USA > Minnesota > Renville County > The history of Renville County, Minnesota, Volume II > Part 77
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"Started early next morning and at night reached Preston Lake without getting stuck in the mud. From Preston Lake we
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have the wild prairie for twenty miles. Started Thursday morning from Preston Lake, and went tour miles when we came to a slough which was practically a creek at this time. Got stuck and horses down. I packed the women and babies across in my arms and made the larger children wallow. Got through that by hitching to the end of a long chain. Went one mile further and came to a worse slough, with water waist deep. Unloaded the women and children and packed them all across the slough, lengthened out the rig and got across without miring the horses. Went three or four miles more and came to an- other slough; tried to cross without hitch- ing out as it was narrow, though deep: mired the team; took them off; packed the women and children across; hitched out and got across. Concluded to take dinner -did so-started after dinner and two miles on we came to the worst slough on the route, very wide. I packed Sarah and Lizzie across and the boys that were with us took the babies and Eddie; Vic and the other girl wallowed. Got across that after getting the horses down four times, and before we finally got across had to run the wagon some distance by hand as the horses could get no footing. We had no trouble after that but got home in good season. Since that time we have had pleasant weather though rather warm; the sloughs have partially dried and the travel- ing is rather better. So much for that.
"You write to know whether you can get a school np here. Schools are scarce on the frontier, and we are not yet acquainted, so I could not give you any encouragement in that line. I suppose there is no school nearer than ten miles. You need not wait for a school, however, for you can come and find a home without that.
"We are all as well as usual. Sarah is not very strong yet. We have the best baby on the big prairie. 1 call him fine looking, too. He does not average one cry a day and would not cry at all if he was attended to properly.
"I have now written more than you usually write in six letters. I want to hear from you soon. I hope father will come out here. I will write him in a few days, though he owes me three or four letters. Love to all. Sarah sends much love. Madi- son's folks are as usual. Truly your brother, (signed ) J. S. Bowler."
C. L. Lorraine, now of East Jordan. Mich .. and formerly well known in Bird Island. in a letter to J. M. Bowler, now of Minneapolis, also formerly of Bird Island, has the following to say in regard to Bird Island weather:
"Bird Island, which is located on about the highest point of land within fifty miles in every direction, can easily claim the record for wind. Early in the early eighties. R. D. Young, then agent for the C. M. & St. P. Ry. at that place, secured a set of signal service instruments and
nade regular reports to the United States weather service. For some years, month for month, while this was kept up Bird Island not only held the record for veloc- ity of wind but was usually 100 per cent or more higher than the next lower station in Minnesota. At one time the wind was too strong to read the gauge-meter for one day, and when it was read the next day. it showed over 2,500 miles in the 48 hours, or an average of over 52 miles per hour for the whole 48 hours.
"During twelve months, taking in the growing season of 1886 and the preceding winter, the total precipitation-rain and snow-at Bird Island was less than 9 inches of water. During the winter the ground froze to great depth and frost cracks several inches across in places and from four to six feet deep opened. The crop of grain next year, while short of straw, was quite good. The deep freezing, which did not thaw out until the growing season was well along, kept the roots moist and healthy. In most places with such a drouth there would have been no crops.
"The winter of 1887-88 was notable for heavy snow and its great drifts. In ex- posed places the drifts were solid from peaks of roof of building to the ground on the west and south sides. which were used by the 'kids' for coasting. The railroad company kept its line well open to Bird Island, but from there west the drifts were too solid to shovel or to buck with their heavy 'Earling' snowplows. That year the rotary snowplows made their appearance, the C. M. & St. P. purchasing one of the first two made and brought it to this line to try out. They cleared the track about a mile and a half west of Bird Island when in a heavy drift they snapped the great shaft of the rotary, putting it out of com- mission until a new shaft could be gotten from Passaic, N. J. This delayed the open- of the road two weeks, during which time several score of passengers were marooned at Bird Island, the women and children be- ing taken into the homes and given the best the people could do. though at that time the stock of flour ran so low that supplies had to be shipped in by express before freights began to move. When the railroad was finally cleared of snow, more than two-thirds of the way from Bird Island to Granite Falls. there was just a ditch through the drifts with the sides from three to twenty feet high."
The first real estate assessment of Bird Island township, 115-34, was made in 1876. Those assessed were: Charles Humboldt, section 6: Ben Feeder. 14; Marion Boyer, "S: Thomas Gage, 30 mnote to effect that this was transferred to H. S. Works) : Laura A. Gage. 30: Calvin Boyer. 28. In 1877, there were added to this list: John McIntosh, 8; Nicholas O'Brien, 26; James M. Bowler, 24.
By 1881. quite a number of people had
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acquired property in Bird Island town- ship, 115-34, the real estate assessment that year being as follows: T. H. Kelly, section 1; T. S. Ashmore, 3; J. S. Bowler, 2; J. B. Lambert, 3, 10; C. Hurd. 5; J. Carp, 5; C. Humboldt, 6; James Burnes, 6; Thos. Lucy, 7; N. Stone, 7; Stephen McIn- tosh, 8; S. R. Miller, 2, 23; C. J. Gates, 6; W. R. Marshall, 12; Jos. H. Feeter, 14; J. M. Bowler. 14, 24; Benj. Feeder, 14: D. L. Babcock, 17; James Greeley, 17: Lizzie Bowler, 13: Geo. W. Miller, 18; John Nester, 18; Wm. Wolff, 20; Peter Henry. 17: Mary Casey, 21 (note to effect that this was transferred to F. Hodgdon): Alfred LaBolt, 21: Thomas Olta, 23; Mary A. Stone, 24; N. Tainter, 24: E. D. Stone, 24; G. O. Robertson, 26: Marion Beyer, 28; ('alvin Beyer, 28; Thos. Gage. 30; Laura Gage, 30; James Curran, 30; John Revere, 32; John Johnson, 34; Fred Kromer, 36: P. J. Harvey, 36: Jerome Balsley, 30; I. D. Jackson, 20; Selah Chamberlain, 14; Frank U. Moore, 25.
The first personal property assessment of Bird Island township, 115-34, was made in 1876. Those assessed were: Jerome Balsley, J. E. Barker. Edward Bowler, J. M. Bowler. J. S. Bowler. James Curren, J. E. Engstrom, Benjamin Feeter, J. H. Teeter, Erastus Fouck, Charles Humboldt, J. C. Hodgdon. John King, J. B. Lambert, George Miller, William Morse, John Nester. Nicholas O'Brien, John J. Stearns, L. W. Stearns, Harry Sawyer, Joseph Sharbine. Nahum Tainter.
Those paying personal taxes in Bird Island township in 1915 were: R. S. Am- berg. F. J. Abraham, Herman Brown. H. T. Beyers, Fred Baumgardner, Charles Beck- eler.
The naming of Bird Island constitutes a most interesting story. In the early days the sloughs and swales formed an island in section 15 in what is now the township of Bird Island. The prairie fires which pre- vented the growth of timber could not reach this island and consequently a heavy grove grew thereon. Most of these trees were of the hackberry variety. Some measure from forty to sixty feet from the ground to the lowest limbs, while they were from fifteen to thirty inches in diameter. This island furnished a favorite camping place for Indians and trappers and provided timber for the early settlers. There is still a grove on the spot and is the only natural growth of trees for many miles, all the other groves having been planted since the settlers arrived. Not far from this island and located iu section 24. extending into section 13, was a lake known as Pelican lake as deep in some places as eight feet. This lake is now drawn off and crops are planted in its bed.
Mrs. Lizzie S. Bowler, wife of Major J. M. Bowler, underwent many interesting experiences in the early days. In an article prepared for this work she says:
The thought of Renville county awakens
many pleasant recollections and I am pleased to know that a history of it is being prepared for I spent many of the best years of my life there and five of my children were born and reared there on the soldier's homestead which my husband took in 1871.
In 1856 my father and mother with their three daughters left the eastern home with all its comforts and immigrated to Min- nesota where we built a new home ou the raw prairie. That experience was helpful when later I repeated it in Renville county where we had to endure so much incon venience and hardship.
In June, 1873, my husband came back to our home in Niniuger where we had lived since the war, and we packed our belong- ings. He, with a team, stock and oldest daughter, Victoria, started for our new home in Bird Island. My husband had been up there since the early spring. had put in wheat in his land that he had broken and had prepared the ground and sowed the flower seed which I had given him. It did well and in due time the beautiful flowers came to remind us of the old home. The contrasting colors could be noted at quite a distance on the green prairie.
My sister-in-law. Mrs. Joseph Bowler, and I with our children had to go on the train from Hastings to Glencoe for that was as far as the cars ran, and we did not go for a couple of days after the others so as to give them time to get to Glencoe by the time we arrived. When we got there they were waiting for us. Their trip was full of adventure, especially getting across the Minnesota river at Shakopee owing to high water which covered the river bottoms deeply from bluff to bluff. They joined forces with David Sivright, of Hutchinson, who was awaiting with four horses and a buggy to cross. They speut an entire day rigging sweeps onto an old, discarded ferry-boat and navigating across the swift river current until they grounded in shallow water several rods from the opposite shore, when stock, teams and pas- sengers took to the water and all waded ashore. They paid $5.00 for the use of the old craft and went on their way re- joicing. There was considerable risk in crossing, but they took it like men.
After fixing ourselves comfortably in our prairie schooner carriage, we left Glencoe and started for Bird Island, our future home, over 36 miles of the worst road I ever saw; and many places there was no road. After several hours' ride we reached the hospitable and comfortable home of Mr. Houck at Preston Lake. The next morning we were quite refreshed and anxious to resume our journey. Had we not been full of hope and the pioneer life our faint hearts would have failed us at what lay before us. We had to cross many sloughs which were the terror of every one at that time. When we came to one, two young men and the brother of my hus-
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band who were with us would drive the team across, or rather, try to, and some- times they would mire in the mud and water with just their heads sticking out; but after this kind of performance they succeeded in getting across, and, hitching the horses to the tongue of the wagon by a long, strong rope, would pull it across. Then Mr. Bowler's brother would carry his wife and me over and the children would wade. This was repeated many times dur- ing the afternoon, but just before sunset that beautiful June day we arrived at our destination glad that we were all there and able to refresh ourselves with the food we had taken with us.
The next day my husband with the young men who came with us had to go to Beaver Falls for flour and other neces- saries, and the young men went to the land office at Redwood Falls. I had enough flour in the house for one baking; it was a warm day and. while baking my bread. 1 took the children out and sat in the cover of the wagon which had been taken off the wagon and left near the house. I heard someone speak, and, looking up, recognized a. man whom we had niet on the prairie the day before who said he was from Wis- consin and was hunting a claim. He came near where I and the children were sit- ting and asked me to give his wife and two little girls something to eat- said they had been wandering around lost on the prairie all the night before. 1 told him to hitch his horses to his wagon box and wait till the bread was baked. There was a cake, too. in the oven, and they should have something. 1 made a cup of tea for Mrs. Olson, for that was their name. After living in their wagon box most of the sum- mer, they finally located north of Hector, where the family continues to own a nice farm.
There were no trees to be seen in all the country around, but those that grew on Bird Island-a little piece of land sur- rounded by sloughs so the fire had not killed the timber.
Our place was on the south side of what was then called "Pelican Lake," so called because of the number of pelican that used to be in it during the spring and fall. There were also some swan and they hatched their young in the grass nearby. The wild fowl of many kinds made that their home. As my husband plowed the land after harvest, he took his gun along and as he went up and down near the lake would fire at the geese and ducks and many times would have several dripping pans of ducks. One Saturday afternoon, after spending all the forenoon cleaning ducks and preparing for the Sabbath, for we never forgot the Sabbath and felt that God watched over us, 1 sat down to rest. heard some one speak and looked out of the window. There was a span of horses with a large carriage with several men and women; they were friends from a dis-
tance of thirty miles. The first thought that came to me was: "What shall 1 do with them in a shanty with only one room?" But again we brought the covered wagon box into use for one bed room, and when bed-time came, we were all comfort- ably laid away for the night. The next day (Sunday) we visited, talked over old times and had plenty of good things to eat and enjoyed it as much as though it had been a palace; and when Monday morning came and our friends had re- turned to their homes, we felt that we had had a very enjoyable time and we were glad they came. Those were the first women I had seen after 1 went there except my neighbors, Mrs. N. G. Poor and Mrs J. S. Bowler. About the first of Septem- ber Mr. Bowler's father came from Maine. On September 25 our daughter Kate, now Mrs. George E. Butler, of Sleepy Eye, was born, the first white child born in Bird Island township. The years as they came and went were filled with many joys and sorrows.
In November of that year we rigged up our prairie schooner again and started for Nininger, Dakota county, where we were to spend the winter and where my husband was to teach a four-months' school. After spending a very pleasant winter, we re- turned to our home in Renville county and started in with all our farming operations and to put an addition to our house, but it was not long before the grasshoppers began to come.
The year before they had been in the southern part of the county but there were not enough of them to do much harm to crops, but along the beaten roads and wherever they could find bare spots, they deposited their eggs and for three seasons they remained, but for some reason did not do the damage to our crops that they had done nearer the Minnesota river. But we were kept anxious fearing they would take everything. even clover and grass. But the summer, with its terrible storms and mosquitoes, was passing when the harvest came. By this time we began to have a number of neighbors and they all joined together to harvest and thresh. We had finished ours and the whole crew of neigh- bors had gone over to N. O'Brien's place. As he had no family the women had given him food for their dinner.
Among the rest of our neighbors was a German blacksmith who was helping. Just at night there was a terrible thunder- shower and wind-storm came up and they started him home. He had to go past our place and he had quite a distance to go to his home. As he drove up near our house to leave the pans and pails that they had taken the dinner in, he jumped out of his wagon into a big tub of clothes 1 had left there when the shower came up. You can imagine how I felt, but could not help laughing, but oh! my clothes filled with prairie mud.
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My husband had to be away a great deal for every stick of wood was hauled from Birch Coulie and all lumber from Atwater or Glencoe. Our daughter. Victoria, who was then eleven years old, was my help indoors and out, for there was no help to be had and no place to put help if we could get it.
The winter of 1874-75 was a terrible winter on the prairie. Snow, snow, snow everywhere and every few weeks a terrible blizzard! One fine winter day our neigh- bor, N. G. Poor, came down about three- fourths of a mile distant from the end of the lake. The ueighbors exchanged papers, for it was liard to get the mail from the post office at Beaver Falls, and we were glad to get any news from the outside world. He brought what papers he had to exchange, got his papers and sat talking. Mr. Bowler went to the stable to do the work and after while came back in the house. Mr. Poor said he must go and my hushand said, "I guess not." Mr. Poor said. "Why not?" and my husband replied, "Because there is a big blizzard." Sure enough, and Mr. Poor did not dare to start for home until noon of the third day. But we had a good time visiting, reading, sleeping and eating.
Our chimney was a stove-pipe going through the roof of the house. As the snow filled the pipe, it froze and clogged the pipe so the smoke could not get out. Something had to he done so the men tied ropes around their waists and tastened it to the house and started out to go on top of the house and to the root cellar Where all the good things to eat were and get something for dinner. Soou they cleared the chimney and succeeded in dig- ging their way into the cellar and came in with a dishpan full of vegetables. nice home-cured ham, canned fruit. etc .. and, while the ropes were on. they went to the stable to feed the stock. Now this is what is meant by a blizzard to the early settlers of Renville county. There were three of those blizzards that winter with many snow storms that might have been called bad.
But we were young then with health and hope, and though the home building was very rude. our home within was filled with contentment and love and we looked for the time when the home without would be more pretentious.
1 have given you just a little taste of what the first settlers of Renville county had to undergo to pave the way for those who are enjoying all the comforts of life. I could go on and fill a large book with the ups and downs as they came to us but think I have said enough that who- ever reads this will understand what a pioneer has to endure.
BEAVER FALLS TOWNSHIP.
Beaver Falls township, formerly known as Beaver township. is located in the
southern part of the county. It is bounded on the west by Flora township. on the north by Henryville township. on the east by Birch Cooley township, and on the south by Redwood county, from which it is sep- arated by the southeastward course of the Minnesota river. Beaver creek passes through the township from northeast to southwest. emptying into the Minnesota river. The surface of the township is a rolling prairie and the soil is a black loam with a clay subsoil. The valley of the creek is heavily wooded and the bottom- lands along the Minnesota are also wooded.
The story of Beaver township before the Outbreak has already been told. The first settlers in Beaver township after the Out- break were Diedrich Wichmann and family. They came in the spring of 1865, and moved into a shed on their former claim. When the family escaped on the opening day of the Outbreak in 1862 they had returned to their former home in Illinois. In the fall of 1864 they had come back to Minnesota and located in Redstone, below New Ulm, in Nicollet county, where they operated the ferry. It was that fall that the father and some of the sons made a trip to their former home in Beaver, and found that their cabin was still standing. When the whole family came in the spring of 1865, however. the cabin had been burned, prob- ably by trappers. and they took up their home in the straw shed. But they had been there but a short time when news came that the Indians were again on the rampage. Mr. Wichmann accordingly took his family back to Redstone. Then with his three oldest sons and Henry Ahrens, who in the meantime, after the Massacre, had been living in Illinois, he came back to his claim. They were encouraged in this by Col. William Pfaender, then in command at Ft. Ridgely. Col. Praender believed that the danger was past, and that settlers were safe in settling in the country ravaged by the Massacre. He knew that the departure of the Wichmanns would discourage other settlers from coming. He accordingly offered Mr. Wichmann arms and ammunition and told him that he would be protected, Mr. Ahrens found his house still standing. Mr. Wichmann and his three sous spent the summer in erecting a house and in putting in a crop. The lumber was hauled from New U'lm. In the fall the Winchmann family came from Redstone, and with them the Ahrens family. and Albert Schaefer and family. These were the only settlers in Beaver that fall.
Before the Massacre an attempt was made to give the name "Upson" to the township, but after the county was organ- ized the name of Beaver was given. This has never been officially changed. But the village was named Beaver Falls and gradually the name of the village came to be applied to the township. When the town was organized April 2. 1867, it took
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in all of range 35 lying within the county. It has had its present boundaries since 1875. The first township election was held in 1867 at the store of C. Prignitz in Beaver Falls village.
The earliest official records of this township are not preserved. The records are continuous since Nov. 26. 1870, and are in the custody of the clerk. William Zumwinkle. At the meeting held on Nov. 26, 1870, the commissioners present were L. E. Morse (chairman), James O'Neil, Sr., and John Dagen. Darwin S. Hall was ap- pointed clerk in place of P. H. Swift, re- signed. Petitions for town roads pre- sented by A. H. Babcock and others, and J. Sharp and others, were rejected on ac- count of the informality of their presenta- tion. The bridge across Beaver creek. built by Essler Brothers, was accepted and the last order drawn in payment for same.
There is now a town hall located in the village of Beaver Falls. It was erected as a store building some time between 1866 and 1870 and in 1871 was occupied by Peter Henry and James Greely.
The present officers are: Supervisors, Henry Ahrens (chairman). Louis Zinne and John Schweinfurter; clerk, William Zum- vinkle; treasurer, Henry Schafer: asses- sor, F. E. Zumwinkle.
The first real estate assessment of Bea- ver township was made in 1865. Those assessed in 113-35 that year were: Percy & George Burch. section 22; Thomas Bar- key, 20; Patrick Barkey. 20; Fred Blum. 27: Janies Carrothers. 22: David Carroth- ers. 22, 21; Henry Carstens. 27:
Angell. 2>; Albert Dagen. 26, 35: R. W. Earl and S. J. Comstock, 22: William C. Essier. 22: William C. Essler and D. Car- rothers. 22: Essler & Read. 22; Isaac & Albert Fuller. 22: Rufus Ji. Gage, 17: Henry Hipple. 15, 27: F. H. Homier, 20: Frank B. and Lycurgus Hall. 20: Carl Holtz. 22; Andrew Hunter. 22. 27, 25; Bene- dict Juni, 25. 26: August Linderman. 7: John Meyer. 7: Mary lartin. 13: L. E. Morse. 27; Newell Morse and G. F. Marsh. 26. 27; H. W. Nelson. 15. 19. 20: Isaac Ren- ville, 20, 29; Mary Renville, 11, 12; Mary S. Robertson, 22: T. H. Risinger, 20: Franz W. Smith. 14: N. D. White, 15, 20; Fred Yager. 27.
The first personal property assessment of Beaver township (113-35) was made in 1869. (This probably included some of township 114-35. now Henryville.) Those assessed were: John Arnet. Henry Ahrens, G. W. Burch, R. Butler, F. Blume, Sr., Henry Blume. Jas. Blair, P. Barkey, Jas. Butler, T. H. Barkey. I. A. Busch, E. E. Comstock. David Carrothers. James Carrothers. W. W. Clift, A. D. Corey, C. W. Cory, H. Car- stens. Churchel, L. A. Colson. R. R. Corey, John Dagan. Albert Dagan. W. H. Davis, L. W. Dibble, R. W. Earl. Jasper Fisher. David Ferguson, A. Garroty, J. M. Greely. Hodgdon & McClure. T. H. Homin, Carl Holtz. L. Hall. James Holdin. D. S.
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