USA > Minnesota > Mower County > The history of Mower County, Minnesota : illustrated > Part 42
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CHURCHES.
Methodist Episcopal Church. The first Methodist Episcopal services in Brownsdale were held by the Rev. Moses Mapes, in the year 1856. A year later, the Rev. Mr. Dyer organized the work ; Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Schimmerhorn, Mr. and Mrs. John Call and Mrs. F. M. Drown were among the charter members. Among the prominent preachers of early days, besides the two above mentioned, were the Rev. Trowbridge, Rev. David Tice and Rev. Mr. Satterlee. As yet they had no church building, serviees were not held regularly and the work was not very strong. In May, 1889, Rev. Robert Forbes, D. D., presiding elder at that time, reorganized the work, and Rev. H. L. St. Clair was appointed the first resident pastor. In the spring of 1890 work was begun on a new house of worship, and in the fall of 1891 the present church was finished and dedicated, during Rev. B. E. Sherwin's pastor- ate. In the summer of 1895, while Rev. A. MeCausland was pastor, a parsonage was built. The church has maintained its place and made steady progress sinee its organization, being now the head of a circuit of three churches. The Brownsdale church has a membership of eighty-two with a flourishing Sunday school of 143 members. Rev. Harry W. Bedford, the present pastor, was appointed to the church in October, 1909.
First Baptist Church. In the spring of 1856, among the early settlers of the township was Rev. Milo Frary, a Baptist clergy- man, from Connectieut. He seems to have been devoted to his calling, for asking little or no compensation, he preached quite regularly at the schoolhouse in Brownsdale, for two or three years. After he left, other ministers of the same denomination preached here at irregular intervals. Prominent among them was
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Rev. H. I. Parker, formerly of Beaver Dam, then a resident of Austin. Rev. Mr. Parker organized a Baptist church May 26, 1867, at the residence of A. H. Marsh, consisting of the follow- ing members : A. H. Marsh, Mrs. A. H. Marsh, L. W. Thompson, Mrs. L. Edwards. At the same time the following were accepted as candidates for baptism, that rite being administered the ensu- ing Sunday : Lucius Edwards, E. W. Conner, Mrs. E. W. Conner. Mr. Parker continued to preach to them and at the Baptist church at Austin on alternate Sundays, until the following November, when he was succeeded by Rev. N. Whittemore, who preached to them until July, 1868, from which time the church was without a pastor until January, 1869, when Mr. Parker resumed his pastoral relations with it, continuing to preach here as before, on alternate Sundays, until the spring of 1871.
The meetings had been held in the schoolhouse, but by previ- ous notice the citizens of Red Rock gathered at the store of B. F. Bacon on June 25, 1869, to see about the erection of a Baptist church building. As A. D. and H. A. Brown donated the corner on Oak and Main streets for a site, the soliciting cont- mittee soon reported $1,795 subscribed, six citizens signing $100 each and the rest signing from $75 down to $10. The building was erected in 1870 by J. B. Graves.
In September, 1871, Rev. Thomas Weaver was called to the pulpit. He remained with the church until October 2. 1874. From this time no regular preaching services were held in the church for several years, after which being somewhat in debt for their church building, they sold it to the Congregational society, receiv- ing money enough to pay their indebtedness, and taking a mort- gage to secure the payment of the balance. The Congregational society finding themselves unable to meet obligations, relinquished all elaim on the church building, which thus came again into the possession of the Baptist society. The church has had no regular preaching until the fall of 1882, when Rev. C. D. Belden took charge of the same, holding service here once in two weeks. In January, 1884, a series of meetings was commenced by Mr. Belden and continued about six weeks, resulting in the addition of twenty-one, the membership then being thirty-four. Mr. Bel- den supplied the pulpit at intervals until August, 1887, when the church was supplied with new pews. From September, 1887, until May, 1888, Rev. T. S. Eigelberner supplied the pulpit. In October, 1889, W. J. Sanborn came from New Hampshire and supplied the pulpit for a year. In September, 1891, Rev. M. Stadtfelt of Byron, became pastor, remaining until April, 1893. In 1895 the residence of A. J. Hunt was purchased for a parson- age. The following have been pastors since in the order named : Rev. S. McMinis, June, 1893. to August, 1894; Rev. E. Williams,
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October, 1894, to November, 1895; Rev. M. B. Critchett, Novem- ber, 1896, to October, 1897; Parker Smith, January, 1898, to Feb- ruary, 1899 ; S. A. Middleton, August, 1899, to August, 1900; N. J. Lee, May, 1901, to May, 1903; J. G. Johnson, July, 1903, to March, 1904; A. L. Holden, August, 1904, to August, 1905; T. B. Frizelle, May, 1906, to January, 1908; T. M. Gilpin, December, 1909, to March 15, 1911. The church has enjoyed special services at various times until the membership now reaches ninety members.
Christian Church. The first members of the Christian church in this place were Mr. and Mrs. John Setzer and their daughter, Mary, from Virginia, who came to this state in July, 1857. The first religious services of this denomination were held in the schoolhouse in Brownsdale, June, 1858, by Elder Grant, of Brown- ville, Minn. A few weeks later, in July, 1858, a church was organ- ized by Elder Charles Le Van, consisting of the following mem- bers: John Setzer, Abegal Setzer, Hilliard Tilton, Mary Tilton, Henry C. Rogers, Lydia A. Stimson, Philip Setzer, Emily Setzer, Thomas Alred, Sarah Alred, Harvey E. Anderson, Ann Anderson, Frank Wood, Barbary Rugg, Charles F. Hardy, Augusta Dunton and Amanda Setzer. During the summer of 1876 the church erected a small church edifice costing something over $1,000. After a time the congregation was scattered. The building was sold and the money given to the Christian church at Austin.
Free Will Baptist Church. This church was organized some- time in 1859, by Rev. Mr. Reeves, of Pleasant Grove, who with Rev. Mr. Chamberlain, of Fillmore county, held a series of meet- ings in the schoolhouse in Brownsdale. Among the first members were: Mrs. Nehemiah Woodard, Mrs. Almeda Johnson, J. L. Lesher, Mrs. J. L. Lesher.
Rev. John L. Lesher, the first settled pastor, came from Wis- consin to this place in 1859. He preached here for several years, when he moved to Udolpho, and subsequently to Iowa. After he left, the church, never a strong one, became so reduced by removals and deaths that its organization was given up. This church was merged in the other Baptist church.
INDUSTRIES.
The Red Rock Creamery Association was incorporated in 1883 with a capital stock of $10,000, with the following officers: President, L. Kirkland; secretary, Charles Gage ; treasurer, J. B. Graves; directors, Peter Hanson, T. K. Dahl, and D. L. Tanner. Cows not being plenty, the ereamery struggled along, manufac- turing from 25,000 to 50,000 pounds of butter annually until 1903, when the present management took hold of it, and built it up to the present mark of 190,000 pounds a year, a record which was
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reached in 1910. The present officials are: President, W. B. Sleeper ; treasurer, J. B. Graves; secretary and treasurer, W. H. Lawrence; directors, H. E. Woodard, George W. Foster and A. B. Warren.
Cargill Elevator. Joe Starkey took charge of the elevator August 1, 1890, and remained in charge for three years. Earl Miner then took charge for five years, until 1898. Ralph Muncy took charge for one year, until 1899. Then Mr. Schroeder took charge for three years until 1902. Then Martin Stephenson bonght the Cargill elevator and operated it until 1905, selling it to the Pierce-Stephenson Elevator Company. In 1907 Mr. Stephenson bought back the elevator and has owned it ever since. The La Crosse Grain Company, of which Mr. Stephenson is president, owns elevators at Dexter, Renova, Racine and Sargeant.
Martin Stephenson came to the United States March 28, 1877, from Denmark, and located in Brownsdale, working on the rail- road until 1879. He then worked in the elevator for Bonner, Wheeler & Hyde, being in their employ for two years. Bonner & Wheeler withdrew from the company and the firm of Hodges & Hyde. was organized and Mr. Stephenson was employed by this firm for ten years. Mr. Hodges then withdrew from the com- pany and the S. Y. Hyde Elevator Company was organized and Mr. Stephenson worked for this company for fourteen years, until the Pierce-Stephenson Elevator Company was organized. This firm continued for two years, until the La Crosse Grain Company was organized, and Mr. Stephenson is now the president and manager for this company. Mr. Stephenson was married in 1881 to Caroline Thompto, five children have been born to them, Henry, Marion, Stanley, Grace, and Knute, all living.
The Huntting Elevator. Stokes and Drown built an elevator about the year 1890, and operated it for four years, when they sold out to George W. Hunt, who operated the elevator for ten years, selling ont to the Huntting Elevator Company in 1904, who have operated the elevator ever since, C. M. Syck being their buyer.
Brownsdale Telephone Exchange. In 1899 while engaged in the newspaper business, L. L. Quimby conceived the idea that it would be a fine thing to have a telephone in the depot. In this the business men concurred, each purchasing their own telephone instrument and Mr. Quimby, with the financial assistance of G. M. Shortt, the depot agent, put up the line, with nine telephones on it, charging each subscriber 50 cents per month. Later Mr. Shortt sold his interest to Mr. Quimby. In the fall of 1900 the storekeeper at Mayville called for a phone and with a few farm- ers on between, the line was put up. George Wuertz being the first farmer to sign up. Most of the farmers were rather skeptical
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at first, but it has proved to be such a good thing that nearly everyone began calling for phones. The exchange has grown so that it now embraces the villages of Lansing, Brownsdale, Wal- tham, Sargeant and Mayville and the farmers between, and the lines are continually being extended. Telephone rentals are $1 per month, with night and day service and long distance eonnee- tion so that the farmer can talk to the nearest market or the remotest eity.
Present Business. Among the present business houses of Brownsdale may be mentioned: A. E. Warren, general mer- chant ; State Bank of Brownsdale, N. K. Dahle, president ; George M. Shortt, eashier; N .. K. Dahle & Co., hardware, furniture, machinery and agricultural implements; eommereial hotel, De Witt Holbrook, proprietor; C. F. Coleman Lumber Co .; M. G. Braun, eity meat market ; C. O. Sleeper, patent medicines, notions and groceries; Brownsdale Telephone Exchange Company, L. L. Quimby, secretary and manager; Huntting Elevator Company, grain and seeds, established in 1860, J. H. Ellsworth, president ; C. E. Huntting, treasurer ; D. S. Baird, secretary ; C. A. Sleeper, dry goods and notions; James Fries, general blacksmithing and plow work; J. W. Dishon, shoes, harnesses, blankets and whips; La Crosse Grain Company, grain, seeds and coal, M. Stephenson, president ; N. K. Dahle, vice president; George M. Shortt, seere- tary and treasurer ; Ole Hanson, blacksmithing; J. N. Thateher & Sons, contraetors and builders; Paee & Iverson, painters and paper hangers; Mrs. Carlos Sleeper, millinery goods; Hunt & Sleeper, real estate; George Gammell, live stock and poultry; J. F. Knoz, barber; Charles Hoy, drayman; H. C. Volkmann, stone mason; A. L. Sleeper & Sons, Sleeper's Lightning Fly Poison ; George Gilleland, feed mill; Red Roek Creamery Asso- eiation, W. B. Sleeper, president ; J. B. Graves, treasurer; W. H. Lawrence, secretary and treasurer.
DISASTROUS FIRES.
Brownsdale was visited January 9, 1880, by a fire which destroyed Cargill & Van's elevator and ruined or burned 35,000 bushels of grain, entailing a loss in all of about $50,000.
In the summer of 1899, the village was swept by a fire which devastated the corner of Main and Mill streets and destroyed eight buildings, causing a heavy loss.
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CHAPTER XXX.
LE ROY TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE.
Location and Area-First Events-Early Settlement-Organiza- tion-Old Village-LeRoy Village-Beginning the New Vil- lage-LeRoy in 1868-Early Business-LeRoy in 1871-LeRoy in 1884-Religious-Cemeteries-Modern LeRoy-Disasters.
This is the southeast corner township of Mower county, and comprises congressional township 101 north, range 14 west. It is bounded on the north by Bennington township, on the east by Fillmore county, on the south by Howard county in Iowa, and on the west by Lodi township.
The general surface of the township is undulating prairie land, the soil of which is a dark rich loam, with sand enough in its composition to make it one of the most productive in the entire county. Along the streams for a considerable distance back there is a limestone base, with somewhat of a lighter soil, but none too much so for the production of abundant crops. The whole town- ship is, by nature and formation, calculated for successful farm- ing. All the grains and grasses grow in all their luxurianee.
The principal water courses of the township are the upper Iowa and its branches. The former enters the township on sec- tion 19, passing across the northeast quarter of section 30, on through sections 29, 28, 27, thence across the northeast portion of sections 34 and 35 to section 36, from which section it flows into Howard county, Iowa, and so on down to the Mississippi river. A branch of this stream drains the northern and central parts of the township and makes a confluence with the main stream on section 28.
Another everflowing stream courses through sections 30 and 31. This is known as Spring Creek, and enters the upper Iowa river from section 30. There are also numerous cold, pure springs gushing to the surface in various parts of the township. They make their appearance nearly on a level with the waters of the upper Iowa river and usually become covered by the river waters at its high stages. One peculiarly striking and valuable spring bubbles up from the earth on the northwest quarter of section 29. This is a strong mineral spring, partaking of iron. The township is amply supplied with the best of building stone. It is the best quality of limestone which is near the surface, in ledges ranging from four to eighteen inches in thickness, and ex- tending nearly a mile baek from the streams. From this stone the best of lime is burned.
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SETTLEMENT.
The beginning of settlement in this township dates back to 1853, when Isaac Van Houghton, George Squires, J. S. Priest, Moses Niles and Isaac Armstrong came to a county all untried by white men, and here set about making homes for themselves. Van Houghton came with the state line surveyors in 1852. He was pleased with the county and its future prospects, concluded to claim lands, and also induced the other members of the party just mentioned to come and seek a home with him. They all came from the same neighborhood, near Lansing, Iowa. Van Houghton claimed the southeast quarter of section 36, and Squires the northwest quarter of the same section. This, how- ever, was prior to the subdivision of land into sections, and when it came to be thus surveyed it was found their lands were on the school section, and as they could not prove up on it, Van Hough- ton sold his claim improvements in June, 1854, to Fayette Lin- coln and at once returned to Iowa, remained a few years, and from there moved to Michigan, where he died. Squires sold his claim to Daniel Caswell in 1855, and soon after moved to Owa- tonna, where he remained till 1859, and then moved to California. Niles and Priest claimed the southeast half of section 35. They also disposed of their lands before the war broke out. Niles moved to Anoka county and Priest to Nebraska, where he was killed in a well. Armstrong claimed the west half of section 33. In 1854 he sold to William Gilson and went to Steele county. In 1858 he returned to this county, lived a year and then moved to Buchanan county, Iowa. He served in the Union army, and while in the service died. In June, 1854, Lafayette Lincoln, a native of Vermont, came from Dane county, Wisconsin, and bought Van Houghton's claim. He erected a frame house-the first in the township-broke forty acres and lived thereon till 1856, when he sold to James W. Prentice and moved over the line into Howard county, Iowa. Prentice was a native of Vermont, but came from Postville, Iowa, to this township. He died prior to 1882.
During the same year, 1854, George and John Britt, Samuel Bacon, Palmer HI. Stevens, Moses Vargason and Wentworth Hayes came in to swell the already fair-sized colony of pioneers. The Britts were from Indiana. George claimed the northwest quarter of section 19, where he built a log cabin and broke about ten acres of land. In 1855 he sold to P. F. Huntly and made a claim on section 20, which he sold the following autumn to A. D. Parks. He moved to Chain Lake, Iowa, at which point he had trouble with the Indians, and by whom he was shot and badly wounded. Later, he moved to his native state. Vargason was a native of Pennsylvania, coming from Waukon, Iowa, to this
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place. He preempted the west half of the southeast quarter of section 33. He lived there about ten years, then sold out and bought land on section 35, on which place he died in 1879. Hayes was from New Hampshire. He preempted the north half of the southeast quarter of section 29, and west half of the southwest quarter of section 28.
The winter of 1854 having come and gone and the spring of 1855 far advanced, there were others who made settlement. Among this number were A. J. Palmer, Nathan McNeil, Ziba B. Dailey, Lester Congdon, David Allen, LeGrand Johnson, J. C. Jones, W. B. Spencer, James Sample, P. F. Huntly, John Frank, A. D. Park, Henry Edmonds, Joseph Lytle, Sylvester McArthur, Ed. Whitcomb, Daniel Caswell, James Story, E. F. McKee, Reu- ben Allen. McNeil eame from Illinois, but by nativity was a Ca- nadian. He preempted the northwest quarter of section 34, which is the land upon which the village of LeRoy now stands. He was of a restless nature and hence never stopped long in one place. In 1857 he sold out and moved to Howard county, Iowa. Later, he moved to Dakota. Dailey was a native of Pennsylvania, com- ing from Boone county, Indiana, to this township, settling on section 34. Congdon came from Belvidere, Illinois, and located on the southeast quarter of section 28, where he lived some years, but later moved to Bradford, Bremer county, Iowa. Park came from New York. He settled on section 20, where he remained, in 1884. Lytle came from Pennsylvania, settling on the southeast of section 17. In 1864, he sold out and moved to Nebraska. John- son was a native of Pennsylvania also. He preëmpted land on the southwest quarter of section 35. He died there the summer of 1861. Spencer, another Pennsylvanian, located on a claim bought from John Britt, on sections 20 and 29. Later he preempted an- other farm. James Sample, Sr., a native of Canada, came from Illinois to Mower county, and made a claim on section 6, which he sold a year or two later to Elihue Morse, after which he made another claim in Fillmore county, where he died. Frank was a native of Germany, born at Frankfort-on-the-Main. He came on in 1855, but did not make an actual settlement until 1856, when he bought the northwest quarter of section 30, where he still lives, having become one of the leading men of southern Minne- sota. Huntly was formerly from New York, coming from Iowa here, and buying a claim of George Britt on section 19. Palmer was also from New York. He came in the month of June and pre- empted the northeast quarter of section 34. For a time he lived in the old village of LeRoy, where he had an interest in the mill. John was a practicing physician-the first to settle in the town- ship. He preempted 120 aeres on the northeast quarter of seetion 29. It was nearly all timber land. He built a log house, culti-
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vated a garden spot and remained till 1857, when he sold out and located on section 8, where his mother had preëmpted land. In 1865 he sold to J. R. Mason and moved to Missouri. His wife was also a physician. Allen was another representative from New York; he was a grandnephew of Ethan Allen. He had been brought up on the frontier, being a pioneer in Canada, Michigan, and Illinois. He was a great hunter, and accounted an excellent shot. As the county was fast settling up he became restless, and in 1859 sold, and with his family went to California. Edmonds had settled in Fillmore county in 1854. He bought the water power and adjacent land of Henry Stevens, who preempted it and had erected a saw mill. He sold to Palmer, Caswell & Shook, and returned to his farm in Fillmore county, four miles east of the present village of LeRoy. Edward Whitcomb came from Wisconsin and preempted 120 acres on section 21, and later moved to section 31, where he died in 1883.
In 1856, F. Bevier, Lewis Mathews, Horace Barber, Isaac Smith, J. M. Wyckoff, A. J. Porter, Elder Tabor, N. P. Todd, Eli- hue Morse, George Clapper, Samuel Hale, W. A. Gilson, Chas. Bell, Albert Estlie and many others came in for settlement. Morse was from Connecticut, coming here from Indiana, and settled on the northwest quarter of section 6, and was the first settler in the northern part of the township. Charles Bell came from Indiana in the month of June, and claimed the northeast quarter of section 19. He sold this place in 1861, and moved to section 17. Bevier was from New York. He preempted the east half of the southwest quarter of section 27, and the west half of the southeast quarter of that section. Mathews was also a native of New York, but came here from Rock county, Wisconsin. He first settled at the old town of LeRoy, where he bought an in- terest in the mill property on section 26. He lived in the town about ten years, then sold and moved to Montour, Tama county, Iowa, where he engaged in banking and merchandising. Smith was a native of Maine. He preempted the south half of section 19. He was a man finely educated and a teacher. In 1870 he moved to Dodge county, Minnesota, and still later to Mapleton, Blue Earth county. He represented that county in the legisla- ture at one time. He was ordained a Free Will Baptist minister while there. He died in the fall of 1882. Barber was a native of Vermont, coming here from Illinois, settling on section 35. He was a single man at the time, but married in 1858. He died abont 1878. Wyckoff and Todd were both natives of New Jersey, and eame directly to Minnesota. The former settled on the northeast quarter of section 30, where he lived until 1862. He is now living in the village, where he is a venerable and distin- guished citizen. Todd settled on the southwest quarter of section
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30. In 1859 he returned to his native state. Gilson was a native of Albany, New York. He went back to that state in a year or two and married. He preempted the east half of the southwest and east half of the northwest quarter of section 33. He lived there till 1857 and built a house and store in the old town of LeRoy, where he engaged in the mercantile business.
Elder John Tabor, of the Methodist denomination, was a native of England. He settled on section 10, where he lived two years. In 1883 he moved to New Mexico, to a point about forty miles from Trinadad.
Among others who came in 1857 were Justus Nason, Elias Gardner, George Emery, C. H. Cotton, W. H. Graham, Robert Hedafint and Rudolph Miller; also Caleb Lewis and Charles Smith. Nason was a native of New Hampshire, coming from Boone county, Illinois, settling on section 13. Gardner eame from Illinois, settling on seetion 26. In the time of the Civil war he sold and returned to that state. Emery, a native of Massachu- setts, settled on the southeast quarter of section 13 and lived there about two years, when he returned to the east. C. H. and T. W. Cotton, brothers, were formerly from New York, but came here from Illinois. The former preempted the north half of the south half of seetion 23. T. W., his brother, entered the north- west of section 24. A few years later he sold out and moved to Faribault county. Hale, an Englishman by birth, came from Illinois and settled on the northeast of section 9. Graham and Hedafint both came from Ireland. The first named settled on the northeast of section 23, and later moved to St. Louis. Hedafint settled on section 14, and in 1884 lived at Fort Dodge, Iowa. Miller, a native of Switzerland, settled on the southeast quarter of section 12. Later he moved across the line into Beaver town- ship, Fillmore county. Caleb Lewis also eame that year, from Indiana, and bought Mr. Jennings out on section 7. He built the first brick farm house in LeRoy township.
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