USA > Minnesota > Wabasha County > History of Wabasha County, Minnesota > Part 23
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HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY
In October, 1858, Father Tissot was sent by Bishop Cretin of St. Paul, as first resident priest at Wabasha, and to take care of the adjacent country, which included Minneiska. He came to Minneiska about Easter time in 1859. Like the priests who had previously visited this place, Father Tissot was obliged to celebrate Mass in private houses, including those of Michael Agnes, John Salintini, Peter Werstlein and Anton Heaser, the latter residing in Trout Valley. These services kept the few Catholic families together and preserved the seed of Catholicity which was destined in after years to sprout so profusely.
Even the change of pastors in 1866 to Father Trobec, did not in the be- ginning bring a change of divine worship. The Catholic community at this time numbered about eighteen families-those of Michael .Agnes, Joseph Schurb, Nicholas Bartholomae, Peter Schank, Joseph Heaser, Michael Heaser, Nicholas Hidershide, Anton Heaser, John Peter Nepper, Nicholas Becker, Henry Maus, Henry Nepper, Peter Werstlein, Michael Ponsle, Valentine and Charles Jacob Jackson, Peter Peshon, Nicholas Walch and Matt. Runk. Poor as they were, but thrifty, they listened to the advice of good Father Trobec to build a little church, and on June 18, 1867, a building committee was appointed, con- sisting of Michael Agnes (president), Peter Schank (secretary) and Joseph Schurb (treasurer). Michael Agnes donated two lots towards the new church, thereby settling its location. The burden of expense was carried by the mem- bers through assessment, the total amount being about $1,100. The dimensions of that frame structure were: 30 feet wide, 40 feet long, and 14 feet high, without a sanctuary or a bellfry. The altar and vestments came from Wabasha, Father Trobec himself building the altar. This church answered the purpose for 44 years and kept the struggling little flock together.
On June 18, 1867, was celebrated the First Communion Day in the house of Mr. Agnes. The happy communicants were Joseph Schurb, Mary Hidershide, Mary Heaser, Anton Sery and Mary Schurb. It is gratifying to think of the noble-minded men and thoroughly Catholic mothers who guided the destiny of our parish from the beginning. Every word spoken by Father Trobec seemed to have been a seed for good and found a ready echo in the hearts of his listeners, and even to this day his memory is as vivid as if the good Father had left only yesterday. About the year 1871 the cemetery was bought by the parish and later on deeded over to the diocese. The first Catholic man buried there was the late Jacob Dondlinger, who died July 16, 1870. Since then most of our old Catholic pioneers have found a quiet resting-place under the shade of the iron cross which was erected in the year 1906.
In 1887 Father Trobec was removed to St. Paul and Father Wurst took charge of Wabasha and this place. On account of the multifarious duties in- cumbent on Father Wurst, things under his guidance went about the same as under Father Trobec's regime. Services were kept about twice a month, on a week day and on a Sunday, as Wabasha had off and on an assistant. We may honorably mention the Fathers Geran, Jacob, Hechenberger, O'Connel, Lager and Holper. About 1890 the sanctuary was built to the church and the whole church was backplastered at an expense of about $480.
December, 1895, brought one of the greatest changes into the Catholic community of Minneiska by the appointment of the Rev. Francis Xavier Mueller as resident pastor at St. Mary's church. Then Father Mueller arrived at Minneiska and made his first home with the family of Henry Wolf, remaining there until a suitable residence could be procured. The parish soon set to work to find a suitable rectory, the trustees and pastor securing the Brooks residence for $1,000, and within a short time the residence was furnished and ready for occupancy. Under Father Mueller's direction, more space for wor- ship was provided by the construction of a new floor to the entire church and the enlargement of the gallery to twice its former capacity. On February 10, 1896, Father Mueller also organized the two main societies: St. Joseph's for men, and St. Ann's for ladies, both established for the spiritual good of his
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flock. He proved a faithful, devoted and hard-working pastor, and it came as a shock to the congregation when, on the first Sunday in October, 1900, he announced that he had to obey his Bishop's call to another field. And mingled with the sad feeling of parting with a beloved pastor came the stunning calamity of the ever memorable day of October 24, 1900, when a terrible fire destroyed over half of Minneiska, also leaving in ashes the priest house, with the trunks already packed for Father Mueller's departure. "With few things I came to Minneiska," said the distressed priest, "but with less earthly property I leave this place." All the records, such as baptismal, matrimonial and death records, were destroyed; the secretary's and treasurer's records were saved, being in the hands of Joseph Schurb, the treasurer.
On account of the general distress, the new German priest, Rev. Casper Koegel, arrived unnoticed, and before the people were aware of his presence he had found a temporary home in the Grand View Hotel, then managed by William and Margareta Fitzgerald, who have since gone to their eternal reward. In 1901 a new rectory was built at a cost of $1,800. A chapel was attached to the rectory, in which the weekday services and other incidental devotions were held. Also, by permission of the Bishop, the Blessed Sacrament was kept therein and the stations of the cross were canonically erected.
On February 4, 1905, a written appeal was sent to each member of the parish for the purpose of erecting a new church, but for some reason or other, no active steps were immediately taken about it by the pastor. In 1907, on his return from a vacation in Europe, the pastor personally took up the sub- scriptions for the church from the members of his parish, and within two weeks nearly $8,000 had been subscribed, for Minneiska was anxious to keep the church within her limits, and Catholics as well as non-Catholics contributed to the cause. Henry Husser generously offered to donate a half acre of his valuable land.
In May, 1908, the building committee was elected, consisting of John Peshon for the village of Minneiska, Anton Tibesar for Mount Vernon, Edward Heaser for the Trout Valley, James Sullivan for White Water Valley, John Malony for Indian Creek, Thomas Sheehan for Sand Prairie, and by virtue of their office, Father Koegel, Henry Wolf and John Riley, being officers of St. Mary's Corporation, also belonged to the building committee. The committee decided upon a full stone foundation with a brick superstructure, the plans and specifications being drawn up by W. H. Stenens of Winona. The church was erected by Oscar Lindstrom of Minneiska, who in 1901 built the rectory, and whose father, John Lindstrom, in 1867, built the first Catholic church of this place. Work was begun in the fall of 1908, the cornerstone laid April 27, 1909, by Rev. Father Schmitz, who was delegated by the Vicar-General, the Bishop being ill, Father Meier of Winona, who preached the German sermon, and Peter Tibesar of Minneiska, a theological student, acting as assistants. The church was subsequently completed and is now one of the ornaments of the village. The high altar was donated by subscriptions from the Oak Ridge people, under the good influence of Frank Maschka (now deceased). One side altar was donated by Mr. and Mrs. Anton Tibesar; the bells were donated by Andrew Kreidemacher. New stations of the cross, and also confessionals, have been installed by various parishioners, the cemetery has been put in first-class condi- tion, a group erected therein, and a handsome fence built around the grounds, the expense of improvements being about $1,000. Father Koegel has been pastor since 1900. He has been a hard worker, in addition to the church at Minneiska, having built one equally as large at his mission at Elba, Minn., and during his charge the rectory at Minneiska has been built. Both buildings have been cleared of all debt and other improvements are going on.
WEAVER VILLAGE.
Weaver village dates from 1871 when it was laid out, the intention being the establishment of an important shipping and trading center on the newly
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HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY
opened railroad. The first settler in this region was Andrew Olson, who brought his family here in the early fifties. He was followed by George and Christopher Abbott. In 1857 William Weaver secured a farm here, and it is upon a part of his place that the village is platted. When the village was laid out, W. H. Hopkins erected and opened a store and was appointed postmaster. William Weaver erected a large hotel. Warehouses and other business interests followed. In 1872 a schoolhouse was built, and this served not only as a place of secular instruction, but also furnished a meeting place for the Methodist Episcopal and Norwegian Lutheran congregations.
The village is situated on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, in the southwest part of Minneiska Township. It has several good stores, a bank, a hotel, and a creamery, all well managed and prosperous institutions. To the west and somewhat to the north lies an extensive plateau, reached from the village by a road along the southern aspect of the bluff, which becomes steeper and more picturesque as it nears the summit; while about a mile to the north lies the southern edge of Sand Prairie, stretching from the river to about half a mile from the foot of the bluffs, and north into Greenfield Township. Weaver is a convenient market town for much of the surrounding territory, and is the home of a number of retired farmers, in addition to the local business men and railroad workers.
The Weaver State Bank was established in 1916 for the convenience of the farmers and merchants, among whom the stock was distributed. About a year ago it came under more exclusive management. Its president is D. J. Murphy ; cashier, C. L. Childe, and assistant cashier, G. P. Todd. The bank has a capital of $12,000; surplus and profits of $2,400, and deposits averaging $37,000.
CHAPTER XIX.
GREENFIELD, KELLOGG AND WATOPA. GREENFIELD TOWNSHIP.
Greenfield Township is the largest township in Wabasha County, occupying all but sections 4, 5 and 6 of Township 110, Range 10, and all of fractional Township 110, Range 9. It is bounded on the north by Wabasha and the Mis- sissippi, on the east by Glasgow Township, on the south by Watopa and Min- neiska Townships, and on the east by the Mississippi River across which lies Buffalo County in Wisconsin. The River Division of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul nearly bisects the town from north to south. The high lands east of the railroad are cut by the valleys of the Zumbro River and its tributaries, while east of the track lie the low lands in which the waters of the Zumbro mingle with those of the Mississippi in meandering and sluggish waterways, sloughs, swamps and lagoons. From Kellogg to the Mississippi an artificial waterway has been established. A part of the eastern part of the township is occupied by a sand prairie.
South and west of the Zumbro lies a beautiful and fertile bench, about half-way between the level of the stream and that of the prairie at the top of the bluffs. Along this bench winds the beautiful stream known as Cook's Val- ley Creek. Here settled, in the spring of 1854, on section 30, Messrs. Levi and Aaron Cook, and this gave rise to the name Cook's Valley, by which the locality is now known. Their location was at the mouth of Cook's valley proper, a valley tributary to that of the Zumbro, and running back southward several miles. During the same year Dr. C. C. Stauff, a native of Germany, who had settled at Wabasha in 1853, located a claim near the river on section 19, on this bench. Ephraim Wildes was another settler of 1854, having first located on the northeast quarter of section 34. The next year he moved to section 30 and built the first frame house in the township. Here he died in 1860.
In April, 1854, Isaac Cole, now a resident of Wabasha, located on section 22, on the south bank of the Zumbro. He established a ferry and hotel and was largely patronized, for travel from Wabasha westward naturally followed the valley of the Zumbro. The Indians located by hundreds on the banks of the river were at times exceedingly troublesome, especially when returning noisy and furious from drinking bouts at Wabasha. Brandishing their bowie- knives they threatened to kill and exterminate the whites, from which they were prevented only by the squaws wresting the dangerous weapons from them without ceremony. On one occasion they undertook to carry off Cole's ferry- boat, and in fact did, but were compelled to abandon the enterprise by a posse of men who pursued and overtook them. Nearly every settler in those days kept a tavern, for land-seekers were glad to find a dry place to lie down when overtaken by night, and none were turned away hungry as long as the larder contained bacon and cornmeal. Game furnished a considerable portion of the provision against starvation and frequently furnished a meal with no accom- paniment save salt.
Among other pioneers of 1854 may be mentioned G. H. Amerland, H. P. Wilson, John W. Murphy and Michael W. Riley. The next year marked the arrival of Garret A. Cook, a brother of Aaron H. and Levi Cook. Garret Albert- son, a local Methodist elder, came this year. His brother, William, at the same time located on section 30. Patrick Holland located a claim on section 29, April 19, 1855. J. H. Wehrenberg, Henry Frye, Henry Graner and George McCaffrey settled in the valley in 1856. Daniel Metzgar located on section 30, in 1857.
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HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY
The earliest birth among Caucasian residents was that of Frank, son of H. P. Wilson, and occurred June 25, 1855. August 31 of the same year a son was born to Carl and Wilhelmina Stauff, and christened Frank Henry. On November 16, Augustus, a son, was added to the family of Levi Cook. March 28, 1858, witnessed the nuptials of J. Henry Wehrenberg and Anna Frye. Some time during the same year Henry Stewart and Augusta Wildes went to Sand Prairie and were married. The first death was that of William B. T. Piers, whose demise occurred April 6, 1855, at Wabasha, and was the effect of inflam- mation caused by the bite of a dog inflicted here. E. Madison Wildes had two Indian dogs that were very savage, and Piers, by some means, incurred their displeasure.
A postoffice was located in Cook's Valley in the spring of 1859, and sup- plied by the Wabasha and Austin stages. Daniel Metzgar was appointed to take charge of it, and after keeping it a little more than three years, turned it over to G. A. Cook.
Most of the early settlers were men of family, and appreciated the need of educational facilities. At a meeting of the citizens held in G. A. Cook's house, November 8, 1857, a school district was organized. John Canfield, a resident of Glasgow Township, was made director, Garret Albertson, treasurer, and G. A. Cook, clerk. Nearly all the citizens of the town were present, and it was decided to raise fifty dollars for school purposes. By mutual contributions of labor, a log building was erected for a schoolhouse, on the site of the present one, in district No. 28, and school opened the same month. G. A. Cook's daugh- ter, Aurora, was employed at a salary of ten dollars per month, and presided over the instruction of fifteen pupils during the winter.
On November 9, 1868, a meeting of citizens was held to arrange for the establishment of a common burial place. A cemetery association was formed, with J. A. Cole, G. A. Cook and Henry Graner as trustees. Two acres of land were purchased from Henry Frye and Henry Graner, and the latter donated one-fourth of an acre. This constitutes Greenfield cemetery, and is located on the south side of the Zumbro, in the center of the south half of section 20.
Several of the pioneers were devout Methodists, and steps were early taken to secure preaching. The earliest religious service was held in the year 1857, at the cabin of Levi Cook, and was conducted by Rev. Crist, a Methodist clergy- man. Rev. John L. Dyer was soon after sent here by the conference, and he organized a class. In August, 1859, he was assisted in his labors by Garret Albertson, a local elder residing here. Sunday school here included thirty- five pupils.
In March, 1863, a meeting was held at Cook's Valley schoolhouse to take steps toward building a house of worship. The trustees elected were: Oliver Collier, G. A. Cook, John R. Brown, Ezikiel Collins, Nelson Staples. During the same year foundations were prepared and lumber brought on the ground. In the fall, N. Staples was awarded the contract for the carpenter work at. seventy-five dollars, to be completed by March 1, 1864. The latter year saw the completion and occupation of the building, on the south side of the Plain- view road, on section 30, a plain frame structure, 24 by 36 feet in superficial dimensions.
A gang of outlaws led by Henry Rufus Dresser kept the township in an uproar in the early days. It was evidently the aim of this gang to establish here a criminals' retreat, by getting possession of all the land. Consequently they tried to drive out the honest settlers by intimidation and by jumping their claims. They made a business of running off the settlers' oxen and stealing any other portable property available. In 1856, E. Madison Wildes and George Hayes laid claim to adjoining eighties. These claims were jumped by Dresser and his lieutenant, Alex Baird, who built a cabin on the line between the two claims. On a certain Friday Andrew Wildes, a young brother of Madison, with the assistance of another lad, tore down the shanty in the absence of its
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usurping occupants. On Saturday night following Hayes started for Wabasha from the residence of Ephraim Wildes, father of the boys above named, and was met by Dresser and Beard, who had just discovered the destruction of their cabin. They told Hayes they would rebuild the shanty if they had to shoot every man in the settlement. These men were known to be desperate characters, and Hayes became frightened and returned to Wildes'. Next morn- ing a posse of citizens was gathered and proceeded to the scene of action, on section 29, to induce the unlawful occupants to leave. When the party ap- proached Dresser was on the roof and his companion inside. The former swore he would shoot the first one who touched a board of the building. Disregard- ing this threat, Wildes walked up and leaned against the building, whereupon Beard began firing at him with a revolver. Wildes was struck above the right groin by a bullet and sank to the ground. He was carried home by his friends and lingered in agony till the next day. A warrant was issued, by a justice from Wabasha, for their arrest, and Sheriff Hurd attempted to arrest them, but failed. A party from Wabasha met them at Tepeeotah that same night, among whom was A. A. Weston. They arrested and conveyed them to Wabasha, where hey were examined, and afterward conveyed to Stillwater, but, soon making their escape from there, they returned and boldly made their appear- ance at Wabasha. Beard was again arrested and confined, but escaped again and left the country. J. J. Stone was deputy sheriff at this time, and in attempt- ing to arrest Dresser was shot at by Dresser's wife through the door. On February 15, Mr. Weston was shot through the window of his house and died from the effect of the wound about three years after. Dresser was again arrested, but finally made his escape and left the country.
The same gang was also guilty of a death at Tepeeotah in 1856. Wishing to frighten away Dr. Timothy Enright, they set out one night for his shanty, swearing that, if they could not find him, they would shoot any man found on the premises. An inoffensive man named Polhemus chanced to be staying there that night, in the absence of its owner, and received a bullet in his head. Death was instantaneous.
Interesting stories are told of various early characters. Edward Deland lost two successive crops of small grain on the Zumbro bottoms by flood. In 1859 he planted forty acres to corn, and on the first of July it was large and looking very fine. He made the remark that morning to a passing neighbor, that he thought he had "got ahead of God Almighty this year by planting his whole farm to corn," which was now beyond damage by high water. In the morning of July 3, a Wabasha party visited him and purchased his farm, the deed to be made and money turned over that afternoon at Wabasha. While cultivating corn during the forenoon, Deland heard the roar of the approach- ing flood, and looked up to see a great wall of water rolling toward him. He was barely able to reach his stable and mount to its top in time to escape being swept away. The house, fortunately, was beyond the reach of the rushing waters. Finding he could not circumvent the Lord, he set about "getting ahead" of his purchaser before news of the flood reached him. Taking his wife in a skiff, he reached terra firma by rowing a fourth of a mile. They reached Wabasha, signed the deed, received the money, and returned home well satisfied with the day's events on the whole.
It is said that an unknown man died of cholera in the town immediately after coming off a Mississippi steamer in the spring of 1855. He was in search of land, and came out from Wabasha with a settler. He was stricken the same evening with the dread malady, and succumbed to it within a few hours. Two others died about the same ime, from the same cause, in the town of Glasgow, just outside this town, and were buried here.
In 1866 a man was found one morning on the western border of the town, with his head hanging out of his buggy, life being extinct. It was ascertained that he was a book agent, and had displayed a sum of money on the morning
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HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY
of the day previous at Wabasha. It was supposed that he had been followed during the day by some covetous person, and killed under cover of darkness for his money. No clue to the murder was ever found, and the name of the murdered man is unknown.
The terriorial election for this section was held in the spring of 1856, at the house of Ephraim Wildes. The judges appointed to conduct this election were William Albertson, Henry Dresser and Aaron Cook. The latter was made clerk. At this election Garret Albertson was chosen justice of the peace. On the organization of the town, May 11, 1858, F. J. Collier was chosen chairman of supervisors, and Seth C. Tennis town clerk.
Tepeeotah was the name of a village founded during the fall of 1856 by ;he Hon. Thomas H. Ford, ex-governor of Ohio, and Judge Casey, of Pennsyl- vania, who were then visiting this region. Attracted by the apparent advan- tages of a claim owned by Dr. Timothy Enright, they purchased it at once and laid out upon it a village site, expecting the place to develop into a commercial city. It covered a quarter section, and occupied a beautiful location on an island in the delta of the Zumbro, four miles southeast of Wabasha. The bluffs of the Mississippi are about four miles back of this point, and the surrounding country was level. The island for many years had been the favorite camping place of Wapashaw's band, and the proprietors of the village named it Tepee- otah, from the Indian words, "tepee," meaning house, and "otah," many. They fully expected to see it attain greater dimensions than Wabasha, which was then improving rapidly. In 1857 Theodore Adams became a partner in the townsite, the company being known as Ford, Casey & Adams. In the same year a three-story hotel was erected, two stores and a blacksmith shop were in oper- ation, and the village numbered about 30 residences. The Hancock Brothers were proprietors of one of the stores, and D. Sinclair & Co. built a sawmill, which was set in operation in the spring of 1858, employing 30 men. The apparent success of the village aroused the jealousy of the Wabasha people, and bitter feelings were engendered. However, these promising symptoms of growth soon came to an end. It was found that boats could not land at Tepee- otah except in high water, in consequence of the Beef Slough Bar, the very bar which the people had thought would prove beneficial to them, to the detriment of Wabasha, it being difficult for boats to pass it in low water. Then the hard times of 1857-1858 came on, the proprietors became deeply involved, and the business of the village, laboring under these combined disadvantages, sank to nothing. Boats refused to land there except at rare intervals, and people began to avoid and desert the isolated locality. On a March night in 1859 an incen- diary torch was applied to its deserted buildings, and in a few short hours all vestiges of the former village had been swept out of existence.
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