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 51
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The commissioners have in conformity to the law aforesaid, attached eer- tain towns to others, as follows: The town of "Lake" is attached to the town of "Seely." The town of "Campbell" is attached to the town of "Dobson." The town of "Johnson" is attacted to the town of "Pilot Grove." The town of "Em- erald" is attached to the town of "Blue Earth City." The town of "Foster" is attached to the town of "Brush Creek." The town of "'Prescott" is attached to the town of "Verona." The towns of "Cobb" and "Douglass" are attached to the town of "Marples." The towns of "Lura" and "Barber" are attached to the town of "Walnut Lake." All other towns are separate and unattached. All of which is respectfully submitted.
Dated Winnebago City, Sept. 27th, 1858.
ANDREW C. DUNN, JAMES S. LATIMER, R. P. JENNESS. Commissioners.
It will be seen from the above report, that the boundaries of the the several towns, as named for civil purposes, were the same as the boundaries of the land survey, or congressional township, being twenty in all. It should also be observed that by attaching one or more towns to another, for civil, or township purposes, there were created eight town districts, and that there were but two congres- sional towns-Guthrie and Winnebago City-each organized separ- ately, the result being ten separate township organizations in the county: All the congressional townships in the county are now (1879), separate town organizations, being twenty in all. Upon the filing of the above report, the register of deeds, then J. A. Kiester, in pursuance of the act above referred to, caused the election notices for the first town elections to be posted up, appointing October 20th, 1858, for the election of officers in each town or town district. Several of the towns failed to hold elections and organize, in con-
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sequence of which the county commissioners appointed officers for such towns. These town officers, whether elected or appointed, were to hold their offices until the succeeding annual town meet- ings, which were to be held on the first Tuesday of April, annually. At the succeeding town meetings, April 1859, being the first regular town meetings held in the county, all the towns, with two or three exceptions, were fully organized, which organization has continued to this day. By act of February, 1870, the time of holding the an- nual town meetings was changed to the second Tuesday of March. The township authorities comprise the following officers: Three supervisors, one of whom is designated as chairman-a town clerk, an assessor, a treasurer, two justices of the peace, two constables, a pound master and an overseer of roads, for each road district. The justices and constables hold their offices for two years, the other officers for one year. For the official duties of these sev- eral officers the reader is referred to the town laws. In these remarks, and in the following history, the words "town" and "town- ship," are used as synonymous, as they are understood to be in common usage. By the township organization act of 1858, the chairman of the several boards of town supervisors, were members of and constituted the board of county supervisors, and superseded the board of county commissioners. The county supervisor sys- tem existed but a short time in this county. This system ad- ded much to the dignity and importance of the duty of chairman of the board of town supervisors, and it may be remarked here, that the county board was never composed of more able and ef- ficient men, than it was during the existence of this system.
The geographical divisions, known as towns, or townships, established for governmental purposes, appears to have originated in Germany about the beginning of the tenth century, and have now existed for many centuries in most, if not all the governments of Europe, but in many different forms. The system was introduced into portions of America at an early day of its history. The town- ship system of local self government is found in its most complete form in the New England States, and there the county is not the unit of government and quite unimportant. In almost all the southern states, and in several of the northern states, the county is the unit and smallest division of local government divisions, and the powers of the towns, in this respect, are comparatively of little con- sequence, the towns being, as a rule, merely election precincts. In most of the middle and northwestern states, a compromise system of town and county government exists. Such is the fact in this State. Here the town is a body corporate, may sue and be sued, may purchase and hold lands within its own limits for town pur- poses, may make certain contracts, purchase and hold personal
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property, and has power to do many other things of a beneficial, local character, as the election of its own officers, the laying out of roads, building of bridges, the levying of certain local taxes, the making of by-laws, in reference to various subjects, all such powers being clearly defined by statute. Within certain limits established by law, our town governments are small republics, established for local self-government, and independent of all other towns, and of the county. It is, perhaps, not too much to say that our system of township government, if carefully preserved, will form a safeguard, in a large measure, against the consolidation and centralization of governmental powers in the state, or nation, and be the security of our free institutions, and of popular self government. The powers of towns should be extended to all those matters of local interest which can be best understood and regulated by the people them- selves who are immediately concerned, and they should be jealous of all restrictions, or limitations by the State, and especially of the absorption of their local powers of government by any larger body. Political power should be kept as closely as possible to its source -the people.
The appropriate following words are quoted from M. DeToc- queville's Republic of the United States, page 70:
"The citizen is attached to his township because it is independent and free; his co-operation in its affairs ensures his attachment to its interests; the well- being it affords him secures his affection, and its welfare is the aim of his ambi- tion and of his future exertions: he takes a part in every occurrence in the place; he practices the art of self government in the small sphere within his reach; he accustoms himself to those forms which can alone ensure the steady progress of liberty; he imbibes their spirit, he acquires a taste for order, com- prehends the union of the balance of powers. and collects clear, practical notions of the nature of his duties and the extent of his rights."
We may now close these observations with the remark, that the importance of choosing the best men the town affords-men of good judgment, experience and integrity, to fill the town offices, must be obvious to every one. And the most learned and honorable need not deem it derogatory to their dignity to hold a town office. James Madison, after retiring from two terms of the presidency of the United States, accepted the chairmanship of a small agricultural society near his home. James Monroe, after a service of, also, eight years, as president, retired to private life, and accepted, and held for years, the office of justice of the peace; and John Tyler, after the expiration of his presidental term, served his township, for a time, as overseer of roads. Certainly, after such high examples, no man need be ashamed to hold these small, local offices.
In speaking of the first settler, or settlers, of the several towns, there are certain distinctions to be kept in mind. Actual, or perma- nent settlers, were those who came here with the purpose of remain
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ing, and who filed upon lands, and remained as permanent residents of the county, for some years, at least. There was another class of settlers-mere transients-who simply came to get lands, and who tiled upon their "claims," and remained the length of time required by law-ten, thirty or ninety days, as was the fact for several of the first years, and then left to "prove up." Some such returned, in subsequent years, but many never returned. The mere pre-emption of lands did not make an actual settler. In range twenty-four, the lands were "in market" from the first, that is, could be purchased of the government, at once, without settlement or improvement.
CHAPTER I.
DUNBAR TOWNSHIP.
LOCATION AND PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION.
Dunbar is "land survey" township, one hundred and four, ( 104) north, of range twenty-four (21) west, and lies in the northeast cor- ner of the county. As to the surroundings of the town, it is bounded on the north by Waseca county, on the east by Freeborn county, on the south by Clark township, and on the west by Minnesota Lake township. This is a prairie town. The general contour of the sur- face is somewhat undulating, the descent being mainly from five to fifteen feet from the higher portions, by long slopes, to the sloughs. The town is drained, principally, by the Big Cobb river, a small stream, two branches of which, having their confluence on section eleven, pass through the eastern and northeastern portions of the town. There are no other streams in the town, except several słough runs. The average estimated height of the town, above the level of the sea, is 1,120 feet, though there is a higher point near the southeast corner of the town, which is about 1,150 feet. The general słope of the surface descends, mainly, though almost imperceptibly northward. The bed rock, beneath the drift, lies at a depth of, per- haps, 120 to 150 feet, and consists mainly of gray sandstone and whitish limestone. The soil of this town is the same as that of the county generally, and is very fertile and well adapted to grain rais- ing and grazing. Good water is easily obtained by digging a rea- sonable depth, and this town lies in a section of our county in which artesian fountains, or flowing wells, are obtained at little cost. There are several such fountains in the town. There was a remark- able flowing well obtained on the farm of Mr. I. C. Taylor, in 187-1. In February of that year, Mr. Taylor employed some men to bore a
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well for him, with an eighteen inch auger. They passed through compact yellow and blue clay without interruption, to a depth of ninety-six feet, when suddenly, the auger with the rods attached, weighing 1,500 pounds, were raised up with tremendous force, some eight feet, when the rods came in contact with the derrick, and the water began to flow, and on taking out the auger, flowed a stream of great volume and velocity for about four hours, flooding everything. The stream then decreased to a diameter of about two inches, and has so continued to flow, but a remarkable circumstance is, that at intervals of a few weeks, the same original rush of water occurs for a short time. The wide spreading landscape here, is very beauti- ful. Numerous groves, cultivated fields and many well-built farm houses and barns, are seen on every hand. The most distant part of the town is not more than seven miles, on a direct line, from a railroad market at Wells, and a portion of the town is quite near a railroad market, at Minnesota Lake, and Wells and Minnesota Lake are the commercial or trading points, of this town. The line of the Central Railroad passes through the southwest corner of the town.
THE NAME.
This town was named Douglass, by the special commissioners in 1858, in honor of the Hon. Stephen A. Douglass, who was at the time among the most active aud noted statesmen of the period It was attached to Marples, now Minnesota Lake township, for civil purposes. But it subsequently appeared that there was another township in the State, which had secured the name of Douglass, and hence the State Auditor, then Hon. William F. Dunbar, directed the name to be changed, with those of several other towns, and the board of county supervisors, on January 4th, 1859, named this town Dunbar, in honor of the State Auditor.
William F. Dunbar was born in Westerly, R. I., November 10th, 1820. He received a common school education. From this place his family removed to Connecticut, and from thence to Massachu - setts. At the age of twenty-two years, Mr. Dunbar went into the mercantile business at South Hadley Falls, Mass., where he con- tinued some years. In 1843 he was married to Miss L. P. Rice, and they have had eleven children. In 1854 he came west and settled in Houston county, in this State. He was a member of the territorial legislature at the session of 1855-6, and in 1857 he was elected the first State Auditor of the State of Minnesota, and became a resident of St. Paul for some three years. His term of office expiring, he returned to Houston county in 1861.
The name of Dunbar is one of some distinction. A William Dunbar, who lived in the latter part of the 15th century, was a very eminent Scottish poet. There is also a seaport town of Scotland
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named Dunbar, and there are six post offices in the United States of this name.
FIRST SETTLEMENT.
A. L. Taylor and his father, Lucerne C., and family were, so far as the writer has been able to learn, among the very first settlers of Dunbar-perhaps the first permanent settlers.
A. L. Taylor preceded his father and family in his settlement here. The former located in Dunbar in 1856. He entered some eight hundred acres of land, and broke up one hundred and sixty acres, and raised a crop of sod corn. A. L. Taylor was born in New York state, February 2d, 1840, and came to Minnesota as above stated. He enlisted during the war of the Rebellion in the fourth Minnesota Infantry, and served four years. He was in thirty-seven battles. In 1868 he was married to Miss Ida M. Thomas. In 1870 he removed to the then new village of Wells, in this county, and en- gaged in business. In 1882 he went to North Dakota, where he opened a farm and spent one season, when he returned to Wells, where he has since lived. He was a county commissioner of this county for some years. Mr. Taylor is a republican in politics, and he and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church.
Lucerne C. Taylor. father of A. L. Taylor, came with the re- mainder of the family to Dunbar township in 1857. His family then including A. L., was made up of his wife, eight sons and two daugh- ters. He settled on the northeast quarter of section twelve. Mr. Taylor was born in Saratoga county, N. Y., in 1812. Coming west. he resided for a time in Wisconsin, and from thence came to Minne- sota. He has always been a farmer by occupation. His sons located around him in this town. Such was the manner of family settle- ments in the patriarchal age.
ORGANIC.
This town remained attached to Minnesota Lake township (orig- inally Marples township) until, on the petition of Spencer J. Arm- strong and twenty-four other citizens of the town, it was detached by the board of county commissioners at their session held March 19th, 1866. The commissioners directed that the first meeting for the election of town officers be held at the house of L. C. Taylor, on the third day of April. 1866, and notices were posted accordingly. Since that time the town has been a separate and independent or- ganization.
EDUCATIONAL.
The first school house was erected in this town in, or about, the year 1864. There are now (1879) three good school houses in the town, and the people manifest a commendable interest in the subject of education.
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STATISTICS.
Population-At the census of 1865 and the prior one of 1860, the inhabitants of the town were enumerated with the people of Minne- sota Lake township. The population of the town, by the census of 1870, was 203, and by that of 1875, 247, and in 1880, the number was 368. The population of this town is almost wholly of German nationality.
The agricultural productions in 1879 as nearly as can be estima- ted from the reports, were of wheat, 44,000 bushels; oats, 36,100 bushels; corn, 20,900 bushels; barley, 2,355 bushels; potatoes, 3,353 bushels; syrup, 618 gallons; flax seed, 450 bushels; butter, 19,675 pounds; wool, 1,770 pounds; apple trees growing, 1,200; bearing, 356; apples grown, 121 bushels. The number of acres of cultivated land, was 4,900. Stock, etc., in 1879: Horses, 211; cows, 226; other cattle, 291; sheep, 327; hogs, 168; wagons and carriages, 63; sewing machines, 17; organs, 1.
VALUES IN 1879.
Assessed value of all personal property. $17,325.00
Assessed value of all real estate 157,324.00
Total $174,649.00
Total amount of taxes assessed for the year. $2,189.06
In the closing year of this historical sketch, the affairs of the town were in the care of the following town officers: supervisors, Wm. Schroeder, Wm. Tellet and August Ganskow; clerk, James Nixon; treasurer, E. S. Behm; assessor, S. J. Taylor; justice, James Nixon; constable, S. H. Davis. Among the inhabitants residing in this town, prior to the close of 1879, the following names are found: S. J. Armstrong, David Anthony, E. S. and Wm. Behm, H. F. and Charles and Harman Bebler, Alfred and Truman Bowen, C. and W. Brigger, H. and W. Barnick, C. T., Fred and Chas. Dumke, S. H. Davis, Andrew Eaton, Aug. Ganskow, H. Hille, W. Hohensee, M. Johnson, H. and W. Krigger, A. Kuffman, C. Kreplin, M. Kula, S. Lowry, C. Mil- cher, F. and J. A. and W. Miller, A. Newson, James and J. A. Nixon, E. O'Bryan, P. O'Bryan, J. Rhoda, L. Rahn, F. B. Robbins, L. Reih- nore, F. Rollenhagen, John and J. C. Rasmussen, W. and F. Schroe- der, F. and F. Schinke, G. Stalmacher, V. and J. Schultz, J. Schnoor, W. and J. Tellet, L. C. and E. C. and A. A. and W. and S. J. and P. R. Taylor, A. Wendt, C. Weden, and A. and W. H. Young and S. Young. Before the close of another quarter century, this township will be one of vast productiveness and great wealth.
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CHAPTER II.
MINNESOTA LAKE TOWNSHIP.
LOCATION.
The township of Minnesota Lake is Congressional township one hundred and four (104), north, of range twenty-five (25), west, of the 5th principal meridian. This town lies in the most northern tier of townships in the county, and is bounded on the north by Blue Earth county, east by Dunbar township, south by Walnut Lake township, and west by the township of Lura.
There are three names here, which should not be confused with each other-Minnesota Lake, which designates the body of water; Minnesota Lake, the village, and Minnesota Lake, the township. We write here first of the township. This is one of the best farm- ing towns in the county. The lands are well divided between till- able and pasturage. A large portion of the town is prairie.
GEOLOGICAL.
The general surface of this township is slightly undulating, or "rolling." The estimated average height of the town, above the level of the sea, is 1,050 fect. The drift here is from 90 to 120 feet, in depth, when the bed rock, consisting of limestone and sandstone, is reached. Mr. C. Barber's well. which is 140 feet deep. disclosed the following strata: Yellow till, 10 feet; soft blue till. 80 feet, to top of rock; thin whitish limestone, 3 feet; thin layered limestone, 2 feet; soft green shale, 2 feet, and gray sandstone, 43 feet. This town lies in the region of artesian, or flowing, wells, several of which are found in the town. There is a peat deposit in the town, on sec- tion thirty, of about eighty acres in extent, and of about four feet in depth. The soil, black and fertile, the result of the decayed vege- tation of centuries, and the ashes of a thousand prairie fires, is from two to four feet deep.
Minnesota lake, the body of water of that name, the largest sheet of water in the county, lies in the northwest portion of the town. It is one, to one and three- fourths mile wide, from north to south, and about two and a half miles long, from cast to west. It is a beauti- ful lake of crystal waters, having a gravelly beach, and is bor- dered by timber. This lake, with its agreeable surroundings, is as
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FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
attractive a summer resort, for rest and recreation, as many a more famous place, and the day will come when the necessary capital and enterprise will make it a noted resort. There are several other small lakes in the town. One on sections twenty-seven and thirty- four which is the head of one of the branches of the Maple river, and another on the south line of the town. The town is drained mainly by the Maple river, which runs in a general course from east to west through the central portion of the town. There are no other important streams. There was, formerly, considerable native tim- ber on the Maple river and about the lake, some of which remains and which, with the numerous artificial groves of forest trees, give the country a pleasant wooded appearance.
NAMES.
This town was named Marples by the special commissioners in 1858. in honor of Charles Marples, an early settler of the town.
Mr. Marples was an Englishman, and in his younger days served some seven years in the British regular army. He soon became a prominent citizen of the town. He had secured a fair education and considerable general information, and possessed a sound judgment upon public and business affairs, and was probably the best penman, not a professional, who ever resided in this county, yet strange to say, he had never attended any school whatever, a single day in his life. He was at one time chairman of the board of town supervisors. Some years since he removed to the state of Missouri.
The name of the town was changed to Minnesota Lake, by act of the legislature, approved February 23d, 1866.
The towns of Dunbar (then Douglass) and Clark ( then Cobb), were attached to this town by the special commissioners in 1858 for township purposes.
Clark (then Cobb), was detached by the county supervisors on the fifth day of March, 1860, and on the same day Lura township, adjoining Minnesota Lake on the west, was attached to the latter town for town purposes, the town district, then comprising Minne- sota Lake (then Marples), Dunbar and Lura, and so remained until January 5th, 1864, when Lura was detached and commenced its career as a separate town. Dunbar was detached in March, 1866.
FIRST SETTLEMENT.
Chauncey Barber and family and Nicholas J. Kremer and his brothers John and John P., were the very earliest settlers of this town, though several claims had then, perhaps, been taken by other persons, but if so, had been abandoned. The Kremers and Mr. Barber settled here in 1856. Mr. Barber remaining permanently, while the Kremers, soon after, went into Danville township, in Blue Earth county.
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Mr. Barber kept the first hotel in the town, and which was, for many years, the headquarters of that section of the county, and was known far and wide as one of the principal stopping places on the road, for immigrants, travelers and land hunters, and in the cays when Waseca was the railroad market of this county, this hotel was thronged by those going to and returning from the railroad. The township of Barber, in this county, was named in honor of Mr. Bar- ber, and he was the original proprietor of the village of Minnesota Lake.
Mr. Barber came, originally, from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin, and from thence to Minnesota Lake, at the time above stated. He possessed a great fondness for hunting and fishing, and was allured to this country, largely because of the opportunity it then presented for engaging in hunting. He was a man of varied mechanical skill, and not only kept a hotel, as above stated, and which was his prin- cipal business for many years, but at times he engaged in carpen- tering, blacksmithing and merchandising. He had two sons, Ben- ning W. and Ira. The former was at one time sheriff of this county. Mr. Barber himself, it appears, never held any public office.
Mrs. Barber was an invalid for some eleven years, and during the last six of which she was confined to her bed, helpless and al- most demented, and during all these latter years. Mr. Barber attended her bedside, never leaving her, day or night, until her death, except when the most urgent business required. There are but few like in. stances, of constant and affectionate devotion. In 1878 Mr. Barber went to Utah to reside for a time, but did not sell his property here. He subsequently returned for a brief period, and disposed of his property. He then removed to Oregon, where he has since resided.
N. J. Kremer afterwards returned to, and became a permanent resident of this town, and has from early years, been one of its most active. prominent and wealthy citizens. Peter Kremer, another of the brothers, located at the lake in 1874, where he has since taken an active part in the business and public affairs of the locality. The Kremers were born in Lorraine, France, and came with their father to America in 1850, and located at Alden, Erie county, N. Y. Several years later they emigrated to Wisconsin and from thence to Minnesota.
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