USA > Minnesota > Mower County > The history of Mower County, Minnesota : illustrated > Part 33
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TAOPI.
In the spring of 1906 L. E. Bourquin, of Butler county, Iowa. believing Taopi afforded a favorable opening for a bank. decided to loeate there, and in May of that year opened a private bank called the "Bank of Taopi," in the Alleman store building. where
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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY
they transacted business until the completion of the two-story brick banking house erected that summer. In March, 1908, the bank was converted into a state organization, adopting as its corporate name "The First State Bank of Taopi," the incorpo- rators being W. F. Jordan, Thomas Kough, P. J. Peterson and L. E. Bourquin, with P. J. Peterson, president ; Thomas Kough, vice-president ; L. E. Bourquin, cashier, and A. J. Bourquini, assistant cashier. In October, 1910, L. E. Bourquin sold his interest to G. W. Pitts, vice-president of the Bank of Northi- western Iowa, at Alton, in that state, and his son, G. S. Pitts, of the same place, who then assumed the management of the bank. Directors are P. J. Peterson, W. F. Jordan, Thomas Kough, G. W. Pitts and G. S. Pitts, and the officers are G. W. Pitts, president ; Thomas Kough, vice-president ; G. S. Pitts, cashier, and Gladys C. Pitts, assistant cashier.
The last statement made to the superintendent of banks March 7, 1911, is as follows :
Resources .- Loans and discounts, $20,374.79; bank building and fixtures, $4,300; cash and due from banks, $10,475.17; other resources, $77.27; total, $35,227.23.
Liabilities .- Capital stock, $10,000; surplus, $500; deposits, $24,727.23; total, $35,227.23.
G. W. Pitts purchased about 2,500 acres of what is known as the "Big Taopi Farm," and has erected new farm buildings on some of the places, and is subdividing the large tract into smaller farms, and is active in promoting the interests of that locality.
The Mower County Transcript, one of the oldest newspapers published in Austin, for some time past has collected the state- ments of the different banks in the county and from them has compiled a condensed statement of all the banks, showing their capital and surplus, deposits, loans and discounts, and total resources. The one taken from the last reports, made March 7, 1911, in response to the call made by the comptroller of the cur- rency to the national banks, and by the superintendent of banks to the state banks, is as follows :
Condition of Banks of Mower County, Minnesota, March 7, 1911.
Capital and Surplus
Deposits
Total Resources $1.312.301.65
Loans and Discounts
First National, Austin
.$
232.720.26
S 983,981.39
Austin National, Austin.
.
67.647.19
315,483.59
431,930.78
232,803.67
Citizens National, Austin ..
52,502.33
152,876.82
255,834.56
119,552.35
First State, LeRoy ..
35,000.00
160,840.55
204.543.71
151,219,59
First National, LeRoy
30,000.00
190,898.01
250,010.35
166,358.13
First National, Grand Meadow.
29.635.75
180,076.05
233.566.30
118,560.57
Exchange State, Grand Meadow
29,000.00
236,267.61
267.232.39
193.701.28
First National, Lyle ..
33.223.28
214.465.51
270,010.32
168,064.31
First State, Rose Creek.
11,200.00
119.076.41
131.763.44
85,365.30
State Bank, Brownsdale.
11,000.00
48,625.05
59.625 05
36,683.99
First State, Dexter
12,500,00
82,324.28
94.324.28
64.081.41
Waltham State, Waltham
12.290.90
41.292.41
53.583.31
44.173.89
State Bank, Sargeant.
12,000.00
29.014.68
41.123.25
29,713.11
Racine State Bank, Racine.
17,000.00
74.966.75
92,347.63
56,007.46
First State, Taopi.
10,000.00
24,730.21
35,814.40
20,374.79
Totals
625.710.71
$3.072,120.31
$3,994,435.69
$2,389,885.90
173,900.07
First National, Adams.
30,000.00
217,200.99
260,424.27
729,325.98
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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY
CHAPTER XXIII.
PIONEER GIRLHOOD.
Reminiscences of Mrs. Lyman A. Sherwood-Trip From Winona-
Incidents on the Way - Arrival in Austin - Austin as a Pioneer Village-Fourth of July Celebration-Incidents of the Early Days-Life in "Old Headquarters"-Work on the Cemetery - Off for the Civil War - Indian Scare - Other Anecdotes.
Austin is fortunate in having as a resident one who came here as a girl, and has lived through the events which have made Austin what it is today. Sprightly as a woman half her years, it seems almost impossible that she saw Austin when but a cluster of houses existed here. There have been few movements in which she has not taken a part, and she is still in the prime of her activities, loved by the few left who knew hier as a girl, and revered and held in the deepest affection by the younger genera- tion. The following article by Mrs. L. A. Sherwood, formerly Alta Belle Albro, contains a few of her experiences, the hearing of which when she eonsents to tell them gives so much pleasure to her friends.
"Reminiscing" I find rather difficult, especially where one is writing for others to read. The events of the past come crowding so thick and fast that it is hard to choose that which will be the most interesting. I find myself going back to the beginning, or rather to the time when the J. L. Davidson family, consisting of father, mother and six children (the eldest brother being at Oberlin college at the time), moved from Winona, Minnesota, to Austin. Moving in those days was not "altogether a thing of beanty and a joy forever." There were no railroads and no easy transportations. One thing we did have, and that was bad roads and plenty of them. Having had a good bit of travel, for a child of my age, before coming to Minnesota, both by rail and boat, I was anticipating a great deal of pleasure in having a four-day trip "overland." We were not going in a "prairie schooner" or with oxen, as many did. We had fine horses, and with a part of our household goods well packed in two respect- able looking wagons, and the two cows tied behind, we made a very good appearance. It was on Wednesday, the 24th day of May, 1857, that we left Winona for Austin. Father couldn't talk of anything else. It was going to be another Chicago right away. Getting started rather late in the afternoon, we only went as far as Stockton the first day. I remember what a cosy little nest it
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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY
looked, nestled in among the hills. I thought I wouldn't mind staying there always. The weather was beautiful-birds were singing, flowers springing up all around, and the grass was like velvet, and I can remember as we drove along the next day how I enjoyed the winding up and down, in and out, around and about of that road that led us over the bluffs "and far away." We were to leave the bluffs Thursday, and I was enjoying every minute of the time. We had our lunch at noon in a beautiful spot between two bluffs. I had wanted several times during the forenoon to get down from the load and gather flowers, but no! there was no time for that ; we were moving. So I made a hasty meal at luncheon time and spent the rest of the time we were to stop in gathering the flowers and moss I had so much wanted. As we rode along on our "winding way" we could often touch the bluffs on one side, while on the other look way, way down, two or three hundred feet or more, and just discern a little stream, triekling along, singing its own little song. When we were on the top of one bluff we could look across and see where we would be on the next one if we ever got there. I had been cautioned when we started about sitting very still when I was on the load alone, for the seat was just laid on, and so far I think I must have remembered to "sit still," for nothing had happened. We were on the top of the last bluff. The road down was very steep. Father called and said "The wheels must be chained." So we stopped, brother got down from the wagon, and I was thinking how would we ever get down that hill, with the wheels chained, and I wanted to see how they chained the wheels. So I leaned over the side and down I went, and the next thing I knew I was going down hill at quite a speed. I was frightened, of course, but I had learned to roll down hill when quite a little girl at Susan B. Anthony's beautiful home, where I used often to vist with my mother, and I thought as I found myself going down, "If I can only steer away from those big rocks perhaps I won't get hurt." However, I think I must have been too much frightened to steer straight, for I was soon caught in a clump of bushes. I picked myself up and climbed to the top of the hill. Mother was so frightened when she saw me fall that she jumped from the wagon, forgetting all about the bird cage which she was carrying and had dropped. She was going after me. Father saw I would soon be in those bushes. So he held her back. After they found I was not hurt and the birds safe, they had a good laugh, very much at my expense, I am afraid. The wheels were chained and mother and I were back in our places. Father told me that here- after I had better keep my face to the front and my eyes looking straight ahead. The idea of giving a child, and a girl at that, such an order! Regardless of the chained wheels, we reached
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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY
the bottom of the hill in safety. The horses pricked up their ears and started off on a brisk trot. It looked like fair sailing now, and as we had left the birds behind (except our own) we began singing ourselves to while away the time. After a while we began having little patches of mud. Then there were more of them. They were larger, and deeper. The wagon would go up on one side and down on the other. I was beginning to wonder how father expected me to keep my face to the front and eyes looking straight ahead, or stay on the wagon either, but I hung on to something and did the best I could, for I hadn't had a father very long, and I confess I was a little bit afraid of him. Finally these mud holes were so bad we couldn't get through them with one team, so it took the four horses to pull the load through, then they would go baek and get the other load, and that is the way it was the most of the time till we reached High Forest Friday night. All this while we had had beautiful weather, but Saturday morning there was a change. Clouds began coming. It wasn't quite as warm, but we started bright and early, for it was our last day. About 10 o'clock it was raining hard and growing colder. The rain changed to snow and sleet. By noon we eould hardly see the horses, and they finally stopped and refused to go any further. There we were, on that bleak prairie, not a tree or shrub of any kind in sight, and not a house. There was one "lone tree," as it was ealled, somewhere, but nowhere near us. Anyone who has never crossed that prairie, in the old days, com- ing from Winona to High Forest, don't know what they have missed. As the horses wouldn't go another step, we coneluded to stay, too, and make ourselves as comfortable as possible. The wagons were put together in shape of a "V," the cows tied close behind and the horses close to the wagon box in front. Our bedding was put in the corner and mother, Della (sister) and I and the birds were in and covered up with more bedding, and told to keep still. We had tried to eat our lunch, but were so eold it was impossible. I don't know just how long we stayed there. It seemed a very long time to me, probably an hour and a half, when one of the boys said he believed he heard an empty wagon coming. The storm was beginning to pass away, and soon a man with an empty wagon stopped beside us. He said he was going our way, and the women folks could be put into his wagon. This was done, bedding under us and bedding over us. He said he had only to stop at Pierson's a minute, then he could go right on. When the wagon stopped we knew we must be at Pierson's. A man eame to the wagon and said, "What you got, Colby, a load of hogs?" and began lifting the quilts. Very sud- denly the quilts were dropped and we concluded the man didn't like the looks of Colby's pork. Our stop was very short and we
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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY
were soon on the way again. Mr. Colby, the gentleman who had befriended us, lived two miles out of Brownsdale, towards Aus- tin. When we reached his house we found it was five o'clock. Father and the boys came a while after with the teams. It was so late in the afternoon Mr. Colby thought we had better stay there till Monday, which we did, and were very grateful for the kind offer. We thought we never would get warm again. The Colby home consisted of one room down stairs and one above. There were three children.in the Colby family. Thinking of our stay there in after years, I wondered how they managed to stow ns ail away at night, but they did, and Sunday afternoon there was a Methodist class meeting there. We could do anything in these days.
Leaving the Colby family, whose hospitality we were so grate- ful for, we reached Austin Monday morning about ten o'clock, the twenty-ninth day of May, 1857. We came into town by the "Old Territorial road," now known as "Lansing avenue." We had a very good view of our future home. At the head of Main street, where the Fox residence is, was the home of L. N. Griffith. To the west on Water street, where the George Hormel residenee is, was the home of the Rev. Stephen Cook. That completed the houses of any deseription west of Main street. Main street at that time was nothing but hazel brush. There were no streets. One could go where one chose. We drove to the hotel kept by Snow & Wilbour, the only hotel in the town, located on Mill street, on the site of the Williams house. To go the same way today would take us through Murphey's dry goods store and the meat market of John Briebach. Across from the hotel there were two or three small buildings, one occupied by Yates & Lewis as a store. Dr. Orlenzer Allen, the father of Dr. A. W. Allen, now here, had a drug store in the same building. A little further east on the south side of the street, where the German hotel now stands, was a log building, the home and store of Father Brown. Water street had a few buildings. J. C. Ackley lived where the express offiee now is, or a lot below. Then there were perhaps half a dozen more going toward the river. A Mr. Walters lived in one. A Mr. Brown lived in another. Esquire Sylvester Smith and Dr. and Lawyer Allen lived in others. Possibly there were a few others. There were three houses on Chatham street, where the Elk hotel now stands. R. L. Kimble and his brother had a hard- ware store in the first. The postoffice was also there, and the family lived in the second floor. The next store was that of Sprague & Hanchett. The last was the home of Chauneey Lev- erich. I think these were all the buildings with the exception, possibly, of one or two others right in the same vicinity. I had taken them all in while waiting for father and mother to decide
303
HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY
what to do about remaining at the hotel. Of course I did not then know the names of the people, but learned them afterward.
And I am reminded right here how the first Dr. Allen hap- pened to make his home in Austin. In the fall of 1856 he started from his home in Wisconsin with his wife and son George for Faribault to locate. Coming by way of MeGregor, they reached Austin by night. So they were obliged to stay here until the next day. The hotel was so full they could not be accommodated there. Mr. Snow took them over to a Mr. Brown's, son of the merchant, living on Water street, where the large double house now stands. They found they could have a room for the night. They had been there but a few minutes when a man came for the doctor to pull a tooth. This he did for fifty cents. The next morning, while at breakfast, a man drove up to the door in great haste. He said he had heard that there was a physican there. He wanted him to go and see his wife, who was very ill. The doctor being a very kind-hearted man, could not refuse. So he went and did not go on his way to Faribault, as he had intended, the next day. The result of this hurry call was that Mower county had one more voter, and Dr. Allen decided to remain in Austin, where it was apparent he was very much needed. Thus he became our first physician and remained here for many years, finally going back to Wisconsin, where he felt that his duty called him. When he left here he retained his property, thinking to return. The time, however, never came, as he was called to his eternal home. His son came a few years later, bringing the dear mother with him. Mrs. Allen was one of our first callers, and the friendship begun in those early days continued until the day of her death, which was only four or five years ago, when she was in her eighty-second year.
"But to resume," as "Samanthy" says. We found after going into the house that the people were glad to see us and glad that we had come to town. But it was Monday morning, the house was full and there was not much to eat, and to have seven more come to dinner looked like a mountain to Mrs. Snow, as she confided to us after we became better acquainted. We decided to go over to the house. Father had bought a piece of salt pork and potatoes from Mr. Colby, we had brought some provisions with us, and thus could get our own dinner. So we started cross- lots again through hazel brush and I am afraid right through "The First National Bank." But that did not matter in those days. On reaching the building, mother did not know whether to laugh or to cry. It looked like a great barn. The front below was not inclosed. The stairs were on the outside. On going upstairs we found one large room. Not a word was said, but I think father must have known how we felt, for he said: "Well,
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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY
this is the only place. We'll have to stay here till the house is ready for us." Sis said: "Every back is fitted for its burden," so we went to work. The stove was immediately set up ; by noon the table was set, and a good dinner ready to be eaten, and what is more, seven hungry people ready to eat. By night we had a very comfortable looking home. Carpets and sheets were used for partitions, and if we didn't have all the comforts of life, we had a place to stay.
We had brought with us quite a supply of provisions, half barrel of butter, sacks of codfish, coffee and everything in that line, for father said it would be hard to get things to eat. What we wanted most was fresh meats. Once in a while a farmer would sell a pig, but unless one had ordered it or happened to get to the man first when he came to town, one was not so sure of getting a piece. The farmers hadn't many pigs to kill, and beef was out of the question. Callers began coming the very next day after our arrival. We thought it very kind in them to come and not to be formal about calling, and then they had a curiosity to see how we looked. They had been here all winter long and not a new arrival. We found there was another reason in several cases. Mrs. Kimbal was the first to come. How well I remember her-her black eyes snapping, with the fun that was in her. She stayed quite a while. Finally she said I like the looks of those cows about as much as anything ; don't you think you could let me have milk right along? There was no reason why we could not, so mother said yes, she could have it by the quart. Mother didn't know how much it would be as yet. Mrs. Kimbal said she had been paying ten cents a quart all the time; that was what everybody paid. Mother thought if that was the case, that's what we would charge, but it was terrible. The callers didn't always want something to eat, but when they did they knew they could have it. The boys were going to Winona every week for lumber for the house, and they could always bring out supplies of some kind, and in this we all did quite a bit of trading, which finally led to our having a store of our own. No man would go to the "river" for goods of any kind unless others were going. It wasn't safe. The roads were in such a terrible condi- tion the most of the time that they might find themselves going to China, and no one to help. So if there wasn't two teams to go no one went, or it was very seldom one would start out alone. And it was so easy to get out of things. One little incident I must mention. Father came in one day and said : "Wife, have you any darning needles?" Mother answered : "Yes, two or three. Why, did you want them ?" "No, I was just down to Brown's store; a man from the country came in for supplies, among them darning needles. Mr. Brown had but two; the man wanted both. Mr.
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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY
Brown wouldn't let him have both; it would break his assort- ment, and besides someone else might want one. I thought if you didn't have any, I'd go and get that one."
The second Sunday we were here there was a terrific storni came up in the afternoon. It came so quickly there was no time to think what to do. We were all outdoors, mother, Della and I. We hurried upstairs as fast as possible, but could hardly get up, the wind was so bad. We were in just in time to see the west windows blown in. We couldn't keep the door shut, so I found a stick and braced it against the door, then sat on it to keep it in place. Milk pans were blown off, shelves and everything went helter skelter. We expected the house would go over. The men couldn't get upstairs, and they expected every minute to see the building go over. Galloway's new building blew down; also Mr. Ackley's new house, which was being built where the "Hub" building now stands, was blown down, but we were spared any serious accident. Every one in town was ready to come to our assistance and was watching our building till the storm had passed.
We had a Fourth of July, too, that first summer. The exer- cises were held somewhere near Kenwood avenue, west, under the beautiful oaks, which at that time might have been taken for a good sized orchard. We had a "fife and drum" to head the procession. Esquire Smith was president of the day, Judge Allen read the Declaration of Independence, Rev. Mr. Gurney gave the address, Rev. Cook offered the prayers, and the singing was what might have been expeeted from a much larger town. The singers were Wm. Cook, John F. Cook, Rufus Kimble, John Hallot, Quincy Andrews, Mrs. Dr. Wheat, Mrs. R. Kimble, Mrs. J. L. Davidson and Hattie Adams. I was too small to be in the ehorns, but my hoop skirt was there, borrowed for the occasion and worn by one of the ladies.
Flowers decked the speakers' stand, called from nature's green house. Everything had passed off finely. They had come to the end of the program when the president arose to make his last remarks, closing by saying, "We have been hearing about all kinds of institutions this morning, now we will adjourn to the bread-and-butter institution," when down went the platform and everybody on it. It had been built rather high, and not very se- cure, and was so surprised with the amount of talent Austin had displayed that it just collapsed. No damage was done. Every- one felt so happy on that beautiful day that they were not going to let a little thing like that mar their pleasure. Ample justice was done to the good things that had been prepared to make men happy. People came from far and near, with ox teams, horse teams and on foot, to that first "Fourth of July " celebration.
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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY
Austin was always an adventurous town, it seems, adding a good deal of spice to every undertaking. Austin had been chosen the county seat, but we had to steal the records in order to get them. These were hid under a bed for safe keeping until the excitement had died out. The county treasurer did not know what he could do for excitement, but finally decided to burn the books. J. E. Willard, deeiding to return east (or rather his wife deeiding), determined to let his friend, Ed. Ford, have his office as elerk of the court. Another man, however, went to Judge Donaldson and got his official appointment, feeling quite gay that he had for onee outwitted someone. But when he wanted the be- longings to the elerk's office, those holding them would not give them up. Thus some time passed. Finally a plan was made by which to get the desk and records, the desk being nothing but a table about three feet long with a box containing a few pigeon holes. The elerk's office at the time was in Galloway's store by the front window, behind the counter. A customer was found that would go some night after dark and purchase some goods that was kept in the cellar. As one small lamp was the only light kept in the store in the evening that light had to be taken to the eellar. While the parties were in the cellar with the light, Allen Mollison jumped over the counter, which was quite near the door, and the "clerk's office" was easily lifted over the counter and went to its new home. Everything seemed to be all right, but the "seal." That could not be found, and it was some time be- fore it was found. Then in some mysterious way it came to light again and was hid in a pile of calicoes in Mrs. Davidson's store, till it was thought safe to produce it.
The first concert given in Austin was by the Sherwood broth- ers, assisted by John Hallot, a young gentleman living in Austin at the time. It was given in Headquarters the latter part of July, 1857. A little later a. family by the name of Baker came and gave us a treat in the musical line. So from the first Austin has always been called a musical town.
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