The history of Mower County, Minnesota : illustrated, Part 59

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago : H. C. Cooper, Jr. & Co.
Number of Pages: 1246

USA > Minnesota > Mower County > The history of Mower County, Minnesota : illustrated > Part 59

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Frankford. Township 103, range 14. The first claims were taken in 1855. Those who filed that year were: 12-Lewis Cham- berlain, October 19; 12-Charles H. Chamberlain, October 19; 13-Lewis Patehin, June 16; Jacob Olesen, August 25; 22 --- Egbert F. Ford, November 19; Byron Woodworth, October 20; 23-Griffin Fryer, June 16; 24-Philip Howell, October 16; 25- Ed. Willard, June 16; 25-Chas. B. Hansen, June 14. Those who filed in 1856 were: 1-William Campfield, May 19; Charles D. Sherwood, July 25; Jolm D. Gregory, March 15; Joseph Robb, March 15; 2-David A. Hudson, December 12; John Lenerson, July 25; Obed B. Morse, July 25; 3-Charles Gorsen, June 17; Ezra Tricker, September 11; Andrew H. Trowt, December 12; 4-George A. VanDusen, December 9; John Nelson, July 7; Ole Juleson, October 25; 5-G. Elengson, June 17; Ole Hoodo, Jr., June 30; Ole Semonson, June 27; 6-A. J. Lindlin, June 30; Jolin Amandson, September 16; Ole Oleson, June 30; 7-Benj. F. Man- chester, August 30; Syer Oleson, September 16; Ellen Oleson, June 30; 7-Knut Nelson, September 16; 8-Calvin Boynton, August 7 ; Chas. L. Halstead, August 7; 10-Brice Ennis, August 1; Hiram Evans, November 13; 11-Thomas Murry, July 25; Aaron Lee, March 7; Lucius R. Bates, August 16; 12-Chas. E. Bent, June 17; Geo. Hunt, December 3; 13-Stephen Sherman, September 30; Gideon Sherman, August 13; J. Davis, June 14; 14-William F. Geumnons, December 17; Samuel Titus, July 12; Jolin Farquher, March 28; David Donaldson, December 3: 15-

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Michael Rhodes, August 8; John Rymal, August 8; Peter Winter, July 21; 17-John M. Smith, June 21; 18-John Morrow, October 6; William B. Nett, September 13; 19-John Kurtz, June 28; Theodore Ellbee, August 25; Timothy N. Smith, May 19; Caleb Knetz, September 12; William C. Allbee, August 25; 21-Miron L. Dean, September 13; Silas Grey, June 28; 22-Samuel Bardin, June 16; 23-Sarah Clark, February 29; Elizah Norton, May 27; 24 Alaxander Stewart, May 27; James Willard, May 27; David Patchin, July 24; Otho D. Cretzer, May 27; 25-Edgar Willard, July 15; James Garman, March 28; 26-M. Delling, March 28; Lewis Hardy, September 8; W. D. Baldwin, July 24; Hagard W. Titus, June 28; 27-Stephen J. Colby, July 23; Nicholas Sanbury, July 23; 28-Alaxender Smith, June 13; 29-Cornelius Fulton, August 26; James Donaldson, August 12; Geo. W. Jacobs, September 12; 30-Daniel Osmsly, August 30; John A. Eoffin, August 30; Emmett Densmore, September 1; 31-Davis Labor, September 9; 33-John Stewart, July 23; Robt. German, June 30; Geo. Melvin, July 24; 34 Henry Fullerton, July 12; William Campbell, August 27; Silus Wright, July 29; C. Ricketsen, July 24.

Austin. Township 102, range 18. The first claims were taken in 1855. Those who filed were: 1-Willard W. Smith, November 23; 2-John R. Roe, November 13; Chauncey Leverich, September 14; Geo. H. Bemis, November 17; 3-Benedict J. Brown, December 19; Dennis Crandal, November 13; 4 John Clemdunson, September 21; 14-Milton J. Woodson, November 6; 15-Daniel MePherson, November 23; 23-Ambrose C. Smith, November 23; 35-William Donglap, September 23.

OLD SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION.

The first steps toward founding an Old Settlers' Association in Mower county was in June, 1884, when a call was issued for a reunion to be held at the court house in Austin, June 12, 1884. The committee consisted of John Frank, Thomas Gibson, C. H. Davidson, J. B. Yates, C. J. Felch and Thomas Varco. About 11 o'clock in the morning the exercises were commenced in the new court house hall, there being a large attendance of old set- tlers and friends, with a short address of welcome by the presi- dent of the association, Thomas Gibson, of Lansing. Prayer was then offered by Rev. S. G. Lowrey, an old settler of this vicinity, then in his eighty-fifth year. A song, "Altogether," was then sung by Mrs. L. A. Sherwood and Mrs. C. II. Davidson ; Mrs. D. B. Johnson, the first organist in Austin, presided at the organ. Judge Ormanzo Allen gave the historical address, from which extracts appear in various parts of this history.

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Judge Geo. M. Cameron then gave a short extemporaneous address. He said in part : "My first view of Austin was about twenty-eight years ago. I arrived one evening about dark, with only $3.50 in my pocket. The first murder in the community was that of Chauncey Leverich. I regard that as a case of man- slaughter, as it was not premeditated. Leverich came out of his saloon to administer chastisement, and was struck on the head with a wagon spring with greater violence than was intended. There was a ease where a man, after drinking in a saloon, was found dead, evidently by foul means. Another case occurred where a Norwegian killed his son in a quarrel over a discussion of the question as to the route they should take home." Hon. John Frank, of LeRoy, was called upon, and responded by saying he had spent twenty-nine summers in Mower county and thirty winters. He proposed to stay thirty years more.

A letter from Hon. Moses K. Armstrong, of St. James, Minne- sota, was then read by the secretary. The letter said in part : "Nearly thirty years ago I was county surveyor of Mower county, and laid out West Austin in town lots. There were about a dozen houses in Austin at that time. There was not a printing office in the county. I rode forty miles south of Austin into Iowa, to get election tickets printed; there were no railroads, and hardly a wagon bridge in the county. I swam the Cedar river at Austin on a blind white horse with my compass on my back to survey your town." Jerry Yates said he came into Mower county September 1, 1855. Lyman D. Baird was called out, as one of the first children born in Mower county, 1857. C. H. Huntington then read an original poem, written by Mrs. Mercy Greene. Timothy Chapman, of Spring Valley, first register of deeds of Mower county, came forward at the call of the audience, and spoke briefly of the occasion.

Jonas IIancy, P. F. Rooney, W. I. Brown, Dea. J. N. Cook, J. T. Sargent, Thos. Smith and others filled up the time of the morning session, with incidents of their experience in the early days. About half past one, as the dinner hour was at hand, the proceedings were checked, and an election of officers was held, with the following result: Thos. Gibson, president ; J. B. Yates, vice-president ; C. II. Davidson, secretary and treasurer. The banquet was served at the Mansfield House. Addresses followed by J. J. Furlong, of Windom; O. W. Shaw and C. L. West, of Anstin; M. B. Sloeum, of Rose Creek; A. Diekerson and T. F. Goslee, of Austin township, and Thomas Gibson, of Lansing. Knute Anderson Qvale, who came with one of the first two or three families that settled in Nevada township, in 1854, was called upon, and gave a brief account of his journey from Mil- wankec by ox team and other incidents. It was then suggested

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that the exercises be closed with the singing of the Doxology by George Baird. After the motion to adjourn was carried, all were invited to partake of an old settlers' smoke, C. II. Huntington, of Austin township, and F. O. McBride, the grocer, having fur- nished a wooden bowl of tobacco, fringed with clay pipes, which had been a conspicuous ornament on the judge's bench all day.

Since the time of that historie first meeting many interesting gatherings have been held, although the pioneers are one by one passing to their eternal reward. Banquets have been held, din- ners together have been enjoyed, annual reunions have been well attended, and many an incident of the early days has been related for the remembrance of the old settlers and the pleasure of the younger generation. During the last years of last century and the first years of this one great interest was taken in these meet- ings by the people in general, and the newspapers each year published a list of the old settlers who had passed away during the previous year, giving a brief sketch of their lives and the year they came here. These elippings are carefully preserved in the minutes. The latest annual meeting given in the minute book is that of 1906, when the following officers were elected: Presi- dent, M. J. Slaven; vice-president, Hans C. Anderson ; secretary and treasurer, John C. Hawkins; chaplain, Alfred Cressey ; executive committee, C. L. West, J. J. Furlong and L. Kirkland.

CHAPTER LI.

DAIRY INTERESTS.

Importance of the Dairy Industry in Mower County-A. V. Ellis, the Father of Dairy Farming in This Vicinity-Story of the Present Day Creameries-The Dairy Cow, Her Worth and Virtues .- By H. L. Banfield.

In writing the history of the dairy interests of Mower county, I feel that I must only touch upon the early history and relatc that part of it that I am directly familiar with. As near as I ean find out, the first steps taken in the direction of dairying were in the late seventies, after the great wheat failure.

In 1878 A. V. Ellis brought the first pair of pure bred dairy cattle into the county-a pair of registered Holstein-Fresians -- and I consider him the father of dairying in this section of the state. How well he succeeded in this line need not be told here, but the beautiful farm he left behind him speaks volumes for his courage and perseverance.

I believe a little later the Turtle Creek cheese factory was started and a few years later a ereamery was established in Aus-

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tin. It was not until the late eighties and early nineties that the farmers' co-operative ereameries began to start up. Then is when the farmers began to realize the importance of the dairy cow, and then is when dairying in this county received its impetus. The Waltham ereamery, which began operations in 1889, was one of the first to start. Others followed in the next few years, until at the present time, the county has fourteen ereameries, and one cheese factory, with about twelve other creameries, located within a few miles of the county line, and tributary to our county on all sides.

The Lansing Co-operative Creamery was incorporated Febru- ary 15, 1895, with a capital of $2,500. It started business in see- tion 11, Lansing township, in a building purchased from the Lansing Cheese and Butter Manufacturing Company. The plant occupied the frame building until 1907, when a modern substan- tial building of briek and eonerete was construeted. This is one of the finest ereamery buildings in the state. In 1907 the capital was also inereased to $6,500. The business has inereased from $6,779.17 paid for butter to patrons in 1894, to $49,698.29 in 1910. The Waltham Creamery started as a cheese factory in 1885. In 1889 it was changed to a creamery under the same manage- ment. At that time it was the second largest in the state. The factory is located in Waltham village. The Red Rock Creamery Association was incorporated in 1893 and changed management ten years later. Before that it did a business of from $25,000 to $50,000 a year. In 1910 the ereamery made 190,000 pounds of butter. The plant is located in Brownsdale. The Red Oak Grove Co-operative Creamery Company was organized in 1892, and the plant is located in the northwest corner of seetion 6, Lansing township, in what is known as Corning village. The first officers and directors were: Halvor Kittleson, Halvor Thompson, O. G. Andersen, L. O. Aldal, N. K. Goodwin, James Taylor and John Peterson. The present offieers and direetors are: N. N. Goodwin, C. B. Christensen, Charles Kittleson, Simon Thompson, James Taylor, S. S. Ulland and O. A. Ulland. In 1910 the milk and cream received amounted to nearly 2,300,000 pounds, making over 160,000 pounds of butter, and paying an average price of 331/4 eents per pound. The total receipts and disbursements were nearly $50,000. The Nevada Farmers' Co-operative Creamery Association was organized in the home of Ole Aslakson on Febru- ary 13, 1894, with thirty-nine members and 260 eows pledged, with shares at $5 per eow. The ereamery is located on Jacob Jacob- son's farm in Nevada township, and eost, with machinery, $3,400. Business was commeneed April 6, 1894. The first offieers and directors were: Ole Aslakson, A. G. Ellingson, T. Guttormson, Jacob Jacobson and Sven Jacobson. The present officers and

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directors are Ole Aslakson, C. K. Olson, Jacob Jacobson, G. Aslak- son, Ole H. Lee, H. Ashleson and H. J. IIanson. The Otter Creek Farmers' Creamery Company, of Lyle, was organized in 1896, and is located in Lyle township. In 1910 the plant received nearly 800,000 pounds of milk and cream and made nearly 90,000 pounds of butter. The first officers and directors were: Charles Volstad, B. Bothum, K. Amundson, C. Meyer, O. Tieman, A. P. Martin, Ed N. Nilson. The present officers and direetors are: A. Halvorsen, T. H. Murphy, C. Meyer, A. P. Martin, J. A. Thorstad, O. E. Hof- land and K. L. Lendal. Other creameries in the county are: Austin Dairy Company, North Star Dairy Company, Adams Creamery Company, Rose Creek Creamery Company, LeRoy Creamery Company, Dexter Creamery Company, Racine Cream- ery Company, Grand Meadow Creamery Company, and Mayville Cheese Company. The story of these creameries is told elsewhere.

Great eredit is due to the farmers of Mower county for fos- tering the co-operative ereamery idea and there have been so few failures that the good work has gone on almost unrestrained until it is altogether our greatest industry. So with a soil that raises the best grasses in the world, I look to see the returns increased many fold as the years go on. The flavor that our but- ter gets from the sweet and nutritious grasses enables us to top the New York market with the produet. We have at present nearly 17,000 eows actually assessed in the year 1910, and our slogan for the future is more and better eows. The income from our eows last year exceeded a half a million dollars, to say nothing of the fertility that went back onto the soil. The large returns from milk and butter in the past five years have eneour- aged the farmers to breed better cattle and the number that are using pure bred dairy sires has increased very materially in that time, and in another five years will add many full-blood and high- grade animals to our herds. Many full-blood and high-grade dairy herds have sprung up in the past few years. The dairy cow is queen of the farm and one of the greatest mortgage lifters in existence. She is virtually a machine which turns the prod- uets of the farms into greatest profit. In order to get the largest returns her ways and her disposition must be understood. She affects almost any branch of farming and she is the most econom- jeal producer on the farm.

MR. AND MRS JACOB S. DECKER

BIOGRAPHIES

Jacob S. Decker is one of the earliest pioneers still living in Mower county. He was born in Flatbrookville, Sussex county, New Jersey, October 14, 1831, where his younger days were spent in school and on the farm. He was joined in marriage February 28, 1852, to Mary A. Smith, and on October 28, 1855, they started together for the West, where they hoped to establish their roof tree. They reached Colesburg, Iowa, later in the fall, and there spent the winter. In February, 1856, they started with oxen and teams for Minnesota, which was then a territory. At West Union the snow was so deep that he had to abandon the wagon and finish the journey with a sled. Arriving in Mower county Feb- ruary 25, 1856, he purchased a claim in township 102, range 18, now known as Austin. The purchase price of this claim was $275. A log house, a well and three-fourths of an acre broken constituted all the improvements at that time. The family occu- pied the log house until 1860, then built a frame. house, which was burned with all its contents in 1865. Then was erected the house which still stands, and which ranks with the best country homes in the county. To Mr. and Mrs. Decker have been born seven children : Arminda, Elizabeth, Calvin D., Chester H., Alonzo N .; Silas D., and Edward W. Arminda and Silas D. are dead. Edward W. is vice-president and general manager of the North- western National Bank, at Minneapolis, president of the Twin City Bankers' Club, and president of the Twin City clearing house. Calvin is secretary of the board of regents and purchas- ing agent for the University of Minnesota. Jacob Decker has had an honorable and successful career, and has fathered a family of which he can well be proud. He has held many positions of public and private trust and honor, and is now living in retire- ment, enjoying the fruits of a well-spent life. The founder of Mr. Decker's family in America was Thomas Decker, who came from England, and was one of the first settlers of Port Jervis, N. Y., then known by its Indian name of Mackachamack. His son, Daniel Decker, opened up and settled the country still known as Decker's Ferry, New Jersey, and his son, Thomas, died when in his ninty-fourth year. His son, Calvin Decker, spent his life in New Jersey, and died in the latter state in 1895. He married for his first wife, Christine Smith, who died in 1849, leaving eleven

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children-Jacob S., Jonas S., Susanna, Elizabeth, Sarah Ann, Mary, Paul, Silas, Cynthia J., Thomas and Amzey. Calvin Decker married for his second wife, Margaret Dupne, and they had two children, Margaret, deceased, and Amanda, now living at New- ton, N. J. Christine Smith, wife of Calvin Decker and mother of Jacob S. Decker, was the daughter of Jacob Smith, the son of Jonas, the son of John, a German by birth, who in colonial days settled on the Delaware river, in Pennsylvania. The parents of Mary Ann II. Smith, the wife of Jacob S. Decker, were Philip and Elizabeth Smith.

Chester H. Decker, successful hardware merchant, is a native born son of this township, having first seen the light of day May 26, 1861, in the home of Jacob S. and Mary Ann (Smith) Decker, his parents. He was reared on the farm, and attended the schools of his neighborhood, working on the home place until 1882, when he started to learn the carpenters' trade, an occupation he fol- lowed for four years. In 1886 he saw the possibilities of a first- class hardware store in the city of Austin, and he accordingly embarked in the business which he has since conducted. Mr. Decker is a believer in education, and for fourteen years has done efficient service on the Austin school board, of which body he is now treasurer. He is also a member of the Austin Commercial Club and affiliates with the Modern Woodmen of America and the United Workmen. He was married October 20, 1887, to Ada C. Douglad, and to this union have been born two children. The old- est, Leonard R., graduated from the Austin high school in 1908 and is now in charge of the manual training and blacksmithing department of the Southern Minnesota Normal College, of Aus- tin. Fred R. is clerk in the hardware store for his father. The subject of this sketch first purchased an interest in the hardware business with Col. A. W. Wright, and in 1896 formed a partnership with his brother, C. D. Decker, the firm name since that date hav- ing been Deeker Brothers. Mr. Decker also has other business interests and is a director in the Austin Building and Loan Asso- ciation. His residence is at 305 West Water street.

James H. Aultfather, a scientific farmer and prize stock breeder, of Austin township, was born on the farm where he now lives, September 16, 1874, son of David and Pamelia (Foster) Aultfather, the pioneers. He attended the schools which were in existence in his neighborhood, and also the Austin high school, supplementing this with a course in the Northwestern College of Commerce in the same city. After completing his schooling he returned to the farm where he has since carried on farming oper- ations. He owns 160 acres, highly cultivated, and some comfort- able out-buildings for the housing of stock. In 1901 he built a fine new residence for himself. He has a herd of some fifty thor-

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oughbred Red Poll cattle, and for four years has taken prizes on this herd at the Minnesota State fair, his awards in 1910 aggre- gating $500. He also breeds some fine Percheron horses and has a large herd of pure bred Poland China swine. Mr. Aultfather is an independent voter, has been town supervisor for several years, and associates with the Masonie order. The subject of this sketch was married December 4, 1901, to C. Mabel Varco, and they have one bright son, Myron C., born December 26, 1907.

David Aultfather, a pioneer, was born in Ohio, and came to Austin township in 1856. Here he married Pamelia Foster, who was born in New Jersey, and came to Mower county with the earliest settlers of what is now known as Lyle township in 1854: her father, James Foster, being one of the earliest arrivals in this county. David Aultfather, upon his arrival in Austin town- ship, took 120 acres of government land for which he paid $1.25 an acre. This land he broke and improved, built a house, and had the usual experiences of a pioneer in a wild country. In time he added to his possessions until he owned 1,560 acres, all in Mower county, his original house was replaced with a com- fortable residence, his stock which once was sheltered by a few boughs hastily ent was placed in modern barns, and what had been wild land blossomed under the toil of the laborers. Desir- ing to see his nine children well started in life, he gave to each, as eaeli attained his or her majority, a quarter section of land. But a greater heritage still was the record of unswerving honor with which he left his name connected for all time. He died, ripe in years and character and knowledge, November 19, 1899. His wife is still living at the good old age of 70 years.

Andrew H. Anderson, now deceased, prominent citizen of Lyle, and for many years president of the First National Bank of Lyle, which institution he organized, was born in Drammen, Norway, November 15, 1843, and came to America in 1852 with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Halvor Anderson. They stopped in Racine, Wis., and the following spring went to St. Ansgar, Iowa, where they engaged in farming. Andrew H. remained at home until 28 years of age, and then went to Nebraska, where he took a homestead and remained for seven years. Later he moved to Wahoo, Neb., and engaged in the lumber business until 1880. In that year he came to Lyle, and after engaging in the hardware business ten years opened a private bank, which in 1901 was reorganized as the First National Bank, Mr. Anderson becoming its first president, a position he held at the time of his death. Mr. Anderson did much for the growth of Lyle. He acted as village treasurer twenty years, and was a member of the sehool board for many terms. Ile was liberal, broad minded and charitable, and a truly representative eitizen. The subject of this sketch was

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first married December 28, 1871, to Barbro Oline Blakestad, who died April 4, 1888, leaving six children: H. O., who is in the implement and machine business at Crookston, Minn .; Anna M., who is now Mrs. W. R. Hunter, of Lyle; Bertha L., now Mrs. B. J. Robertson, whose husband is postmaster at Lyle; Ida E., of Lyle, a music teacher; Ralph Arthur, a Lyle banker, and Rufus, now a teller in the Merchants' Bank, at Los Angeles, Cal. Mr. Anderson was married the second time to Mrs. Christine M. Craig, who died in October, 1900. In February, 1903, he married Mrs. Anne Myhre, who survives him. He died October 29, 1910.

Ralph Arthur Anderson, banker of Lyle, was born in Lyle, March 13, 1884, second son of Andrew H. Anderson. He attended the village schools, and started work in his father's private bank as assistant cashier. He also worked in the bank at Rose Creek for a while. In 1903 he went to Crookston, Minn., and for two years worked in the abstract office of Christianson & Strander. Later he became a bookkeeper in the First National Bank, of Crookston, a position he held with credit until April, 1910, when he entered the First National Bank of Lyle, to look after his father's interests. Mr. Anderson is a popular member of the K. of P., B. P. O. E. and the M. W. A. and is well liked by his fellows. After the death of his father he was appointed village treasurer, and was elected to the office in 1911.

Erick Alrick, who farms on land that has been in his family for over half a century, was born on the old homestead in Adams township in 1865, and with the exception of periods when he was engaged in business in Iowa, has since resided there. He was reared in the home of his parents, Andrew A. and Sarah Alriek, and attended the district schools. At 26 years of age he went to Thompson, Iowa, took a partner and began business, carrying a full line of hardware and agricultural implements. This business was sneeessful, and in it Mr. Alrick continued for ten years. In 1901 he sold his interest to A. B. Larson, and returned to Adams township to take charge of the old homestead which he has since conducted. Ile has devoted much of his time to breeding Here- fords and raising grain, and he makes a specialty of hogs, having raised Poland Chinas and Warwickshires. He is now acquiring a well developed breed of Reds. In working his 240 aeres he uses ten horses and hires considerable help during the busy season. Mr. Alrick is a Republican. He was married in 1898 to Julia IIamlin, and he and his wife attend the Lutheran church.

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The history of Mower County, Minnesota : illustrated, Part 59

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Chicago : H. C. Cooper, Jr. & Co. Number of Pages: 1246

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago : H. C. Cooper, Jr. & Co.
Number of Pages: 1246