USA > Minnesota > Renville County > The history of Renville County, Minnesota, Volume II > Part 16
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On such a scene of prosperity broke the Indian outbreak, and in a day the county was depopulated. From this blow the county was long in recovering. But gradually some of the settlers came back and others came with them. With the years, the prairie regions began to be settled.
The people on the prairies had a much different experience from those in the ravines and along the bottoms. A sod house or a dugont was their only shelter. If after a while they desired a cabin of poles or logs they had to go to the bottomlands and the ravines. It was quite difficult to obtain timber. The dugouts were ernde, but sometimes afforded a better shelter than the cabins, for ofttimes the cabins were filled with holes and ehinks through which the winter winds whistled.
Ofttimes an axe and a grub hoe were the only tools of the pioneers. The eabins were usually ereeted withont nails or metal of any kind. Sometimes the windows were covered with paper, sometimes there were no windows. The doors consisted of split poles nailed to a eross strip usually swung on leather hinges. The fireplace or the stove was in one end. and as the ventilation was not always good the cabin was often filled with smoke.
The floor was of trampled earth. Furniture was home-made, bunks and tables usually being ernde eontrivanees swung from the walls. A loft overhead or a trundle bed was usually provided
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as a sleeping place for the children. The roofs were usually of brush or shakes, which in heavy storms freely admitted the wind and rain.
Wild game was the principal food, corn was made into meal in a coffee-grinder, pork and bacon were luxuries, coffee was al- most unknown, and flour was obtained only with the greatest difficulty. Often the pioneers walked to New Ulm, Willmar or other places, and brought provisions home on their backs.
A few fortunate ones owned the oxen and the wagons with which they came. Some of them, however, hired some one to bring them here. Many of the men walked here, and lived alone until they had erected a cabin, and then hired some one to bring their families. Some were single men who, as soon as their homes were established, went back after their brides. Some continued to be bachelors, and kept house as best they could.
Those who had no oxen had a difficult time in getting poles and logs. After a year or two some of them bought oxen, others bought calves and raised them until they were able to help with the farm work. Sometimes a cow and a steer would be hitched together. The people who had eows were fortunate in that they had a supply of milk for their children, and an opportunity to make butter. Some had a pig or two, and a few brought chiekens. Sometimes in the winter the animals had to be brought into the cabins to keep them from perishing in the cold.
There were all sorts of difficulties in raising erops. Insect pests of various sorts came, blackbirds, crows and pigeons rav- ished the fields, gophers and prairie chickens spoiled the erops, wet seasons rotted the seed, and dry seasons withered the plants, the cattle did not relish the rank grass gathered in the swales.
The winter weather, cyclones, blizzards and tornadoes made life almost unbearable, and many perished. Others who survived moved away, never to return.
In 1873, when the county was beginning to be fairly well settled, there came the great blizzard, beginning January 7. In this blizzard some of the county's best citizens perished and others suffered injuries from which they have never recovered. Possibly this is the greatest blizzard that the county has had, but it is not the only one nor is it the only one in which human life has been lost in the county.
Later, in the same year, 1873, there came the grasshoppers, whose ravages extended until 1877. Renville county is among the counties which suffered each of these years. Some years a small crop was reaped but other years everything in sight was destroyed. On July 1, 1875, a number of farmers from Nicollet. Sibley and Renville counties met at Fort Ridgley for the purpose of considering the grasshoper raid and devising some plan of obtaining bread and seed for the coming winter and spring.
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Resolutions were passed, requesting the representatives to try and obtain a loan from the state For three or five years at seven per cent interest. A motion was carried that each farmer desir- ing aid should file the amount he wanted with the town elerk before the first day of August, 1875.
For many years prairie fires were a serious menace to Ren- ville county farmers. Now the danger is largely passed, for the county is cut up into farms and the farms into fields, and ditches abound everywhere. But for many decades there was little to stop a fire once it got started, and the farmers lost heavily. Stacks barns, sheds, erops and even sometimes houses were burned when these fires swept the country. Backfiring, digging, and other expedients were resorted to as means of stopping the flames when they were started, and sometimes all the men in a large neighborhood would be out with shovels trying to keep back the devouring element which threatened their homes and crops
Spring freshets brought many dangers, too. The flat country, without ditches to carry off the water or tilled fiells to soak up the moisture, became covered in the spring with big swamps and sloughs. The small creeks became raging rivers, and travel be- came almost impossible.
Hail and windstorms and droughts during the growing season have at times caused loss, and in the early days late frosts in the spring and early frosts in the fall were a menace to crops not yet acclimated, and whose seed had been brought from regions where different elimatic conditions existed.
In 1894 the chinch bugs caused much damage to the farmers. Methods of relief were taken, and since then, while they have done more or less damage, there have been no general ravages on the part of these destructive bugs.
Among the eyelones possibly the worst was the one of July 15, 1887, in which may persons lost their lives.
But in spite of these drawbacks, Renville county has become one of the most prosperous in the state. Cattle and swine are found in large numbers, horse breeding is here a fine art, and all the crops usually found in this climate grow in abundance.
One of the features of the Renville county landscape is the great number of domestic groves. Every farm has a good wind- break and a grove from which fuel is obtained.
All in all, there are few places in the United States more de- sirable as a place of residence than Renville county; settlers are coming here in large numbers, and the value of land is in- creasing yearly.
The Renville County Agricultural Society and its predecessors have held thirty-five annual fairs, for the most part at Bird Island. The society was organized Dec. 13, 1879, as the Renville County Agricultural & Live Stock Association. The incorporators were :
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
F. E. Wolff, Norman Hickok, George 11. Megquier, W. A. Bump, Charles C. Ladd, J. S. Bowler, L. L. Tinnes, Albert Brown. J. K. Salisbury, John King, W. M. Holbrook, J. S. Niles, James Brown, E. D. Stone, and J. J. Sterns. J. K. Salisbury was president ; J. S. Niles, first vice-president ; Albert Brown, second viee-presi- dent ; J. C. Ladd, third vice-president ; J. S. Bowler, secretary, and F. E. Wolff, treasurer. The first fair was held at Bird Island in 1880. For a time the fair was held at Hector, but for the most part it has been held at Bird Island, where the present splendid fair grounds are permanently located.
Dec. 12, 1895, the Bird Island Fair Association was incor- porated by J. M. Bowler, F. L. Puffer, A. N. Stone, HI. H. Gokey, Charles Kenning, L. L. Timmes, I. S. Gerald, J. A. Johnson and Philip Johnson. For some years one association conducted the l'air and the other controlled the grounds.
Jan. 1, 1912, the Renville County Agricultural Society was reorganized, having on Dee. 9, 1910, secured control of the stock of the Bird Island Fair Association from which it had previously rented the grounds.
The fair grounds and the exhibitons conducted there have given Bird Island wide note. The track is excellent, and the buildings are ample and sightly. New improvements are made each year. At the entrance is the ticket office. The agricultural building houses the school exhibits, the women's exhibits, the Farm Club exhibits, and the general agricultural exhibits. The poultry building, the cattle building and the horse exhibit build- ings stand in a row. The swine exhibit building is admirably adapted to its purpose, and south of this are the race horse barns. It is possible that the race horses in the near future will be ac- commodated at the other side of the tracks. The grandstand seats some 1,600 people. There is a splendid half-mile race track, with the usual judges stand, and the like. Bleachers have been erected and here are staged many exciting games of the Renville County Baseball League. Not far away is the building of the Bird Island Gun Club and the grounds where the members do their trap shooting. The grounds and buildings are a monument of all who assisted in the development of the project. Old settlers recall the erection of the first building, its destruction by a evelone, and the many discouragements which were overcome by the few devoted souls who in the early days endeavored to keep the fair alive. It is generally acknowledged that the Bird Island fair is now one of the best, and possibly the very best, local fair held in the state.
The present offieers are: J. M. Olson, president ; D. S. Hall, first vice-president ; Timothy O'Connor, second vice-president; Fred Foesch, third vice-president ; Paul Kolbe, secretary ; H. A. Puffer, treasurer; directors, C. F. Neitzel, Chas. Kenning : Joseph
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Haggett, Joseph Lester; Joseph Kienholz; Chas. Glesener; A. J. Richardson and Henry J. Jungelans.
The superintendents of exhibits in 1915 were: Division A, Horses, Ed. Kienholz and Jos. Sester; Division B., Cattle, Wil- liam Korrect ; Division C., Swine and Sheep, C. E. Dahlgren and R. V. Frakes; Division D., Poultry, Henry Sing; Division E., Farm Produce, Chas. Glesener and George Hess; Division F., Do- mestic Products, Mrs. H. A. Puffer and Mrs. Ben Korkemeier, assistant superintendent : Division G., Supplementary, Henry Broderius; Division II., Miscellaneous, H. V. Poore.
The Renville County Poultry Association, which name was adopted Feb. 14, 1911, was organized Oct. 16, 1909, as the Bird Island Poultry Association. The first officers were: President, -Joseph Kienholz; secretary, Paul Kolbe; treasurer. Ben. Korke- meier. The first exhibition was held January 5-7, and annual successful exhibitions have since continued to be given. The present officers are: President, Joseph Kienholz; vice-president, Ben. Korkemeier ; secretary and treasurer, Paul Kolbe; directors, Ed. Kienholz, Joseph Ziller and Gus. Ninow.
Following are the members of the association with their ad- dress, and the variety of poultry raised: Joe Kienholz, Bird Island, Minn., S. C. White Leghorns, Silver Wyandottes, Black Minorcas, Bronze Turkeys; Niek Bartholet, Bird Island. Minn., Black Orpingtons, White Plymouth Rocks; Ben Korkemeier, Franklin, Minn., Barred Plymouth Rocks; Paul Kolbe, Bird Island, Minn., White Plymouth Rocks, White Cochin Bantams; Chris Arlt, Bird Island, Minn., S. C. Brown Leghorns and Toulouse Geese; Wm. Poppe, Montevideo, Min., White Wyandottes and Toulouse Geese : H. V. Poore, Bird Island, Minn., Barred Plymouth Rocks; Clarence Sing, Bird Island, Minn., White Wyandottes, Partridge Wyandottes, and White Chinese Geese; Ed. Kienholz, Bird Island, Minn., Buff Plymouth Roeks, S. C. White Leghorns ; Joe Ziller, Bird Island, Minn., S. C. Brown Leghorns and Bronze Turkeys; H. E. Posely, Stewart, Minn., White and Buff Orping- tons and Columbian Wyandottes; Frank Havlish, Jr., Danube, Minn., White Wyandottes; Frank Goeltz, Morton, Minn., Bronze Turkeys, R. 1. Reds, Partridge Wyandottes, Buff Leghorns, White Chinese Geese, African Geese and Pekin Dueks; Martin Paar, Bird Island, Minn., R. C. White Leghorns, White Holland Tur- keys, Toulouse Geese; John Hopman, Bird Island, Minn., R. C. Reds and Bronze Turkeys; A. S. Brugman, Renville, Minn., Sil- ver Laced Wyandottes; G. C. Ewer, Bird Island, Minn., S. C. White Leghorns ; C. P. Young, Bird Island, Minn., White Crested Black Polish ; Frank Weyer, Olivia, Minn., R. C. White Leghorns; Molinaar Bros., Raymond, Minn., S. C. White Leghorns; Dr. D. R. Miller, Bird Island, Minn., S. C. White Leghorns, Black Minoreas and Silver Campines ; Chas. Kenning, Bird Island, Minn.,
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Black Langshans and Toulouse Geese ; E. M. Thomas, Bird Island, Minn., Barred Rocks; H. C. Sherwood, Bird Island, Minn .; Mil- ton A. Selimmidt, Chaska, Minn., S. C. Reds, Partridge Plymouth Roeks, and R. C. Reds; Jacob Baumgartner, Bird Island, Minn., S. C. Buff Orpingtons; N. E. Chapman, Owatonna, Minn., State Poultry Expert at the University Farm; A. E. Kirkpatrick, Nor- wood, Minn., Hondans, White Wyandottes, S. C. White Orping- tons, R. C. Reds, Indian Runner Dueks and African Geese ; A. A. Chapman, Olivia, Minn., White and Black Orpingtons; J. W. Franke, Stewart, Minn., White Plymonth Roeks; Jos. Pekarek, Olivia, Minn., White Wyandottes; Jos. C. Gee, Olivia, Minn., S. C. Reds, White Chinese Geese ; Fred Zeimer, Waconia, Minn., Barred Plymouth Rocks; Geo. Melquist, Bird Island, Minn., R. C. Black Minorcas ; Henry Broberius, Bird Island, Minn., S. C. White Minoreas; E. L. Dresser, New Anburn, Minn., S. C. White Leghorns ; Bender Bros., Waconia, Minn., S. C. White Orping- tons, and S. C. White Minoreas; Mrs. Wm. J. Evans, Montevideo, Minn., R. C. Reds, Partridge, Wyandottes and White Plymouth Roeks; Gus Nenow, Bird Island, Minn., White Wyandottes and Toulouse Geese; A. & M. Eriekson, Sacred Heart, Minn., White and Partridge Wyandottes; Ole Chunstrom, Sacred Heart, Minn., R. C. Reds and Barred Rocks.
The Minnesota Valley Agricultural and Live Stock Association was organized April 5, 1891, the incorporators being W. G. Bart- ley, J. H. MeGowan, John M. Claney, J. M. Farisy, Don. Me- Nevin, Andrew MeCormiek, George Welch, W. W. Miller, M. Dooly, T. J. Treadwell, John MeIntosh, Fred Morgan, of Morton; O. L. Dornberg and Joseph Tyson, of Redwood Falls. The first officers were: President, J. H. McGowan ; secretary, W. G. Bart- ley ; vice-president. S. A. Greenslit ; treasurer, Andrew McCormick. Forty acres were purchased, various buildings were erected, and successful fairs were held for four years. The Birch Cooley mnon- ument was erected on the grounds and the fair became widely known. In 1894 the grandstand was ereeted. But the fair of that year was the last held. The legislature passed an act which deprived the Morton, Renville and Olivia fairs of state support, leaving the oldest fair, the one at Bird Island, the only one so supported. Mr. MeGowan has acquired the fair grounds and, to a certain extent, trains his standard bred horses there. A few raee meets have also been held there and various celebrations are given from time to time on the grounds.
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
CHAPTER XXXIV.
DAIRYING AND CREAMERIES.
Story of the Growth of the Industry in Renville County-Present Importance of Dairying-Present and Past Creamery Com- panies.
The inhabitants of Minnesota before white people eame, lived almost exelusively by hunting and fishing, using no animal milk in any form. The dairy industry did not begin, therefore, before the white people came and settled in the state. The work of preparing the fields for crop growing took a long time, and trans- portation facilities were very defective, hence the early pioneers had neither time for dairying nor a market for dairy products. Dairying, therefore, was engaged in solely for the purpose of supplying themselves with milk and its products. Later, as the herds began to increase in size, the resulting surplus of milk was made into butter, or occasionally into cheese, and disposed of in the local markets. When villages were established, the prodne- tion of milk for direct sale as such, developed in their vicinity.
The year 1870 marks, approximately, the introduction of the factory system of butter and cheese manufacture in the state. According to the statistics, two cheese factories had been estab- lished by that date. During the twenty years following. little progress was made by either branch of the industry.
The first cheese factory in Renville county was started in 1876 by Charles D. MeEwen, who came from a point three miles south of Hutchinson, where he had previously conducted a cheese factory, purchased 160 aeres of land in section 31, Boon Lake township, and conducted a dairy farm with twenty-five or more COWS.
As late as 1890 the state reports show only one cheese factory and one creamery in Renville county: The Buffalo Lake Cheese Factory, at Buffalo Lake, and the J. Richardson Co., at Bird Island.
In 1900 there were fifteen ereameries in Renville county. Where two addresses are given, the first is the postoffice address and the second the railroad shipping point ; where but one address is given, the postoffice and shipping point are the same: Norfolk Creamery, Eddsville, Bird Island; Morton Creamery, Morton ; Hector Creamery, Hector; Winfield Creamery, Olivia; Florita Creamery, Florita. North Redwood; Bird Island Creamery. Bird Island ; Fairfax Creamery, Fairfax; Boon Lake Creamery, Lake Side, Hutchinson ; Central Creamery, Olivia ; Farmers' Creamery, Buffalo Lake: Renville Creamery. Renville ; North Western
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Creamery, Sacred Heart; Fort Ridgely Creamery, Fort Ridgely, Fairfax: Churchill Creamery, Hector; Osceola Creamery, Bird Island.
Following are the creameries in Renville county for 1910. Where two addresses are given the first is the postoffice address and the second the shipping point. Where but one address is given the postoffice and shipping point are the same. Boon Lake Cooperative Creamery Co., Buffalo Lake, Hutchinson ; Brookfield Cooperative Creamery Association, Brookfield, Hutchinson: Buf- falo Lake Creamery, Buffalo Lake; Central Creamery Association, Olivia : Clover Leaf Creamery Association of Osceola, Bird Island ; Mellville Cooperative Creamery Association, Hector, Bird Island ; Morton Creamery Co., Morton: Norfolk & Palmyra Creamery Association, Bird Island; Renville Creamery, Renville; Fairfax Creamery Association, leased, Fairfax.
In 1910 Renville county had six cooperative creameries and three independent ones. There were 1,326 patrons, owning 8,751 eows. About 733.729 pounds of butter were made, and the pat- rons were paid $180,119.28.
In 1911 Renville county had six cooperative creameries and two independent ones. There were 1,320 patrons, owning 8,035 cows. About 605,246 pounds of butter were made, and the pat- rons were paid $130,125.57.
In 1912 Renville county had six cooperative ereameries and six independent ones. There were 981 patrons, owning 5,300 eows. About 409,761 pounds of butter were made, and the patrons were paid $102,636.01.
In 1913 Renville county had five cooperative creameries and six independent ones. There were 887 patrons owning 5,954 cows. About 864,872 pounds of butter were made and the patrons were paid $217,815.97.
In 1914, not including the Morton and Heetor creameries which did not report, $179,887.77 was paid to the patrons and the number of pounds of butter made were 767,602.
Following were the creameries in Renville county in 1914. Where two addresses are given the first is the shipping address and the second is the shipping point. Where but one address is given the postoffice and shipping point are the same: Boon Lake Cooperative Creamery Co., cooperative, Buffalo Lake, Ilutchin- son; Brookfield Cooperative Creamery Association, cooperative, Brookfield, Ilutehinson ; Buffalo Lake Creamery, independent, Buffalo Lake: Central Creamery Association, cooperative, Olivia; Danube Creamery, independent, Danube ; Hector Creamery Co., independent, Ilector: Fairfax Cooperative Creamery Co., coopera- tive, Fairfax; Melville Cooperative Creamery Association, coop- erative, Hector, Bird Island; Morton Creamery Co., independent,
.
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
Morton; Franklin Cooperative Creamery, cooperative, Franklin; Norfolk & Palmyra Creamery Association, cooperative, Bird Island; Renville Creamery, independent, Renville; Sacred Heart Creamery Co., independent, Saered Heart.
The following cooperative ereameries are now operated in the county : Boon Lake Creamery Co., Lakeside; Central Cream- ery Association, Olivia ; Eddsville Creamery Company, Eddsville ; Fairfax Cooperative Creamery, Fairfax; Franklin Cooperative Creamery, Franklin; Melville Creamery Association, Melville; Brookfield Cooperative Creamery Co .; Bird Island Cooperative Creamery Co. One is being built at Heetor. Besides these coop- erative plants there are private plants at Buffalo Lake, Danube, Renville and Sacred Heart.
In 1860 Renville county had seventy-four cows and produced 400 pounds of butter. In 1870 Renville eounty had 993 cows and produced 40,185 pounds of butter and 610 pounds of cheese. In 1880 Renville county had 6,083 cows; 429,914 pounds of butter were made on the farms and 13,142 pounds of cheese were made on the farms. In 1890 there were 12,742 cows in Renville county ; 3,730,730 gallons of milk; 815,113 pounds of butter and 6,123 pounds of cheese. In 1900, 2,845 farmers reported dairy prod- ucts ; value of all dairy products, $242,165; value of dairy products consumed on farms, $102,636; milk produced, 5,633,382 gallons ; gallons sold, 1,329,219; pounds of butter made, 879,589; pounds sold, 478,684; cheese made, 5,387 pounds; cheese sold, 4,811 pounds. In 1910: Dairy cows on farms reporting dairy products, 18,041; dairy cows on farms reporting milk products, 9,332; gal- lons of milk produeed, 3,174,852; gallons of milk sold. 213,976; cream sold, 134,528; butter-fat sold, 425,657; butter produced, 783,919 pounds; butter sold, 415,500 pounds; cheese produced, 50 pounds; value of dairy products excluding home use of milk and eream, $405,618; receipts from sale of dairy products, $320,100.
Inquiries have been made of the secretaries of the various creameries asking for a history of their respective institutions. In a few instances no reply has been received.
The Bird Island Cooperative Creamery. The first factory for dairy products in Bird Island was a cheese factory. This was built by the Bird Island Creamery and Milling Association on the southeast corner of the block south of the Bird Island Roller Mills in 1883. This company operated the factory the first two seasons. Later it was leased to a Canadian, William Tate by name, who then made cheese at the factory for two summers. After standing idle two years, the J. Richardson Company, one of the original stockholders, bought out the other stockholders, to make the plant over for a ereamery, which change was made. The J. Richardson Company operated the creamery successfully
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for several years, commencing with gathered cream and installing a separator when separators came into use. The building was bought by a farmers cooperative association which association was running the creamery when it burned down in 1906, it having been under the association management about two years. Since that time the creameries nearest Bird Island have been the Mel- ville and Norfolk-Palmyra creameries, respectively four and seven and one-half miles from town.
In August, 1915, an investigation of the railway company's books at Bird Island by the agricultural department of the Bird Island Public Schools showed that 21,500 gallons of ercam had been shipped out of Bird Island in the preceding twelve months, enough cream to make almost 60,000 pounds of butter. A cam- paign was launched by the Publie Schools' Agricultural Depart- ment to ascertain and develop sentiment in regard to a creamery. The organization finally resulting is the work of the farmers of the community, working at first through the Renville County Swine Breeders' Association, and is the work of the Bird Island Public Schools. The business men of the community have also cooperated to a very large extent.
At the regular September meeting of the Swine Breeders' As- sociation held in Bird Island, Sept. 5, 1914, a vote was taken to as- certain the sentiment of the members present as to the relative de- sirability of independent and cooperative creameries. The ma- jority was in favor of a cooperative creamery. A committee was appointed at this meeting to see how much stock could be dis- posed of and to find out how many cows were in the territory that would be served by a creamery in Bird Island. The committee appointed was: Ralph Loomis, chairman, Bird Island township; Nels Mattson, Kingman township, H. J. Jungelaus, Osceola town- ship; R. V. Frakes, Melville township; J. J. Meurer. Norfolk township.
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