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 7
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THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
The only event of public, or private importance, occuring during the winter, was the meeting of this board, and is the first meeting of which any record exists. The members of the board were Moses Sailor, C. W. Wilson and William M. Scott. They assembled on the fifth day of January and organized by electing Mr. Scott chairman for the year. James B. Wakefield was clerk. The board proceeded to divide the county into three districts for assessment purposes, but this act was simply a matter of high formality, as it was not in- tended to have an assessment, or levy any tax, and none was levied, until the next year. A few petitions for roads were examined. The only existing roads then were Indian trails. After a session of a few hours the board adjourned.
LEGISLATION.
The Eighth Territorial Legislature assembled at St. Paul, Jan- uary seventh and adjourned March seventh. An extra session was held in April and May. The tenth district, of which this county
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was a part, was represented at this session by P. P. Humphery in the council, and Joseph R. Brown, Francis Baasen and O. A. Thomas in the house. No one of them resided in this county. The legislation at this and the extra session following. relating directly to this county. consisted of the following acts :-
An act to incorporate the town of Winnebago City, approved February 19th, section 2 enacted, "That for the good order and im- provement of said town, Andrew C. Dunn be and hereby is appointed president: E. H. Burrit, C. H. Parker, James Sherlock and W. N. Dunham be and hereby are appointed trustees."
An act passed May 19th, incorporating Blue Earth City in these words :- " That so much land as is contained in the plat of Blue Earth City, in the county of Faribault, as the same is platted and recorded, be and the same is hereby created a town corporate. by the name of Blue Earth City." This is probably the shortest, most indefinite and unsatisfactory incorporation act on record.
An act detaching this county from Blue Earth county, to which it had been attached for judicial purposes in 1856. It was thought that this county had now become able to stand alone. But little business of a judicial character, originating in this county, had been transacted during the union. For many years however, after the separation, persons who were committed by the courts in this county, were sent to the common jail of Blue Earth county and this county footed the bills. An act placing this county in the third judicial district, passed May 23d. By this act the judge of the dis- trict court was authorized to hold terms of court in this county and also, in his discretion, to appoint a clerk of court for this county.
Also an act passed May 23d establishing the county of Martin and defining its boundaries, by which one tier of four townships. on the west end of this county, being in range twenty nine, was de- tached from this county and included in the territory of Martin county. The people of this county were asleep, even snoring, or grossly negligent at this particular time, especially the proprietors of Blue Earth City. The interests of Blue Earth City at least, de- manded that the eastern tier of townships-range twenty-four. should have been taken off, if any, and the western tier, range twenty-nine, retained as that would have brought Blue Earth City. the county seat, very near the geographical center of the county. and save a world of trouble afterwards. The proceeding was in fact a bit of sharp practice, quite current in those days and which bore the euphonious name of "Sculduggery."
It was at this session of the legislature that the famous act was passed for the removal of the seat of government-the Capital- from St. Paul to St. Peter. But the bill very mysteriously disap- peared before it became a law and the whole project fell through
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FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
to the great joy of St. Paul. The great questions of public inter- est, among the leading politicians and others, during the winter and spring, were the procuring of a state organization and grants of public lands from the general government to aid in the construc- tion of railroads. Accordingly the "Enabling Act," authorizing the people of the territory to form a constitution preparatory to the admission of Minnesota into the Union, was passed by congress, February 26th, and later in the session, a large grant of lauds was. made for railroads. These important events necessitated an extra session of the legislature which met on the 27th of April and ad- journed May 25th.
LOCAL AFFAIRS.
Turning again to our county affairs, we quote briefly, as illus- trative of the local events of the times, the conditions of the coun- try and the progress of settlement, from the Journal of an old set- tler, who came into the county iu the spring of this year:
April 2d, 1857. Set out this morning early from Mankato for Blue Earth City, forty-five miles distant, on horseback, in company with Mr. Dow, the Blue Earth City mail carrier and a Mr. A. C. Dunn, a young lawyer and one of the town proprietors of Winnebago City. Made but twenty-two miles to-day and stopped for the night at a lonely log cabin in the edge of the timber, the proprietor of which, is a Mr. Gregory. The roads are terrible. I was never so tired, besides having had nothing to eat all day, I was as hungry as a wolf when I got here. When I reached here, I thought I had never seen in my life a house look so friendly and hospitable as this old cabin. We soon had a warm supper of salt pork, beans, slapjacks and barley coffee and felt much revived. This seems a very sparsely settled and desolated region. But it is time to retire, as we start early in the morning.
April 3d. We got a good breakfast and started early this moruing. Mr. Dunn remained at Gregory's, being ill. Dow and I had but one horse and a very poor one at that. We rode and walked alternately, but both mainly walked. The roads were very bad, even worse than yesterday. We waded sloughs from one to three feet deep in soft snow and water. At other places the mud was from six to twelve inches deep. The wind blew quite hard and chilly all day. It was about ten o'clock when we crossed the north county line, of this county, to which fact Dow called my attention, as though it was a mat- ter of grave importance. I did not observe anything very remarkable. On the right in the timber, was a small log cabin, on the east a boundless prairie and right before us was another wretched slough to be crossed, which was full three feet deep of water, ice and snow. We pulled through it on foot and also pulled the horse through, as he was blind.
About twelve o'clock we reached Winnebago City, but there is no city there, to speak of. In fact there is no town at all, but there is a magnificent, roomy place to build a town. I should think they could build a town there the size of London and not be cramped much. I observed there only a log house of some size, one-and-one-half story high and apparently not finished, which Dow said was intended for a hotel, also one other small log building at which we stopped. It proved to be a store kept by one T. Foley. He has a few dry goods, some tobacco, soap, cod fish and a barrel of whisky. Foley is post master and he oyerhauled the mail and seemed entirely happy and insisted on treating
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several times. The driver, I observed, took some, after which we moved on our way much refreshed by the short rest. We reached another cabin about one o'clock, where weeat a prodiglous dinner of salt pork, beans, potatoes and some good bread. This settler's name is Stoddard, and he said that he was the first settler In that locality. After dinner we moved on for our destination and after a hard tramp of a couple of hours, reached the east branch of the Blue Earth river, which we crossed through a foot of water on the ice and about four o'clock we entered on the sacred soil of the town site of Blue Earth City and stopped at this hotel, which is called the Metropolitan. And this is Blue Earth City! It strikes me that the reputation of these western towns gener- ally, Is much inflated. Tomorrow I shall look the place over. It Is quite plain now that I should have gone to St. Paul, as I flrst intended, Instead of drift- ing so far out on the frontier.
April 4th. After a hearty breakfast this morning of potatoes, beans, slap- jacks and tea (the pork has run out), I felt quite well and ready to prospect. I walked out and took a view of the Metropolitan, which is quite a large log bullding. It has a wing in the rear, which is used for a kitchen. The kitchen and a part of the main building only, appear to be finished. They say this is the largest building in the county and the only one entitled to the name of house. Nearly opposite the hotel is a one story log building, about fourteen by twenty feet, which is occupied by Messrs. Grout as a frontier store and dwelling, being the only store in the county, except the one at Winnebago City. Pros- peeting further, I found that there are six other small, one story, log cabins scattered about within a cirenit of about half a mile. The population of the place is about twenty-two, large and small, and this is abont all there is of this much talked of "city." After dinner had a talk with the landlord. He says his name is Constans and that he is one of the town proprietors and that he came here over a year ago-says he came from France, via the Alantic,ocean, New Orleans, the Mississippi river, St. Paul, Shakopee and several other places, to this county. Ile speaks with a strong Franco-German accent. From our con- versation I learn that there are as yet, in the county, no newspapers, no courts, no schools, no churches, no doctors, no mechanics at work, no laid out roads, no bridges, and that there are but a few settlers and they are settled in the timber and about the lakes, and that the prairies are all vacant. It appears that there are not ten farms in the county of ten acres of plowed land : that the people are all poor and that nobody is doing anything, and no one wanting to do any- thing, but, as the landlord says, all are contented and happy in the prospects of the future. Prospects, that is it, everything rests on prospects. Was intro- duced by Mr. Constans to one George B. Kingsley, a boarder at this hotel, Mr. Kingsley says he is a New Yorker-has some interest in the town and a claim near by-says he is postmaster here, but the business does not warrant keeping an office and hence he carries the mail matter in his pocket, for convenience and safety-says that he is justice of the peace, the first and only one in the county, but that he has never had any business in that line and don't want any. He seems quite frank and very hopeful of the future. Here two other men came in, one Waketteld, who is a very large man, and one Tennesen, quite a small man. The curious thought struck me, that if these two persons were equalized they would make two averaged sized men. I was introduced. I learned that Mr. Tennesen is a settler holding a "claim." Mr. Wakefield is also one of the town proprietors-a lawyer by profession, and is the Register of Deeds.
The conversation continued in relation to the county and the prospects of this town. All seemed to think this county one of the best in the territory,
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FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
having a good soil, fair distribution of timber, good water and healthy. The village too is quite near the center of the county and is now the county seat. It was said also that the Keokuk, Fort Des Moines and Minnesota railroad, was now being built in Iowa, and will run from Fort Dodge to Mankato, this town, being on the direct line and the road will undoubtedly be built as far as this place, within two years at the furthest! They say the assurances are also very good that the United States land office, now located in the eastern part of the territory may soon be removed to this place, that is in a year or i,wo probably. After some farther talk we all went over to Grout's store-was introduced to Lewis P. Grout. While there a Mr. Sailor came in and was introduced to him, as the first settler of this county. He gave me his hand and a hearty welcome to Faribault county. All present expressed the wish that I should decide to remain here. Soon after I returned to the hotel and went to tea and am now spending a quiet evening by the stove, jotting down the events of the day. While I can hardly believe that all the hopes of these people will be realized, yet I will say that I am much impressed with their courteous manners and affable conversation. I suppose I shall have to conclude to remain here, for a while at least. In the first place I am about out of money. In the second place the roads have become nearly impassable and in the third place, while everything here seems to be "prospects" the prospects certainly rest on the substratum of a good country. I shall leave the decision until to-morrow.
THE COUNTY FATHERS.
The commissioners met again on the 6th day of April. A new election district was established comprising all the territory of the county lying north of a line commencing at the northwest corner of section nineteen, township one hundred and three, range twenty- nine and running thence east to the boundary of the county. This district was named Winnebago City Precinct and W. N. Towndrow, H. T. Stoddard and E. Crosby were appointed judges of election and H. H. Bigelow, constable. The remainder of the county con- stituted Blue Earth City Precinct, and Albin Johnson, Allen Shultis and Benj. Gray were appointed judges of election and S. B. Miller, constable. Prior to this division the whole county constituted one election district. The county was now also divided into three road districts and Philip Chesley, O. N. Gardner and Dewitt Paddock, were appointed road supervisors. The board appointed Jas. B. Wakefield, judge of probate, L. P. Grout, county treasurer and H. P. Constans, sheriff. The petition of John Clabaugh and others, for the formation of a school district-the first one in the county- was presented and acted upon. The commissioners subsequently held meetings, as follows, on July 6th and 25th, Sept. 6th, Oct. 26th and Nov. 2d. The public interests required frequent meetings of the board. The action of the board at these several meetings of historical interest, is noted elsewhere.
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THE INDIAN EXCITEMENT.
Early in the spring occasional rumors reached the few settlers scattered through the county, of coming Indian troubles and af- forded grounds for serious apprehensions. Immediatly on the north of the county, lay the Winnebago Indian reservation and not more than seventy five miles distant, on the upper Minnesota, was the Sioux reservation. Peace had long existed between these tribes and the whites, but the Indians were restless and dissatisfied, espec- ially the Sioux. The people here were without any special protec. tion and the Indians roamed over the country unmolested, hunting and fishing. They disturbed no one and peace and quiet reigned within the county, but troublous times were near at hand. That the reader may have a proper understanding of the events about to happen, it is necessary that a brief account should be given of
THE SPIRIT LAKE MASSACRE.
This statement is taken from that valuable work, Neill's His- tory of Minnesota:
In northwestern Iowa. a few miles from the Minnesota boundary, there is a lake known as Spirit Lake. In the spring of 1856, persons from Red Wing, Minnesota, had visited this place and determined to lay off a town. In the winter of 1857 there were six or seven log cabins on the border of the lake. About Ilfteen or twenty miles north in Minnesota, there was also a small place called Springfield. For several years Inkpaduta, a Wapekuta Dakota, had been roving about with a few outlaws, being driven away from their own people by internal difficulties. These Indians were hunting in northwestern Iowa. when one was bitten by a white man's dog, which he killed. The whites then pro- ceeded to the Indian's camp and disarmed them, but they soon supplied them- selves agaln. After this they arrived on Sunday, the 8th of March, at Spirit Lake. They proceeded to a cabin where only men dwelt, and asked for beef. Understanding, as they assert, that they had permission to kill one of the cattle they did so and commenced cutting it up, when one of the white men came out and knocked down one of the Dakotas. For this act the settler was shot and another one coming out of the cabin he was also killed. Surrounding the house, the Indians now fired the thatched roof and as the men ran out all were killed making the whole number eleven. About the sametime, the In- dlans went to the house of a frontierman, by the name of Gardner and de- manded food and all the food in the house was given them. The son-in-law and another man left to go and see if all was right in the neighboring cabin, but they never came back. Toward night excited by the blood they, the In- dians, had been spilling through the day, they came back again to Mr. Gard- ners house and soon killed him, dispatching his wife, two daughters and grand children, carried off Abby, the surviving daughter. The next day they con- tinned their fiendish work and brought into camp Mrs. Thatcher and Mrs. Noble. * * On Thursday, the 12th day of March, an In- dian who had been on friendly terms with Marble's family, called at his house and told them that the white people below them on the lake had been nippoed (killed) a day or two previously. * * *
The next day (the 13th), quite early in the forenoon, four Indlans came to Marble's house and were admitted. They proposed to swap rifles with Marble
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FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
and the terms were soon agreed upon. After the swap the chief suggested that they should go out on the lake and shoot at a mark. Marble assented. After a few discharges they turned to come in the direction of the house, when the savages allowed Marble to go a few paces ahead and immediately shot him down. Mrs. Marble saw her husband fall and ran to him. The Indians seized her and told her they would not kill her, but would take her with them. They carried her in triumph to the camp whither they had previously taken the three other white women. * * * Inkpaduta and party now proceeded to Springfield, where they slaughtered the whole settlement about the 27th of March. * * *
The four captive women were forced by day to carry heavy burdens through deep snow and at nightfall they were made to cut wood and set up the tent and after dark, to be subject to the indignities that suggested themselves to savages.
Mrs. Thatcher and Mrs. Noble were soou after killed and Mrs. Marble and Miss Gardner were rescued, all having suffered cruel- ties too atrocious to name.
The reports of these diabolical deeds spread consternation throughout the territory, but especially along the frontiers which were entirely unguarded. No one knew to what extent the massa- cre would be carried nor of how many of the Indians were engaged in it.
How the news reached Blue Earth City and the consequent excitement and general results in this county, with many other interesting facts of this time, is best stated in the words of the Old Settler's Journal written at the time, from which we quoted above.
April 13th. We were suddenly awakened last night about twelve o'clock by the arrival of C. W. Wilson and A. Morris, who had been to Mankato on business, who informed us in a hurried and frightened manner of terrible mur- ders by the Indians and that the Sioux were now coming upon us from the north and that the settlers along the river were being murdered and their cab- ins burned. They had abandoned two loads of provisions on the way, which they had bought at Mankato, as they could not delay to bring them on. They urged us strougly to leave at once and then hastened on to inform the people southward on the river, to flee for their lives. The question arose for decision at once, what shall be done? There was here in the hotel, Mr. Kingsley, Mr. and Mrs. Constans and myself. Messrs Wakefield and Tenneson and the two Grouts were in their cabins near by. They came in, when a hurried consulta- tion was had. We were few in number and we had but few arms and but little ammunition. Would it not be best to go? On the other hand the night was dark, quite cold and the wind blowing very hard and there was but one way out, that is into Iowa and we should have to cross wide, unsettled prairies for forty miles to any known habitation, and we had no conveyance of any kind. Here, too, in the village were six or seven women, two of whom are ill. If we went they would have to be abandoned. We decided to stay, gather all into the hotel, fort up the best we could at once, and fight it out. Before daylight some thirty men with their families arrived from the neighboring settlement, but many others insisted on going on, and struck out over the prairies for Iowa. God help them! They must suffer much, yet they may be taking the wisest course. None knows what the result will be. We proceeded to fortify the
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house the best we could with our Halted means, and when daylight came, we found we had sufficient arms and ammunition, with what had been brought in, to stand a pretty long siege. More people arrived during the day with addl- tlonal arms and ammunition. A terrible dread and suspense seems to rest upon all. A strong guard will be placed out to-night.
April 14th. Evening. [A sort of military organization was offerted this morning. J. B. Gillit, who says he was In the "Patriot war" in Canada, was elected captain, and S. R. Miller, who saw service in Mexico, was chosen lieutenant These are the only men present who have had any military experience. A portion of the company was set to building a barricade at a dis- tance of about thirty feet from the house, and another party was directed to build a sort of rude bridge across the east branch to facilitate the passage of the people from the north and east to the fort. Not expecting an attack during the day, the people were distributed among the various cabins for convenience, but all to return to the fort in the evening. A number of settlers came in to-day and there is much excitement and many rumors. Many from insufficient clothing are suffering from cold. The children look half frozen. I was once on guard last night and guards will be stationed out to-night again. Each guard remains ont one hour, which, considering the cold, is long enough. There are five on each watch stationed around the house at a distance of fifteen to twenty rods. The practical use of these guards I don't see, but our business is to obey.
April 15th, 10 A. M. I was twice on guard last night and have slept but three hours since the beginning of the excitement. No one could sleep much here: the very dead would almost wake upin the hubbub and turmoil of scream- ing children, crying women and incessant running to and fro. No further news has been received this morning, but it was concluded to send a messenger to Mankato, to learn the condition of affairs. Mr. Dow volunteered to go and has gone, but it is thought quite risky. Two others went out in quest of several persons who went to their homes yesterday and were to return last evening, but did not.
G o'clock P. M. The party sent out after the missing men found them and all have just returned together. They report that they saw no signs of Indians but early this morning they heard four or five gun shots in the distance in a locality which the settlers had all left and are now here at the fort, and it is thought the Indians are skulking about there. I am much rested having had a sleep of two hours this afternoon, though the bed was not a very good one-only a blanket spread on the floor in the corner of the room. Just had supper-salt pork, just brought in, fried, potatoes considerably frozen, boiled, corn bread and fat. Board five dollars per week and "accommodations the best the country affords."
April 16th, 9 A. M. On guard once last night No further news this morn- ing. A squad was just sent out for some kind of provisions. Slept but little last night. Noise, noise, confusion, all the time, night and day. Getting very tired of this and who is not.
12 M. Three strangers-hang dog looking fellows-just arrived from below and say that the reports we have heard are greatly exaggerated and that there is no real danger. They are going on south. There is something in the manner of these men that is not just right and it is believed that they are lying for some purpose. 1 think myself, however, they are not far from the truth as to the reports.
3 P. M. William Granger, one of the founders of the Spirit Lake settle- inent and another gentleman of the same name, have just arrived from Spirit Lake, sixty mlles west. They report that forty persons were slaughtered at
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