USA > Minnesota > Mower County > The history of Mower County, Minnesota : illustrated > Part 46
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At a meeting of the first village council, May 18, 1875, it was decided to hold all regular meetings of the council on the first Monday of each month, and this rule has always been adhered to. The first order was drawn for $11.25, in favor of H. Wiseman, for painting the village "lock-up." For the first four years the annual village election was held in May, but on March 11, 1879, a special charter election was held and the second Tuesday in March has since been known as a "red letter" day in the village.
Those who have served in the capacity of recorder since the village was organized are many, and with one or two exceptions were expert penmen. The list is as follows: John C. Taskerud, four months; Wm. Stanley, five years; E. O. Fausett, one year; W. T. Dudley, three years; L. D. Carter, one year; J. S. Jacob- son, one year; E. L. Stanley, two years ; J. S. Schuyler, five years; J. A. Curran, four years ; John Gould, five years; L. A. Sherman, six years; and George M. Anderson, our present incumbent, has served in that capacity the past three years.
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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY
RECOLLECTIONS OF EARLY LYLE.
(By L. W. Sherman.)
Early settlers of Mower county relate that until the spring of the year 1870 the ground where now stands the town of which I write was part of an extensive prairie extending to the limit of sight on either hand, except for a fringe of timber along the Cedar river on the west and the noted "Six-Mile Grove" to the east. No laborer's spade or farmer's plow had overturned the sod of its rich soil to the light of the warming sun. All was vast, vacant and still.
In that year came the construction erews of the Chicago, Mil- waukee & St. Paul Railroad Company, building the "cut-off" between Austin and Mason City. Lyle was then established as a station on the line, taking its name from the township of which it was a part. It was platted June 18, 1870, and the plat was filed in the office of the register of deeds of Mower county, Novem- ber 10 of the same year.
O. N. Darling was the first station agent. Bassett, Huntting & Co., of McGregor, Iowa, built the first grain warehouse, and their agent, W. H. Culton, became the first grain buyer.
The town at once became prominent as a market, owing to rivalry with Mona, Iowa, one mile south, then the terminus of the Cedar Falls branch of the Illinois Central Railroad.
E. Hoxsie was for several years conductor of the "mixed" passenger and freight train running over the "cut-off," and it became noted far and near as "Hoxsie's train," the name "Mil- waukee" being searcely known and little used to designate road or train.
The first "mart of trade" consisted of a few boards nailed up into a shack or shanty. The goods for sale were kept in kegs, jugs and bottles, and usually carried away "inside" the purchas- ers. A prominent citizen of the vicinity venturing to protest against this to the superintendent of the railroad and proprietor of the town plat, received the unsatisfactory answer: "You can't build up a town here in the west without a saloon."
Thor. Irgens established the first general store, and was com- missioned the first postmaster. J. R. Hall was the first blacksmith, mingling his duties as village smithy with others of an official character, being justiee of the peace under authority of the town- ship. Hle soon disposed of his business interests and was suc- ceeded by John Reinschmidt, a strenuous and somewhat noted character, well remembered by the old residents.
The first lumber yard was opened by L. A. Page, who soon disposed of his interests to Culton, the grain buyer.
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The first hotel was conducted by John Trodler and wife. Their chief revenue was from the sale of liquor at the bar.
The first shoemaker was Peter Johnson, he being succeeded by everybody's friend, B. D. Hedemark, who continued in the same line until mown down by "the grim reaper" in 1909.
Peter Hanson made the first harness in the new village, and still continues in the same business, though in late years badly handicapped by broken health.
The first drug business was conducted by Williams & Scarf, who also dispensed "spirituous, vinous and malt liquors."
The first hardware firm was Fausset & Gunderson. They, too, sold liquors under license.
Wold & Olson were pioneers in the furniture and upholstering business, while Andrew B. Johnson opened up and conducted the first watch repairing and jewelry establishment.
John Hader and Philip Schodron were the first butchers and purveyors of meats to the people of the vicinity.
Lyle was incorporated as a village by special act of the state legislature, approved March 9, 1875. The first officers elected under this act were as follows: Mayor, L. W. Sherman; recorder, J. C. Taskerud; treasurer, Th. Irgens; marshal, Peter Knutson; assessor, Ph. Mclaughlin; city justice, L. W. Sherman, John Trodler; councilmen, O. H. Lucken, Ph. Mclaughlin. The first meeting of the council was held May 17, 1875.
The first bank, "The Exchange," was established a short time after the destructive fire of 1892, by A. H. Anderson. In the year 1900 this was merged in "The First National," Mr. Ander- son becoming its first president, and serving in that capacity until his death in 1910.
The first religious services were held in the waiting room of the Milwaukee depot, conducted by Rev. Wm. Lowry, a Presby- terian minister residing in Freeborn county. These were soon discontinued, owing to lack of interest. No other services in English were maintained until Rev. J. S. Rounce, of Rose Creek, commenced the first continuous work, holding semi-weekly meet- ings in the schoolhouse. These resulted in the organization of the first church society, the Congregational, in March, 1886, and the erection of the first church building the same year.
In 1873 C. R. IInghson organized the first Sabbath school in the small first sehool building. This he, as superintendent, with some others interested, maintained for a considerable time and made a small beginning, at least, in arousing children and parents to their need of spiritual development through religious instruction.
In the early days the village constituted a part of school dis-
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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY
triet No. 15, known as "Minnereka." The distance of the school- house from town prevented all but the larger scholars from attend- ing, so a private school was started by subscription, and taught by Miss Clark, who thus became first teacher. The district was divided in 1873, and No. 90 was formed, a small schoolhouse erected, and the first organized school was taught by S. Anna MeCune, of Austin.
But these recollections of pioneer times, being mostly frag- ments of memory, are not and cannot be reliable history, for with advancing age the faculties of mind are apt to play sad tricks upon us. Yet should be called to mind the names and achieve- ments of many first citizens. Such men as C. H. Cole and H. B. Dow, John Halvorson, Peter Knutson, J. O. and A. O. Myhre, M. O. Wilson, O. T. Lund, P. K. Everson and R. Reierson, all merchants of snecess, as well as the Stanleys, father and son, L. W. Sherman, the lumberman, and J. H., his brother, buyer for many years at the Huntting elevator; the Hildebrands, brothers four, and many others, more or less successful in building up their own interests, helped to advance the growth of trade, and the establishment of civic improvement.
Two events of note, as affecting the surrounding region and, incidentally, the people of the village, are recalled, the first being the great storm or "blizzard" of January 7 to 10, 1873, which, sweeping over the whole Northwest with great violence and sever- ity, caused much suffering and damage to the surprise and unpre- pared inhabitants; country roads and railroads were blockaded and business well nigh suspended for weeks following.
The other to be named was the unrivaled crop of wheat in 1877, bringing abundance and prosperity for the time and, through hopes of a continuance of these conditions, stimulating many into extravagance and debt. But this year of plenty was followed the next and after years by an almost total failure of wheat, compel- ling a radical change in the methods of farming, with a resulting depression of business until the readjustment was effected.
An event of terror and painful loss was the great fire of May 2, 1892, when was swept away, in a few hours, almost the entire business of the town, with a destruction of property and mer- chandise amounting to many thousands of dollars. To many, the loss was almost unbearable, but the shock was soon overcome, hope and courage revived, resulting in rebuilding of a more sub- stantial character and re-establishment of business.
So, though Lyle has passed through many seasons of prosper- ity, and some also of unfortunate conditions, still the trust and energy of her people are an assurance that the future has much hope and promise for her prosperity and improvement.
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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY
LYLE IN 1873.
Following is a brief directory of Lyle, published in 1873, when the village was in the earliest years of its growth. At that time three railroads formed a junction at this point, the Mason City branch of the Milwaukee and St. Paul, the Illinois Central, and the Burlington and Cedar Rapids, the latter running trains over the traeks of the Milwaukee and St. Paul road as far south as Plymouth Junction and north to Austin, there connecting with trains for St. Paul and McGregor. The Chicago and Milwaukee had erected a station and O. N. Darling was the agent. The mer- ehants were : Irgens & Knutson, Searf & Williams, Olson & Co., L. W. Sherman, and Peter Johnson. S. D. Meeord was a grain buyer; John Trodler kept a boarding house and John Reinsmith was the blacksmith.
LYLE IN 1885.
In 1885 Lyle had already become a railroad center. The tracks at that time were laid as follows: "The two main. lines of road, Minnesota and Northwestern and Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul, run side by side, one hundred feet apart, almost due north for ten miles in a straight line. The east track is the original one and crosses the new one at the south edge of the village, bearing off to the southwest to Mason City, Iowa. Another road leaves the west main track, a few rods north of the crossing just men- tioned, and bears to the west by south to Manley Junetion on the Iowa Central. This road is not quite complete. The road run- ning due south is owned by the Minnesota and Northwestern, eighty rods to the state line, and thence by the Illinois Central."
A brief business directory, published in the fall of the year, gives these names : W. Stanley & Son, Myhre & Lund, John O. Myhre, J. F. Humel, dealers in general merchandise; A. H. Ander- son, hardware; L. W. Sherman, lumber and coal; B. D. Hede- mark, leather, boots and shoes; Th. Irgens, postmaster; J. H. Sherman, elevator man; Evenson & Stovern, dealers in farm ma- chinery ; J. K. Clark, drayman; E. Johnson, furniture dealer and undertaker; Peter Hansen, harnessmaker; Thomas Kirby, grain buyer; W. West, boarding house; A. Webber, blacksmith; C. Junger, refreshments; Dr. W. F. Cobb, physician; O. G. Myhre, leader brass band.
SERIOUS CYCLONE.
Lyle was visited by a serious eyelone on the evening of June . 11, 1897. Two elouds came together about a mile north of the Iowa line and five miles west of the village of Lyle, taking a zig- zag course nearly east, blowing down buildings, uprooting trees
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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY
and demolishing everything in its path, even blowing freight ears from the track and across fields. Henry C. Hanson, a young farmer living west of the village, was killed. Among the seriously injured were: Mr. and Mrs. Peter Hanson and Robert Hanson ; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Larson, Mrs. Stipe, Christian Mads and Peter Peterson, Charles Severson, Mrs. W .A. Fraser, Mrs. M. L. Hughson, Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Brooks.
The first house struek was that of Mrs. Funda, where it tore off an addition. The course of the storm from there on with its attendant damages was as follows: J. C. Owen, buildings de- stroyed, family in eellar unhurt. Charles Howard, barn destroyed. Woodbury schoolhouse smashed to splinters. Charles Seaverson, skull fractured, buildings demolished. W. Stipe, house and barn destroyed, Mrs. Stipe injured. John Johnson, buildings ruined. Mrs. Lars Berg, new house destroyed. Joseph Wyborny, all build- ings totally destroyed. Henry Hanson, killed, buildings destroyed, Mrs. Hanson and three children badly injured. Peter Peterson, all seriously injured and buildings destroyed. The storm struek Lyle village north of the Chieago Great Western round house, tipped over two freight ears standing on the Milwaukee traek, blew the wheel off the eity waterworks tower, and thenee eon- tinned east, destroying everything in its path. One of the most remarkable eseapes was that of the Peter Hanson family, living in the village. He was ereeting a new house and he and his family of six, with three visitors, were eating supper in the barn which stood just west of the new house. The storm blew barn, family and house across the prairie. Peter Hanson had a leg broken, his wife had a rib broken and was internally injured, and the son Robert received a terrible blow on the forehead. The guests were also seriously injured. Charles Larson was badly bruised about his head, his wife and child were seriously injured, and their house and barn demolished. The storm demolished Dr. Frazier's barn, dodged his residenee, and then destroyed the residenee of Chris. Christensen. Mrs. Nelson, living two miles east of the vil- lage, had a barn and granary destroyed. Rev. Eggen had a wind- mill blown down. Willis E. Bryan saw the storm eoming and took his family to the cellar and stand against the west wall. Every stiek of timber in the house was blown away, but the family escaped injury, with the exception of Mr. Bryan, who had his foot smashed by a falling rock. The estimated loss caused by the storm was about $30,000. Had the path of the cyelone been two blocks farther south, the whole village of Lyle would have been wiped out. About three miles east of Lyle, the storm lost its rotary motion, and continued as a heavy wind.
(Note .- The publishers of this history are indebted to William Nordland, the energetie Lyle editor, for the above excellent write-
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up on Lyle village, the history of the telephone company being from the pen of Dr. W. F. Cobb, and the recollections being fur- nished by L. W. Sherman, now of Minneapolis.) ,
CHAPTER XXXII.
DEXTER TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE.
Dexter Township-Location and Soil-Settlement-Organization -Religious-Dexter Village-Location and Settlement-Vil- lage Plats-Village Incorporation and Officers with Village Improvements - Churches - Edited by Henry Weber, Jr .- Renova-Sutton.
Dexter is identical with congressional township 103 north, range 16 west. It is almost wholly a prairie, with a surface some- what rolling. The drainage is east, west, north and south, and it is claimed that Dexter is the highest point on the Southern Minne- sota division of the C., M. & St. P. R. R., between La Crosse, Wis., and Madison, S. D. The only native timber to be found in the town is in the southeastern part. The soil is a dark productive loam, somewhat mixed with sand in the southern part, and also on the banks of Root river in the northern section.
SETTLEMENT.
The first settlement within the limits of Dexter township was made in 1857 by Mahlon Parritt and his son, Dexter, who came here from the town of Marshall, where they had spent the sum- mer. The son entered the southeast quarter of section 33. Here was the home of the father until the time of his death. Dexter Parritt, in whose honor the town was named, lived here till 1882, and then moved to Marshall. For a number of years the Parritts were the only settlers in the town. Dexter Parritt finally returned to his native state, Ohio, and there died in about the year of 1903. G. W. Bowles came to Dexter in 1859, stayed but a short time and then went to Missouri. Returning thenee in 1867, he settled on the northeast quarter of section 33, where he remained till 1879. when he sold his place to George Menck. Henry L. Slaven settled in the east half of the northwest quarter of section 34, in 1866. Slaven came to Mower county in company with his mother in the fall of 1856, and lived for some years in Windom. In 1873 he went to Fort Dodge, Iowa. The year 1867 brought John Pete
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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY
here from Wisconsin. Mr. Pete was a native of England, and settled on the southwest quarter of section 7. In 1868, Hammond Stowell, a native of Ohio, and his son-in-law, C. J. Shortt, a Ver- monter, bought 1,600 acres of land in sections 5, 6, 7, 8 and 17. They broke 160 acres of land that year, making their home on the northeast quarter of section 7. After living there one year, Stow- ell sold to Ira Jones and went to Hastings. Shortt remained six years and then went to Brownsdale. John I. Wheeler, Joseph Cronk and George Rose, son-in-law of the latter, also came in 1868. Wheeler bought a large tract of land in sections 5 and 6. After living there three years, he moved to Freeborn county, having sold his place to Dr. S. P. Thornhill. The farm was then occupied for a time by Dr. Thornhill's son, French, later a practicing physi- cian at Spring Valley. Cronk and Rosa settled in the northwest quarter of the town, where they lived but a short time. Hiram Thompson, a native of the State of New York, was another who arrived in '68. He bought the southeast quarter of section 27, where he still resides. In 1869, Henry Dudfield, Daniel Pearce and Nelson A. Huntington came to Dexter. Dudfield and Pearce, both Englishmen by birth, had been living for some time in Wis- consin. The former settled on section 21. He was a blacksmith, the first of that trade in the town. Pearce settled on section 22. Huntington, a native of New York, came here from Wabasha county, and bought the southwest quarter of section 3, where he died in 1882. Two who took farms in sections 11, namely, Daniel Williams and A. G. Tanner, settled here in 1874. Williams was a native of the Empire State. S. E. Peters, another who came in 1874, settled on section 2.
As before mentioned, the Parritts were for several years the only settlers. In 1855 the land of Chatfield district was brought into market from the Mississippi to the west line of Mower county. The scattering settlers, mostly unprepared to pay for their land at once and not wishing to be surrounded and isolated by the lands of speculators, petitioned President Pierce to withdraw the sale. Six townships north and south through the prairie center of Mower county had no settlers and no names on the petition, and were not withdrawn, but were speedily entered with land warrants.
In the year 1876, 1877 and 1878 there was quite a boom in the settlement of the town. The following are named as having come to Dexter in that period: D. W. Adams, B. Cornforth, G. Seebach, Conrad Christgan with his sons, John and Fred, Conrad Praeschal, W. Arndt, - French, G. Gilliland, O. P. Johnson, Pat F. Lynch, J. M. Peterson, O. Radway, Luther Rice, A. and R. Starks. The last eight settled in the north part of the town, Rice on section 1, Radway on section 12, Johnson on section 2, Peterson and the
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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY
two Starks on section 3, Gilliland and Lynch on seetion 10; Freneh settled on seetion 22. Adams was born in the State of New York. Ile came here from Olmsted county and settled on the northeast quarter of section 35. Seebach and Christgau settled in section 32. Proesehal located in seetion 30, Arndt in section 31.
ORGANIZATION.
The town of Dexter was organized at a meeting held at the house of IIenry Dudfield, in the southeast quarter of section 21, on June 6, 1870. The stars and stripes were raised on a pole in front of the house in honor of the occasion. Dexter Parritt was ehosen moderator, D. G. Pearee, elerk, and Charles N. Pearee, assistant elerk of the meeting. H. S. Slaven, Charles Brandt and Charles Blakely were appointed judges of election. The follow- ing were clected officers for the ensuing year: Supervisors, Dexter Parritt (chairman), Henry Dudfield, F. W. Thornhill; C. J. Shortt and Hiram Thompson, justices of the peace; D. G. Pearee, assessor; Nelson Huntington, treasurer; D. G. Pearce, clerk ; H. S. Slaven and Nelson Huntington, constables.
RELIGIOUS.
The German Lutheran Church. Church serviees were first held in 1881 by Rev. Christian Bender, of Red Wing. The first members were Conrad Christgan, Gotlieb Seebach, John and Fred Christgau, G. Beteher, W. F. Jacobi and their wives. The first deaeons were Conrad Christgau and wife, W. F. Jacobi and John Christgau. Rev. Mr. Bender was the first pastor. Among the early pastors were Rev. John Achilles, of St. Paul ; Rev. Mr. Kittle, of Albert Lea, and Rev. O. Hoger. Conrad Christgau was the first superintendent of a Sunday school which was formed in connection with this ehureh.
Rev. Hager oeenpied the pulpit from 1883 to 1886. The church was formally organized in 1883, under the name of Evangelical Lutheran Trinity Congregation of the town of Dexter. The first trustees were C. Christgau, J. Christgau and W. Jacobi. Churel: serviees were now being held and continued to be held in the schoolhouse of district number 106, until the present ehureh edi- fiee on northwest corner of seetion 32 was ereeted in 1891 and was dedicated on the thirtieth day of August of the same year. The church schoolhouse was built in 1898. The Rev. Haar, Brunsz and Zich in turn were pastors from 1887 to 1896, and then Rev. Pohley to 1902, when the present pastor, Rev. J. Guse, took charge of the work.
A Wesleyan Methodist elass was organized here by Rev. Thomas Hardy. The first members were Mr. and Mrs. W. P.
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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY
Hoppin, Delia and Mina Hanna, George Chapman, Mr. and Mrs. Eben Gould. The class leader was W. P. Hoppin. E. Markham and W. P. Hoppin were elected stewards. The elass met for a time in Pearce's hall, then in the Congregational church, and later in the new schoolhouse. Rev. Mr. Hardy was the preacher until 1881.
DEXTER VILLAGE.
Dexter village is situated in section 13, in the township of Dexter, near the geographical center of the county. Both village and township take their name from Dexter Parritt, who was an early settler of the township which was organized June 6, 1872. The village was laid out in 1873, the depot erected in 1874 and the village incorporated by act of the legislature in February, 1878. At the present time it is a thriving village with a popula- tion of some three hundred. It has a bank. a hotel, two elevators, a creamery, a Congregational and Seven Day Advent churches, a public school, a postoffice and various business interests.
At the time the building of the Southern Minnesota railroad was being agitated, which was in 1870, Red Rock and Dexter, then forming one civil township, were bonded to the amount of $22,000 to assist the railroad. After Dexter was organized as a separate township, it offered to the railroad company a bonus of $5,000 to plant a station on section 16. Of this proposition the company took no notice whatever. It was afterward learned that they were bound by Brownsdale people not to establish a station within eight miles of that place.
The land on which the village of Dexter now stands, a little more than eight miles distant from Brownsdale, was at the time owned by C. W. Perkins. One-half of this land Perkins gave to J. C. Easton, and they together platted the village in 1874. The first house in the village was a small building put up by the railroad company for a depot and telegraph office ; the second was a warehouse owned by J. C. Easton ; the third was a frame build- ing 18x28 feet, 16 feet posts, erected by Daniel G. Pearce, and used by him for a store and dwelling. Mr. Pearce's store was opened in 1874 with a small but varied stock of goods. In the autumn of the same year George W. Buck erected a building 22x50 feet, 20 feet posts, and put in a good stock of general mer- chandise. Buek was in trade continuously until November, 1883, when he sold the stock to his son, George A. Buck, and C. S. Wooster. Within a few years he repurchased the same and remained in business until his death in 1906. The postoffice was established in 1874. It was for a time kept at the railway sta- tion. Amasa N. Converse, the first postmaster, was succeeded in the early days by John L. Gaskill, L. M. Gaskill, George W. Buek,
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HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY
O. J. Dickens, P. Sheridan, B. S. Benner and finally by E. W. Dorr, who is now, with the assistance of two rural mail carriers, Chase and Gilmore, handing the mail to Uncle Sam's patrons.
In 1876 Pearce moved his goods into a new and larger store. Here he continued in business till 1877, when he sold out to his son George. Toward the close of the year 1883 Mr. Pearce, the elder, again opened a store in the house he had first built. Later Daniel Pearce moved to Wisconsin, where he died in 1906.
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