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 53
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NAMES OF THE TOWN.
The town was named Guthrie by the special commissioners, and there has been some question as to in whose honor the town was named. There is a southwest county of Iowa by this name. There was a very eminent Scottish clergyman by the name of Thomas Guthrie, who died in 1873, and during the last century there was a Scottish author of distinction by the name of Win. Guthrie. We have also had a statesman of eminence, in our own country, the Hon. James Guthrie, who was United States senator from Kentucky, from 1865 to 1868, and formerly Secretary of the Treasury in Pres- ident Pierce's administration. But it was not in honor of either of these men that the town was first named, but the honor was re- served for a resident of the town. Wm. and Sterrit Guthrie were among the earliest settlers of this township, and it is quite certain
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that the name of Sterrit Guthrie, the first of the two to settle in the town, was in the minds of the commissioners when the town was named. The name of the town was changed to Delavan, by act of the legislature, approved March 1st, 1872, to agree with the name of the village of Delavan, some time previously located in this town.
FIRST SETTLEMENT.
In relation to the first settlement of this town, the writer pre- sents the following letters:
BASS LAKE, Minn., Aug. 14, 1873.
FRIEND KIESTER :- I am in receipt of yours of July 26th. It being harvest time, I have not the leisure I should like to give to the subjects you suggest, but will give you a few disjointed statements of the facts, as near as I can.
John S. Robertson and myself, on the 11th day of May (1856), took our claims, which we, in due time, pre-empted. He (Mr. Robertson) went off to work, and was gone about all the time the law would admit. I continued on my claim from the first-never left it. He took the southwest quarter of section Dine and I the southeast quarter of section nine. Next came W. J. Dick- ernan, George and John Hart, two or three days later. Next came I. D. Irish and Joseph Predmore, about the last of May (1856). I. D. Irish lived on section sixteen about six years, and left. Predmore settled on the southeast quarter of section seventeen. Sterrit Guthrie and Ed. Thorpe came about the same time. Sterrit and Thorpe told me that they had been at Bass Lake a few days before I took my claim, but went west to the Blue Earth river, and spent some time looking around, to find such a place as they wanted, and concluded to come back to Bass Lake and take the claim I had selected, as they had examined it on their way west, but they found that they were too late when they returned. Wm. Guthrie did not come in until the next year (1857). The Guthries came from Harrisburg, Penn., but Sterrit had resided, before he moved here, at Vin- ton, Iowa. *
* * * Yours truly,
T. BLAIR.
MINNESOTA SETTLEMENT ASSOCIATION.
BASS LAKE, MINN., August 30th, 1873,
FRIEND KIESTER :- Yours of the twentieth is received. The two Harts, Dickerman, Robertson and myself, came to Mankato on the same boat. We organized in the City of New York during the winter of 1855-6, what was called the Minnesota Settlement Association, and gathered members from all parts of the eastern states and emigrated as said association to this State in the month of April, 1856. Most of the colony settled in Blue Earth county. Harts and Dickerman were from Hartford, Conn. J. S. Robertson was born in Scotland. He worked in New York City at his trade (cabinetmaker) two or three years. I was born in Scotland (October 8th, 1825.) I emigrated from Glasgow on the twelfth day of June, 1848: landed in Boston, Mass., and went to Camden, Maine, where I engaged to work, learning the trade of ship calker, serving two and a half years. I then left that place and went to New York City and worked about three years. I then picked up my tools and went on a cruise to Pitts- burg, Pa .. thence down the Ohio river to Louisville, By., thence to St. Louis, Mo., and from there down the Mississippi to New Orleans, where I worked about four months in winter, and from thence I went by steamship, by way of Cuba, to New York City, where I again worked at my trade until I came here in 1856. Yours truly, THOMAS BLAIR.
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Mr. Blair was married in 1856, to Miss Agnes Kirk, of New York City. They have seven children living. Mr. Blair and Mr. Robertson are entitled to the honor of being the first settlers of this town, yet but a few days passed when several other persons located here. In connection with the subject of the first settlement of the town. there is here presented a copy of the census roll of the inhab- itants, taken in June. 1860, and, also, a few items taken from that census, as to some other matters of interest. It is well to re- mark here that there were several settlers in the town, who were absent from home, when the census was taken, and whose names. consequently, do not appear on this roll of honor.
Alcock-Charles, Mrs. Jane, Sarah. Alvey-John, Mrs. Sarah, William, Eliz- abeth, Mary, Sarah, Eliza, Samuel. Blair-Thomas, Mrs. Agnes, John. Brans -Cornelius. Bandy-Jacob F. Burk-John. Conklin-HI. S. Cole-Perry, Mrs. Lucinda, Sarah. Dickerman-Winslow J, Mrs. Laura. Fuller-Enos, Mrs. Clar- inda, Lucy, Delos, Sarah. Gray-Donald, Duff. Hart-John. Hart-George. Irish-Isaac D. Jordan-Hugh, Mrs. Susan, Hugh, Jacob, Sarah. Lardner- Patrick, Mrs. Mary, Thomas, Mary, John. MeColley-Alonzo, Mrs. Martha, Al- vin. Morehouse-Walter, Mrs. Harriet, James, Mary, Aaron, Jacob, Chester. Mckinney-John. MeElsander-Henry. Mc Elsander-Napoleon. Snell-Apple- ton, Mrs. Elizabeth, Lydia, Josiah, Jacob. Spiekerman-Horace, Mrs. Amanda, Charles, George. Thompson-Knut, Mrs. Augusta. Williams-W. R., Jeston, John, Benjamin, William, Mary, Dorcas. Wheeler-Wm. II., Mrs. Betsey, Wil- liam, Polly, Eveline, Emily, Menzo, Sarah. Wheeler-Zachariah, Mrs. Martha, Ellen, Albert. Wilson-Jothan.
Acres of land improved, 65; value of farms, 81,800; value of farm imple- ments and machinery, $215; number of horses, 5; number of milch cows, 7: number of working oxen, 2: number of other cattle, 5; number of swine, 12: value of live stock, $625.
ORGANIZATION.
This town was organized for civil purposes, on the twentieth day of October, 1858, by the election, on that day, of the first town officers. Isaac D. Irish was chosen chairman of the board, and John Alvey, town clerk. The town meeting was held at the house of Mr. Irish, and there were fourteen votes cast.
At the first annual town meeting held in the spring of 1859, Thomas Blair was chosen chairman, and Mr. Alvey, clerk. This or- ganization has continued to this day. The list of officers for the concluding year of this history, 1879, was composed of the following named gentlemen: Supervisors, E. J. Lien, chairman, and L. An- drews and W. McNeil; town clerk. John Alvey; treasurer, Wesley Hill; assessor. J. W. Jenkins, Sr .; justice of the peace, W. J. Dick- erman; constable, E. Griffin.
JOHN ALVEY.
An historical sketch of Delavan township would be incomplete should some special reference not be made to Mr. Alvey, one of the
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early settlers, and for many years one of the prominent citizens of the town. He was born in England, March 30th, 1807. He learned the trade of making hosiery and gloves, at which occupation he worked a number of years. In 1831 he was married. His wife died in 1834. In 1836 he married again, and four of his children were born in England. He became a member of the Odd Fellows society in that country, and after holding several of the principal offices of the lodge, he was elected permanent secretary. Leaving his family in England, for the time being, Mr. Alvey came to America in 1848, and located in Connecticut, where he had some relatives, and went to work in a factory. The company for which he worked kindly advanced the money to bring his family to this country, and they arrived in November of that year.
After working in the East some years, a part of the time at market gardening, he sold out some real estate, which he had se- cured, at a good price, and concluded to come west and procure some farm lands. Leaving his family in comfortable circumstances, he visited Wisconsin, but could there find no lands to suit him, and came to Minnesota. Here he found a claim, on government land, on section fifteen, near Bass Lake. This was in the year 1857(?) He then bought eight acres of timber of George Hart. He built a house, broke up twelve acres of sod, made some rough articles of household furniture, put up some hay, and then, in September, went to Hastings, on the Mississippi river, to meet his family, who had come on to that place, by previous arrangement, and they were all soon comfortably settled in their new home. Here Mr. Alvey opened up and improved his lands, from year to year. He always took much interest in the public affairs of the town and county. He held the office of town clerk for fifteen years. He was clerk of his school district for twelve years and postmaster at Bass Lake, until the discontinu- ance of the office. He was subsequently appointed postmaster at the village of Delavan, where he had removed, which position he held for quite a number of years. He was, also, school district treasurer for six years, but during many of the years of his service, he held a much more important office than those named, that of jus- tice of the peace, for his town, which office he held for fourteen years. Mr. Alvey took quite an interest in politics, especially local. He was a member of many county, and several State conventions. When he first came to this country he affiliated with the democratic party, but, in 1859, he became a republican, and ever after adhered to that party. In 1886 he retired to his farm, and there spent the remainder of his days, surrounded by his children, all comfortably situated. In the same year he was elected county coroner, an office which he held several terms. Mr. Alvey, and his family, were members of the Methodist Protestant Church. He died in 1891.
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aged eighty-four years. Mrs. Alvey died in 1889. For many years he was familiarly and kindly known as Uncle John Alvey, and will long be remembered by many old time friends.
EDUCATIONAL.
The first school in the town was kept in the upper room of Uncle John Alvey's house, and the first school teacher in the town was Miss Lydia Snell, afterwards Mrs Alfred Raymond.
The first school house erected in the town was located in the southeast corner of the southwest quarter of section ten (10). and was in district number eleven. It was a balloon frame, fourteen feet by sixteen feet in size, and one story in height.
There are now (1879) six good substantial district school houses in the town, and the people take a commendable interest in educa- tional matters.
RELIGIOUS.
Religious meetings were held in this town at a very early day -as soon, in fact, as there were two or three to gather together in the name of the great master, and several religious societies were organized, and stated services held at an early period in the history of the town.
VILLAGES.
A village site was once, in very early days, laid off and staked out, on section one or two, but nothing more ever came of the en- terprise than this traditional remembrance.
The village of Delavan, a station on the M. & St. Paul Railroad, formerly the S. M. Railroad, was surveyed and located October 10th and 11th, 1870, and is situated on sectiou thirty-six of this town. It thus appears that the village of the township, instead of being lo- cated on the first, is upon the last section of the town. The original proprietors of the village were H. W. Holley and O. D. Brown.
The village was named after Oren Delavan Brown, one of the proprietors, and the name Delavan was suggested by Mrs. H. W. Holley. Mr. Brown was born in Jefferson county, N. Y . in 1837. He is the son of Orville Brown, Esq., for some years one of the leading editors of the State. Oren came to Minnesota with his father in 1856, and they located at Chatfield. in Fillmore county. In 1858 they removed to Faribault, Rice county, and from thence to Mankato, where the elder Brown became the publisher and editor of the Mankato Record for some years. Mr. O. D. Brown was con- nected with the Southern Minnesota Railroad, as engineer. from May, 1865, until February. 1875, and subsequently, he was for some years employed as engineer of the St. Paul and Sioux City R. R. Company. He acted as chief engineer in the employment of this
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company, on the Worthington and Sioux Falls road and on the Blue Earth City branch of the St. P. and Sioux City R. R. He resides at Luverne, Rock county, Minn.
There and several post-offices in the United States named Del- avan. The first train of passenger cars came into the village of Delavan, and consequently into the township, on the nineteenth day of December, 1870. The village was incorporated under the general act of incorporation, by special act of the legislature, approved February 7th, 1877, and embraced the following territory, "section 36, in town 104, range 27." M. White, R. B. Johnson and A. Ander- son were designated in the act, as commissioners to post notices of the first election. The first post-office was established in the town, about the year 1859, and John Alvey was appointed postmaster. It was named Bass Lake post-office. It continued many years, but was finally closed, and the post-office of the town was established at the village of Delavan.
HON. A. H. BULLIS.
Mr. Bullis, of Delavan township, was born in Cattaragus county, New York, February 8th, 1832. He remained in the state until 1854, when he came to Minnesota and settled in Rice county. Here he was engaged for a short time in the government surveys. He then engaged in merchandising, in partnership with another young man. He soon, though quite successful, quit this business and served for five years as county surveyor of his county. He was a mem- ber of the State Legislature from Rice county, in the House, at the sessions of 1864 and 1865. 'He soon afterwards was appointed an officer in the United States land office, at Winnebago City, and came to that place to reside. He served in the land office three years. He subsequently removed to section 31, in Delavan township, where he opened up a large farm. He has made a specialty of raising Short Horn and Hereford cattle. He was the first person to intro- duce these breeds of cattle into this county.
Mr. Bullis was a member of the board of county commissioners of this county for six years, serving a part of the time as chair- man. He was married October 15th, 1859, to Miss Ellen L. Pierce, of New York state. They have had three sons.
SEVERAL INCIDENTS.
On the fifteenth day of April, 1858, Wm. A. Miller stood on a cake of ice in Bass Lake and speared seventy-two pickerel. He speared them as fast as he could throw them out. An item from the Post:
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HISTORY OF
A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE CLEARED UP.
FINDING OF HUMAN REMAINS.
"Our readers will recollect an item which we published sometime ago in regard to the finding of a human arm near Rice Lake in the town of Guthrie. It was supposed at that time that this arm belonged to a man by the name of Abel Varney, who disappeared from that neighborhood in September, 1870, and a close search was made for the remainder of the body, but with no success. Since that time other portions of a human body have been found in different places in that vicinity, but the source from whence they come could not be ascertamed until last Sunday, when Mr. George Mckay, who lives in the neighborhood, found the greater portions of the bones of a human body in a slough on the edge of the lake. Coroner Rose was sent for and an inquest was held which resulted in identifying the remains as those of the unfortunate Varney. It appeared as evidence that he was of unsound milnd, and was last seen by Mr. McKay, in September, 1870, going in the direction of the place where the remains were found. Mr. Mckay spoke to him at the time but received no reply, and afterwards went and looked for him without Anding him. A small amount of money and some papers which could not be read were found with the body, and the bones which had been found previously corresponded with those finally discovered. The body was found in a reclining position in the slough with the head resting upon the right hand. He had evidently wandered Into the slough, and being weak and emaciated, had sunk down unable to pro- ceed farther, and perished there from exposure. The coroner's jury rendered a verdict in accordance with the facts, and the remains were decently interred. We believe Varney had no immediate relatives in this region."
The first and only newspaper published in this town, to this date, was the Delavan Bee, the first issue of which appeared June 8th, 1872, Carr Huntington, editor and proprietor. The press was removed from Delavan to Blue Earth City in December, 1874.
This town has furnished to the public service, two county com missioners, Mr. Blair, who served eight years, and was thrice chair- man, and Mr. Bullis, who was twice chairman: a county treasurer, A. Anderson, and a representative in the State legislature. M. A. Hawkes.
During the years of the first settlement of this town an incident occurred, worth preserving. Mr. MeDuffy, an Irishman, had been to town and procured a jug of molasses, and on his way home, follow- ing a dim trail across the unsettled prairie, he met a stalwart Indian. The Indians in those days were friendly, yet McDuffy did not feel entirely at ease, being alone and unarmed and far from help if needed. They approached each other in a friendly manner, however, when the Indian seeing the jug, pointed to it and said: "Visky, me have some." McDuffy answered "melasses, ye villain;" the Indian repeated "visky;" "melasses, I say, ye bloody son of a gun," said McDuffy; "visky," said the Indian again, and made a grab for the jug. "Melasses, ye red divil," answered MeDuffy, as he struck the Indian on the head with his cane, knocking him down. "Melasses," uttered MeDuffy at every stroke, as he hammered poor Lo, and then
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started homeward at full run, muttering "Melasses, be jabers, and whisky too, but divil a drap will that black baste get av it now, I say."
STATISTICS.
The population of the township in 1860, was 8ยบ; in 1865, 367; in 1870, 550; in 1875, 797; and in 1880, 845.
Many of the people of this town are Scotchmen, and they were the first to settle in the town, but there is now quite a settlement of Scandinavians found here.
In 1879 there was reported in the town: Horses, 401; cows, 466; other cattle, 482; mules, 15; sheep, 1,599; hogs, 523; sewing ma- chines, 41; organs, 9.
The assessed value of real property for same year was, $190, 263; personal, $55,710; total, $245,973. Total amount assessed on same, $4,095.17.
The agricultural products of the town for 1879, were as follows: Wheat, 48,500 bushels; oats, 39,200 bushels; corn, 57,000 bushels; barley, 1,900 bushels; potatoes, 3,600 bushels; syrup, 1,500 gallons; flax seed, 975 bushels; apple trees growing, 4,100; apples, 320 bush- els; wool, 6,550 pounds; butter, 30,000 pounds; honey, 250 pounds; total number of acres of cultivated land, 7,100.
A roll of honor, embracing the names of the "ancients" of this town, has already been given, but another list must now be pre- sented, of those not already named, who resided in the town prior to the close of 1879, and many of whom took an active interest in the affairs and progress of the town during many years. The names of all cannot be given, because unknown to the writer, or unobtainable at this time. Among the well known names, there appears, Q. Andrews, S. M. Alvey, Wm. Alvey, C. Alcock, Even Anderson, Thos. Bailey, N. G. Bailey, H. C. Brown. M. W. Butler, L. Bemis, O. Casidy, W. F. Cox, Andrew Carson, Wm. Carson, M. A. Carson, T. W. Cotton, M. M. Cox, D. Coman, J. Currier, C. Col- ter, John Chestnut, Wm. H. Childs, E. A. Dutcher, J. Douglass, D. Davis, J. Everson, O. Eddy, K. Evanson, W. H. Finch, W. D. Ful- ler, J. Foster, D. Gray, C. Gray, Jas. Geddes, O. N. Gardner, W. C. Hall, D. T. Hodge, S. G. Hodge, E. Harding, Jno. A. Hynes, V. V. Hinnian, J. Hodge. D. Hynes, A. Hassing, A. J. Hill, M. A. Hawk, O. A. Holt, E. J. Hendricks, H. Jones, O. Jenson, J. W. Jenkins, Sr., J. W. Jenkins, Jr., T. J. Jenkins, E. Johnson, J. Kinney, A. Klas- sen, E. J. Lein, Lars Larson, J. B. Lien, M. C. Litch, B. J. Lein, H. Larson, O. J. Lein, J. J. Lein, J. Lee, W. E. and D. McNeil, B. McDermot, W. McNeil, P. M. Marston, J. McGuiggan, F. C. McCol- ley, Nat'l McColley, E. L. Malmain, G. Mckay, Hugh McDuffy, J. Monigal, Alonzo McColley, S. B. Miller, C. Marston, J. E. Nesset, Jens O. Nesset, M. Nicholson, B. Olsen, O. Olsen, J. Olsen, G. Ol-
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sen, M. Peterson, A. J. Pettit, G. Pettit, W. J. Pettit, J. D. Rorman, M. S. Reynolds, A. Raddue. A. Richter, L. S. Reed, E. H. Rowley, W. G. Reed. J. Rusho. A. Raymond. E. Stillman. Geo. Sheid. C. C. Snare. J. Smith. W. W. Smith, J. P. Smith, W. Smith, A. E. Springer, M. Springer, J. Sharpley, M. Scheid, C. Springer, H. L. Springer, A. Traynor, P. Thompson, A. W. Tenny, M. T. Thayer. A. Trowbridge, W. M. Toler, O. Thompson, T. B. Thorstonson, B. Thorstonson, K. Thompson, H. Thompson, E. C. Thorson, Wm. Waldren, Sr .. L. Waldren, D. Wood. S. S. Wrooley, C. L. Wigan, Z. Wheeler, H. Westover, J. White, G. G. Young. The railroad mar- kets and general trading points of this town are the village of Del- aven and Winnebago City. Considering its proximity to railroads. its fertile soil, its industrious, progressive inhabitants, there is a grand future for this township. The second generation of its peo- ple will see its lands worth from fifty to seventy-five dollars an acre.
CHAPTER V.
WINNEBAGO CITY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE.
LOCATION.
This township is congressional town one hundred and four (104) north, of range twenty-eight (28) west. It is bounded on the north by the town of Shelby, in Blue Earth county, on the east by the township of Delavan, on the south by Verona township and on the west by the township of Nashville, in Martin county. The township lies in the northwest corner of our county.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.
The average elevation of the town above the level of the sea is estimated at ten hundred and eighty (1080) feet. The elevation of the Blue Earth river at the north line of the county, in this town. is approximately 990 feet. The depth of the drift here to bed rock, exceeds, probably, 150 feet. The bed rock is magnesian limestone, as was indicated in the boring of the steam mill well, which is 230 feet deep. The greater portion of the surface of the township may be denominated undulating prairie, with high bluffs along the course of the river. The soil has the same general characteristics of that of the county generally, being a black loam, slightly sandy, deep and fertile.
Good water is obtained anywhere in sufficient quantities for do- mestic use, by digging or boring, to a moderate depth. The main
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stream of the Blue Earth river passes almost centrally northward, through the town. A small branch of Elm creek is found in the southwest corner of the town. The bottom lands and bluffs of the river and some of the uplands, are well timbered. Some of the tim- ber being of superior size and quality, and being centrally located through the town, is quite convenient to all parts of the town, and has been of incalculable value to the people. The inhabitants have also been quite enterprising in growing artificial groves, and the prairies are everywhere dotted over with these homestead pro- tectors.
THE NAME.
This township was named by the special commissioners, in 1858, Winnebago City, after the village of that name, located in the townl at an early day. For information as to how, by whom and when, the village of Winnebago was founded, the reader is referred to the general history of the county, for the year 1856. In relation to the subject, it will be sufficient to say here, that the village was located by a company, consisting of Andrew C. Dunn, James Sherlock, E. H. Burritt, W. N. Dunham and C. H. Parker. It is situated upon the southeast quarter of section 34, and the southwest quarter of section 35. The original town site contained three hundred and twenty acres. Several additions to the town have been laid out since. It was the first design of the proprietors to name the new village Middletown, after a fine city of that name in Connecticut- a name which was thought quite appropriate, as the village lay about midway between Shelbyville on the north, and Blue Earth City on the south. The proprietors petitioned for a post-office of that name, but could not get it, as there was another post-office of that name in the State. This name was then abandoned, and the place was called Winnebago, but they could not get an office of that name, as there was another Winnebago in the State, and so finally they named the village Winnebago City. This was, too, in accord- ance with the usual custom in those days, of naming every new town a city. It sounded well abroad.
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