USA > Minnesota > Redwood County > The history of Redwood County, Minnesota, Volume I > Part 26
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On Nov. 16, 1869, the board of county commissioners heard the petition to discontinue a part of what was termed the county road running between sections 34, town 113, range 35, and the ferry at the lower Sioux Agency; that is, the part of the road which passes over sections 7 and 8 in town 112, range 34. This
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meant that the ferry at the Lower Sioux Agency was being aban- doned and one a mile or two up the river substituted. D. O. King and O. C. Martin were appointed to view the road and report. On Jan. 4, 1870, D. O. King and O. C. Martin reported favorably on the change. On May 25, 1870, the board ordered the old road discontinued and the new one laid out. On July 28, 1874, a petition was read for a change in the road leading from Redwood Falls to the Lower Sioux Agency. David Tibbetts and W. H. Hawk were appointed to view the road and reported at the next meeting. The committee reported favorably as to the change in the road and it was ordered laid out according to the report. On July 23, 1877, a bridge was ordered laid out according to the report. On July 23, 1877, a bridge was ordered built over Crow Creek where the county road crosses on section 35, town 113, range 35. The sum of $50 was appropriated for this purpose.
On May 19, 1871 a bill was read before the board of county commissioners for laying a state road from Redwood Falls west to the state line. It was rejected.
On Sept. 6, 1871, the petition for a county road from Redwood Falls via T. W. Caster's to Lyon county was granted. Caster at that time lived on the line between section 19, Underwood township, this county, and section 24, Stanley township, Lyon county. This road was therefore to follow the south bank of the Redwood river.
On May 19, 1871, the board of commissioners appropriated $75 for repairing a part of the stage road from Redwood Falls to New Ulm, provided that Redwood Falls appropriate $50 for the same purpose. On Jan. 5, 1876, $200 was appropriated to be expended in grading the hill north of Wabasha creek, commonly called "Wabasha Hill."
On Nov. 3, 1871, the county commissioners appropriated $50 for repairing and completing the approaches to the county bridge over the Redwood River, provided that Redwood Falls also paid $25 for the same purpose. On June 15, 1872, Harvey Wingett was directed to oversee the work of repairing the county bridge across the Redwood river.
On May 3, 1872, a petition was read before the board for a new county road from Redwood Falls via Swedes Forest to in- tersect the Yellow Medicine road on the western boundary of the county. Harvey Wingett and D. Tibbitts were appointed to view the road and report at the next meeting of the board of commissioners.
On June 4, 1872, the board of county commissioners appro- priated $60 to repair county road No. 2 near the residence of G. N. Carter, provided that the town of Redwood Falls appro- priate $60 for the same purpose. On June 14, 1872, on motion, the board amended the resolution of June 4, and released the
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town of Redwood Falls from her appropriation to this county road.
On Sept. 2, 1873, a petition was read for the change of the county road over sections 24, 25, 26, in the town of Sheridan. It was laid over till the next meeting, because it was necessary for D. Tibbetts and Jacob J. Light to examine the advisability of such a change. In the meeting of Sept. 16, 1873, the committee reported favorably and the change was made.
On petition, Nov. 21, 1873, a new county road from Redwood Falls to the south side of the county through the townships of Redwood Falls, New Avon, Willow Lake, Sundown, in the direc- tion of Bevins Station in Brown county, the board appointed Jacob J. Light and D. Tibbetts to view the road and report at the next session. On March 12, 1874, the petition was granted and the road laid out accordingly. Fifty dollars was appropriated to one person for damages to her land, caused by the making of this road. Some money was also appropriated for building bridges on the above road. On Jan. 2, 1877, the petition was granted for grading the road through the "Big Slough" on sec- tion 28 in New Avon.
On March 19, 1879, a sum of $30 was appropriated to be ex- pended on the county road in section 13, town 111, range 37 (Vail township).
On July 28, 1874, a petition was read for a road beginning at Redwood Falls and running straight west to the county line. It was laid over till the next meeting and a committee appointed to view the same. The committee reporting favorably, the road is ordered laid out on Oct. 9, 1874. On March 10, 1875, a petition was read before the board to change a part of this county road. A. M. Cook and D. Tibbetts were appointed to view said road and report at a later session of the board of commissioners. On May 13, 1875, the road was changed between the center of sec- tion 10 and the northwest corner of the northeast quarter of sec- tion 11, town 112, range 36.
A petition for a new county road running from the south line of the southwest corner of section 34, town 109, range 37 (Lam- berton), thence north to the intersection with the Yellow Medi- cine road, was read before the board on May 13, 1875. W. H. Hawk and D. Tibbetts were appointed to view the road and to report at a later meeting of the board of commissioners. On July 26, 1875, the petition was granted and the road was ordered to be laid out. No damages were paid to the owners of the land.
On May 13, 1875, a petition was read before the board of county commissioners for a new county road running from the village of Redwood Falls southeasterly past Three Lakes, and to intersect the county road at the southwest corner of the south- east quarter of section 24, town 110, range 35. A committee
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was appointed to view the advisability of the road and report. On July 26, 1875, this was granted and the road was declared a public highway.
On Sept. 20, 1876, a petition was read before the board for building a road from Walnut Grove to Redwood Falls. L. Bedall and the county surveyor were appointed to view the road and report later.
On Jan. 3, 1878, a petition, asking for a change in the county road from Swedes Forest to Lamberton, was granted. Mathias Keller and D. B. Whitemore were appointed a committee to make the change as asked for in the petition.
When the state atlas was issued in 1874, seven roads extended from Redwood Falls. The Beaver Falls road extended through what is now Honner township, cutting across sections 31 and 29, and crossing the river in the western part of section 21. A short branch of this road extended from the house of J. S. G. Honner west to the Redwood, and southeast through sections 29, 32 and 33. The Yellow Medicine road crossed sections 36, 26, 23, 15, 16, 9, 8, 5 and 6, in what is now Kintire; crossed sec- tion 36, in Swedes Forest township, passed between the school- house and the Swedes Forest postoffice at the corner of sections 25, 26, 35 and 36, Swedes Forest, passed west on the section line between 26 and 35, 27 and 34, 28 and 35, 29 and 32, 30 and 31, and angled northwest across section 30, past the Boiling Spring into Yellow Medicine county. A short road extended from Red- wood Falls to the west line of what is now Redwood Falls town- ship, crossing sections 2, 3, 4, 9, 8 and 7, Redwood Falls township, just north of the Redwood river. The road south of the Red- wood river to the western boundary of the county at the west edge of what is now Underwood township, crossed sections 1, 12, 11, 10, 9, 16, 17 and 19, in what is now Redwood Falls township; sections 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 in what is now Sheridan; sections 25, 23, 22, 21, 20 and 19, in what is now Vesta township; and sections 24, 23, 22, 21, 20 and 19, in what is now Underwood. Ceresco postoffice was on this road in section 20, Underwood. The Springfield road crossed sections 1, 12, 13, 24, 25 and 36 in what is now Redwood Falls; sections 1, 12, New Avon, followed the section line between 11 and 12, 13 and 14, 13 and 24, crossed 24 and 25, New Avon; followed the present town line between New Avon and Three Lakes, Willow Lake and Sundown, from section 25, New Avon, to section 12, Willow Lake, where it crossed the Sleepy Eye creek ; crossed sections 7, 8, 17, 16, 15 and 14, south of the Sleepy Eye in Sundown township, ran along the section line between sections 14 and 23, and then extended south between sections 23 and 24, 26 and 25, 35 and 36 to the south edge of Sundown and the south boundary of the county. The present Morton road extended due east from Redwood Falls to
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the Minnesota river, on the township line between the present towns of Honner and Paxton. The New Ulm road extended from Redwood Falls due east for seven miles on a line a mile south of the north line of Paxton, and on the line between sec- tions 6 and 7, Sherman. At the agency it turned southeast across sections 8, 9, 16, 15 and 22, to Wabasha creek, thus following the present agency road from Redwood Falls to Wabasha creek. There it angled across sections 22, 23, 25 and 26, to the east line of the county and the east edge of Sherman township. The agency branch of Col. Nobles' road left the agency road in sec- tion 16, Sherman, crossed sections 22, 27 and 34 in Sherman ; sections 3, 10, 15, 22, 27 and 34 in Morgan ; and sections 3, 10, 15 and 22 in Brookville, connecting with Nobles' road in section 22, Brookville. From section 27, Morgan, southward, the course was a winding one. Col. Nobles' wagon road entered the county at the east edge of section 24, Brookville. It left Brookville be- tween sections 19 and 30, and entered Sundown between sections 24 and 25, crossing Sleepy Eye creek in section 24. It left Sun- down at the southwest corner of that town and entered the north- east corner of Charlestown. It left Charlestown a little north of the line between sections 7 and 18 and entered Lamberton a little north of the line between sections 12 and 13. It crossed the Cot- tonwood in section 7, Lamberton, and left the township in that section. It entered North Hero township in section 12, crossed Plume creek near the corner of sections 4, 5, 8 and 9, leaving the township on the section line between sections 6 and 7. It entered Springdale on the section line between sections 1 and 12, and left the township and the county in section 6. One branch of the New Ulm-Lake Shetek-Lyon county road, entered Charlestown and the county in section 13, and joined the other branch in sec- tion 20. The other branch entered Charlestown and the county in section 36, following the north bank of the Cottonwood to section 19, where it crossed the river. It entered Lamberton township in section 24. At Lamberton village it turned south a short distance; thence to the western boundary of the county through North Hero and Springdale, on the section line, two miles north of the southern county line. At the corner of sec- tions 20, 21, 28 and 29, North Hero, a branch angled southwest across sections 29 to 31, to the corner of Redwood, Murray and Cottonwood counties, and thence to Lake Shetek.
Gradually, town and county roads extended to all parts of the county.
Rude bridges were constructed along the Government roads before the massacre. The first appropriations made for bridges by the county commissioners Sept. 8 and 9, 1870, when $50 was appropriated for building a bridge over Wabasha creek, and $25 each for building bridges over Ramsey and Rice creeks.
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Bridge building at Redwood Falls was inaugurated when the legislature of 1871 passed an act appropriating $5,000 for the construction of a Howe truss bridge across the Redwood river at the dalles. This bridge was entirely of wood. The bill was introduced by Hon. J. S. G. Honner, representative, and was passed only after a hard fight. The amount was the first consid- erable sum appropriated from the internal improvement fund created by the 5 per cent given to the state in sales of govern- ment lands.
March 16, 1871, the appropriation having been made available, a committee consisting of Robert Watson, D. L. Bigham, E. A. Chandler and A. M. Cook, was appointed to inspect the Redwood river with a view to determining the most suitable location for a bridge. The location at the foot of Third street was decided upon, and the contract let May 19, 1871. Later the bridge was several times repaired and renewed. Still later it was moved to the present location, where in time it was replaced by the permanent cement bridge which now ornaments the village.
An appropriation for bridging Crow creek was made Jan. 6, 1874, and for bridging Plum creek, July 27, 1874.
Other appropriations were also made from time to time.
In 1875, the state having appropriated $600 for a bridge over the Cottonwood, the commissioners on May 13, 1875, appointed a committee to select the site. The point selected was the sec- tion line between sections 14 and 15, Lamberton township. The contract was let July 10, 1875.
An appropriation was made Jan. 5, 1876, for a bridge over High Water (Dutch Charlie) creek; and on Jan. 2, 1877, for a bridge over Sleepy Eye creek, on the Lamberton-Redwood Falls road.
All the creeks and rivers of the county are now well bridged, as is also the Minnesota river between this county and Renville county.
The Dunn law having been passed, the county commissioners were petitioned for the construction of numerous roads under its provisions, the first Dunn roads in this county being inaugurated in the fall of 1911. Since then, by following a systematic plan of procedure the present splendid system of Redwood county roads has been made possible.
The commissioners aim to have three north and south state roads, and three east and west state roads through the county, and in addition to this, to connect all the villages with these six principal thoroughfares.
State Road No. 1 extends from the Morton bridge westward, passing through Redwood Falls and Vesta, and leaving the county in the direction of Marshall, on the township line between Under- wood and Westline. From the Morton bridge, this road runs
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south into section 1, Paxton, about half a mile. Thence it runs northwest in sections 1 and 2 until striking the township line between Honner and Paxton. Thence it runs westward on the north line of Paxton, Redwood Falls, Sheridan and Vesta, and the south line of Honner, Delhi, Kintire and Yellow Medicine county. On the north line of Vesta township, between sections 3 and 4 it turns southward, and runs on the section line to Vesta village. It leaves Vesta midway between the north and south line of section 16, and runs due west to the western line of sec- tion 15, Underwood. Thence it runs due south on the section line to the corner of sections 21, 22, 28 and 27; thence a mile west between sections 21 and 28, thence due south between sections 28 and 29, 32 and 33, to the township line between Underwood and Westline, and thence west on the township line to the west line of the county. This road will be completed before snowfall in 1916.
State Road No. 2, exactly divides Morgan township, extend- ing from the middle of the south line of Sherman to the middle of the north line of Brookville, and thence extending one mile west on the township line between section 33, Morgan, and sec- tion 4, Brookville. It passes through Morgan village. The road is completed.
State Road No. 3 extends from the village of Morgan west- ward to the west line of Three Lakes township, midway between the north and south lines of the townships. This road, in time, will be extended westward through New Avon, Vail, Granite Rock and Westline townships, to the western line of the county, thus connecting the villages of Morgan, Wabasso, Lucan and Milroy.
State Road No. 4, is under construction from the east boundary of Willow Lake, due westward eight miles on a line midway be- tween the north and south boundaries of the township to the corner of sections 14, 15, 22 and 23, in Waterbury township.
State Road No. 5, enters the county on the eastern line of Charlestown township, midway between the north and south lines of the county, and extends westward to the western boundary of the township. Thence it runs south half a mile on the line be- tween section 19, Charlestown, and section 24, Lamberton. Thence it angles northwest in sections 24 and 23, Lamberton, to Lam- berton village. From Lamberton village it runs westward, mid- way between the north and south lines of sections 21, 20 and 19. Thence it extends south half a mile on the line between section 19, Lamberton, and section 24, North Hero. Thence it extends westward across North Hero and Springdale, two miles north of the county line, to the western boundary of the county and the west line of Springdale. It passed through the villages of Lam- berton, Revere and Walnut Grove. This road, the Springfield- Tracy road, was built under the Elwell law as State Rural High-
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way, No. 54, but will be maintained as State Road No. 5 under the Dunn law.
State Road No. 6 starts at the northeast corner of Sheridan and the northwest corner of Redwood Falls, and extends south- ward on the line dividing the townships. At the southeast cor- ner of Sheridan and the southwest corner of Redwood Falls, it turns west a mile on the line between Sheridan and Vail. Thence it runs south, a mile west of the east line of Vail, to Wabasso village. Thence it turns westward a mile across section 23. Thence it runs southward, two miles west of the east line of Vail, Waterbury and Lamberton to the south line of Lamberton and the south boundary of the county. It passes through Lam- berton and Wabasso village. The road is completed.
State Road No. 7 starts on the south line of Kintire township, midway between the east and west line of section 32, and runs north the whole length of the township, one and a half miles east from the west line of the township and the west line of the county. On the north line of section 5, Kintire, and the south line of sec- tion 32, Swedes Forest, it turns west one-half mile, and runs north the whole length of the township to the Minnesota river, extend- ing just a mile east from the west line of Swedes Forest and the west line of the county. The road will be completed in 1916. It passes through Belview village.
State Road No. 8 starts on the north line of Westline town- ship, between sections 4 and 5, and runs due south two miles east of the west line of Westline township, some two miles, to Milroy village. The road will be completed in 1916.
State Road No. 9 connects Morgan and Redwood Falls. From Redwood Falls it extends south on the township line between Redwood Falls and Paxton, to the southwest corner of section 7, Paxton. It extends due east a mile on the south line of sec- tion 7, Paxton, and then follows the diagonal course of the rail- road southeast, crossing to the east side of the railroad just south of Gilfillan.
State Road No. 10 starts at the northeast corner of section 6, and the northwest corner of section 5, Sheridan township, and runs due south, a mile east of the township line between Sheridan and Vesta, to Seaforth village. This road will be completed in 1916.
Four more roads will probably be constructed in 1917. One will start at the northeast corner of section 3, and the northwest corner of section 2, on the north line of New Avon township, and run due south, two miles west of the east line of New Avon and Willow Lake, to the corner of sections 14, 15, 22 and 23, Willow Lake. Thence it will run east a mile on the line between sec- tions 14 and 23, and thence due south to Sanborn, on a line a mile west of the east line of Willow Lake and Charlestown.
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HISTORY OF REDWOOD COUNTY
Another will connect Delhi and Belview, and another will start at Clements and run due south to the county line, midway between the east and west lines of Three Lakes and Sundown. Another will start on the north line of Brookville township, and run south on a line midway between the east and west lines of the township, to the very center of the township. There it will turn east a mile, and thence turn due south to the township and county line, running two miles west of the east line of the town- ship and county.
Of the Elwell roads in the county, State Rural Highways Nos. 22 and 54 (will be state road No. 5) are completed. State Rural Highways No. 50, No. 74 and No. 93, will be completed in 1916.
State Rural Highway No. 22, extends south from Redwood Falls, a mile west of the east line of Redwood Falls township, to the corner of sections 23, 24, 25 and 26. Thence it runs west a mile, and thence south, two miles west of the east line of Red- wood Falls township to the township line between Redwood Falls and New Avon township.
State Rural Highway No. 50 starts at the corner of sections 7, 8, 17 and 18, Paxton township, runs south a mile between sections 17 and 18, thence east a half a mile between sections 17 and 20; thence south a half a mile and east a half a mile in section 20, thence south on a line two miles east of the west line of Paxton township, to the line between Paxton and Three Lakes townships.
State Road No. 7 starts on the south line of Kintire township, midway between the east and west line of section 32, and runs north the whole length of the township, one and a half miles east from the west line of the township and the west line of the county. On the north line of section 5, Kintire, and the south line of section 32 Swedes Forest it turns west a mile, and runs north the whole length of the township to the Minnesota river, ex- tending just a mile east from the west line of Swedes Forest and the west line of the county. The road will be completed in 1916. It passes through Belview village.
State Rural Highway No. 74 starts at Milroy in Westline town- ship, and runs south on a line two miles east of the west line of Westline and Gales townships, to a point on the west line of section 8, Gales township, midway between the north and south line of the section. Thence it runs west through section 8.
State Rural Highway No. 93 extends straight south from Vesta through Lucan to the corner of sections 21, 22, 27 and 28, North Hero township, running midway between the east and west lines of Vesta, Granite Rock, Johnsonville and North Hero townships.
Authority and References. The Records of the Proceedings of the County Commissioners of Redwood County in the custody of the Redwood County Auditor.
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The Transcripts from the Field Notes of the Original Govern- ment Surveys, in the custody of the Register of Deeds of Redwood county.
State Road Records in the custory of the auditor of Redwood county.
Personal testimony of L. P. Larson, who has been auditor of Redwood county during the period of state road building.
"Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Minnesota," A. T. Andreas, Chicago, 1874.
"Map of State Roads in Redwood County," prepared by O. L. Kipp, district engineer, Minnesota State Highway Commission.
CHAPTER XXI.
RAILROADS.
Redwood county is crossed by five railroads, operated by two companies, the Chicago and Northwestern Railway Co. and the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad Co.
The Winona-Tracy branch of the old Winona & St. Peter, now the Chicago & Northwestern, extends through the southern part of the county, crossing the townships of Charlestown, Lamberton, North Hero and Springdale, with stations at Sanborn, Lamberton, Revere, and Walnut Grove. Springfield in Brown county is nine miles east of Sanborn and Tracy in Lyon county is eight miles west of Walnut Grove. The line was completed a few miles west of New Ulm in June, 1872. The next sixty miles through Redwood county and on to Marshall was rapidly constructed, and the first construction train reached Marshall on Oct. 12, 1872. Service was suspended during the long hard winter of 1873, and regular service inaugurated in the spring.
The first train to run within the limits of Redwood county on regular schedule left New Ulm at 9 o'clock on the morning of April 14, 1873, made the run of eighty miles in seven hours, and arrived at Marshall at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. H. B. Gary was the conductor, and Robert McConnell, the engineer. The train was made up of engine No. 26, a baggage car, a coach, and twenty-five freight cars.
The Minnesota Valley division of the Winona & St. Peter, now the Redwood Falls-Sleepy Eye branch of the Chicago & North- western, was constructed in 1878. Lumber was brought to Red- wood Falls by rail as early as July, 1878, and on Aug. 1, a regular passenger service was inaugurated with W. C. Tyler as first sta- tion agent. He kept his office in a box car, while the station was being erected. This line crossed Morgan and Maxton townships
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diagonally and has stations in this county at Morgan, Gilfillan and Redwood Falls. Redwood Falls is the end of the line. Evan, in Brown county, is seven miles from Morgan.
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