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 73
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111
In the spring of 1875 Plainview became for the first time an incorporated village. The territory embraced within her corporate limits was as follows: The S.E. } of Sec. 7. S. } of Sec. s, S. W. } of Sec. 9, N. W. { of Sec. 16, N. ¿ of Sec. 17 and the N.E. } of Sec. 18. The first election of officers resulted in the choice of E. B. Eddy for president, Chas. Weld, Dr. J. P. Waste and Wm. Law- ton for trustees, A. C. Cornwell for recorder, R. Burchard for treas- urer and A. B. W. Norton for justice of the peace. Three years later the municipal organization was abandoned, in order that the
924
HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY.
residents of the village might vote with the remainder of Plainview township, the bonds required to further the building of the Plain- view & Eyota railroad ; and since 1878 the village has had no municipal government.
The first newspaper ever published in Plainview was a campaign sheet, edited by N. E. and M. Stevens, of Wabasha, and issued, for a few weeks in the early part of the year 1864, from a local office, where it was printed. It was named the Plainview "Enterprise," and was a half-patent six-column folio. The next newspaper venture was made by T. G. Bolton, who issued the first copy of the Plain- view "News" on the 16th of November, 1874. This paper was the same size as the defunct "Enterprise "; was issued monthly, printed in Wabasha, and designed especially as an advertising medium for Mr. Bolton's drug business. It has been issued weekly since April 18, 1877, when F. A. Wilson became its proprietor. The follow- ing June the Plainview " News " printing-office was established, and a few weeks later the ready-print feature of the paper was discarded. April 1, 1878, H. J. Byron purchased the office, and six months later took into partnership Ed. A. Paradis, to whom he sold the interest which he had retained in the "News " in April, 1882, since which time Mr. Paradis has continued sole proprietor of the busi- ness.
The village of Plainview now contains abont forty places of busi- ness, has three physicians, one lawyer. The business buildings are chiefly wooden, but are for the most part respectable both in size and appearance. Its growtli seems to have been moderate but whole- some. The people of Plainview are cultured and sociable, industri- ous and prosperous. But even in such a well balanced and intellec- tual community as this there is usually enacted, sooner or later, some bloody and deplorable tragedy, and Plainview has had its tragedy. This occurred on the 22d of Jannary, 1876, when Frank Hatha- way, aged 24, son of a Highland township farmer, with a revolver, shot and killed Nettie Slayton, a highly respected young lady of 17, who had refused his hand in marriage, and immediately thereafter made an unsuccessful attempt with the same weapon upon his own life. It culminated three days later in the hanging of young Hath- away to a tree at midnight, by an orderly gang of disguised men, supposed to have been composed of many of the best and most prominent citizens of both Plainview and Highland.
CHAPTER LXXXIX.
THE PRESS OF WABASHA.
THE first newspaper ever printed in Wabasha county was the "Journal," established in the autumn of 1856, at Read's Landing, by II. J. Sanderson, and moved to Wabasha in the spring of 1857, where it was published till some time in the fall of 1858, when it died. The city records show that it was made the official paper of the city of Wabasha April 27, 1858. Some time during the summer S. S. Burleson bought an interest in the paper, and later in the same season acquired entire control. Not a single number of this paper is in existence, so far as known to the writer, and little is known of Sanderson, except that he went south, and, when Vicks- burg surrendered to Grant, was one of the rebel troops captured there, and was recognized by several of his old Wabasha acquaint- ances.
On Christmas day, December 25, 1858, Burleson issued No. 1 of the Minnesota " Patriot," which was made the official paper of the city May 3, 1859. It died a natural death some time during the summer. Burleson was a lawyer of fair ability, but at a later date studied theology, and became, and still is, an Episcopal minister. Both the "Journal " and the " Patriot " were democratic in politics.
October 29, 1859, H. C. Simpson commenced the publication of the Wabasha "Weekly Journal," a six-column quarto, republican in politics. On November 23 of that year the newspaper was made the official organ of the city. In the spring of 1860 one G. W. Marslı bought an interest with Simpson, and the paper was published by Simpson & Marsh. The old residents of the county will remem- ber that this was the year of the first contest between Wabasha and Lake City for the county seat. Simpson and Marsh were both reputed to be commercial gentlemen, and some Lake City gentlemen made some investments in them, which did not prove to pay largely; but the Wabasha people were unreasonable enough to be very angry when they got wind of the matter, and the two newspaper men came very near being drowned in the Mississippi. Wabasha about this
926
HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY.
time was not a good field for the "Journal," and it subsided here December 8, 1860, and started again at Lake City January 3, 1861. Simpson soon after enlisted in the 2d regt. Minn. Vols., and passed from sight of his Wabasha friends, though "to their memory dear." Marsh went to Wisconsin, and at a later date was crippled by an accidental gunshot. These early papers were of use in their time, but their influence died with them, and they have long since been almost forgotten, even by those who used to read them week by week. The only paper ever published in Wabasha that has had much influence in molding public sentiment is the "Herald," and a sketch of its career is really about all that is of especial interest in connection with the subject of this article.
In the early spring of 1857 the late Mr. McMaster, a north of Ireland Presbyterian, and a man of high character and indomitable energy, settled at Read's Landing, with his wife and a large family of children, several of whom were already young men. Two of his sons were printers, and they either brought with them, or soon ob- tained, a press and material, and made arrangements to publish a newspaper. It was at that time proposed to call the village of Read's Waumadee, and the newspaper was named the Waumadee "Herald," and the first number was published during the first week in May. On the 12th day of that month the Messrs. McMaster were drowned in the Mississippi by the accidental upsetting of a skiff in which they were crossing the river, and with them died the Waumadee "Herald." Norman E. Stevens, a young printer from Illinois, arrived at Read's some two months after the death of the McMasters, and with the assistance of the business men of the village, especially T. B. Wilson and F. S. Richards, made arrangements to purchase the office from Mr. McMasters senior, and on June 27, 1857, he published the first number of the Wabasha county "Herald." More than twenty-six years have passed, and the little seven-column sheet then started has never for a single week failed to greet its readers, and not a few of its original subscribers are still on its list, and have received and read every number. Mr. Stevens was an eager repub- lican, and the paper was from the start devoted to the advocacy of the principles of that party ; and though it changed owners repeat- edly it remained true to the office until April, 1881, when it ceased to be a party paper.
Mr. Stevens was a thorough printer and a fair writer, and the "Herald," under his control, was fully up to the average of country
927
THE PRESS OF WABASHA.
papers at the time in point of ability, and was exceptionally well printed.
In the fall of 1860 the people of Wabasha, being disgusted with the course taken by the publishers of the "Journal," determined to have a paper that could be trusted to assist in the development of their town instead of their rival Lake City, and sueh arrangements were made with Mr. Stevens, that in December he moved his material to Wabasha, and on the 12th day of that month the paper appeared, with Wabashia and Reads at its head as joint places of publication, and it was so published until the spring of 1863, when the name Read's Landing disappeared from its head.
Some time during the year 1861 the issue of a semi-weekly edi- tion was commenced; the exact date cannot now be fixed, as no complete file even of the weekly exists, and not a single copy of the semi-weekly can be found here. It was, however, continued until the close of 1862, and was a very bright, newsy sheet. During the year 1862, U. B. Shaver, now the publisher of the Dodge county "Republican," was sole publisher for a few weeks, and Stevens started a paper at Plainview, but it was not a success and he returned, and Shaver and Stevens were joint proprietors up to about April 1, 1864, when Stevens sold his interest to his partner Shaver and moved to Paxton, Illinois, where he has ever since resided. He was highly esteemed here as an honest, npright man, and was thor- oughly identified with the interests of the town and county. In 1863 he was an alderman from the first ward and was a nseful mem- ber of the city council.
Under Shaver's management the paper failed to maintain the standing given it by Stevens, and the addition, for a few weeks in the summer of 1864, of R. H. Copeland, familiarly known as "Dick," did not improve matters. Angust 3, 1865, Shaver sold out to two young men of character and ability, E. W. Gurley and Frank E. Daggett. Both were eager republicans and had served in the Union army, and Daggett had won a lieutenant's commission by gallant service. Gurley was a pleasant writer and did most of the editorial work during the short time he remained connected with the paper, and Daggett, who was an excellent printer, attended to the mechanical department. Mr. Gurley was not in good health and soon retired, and at a later date went south, and is now a resident of North Carolina. Henry W. Rose, the purchaser of Gurley's inter- est, was a writer of very much more than ordinary ability. Under 56
928
HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY.
his editorial management the "Herald" was at its best, and was generally regarded as the ablest country paper in Minnesota. About January 1, 1868, Daggett became ambitious of a larger field, and, disposing of his share in the "Herald " to Rose, went to La Crosse and purchased an interest with Lute Taylor in the " Repub- lican and Leader," of that city. The "Herald " remained under the sole management of Mr. Rose from this time until his death, in April of the same year.
Henry W. Rose was a native of Wyoming county, New York, and was about thirty years old at the time of his death. He had been carefully educated, was a man of fine literary ability, and developed a rare talent for journalism. There was in him the mak- ing of a great editor if he had lived. For a few weeks during Rose's illness, and after his death, J. K. Arnold had charge of the office ; but Daggett, whose La Crosse enterprise had not proved a success, soon returned and purchased the office fron Lorenz Ginthner, administrator of Rose's estate, and was sole proprietor until the summer of 1870, when he sold to Amasa T. Sharpe and Willis D. Palmer.
At a later date he started the Litchfield " Ledger," and continued its publication until his death in 1880. Frank Daggett was no ordinary man; with no education except that acquired in the com- mon school, supplemented by the knowledge picked up at a com- positor's case, he was yet a very intelligent man, and could, and did, write pithy, pungent English. Long editorial articles were not in his line, but in short paragraphs he was thoroughly at home. He was gifted with a rare fund of wit and humor, and was the life of any company. Though sorely afflicted with increasing obesity (he was only five feet six inches in height, and weighed very nearly two hundred and fifty pounds when a resident liere) he was a great worker, accomplishing far more than many men of ordinary size. He was a zealous republican, and an eager, though not always, or even generally, a prudent politician, and made the "Herald" red- hot in all political campaigns. In the county-scat contest of 1867 he rendered so valuable services to Wabasha, that after the election he was presented with a valuable gold-headed cane by the citizens as a token of regard; he was very proud of the cane, and always car- ried it to the day of his death. Mr. Sharpe, the senior member of the new firm, was a democrat, as became the son of that old wheel- horse of the party, Gen. A. T. Sharpe, and had been appointed mail agent by favor of Senator Daniel S. Norton after he followed
929
THE PRESS OF WABASHA.
Andrew Johnson into the democratic ranks ; but Wabasha was still a republican county, and as most of the subscribers to the "Herald" were republicans, he did not think it prudent to change its political course. Palmer was a printer, and had charge of the office ; Sharpe was neither printer nor writer, but he was a shrewd, keen business- man, and soon became an excellent newspaper manager. The lead- ing editorials during the two years following were furnished by John N. Murdoch, a well-known lawyer of Wabasha, and a republican of the straightest sect, and he did not allow the "Herald" to become Inkewarm in its politics. Later, in the autumn of 1872, Sharpe and Palmer left Wabasha for Ottawa, Kansas, where they established the Ottawa "Republican," which is still conducted as a daily and weekly paper by Mr. Sharpe, who has become a prominent leader in republican circles, and has been very successful in making money. For years past he has been a member of the Kansas State Board of Charities, and he is always prominent in county and state conventions. Palmner remained with him less than a year and then drifted to the Pacific coast. W. S. Walton, the new proprietor of the "Herald," was and is a thoroughly wide-awake man, an educated gentleman, trained to literary work, and under his jurisdiction the paper was kept fully up to its mark, and in some respects surpassed it. Though he is still a resident here, it is not improper to say that he made the " Herald " a better local paper than it had ever been before. It became more than ever an eager advocate of everything which, in the judgment of its editor, could tend in the slightest degree to increase the prosperity of Wabasha. It was filled week after week with articles urging the development of the surrounding country, and never ceased to impress npon the people of Wabasha and the Zumbro valley the importance of a railroad from Wabasha westward ; nor was it in the paper alone that Mr. Walton worked for a railroad up the Zumbro valley ; for that object he used up reams almost of paper and boxes of envelopes, and his postage bills were enormous ; for it he traveled far and near, and never rested until his efforts were crowned with success.
To the "Herald " and its then editor and proprietor Wabasha is really indebted for inaugurating and putting in motion the move- ment which resulted in building the Midland railroad from Wabasha to Zumbrota. It was his work almost alone, and, as is the fate of most publie benefactors, he got more kicks and curses than coppers out of it. During a part of the time his brother, Mr. H. H. Walton,
930
HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY.
was associated with him in the paper, and June 1, 1878, W. L. Lewark, who for several months had been foreman in the office. bought a third interest in the establishment, which he has ever since retained, with charge of the mechanical department, and the job office. April 1, 1879, Mr. Walton took to the road again in his old business of publisher's agent, W. H. H. Matteson having bought his two-thirds interest in the "Herald." Matteson and Lewark ran the paper not very successfully for just two years, or until April 1, 1881, when Mr. O. F. Collier purchased from Matteson and assumed the business management, with Mr. Lewark control- ling the types and presses. Under their management the " Herald" has been a paying property, and there is no present reason to expect any other changes. Though "O. F. Collier & Co., Editors and Proprietors," appears at the head of the paper, it is understood that the main editorial work for the last three years has been done by John N. Murdoch. The "Herald " has had for ten years past a circulation varying from seven to twelve hundred, the latter being about the present figure. It has always been a good property, and never better than now. There would seem to be no good reason why it may not continue to furnish the weekly news to the grand- children of many of its present subscribers. Perhaps it would not be right to close this sketch without noticing the "Federal Constitu- tion," a democratic journal published for a few weeks in the summer of 1864, by Dr. F. H. Milligan and John W. Tyson ; it was short- lived, had no office, and was printed on the "Ilerald " press. Wabasha has not been fortunate in democratic papers, but there is one more to notice. In the summer of 1879 one Sigler commenced the publication of the "Bulletin," a paper which under his control devoted its main energies to abusing the best citizens of Wabasha. Sigler had a little type, a poor press, no money and no credit ; his paper had a circulation of perhaps two hundred and was a failure from the start. In the latter part of 1880 it passed into the hands of J. R. Pennington, an ex-preacher of the Hardshell Baptist persuasion, and became less vulgar and more dull. Later C. J. Haines ran it for awhile, but grew tired of the uphill job and left for Dakota, where he is doing well as one of the proprietors of the Pierre "Signal."
CHAPTER XC.
TOWN OF MINNEISKA.
THIS township is situated in the southeastern part of Wabasha county, and is bounded as follows : On the north by the town of Greenfield, on the east by the Mississippi river, on the south by Winona county and on the west by the town of Watopa, and is known on the government survey as T. 109 N., of R. 9 W.
Minneiska is a fractional town, and falls far short of containing the requisite number of seetions to constitute a full government township, there being but thirteen complete sections in it, while the eight other parts of seetions, which form its eastern boundary, are much eurtailed by the course of the river.
The first settlement within the limits of what is now known as the town of Minneiska was made as early as 1851, Michael Agnes coming up from St. Louis in August of that year, and building a shanty on the southeast corner, on the river side. Louis Krutely followed the same summer, settling near Agnes. During the same year Charles R. Reed, of Reed's Landing, purchased a elaim some four miles further up the river. These men only built shanties to shelter themselves while eutting wood for the steamboats that plied up and down the river, and broke no ground for cultivation during their first year. Their mainstay for subsistence was the rod and the rifle, and very often they had nothing but fish and fowl, and con- sidered themselves fortunate if they could occasionally trade their game for some flour and other necessaries with the stewards of the steamers. The total sale of their wood during the summer did not buy enough food to supply them during the winter, and they had a hard time to pull through until the following spring. Steamboats were not as plenty on the rivers in those days as now, and the ad- vent of a steamer passing at intervals of weeks was a godsend to these hardy men. They used to climb a tree on the island opposite to where now is built the pretty village of Minneiska, commanding a view of the river up and down for several miles, to sight a coming boat, and it was with feelings of anxiety, as their supplies would
932
HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY.
run low, that they would watch for the first sign of smoke or the pant-pant of the steamer.
1852 bronglit B. C. Baldwin, Abner Tibbetts, B. H. Reppe and Joseph Schurb, who all took up land on the river bank. A year later John Cook, Albert Pomeroy and others came in, and Reed, Baldwin, Tibbetts and Reppe laid out their claims into a town site. During the summer a steamer had come to grief and sank just opposite their claims, her pilot-house remaining above water. with her name, "West Newton," in large letters, so they christened their embryo town West Newton, and proceeded, through the agency of speculators in New York and Chicago, to dispose of "city lots." The old settlers, in speaking of these men, dubbed them " land gulls." Elaborate plans were drawn showing reservations for parks, magnificent streets, public buildings, hotels, etc., and a large number of these " city lots " were disposed of. The scene described by some old pioneers would be laughable, if it were not sad, of the landing of a purchaser of a city lot asking for the city, and being pointed to the sunken steamer and the half-dozen shanties on the low shore. Reed built a store and hotel in 1853, and Reppe building a store in 1854; settlers in the meantime taking up land in which is now the town- ships of Minneiska and Mount Vernon.
In 1855 West Newton was doing well. Shanties had multiplied, a tavern, two stores and a sawmill was in operation. A road had been opened to Rochester ; considerable lumber was being cut, and West Newton postoffice was established in 1>53. with Wm. Runnell as postmaster. Everything pointed to prosperity for the city and its promoters, and it looked as if at a very early date the place would become one of considerable importance ; but it turned out to be that the bona fide town was built on as slim a foundation as the one on paper, and retributive justice fell quickly on West Newton and its projectors. The city had been laid out on the low flat border- ing the river, and the Father of Waters resenting the fraud, as it were, rose it its mighty wrath and swept the city of West Newton out of existence forever. Not a vestige of the place remains, and to this day it is covered with water. The proprietors mnoved higher up, but never again attempted to resurrect West Newton.
Michael Agnes and Louis Krutely, the two first settlers, were more fortunate in their laying out and planning operations. In 1854 they laid out what is now known as the village of Minneiska, called after the river Minneiska that runs through the township, which is the Indian for white water.
933
TOWN OF MINNEISKA.
A sad fate befell Lonis Krutely, who was drowned in Buffalo slongh, and his body was found some three days afterward by Charles Jacobs.
In the same year that the town site was laid out Dr. Childs and a few others located here. But very little improvement was made from this time until the year 1856, which date chronieled the arrival of Pliny Putnam, who built a hotel in the fall of the same year. S. A. Ilouck commeneed mereantile operations the same season, and H. B. Slater opened a store in 1856. The first blacksmith-shop was built and put in operation by Albert Pomeroy during the year 1855, but he had not remained in the business long when he sold out to Peter Peterrein. The first warehouse was built by Dr. Childs in 1856, and was occupied by Timmerman & Swart in 1857, this being the year that the first grain warehouse was ereeted in Wabasha county. In 1856 a steam-sawmill was erected by the firm of Biglow & Son, which was continued in operation about four years, when the business was closed up and the machinery removed to Chippewa.
As early as the year 1854 the first birth occurred in the town. This was a daughter of Jacob Sehurb, christened Mary, born in the month of January. The first marriage was that of Peter Schenk to Mary Leyes. The ceremony took place on July 16, 1856. The first death was that of the wife of John Meyer, which took place in January, 1855. Religious services were held here as early as 1856 by Elder Mallinson.
The first school was taught by Miss M. Adams, in the summer of 1858, in a building owned by C. Anderson. No regular school- building was ereeted until the year 1866. A church edifice was erected by the Roman Catholics in 1867, costing $1,100. Prior to this date services had been held by that denomination for a period of ten years.
Minneiska is a fine brisk business town, containing within its limits two villages, one of which bears the same name as the town, while the other is called Weaver and is situated about three miles northwest of the village of Minneiska, the latter village being situated in the extreme southeastern corner of the town. Both Minneiska and Weaver are stations on the line of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railway. The village of Minneiska is built on the banks of the Mississippi river, and has one of the finest natural boat-landings to be found on the great "Father of Waters" from Lake Itaska to the Gulf. The village extends for about a mile along the river's
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.