History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume II, Part 90

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

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On the night of July 9, 1869, a cyclone passed over the northern part of the town, carrying death and destruction in its course. The residence of Richard Richard- son was destroyed, killing a little son three years old. Another son, twenty-two years of age, occupied a bed with Liberty B. Raymond, Jr., the former was carried for a number of days, but finally recovered,

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but the latter was killed. A number of others in the neighborhood were seriously injured. Another passed over nearly the same course, in June, 1877, destroying the residences of William Smith and Alonzo Morris. A son of Smith was carried about fifty rods. He was struck on the head by a piece of flying debris, while in mid-air, and fell in a marsh, but was not seriously injured.

The first school was taught in the sum- mer of 1867, by Eliza Richardson in an un- occupied dwelling house belonging to P. Smith. The first religious services were held in the fall of 1866, by the Rev. Mr. Cady, a Baptist minister. A Methodist Episcopal Church organization was per- fected in 1868. Also, a Seventh Day Ad- vent Church was organized in 1873, and a small church erected on section thirty the following year.

Raymond was organized in 1867, and named in honor of Liberty B. Raymond, one of the early settlers. The first officers were; Supervisors, L. B. Raymond, chair- man, C. S. Boss, and William F. Smith; clerk, V. C. Lyman; assessor, D. P. Mar- shall; and treasurer, L. Worthington.

A subordinate grange of the Patrons of Husbandry was organized August 2, 1873, with thirty-six members, the name chosen being "The Silver Basin." George Parsons, of Winona, master of the state grange, was present. The following officers were elected: L. B. Raymond, master; O. G. Lyman, overseer; R. Richardson, lecturer; H. B. Huntress, secretary; Mrs. E. Em- merson, treasurer; Mrs. Angelina Smith, chaplain; Matt. Sheiffer, steward; N. R. Harrington, assistant steward; Sarah Ly- man, lady assistant steward; Judson Smith, gatekeeper; Mrs. L. B. Raymond, Pomona; Mrs. R. Richardson, Ceres; Mrs. H. B. Huntress, Flora.

ROCKVILLE TOWNSHIP.

Rockville lies in the southeastern por- tion of the county, and embraces township 123 north, range 29 west. It has an area of 23,040 acres. The surface is undulating. Sauk River flows in a northeasterly direc- tion across the northwest portion of the town, to the west of which lies a strip of prairie .. Mill Creek enters the township from the south, and joins Sauk River at the village of Rockville. In the center

of the township, and along Mill Creek, the primary, or granitic, formation appears in place, and from this fact, the town derives its name. There are a large number of lakes in this town the largest of which is Grand Lake, a beautiful sheet of water, lying in the southern portion of the town- ship. The next in size is Pleasant Lake, lying in the northeast corner.

In the fall of 1854 William Capple and a companion named Mack explored this region and to them the lakes of the town are indebted for their names. Mr. Capple claimed what is now the Michael Reiter farm and Mack claimed the present Mich- ael Lapinski farm. Mack died the follow- ing year and lies buried on his claim. In the spring of 1855 William Decker, Christ Palinch, David Spicer, Hiram Taylor, Peter Kaiser, John R. Weaver and Nicholas Kirsh each claimed a quarter section in this township. David H. Spicer claimed the quarter section on which the village now stands. In the fall of the same year Michael Hansen and his son, Pierre, came here from Illinois, and with them was Mathias Ahles. By 1860 all the land avail- able for agricultural purposes had been taken up.

The territory embraced in this town was a part of Maine Prairie until 1860, when Rockville was organized, and the first elec- tion held at the residence of M. Hansen, Sr., on June 25. The first officers elected were: Supervisors, M. Hansen, Sr. (chair- man), Nicholas Kirsch and John Harren; clerk, D. H. Spicer; assessor, William Decker; and justice of the peace, A. Smith.

School was kept in what is now district number ten, in the house of G. Bauer, soon after the first settlement was made, but a log schoolhouse was built on section thirty- four in 1860, which was superseded by the frame building, in 1874. District number sixteen was organized in 1867, and school held in private dwellings until the erection of the schoolhouse on section three. Dis- trict number sixteen built a fine new schoolhouse just across the road from the old one in 1910. District number forty- four. The first school held in this district was in a rented log house on section six- teen, about 1866. In 1868, a small frame building was erected on section seventeen, which was succeeded by a modern build- ing, in 1880. In 1892 the schoolhouse was

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moved to the village limits where it now stands. The school building of district number ninety-one is located on section fif- teen, and was erected in 1874.

Rockville Village .- In the year 1856 a vil- lage site was surveyed and platted by H. C .. Waite and D. H. Spicer, near the junction of Mill Creek and the Sauk River. The plat was named Rockville. Mr. Waite soon afterward disposed of his interest to Mr. Spicer who subsequently leased the water power to Newt N. Smith. About 1860 Mr. Smith built the first mill on the Mill Creek in the village of Rockville. This mill was later remodeled by Orlando Tenney, but burned down soon after. Nick Garding bought the waterpower site from Orlando Tenney and erected the present mill.

W. B. Mitchel and his father opened the first store at Rockville. Later Hengel & Ahles built a store here. Ahles sold his share to Jacob Weisman and a few years later Hengel sold to John Weisman and thus the present general merchandise firm of Weisman Bros. was formed. In 1911 the firm of Meinz & Winkler opened a general merchandise store at Rockville. In 1913 Joseph Winkler sold his share in the business to Al Meinz, a brother to Theo. Meinz, the original partner.

There are two large granite companies operating at Rockville, the Clark & Mc- Cormic Co., and The Rockville Granite Co. Several of the largest granite contracts in the northwest have been turned out by the Rockville companies.

The village has a population of 250 peo- ple, and is located on the Great Northern Railway, twelve miles southwest of St. Cloud. It has Catholic and German Luth- eran churches, a bank, a hotel, granite quarries and mills. The principal products shipped are granite and produce. Land in the neighborhood is worth from $30 to $60 an acre. The postmaster is Jacob Weis- man. A short business directory follows:

Henry Alexander, granite quarry; Jos. Breunig, real estate; Clark & McCormack, granite quarry; Nicholas Garding, flour mill; C. Lundhagen, railroad agent; Meinz Bros., general store; Jno. Meinz, black- smith; Jos. Mertes, livery; Gust. Peters, meats; Rockville Creamery & Cheese Fac- tory, Henry Witte, manager; State Bank, capital $10,000; (J. J. Ahmann, president; J. H. Breunig, cashier); Jos. Theisen,

barber; Jno. Traun, hotel; Weisman Bros., general store; Jacob Weisman, insurance agent.

The Immaculate Conception Catholic Parish was organized in June of 1911. The first pastor was Rev. Hubert Gunderman. Nicholas Thomey was chosen secretary, and Joseph Brunning, treasurer. A fine edifice of granite and brick was erected the same year at a cost of $16,000.

The village of Rockville was incorporat- ed in 1903. The following officers were chosen: John Meinz, president; John Weis- man, Ben Garding, Henry Heck, trustees; John Garding, recorder; Nick Garding, treasurer; Dan Jansen, marshal.

The Rockville Creamery and Cheese Factory. The Rockville Creamery and Cheese Factory was organized in 1897 by William Brinkman, Pierre Hansen, John Wolf, John Weisman, Mike Boos, Peter Hengel and Peter Decker. The following officers were chosen at the first meeting: John Weisman, president; Peter Decker, vice president; William Brinkman, secre- tary; Peter Hengel, treasurer; John Wolf, Pierre Hansen and Mike Boos, trustees. The creamery was erected just west of the village limits where it still stands. As a co-operative organization the creamery was not a marked success so in order to keep the factory going Pierre Hansen bought up all the shares in the fall of 1899 and thence forward he and his son, C. M. P. Hansen, managed the affairs of the cream- ery until 1913, when the property was sold to Henry Witte, the present owner.

(The above articles on Rockville Town- ship and Village are from the pen of H. J. Hansen.)

ST. CLOUD TOWNSHIP.

St. Cloud township lies on the east side of the county, being bounded on the east by the Mississippi river. It has an area of about 19,000 acres. The soil is a rich dark loam, and very productive. The north- west portion of the town is watered by Sauk river, which flows in a northeasterly direction, and crossing the extreme south- east corner of Le Sauk empties into the Mississippi.

In the earlier days the affairs of the · township and the townsite were so closely allied that it is at this date difficult to sep- arate them. There was for a time not

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much outside the townsite to chronicle, yet it was in the township of St. Cloud that the first white child in Stearns county was born and that the first furrow was turned. John Becker came to St. Cloud, or to what afterwards came to be known as St. Cloud, October 7, 1851, to open up a farm for his cousin, Geo. L. Becker, of St. Paul, who afterwards was president of the first railroad built to St. Cloud. He broke about two hundred acres of land, selling to the Indians everything that was raised on the farm except what was con- sumed on the place. He occupied the Lowry house, to which he built an addi- tion. In company with a man named Douglas he lived there, the two doing the housekeeping, until the spring of the fol- lowing year, when Mr. Becker went to Ann Arbor, Mich., his former home, and June 1, 1852, married Merriam F. Barr, starting the same day for St. Cloud. It was while they lived on the Lowry place that their daughter, Ora Ella Becker, was born, Feb- ruary 24, 1854, the first white child in Stearns county. Charles Fillmore was the second. As there was no cther means of crossing the Mississippi river, Mr. Becker brought a number of the settlers who fol- lowed in later years from the east to the west side in a wagon drawn by a yoke of oxen, afterwards running a ferry for two years. He took a claim where Waite Park is now located, and when he sold this in 1876 moved to the city. In 1879 his eldest daughter-there were two other children, Frank H. and Mary E .- was married to Geo. M. McLane, of Brown's Valley, and went there to live, that place being still her home. On account of Mrs. Becker's ill health Mr. and Mrs. Becker moved to Brown's Valley, where all their children were and where the mother died April 5, 1910. Mr. Becker is making his home there.

While St. Cloud precinct, as it was then called, was one of the three original sub- divisions of Stearns county when the county was organized in March, 1855, the first available records begin with May 27, 1858, giving the results of the town elec- tion, at which time a total of 123 votes were cast. The result was the choice of the following persons, although for every office save that of collector, there were op- posing candidates: J. L. Wilson, chair-

man; L. Gorton, R. S. Fillmore, supervis- ors; Henry Swisshelm, town clerk; L. Robbers, assessor; B. Overbeck, collector; C. T. Stearns, overseer of poor; H. G. Kil- bourne and Hannon, constables; J. F. Noel, C. Ketcham, justices; H. J. Fow- ler, B. Rosenberger, overseers of roads. Among the other aspirants for the various offices were John H. Taylor, J. H. Proctor, R. H. Richmond, Stephen Miller, C. Lowry, H. Scofield, J. S. White and Paul Dan- forth.

The supervisors met July 28 and divided the town into two road districts, the ra- vine between upper and lower town being the line of division. At a subsequent meet- ing August 19, S. A. Clifford, J. H. Sey- mour, H. J. Fowler, B. Rosenberger, Philip Peaupre, Joseph Paran, Nathan Lamb and Dr. W. R. Hunter were appointed overseers of roads for the eight districts designated; district No. 3 consisting of lower St. Cloud and No. 4 of upper St. Cloud, the other dis- tricts comprising in the main an entire township. A tax of one mill was levied for current expenses.

The next election, held April 5, 1859, put most of the "ins" out and "outs" in. A total of 245 votes were cast, showing either a largely increased population over the year before or a greater interest. The successful candidates were: Rev. David Lowry, chairman; B. Rosenberger, Philip Beaupre, supervisors; C. Grandelmeyer, clerk; Jos. Broker, assessor; B. Overbeck, collector; N. Lamb, overseer of poor; C. Lueg, F. Hamilton, constables; Chas. Tay- lor, Chas. Ketcham, justices. The polling place for this election as well as for that which preceded it was at the Everett schoolhouse.

In 1860 there was no opposition and as a result the election (which was held in Proctor & Clarke's storeroom, vacant at the time) was tame, only 100 votes being cast. The officers elected were: Rev. Da- vid Lowry, chairman; John Rengel, F. Monti, supervisors; C. Grandelmyer, clerk; S. Marlatt, treasurer; Chas. Taylor, asses- sor; Chas. Ketcham, H. J. Fowler, Lewis Clark, justices; Jos. Howard and Chas. Lueg, constables; B. Overbeck, collector; Dr. B. R. Palmer, superintendent of schools.

That conditions had waxed warm again is shown by the fact that in 1861 there

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were 208 votes cast, and while the election had been called for Andrew Smith's build- ing, it was found necessary to adjourn to Wilson's Hall. The winning candidates were: Lewis Clark, chairman; P. Brady, J. W. Tenvoorde, supervisors; J. H. Place, clerk; S. Marlatt, treasurer; T. H. Barrett, assessor; W. V. B. Moore and J. F. Noel, justices; Chas. Lueg, overseer of highways.

Passing to the later period of the Civil War, when the duty of meeting the call for soldiers for the Union army fell on the town officials, the officers elected in the spring of 1864 were: Henry Killian, chair- man; J. L. Streitz, Jacob N. Lahr, super- visors; J. J. Hess, clerk; Michael Scheuer, treasurer; Edward Kuhn, assessor; M. G. Weyrens, justice; Philip Hartman, consta- ble.

At a meeting of the board of supervisors held August 30, 1864, a list of twenty-seven volunteers who had been secured to fill the quota of the town was reported, all but one having been mustered into the service of the United States, during the month of August, for one year, the excep- tion having been for two years. The bounty paid in all cases but two was $250 and to these two $200 each was paid, the total being $6,650.

At a meeting held March 28, 1865, an ad- ditional list of the volunteers who had been secured since August and credited to the town was reported. This list included the names of forty-seven men, to ten of whom (reenlistments) a bounty of $100 each had been paid, to one $150, to one $250, to one $375, to two $400 each, while the others received $300 each; total, $13,- 255.

The first entries at the United States land office, then at Sauk Rapids, were in 1857. September 7, the earliest date, Le- land Cram entered 80 acres in section 14, now a part of the city. Other entries on that day were by I. B. Talcott, 160 acres in section 23, and A. Vandyke, 160 acres in section 6. The following day seven entries were made-Nicholas Juenemann taking 80 acres in section 14, B. Davenport taking 80 acres and T. G. Davenport 120. acres in section 18; N. Juenemann, 40 acres in sec- tion 22; John Firschweiler, 160 acres in section 2; John Rengel, Jr., 160 acres in section 15; E. S. Garlington, 160 acres in section 17. Following these on later dates

during that year were entries by H. Mc- Mahon, F. Sisson, S. B. Lowry, H. C. Waite, N. Haan, Jos. Niehaus, Seth Field- ing, W. R. Hunter, B. R. Palmer, Wm. Buchanan, W. H. Owens, David Sinclair, Nathan Lamb, John Moore, Thos. Moffitt.

A grange of the Patrons of Husbandry was organized in 1874 at the schoolhouse in District No. 2, the number of charter members instituted being thirty, the maxi- mum allowed. The officers elected were: J. B. Getchell, master; C. W. Clark, over- seer; Michael Lahr, treasurer; L. O. Board- man, secretary; John W. Schaefer, lec- turer; Wm. Louden, chaplain; John W. Schwartz, gatekeeper; Peter Gardner, steward; S. I. Shepard, assistant steward; Mrs. Shook, lady assistant steward; Mrs. Clements, Ceres; Mrs. Clark, Pomona; Mrs. Getchell, Flora.

The manufacture of brick has almost from its organization to the present day been an important industry in the town- ship. In 1861 Weber & Volz started a brickyard, two miles from the town, in section 22. In 1865 the property was pur- chased by Peter Greven, which afterwards became Greven & Lommel. The output was about 500,000 bricks per year, red color and of fair quality, selling at $8 to $10 per thousand delivered in St. Cloud. The manufacture of brick at this yard closed in 1888, and was not afterward re- newed.

In 1865 John Zenner began the manu- facture of brick, which were cream-colored. The yard was bought in 1868 by Wm. Krugel, whose product in 1881 was 400,000, the brick selling for $7.00 to $8.00 at the kiln. It was purchased in 1882 by Hess & Bandle, in 1886 the firm was Hess & Moog, and since 1905 the business has been car- ried on by Henry Hess alone. His product is 2,000,000 brick annually, selling at the yard at an average of $6.50 per thousand. This yard is in sections 25 and 36.

On the west side of the road, in section 26, Frederick Kuehn began brickmaking in 1881, continuing about five years, when the clay bed gave out. In 1886, going fur- the south into section 35, the firm of Kuehn & Weyrauch opened a yard, which they ran for about ten years, being com- pelled then to suspend operations for the same reason as before-the exhaustion of the clay bed.

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In 1903 Ernest Beutler secured a tract of land in the northeast quarter of section 35 containing a fine bed of clay, and began the manufacture of brick, continuing until the present. His output in 1914 was 1,500,- 000, and he expects to increase that num- ber this year. These brick are also cream and sell at $7.00 per thousand kiln-run. Both these yards, now the only ones oper- ating in this vicinity, are about three miles south of the city.

WAITE PARK VILLAGE.

The village of Waite Park is located in section 17, St. Cloud township, between the main line and the Willmar branch of the Great Northern railway. The railroad shops constitute the principal industry. and employ not only ninety-six per cent of the adult male population of the village but also men from St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids and the adjoining townships. Another im- portant industry is the quarrying of gran- ite which is found in this neighborhood in great profusion.

The village is well laid out, there is an excellent water supply, the homes are sub- stantially built and for the most part oc- cupied by their owners, and the workmen are happy and contented. The people en- joy all the pleasures of rural life, and a short line on the electric line takes them to St. Cloud, where they have the social, commercial and educational advantages of a small city.

The park itself is a natural gem of beauty, now owned by the village. It con- sists of a block and a half of timber land, situated at an elevation of about forty feet above the Sauk river. The massive oaks shelter ideal picnic grounds, and the place is thronged with visitors throughout the picnic season. A dancing pavilion with an excellent floor has been erected by the grocerymen of St. Cloud, and a bandstand has been put up by the village. From this stand an excellent band of twenty pieces termed the Waite Park Military Band, and led by Jos. Wegler, furnishes a weekly concert during the summer season. The spring which gushes from this park fur- nishes pure sparkling water, and in order that it may be available to travelers the citizens have provided a drinking place for man and beast beside the Rockville road.

The first settler in what is now Waite Park was John Becker, who located here in 1851, and erected his homestead in what is now the Park proper. His daughter, Ora Ella, whose natal day was February 24, 1854, was the first white child born in Stearns county.

The second settler was Albert Smith. Later Wesley Carter came. The Becker homestead has been moved and repaired and is now occupied by William Carver. The Carter house has been remodeled and is now occupied by William C. Scheil. The Smith house was torn down. Another who settled in the same neighborhood was McCarthy.

The settlers underwent the usual vicissi- tudes of pioneer life, living in cabins, and preparing the land for cultivation. Favor- ite gathering places for the settlers of this vicinity were the brewery, at the Stenger homestead two miles from the present vil- lage on the Rockville road, and the brick- yard, located about a quarter of a mile south of the present village.

The shops of the Great Northern Railway Company were erected in 1890-1891 and opened June 1, 1891. The first store in Waite Park was built by John Dubois and opened by Gunnis & Opity in 1892. The store venture was not successful as the field was thoroughly covered by the mer- chants of St. Cloud.

For a time the growth of the village was somewhat slow. Lots forty by one hun- dred and twenty-five feet were sold at $125 and there were many who were unable to buy. But John N. Benson, to whom the village is indebted, purchased the interests of the Waite Park Association, and placed the lots on the market at $25 and $35. This created a building "boom," and also enabled the people to purchase larger tracts. The village is now growing at a healthful rate. In 1912, there were twelve new residences erected. In 1913 the num- ber of new houses built was sixteen. The citizens take great pride in the appearance of their property, and vie with each other in the matter of beautiful lawns, well-kept grounds and handsome shade trees.

Waite Park has a large school building erected in 1892. There are three teachers and the average attendance is about one hundred children.

Union Sunday School .- Waite

Park

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has no churches. The people attend di- vine service at St. Cloud and elsewhere. There is, however, an excellent Sunday school. Fifty-nine pupils are registered, with an average attendance of forty-two. Mrs. T. M. Savage is the superintendent and Fred Stelzig is the assistant.

Thomas Jefferson Wiley was for a long time an ardent worker in this Sunday school. One Sunday morning in 1896, as he was entering the school, he dropped dead, and this ended his life among those who valued him so highly.

A sad event in the history of the village was the death on October 3, 1903, of two boys, Matthew and Aloysius Mattes, aged respectively eleven and six years. The boys were herding cattle on the railroad grounds, and as the day was stormy they are supposed to have taken refuge under the cars. When the cars were backed the boys met with a horrible death, their bod- ies being frightfully mangled.

Waite Park was incorporated March 20, 1893, and the first election was held April 17 of the same year. The first officers were: President, Henry Buschman; trus- tees, B. J. Franklin, James H. Johnson and J. M. Smith; recorder, William Opitz; treasurer, Frank Houde.

The presidents of the village have been: 1893-94, Henry Bushman; 1895, James H. Johnson; 1896-97, B. J. Franklin; 1898, Frank Houde; 1899-1900, Thomas Boyer; 1901-02-03-04. Henry Buschman; 1905-06, Jacob Weiler; 1907-08, Thomas Savage; 1909, Alphonse Schepers; 1910-11, P. F. Meinz; 1912, Ben. Schueler; 1913, Peter F. Meinz; 1914, Peter F. Meinz.

The recorders have been: 1893, William Opitz; 1894, Otto Wood; 1895-96-97-98-99, T. C. Terrell; 1900-01-02, Emil Schmuck; 1903-04-05-06-07-08-09-10-11-12-13-14, William C. Schiel.

When the village was incorporated March 20, 1893, it was not entirely sepa- rated from the township of St. Cloud. This caused considerable discontent between the people of the township and village. Votes on national, state and county affairs had to be cast at the township polling place which was sometimes two miles from the village. Village elections had to be held on the same day as the township elections,

and the polls were open only from 9 a. m. to 1 p. m. Many warm contests were waged, the villagers sometimes winning and the farmers sometimes being victori- ous. The climax came in March, 1897, when the farmers voted to take the polling place from Waite Park to a point in the township. As a result a special election was held in the village, March 31, 1897, and the township and village were com- pletely separated.

The liquor question has been the subject of considerable agitation in Waite Park. At the first election held April 17, 1893, a large majority of the voters favored the granting of a license. Plans were made to open a saloon, but a number of citizens presented a petiton to the county board, and the place was not allowed to open. The license question came up a number of times after that, but the agitation did not become serious until 1908. In 1909 a petition was circulated to have the matter come to a vote. The required number of signatures were secured but later a num- ber withdrew their names and the matter was not voted upon. In 1912 another peti- tion was circulated, the required number of signatures secured, and the matter voted upon. The opening of a saloon was defeated by fifteen votes, though the li- cense people elected their president and one trustee. In 1913 the question again came up, there being a "wet" and a "dry" ticket in the field. One hundred and seven votes were cast, and the "drys" elected all their ticket by a majority of 15 votes.

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History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume II, Part 90

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