USA > Minnesota > Redwood County > The history of Redwood County, Minnesota, Volume I > Part 67
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69
Kintire. In sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 22, 23, 24, and 36.
Swedes Forest. In sections 7, 8, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36.
Morgan. John A. Willard and O. P. Whitcomb owned land in section 1, Frederick Evertsbury and Geo. B. Wright, in sec- tion 2; Isaac P. Olmstead, Geo. B. Wright and John Shillock, in section 3; Geo. B. Wright and Wm. F. Davidson in sections 4, 5, 16 and 21; Wm. F. Davidson in sections 6, 7, 8, 9, 17, 18, 19, 20, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34; John Shillock and Wm. F. Davidson in section 10; Geo. B. Wright and Chas. Shumacker in section 11; Christopher Burton and Chas. Schumacker in section 12; Mark Howard in sections 13, 14 and 23; Geo. B. Wright in sections 15 and 22; Mark Howard and Geo. B. Wright in sec- tion 24.
Sherman. Lahiva G. Clough and Henry W. Lamberton owned land in section 15; Henry Muller, Lahiva G. Clough and Henry W. Lamberton in section 16; John M. Little and Henry W. Lam- berton in section 17; Andrew T. Hale and Geo. B. Wright in section 18; Andrew T. Hale, Chas. E. Vandelbergh and Henry K. Olmstead in section 19; Henry K. Olmstead and Geo. B. Wright in section 20; Andrew T. Hale, George B. Wright, Henry Muller and Henry W. Lamberton in section 21; Jacob Muller, Henry Muller, Henry W. Lamberton, William S. Root and Edward McCormack in section 22; Jacob Muller, Lahiva G. Clough, Charles T. Brown and Edward McCormack in section 23; Sarah M. Dresser in section 24; Sarah M. Dresser, J. Fredrick Putnam and Henry A. Swift in section 25; Sarah M. Dresser, John Willard, Orlin P. Whitcomb, Andrew T. Hale and Edward McCormack in section 26; Andrew T. Hale, Henry W. Lamber- ton and Edward McCormack in section 27; Andrew T. Hale, Chas. E. Vandelbergh, Geo. B. Wright and A. A. Knowlton in section 28; Chas. E. Vandelberglı, Amelia E. Tucker, Geo. B. Wright, A. A. Knowlton and James Graham in section 29; J. W. Paxton in sections 30 and 31; Amelia E. Tucker, Lahiva G. Clough, Chas. T. Brown and Geo. B. Wright in section 33; Amelia
602
HISTORY OF REDWOOD COUNTY
E. Tucker and Geo. B. Wright in section 34; Andrew T. Hale, Henry A. Swift and Geo. B. Wright in section 35; and John A. Willard, Orlin P. Whitcomb and Henry A. Swift in section 36.
Willow Lake. Wm. F. Davidson owned land in sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 23 and 24; and Myron K. Drew in section 5.
Paxton. Orvis A. Mason, Mark Howard and Norman Webster owned land in section 4; George P. Morse and James C. Bwins in section 5; Harvey Wingate, Elizabeth Angel, Park Worden, George G. Beardley, Elizabeth M. Robinson, Maria Mason and D. L. Bigham in section 6; Anna E. Springgate, John B. Downer, Orlin P. Whitcomb and John A. Willard in section 7; George P. Morse, James C. Bwins, John B. Downer and William H. Horr in section 8; William B. Haslip, Andrew T. Hale, Geo. B. Wright and Julius Meyer in section 9; John A. Willard, Orlin P. Whit- comb, Joseph Brown and Henry C. Baker in section 18; J. W. Paxton and Geo. B. Wright in sections 13, 14, 15, 16, 20 and 23; Jacob A. Parmeter in section 12; George F. Stevens, Geo. B. Wright and Asa B. Barton in section 17; Andrew T. Hale and Mark Howard in section 18; J. W. Paxton and Sam McPhail in section 19; J. W. Paxton in sections 10, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32, 33 and 36; J. W. Paxton and James W. Justice in section 30; and Wm. F. Davidson in sections 34 and 35.
Honner. William Pfaender owned land in section 18; J. S. G. Honner, Wm. Woodward, Wm. Harding and Wm. Pfaender in sec- tion 19; J. S. G. Honner and John Andrews in section 20; Chris- tian Kuenzli in section 21; Eliva T. Jones, Hugh Casey, Christian Kuenzli and John M. Chapin in section 28; John M. Morton, D. L. Hitchcock, Christian Kuenzli and Ener Birum in section 29, E. and C. C. Birum; J. S. G. Honner, Rufus C. Cole, George Houghton, William Harding, Susan Brown and Meuis Pervus in section 30; Birney Flynn, Pam Angel, Phebe E. Watson, D. Watson, Martha E. Watson, J. E. Pope and Francis Vanin in section 31; Daniel C. Harkness, Ener Birum, D. L. Hitchcock and Abigah M. Northrop in section 32; Eliva T. Jones, Giles Farmin, John M. Chapin and Mary Mansfield in section 33; Bernhardt Kuenzli, George Johnson and James A. Bailey in sec- tion 34; Orvis S. Mason and Norman Webster in section 36.
Charlestown. All of section 25 had been taken. Rachel Bean owned the southeast quarter and Wm. H. Harrison the rest of the section. A notation is made that Joseph H. Bean lived in township 107, range 38, in Cottonwood county.
Redwood Falls. Ly Brand & Thompson, Chas. Folsom, Peter Ort, John R. Thompson, Philip Osborn, D. L. Hitchcock, Sam McPhail and Wm. Beard owned land in section 1; Jacob Tippery, Wm. Beard, Peter Ort, J. A. Willard, O. P. Whitcomb, John R. Thompson and Wm. H. Morrell in section 2; J. A. Willard and
603
HISTORY OF REDWOOD COUNTY
O. P. Whitcomb and Lorenzo Darling in section 3; James S. Daniels and Geo. B. Wright in section 4; Chas. E. Vandelburgh, Geo. B. Wright and Samuel Herron in section 5; Geo. B. Wright, James Harvey and Samuel Herron in section 6; George B. Wright in section 7; Charles E. Vandelburgh and George B. Wright in section 8; Charles E. Vandelburg, John Gleason, Mark Howard and H. W. Lamberton in section 9; S. S. Repler, W. J. Jackson and Henry A. Swift in section 10; J. R. Thomp- son, Joseph Wagner, William Beard, J. A. Willard and O. P. Whitcomb and Adie C. Austin and George B. Wright, in sec- tion 11; Wm. Beard, Chas. Folsom, Lewis M. Baker, J. R. Thomp- son, John Andrew, J. A. Willard and O. P. Whitcomb and Pulaski Broughton in section 12; John Andrews, Albert H. Childs, Newell Worden, Sanford C. Baker and A. T. Hale in section 13; Cres- centia Wagner, Joseph Wagner and John R. Bigham in section 14; S. S. Repler and W. J. Jackson, Chas. E. Vandelburgh and Geo. B. Wright in section 15; Calvin C. Proctor in section 16; Catharine R. Prior and Geo. B. Wright in section 17; Geo. B. Wright in section 18; Benj. Prior in section 20; Benj. Prior, Theo- dore D. Lyman and Leanord Prior in section 21; J. W. Paxton in sections 23, 25, 26, 27 and 36; Frank Patterson and J. W. Paxton in section 24; Theodore D. Lyman in section 28.
Delhi. Henry G. Abbott and G. B. Mason owned land in sec- tion 4; Henry G. Abbott in section 5; Eliza I. Dausingburgh, Geo. B. Wright and Asa G. Felton in section 6; Mark Howard, Geo. B. Wright and John B. Downer in section 7; Mark Howard in section 8; Andrew T. Hale, Amelia E. Tucker, Hiram B. Petter- son and C. B. Mason in section 9; William Brown, Hiram B. Pat- terson and George B. Mason in section 10; Carl Simonette, Tallak Broken and Hartwell Allen in section 13; Wm. Skinner, Geo. H. Eastman and W. G. Gates in section 14; W. H. Lamberton and Geo. I. Snitinger in section 15; Benj. P. Lamberton in section 16; Elizabeth M. Moreland, Chas. Bryant and Asa Felton in section 17; George Eckhardt, Simon A. Colson, John B. Downer and Sum- ner Ladd in section 18; Oliver M. Leavens and George Eckhardt in section 19; Oliver M. Leavens and John Blair in section 20; John Blair and W. H. Lamberton in section 21; Daniel Jones, Benj. P. Lamberton and Mark Howard in section 22; S. S. Repler and W. J. Jackson, John S. Davies and Edwin Lloyd in section 23; S. S. Repler and W. J. Jackson, Asa Barton, Tallak Broken and Simon A. Colson in section 24; Joel B. Clough, Francis H. Whitman, Geo. Houghton, Soule, Meuis Peenus, John B. Downer and Peter Dausnigbury in section 25; Lorenzo E. Darl- ing and Chas. E. Fogg in section 26; Ezra M. Birdley, Mark Howard and Evan Williams in section 27; John A. Willard in sections 28, 29 and 30; Henry W. Lamberton, Archibald Noble, John Blair, James G. Stoddard in section 31; Henry W. Lamber-
604
HISTORY OF REDWOOD COUNTY
ton and John A. Willard in section 32; John A. Willard and Orlin P. Whitcomb and Chas. E. Vandelburgh in section 33; John A. Willard and Orlin P. Whitcomb in section 34; Lorenzo E. Darling and John B. Downer, - Soule in section 35; and J. W. Griswold, Joel B. Clough, John B. McMillan, Geo. B. Wright, Francis H. Whitman, Sam McPhail, Park Worden, O. C. Martin, Mary J. Martin, Ly Brand and Thompson, Redwood Mill Co., Harrison Wilson and C. P. Griswold in section 36; township 114-36, Jas. M. House and Simon Gibhart owned land in section 31.
Sheridan. John Beattie and George Smith owned land in section 1; and George Smith in section 12.
Kintire. Simon Gibhart, Asa G. Felton and Alfred M. Cook owned land in section 1; Israel Sheldon, Charles S. Plummer and Alfred M. Cook in section 2; Simon Gibhart in sections 3 and 4; John I. Parry in sections 5 and 6; Burnham Hanson in section 9; Burnham Hanson and Alfred M. Cook in section 10; Myron K. Drew and Geo. W. Clark in section 11; Jas. M. House, Alfred M. Cook and John B. Downer in section 12; John B. Downer, Hiram H. Butts and Stanford Holland in section 13; Jas. M. House and Mary A. Stickle in section 14; Jas. E. Morrell in section 15; Mary A. Stickle in section 22; Myron H. Allen in sec- tion 23; Stanford Holland and Phillip Hope, Jr., in section 24; Alfred M. Cook and Jas. G. Stoddard in section 36.
Swedes Forest. Torkle Oleson owned land in section 7; Knud Knudson in sections 8 and 11; Torkle Oleson in section 12; Iver Iverson in section 19; Caroline A. Fogg in section 21; Charles E. Fogg in section 22; Henry G. Abbott in section 23; Alfred M. Cook in section 24; Alfred M. Cook, Fred Holt, Fredrick Wolte and Henry G. Abbott in section 25; Charles Johnson Aams, Henry G. Abbott, Fredrick Holt in section 26; Charles E. Fogg, Henry G. Abbott in section 27; Israel Sheldon in section 28; Alfred M. Cook, J. W. Sprague, H. A. Swift and H. W. Lamberton in section 29; H. A. Swift, Henry W. Lamberton, J. W. Sprague in section 30; John J. Parry in sections 31 and 32; Simon Gibhart in sec- tions 33 and 34; Charles Johnson Aams in section 35; Henry J. Abbott, Asa Felton, James M. Round and Alfred M. Cook in section 36.
For publication in this work, the names of the personal tax payers of 1868 have been divided according to present day boun- dary lines by D. L. Bigham and M. E. Powell, both of whom were personally acquainted with nearly all the men in these lists.
Redwood Falls township and village: John Andrews, D. L. Bigham, H. C. Baker, John P. Baker, Louis M. Baker, Behnke Brothers (New Ulm), P. B. Broughton, S. A. Briggs, George Charter, E. A. Chandler, James B. Davidson, I. C. Dwyer, Ed- mund Fosgate, Birney Flinn, Charles Folsom, C. P. Griswold,
605
HISTORY OF REDWOOD COUNTY
S. S. Goodrich, E. R. Harkness, D. L. Harkness, D. L. Hitchcock, Edward March, James McMillan, O. C. Martin, William H. Mor- rell, Sam McPhail, A. M. Northrup, John Noble, L. O. Root, S. J. F. Rutter, Louis Robert, William Simmons, John H. Thomas, F. Watson, Robert Watson, Park Worden and William Walker.
Charlestown. Joseph F. Bean, Charles Porter, Joseph Wagner.
Paxton. S. E. Bailey, F. W. Byington, C. D. Chapman, William H. Cornell, John Duscher, Godfrey Luscher, O. A. Mason, Peter Ort, Norman Webster, Alpheus Wilson, Thomas McMillan, D. O. King and John Little.
Honner. High Curry, William Davis, C. W. Fleischauer, J. S. G. Honner, George Johnson, D. O. King, Bernhart Kuenzli and Sebastian Wandrou.
Sheridan. Charles Holton and G. G. Sanford.
Sherman. Jacob J. Light, William McGinnis, Edward Mc- Cormack, Oliver Martell, O. W. Newton, Frederick Putnam, Wil- liam Root, L. J. Russell, James Stephens, I. M. C. Tower, James Arnold.
Delhi. J. W. Paxton, James Anderson, Jacob Tippery.
Swedes Forest. Nelse Swenson.
Springdale. Joseph Steves.
Unknown. F. Bilsing, Jacob Boyse, William Boyer, C. Hall, E. Z. Karry, H. B. Patterson and Lorenzo Busch.
The construction of the Stockade has been described. In 1865 a few frame houses began to go up about Redwood Falls. Some of the pioneers were fortunate in that they moved into log or brick houses made for the Indians before the Massacre. But for the most part the early pioneers in the vicinity of Redwood Falls built their cabins of logs, some of which were obtained from cabins ruined during the Massacre. Some of these cabins of the pioneers were thatched with bark, and the floors consisted mostly of trampled earth.
However, the government saw mill at the falls of the Red- wood, which was put in renewed operations soon after the ar- rival of the first settlers had a strong influence on the architec- ture of the early houses around Redwood Falls. The Scandinav- ian people built many dugouts, especially back from the river in Swedes Forest township. The Danes in Brookville and Sundown and the Scandinavians in Gales, Johnsonville, Springdale and North Hero also had a number of dugouts. However, for the most part, the habitations in the southern part of the county were sod houses, partly underground and partly overground. Some of these sod houses were whitewashed on the outside, boarded up on the inside and made quite comfortable homes. In the central part of the county the early houses were for the most part of board, though many of these were reinforced with sod, sometimes with straw and hay. Most of the houses of the vari-
606
HISTORY OF REDWOOD COUNTY
ous kinds, log cabins, dugouts, board and sod, had a small window 8 by 10 window glass and one door made from sawed lumber.
A vital influence on the type of houses in Redwood county was exerted by the fact that D. L. Bigham established in 1869 at Redwood Falls the first lumber yard in the Minnesota valley west of New Ulm, purchasing lumber at $15 to $16 a thousand, paying $10 freight, hauling it three miles from the landing to Redwood Falls and then selling it for $32 a thousand. His object was to assist in building up the country rather than to make money, and the lumber from his yard was used in cabins from Redwood Falls to the state line. The first load of lumber was brought from St. Paul in 1868 aboard the boat "Pioneer," which he chartered for this purpose. About 1870, he made a contract with a lumber company owning saw mills on the St. Croix river and that with the boat "St. Anthony," and its barge brought the lumber to the Redwood landing, from which place Mr. Bigham had it hauled three miles to Redwood Falls. The river trip was one beset with many hazards, and often Mr. Bigham's lumber was scattered along the river bank everywhere from Mankato to Redwood landing.
Most of the early settlers came here with horses, intending to use those animals for farming work. They soon found, how- ever, that they were not suitable for pioneer endeavor in this climate, and while a few of the pioneers kept their horses for driving purposes, most of the work was done by oxen, who could comfortably weather these cold winters and who could survive on marsh hay, wheat straw and rutabagas.
None of the land in the Indian reservation was subject to homestead or pre-emption entry, it was put in the market Decem- ber 7, 1867. The land office was at St. Peter. In the fall of 1866 commissioners of the government appraised the lands within the reservation on which some claims had already been made. They valued the land at prices varying from $1.25 to $2.50 per acre, excepting special tracts covered with valuable timber, well situ- ated, and lands where improvements in the form of buildings or otherwise, had been made. These lands in some cases sold as high as $7 per acre, where the government had made improve- ments for the benefit of the Sioux. Houses of brick or of wood had, as stated, been built at various points up and down the reservation and a clay pit and brick yard opened at Yellow Medicine. It was reasonable therefore that wide difference should be made in the appraisal of land.
In addition to their homestead and pre-emption laws, pioneers in this region had the opportunity of taking a tree claim of 160 acres. To prove up on a tree claim, it was originally necessary to bring proof that 40 acres of timber had been planted thereon and had been growing for five years. The act was several times
607
HISTORY OF REDWOOD COUNTY
amended and finally reduced to 10 acres. Only one tree claim could be taken in each section. It is said that only one tract in Redwood county fully complied with the provisions of the origi- nal tree claim act. In Gales township one man planted the 40 acres and at the end of five years was able to adduce proof that not a single tree was missing. In the early days, aside from se- curing the tree claim by planting trees, the settlers were also paid a bounty by the state for each acre of growing timber which they had planted on their claims.
The land office of the Redwood Falls land district was estab- lished in July, 1872, with Col. B. F. Smith, registrar, and Major W. H. Kelley, receiver. Several years later the office was removed to Marshall.
The census of 1870 gave Redwood county a population of 1,829. The county then extended to the state line. Sheridan and Sher- man had their present boundaries. Redwood Falls township took in practically all of the remainder of what is now Redwood county. In addition to this there were a few settlers in the western part of the county, and a few in Swedes Forest. The settlers in Swedes Forest were for the most part Scandinavian. The settlers in the western part of the county were a mixture of Scandinavians, Germans and Americans. The settlers around Redwood Falls were for the most part American and Scotch. The settlers in Sherman were American, Scotch and Irish, only a few Germans having at that time arrived.
Unlike many counties of the state, the county was at that time predominantly American. Of the 1,829 people in the county 1,147 were native born and only 682 foreign born. Of the 682 for- eign born, 286 were from English speaking countries, leaving only 396 from foreign speaking countries. Of the 1,147 natives there were 341 born in this state, 183 in New York state, 161 in Wiscon- sin, 62 in Ohio, 77 in Pennsylvania, 65 in Illinois, and the remain- der in other states.
Of the 682 foreign born, 176 were born in British America (these were mostly of Scotch ancestry), 52 in England or Wales, 32 in Ireland, 26 in Scotland, 62 in Germany, 319 in Norway or Sweden, 6 in Switzerland and 9 in Denmark.
Of the 111 people in Sheridan, 52 were native and 59 foreign. Of the 691 in Redwood Falls, 492 were native and 199 foreign. Of the 67 in Sherman, 50 were native and 17 foreign. The only colored man in the whole county was in Sherman. Of the 307 people in Lac qui Parle county, 115 were native and 192 foreign. Of the 268 people in Lynd, 235 were native and 33 foreign. Of the 385 people in Yellow Medicine, 203 were native and 182 were foreign.
In 1872, at the close of the pioneer period, the railroad was built through the southern part of the county, and a few stores
608
HISTORY OF REDWOOD COUNTY
were established there. The hard winter, however, caused rail- road business to be suspended during the winter of 1872-73.
Many of the early pioneers were typical Yankee frontiersmen, lovers of the wilds who were ever on the front crest of the advanc- ing tide of civilization, and as soon as settlers followed them in any number, they made their way further into the wilderness. However, many came here with a view to making this their per- manent home. Nearly all the Danish people in the southeastern part of the county, the Scandinavians in the southwestern and northwestern parts, the Scotch people who made their principal settlements in Delhi and Redwood Falls, and the German people who settled through the central part of the county, as an over- flow of the Brown county settlements, as well as the Bohemians who arrived later, came for the purpose of establishing homes rather than in a spirit of adventure. Many, too, of the Americans remained, and such present-day names as Powell, Hitchcock, John- son, Bingham, Martin, Thomas, go back to the days of the very earliest settlements.
1
Barney Flynn, David Watson and D. L. Bigham located nearly all the early settlers in the northern part of Redwood county. Scarcely a day in the late sixties passed by without their driving some one out on the prairie for the purpose of staking a claim.
Authority. "History of the Minnesota Valley," 1884.
"Early Days in Redwood County," by O. B. Turrell, published in the "Collections" of the Minnesota Historical Society.
Personal testimony of Pamela Davison (Mrs. D. L.) Hitchcock, who reached Redwood Falls in 1865.
Personal testimony of Marion Johnson, who reached Redwood Falls in 1864.
Personal testimony of Major M. E. Powell, who reached Red- wood Falls in 1867. Major Powell had served in the Civil war with Col. Sam McPhail, and was his personal friend for many years thereafter. He many times heard the story of the first settlement from McPhail's own lips.
CHAPTER XLII.
REDWOOD FALLS PARKS.
It has become the fixed policy of many towns and of all large cities, also of states and the national government to acquire the ownership of tracts of special scenic value, in order to protect them from spoilation for commercial gain or the limited and exclusive use of private ownership, and maintain them as recrea- tion grounds for the pleasure and welfare of all their citizens.
609
HISTORY OF REDWOOD COUNTY
Although Redwood Falls is located central to the largest prairie area of Minnesota, in the edge of what was once known as the Great American Desert, extending many hundreds of miles across the territory of the middle West, its system of scenic parks and driveways is not equalled in variety of strikingly picturesque effects by any tract of its size.
This remarkable exhibit is the result of rock formations fixed during geological periods, ages before the earth was fit for the habitation of man, and to its location at the junction of the valleys of the Ramsey and Redwood river near to where the Red- wood valley opens out into the deeply depressed bottom lands of the Minnesota.
Underlying beds of granite rock come nearer to the surface level of the country at this point than elsewhere so that both streams have a very tortuous and zig zag course as they have found or made their way over, between and through the immense rock ledges which they have uncovered and these streams are a continuous succession of rapids and waterfalls until they descend to about 200 feet below the surrounding prairie level.
The shelter of the valleys with their moisture from the streams and the frequent springs which formed deep ravines extending farther out into the higher lands gave protection in early times against the ravages of the prairie fires which swept and blackened this region at every fall season, and preserved a heavy growth of timber and abundant wild animal life which made this a veritable oasis in a desert prairie waste.
Lake Redwood Park. To preserve a considerable portion of this tract in the primitive condition as found by the white man would seem to be a sufficiently ambitious enterprise of this kind, but a closer observation of the extensive widening of the Red- wood valley above the narrow rock gorge which extends under the river bridge disclosed that here was a natural basin for holding a water reservoir extending several miles up the river that would be a valuable addition to the recreational resources of the town. The building of a high dam for this purpose would not be produc- ing an altogether artificial result, for it would be but reproducing a condition and appearance that existed at a still more primitive time at least thousands of years ago, before the torrents of the streams had ploughed their way through the rock barrier which then held the waters of the original Lake Redwood, which then, as now, rested so quietly along the winding course of the stream, with its shore line alternating with wooded bluffs and prairie slopes.
A rock crusher grinding the granite blasted from one side of the river, and a sand pit at the other side supplied materials which, mixed and cemented, was used to build the concrete dam for water power purposes.
610
HISTORY OF REDWOOD COUNTY
The town purchased the land for overflowage, with an addi- tional lakeside tract coming to within a block of a business street, equipped with boat houses, a public bath house and toboggan slide, with contract made with owner of the water power to maintain water at a specified high level. Redwood Falls now owns this Lake Redwood property of about 200 acres, which make liberal provision for outdoor summer and winter sports and recreation.
A flotilla of launches and row boats, a bandstand erected out in the lake, electric lighting of grounds for evening use, an addi- tional park area three miles up the valley, where was built a large pavilion to accommodate picnic parties and excursionists, made this a popular resort until interest was diverted to other park development and to automobiling.
Redwood Falls Park. The next important acquisition to the scenic city park system was the original mill lot farther down the river containing the Redwood Falls, from which the town takes its name, and a considerable portion of the horseshoe bend in the river nearly surrounding a high wooded tableland and driveway overlooking the most picturesque portions of the stream. One rare feature of the tract is a nearly perpendicular northern slope, protected by its position and by foliage from the summer sun, supplied with moisture from rains, and exaporation from the stream below, kept cool by the underlying rock formation; all of which has induced the growth of acres of a thick cushion of mosses interspersed with lichens and ferns.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.