USA > Minnesota > Wabasha County > History of Wabasha County : together with biographical matter, statistics, etc. : gathered from matter furnished by interviews with old settlers, county, township, and other records, and extracts from files of papers, pamphlets, and such other sources > Part 66
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The Baptists worshiped first in Gaylord's hall, which stood. I believe, about where Perkins' livery stable now is. The present edifice was ereeted under Rev. A. P. Graves' supervision, in 1859, at a cost of two thousand dollars. It has been enlarged and im- proved during the past year by the expenditure of about seven hundred dollars. The church owned a parsonage until a few years since, when it was sold to Mr. Terrell in order to liquidate the church indebtedness.
Of pastors the following is a complete list, with dates of settle- ment and terms of office : Rev. Edgar Cady, July, 1837, one year and four months ; Rev. A. P. Graves, August, 1859, two years and five months ; Rev. G. W. Freeman, September, 1862, two years and two months ; Rev. G. W. Fuller, April, 1865, six years and two months ; Rev. H. H. Beach, June, 1872, four years ; Rev. E. C. Anderson, November, 1876, four years ; Rev. A. Whitman, December, 1880, one year and five months ; Rev. W. K. Dennis, October, 1882, present pastor.
The Swede Baptist church, of Lake City, was at first a branch church. and eventually organized during Rev. M. Beach's pastorate, and the English Baptist church, of Maiden Rock, Wisconsin, was an offshoot from this church.
The Baptist Sunday school was organized in Gaylord hall in 1857. Number of pupils, eighty-five.
List of church officers : Pastor, Rev. W. K. Dennis ; clerk, J. M. Chalmers ; treasurer, Mr. Alex. Selover. Trustees : A. R. Spauldings, A. Selover, N. K. Eells, A. D. Prescott, F. Bouton. Superintendent of Sunday school, J. M. Chalmers.
Methodist .- Prior to 1857 no society of the Methodist Episcopal church was known in Lake City, although a few of the old settlers were members of that church. During the month of September,
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1857, Rev. S. Salisbury was sent, by the bishop presiding over the Minnesota annual conference, to Wabasha and Lake City circuit. He came to Lake City and preached one sermon in the Congrega- tional church, but we saw his face no more. This was the first sermon ever preached in Lake City by an ordained minister of the Methodist Episcopal church. The few members (five in number), as a flock without a shepherd, were soon in charge of Rev. C. Hobart, a supernumerary member of the minister of the Minnesota conference, who at that time resided in Red Wing. We rented a room known as Skinner's Hall, a small room with but limited seat- ing capacity, lighted with tallow candles. Here we waited for the salvation which God had promised. It seemed as if eaclı member of the small company received a special commission from the King Eternal to go forth and win souls.
A class was soon formed by Dr. Hobart, which consisted of D. C. Estes, M. E. Estes, Seth Tisdale, Angusta Dollar, Jane Terrill, Eliza Baily and Bidwell Redley. D. C. Estes was appointed leader. Seth Tisdale was a local preacher. This completed the organization of the society. Of these seven members five are still living. Bid- well Pedley was killed during the late war, while engaged in the service of his country. Seth Tisdale died in September, 1883. Eliza Baily lives in St. Paul. Augusta Dollar is now living in California. D. C. Estes, M. E. Estes and Jane Terrill are still members of the society in Lake City.
Rev. Seth Tisdale was the first preacher of the Methodist Epis- copal church to engage in special revival services. His work began first at Florence. He was a man of strong faith and untiring energy.
Soon after Dr. Hobart took charge of the work the first quarterly meeting was held. Rev. Dr. Quigly preached from Isa. Ixiii, 1, a sermon of marvelous power. It was as of old a demonstration of the spirit.
The little company of believers enjoyed the privilege at that quarterly meeting, for the first time in the new country, of receiving the sacrament of the Lord's Supper as a society of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Dr. Hobart was assisted during the winter by Bro. Tisdale. In the spring of 1858 we moved to a vacant storeroom on Main street, in the building which is now occupied by Mr. D. Crego as a dwelling. About this time Rev. J. Gurley, of Pepin, Wisconsin, was appointed to supply Lake City, but on account of the difficulty of crossing the
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lake he was not able to render much service. In 1858 Lake City was left to be supplied. In 1859 Rev. E. R. Lathrop was appointed as pastor, being a man of kind, genial spirit, and a good preacher. The society prospered under his administration. In 1860 Rev. A. V. Hiscock was appointed pastor ; a year of encouragement during which many were added to the church. In 1861 Rev. C. T. Bow- dish was pastor. In 1862 the society was left to be supplied. In 1863 Rev. G. W. T. Wright was appointed pastor. He served the charge until September, 1866, when Rev. T. M. Gossard was appointed. During Bro. Gossard's term of two years the church was favored with a gracious revival. During Bro. Gossard's pastorate the place of meeting was changed. The society rented a vacant store-building on Upper Washington street. This building is now occupied as a dwelling by Mr. Brown. In 1868 Rev. D. Tice was appointed as pastor. During his first year the corner-stone of the church was laid, the site for the building being a lot which had been previously secured on the corner of Chestnut and Oak streets. The church was enclosed and the basement occupied by the society in 1869. In 1870-1 Rev. H. Goodsell was pastor. In 1872-4, Rev. C. M. Heard was pastor. In 1875 Rev. J. Door was appointed. The audience-room was finished and dedicated in 1876. The dedicatory services were held July 9, 1876. Rev. Mr. McChesney preached the dedicatory sermon. In 1878-80 Rev. G. W. T. Wright was pastor for the second term. In 1881 T. B. Killiam was appointed pastor. During 1882 and 1883 the entire debt, which had for years been a burden to the society, was paid. We now have a good property, a membership of ninety persons ; a good sabbath school, the average attendance being seventy.
Church officers : Pastor, T. B. Killiam ; class-leader, Rev. C. L. Dempster ; sabbath-school superintendent, J. M. Martin. Stewards : James M. Martin, D. C. Estes, L. W. Lemley, E. Wrigley, E. F. Carpenter. Trustees : T. Megroth, D. C. Estes, A. Koch, J. Harding, E. F. Carpenter, E. Wrigley, L. W. Lemley.
The Methodist Episcopal Sunday school of Lake City, Minnesota, was organized by Dr. D. C. Estes on the first sabbath in Septem- ber, 1857,- being the first Methodist Sunday school held in Lake City, and the second one organized in the county of Wabasha. The first services of the school were held in the unoccupied store build- ing situate on lot 9, block 17, fronting on Main street, then but re- cently vacated by the firm of Johnson & Kittredge, since remodeled
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into a dwelling-house, and owned by Daniel H. Crego. The records of the school from its organization down to September 3, 1865, were all destroyed in the fire of April 17, 1882, that burned Dr. D. C. Estes' office ; but we learn from the report of the superintendent, Dr. Estes, made to the school on the occasion of their tenth anniver- sary, September 1, 1867, that there were but few children in the first organization. "Our beginning was but a feeble, a small one," but increased gradually. From that day down to the present the Sunday school has continued without interruption, following the fortunes of the church in its various movings from store to store, from store to halls, from halls to church ; at times with lessening and again increasing attendance. As far as the records extant dis- close, the largest average attendance appears to have been in the winters of 1868-9, when the average attendance was one hundred, and again in the winter of 1876-7, when the enrollment was one hundred and forty-eight, and average attendance of one hundred and three ; and again in 1880-1, when the number enrolled and in attendance was about the same as in 1876-7. In the spring of 1881, from removals, the numbers decreased largely, the present enrollment (February, 1884) being one hundred and five, with an average attendance of seventy-two.
Since the organization, the following have been superinten- dents in the order and for the times named : Dr. D. C. Estes, September 1, 1857, to September 13, 1868; Dr. W. H. Spafford, September 13, 1868, to September 3, 1871; Rev. H. Goodsell, September 3, 1871, to June 2, 1872 ; Chas. M. Gould, June 2, 1872, to April 27, 1873 ; J. M. Martin, April 27, 1873, to October 21, 1877 ; P. S. Hinman, October 21, 1877, to September 7, 1879 ; Geo. L. Matchan, September 7, 1879, to January 1, 1882 ; J. M. Martin, January 1, 1882, to present time -re-elected for ensuing year September 9, 1883. The present officers of the school are : J. M. Martin, superintendent ; E. L. Carpenter, assistant superinten- dent ; Maggie Koch, secretary ; Lutie Chapman, treasurer; Henry Koch, librarian. Teachers : Rev. T. B. Killiam, Mrs. J. Dobner, Mrs. S. L. Strong, Mrs. F. M. Martin, Miss Jennie Baker, Miss H. M. Dobner, Miss Marion Lee, Chas. A. Koch, J. M. Martin.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
It is impossible to present any connected history of the Lake City schools, such as we would esteem it a pleasure to prepare, had
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we the data. The records and material for such history are unfor- tunately lost, having been destroyed in the great fire of 1882, in which so much that was valuable and indispensable to a complete history of the city was irretrievably lost. All efforts to restore these records, or recreate them from the memories of those now living, have proved abortive, as there is too wide a divergence in the statements of those who were living here a quarter of a century since to predicate anything very positive upon such sources of information. The human memory, unassisted by records or un- corrected by memoranda, is not to be relied upon for much outside of merely personal matters, and not always for even these. This, at least, is the conclusion very reluctantly reached after weeks of care- ful inquiry, and we are therefore necessitated to content ourselves with a general statement, into which is interwoven so much of de- tail as is warranted correct by the agreement of the narratives of those who have been interviewed, and their recollections noted. In addi- tion to this, the files of the old newspapers still existing have been thoroughly scanned for points, but these also are silent where most naturally they would be expected to speak-as, for instance, in not- ing the erection, completion and opening of school-buildings. Thus we are cut off from the two most reliable sources of information, viz, the school records themselves, and the reports found in the news- papers of the specific dates at which particular occurrences took place.
The probabilities are that the public schools in this city never formed an integral part of the school system of the county, having been organized prior to the establishment of the school system of the state. Not only so; they appear to have attained sufficient growth to have been included in an independent school district, before the public school system of the county took form. The schools here were originally of the character known as subscription schools, being supported by the voluntary subscriptions of the resi- dents of the place.
The pioneer school in the little settlement, now Lake City, was opened by the Rev. S. Hazlett, in the fall of 1856 (November), and was taught in a frame building, the lower portion of which was used as a carpenter-shop, on the lot, now vacant, at the east corner of the Academy of Music block. The number of pupils in attend- ance was about thirty, and the estimated population of the settle- ment at that time was three hundred. From this date, schools in
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Lake City were regularly taught somewhere. Gaylord's hall, near the present site of W. E. Perkin's livery stables, was subsequently opened for school purposes, and schools were taught at varions places-now here, now there-for the next five years, the city hav- ing no school-building of its own prior to 1861. In this year it was determined to build a suitable schoolhouse, and in the early summer plans for such building were prepared by Geo. Rogers, and contract for the lumber was made. Work was immediately begun, the base- ment excavated, the stonework laid up, and the building partially enclosed, when the school trustees released the contractor from his contract to furnish the clear lumber, because the price of lumber had advanced, and the building came to a standstill. Late in the fall the basement was finished, and school opened,-Geo. T. Gibbs, now of St. Paul, being the first teacher to guide the young idea in the new schoolhouse. This building was a credit to the city. It was a commodious two-story frame, 40×60, with stone foundation and basement. The basement only was completed in 1861, and in this school was held until the upper stories were finished and fur- nished in 1863, when the whole building was occupied for school purposes. This schoolhouse is the one now standing upon its origi- nal foundations, on Garden street, and doing duty as the high- school building of Lake City.
In the meantime the citizens of the ambitious little city by the lake had made provision for a somewhat higher grade of scholar- ship than was contemplated in the common schools of twenty-five years since, and the Lake City Academy came into existence. This Academy building, also on Garden street, now known as the old Crane residence, was largely erected by the private contributions of the citizens, with the evident intention of its becoming the property of the city, to be used as an academy for higher instruction. It was built (date not accurately known) with funds provided as above mentioned, for Mrs. C. W. Hackett, who opened a school or academy there and taught it for some years. The property subsequently passed into Mrs. Hackett's possession in some undefined way, and was sold.
With the growth of the city, the accommodations of the wooden building erected in 1861 became totally inadequate to meet the wants of the city, and the erection of a new school-building was determined upon.
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By the legislative act of 1864, giving the settlement, now Lake City, all the rights and immunities of a corporate city without its responsibilities, a change was made in its government, and this was followed in 1865 by a change in the administration of school affairs. In the spring of this latter year a board of education was elected, of which Dr. Estes was clerk, and to this board and its successors have been entrusted the management of all school matters for the past nineteen years. Finding that the work of education was suffering for lack of proper school accommodations and appliances, the board determined upon the erection of a school-building in the first ward, that would accommodate all the children of that ward below the grammar and high school grades, and thus draw into one building the scholars scattered in various places throughout the city, as rooms could be obtained. Plans for the new building were prepared, bids advertised for, and in the summer of 1872 the con- tract was let to Red Wing parties for a little less than nine thousand dollars. This is the building between Oak and Garden streets, known as the first ward schoolhouse. It occupies a full half-block, fronts northeast and northwest ; is a substantial two-story brick with a high stone basement; has two schoolrooms on each floor with commodious hallways and closets, and is provided with the requi- site flues for furnaces, should they ever be deemed necessary. Its entire cost, including sidewalks, fencing and furniture, was about eleven thousand dollars. School was first opened in this building early in the winter of 1872-3, with James M. Martin and Misses Anna Montgomery and E. M. Burrett as teachers. But three rooms were occupied. These were graded "A," "B," "C," and the enrollment of pupils was about eighty, forty-five and sixty, respectively.
Ten years passed away before any additions were made to the school-buildings of the city, and again the demand for school-room had outgrown the accommodations. In 1883 the second ward schoolhouse was erected, on the original school lot on Garden street, just a little southeast of the old building in which school had been opened in 1861. This new building is also of brick, two stories, with substantial stone basement, and is intended to form one of the wings of a complete structure, which shall include high school, grammar school, and ward school in one. The dimensions of the wing already built and occupied, are as follows : width, 31
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feet ; length, 66 feet ; height over all, 57 feet; vestibule on the southeast front, 10×272 feet. This vestibule is the full height of the building, and from it access is gained to the schoolrooms, two in number on each floor. The building is furnished in the latest style, well provided with all needed appliances. The ceilings are fourteen feet each, and the whole structure complete cost a little in excess of the contract price, eight thousand dollars. The contract- ors were Messrs. Lutz & Alexander, of this city, and by them the building was turned over to the school board on September 20, 1883.
The present officers and members of the school board are : J. C. Adams, president ; C. D. Vilas, clerk ; J. M. Martin, treasurer ; C. W. Crary and W. H. Hobbs, committee on supplies; H. D. Stocker, committee on textbooks; W. H. Moore, city superintendent of schools.
The schools are graded into high, grammar, intermediate and primary, taught as follows: The high school and "A" grammar is taught by Superintendent Moore, assisted by Misses Sarah E. Pal- mer and Anna C. Marston. Mr. Moore is a graduate of Darmonth College, class of '81, and his assistants are both graduates of the State University, classes of '81 and '83 respectively. The "B" grammar is under the charge of Mrs. Alice Fox, of the State Normal School at Winona, and the "C" grammar under that of Miss F. M. Thornton. Miss Jennie M. Baker has the "A " and "B" in- termediate in the second ward, and Miss Helen Dobner the same grades in the first ward. The "C" intermediate and "A" pri- mary are taught by Miss Kate J. Lilley in the first ward, and in the second ward by Miss Margaret Clearman. Miss Belle Hulett has the "B" and "C" primaries in the first ward, and Miss Mollie Greer in the second ward. The "D" primaries are taught by Misses Nellie J. Estes and Sue Slocum, of the first and second wards respectively.
The total enrollment for the year is about six hundred ; the aver- age enrollment, four hundred and fifty. The aggregate cost of main- taining the schools, not including interest on or cost of constructions, is about eight thousand dollars per annum. Salaries vary from thirty-five dollars per month to one hundred and twenty dollars.
It is with extreme satisfaction that we record the exceptionally high rank taken by the Lake City schools, particularly the high school, which since 1881 has been the banner high school of the
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state, the percentage of its pupils passing the examinations prescribed by the high-school board of the state, being greater than that of any other of the fifty high schools competing for the state appropriation.
SECRET SOCIETIES.
The history of the secret societies of this city is one most diffi- cult to prepare satisfactorily, owing, as in the case of the city schools, to the destruction of the records by fire and loss of important data. In this case, however, the work of reconstruction has not proved impossible, as the matters treated of are more individual and specific, and private memoranda have been found that materially assist in fixing dates. Personal recollections also are more available here, and the reports of the higher representative bodies, with whose trans- actions the subordinate bodies were to some extent involved, have been drawn upon for such information as they contain. Not only so- the destruction of records in this case was not as complete as in that of the schools, and we are therefore prepared to assert quite confidently that the subjoined statements will be found, if not absolutely accurate in all particulars, at least sufficiently so to answer all the purposes of a substantially correct record of the insti- tution, growth and present condition of the benevolent fraternities of Lake City.
Carnelian, No. 40, A.F.A.M .- Lake City had grown into a town of considerable proportions ; her schools and churches had been in existence for a period of five or six years, and her citizens included no inconsiderable number of the "ancient craftsmen." before any attempt was made to set up the ancient landmarks, and organize a masonic lodge upon the banks of the beautiful lake, where so many of the A. F. A.M. had reared their home altars and industries with the intention of ending their days there.
The first year of the war of the rebellion had closed, and many of Minnesota's bravest and best had given themselves to the service of their country, when the members of the masonic order in Lake City, remembering the former times, took counsel together and determined to organize a lodge of Ancient Craft Masonry. Accord- ingly, early in the summer of 1862 (probably in May-date not accurately known), a petition was presented to M.W. A. T. C. Pierson, grand master of the state, for a dispensation to open a masonic lodge in Lake City. The petition was approved and dispensation granted to C. G. Bowdish, W.M., John McBride,
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S. W., and Benjamin Smith, J.W., to open and conduct a masonic lodge here. This dispensation was in force only until the meeting of the grand lodge next ensuing, October, 1862. Owing, however, to the absence of so many Masons from the state, in the ranks of the Union armies, no grand lodge meeting was held in 1862, and in December of that year Grand Master Pierson notified the members of the order here that if they would designate such persons as they desired to open and conduct their lodge, he would grant them another dispensation. In accordance with this intimation the mem- bers of the craft here held an election on January 13, 1863, at which time the following officers were elected : Benjamin Smith, W.M .; S. R. Merrell, S.W .; C. F. Rogers, J.W .; N. Gould, Sec .; S. P. Hicks, Treas .; C. W. Smyth, S.D .; Anson Peirce, J.D. The dispensation was duly granted until the meeting of the grand lodge in the ensuing fall, and under this renewed authority the lodge worked until the assembling of the grand lodge, at Masonic Hall, in the city of St Paul, October 27, 1863.
From this grand lodge a charter issued to Carnelian Lodge, No. 40, A.F.A.M., of Lake City, bearing date October 28, 1863, in which the following were named as the charter members : C. G. Bowdish, John McBride, Benj. Smith, C. M. Loring, C. F. Rogers, C. W. Smyth, N. Gould, Elijah Stont, F. R. Sterrett, E. F. Dodge, S. R. Merrell and probably Dr. D. W. Green. Of this latter name there is some doubt, recollections differing. As the charter was burned in the great fire of 1882, and also the original records, the question cannot be definitely settled. Of the other names there appears to be no doubt.
The first masonic meetings were held in what was then known as Gaylord's hall, which stood on Washington street, on the present site of W. E. Perkin's omnibus barn. Here the lodge remained for several years, and worked and grew and prospered. Probably about the year 1878 the lodge removed to the Armstrong building on Washington street, just below Center. They did not continne in this location very long, for in February, 1869, the lodge removed to Harley's hall, the present site of the Academy of Music, where they remained until November, 1872, when they took possession of the hall in Young's block, corner of Center and Main streets, which they had leased for a period of ten years. This hall was specially fitted up and arranged for the work of the masonic bodies
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of the city, and its destruction by fire was a severe loss to the craft, as many of their records, regalia, furniture, working-tools, etc., were destroyed. Since that destruction the blue lodge and chapter have been holding stated meetings and convocations in the hall of the I.O.O.F., in Lyon block. The commandery has held no regular asylum since the fire, having no suitable arrangements for work.
Carnelian Lodge has numbered among its members very many of the best business and professional men of this city, and upon its rolls may be read the names of a majority of those citizens whose records are inseparably interwoven with the business enterprises of the city. During the almost twenty-two years of its existence, Carnelian Lodge has entered the names of two hundred and two members upon its registers, and of these just one-half remain affiliate, the other one hundred and one having either died, removed or demitted.
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