier Schaefers and Joseph Maly, in the fall of 1858. The Schaefers brothers took land in sections seventeen and eighteen, remained about eight years and moved to Iowa. Mr. Maly settled in sections five and eight. The population was augmented the following spring by the arrival of Henry and Herman Meyer and their widowed mother, August Illies, G. P. Steward, and Joseph Nahte. Henry Meyer located in section twenty, his brother in section nineteen, Mrs. Meyer in sections seventeen and eight, August Illies in section thirty, and G. P. Steward in section six. During the following year a considerable number of settlers arrived.
This town was organized by the county commissioners in 1867, and the first elec- tion held on the fourth of April, 1868, in the house of Peter Herbrand, then resid- ing on section twenty-nine. The result of that election was the following officers: Supervisors, Gerhard Terhaar (chairman), Charles Pfeffer, and John Prinnis; clerk, James Duncan; and treasurer, Barney Schwieters.
MEIRE GROVE VILLAGE
Meire Grove is a village of some two hundred inhabitants located in Grove township. Its history appears more fully in this volume in the biographies of the pioneers who settled in this vicinity. The railroad point is Greenwald on the "Soo" line. Meire Grove has a Catholic church, a hotel, a creamery, and a brick yard. The postoffice is now discontinued, and mail is received by rural route.
HOLDING TOWNSHIP
Holding township is situated in the northeastern part of Stearns county and is bounded on the north by Elmdale, on
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the east by Brockway, on the south by Avon, on the west by Krain. It embraces township 126 north of range 30 west and contains the south six sections of town- ship 127 north of range 30 west.
The surface was formerly covered with a heavy timber of oak, maple, basswood, elm, ash, etc., principally deciduous trees, except for a small tract of about one hun- dred acres where the village of Holding is now situated, which was prairie, or had been cleared away by the Indians for fields. The surface is in general quite rolling, showing plainly the work of pre- historic glaciers. There are quite a few swamps, which, when drained and cleared, make excellent meadows.
The principal drainage stream is the Two river which crosses the western por- tion in a northerly direction passes through Two River Lake, which lies in the southwestern corner of the town, and empties into the Mississippi river near Royalton. Another good drainage stream is Spunk brook, which crosses the south- eastern part of the town flowing in a northeasterly direction and furnishing an excellent stream for drainage purposes. Besides these are several small streams flowing through a natural waterway into those already described, thus naturally draining swamps and meadows. The soil is a rich black loam with a clay subsoil which is well adapted to all kinds of farming and grasses being particularly good for clover and alfalfa.
Randolph Holding, whose name the town bears, has the honor of being its first permanent white settler, having taken a claim at the present site of the village of Holding, as early as May, 1868. He was soon followed by Casper Fuchs, Inglebert Muck, Isham Hall, S. A. Blood and Henry Young, Sr., who settled near him. The following year witnessed quite an emigra- tion, prominent among them being James Hall, G. W. Bolton, Alexander Stewart, Joseph E. Fugate, and Henry and John Sand. Only a few of these still remain.
The first town meeting was held at the residence of H. Young, Sr., in 1870 for the purpose of organizing the town. Randolph Holding was elected as town clerk; S. A. Blood, chairman of the town board and H. Young and Isham Hall as supervisors, and Henry Sand as treasurer. No trace can
be found as to who the justices and con- stables were.
The first church was built at Arban set- tlement as early as 1872, and was known as the Sacred Heart church. They had for its pastor Rev. Cornelius, O. S. B. The church structure was of logs and lasted for nearly twenty years.
St. Mary's congregation was organized just a little west of the village of Hold- ing in the early days.
The St. Hedwig's Polish church was or- ganized and erected in the village of Hold- ing in 1911, its first pastor being Rev. Brenny. The structure was of red pressed brick with sandstone trimmings.
There are, besides the three Catholic churches, two denominational churches, viz: the Greek and Presbyterian churches. The first schoolhouse was located a little west of the village bridge across Two River Creek. The first school was taught hy S. A. Blood during the winter of 1872-73, having an attendance of about 12 chil- dren. This old building was replaced by a two-room frame building several rods further west where the hospital is now located but was destroyed by a fire. It was then that the lower part of the pres- ent school was built in the village. It was found to be too small in 1911 and was then made into a modern four-room school.
About the year 1872-73 witnessed quite a growth in population. Among those who arrived at that time were: Mike Hartung, Chas. Warner, Henry Strotman, Anton Rolfus, Wm. Luckeroth, Frank Young, De- nois Widman, Sebastian Widman, John Widman, Joe Fischer, Harve Morgan, Thos. Planty, Mike Hanigan, Anton Hu- noff, Wolfgang Voigt, Carl Reinke. The first ten and the last three of the above were German and two of the others Amer- icans and one Irish.
The Farmers Co-operative Creamery. The first creamery was built in Holding in 1895 by Val Batz and then sold to Merkling & Baumberger, later again to Batz & Wardian. The creamery was then located just east of the village bridge. The last named owners sold to Bridgeman Russell Co. of Duluth, who built where it is now located. This building was de- stroyed by fire and it was then that the Farmers Co-operative Creamery Co. was organized. An appeal for information and
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assistance was made to the State Dairy Department and a meeting was held in the fall of 1911 with the following result: President, John Batz; vice-president,
Reinhard Vos; secretary, William Schneider; treasurer, Charles Eiden; di- . rectors, Wm. Becker, John Hadrich and F. W. Reinke. The board of directors made Wm. Schneider manager and se- cured August Leiter as butter maker. The creamery began to do business on January 16, 1912. On May 20th the board made a change and employed Geo. Meller as but- ter maker with Henry Schneider as as- sistant, both being still at the post. The creamery board with its manager and of- ficers and loyal patrons have worked up the business to a high standard. The creamery now has 95 shareholders and 354 patrons. The following is a report of last year's business: Milk received, 199,211 pounds; cream received, 638,264 pounds; butterfat from milk, 73,164 pounds; but- terfat from cream, 167,809.7 pounds; but- ter shipped, 208,285 pounds; butter sold to patrons, 1,402 pounds; butter sold in town, 1,852 pounds; total butter made, 212,455 pounds; total amount paid to patrons for butter fat during the year, $51,347.51. The present officers are: Frank Dobis, president; R. Vos, vice-president; Wm. Schneider, secretary; Chas. Eiden, treasurer; directors, John Hadrich, Wm. Becker and F. W. Reinke. The corporate title of the creamery is The Farmer's Co- operative Creamery of Holdingford.
(Note-The above article on Holding township is from the pen of B. J. Kep- pers.)
HOLDING VILLAGE
Holding village has a population of 450 persons, and is located on the "Soo" line. It has a Catholic, Lutheran and Methodist church, two banks, a grain elevator, a creamery, a hotel, flour, planing and head- ing mills and a municipal water works system. A weekly newspaper, the Adver- tiser, is published.
Wm. E. Murphy, postmaster; G. Abeln & Sons, flour mill; Ernest A. Anderson, physician; J. Bieganek & Co., harness; Bielejeski Bros., farm implements; Thos. Bielejeski, general store; J. Borgerding & Co., lumber; C. Brenney & Co., general Store; Mrs. Louise Diedrich, milliner; G.
A. Douglass & Co., drugs; Elm Dale Tele- phone Co., Benj. Blume, president, J. J. Jacobson, secretary; Farmers State Bank, H. J. Spieker, president, N. J. Harren, cashier; Valentine Herman, heading mill; Holding Farmers' Creamery Co., Wm. Schneider, secretary; Chris O. Nelson, publisher of the Holdingford Advertiser; Geo. R. Knight, railway agent; Stanley Kobylinski, blacksmith; Alex. Lemmer, furniture; Henry Sandkamp, proprietor Merchants' Hotel; Wm. E. Murphy, real estate; Jos. Schabel & Sons; Security State Bank, J. B. Klasen, president; Wm. Thom, general store; Geo. Van Sloan; Jos. Vos, grain, elevator; Wardian Bros., general store; Waritz Bros., meats; Win- kler Bros., hardware.
KRAIN TOWNSHIP
Krain is situated in the northeast por- tion of the county, and adjoins Holding on the west. It has an area of about 28,800 acres. There are a number of small lakes, and a considerable acreage of swamp land, the latter being covered with a good growth of tamarack.
William Henry Helsper was, undoubted- ly, the first settler in this town. He was a native of Prussia, and settled on section eighteen in 1868. James Graham followed Mr. Helsper the same year, and settled near him. James Gasperlin came the fol- lowing year, and settled on section twenty- eight.
Krain was organized in 1872, and the first officers elected were: Supervisors, W. H. Helsper, chairman; Mathias Pogat- schnik, and John Muyres; clerk, Joseph Gasperlin; justice of the peace, James Graham; and assessor, Ulrich Schelesnik.
The first school was taught by Joseph Gasperlin, at his residence, the term com- mencing January 12, 1874. Number nine- ty-eight was organized in 1874, and the school house located on section thirty-two. District number one hundred and four- teen was organized in the fall of 1878, and the first school kept by Cyrus S. Brock. The building was erected in sec- tion twenty.
LAKE GEORGE TOWNSHIP
This town is situated in the southwest- ern portion of the county, and is chiefly a rolling prairie. It is contained in town-
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ship 124 north, range 34 west. The lake from which the town derives its name is located in the southeast part; it is about two miles long, and varies from sixty to one hundred and sixty rods in width. The soil of the township is a black loam with a clay sub-soil, and is very productive. Its area is 23,040 acres.
The honor of being the first settler in this township belongs to Gerhard Stalboer- ger. He is a native of Germany, came to America in 1852, and after remaining a short time in Iowa, came to Minnesota and settled in 1856. John Felling followed the same summer and took a claim on section twenty-four. Others soon followed.
The territory now embraced in Lake George township was a part of Verdale on its organization in 1858. It subsequently became a part of St. Martin, and later, of Spring Hill. Its present organization was effected in 1877, and the first elec- tion held at the house of Michael Collins on section eleven. The first officers were: Supervisors, Gerhard Stalboerger, chair- man, Mathias Schneider and Thomas Wil- son; clerk, Michael Collins; treasurer, Mathias Weber; and constable, Peter Kuf- fler; thirteen votes were cast.
The first marriage in the town was in 1857, the parties being Gerhard Stalboer- ger and Anna Mayer. Their eldest child was the first birth in the town, in the fall of 1859, and was also the first death, the infant dying at the age of three months. The first school was taught by Katie Mary Frank about 1868. District number sixty- two was organized in 1869, the school house built in section twenty-four.
LAKE HENRY TOWNSHIP
Lake Henry lies in the southwest part of the county, and has an area of about 23,000 acres, embracing the whole of town- ship 123 north, range 33 west. With the exception of some light timber along the banks of Lake Henry, the town was orig- inally a smooth prairie, somewhat undu- lating. The soil is chiefly a rich black loam with a clay subsoil. The only lake of any importance is Lake Henry, lying on sections ten and fifteen. It is about one and a half miles long, with an average width of about one-quarter of a mile.
The first man to make a claim in this town was Xavier Popping, a native of
Prussia. He came to this then uninhabited region in 1855, and selected a home on sections ten and eleven. Mr. Popping died September 22, 1872. Michael Kraemer came in 1856, and settled near the south end of Lake Henry. These are undoubt- edly the first two settlers. The popu- lation, for a number of years, increased very slowly, owing to the distance from market, and the open prairie country which was objected to by many on ac- count of the frequent severe storms in winter. Later, however, the railroad ex- tended west through the county, thus affording better facilities for the shipment of grain, and the winter storms have be- come less frequent and severe, and as a result, the town has grown.
This town was a part of Verdale, and afterwards, of several other towns, until 1869, when its own organization was com- pleted. The first election was held at the residence of Xavier Popping, but the records are not to be found, and conse- quently a full list of the town officials elected at that meeting cannot be obtained. Xavier Popping was the first chairman of supervisors, and Mathias Gross was the first justice of the peace and town clerk.
The first school was kept by Frederick Rupp in 1869. He conducted the school about three years, and the scholars were gathered from every settled portion of the township. The second district was or- ganized in 1880, and a good school build- ing erected in section twenty-seven. The first organized district was number twenty- four. The school house was situated on section two.
LYNDEN TOWNSHIP
The town of Lynden is situated in the southeast corner of Stearns county, and was originally covered with brush and timber. A large part of the town is un- dulating, with a rich and fertile soil. The Mississippi river forms its eastern bound- ary, while the Clearwater river flows along its southern line. A few settlers arrived in the town in 1853, but it was not until 1856 that any considerable settlement was made. The town is so situated that its history is very intimately connected with the towns of Clearwater and St. Cloud. The settlers of Lynden received their mail
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and attended church, bought their supplies and sold their produce at these points. For many years the settlers occupied only the eastern side of the town, and a large part of the western side of the town re- mained unsettled. The farmers were an intelligent, active and progressive class of citizens, and conducted their farming oper- ations in an enlightened and business-like manner. During the early years of the town's existence, the settlers saw hard times, and scant fare, and suffered many privations.
T. C. Porter and John Townsend made the first claims in what is now the town of Lynden, in 1853. Their claims were made in sections twenty and twenty-one, on land later owned by W. T. Rigby and G. B. Benson. Mr. Porter sold his inter- est to Townsend, the following year, for ten dollars; it was subsequently pre- empted by Joseph and Peter Townsend, brothers of John, who had also arrived in 1853. William and John McDonald came the same year. Porter and the Townsends were natives of Pennsylvania, the former coming to Minnesota before the territorial organization. Jonathan and William Dal- las, natives of Indiana, settled on section four, in 1854. In the same year, M. D. Cambell came from Ohio and James Cam- bell, his brother, from New York. They took claims in the fall. Abel Kent, wife, and four daughters, accompanied by J. W. Stevenson, came from Ohio, in 1855, and settled on sections nine and ten. Tra- dition says, T. C. Porter ferried the young ladies across the Clearwater river on his back, and escorted them to their new home. George T. Cambell also arrived and took a claim this year. However, he went back to Boston and did not return until 1860.
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