USA > Minnesota > Illustrated album of biography of the famous valley of the Red River of the North and the park regions of Minnesota and North Dakota : containing biographical sketches of settlers and representative citizens > Part 64
USA > North Dakota > Illustrated album of biography of the famous valley of the Red River of the North and the park regions of Minnesota and North Dakota : containing biographical sketches of settlers and representative citizens > Part 64
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ATHAN C. CASWELL. Lying on the extreme southeastern edge of the famous "Park Regions" of Minnesota is Meeker county, one of the most wealthy and prosperous counties in the State and one of the most interesting in historic matters, and it is of one of the most prominent old set- tlers of that county that the present article will treat. No class of men, nor family,
have done more to aid in the settlement and material development of that region, nor figured more prominently in its history than the Caswells. Nathan C. Caswell, the most prominent and best known of those bearing that name, is a resident of section 31, Man- annah township, Meeker county, Minnesota. He personally examined the land in 1855 ; settled upon it in 1856, and his many years of residence here have caused him to be widely known; while the active part which he has taken in all political and public affairs has indissolubly associated his name with the history of the locality in which he lives. A man of the strictest integrity, his word is recognized as being as good as a bond, and he is highly esteemed both as a man, a neiglı- bor and an exemplary citizen.
Nathan C. Caswell was born in Brampton township, Sherbrooke county, Lower Canada, on the 28th of August, 1835. His father, Carlos Caswell, was born at Guildhall, Ver- mont, March 11, 1798. His grandfather, Nathan Caswell, was also born in Vermont, and was a soldier in the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War.
Nathan C. Caswell, whose name heads our present article, lived in the township of his nativity until 1855, when he emigrated to Minnesota with his father, arriving at Mon- ticello, Wright county, on the 30th of May. The mother died there June 23, 1855. The father, Carlos Caswell, died August 31, 1871.
Our subject, Nathan C. Caswell, remained at work near Monticello through the sum- mer of 1855. On the 7th of October, 1855, he and his brother, Ziba Caswell, together with Christopher Davis and Green Sykes, left Monticello in search of a town site and farming lands, on which they intended to settle. They started into the big timber on foot, without road or guide, and struck a little south of west, carrying a small amount of provisions with them. On the afternoon
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of the third day the party not having found prairie as they expected, and provisions nearly gone, they stopped to determine what was best to do. N. C. Caswell climbed a tree, and, from the top, off to the west could see a large lake, and beyond that the rolling prairie. They resumed their journey along the north shore of the lake, which was over three miles long. At the west end they crossed a narrow strip of timber land, then passed another small lake, beyond which lay beautiful prairie land. The large lake now bears the name of " Washington," and the small one "Stella." After camping over night the next morning our party struck the Crow River, just above the present site of Forest City. Down the river a short dis- tance they found an excellent mill site, with timber to the north, and prairie south of the stream. Here the party determined to locate, so timber was cut and a shanty was erected. This was undoubtedly the first claim shanty built within what is now Meeker county, Minnesota. On one end of the cabin was plainly written the following :
" MARION CITY :
Claimed and located by N. C. Caswell, Ziba Caswell, Chris Davis, and Green Sykes.
DATED-OCTOBER 10, 1855."
About three days after leaving Marion City the party arrived at the house of Mr. Mitchell, on Monticello prairie, where they were kindly treated and given a good meal- the first eaten for nearly four days. No white man nor sign of any was seen on this trip, but they found traces of the Indians. Late in November, or early in December, 1855, N. C. Caswell and Ziba Caswell started upon another exploring expedition to Marion City and beyond. Striking the Crow River near the east line of Meeker county, they followed the stream up to the site selected for Marion City, and continued on up the river until they came to a creek
·
which joins the river from the southwest. Here they found a wagon which had been stuck in the creek, with the tongue broken. In the wagon were provisions of various kinds, but neither team nor men were to be seen. The Caswell boys followed the trail of the horses across the river, into the tim- ber, and about forty rods further they found a tent pitched and a pair of horses hitchied to a tree. No persons were seen about the place, but the same evening, when the Cas- wells returned to the tent, they found there three men, who gave them a warm welcome. They were-Thomas H. Skinner, D. M. Hanson, and another whose name has been forgotten. They said they were hunting and trapping. This tent was located on what is now section 13, township 120, range 31. After stopping over night with this party of frontiersmen, the Caswell boys con- tinued on up the river until they came to section 31, township 121, range 31. " Here," N. C. Caswell remarked to his brother, "is the place I will locate should Marion City fail to be built up." They proceeded a short distance farther up the river and then returned to Monticello, via the " Skinner tent" referred to heretofore. No whites were seen on this trip nor signs of any, ex- cept the three men mentioned.
The company that was to furnish the capital to build a mill at "Marion City " failed to do so, and in the summer of 1856 N. C. Caswell, Ziba Caswell, Silas Caswell, A. M. Caswell and James Nelson took a trip to what is now Manannah township, Meeker county, Minnesota. . N. C. Caswell took the claim he had expressed a desire to take the fall before, on section 31, township 121, range 31, on which he now resides. James Nelson selected a claim on section 30, and A. M. Caswell had previously taken a claim in the same township. These were the first taken in what is now Manannalı township. In the fall of 1856 there arrived in what is now that
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township, Carlos Caswell, Albert J. Caswell, Edward Brawn, John Tower, A. D. Pierce, Andrew Hamilton, Moody Bailey and J. W. Walker. These were the pioneers in that region.
During those early days the pioneers encountered many disadvantages and difficul- ties. Far from markets, they lived sparingly, and their trips to and from their " base of supplies " were tedious and wearisome on account of the absence of bridges, roads, etc. The Sioux Indians were frequently seen here in the fall of 1856. They had a fight with Chippewa braves, in which one of the latter was wounded and then both sides fled.
In December, 1856, Ziba Caswell and J. W. Walker selected land on section 30, town- ship 121, range 31, for a town and mill site. A name was wanted for the future village, and "Manannah" was selected by N. C. Caswell, Ziba Caswell, Albert J. Caswell and J. W. Walker, and the site was surveyed and platted. On the 4th of March, 1857, N. C. Caswell, Ziba Caswell and A. J. Caswell erected the first building on the town site - a hewn log cabin, 18x26 feet in size, to be used as a hotel. During the following sum- mer a damn and saw-mill was built, alsoa store and other structures. In April N. C. and A. J. Caswell shot and killed a large elk near the town site, which fact will show how new the country was. But gradually civilization and organization developed, and on the 27th of April, 1857, N. C. Caswell was appointed road supervisor for Manannah precinct, and highways began to intersect the primeval forest, although but slowly. The first prairie was broken May 4, 1857. During this year a postoffice was established at Manannah with Jonathan Kimball as postmaster. The grasshoppers destroyed the crops in this region, in 1857. Another item of historical interest for this year was the fact that the settlers from this vicinity spent their Fourth of July at Lake Koronis.
In September, 1857, the first caucus ever held in the precinct of Manannah selected N. C. Caswell as one of the delegates to the first republican convention ever · held in Meeker county, Minnesota. On October 13, 1857, the first election was held in Manannah, at which our subject was chosen county assessor and precinct constable.
In the spring of 1858 N. C. and Ziba Caswell and J. W. Walker bought seventy- five bushels of wheat at Hastings, Minnesota, paying 75 cts. per bushel, and hired it hauled to Manannah for $3 per bushel. It was used for seed. N. C. Caswell sowed eighteen bushels, but a hail storm came the following August and destroyed the whole crop. On the 11th of May, 1858, the first election for township officers was held at the hotel in Manannah, when Ziba Caswell was elected chairman of the board of supervisors, and N. C. Caswell was elected constable, and was also appointed special constable for the day. In May, 1858, N. C. Caswell went to St. Paul with two yoke of oxen and wagon for a load of flour. During the same spring he was appointed assistant postmaster and took charge of the office.
In November, 1858, the Sioux Indians pitched their tepees (about twenty-five in number) on the town site at Manannah. They killed a large number of elk, bear, deer and other game. The sheriff came up from Forest City and ordered them away, but after he was gone they set up a straw inan and riddled it with bullets, calling the straw man "Jewett." N. C. Caswell was a wit- ness to this singular proceeding.
During these early days our subject had done a good deal of trapping. In the winter of 1857-58 he and his brother Ziba caught twenty-seven fishers, beside a lot of otter, mink, wolves, etc.
On the 23d of February, 1859, N. C., Ziba, A. M. and A. G. Caswell started from Manannah with an ox team for the
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newly-discovered gold fields near Pike's Peak. They crossed the Missouri river at, Platts- mouth, Nebraska, followed up the Platte river on the south side, about 250 miles from Platts- mouth and beyond Fort Kearney. Hearing suclı unfavorable news from the mines, they determined to part company, Ziba and Albert to go on with the team to California, and A. M. and Nathan C. to return to the Missouri river to get work. But before they parted they decided to have a buffalo hunt; so, the following morning, May 10, 1859, they left their team, crossed the Platte, and traveled all day. They saw plenty of buffalo and succeeded in killing several, and that night camped near the Loup Fork. The next morning they took some buffalo meat and returned to their camp on the Platte. Then Nathan C. and A. M. Caswell started on foot to return, with $2.40 in money and ten pounds of flour, a two-quart tin pail and two tin plates. They traveled at night to keep warm, and slept when the sun shone. To satisfy their hunger they mixed their flour with water, and cooked or " browned" it as best they could, and when they could find no wood they held their tin pans over fires built of prairie grass. After a week's hardship they arrived at Plattsmouth, where they worked a few days and then crossed the Missouri river. In a short time they went to White Cloud, Kansas, and there hired to Russell, Majors and Waddell, under a Mr. Kendall as wagon-master, to drive teams in hauling Government supplies across the plains - their pay to be $35 per month. The train consisted of twenty-six wagons and thirty men; each wagon was loaded with fifty-four hundred-weight of corn and drawn by six yoke of wild Texas steers, driven by one teamster. For the first few days they made but little progress. At Fort Kearney they unloaded their corn and returned to Nebraska City. There every teamster was required to sign an oath not to
drink whisky, fight or swear while in the company's employ. At Nebraska City the wagons were again loaded with corn for Fort Kearney. They got back late in Octo- ber, 1859, and N. C. and A. M. Caswell returned to Manannah, Minnesota.
In November, 1859, N. C. Caswell, our subject, started for New Orleans, Louisiana, and arrived there about the middle of December. He went from there to Mobile, Alabama, then returned to New Orleans, December 31st, and the fol- lowing day hired as fireman on the steam- boat "Chateau," loaded with sugar and bound for St. Louis. A Cairo, Illinois, he was paid off, as the boat could go no farther on account of ice in the river. The next day he hired as firenian on the steamer " Dianna," a steamboat plying between New Orleans and Louisville, Kentucky, and remained until the following May. Mr. Caswell was in New Orleans at the unveil- ing of the famous statue of Henry Clay, on Canal street, April 12, 1860, and left the fol- lowing morning for Louisville. On the way up the river the cylinder-head of one of the engines blew out and killed two men and knocked our subject overboard. He drifted down about one mile and was picked up by the steamboat's yawl. The boat continued on its way to Louisville, where it was laid up for repairs. Mr. Caswell was there paid off at the rate of $45 per month. He then became afflicted with the ague, and started for Manannah, Minnesota, arriving May 15, 1860. After his return from the South Mr. Caswell worked on his farm, which mean- while had been rented to Chancy Wilson.
In the fall of 1860, N. C. Caswell, James Nelson and Elias Everett were hunting and trapping on the Chippewa, river and killed three elk and caught a large number of otter, fox, mink and other fur. They sold the lot for $384.
The following year, July 27, 1861, Mr.
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Caswell was married to Miss Mary A. Welch, a native of New Brunswick, and they went to housekeeping on the land claimed by him in 1856, on which they now live and have lived ever since they were married, excepting a short time during the Indian outbreak. Another item of interest for 1861 was the fact that in December Mr. Caswell sold good wheat for twenty cents per bushel.
The following year, 1862, is one of the most memorable in the history of the State, made so by the famous Sioux Indian outbreak. A detailed account of all of Mr. Caswell's experiences during those trying days would be too long for insertion in this work, and we can therefore only refer briefly to some of the most important movements in which he participated.
On the 17th day of August, 1862, the Indians killed the Baker family and otliers at Acton, eleven miles south of Manannah. The next morning, August 18, 1862, N. C. Cas- well was cutting grain in his field when eight Sioux Indians rode past on ponies, in plain sight, and only a few rods away. They did not offer to molest him. That night quite a number of the neighboring families gathered at the house of Carlos and N. C. Caswell for greater protection. This continued for sev- eral nights, when all went to Forest City, where they staid one night. Then N. C. Caswell, with several others, returned to Manannah, and staid over night at his place. The next morning a man came to the house and said the Indians were killing every one they could find and warned them to leave, which they did, returning to Forest City.
On the 26th of August, 1862, the follow- ing-named men went from Forest City to Manannah to try to save some of their property - N. C. Caswell, Chancy Wilson, Moody Caswell, James Nelson, Linus Howe, Joseph Page, P. H. Deck, D. B. Hoar, Wil- mot Maybee, R. D. C. Cressy and Thomas Ryckman. They went to the house of N. C.
Caswell but saw no Indians. There they left an ox team, and went about two miles farther to the farms of Silas Caswell and James Nelson. They loaded goods on the wagons of Maybee and Deck and returned to N. C. Caswell's house to pass the night. Maybee and Page were on one wagon and Deck and Howe on the other, while the balance of the party was scattered behind. When the . wagons drove into Caswell's yard they were fired upon by the Indians. Page was killed and fell from the wagon ; Howe and Deck ran about twenty-five rods and were killed. Maybee ran about eighty rods down on the meadow, where he was killed. Wilson and Ryckman witnessed all of this from a distance of about sixty rods. After securing the teams the Indians started west and passed within about thirty rods of N. C. Caswell and James Nelson. There were ten or twelve Indians in the wagons. Mr. Caswell and Nelson then went to the scene of the shooting, and found Page lying dead in a path near the house. It was then nearly dark and what was left of the party returned to Forest City that night. On the 28th of August a party went to Manannalı and buried Howe, Deck and Page in the Manannah cemetery. Maybee's body could not be found at that time, but was found several months later and buried in the same cemetery by N. C. and Moody Caswell and Chancy Wilson.
In November, 1862, Carlos Caswell and N. C. Caswell and wife returned to their homes at Manannalı, as in the meantime soldiers had arrived and peace was again partially restored on the border. During the winter of 1862-63 our subject spent his time in hunting and trapping.
Early in November, 1863, N. C. Caswell, Ziba Caswell, and James Nelson went upon a trapping expedition and located their cabin near the present site of Gilchrist, in Pope county, Minnesota. At the end of five
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weeks they had caught 123 mink, twelve otter, thirty foxes and other game. They sold the lot for $740.
As has already been stated, Mr. Cas- well was married on the 27th of July, 1861, to Miss Mary A. Welch. She was born in New Brunswick, and was the danghter of John Welch, afterward of Stearns county, Minnesota, and now deceased. Their mar- riage has been blessed with two children- Seth C., who was born at Monticello, Wright county, Minnesota, November 19, 1863; and Mark J. who was born February 26, 1872, and died February 20, 1881.
Seth C. Caswell, the firstborn, is a young man of sterling qualities. He was married November 27, 1884, to Miss Lillian M. Cas- well, and they are the parents of two chil- dren-Gertrude Emma, born October 1, 1886 ; and Maud Mary, born January 3, 1889. Mrs. Seth C. Caswell was born at Bramp- ton, Canada, September 1, 1866, and is the daughter of N. W. Caswell.
Nathan C. Caswell is a republican in polit- ical matters. He has always taken an active interest and a prominent part in all public matters and has been a conspicuous figure in . the political history of the locality in which he lives. Every public move calculated to benefit his town or county has always received his support and encouragement. He has held a great many offices, and we here give a brief review of them : Was road supervisor during 1857, and was elected county assessor during the same year ; held the office of constable during 1857-58 ; was chairman of the board of supervisors for five years ; has been town treasurer for the past eleven years, and for the past twenty- five years has been clerk of his school dis- trict. In November, 1886, Mr. Caswell was elected county commissioner from the fifth Meeker county district and received all of the votes cast in the district except two He was re-elected in November, 1888,
receiving 559 votes, as against 24 votes cast for his opponent. He, therefore, still holds that office and is recognized as one of the most influential and efficient members of that body.
Mr. Caswell carries on stock-raising and general farming extensively. He owns 400 acres of land, with substantial and comfort- able building improvements, has it well stocked with horses and cattle, and he is rated as one of the most solid and substan- tial citizens of Meeker county.
ZTAMES E. MORRISEY, proprietor of the foundry and machine shop at the city of Crookston, Minnesota, is among the solid and substantial citizens of that place, and a respected member of the community. He was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, April 22, 1849, and is the son of Edward and Martha Jane Morrisey. His father was the. pro- prietor of a foundry and machine shop in that city, but in 1859 removed it and his family to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, where James grew to manhood. After receiving his education he entered the establishment of his father, and there laid the foundation for his thorough knowledge of the business that is so well known and. appreciated in the community where he at present resides. When he first went to work he was so small that he was compelled to have a box to stand on to reach the bench or vice. He remained with his father until reaching his majority, and then removing to Summerside, in the same Island, opened a foundry and machine shop of his own. Carrying on the business in that locality for some nine years, he then sold out and came to the United States and for about a year and a half made his home in New York City, employed at his trade.
In 1879, with a view to establishing
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himself in business he then came to Will- mar, Minnesota, and there opened a foundry and machine shop, and for two years and a half did a thriving business. At the end of that time he sold his buildings in that place, and forming a copartnership with his brother Thomas S., removed his machinery to Crookston, and purchasing some lots near the court house, on which they erected the necessary buildings, com- menced operations.
In the fall of 1883, their operations being confined for want of room, they purchased the site of their present establishment and put up larger and more extensive works. They do a general foundry and machine business, manufacturing horse powers for elevator work, shafting, pulleys, door hang- ers, house work of all kinds, and furnishing all kinds of mill machinery. Within the last year they have fitted up two flour mills, which from the character of their products shows the proficiency of the mechanics in this respect. They make a specialty of threshing machine engines and boiler repair work and steam fitting. The works give employment to from eight to twelve hands and is one of the institutions of the city, and is one of the largest and best fitted up in the State west of the large cities.
Mr. Morrisey holds the highest grade of stationery engineer's license in this State, and his ability is recognized by all with whom he comes in contact in this respect. He has frequently been called to St. Paul and Minneapolis and other parts of the State as an expert or assessor of damage by fire, etc. In the spring of 1887 he was appointed to the position of deputy inspector of boilers and engines for this district and holds that office at the present time.
Mr. Morrisey was united in marriage while a resident of Prince Edward Island, November 27, 1872, with Miss Elizabeth Curran, and is the parent of three children-
Eddie I., Francis Henry and Charles A. Morrisey.
In fall of 1888 our subject bought out Thomas S. Morrisey's interest, and now is running the business alone. During the winter of 1888-89 this foundry has cast. about twenty tons of castings for the large steam saw-mill building at Grand Forks, Dakota Territory, beside a large quantity of jobbing work.
ON. JAMES COMPTON is the presi- dent of the Citizens' National Bank of Fergus Falls, Otter Tail county, Minne- sota. The place of his nativity was in Craw- ford county, Pennsylvania, where he was born January 14, 1840.
The subject of our sketch was reared or. the home farm, where he remained until the breaking out of the war. His home life was spent in work on the farm, and in acquiring a fine education, he having attended Mead- ville Academy and Allegheny College, in the same place. In April, 1861, in answer to the first call for volunteers, he enlisted in the three months' service in what was known as the Company of Meadville Volunteers. He served the required three months and was discharged. On the 2d of November, 1861, he re-enlisted in Company C, Fifty-sec- ond Regiment, Illinois Volunteers, as a pri- vate, this being for the three years' service. After this the corps to which he belonged was sent to the front, and Mr. Compton had opportunity to see much severe service. For efficient conduct at the battle of Fort Don- aldson he was promoted from private to the rank of first-lieutenant. In April, 1862, at the battle of Shiloh Capt. E. M. Knapp was killed, and Mr. Compton was promoted to the captaincy, in which rank he served the company until July, 1864. At this time he was detailed as assistant inspector-
.
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general of the Second Brigade, Second Division, Sixteenth Army Corps, commanded by General R. W. Adams, who is now the synodical missionary of the Presbyterian church of Minnesota. This position Mr. Compton retained until December 18, 1864, when he was discharged at Savannah, Georgia. At this time he returned to the North and engaged as clerk and book-keeper in the Bank of Petroleum Centre, Venango county, Pennsylvania, where he remained two years. At the end of this period he came westward and settled in Lanark, Car- roll county, Illinois, at which place he took charge of a banking institution. In 1872 he removed to Minnesota, settling in Fergus Falls, where, in company with Mr. H. G. Page, he organized the first National bank north and west of St. Paul. For some time this institution was run with Mr. Page as president and Mr. Compton as cashier, which position the latter occupied until 1883, when Mr. Compton, with other gentlemen, organized the Citizens' National Bank, of which the latter became president.
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