USA > Minnesota > Faribault County > The history of Faribault County, Minnesota : from its first settlement to the close of the year 1879 : the story of the pioneers > Part 12
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AN OUTLOOK.
The great mass of the people of every locality are much influ- enced by events and circumstances external to the locality in which they live. The heart of every intelligent man beats much in sym- pathy with the great events occurring in the world, outside of his own locality, and he is much influenced in his life and conduct there- by, and for these reasons no true history, of even small localities, can be written unless at least some brief reference is made to the great current outside events which are the subject of interest, thought and discussion, at the time, in the homes, in the work shop and places of public resort, among the people of whom the history is written. Hence it is that from time to time in the course of this work, attention is called to the great, leading and memorable events of the State and the Nation.
Among the events occurring in the State, during the year, which attracted public attention, was the "Wright County war." A man named Wallace had been murdered in that county in 1858. One Jackson was tried for the offense in the spring of 1859, and acquitted. In April, a crowd of men hung Jackson. The governor offered a re- ward for the conviction of any of the lynchers. Soon after, one Moore was arrested as one of the parties, and taken to Wright county for trial, but was rescued by a mob. The military was ordered out, and eleven of the lynchers and rescuers were arrested and turned over to the civil authorities. "Glencoe" and "Owatonna" money made its appearance this year. It was considered among that class of "circulating medium," known by the euphoneous name of "shin- plasters." -
The arrest, trial and conviction of Mrs. Bilanski, for the murder of her husband near St. Paul, created much interest throughout the State. She was executed in March of the next year.
On the wider, national field, we discover a few notable events, of that year, worthy of mention. On the 14th of February, Oregon was admitted into the Union as the thirty-third State.
The discovery of petroleum, during the summer, in Pennsyl- vania, created a great excitement. People from all parts of the Union flocked to the oil regions. Fabulous prices were paid for land, where it was supposed that oil existed. Sudden and great fortunes were made by many. The discovery of this oil, changed,
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throughout the whole country, the modes and materials of illumina- tion, and the quantity of the oil obtained, has continued sufficient for the supply of the whole country for this and many other pur- poses. This discovery has created a new and profitable industry, employing thousands of men and many millions of dollars capi- tal. In September of this year occurred the fatal duel, near San Francisco, between Ilon. D. C. Broderick, United States senator from California, and Hon. D. S. Terry, chief justice of that state. Broderick was killed. The duel grew out of political animosities. The event shocked the better sense of the whole United States. The duel is a most barbarous and criminal method of settling quarrels, but many of our public men, during the first three-quarters of a century of the republic, engaged in them. Public opinion at the time sustained the practice. Said Henry Clay, that eminent patriot, statesman, jurist and orator, himself several times engaged in duels, "When public opinion is renovated and chastened by reason, religion and humanity, the practice of dueling will at once be discontinued." That day has come. Public opinion, for some years past, has been against the practice, and he who has killed his antagonist in a duel, is considered but little better than a murderer. Happily duels sel- dom now occur.
It was in October of this year that John Brown made his raid on Harper's Ferry, Va. He seized the U. S. Arsenal at that place and captured the town. His object was to liberate the'slaves of the .south and destroy the system of American slavery. The capturo of this place was the initial aud strategie point in his scheme. He had but a few followers, probably not to exceed twenty-five active parti- cipants. in this overt act, but he had many sympathizers in the north, and probably among the negro population of the south. His pro- ject utterly failed. Government troops soon dislodged him and he was taken prisoner, and with a number of his abettors tried, con- vieted and executed.
But there was far more in this event than appears in the simple statement of the occurrence. It tended to estrange still farther, the south from the north, and augmented the bitterness growing between the two sections, on the question of slavery, and for many years afterwards there was heard throughout the north the famous song in which occurs the lines:
"John Brown's body lies mouldering in the grave,
But his soul goes marching on."
And here endeth the record of the fifth year.
"Gone! Gone forever! Like the rushing wave, Another year-has burst upon the shore Of earthly being-and its last low lones. Wandering in broken accents on the air, Are dying to an echo. '
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FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
CHAPTER VI.
A. D. 1860.
We now enter upon the history of the sixth year of the county. It was an important year, for among other things it was a year of reckoning-one in which the accounts were made up and the prc- gress which the county had made, was exhibited. Five of the most wretched years in the history of the county had been passed, 1855 was the first of the settlement, during which but little had been done. In 1856 the population was sparce, and the county still a wilderness. In 1857 the Indian excitement and late spring were greatly detrimental. In 1858 the county was deluged by excessive rains and the crops were light. In 1859 the spring was again late, provisions scarce and high and the times hard. It was the period of first settlement and of the struggle to get a foothold and a sub- sistence-the stone age of the county. They were the years of semi- barbarism, of salt pork, corn bread and poor whisky, of rags and recklessness.
But with the incoming of 1860, a better day in many respects notwithstanding the hard times, a new day with new duties dawned upon the county ---- a new decade and a new epoch in our history began.
In distinguishing between the earlier and later years of the county, the years before 1860 may appropriately be named, the "early years" or "early days" of the county, and those who resided here then "the old settlers" or the early settlers of the county.
THE LEGISLATURE.
The second State legislature assembled at the capital December 7th, 1859, and adjourned March 12th, 1860. The county was repre- sented in this session by Geo. Watson in the Senate and Guy K. Cleveland, Allen Shultis and T. W. Purdie in the House. No acts were passed relating exclusively to this county, but the State was re apportioned for legislative purposes, and this county was placed in a new district, numbered the twentieth. The district was com- posed of the counties of Faribault, Martin, Jackson. Cottonwood, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Rock and all that part of Brown County lying east of range thirty-four-a tract of territory large enough for an empire. This county had the distinction of being considered
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the senior county of the district. The district was entitled to one senator and one representative.
At this session, Morton S. Wilkinson was chosen United States Senator to succeed James Shields.
THE SUPERVISORS.
This board met on the second day of January and had a session of four days. Much business was done, which is stated elsewhere in this history, but we note here that at the close of the session a very suspicious resolution was adopted, on motion of Supervisor Seely. The resolution was to the effect that Dr. W. N. Towndrow be appointed a committee "to inquire how much strychnine can be procured for one hundred dollars of county orders, and to report at the next meeting of the board." The resolution has a dark and mysterious aspect, as it does not state whether liquid "strychnine." as whisky was sometimes called, or the crystal, was intended, nor is there any intimation in the resolution, or on the record, as to the purpose for which the board was going into the wholesale poisoning business. But to save the board from unjust suspicion. the writer suggests the fact that in the earlier years of the county, among other calamities endured by the settlers, was the great destruction of the crops by gophers, blackbirds and cranes, and which sometimes became so serious that the public authorities took the matter in hand, and purchased large quantities of poison, which was distributed among the farmers, with which to destroy the pests.
The board met again on the 5th day of March, and after a session of several days adjourned, sine die. This was the last meet- ing of the board of supervisors. A note on the record reads as follows: "During the session of the legislature of 1859-60, a general law was passed providing for a board of county commissioners, to consist of five members in counties of over eight hundred voters. and of three members in counties containing a less number, and repealing the act providing for a board of supervisors. Under this act this county is entitled to three commissioners, and in pursuance of the provisions of said act, such commissioners were elected at large at the annual town meetings in April, of this year, to hold their offices until the next general election." The persons elected were Albin Johnson, Thomas Blair and J. H. Welch.
The supervisor system was wisely abolished. It may serve a good purpose in wealthy and populous counties, but the system is too cumbersome and expensive in counties thinly settled. Ordi- narily three or five men, as under the commissioner system, can transact the business of a county as wisely and expeditiously and much more economically, than a board composed of from ten to
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FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOT.1.
twenty members. The only action taken at this last meeting of the supervisors, needing special mention, was that of granting two li- censes to saloonkeepers to sell intoxicating liquors, which were the first ever granted in the county. In such cases a certificate signed by the county auditor is usually made, certifying the fact that the person named is authorized to sell intoxicating liquors at retail, and is delivered to such person.
It is often the fact that certificates and diplomas granted for various purposes, are appropriately embellished with legends, mot- toes, apt quotations from the poets, or the scriptures, and the custom is a proper one. It might be asked what suitable texts may be used to adorn and beautify a license certificate to sell intoxicating liquors. The following are suggested, which may be neatly printed around the borders-"Wine is a mocker: Strong drink is raging, and whoso- ever is deceived thereby is not wise." Prov. 20:1. "At the last it biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder." Prov. 23: 32. "No drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Cor. 6:10.
"Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong drink." Isa. 5: 11.
And this might be printed in illuminated letters across the face of the certificate:
"Woe unto him that giveth his neigh bour drink; that puttest thy bottle to him and makest him drunken." Heb. 2: 15.
THE SPRING.
The year was one long to be remembered by the old settlers for many things, but especially for its delightful weather. The pre- ceding years had been, as we have seen, very disagreeable, but seemingly to compensate for this, the spring of this year opened early and at once. The snows of the winter and the rains of the spring were light, and passed off without floods. The greater part of the grain was sown during the last days of February and first half of March, and the weather continued very fine, from the open- ing of spring until very late in the fall. The water, mud and mos- quitoes of the preceding years were forgotten, and it was declared that Minnesota possessed the finest climate in the world. Never was a spring time more enjoyed by the people. The season of spring is always welcome. The bright sun worshipped as a god in the olden day, again comes back from his low southern position, bringing his glorious light and warmth.
I marvel not, O Sun, that unto thee In adoration men should bow the knee, And pour the prayer of mingled awe and love For like a God thou art, and on thy way,
Of glory sheddest, with benignant ray,
Beauty and life, and joyance from above .- Southey.
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The icy fetters of old winter are broken. New born life and energy and activity are awakened on every hand. The doors and windows of our dwellings are thrown wide open, and the dwellers come forth with gladness as from a prison, to enjoy the bright day and balmy air and out door freedom.
"Zephyrs greet us, skies grow brighter, Flashing 'neath the noontide ray: Fair eyes sparkle, heads grow lighter. Smiles with gladden impulse play: Spring brings with her leaf and flower, Heart's fresh gladness, mind's fresh power."
The streams again glitter and ripple and dance in the sun - light. The fields grow green, the wild flowers blossom and the trees and forests, long dead and withered, clothe themselves in verdure, The husbandman goes forth to his fields to sow the seed, confident in the perpetual promise of the harvest, the cattle seek the fresh, new pastures, and the birds return to gladden the heart with their songs. What a grand resurrection from death unto life! Symbol indeed, of that more glorious resurrection of the just to life everlasting.
These, as they change, Almighty Father, these Are but the varied God. The rolling year Is full of Thee. Forth in the pleasing Spring Thy beauty walks, Thy tenderness and love. Wide flush the fields: the softeningair is balu; Echo the mountains round: the forest smiles; And every sense, and every heart is joy .- Thompson.
THE COURT.
In passing it may be well to state that the second term of the District Court commenced its session on the second day of April, Hon. L. Branson, presiding. A pretty lengthy calendar was disposed of, but none of the cases tried were of public importance. In the sum - mary of the events of a year, the sessions of our District Court, may, to a superficial observer, appear to be an unimportant item. But such is not the fact. Besides the important consideration that this court-the highest in the county-affords the means of the final adjustment of innumerable legal difficulties and the trial of offend- ers against the laws of the land, for which purposes it was estab- lished, it exercises a wholesome educational and restraining influ- ence upon the public. It is, too, the occasion of the assembling of many people from all parts of the county, either as parties having some interest in the causes to be tried, or as jurors or spectators. All become more or less instructed in the laws of the land and im- pressed with the power of the laws and the dignity and decorum of the courts of justice.
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FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
THE COMMISSIONERS (REDIVIVUS.)
No event of interest occurred until the 4th day of June, when the new board of county commissioners met and organized by the election of Thomas Blair, chairman. The board proceeded to divide the county into three commissioner districts as follows:
District No. One. - Comprised the towns of Kiester, Seely, Campbell, Dobson, Pilot Grove, Jo Daviess, Blue Earth City, and Emerald.
No. Two .- Comprised the towns of Brush Creek, Foster, Cobb, Walnut Lake, Barber, Prescott, and Verona.
No. Three .- Comprised the towns of Dunbar, Marples, Lura, Guthrie and Winnebago City. This division of the county was a matter of much interest at the time because of the rivalry then ex- isting between the north half and the south half of the county, led respectively by Winnebago City and Blue Earth City, the only villages in the county. As the commissioners were thereafter to be elected in the districts separately, and not at large, it was thought that this division would give one or the other faction a controlling interest on the board and in the county affairs. Winnebago City prevailed. The board met again on the 16th day of June and on the 4th day of September and November 17th, but did no business of historical interest, except such as is noted in other parts of this work.
THE FIRST NATIONAL CENSUS.
During the month of June a national census, the first of this county, was taken. Geo. B. Kingsley acted as assistant marshal, for taking the census of this county. The following abstracts of the re- turns are of interest:
Number of male inhabitants. 743
Number of female inhabitants.
589
Whole number of inhabitants. 1,332
As compared with the census of 1857, the increase of population was about one hundred per centum in three years. As to the nativ- ity of the population, one was born in Switzerland, one in Spain, one in District of Columbia, one in Holland, two in N. Carolina, two in Maryland, three in New Jersey, three in Nova Scotia, three in Missouri, three in Virginia, four in Hungary, four in Rhode Island, nine in France, ten in Kentucky, ten in Tennessee, twelve in Michi- gan, eighteen in Ireland, twenty in Connecticut, twenty-three in Scotland, twenty-five in New Hampshire, twenty nine in England, thirty in Massachusetts, thirty-four in Prussia, thirty five in Maine, thirty-seven in Norway, thirty-nine in the German States, forty-two in Vermont, forty-eight in Iowa, forty-eight in Canada, fifty seven in Ohio, sixty-nine in Indiana, seventy-two in Illinois, seventy-five
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in Pennsylvania, one hundred and eighteen in Wisconsin, one hun- dred and fifty-eight in Minnesota, and two hundred and eighty-seven in New York. From which it appears that 1,095 of the inhabitants of the county were born in the United States, of whom one hundred and fifty-eight only were native Minnesotians, the remainder, two hundred and forty seven, were born in foreign countries. No citizen of African descent is reported. Turning to the report of certain property, it is found that the number of acres of improved land was 3,651.
Cash value of farms.
$113,400
Number of horses.
159
Milch cows.
285
Working oxen
198
Other cattle
317
Sheep
46
Swine 579
As to the occupations of the people of the county, the returns show that there was one stage driver, one silversmith, one clerk, one millwright, one baker, one cooper, one gunsmith, one trapper, one butcher, two machinists, two tailors, two merchants, two hotel keep- ers, three shoemakers, three wagonmakers, six blacksmiths, seven school teachers, nineteen carpenters, two hundred and sixty farmers, besides farm laborers, two physicians to look after the health of the people, five lawyers to see that justice was done and to preserve the peace and secure the temporal prosperity of the community, and one minister of the gospel to guard their spiritual interests. The dis- proportion which appears above, between the law and the gospel. was not so great as it seems, as there was but one lawyer at that time who pretended to practice.
A census is defined to be "an official enumeration of persons and their property, generally with such facts as tend to show their moral, social, physical and industrial condition." The knowledge of the number of inhabitants, their condition in all respects and the resources of the country is very necessary to every government. The enumeration of the people was enjoined in the Pentateuch, and the most ancient record of the kind is that of Moses. There is a record of a Chinese census made in the year 2042 B. C., and of one in Japan in the last century before Christ. The Greeks and Romans made such enumerations of the inhabitants, and in almost all civilized or semi- civilized countries it has been the custom for many centuries, at longer or shorter periods, to take a census. The Federal Constitu- tion requires the taking of a census every ten years. The first was made in 1790, and one has been made in every tenth year since. The number of any year ending with a cipher, is the year of the National census. The State also provides for a census every ten years, but the State census is usually taken in the year, the number
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FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
of which ends with five. Thus we have a census of the State, either National or State, every five years. The National census of 1880, the tenth, was the most perfect, elaborate and reliable one ever made in any age or country.
THE NATIONAL HOLIDAY.
There was a Fourth of July celebration at Blue Earth City in due and ancient form. J. B. Wakefield, Esq. delivered the address. A large company was present and listened attentively as the orator eloquently told the old, old story, repeated every year from Wash- ington Territory to Florida, from Maine to California, of the great- ness and glory and eternal perpetuity of our country and its insti- tutions. Ah, how little we know of the future! This very anni- versary of the Fourth of July was the last one, for many years, celebrated in an undismembered country. The speaker of the fol- lowing year had a different story to tell-one of treason, disunion and blood, appalling to the patriotic heart!
THE TIMES.
The times still continued hard, and money, as the phrase goes, was very "close," but, as someone remarked, was not so close that the people could get hold of much of it.
Yet a very marked and agreeable change had come over the community-a more hopeful and healthful spirit, a new life, new energy and enterprise seemed to animate the people. Immigration was very considerable, some building was being done in the villages and through the country-quite a large amount of land was broken up and farms opened, schools were started in various districts, roads were laid out and worked and bridges built, regular religious services were instituted at a number of places, society was getting in better condition and the county into good running order, and to crown all, the crops were abundant and harvested in good season.
NOTABLE EVENTS.
Among the great events of the year, which attracted public at- tention and were the subjects of discussion, there may be mentioned that terrible calamity, the falling of the great Pemberton Mills, at Lawrence, Mass., in which hundreds of operatives were crushed and burned to death.
Then there was the arrival in May, at Washington, of the Grand embassy from Japan, bearing a treaty of peace and commerce with the United States. This was the first treaty ever made by this curi- ous and ancient people, with any outside, "barbarous" nation. The Embassy, and the reception accorded it by the general government, were very imposing and worthy, too, such great nations.
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The checkered career of Gen. Walker, the great filibuster, whose "expeditions" during a number of years, created considerable interest, came to an end in September of this year. He was shot in Honduras, a country which he designed to "take," but which, it appears took him. The visit of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, and his tour through the United States during the summer and fall, was also one of the memorable events of the year.
I. O. G. T.
As an evidence of the progress of the times it is well to record the fact that on the 8th day of September, of this year, there was organized at Blue Earth City a lodge of the Independent Order of Good Templars, consisting of sixteen charter members. This was the first temperance organization ever instituted in the county, and the necessity for it, at that time, has never been questioned from that day to this, It being the first society of the kind, the writer will he excused for mentioning the chief officers of the lodge. They were as follows :
J. A. Kiester, Worthy Chief Templar.
Mrs. C. M. Butler, Worthy Vice-Templar.
Geo. B. Kingsley, Worthy Secretary. Wesley Hill, Assistant Secretary.
E. C. Young, Financial Secretary.
Mrs. J. A. Converse, Treasurer.
J. A. Monahan. Marshal. Geo. S. Converse, Chaplain.
This lodge prospered greatly and many were reclaimed from hab- its of intemperance, but after about a year of good works, owing to various causes, it ceased to exist. The order hasoften however, been re-established and done good work in various parts of the county, since that day. Frontier towns are often rough and immoral places and the villages in our county, in the earlier days, were no excep- tion, though they were not so bad as many other places. In western border towns, saloons are too often the chief places of resort, and drunkenness, with its inevitable concomitants, gambling, profanity and rowdyism pretty generally prevails, to the great injury of the locality. To even a casual observer it is very plain that were the intoxicating liquors removed from such places the greater proportion of these evils would disappear. They constitute, in great measure, the fuel which feeds these fires of hell. A town or city should not only be an aggregation of people and houses, and a center of trade and manufactures, but it should also be a center of intelligence and culture, with its schools and libraries, lecture halls and high-toned press, a center of religion, morality and good man ners and good order, with its churches and moral and benevolent
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