USA > Minnesota > Washington County > History of Washington County and the St. Croix Valley, including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota > Part 74
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the present site of the St. Croix Lumber Com- pany's office, in 1842. The same year Norman Kittson, in the employ of the American Fur Com- pany, built a cabin on the point opposite the ground now occupied by the Stillwater Dock Company. Mr. Bruce's house was occupied by different parties engaged in lumbering on the river. In 1852, the same house was occupied by Mr. Ambrose Secrest, who with his wife and six children, his father and mother, and three brothers, came up the river on the steamer Me- nominee on their way from Indiana, and located at this point. They were attacked with cholera, and his mother, two brothers, wife and one child, died within three days, and the father died soon after. In 1847, came John Short and made a claim on section three, built a house and made some improvements. The same year Albert Har- ris made a claim on section fifteen. In 1847 Joseph Perro, who had served as pilot on the river for twenty-six years, came to the town and made his home a portion of the time with John Short, he purchased Mr. Short's claim in 1848; now lives on the same farm, having made some fine im- provements. In the spring of 1848 Mr. A. B .. Fisk made a claim and settled on section ten. In 1850 Mr. John Marty made a claim and settled on section five, where he now lives, and has made many improvements. F. Marty settled on the same section the same year. From this time on, the settlers began to flock in, making claims and settling in all parts of the town.
OLDEST INHABITANT.
Adam Marty is the oldest person living in the town. He was born in Switzerland, November 22d, 1786. Occupation, farming among the mountains of his native home, until duty called him to the defence of his native country, when quite young, to assist in driving back the invading French army. During that time he was taken sick and sent to the hospital, where he was par- tially restored, but never fully recovered from the effect of the malady. He emigrated to this country in 1846, and settled in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1850 settled in Baytown, Washington county, where he now lives. Mr. Marty is ninety-five years old. He is great-grandfather to sixteen children and grandfather to seven. His oldest son is seventy-one years old.
TOWN ORGANIZATION.
A meeting of the electors of Baytown was called at Secrest and Perro's store, located in what is known as South Stillwater, October 20th, 1858, to consider the subject of town organiza- tion. On motion H. W. Crosby was called to the chair, and James H .. Crofut, clerk. On motion it was voted to adjourn to the school-house, for more room, in district No. 3, and Ambrose Se- crest and John J. Hale elected judges of election. On motion voted to make the compensation of the town clerk, assessor, overseer of poor, and supervisors to be elected, $2.00 per day when attending to business out of town, $1.50 when attending to business within the town. It was then voted that, in accordance with power granted by section two of article eleven of the township organization act passed in the winter of 1857-8, they proceed to organize the town of Baytown by the election of the following officers: Ambrose Secrest, John Parker, W. H. Crosby, supervisors; John J. Hale, clerk; Henry B. Beach, collector; David B. Loomis, assessor; Joseph Perro, over- seer of poor; Henry B. Beach, A. Flynn, con- stables; William Gowen and Richard McDonald, road overseers; W. H. Crosby, pound-master; James H. Crofut and George Kern, justices.
Annual town meeting was called to order at school-house No. 3, April 3d, 1859. John Parker in the chair. Elected Ambrose Secrest, John Parker and W. H. Crosby, supervisors.
Annual town meeting at the house of Secrest and Perro, April 3d, 1860, James H. Crofut in the chair. Voted a poll tax of two days' work, and a tax of $150 for roads and bridges, and two mills for town purposes. Elected Andrew Secrest, John Parker, W. H. Crosby, supervisors; James H. Crofut, superintendent of schools.
Annual town meeting at school-house number three, April 2d, 1861, J. B. H. Mitchell in the chair. On motion, a tax of $500 for school pur- poses was voted, and one mill on a dollar for cur- rent expenses. Elected John Parker, J. B. H. Mitchell, A. J. McClelland, supervisors; A. Gar- rison, clerk.
Annual meeting called at school-house number three, April 1st, 1862. A tax of two mills voted for current expenses. Elected A. Secrest, N. A. Williams, Theodore Leonard, supervisors; J. H. Crofut, clerk.
426
HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
Annual meeting at school-house number fifteen, April 5th, 1863, A. J. McClelland in the chair. Voted two mills tax for current expenses, and two mills for road purposes. Elected John Par- ker, A. Secrest, N. A. Williams, supervisors.
Annual meeting called to order at school-house number fifteen, April 5th, 1864. Voted a tax of five mills for current expenses. Elected John Parker, A. Secrest, N. A. Williams, supervisors.
Annual meeting at Oak Park, April 4th, 1865, A. Secrest in the chair; voted a tax of four mills for current expenses; voted $2,700 on the taxable property of the town for paying bounties to vol- unteers; Elected A. Secrest, J. Whalen, N. A. Williams, supervisors.
Annual meeting at school-house number 14, April 3d, 1866, B. Baker in the chair; voted a tax of three mills for current expenses, also a tax of $300 to pay interest on bonds issued April 4th, 1866; elected John Parker, Samuel Burkleo, A. Forbes, supervisors.
Annual meeting called at school-house number 14, April 2d, 1867, Hector Anderson in the chair; voted a tax of two mills for current expenses; elected A. Forbes, Joel M. Darling, S. Burkleo; supervisors.
Annual town meeting held at school-house number 14, April 7th, 1868, S. L. Secrest in the chair; a tax of three mills was voted for current expenses; elected A. Secrest, S. Burkleo, Edward Mackey, supervisors.
Annual meeting held at school-house number 14, April 6th, 1869, S. L. Secrest in the chair; voted a tax of four mills for current expenses; also tax of $400 to redeem county bonds of Sep- tember 5th, 1864; elected Ambrose Secrest, Sam- uel Burkleo, E. Mackey, supervisors.
Annual meeting was called at school-house number 14, April 5th, 1870, J. Whalen in the chair; voted a tax of three mills for current ex- penses; elected A. Forbes, S. L. Cowen, John R. Goff, supervisors.
Annual town meeting at school-house number 14, April 6th, 1871, David Cover in the chair; .voted a tax of three mills for current expenses; elected S. L. Cowen, A. Forbes, John R. Goff, supervisors.
Annual meeting called at school-house number 14, March 12, 1872, D. A. Clark in the chair. The following resolution was passed by the meeting:
" Resolved, that the town of Baytown will not allow the sale of spirituous or fermented liquors in said town during the year 1872;" voted a tax of three mills for current expenses; elected A. Secrest, Edward Mackey and J. Whalen, super- visors.
Annual town meeting called at school-house No. 14, March11th, 1873, Charles B. Fisk, in the chair. Voted a tax of three mills for current ex- penses; elected A. Secrest, J. Whalen and E. Mackey, supervisors; David Cover, clerk. The question of license was again voted on, with one for and twenty-seven against. Annual town meeting called at the school-house in South Still- water, March 9th, 1875. Voted to authorize the treasurer to transfer the bounty money in hand, to the road fund; voted a tax of one mill for cur- rent expenses; voted two mills for road purposes; elected J. Whalen, A. Secrest and Joseph Perro, supervisors; David Cover, clerk. Annual town meeting was called at the school house, in South Stillwater, March 14th, 1876, O. R. Buckman in the chair. Voted a tax of one mill for current expenses, and one and a quarter mills for road purposes; elected J. Whalen, A. Forbes and Joseph Perro, supervisors. Annual town meet- ing was called at the old school-house, in South Stillwater, March 13th, 1877, A. W. Smith in the chair. Voted a tax of one and a half mills for current expenses, and two mills for roads; elected J. Whalen, Frederick Albrecht and William Pea- body, supervisors. Annual town meeting was called at the old school-house, in South Still- water, March 12th, 1878, A. Secrest in the chair .. Voted a tax of two mills for roads and one and a half for current expenses; elected A. Secrest, J. Whalen and F. Albrecht, supervisors; 104 votes against license and forty-two for it. Annual town meeting was called at the old school-house, in South Stillwater, March 11th, 1879, Edward Mackey in the chair. Voted a tax of two mills for roads and one and a half for current expenses; elected A. Secrest, F. Albrecht and J. Whalen. supervisors. A vote of sixty-six against license and thirty-two for it. Annual town meeting was called at the old school-house, in South Still- water, March 9th, 1880, T. B. Hopkins in the chair. Voted a tax of two and a quarter mills for roads and one and a quarter for current ex- penses; sixty-four votes against license and thirty -
427
BAYTOWN-WAR RECORD-SCHOOLS.
nine for it; elected A. Secrest, J. Whalen and E. Flynn, supervisors; David Cover, clerk.
WAR RECORD.
A spirit of patriotism was manifested by the people of Baytown during the great struggle to suppress the rebellion and hold the union of states intact. At the call for men and means, they re- sponded. with alacrity. The first call was promptly met. At the second call, a draft was permitted, and the following names were drafted: Ambrose Secrest, David Cover, J. B. H. Mitchell, Nicholas Snell, Luther Cobb, Aaron Garrison, Alexander Underwood. All were men of years, .. and, with a single exception, having families de- pendent upon them, and yielding to the dictates of a noble consanguinity, they all furnished sub- stitutes. At the next call the town made ample provision, by calling a special meeting of the voters of the town at the Oak Park school-house, August 11th, 1864, to take steps to raise all the funds necessary to pay bounties to men to fill the quota; they promptly voted to raise $3,000 for that purpose. It was also voted to circulate a paper for subscriptions to said fund, and that the monies be paid into the hands of David Cover, town treasurer. Also at the annual town meeting held at South Stillwater August 4th, 1865, a tax of $2,700 was voted to be levied upon the taxable property of the town, for 1865, to apply on town bonds and the money to be used to pay volunteers. A special meeting was called at the school-house in Oak Park, June 24th, 1865, and the following resolution was passed :
"Resolved, That the meeting proceed to vote on the question of issuing bonds for the payment of the money advanced to fill the quota of the town under the call of the president for 300,000 men."
Not only were all demands met at the call, but in addition, we find the following names on the roll of honor, those who were ready to give their lives to save the imperiled union: Vincent Cover, David Carmichael, John Blake, F. W. Fiske, Hugh Gillen, Robert Kerr, George McNelley, Joseph Bonner, Charles Gray, Benjamin Gaynor, Charles Estabrook, John G. Cover, Thomas Mc- Dermott, Daniel Estabrook, W. Stout, Jacob Se- crest, Monroe Secrest, H. W. Crosby, Azom Forbes, S. B. Nickerson, T. B. Leonard, John
Densmore, Amos Forbes. These enlisted during the early part of the war; most of them in the Eighth Minnesota Regiment at Fort Snelling, and were anxiously waiting to march to the seat of war, but the Indian outbreak came and they were sent to suppress that. When it was over, they were sent south, performing every duty as- signed them, until the surrender of Lee, which they witnessed.
SCHOOLS.
The first school district organized in Baytown was number three. The organization was affected in 1854 by the election of Joseph Miner, director; Joseph Bonin, treasurer; Ambrose Secrest, clerk. The first school house was built by subscription, and located on the flat in the north part of what was then Baytown village. In 1860 the house was moved further north and located near the cen- ter between the village of Oak Park and Baytown where the old house now stands. In 1862 the legislature changed the numbering of the school districts in the county, and this was made four- teen. In 1875 a division was made, and the legal voters of Oak Park and Elfelts addition to Still- water, met at the shop of A. Forbes, July 5th, 1875, and organized a new district by electing the following officers: Joseph Perro, director; Wil- liam Nissinger, treasurer ; David Cover, clerk. On motion the meeting voted the issuing of bonds to the amount of $3,000, to purchase a site and build a house, they still retaining the old number fourteen house. The new one is 24x40 feet, two stories high, and was completed November 1st, the same year. First school was taught by. Frank Berry and his sister Nellie Berry.
School district number sixteen, originally called number two, was organized October 20th, 1855, at the house of William Gowan, on section 15, Baytown, with J. B. H. Mitchell in the chair, and H. W. Greeley, clerk. The following officers were elected: John Gowan, Sr., Hiram W. Greeley and John Watson, trustees ; J. B. H. Mitchell, clerk. First teacher Charles L. Nelson. First school held at the house of Samuel Burkleo. First school-house built was in 1870. The dis- trict as first organized took in a part of Lakeland. The district was divided July 2d, 1859, renum- bered by act of legislature in 1862. Bonds issued to the amount of $800 and a new house built in 1879.
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428
HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
School district number fifteen, was organized December, 1875, by the election of the following officers: L. B. Castle, director; Frederick Mer- cer, treasurer ; O. R. Buckman, clerk. On mo- tion the meeting voted the issuing of bonds to the amount of $3,000, with interest at ten per cent. payable in ten years, to build a school-house; the site for the same was donated by the St. Croix Railway and Improvement Company, and located near the center of South Stillwater. New house is 36x50 feet, two stories,
CHURCHES.
The St. John's German Lutheran church is lo- cated on section 6, Baytown. Was organized under the ministry of Rev. F. W. Wier, August, 1855, with a membership of nineteen. They held their first services at the house of A. Boese, in Oakdale. In 1856, the money was raised by subscription to build a church. George Kern, Sr., donated the site. In 1862, there was a dvision in the church caused by a clause in the creed of the old established church, requiring private confes- sions. Rev. Wier with a portion of the members withdrew and formed another church in Oakdale. Rev. W. Hoffman then took the charge of the present church, and also of the parochial school, remaining seven years, followed by Rev. J. Se- crest for three years. It is now in charge of the Rev. Seifert, who has had its care for the past eight years. It now has a membership of forty families.
A Union church was erected in South Sitllwa- ter in the summer of 1880, to be used for union services. The site donated by the St. Croix Rail- way and Improvement Company, and the means to complete the building were donated by the peo- ple of all denominations. A union Sunday-school is held every Sunday, and religious services from time to time.
CEMETERIES.
In 1858, Messrs. Secrest and Perro laid out and platted a piece of land adjoining the village of Baytown, now South Stillwater, calling it Secrest and Perro's addition to Baytown. Block five of this addition was laid out as a cemetery, and named Hazelwood cemetery. In 1873, they sold half of the block to the city authorities of Still- water, for a Potter's field. The same year they sold one block and a half to the north of Hazel-
wood, to Bishop Grace for a cemetery, to which was removed the bodies of the Catholic dead from the old burying ground in Stillwater, also from other parts of the county. It is called the . St. Michaels cemetery, and is under the super- vision of Rev. Father Murphy, of Stillwater.
SOUTH STILLWATER.
As before mentioned, the first settlers of Bay- town located in what is now South Stillwater. But very little improvements were made until 1852, when Socrates Nelson, D. B. Loomis, and others, under the firm name of Nelson, Loomis and Company, surveyed and platted a town at this point, which was called Baytown.
In the following year they built a saw-mill, which they operated till 1858, when the company dissolved, and Baytown with all the improve- ments became the property of Socrates Nelson, who operated the mill but a portion of one or two seasons for the next ten years.
In 1854, Secrest and Booth erected a grist-mill on the small stream, which is supposed by some, to be the outlet of Lily lake. This stream comes suddenly out of the ground one and a half miles from the margin of the lake. The mill is still in operation, but has changed owners so often that the enterprise has not been very successful.
In 1858, Secrest and Perro laid out an addition to Baytown, which was called Secrest and Perro's ยท Addition. In this addition is now located the cemeteries of South Stillwater.
During the railroad excitement of 1856, Ex- Lieutenant Governor Holcombe laid out another addition called Middletown, which was annexed to Baytown, and about the same time still an- other was laid out by Isaac Staples and others, which adjoined Baytown on the south and was called Bangor, for the great lumbering town of that name in the Pine-Tree State.
For the next ten years very few changes, and not many improvements were made; but in 1868 Torinus, Staples & Co. purchased the origi- nal village of Baytown and all its appurtenances, with the intention of rebuilding the old "Nelson mill," and manufacturing lumber to supply a lumber yard, which they intended to establish at St. Louis, Missouri. This plan, however, was never carried out, and in 1872 the whole property was sold to the "St. Croix Railway and Improve
429
BAYTOWN-SOUTH STILLWATER.
ment Company," which consisted of the follow- ing named gentlemen: Gen. Samuel F. Hersey, Isaac Staples and L. E. Torinus, Stillwater, and Horace Thompson, E. F. Drake, A. H. Wilder, G. L. Merriam, Peter Berkey, A. B. Stickney, and R. Blakeley, St. Paul. This company then bought the additions known as Bangor, Middle- town, and Secrest and Perro's, resurveyed and platted the whole purchase, and called the new town South Stillwater. They also built a spur railroad track from Stillwater to the town, a dis- tance of three miles.
During this year, and soon after the above transaction, the "St. Croix Lumber Company" was organized, consisting of L. E. Torinus, Wil- liam Chalmers and William Graves. They at once purchased from the St. Croix Railway and Improvement Company thirty acres of land with 2,000 feet lake front, including the old "Nelson Mill" site. After consummating this bargain they proceeded without delay to rebuild the old Nelson mill, at a cost of $30,000, operating it till the winter of 1875-76, when it was again remod- eled and reconstructed at an additional cost of $35,000. Failure seemed to be stamped on the enterprise, for when this splendid new mill was opened in the spring, it was found the mill-wright had failed in his calculations, and the hum of success was not in the machinery.
But "luckily for the company," as one of the firm afterwards remarked, it was consumed by fire, having run but forty-four days. There was not a dollar of insurance upon the structure, and the $65,000 invested in rebuilding, remodeling and reconstructing, passed away in smoke and ashes. But the destruction of this industry did not wipe out the St. Croix Lumber Company. They immediately leased from the St. Croix Rail- way and Improvement Company a mill adjoining their old site on the south. This originally was the property of Gaslin and Castle, who in the year 1874, purchased two mill lots and moved their mill machinery from St. Petersburg, Wisconsin, opposite Stillwater, to their lots. They, however, ran the mill but a short time, failing at the end of two years. The property thien passed into the hands of lessors, who gave a lease for two years to the St. Croix Lumber Company. At the end of this period, 1878, it was purchased by Durant, Wheeler and Co., Smith, Ellison and David
Tozer, and has since been known as Ellison and Company's mill.
South Stillwater has always been looked upon as a most favorable location for manufacturing, yet it has not always been fraught with success. We have to record several cases of this kind. In 1873 Messrs. Keller and Krueger bought from the St. Croix Railway and Improvement Com- pany four mill lots adjoining the St. Croix Lum- ber Company on the north. Thereon they erected a saw-mill which they operated three seasons and failed. The mill and machinery have since gone to ruin. Again in 1874, Messrs. Spencer Broth- ers and Bergeron bought two mill lots north of Kellerland Krueger's property. They constructed and operated for three years a shingle mill at the end of which time they failed. The machinery was afterward moved to Wisconsin and is now in active service.
In 1877 an organization was formed called the "South Stillwater Agricultural Works" for the purpose of building threshing-machines. The works covered the greater portion of two blocks, and consisted of a wood-working shop, a ma- chine shop, a foundry, and an engine house and boiler room. They did business a part of two seasons when the company failed and the whole property fell into the hands of the St. Croix Lum- ber Company, who have utilized the buildings in the following manner: the wood-shop is used as a door, sash and blind factory, and the other buildings for the purposes originally intended, as machine and blacksmith shop and foundry, in the latter of which is manufactured the well- known "Crystallized iron plow."
At the expiration of the "St. Croix Lumber Company's" lease of the mill of the St. Croix Railway and Improvement Company in 1878, they at once commenced the erection of their present mill.
The St. Croix Lumber Company's mill is erected on the old "Nelson" mill site, as was the one previously referred to, which was de- stroyed by fire. It is a double rotary mill, with a gang, edger and all the necessary trimmers, etc., two shingle machines, one gang batten bolter, and lath machine. It has an annual capacity of fifteen million feet of lumber, ten millions of shin- gles and four millions of lath. The cost of the mill was $30,000.
430
HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
Intimately connected with this is the St. Croix Lumber Company's planing mill. This was built in 1874, at a cost of $15,000. The building is 46 x80 feet, two stories high, and contains one sur- facing machine, two tongue and grooving ma- chines, two re-saws and one siding saw. The propelling power of the saw-mill machinery is a five-boiler engine, with a twenty-inch cylinder and thirty-inch stroke. The breeching conveys the smoke to a circular brick stack one hundred and twenty-five feet in height. The engine room of the planing mill adjoins the same, and is 40x40 feet. The smoke stack is eighty feet high, and is built of stone and brick.
Boarding house. In the spring of 1880 the old "Nelson" boarding house, which was the property of the St. Croix Lumber Company, was destroyed by fire, and immediately a new one was erected. It is 40x100 feet, and two stories; it has two wings 32x60 feet, and is capable of accommodat- ing one hundred guests.
Ellison and Company's saw mill. Durant, Wheeler and Company, Smith, Ellison and David Tozer, proprietors. This mill is located at South Stillwater; it came into possession of its present owners in 1878, who refitted, enlarged and added a large amount of new machinery of the most ap- proved pattern. It produces annually twelve million feet of long lumber, and three million each of shingles and lath. It is 40x150 feet, and contains one double and one single rotary saw, one gang edger and two trimmers, with a capacity of seventy-five thousand per day. The engine room is built of stone, 38x42 feet, eighteen feet high, and joins the mill. The engine is a power- ful one, having four boilers twenty-four feet long and forty-two inches in diameter, with two twelve inch flues in each.
Stillwater Dock Company, was organized Octo- ber, 1877, with a capital stock of $10,000, with the following partners: Durant, Wheeler and Company, St. Croix Lumber Company and Jo- siah Batchelder; with R. G. Wheeler, presi- dent; L. E. Torinus, secretary and treasurer; Josiah Batchelder, general manager. The busi- ness of this company is large and extensive. Its model steamers are fine specimens of ar- chitectural skill. New work and repairs keep a large force of men employed. Last season the company built three new steamers: The Pauline,
R. G. Wheeler and Kit Carson, which are the pride of the St. Croix waters, and have three more new ones to build the coming season.
Baytown Flour mill was erected in 1853, by Se- crest and Booth. The first mill was 30x32 feet, and run by an overshot water-wheel of twenty- four feet diameter. They continued business un- til 1856, when J. Perro purchased Mr. Booth's in- terest. The firm was then known as Secrest and Perro, in a short time Mr. Perro sold to S. L. Se- crest. The firm of Secrest and Brother ran the mill till 1868, when S. L. Secrest sold to Butler and Dodd, the firm run the mill for two years, when Dodd sold to Butler. The business increas- ing, the mill was enlarged by the addition of twenty feet. The firm of Butler and Secrest operated it until the fall of 1879, when A. Secrest bought Butler's interest. It then stood still till August, 1880, when it was rented to Mr. Buch- walter.
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