The history of Mower County, Minnesota : illustrated, Part 6

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

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In October, 1841, HI. II. Sibley, then thirty years of age, was agent at Mendota, across the river from Fort Snelling, Minne- sota, for the American Fur Company. He was active and vigor- ous to obtain skins and peltries for the company. He made a feast, invited the Sioux, killed two fat oxen and provided wild rice and other indueements suitable for an Indian holiday. Invi- tations had been sent out to the neighboring villages, and nearly a thousand men, squaws and children came to the feast. After the Indians had satisfied their hunger and had smoked his tobacco, Sibley explained to them that his object was to enlist a party to go to the south that coming winter and hunt on the neutral ground and around the headwaters of the Red Cedar. Small sticks six inches long and painted red were produced and one was offered to each grown hunter. It had been explained to them that whoever voluntarily accepted one of these red sticks thereby enlisted for the winter's hunt. About one hundred and fifty men thus enlisted. These men then assembled a short distance from the seene of the feast and chose ten of their number, whom they called soldiers, to have control of the hunting. These ten, after consulting together, announced the rules to govern the hunt and notified the enlisted men to appear on the hill south of Mendota in six days thereafter with their ponies, squaws, dogs and buffalo skin tents ready to start.

HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY

At the appointed time the party assembled and started south. The chief Indian of the party was Little Crow, father of the chief of the same name who took part in the massacre of 1862. The usual day's progress was about ten miles. They went from Men- dota south over the prairie until they struek the Cannon river, near Northfield, then up that, and the Straight river, by Fari- bault and Owatonna, to near Cooleysville, in the southeastern part of Steele county. There they erossed over to the Cedar river and came down its right hand bank to the timber at this place, Austin, or a little south of here, and eamped for the winter.

Sibley was with them, elad in Indian costume, with double- barreled rifle, pistols and two big wolf dogs at his heels. He had with him two Freneh-Canadians and a number of kegs of powder and other goods on earts, to sell to the Indians and hold elaim to the furs and skins which the hunt should produce.

On his adviee, the Indians built here a stockade. Posts with crotch on their tops were set firmly into the ground. Poles were laid on top from post to post. Then other posts, ten feet or more in length, were set, one end on the ground and the other leaning against the poles. Brush and the tops of trees were eut and piled by the squaws with great industry, outside against the line of posts until it was impossible for an enemy to break through with- out consuming a good deal of time, all the while exposed to the fire, through loopholes, of the good marksmen within. This was the first structure of any kind built in what is now Mower county. Sibley and the Indians alike put small trust in the treaty of amity coneluded at Prairie du Chien. They well knew that such treaties between Indians usually end in treachery and bloodshed. Now that they were on the border of their own country and about to hunt over the neutral ground, where in faet they had no right, they deemed it expedient to build this stockade as a safeguard. There was a great abundance of game on this neutral ground, as it had not been hunted over sinee its relinquishment eleven years before, to the United States, by the treaty of July 15, 1830.

One day Sibley went out early with his two wolf dogs for a still hunt, alone. In his absence Little Crow, always reckless and daring, went off south, down toward the forks of the Cedar, near where Charles City now stands, for a three days' hunt on the border or even over the line in the enemies' country. He took with him nearly all the young men of the camp. When Sibley returned at sunset, the squaws told him of Little Crow's absence and that a hostile Indian spy had been seen lurking in the viein- ity. He at once sallied forth with his dogs to verify the report. There was no mistake, for in the light snow on the ground he saw the moccasin tracks of the spy. He armed the old men and boys remaining in the camp, assigned to each his place and

HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY

awaited the expected attack. About three o'clock in the morn- ing, the Indian dogs outside began to bark furiously. The women sereamed and the old men sang their death songs. Sibley ordered silence and directed that every pistol and gun be shot off as rapidly as possible and reloaded. He himself fired five shots from his gun and pistols. The enemy were thereby deceived as to the number of fighting men in camp and made no attack. After sunrise next morning the ground was examined and it was appar- ent that at least fifty hostile warriors had tied their horses to trees in a grove at some distance away. An Indian boy was sent with all speed to Little Crow's camp down the river, to tell the news and order him to return without delay. About midnight the hunters returned and Sibley's tense nervous anxiety abated.

At the close of each day, when the Indians came in, the ten so- ealled soldiers would announce the direction and limits of the next day's hunt. This limit would be about ten miles away, indi- cated by a stream or slough or a grove or by some other natural object. Early next morning some of these soldiers would go forward and station themselves along the limit line, to detect and punish anyone who should attempt to pass and frighten away the game beyond. The penalty for violation of the rules was in the discretion of these ten so-called soldiers. In aggravated cases they would slit down and cut up the offender's lodge, break his kettles and do other damage. This enterprising trader (after- ward first governor of this state) says, in his narrative of the winter's events, that on one occasion he inadvertently got beyond the line fixed for that day's hunt. One of the soldiers, hid in the tall grass, sprang up and rushed upon him, seized his fine double- barreled gun, snatched his fur eap from his head and ordered him back to camp, saying he would ent up his tent when he returned in the evening. It was a cold day and Sibley had to ride bare- headed, ten miles to camp. The soldiers had supreme command of the hunting and all its rules and regulations. It was considered very disgraceful for any one whether hunter, trader or even chief of the tribe to disobey or resist these governors of the hunt. On the way in he devised a plan to mollify the soldiers and save his fine buffalo skin lodge. He got together all the good things he could muster and when the soldiers came in that night, he went out and invited all the ten to have supper with him in his lodge.

The temptation was too strong and they accepted, ate his supper, smoked his tobacco and each accepted a small present and agreed with him to overlook for once, his infraction of the rules. His eap and gun were restored, and as they say in diplomacy, the incident ended. But he fumigatead that cap before wearing it again.

The hunt was successful. Over 2,000 deer, fifty elk, as many

HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY

bears, five panthers and a few buffalo skins were obtained. The fur company sold for $20 guns that cost $6 in St. Louis. They got pay not in money but in furs, at their own price. This is a speci- men of the profits of the fur trade. The Indians broke camp and returned to Mendota in March, before the spring thaw rendered the sloughs and streams impassable.

From 1849 to 1852 the northern boundary of Iowa was sur- veyed, the Mower county portion of the line being surveyed by a party under Captain Andrew Taleott in 1852.

The First, Second and Third Guide Meridians, the second being just east of Anstin, were surveyed by the late Hon. Thomas Simp- son, of Winona, in 1853.

The First Standard Parallel, which forms the northern bound- ary of Udolpho, Waltham and Sargeant, was surveyed in 1853 by E. S. Morris.

The boundaries of townships 101, 102, 103 and 104 in range 14, were surveyed in 1853 by John Ball, and subdivided into sections the same year by John Tylor.

The boundaries of townships 101, 102, 103 and 104 in range 15, were surveyed in 1853 by John Ball, and subdivided into sections the same year by John Quigley.

The boundaries of townships 101, 102, 103 and 104 in range 16, were surveyed in 1853 by John Ball. Andrew Talcott subdivided township 101, range 16, in 1854; John Quigley, townships 102 and 103, range 16, in 1853; and John Fitzpatrick, township 104, range 16, in 1853.

The boundaries of townships 101, 102, 103 and 104, in range 17, were surveyed in 1853 and subdivided the same year. In town- ship 101, range 17, John Ball and Andrew Talcott surveyed the boundaries and C. Phipps and E. Fitzpatroek surveyed the sec. tion lines. In townships 102 and 103, range 17, the boundaries were surveyed by John Bell and E. S. Morris, and the section lines by William J. Anderson. In township 104, range 17, E. S. Morris surveyed the township boundaries and John Fitzpatrick surveyed the section lines.

The boundaries of townships 101, 102, 103 and 104, in range 18, were surveyed in 1854 and the section lines drawn the same year. In township 101, range 18, the boundaries were surveyed by J. B. Reymond and E. S. Morris and the section lines by William A. Anderson and Andrew Taleott. In township 102, range 18, the boundary lines were surveyed by J. B. Reyman and E. S. Morris, and the section lines by William A. Anderson. In townships 103 and 104, range 18, the boundary and sections lines were surveyed as in township 102, range 18, by the same persons.

In 1872, while digging a well on Bridge street, L. G. Basford discovered at a depth of twelve feet, two spherical shells of iron,

HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY

eight inches in circumference, containing coarse white sand and what was believed to be evidences of black powder. No authori- tative theory has ever been advanced to account for the presence of these relics.

CHAPTER VI.

FIRST SETTLERS.

Colony of the Borderline Between Racine Township and Fillmore Colony-Arrivals in Le Roy Township-Early Settlement in Lyle and Lansing-Settlers of 1854-Influx of Population Begins.

The first settlement within the present limits of Mower county, of which there is any record, was probably made July 4, 1852, in what is now Racine township, section 1, township 103, range 14, by Jacob MeQuillan, Sr., and his party, which consisted of nine children-of whom Jacob, Jr., brought his wife and family-and a son-in-law, Adam Zadyger. At that time no survey had been made, and as a matter of fact the land was not open to settle- ment, for although the Indian treaty of Mendota, which ceded the land to the whites, had at that time been signed by the Indians, and approved with amendments by the senate, the amendments had not been accepted by the Indians, nor the official proclama- tion issued by the president. Upon their arrival, the party camped by what is now known as the Hamilton spring. Before unhitch- ing his team, Mr. McQuillan nailed a coffee mill to a tree. as a visible sign of his claim to a homestead. For a time the family lived in the wagons, later they took up their abode in a rude cabin of rough poplar logs. Near the place of the settlement were two springs, some ten rods apart. Jacob MeQuillan, Sr., took the west spring, and the land west of it, while his son, Jacob, Jr., took the land east of this line, thus including in his property the most eastern of the two springs. The county line now runs a few rods to the eastward of the line between the claims of the McQuillans, Senior and Junior.

In 1854 a man named Booth pre-empted the quarter section that young MeQuillan had claimed, the claim being located in what is now Fillmore county. This created trouble, and a force of the MeQuillans' friends congregated, well armed, to put the intruder out of the way. Booth's friends gathered to meet the opposition, and a party of them spent the night in readiness for the fray. The MeQuillan party sent ont an advance guard, which

HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY

was met by a few of Booth's friends, near the present site of Hamilton. When the McQuillan party discovered that Booth and his friends were prepared to meet them and defend his claim, they soon dispersed. The place was in litigation for some time, and resulted not only in a victory for Booth, but also in the financial ruin of the MeQuillans. This land, as has already been stated, was just over the line in Fillmore county, and included the site of the village of Hamilton.

.Jacob McQuillan, Sr., occupied his claim in Mower county several months and then moved to Fillmore county, renting his claim to Thomas W. Corey. About a year later he sold his Mower county property. He improved a claim in Fillmore county, and there lived until after the war. At the age of seventy-three he returned to Ohio, and there died shortly afterward. He was a powerful man with an iron constitution; very kind and hospit- able, and well liked generally, though he was uneducated, and possessed of the roughness and gruffness of the typical fore- runners of pioneer settlement.

Thomas W. Corey, already mentioned, made the second set- tlement in Racine township in the spring of 1853. He was a native of Massachusetts, and came from Illinois, overland, by way of Davenport and Decorah. He settled on the MeQuillan elaim and erected a log cabin, 18 by 22, in which he often entertained trav- elers, the cabin being on the then traveled route between Deeorah and Mantorville. The charge was usually forty cents for two meals and lodging. Their postoffice and trading point was Decorah, Iowa.

After a time Mr. Corey moved across the line into Fillmore county and erected the first hotel in Hamilton. In 1880 he removed to Tennessee and died there two years later.

The second point of settlement in Mower county was also near the border line. In 1852 Isaac Van Houghton, who assisted in surveying the boundary line between the state of Iowa and the then territory of Minnesota, was much pleased with the vicinity of what is now Le Roy township. A year later he induced several of his fellow citizens of Lansing, Iowa, to join him in a colonizing venture. Consequently, some time during the summer of 1853, Isaac Van Houghton, George Squires, J. S. Priest, Moses Niles and Isaac Armstrong came to the extreme southeastern part of Le Roy township. Van Houghton claimed the southeast quarter of section 36 and Squires the northeast quarter of the same sec- tion. This, however, was before the survey, and when the lines were laid it was found that their claims were on sehool lands and not subject to homestead entry. Armstrong elaimed the west half of section 33, while Priest and Niles elaimed the southeast half of section 35. These claims are located approximately, for, as

HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY

before stated, no section lines were drawn until later in the year. All five of these claimants sold out within a short time.

The western part of the county received four settlers in 1853. "Ilunter" (H. O. or O. P.) Clark, who settled in Lansing town- ship; one Woodbury and his son-in-law, Pinkerton, who settled in Lyle township, and Austin Nichols, who settled on the present site of Austin.

Clark took a elaim and settled in the northwest quarter of section 34, in Lansing township. He built a log cabin a short dis- tanee northeast of where Oakwood cemetery is now located. May 8, 1855, he sold his claim to William Baudler and moved west. The last seen of him was in Idaho.

One Woodbury, accompanied by a son-in-law, Pinkerton, came to Lyle township in the fall of 1853 and elaimed a large tract of land bordering on the Red Cedar and on the creek that bears his name. He erected a log cabin on the northwest quarter of sec- tion 33. Woodbury sold his claim in June, 1855, and moved to Olmsted county.

Austin Nichols hunted along the Cedar in 1852, and in 1853 reached the present site of Austin. In his reminiscences he does not state whether he spent the winter of 1853-54 here. At any rate, he drove his first claim stake June 8, 1854.

In 1855 the real influx of settlers began, and from then until 1860 the pioneers came in rapidly. A full account of the settle- ment of the various localities in the county is found in the sepa- rate township histories in this volume.

HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY

CHAPTER VII.

ORGANIZATION AND BOUNDARY LINES.

Mower County Included in Wabasha and Rice Counties-Mower County Created-Organized by Governor Gorman-Commis- sioners Meet at Frankford-Old Election Precincts-Town- ship Boundaries.

Mower county was included in the original limits of Wabasha county (then spelled Wabashaw), which was one of the nine counties created by the first territorial legislature.

Governor Alexander Ramsey, the first territorial governor, arrived in St. Paul, May 27, 1849, and on June 1, 1849, issued his first proclamation. June 11 he issued a second proclamation, dividing the territory into three judicial districts. Mower county, then unpopulated, was included in the third judicial district, with Judge David Cooper on the bench. Court for this district was to be held at Mendota.

July 7, 1849, the governor issued a proclamation dividing the territory into seven council distriets and ordering an election. Mower county was included in the seventh district.

The first session of the legislative assembly of the territory of Minnesota was held at St. Paul, commencing September 3, 1849.

By an act approved October 27, 1849, the territory was divided into the counties of Washington, Ramsey, Benton, Itasca, Waba- shaw, Dakota, Wahnahta, Mahkahto and Pembina. Only the counties of Washington, Ramsey and Benton were fully organ- ized for all county purposes. The others were organized only for the purpose of appointment of justices of the peace, constables, and such other judicial and ministerial offices as might be spe- cially provided for. They were entitled to "any number of jus- tiees of the peace and constables, not exceeding six in number, to be appointed by the governor, and their term of office was made two years, unless sooner removed by the governor," and they were made conservators of the peace.

Wabashaw county, as "erected" by the act of October 27. 1849, comprised practically all of the southern part of the present state of Minnesota. Its northern boundary was the parallel run- ning through the mouth of the St. Croix and the mouth of the Yellow Medieine rivers ; its southern boundary was the lowa line : its eastern the Mississippi, and its western the Missouri, and it also included the big peninsula between the Missouri and the Big Sioux rivers, and all of what is at present southeastern South

HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY

Dakota. Of this vast county the present Mower county was a part.

Chapter 1, Revised Statutes of Minnesota of 1851, divides the territory in Benton, Dakota, Itasca, Cass, Pembina, Ramsey, Washington, Chisago and Wabashaw counties and defines their boundaries. Under the revised statutes, all the territory west of the Mississippi river and east of a line running from Medicine Bottle's village at Pine Bend, due south to the Iowa line, was erected into a separate county to be known as Wabashaw. This included in Wabashaw county a portion of what is now Dakota county as well as all the present counties of Goodhue, Wabasha, Dodge, Olmsted, Winona, Mower, Fillmore and Houston. The line south from Pine Bend in the Mississippi strikes practically the . western bonndary of Mower county, the exact line being impossi- ble of verification as the Medicine Bottle tepee were differently located at various times, always, however, being within a few rods of the bend in the river.

Rice county was created by act of the territorial legislature, March 5, 1853. Section 7, Chapter 15, General Laws of Minne- sota, 1853, gives the boundaries as follows: Beginning at the southwest corner of Dakota county, thence west along said county line to Lake Sakatah, thenee south to the Iowa state line, thence east along said state line to the southwest corner of Fillmore county, thence along the west lines of Fillmore, Wabasha and Goodhue counties to the place of beginning.

It will thus be seen that the starting point of Rice county, as then constituted, was at the "southwest corner of Dakato county." The west and south lines of Dakota county are described in the act as follows: "Beginning in the Minnesota at the mouth of the Credit river, thence on a direct line to the upper branch of the Cannon river, thence down said river to its lowest fork." The upper branch of the Cannon river is the Straight river, and consequently this boundary line of Rice county started at the confluence of these rivers, at the present site of Faribault, ran southwestward to Lake Sakatah; and thence south, crossing Waseca and Freeborn counties about on the range line between ranges twenty-two and twenty-three, to the Iowa line. Thence it ran along to the lowa border to a little village called Granger in township 101, range eleven, Fillmore county. Thenee it ran in a direct line, due northwest to the place of beginning.

Rice county therefore took in only a part of the present Rice county. It included the four eastern townships in Waseca county, and all but the four western townships in Freeborn county. It also took in practically all of Mower and Steele counties, about one-third of Dodge, a very small portion of Fillmore and Good- hue, and possibly a few sections in Olmsted county.

In February, 1854, the government survey having been made,

HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY

the eastern boundary was altered somewhat and assumed definite lines, the line between what is now Fillmore, and that part of the then Rice county which is now Mower county, being the pres- ent boundary between Mower and Fillmore counties.

February 20, 1855, the counties of Mower, Brown, Carver, Dodge, Faribault, Freeborn, Olmsted, Renville, Steele, Stearns and Wright were created by the legislature, and some changes of name made in others. Mower county included townships, 101, 102, 103 and 104, north ; ranges 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18, west of the Fifth principal meridian. In May, 1857, sections 1 to 6, inclusive, in township 104, ranges 14 and 15, were cut off and added to Olm- sted county. Since then, no changes have been made in the boundary lines of the county. The county contains 453,120 acres, or 708 square miles. The congressional survey was made in 1853-54, being completed in February, 1854, sufficiently for a definite description of the county boundaries by the legislature.

March 1, 1856, Governor Gorman, agreeable to the aet of the legislature, and upon representations made to him that Mower county was sufficiently populated to warrant its being duly fur- nished with county government, organized the county, and appointed a temporary board of county ocmmissioners, consisting of George White, Philip Howell and William Russell. This board was given full power and authority such as usually devolves upon such boards, with the additional duty of locating, temporarily, the county seat.

These commissioners met April 7, 1856, in the village of Frank- ford, and presumably located the county seat temporarily in that place. They appointed officers as follows: Register of deeds and clerk of the board of commissioners, Timothy M. Chapman ; treasurer, Lewis Patchin ; judge of probate, C. J. Felch ; surveyor, Moses Armstrong; sheriff, G. W. Sherman. These were the only officers for which appointments were then made.

OLD PRECINCT BOUNDARIES.

The early county commissioners divided the county into elec- tion precinets, road distriets and school districts. The old elec- tion precincts were the parents of the present townships and in many cases the original names still survive.

Following is the summary of the precincts, created from the time of the meeting of the first elected board of county commis- sioners, April 7, 1856, down to April 16, 1858, when the townships of the county were defined and given the authority to maintain local government.

Austin. Originally created as an election preeinet April 7, 1856, and contained at that time the present towns of Udolpho,

HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY

Waltham, Lansing, Red Rock, Austin, Windom, Lyle and Nevada. July 7, 1856, the boundaries of the precinct were curtailed, and made to contain the south halves of the present towns of Lansing and Red Rock, and all of Austin, Windom, Lyle and Nevada. April 16, 1856, it was still further curtailed, leaving only the south halves of Lansing and Red Rock, and all of Austin and Windom. April 16, 1858, the township assumed its present boundaries, and was duly organized May 11, of that year.

High Forest. Originally created as an election precinct, April 7, 1856. It comprised the present towns of Racine, Pleasant Val- ley and Sargeant.

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The history of Mower County, Minnesota : illustrated, Part 6

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