USA > Minnesota > Renville County > The history of Renville County, Minnesota, Volume II > Part 78
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Hall, W. Hall, F. B. Hall, J. Hemecks, L. Herbert, Andrew Hunter, J. S. G. Honner, H. Hipple, Andrew Johnson, Jacob Krell, Joseph Kartack, F. S. Kinney, August Lin- dermann, George B. Legg, Newell Morse, B. G. McKay, L. E. Morse. F. F. Marsh, Robert, Nicholson, H. W. Nelson, Steven O'Neil, John O'Neil. William O'Neil, Charles O'Neil, N. O'Neil, James O'Neil. Sr., James O'Neil, Jr., A. Pregler, Caroline Pregnitz. Phelps, T. H. Risinger, Hiram Rich, William Read, Joseph Rourk, Walter Rul. Caleb Rich, John Renville, Geo. A. Read. Jas. Swoboda, John Swoboda, Judson Seely, H. Seely, Sargent, F. H. Swift, Peter Simmons, N. Stone, Homer Smith, Albert Shafer, Fred Storck, M. S. Spicer, M. Shefler. Frantz W. Schmidt. Joseph Sharp, N. Swift, L. H. Tis- dell, Louis Thiele, R. G. Weed, John H. White, E. F. Wickmann, N. D. White, D. Wichmann.
Beaver Falls Village. the first county seat of Renville county. was admirably situated on Beaver creek. one and a half miles from the Minnesota river in a cir- cular valley, half a mile in extent, and sur- rounded by high bluffs. The first settler in the village was David Carrothers, who, with Col. Samuel McPhail. platted the vil- lage July 25. 1866. In January, 1867, Col. McPhail disposed of his interests to Will- iam C. Essler.
The first house was built by David Car- rothers. The first general store was opened by Christian Pregnitz. The first hotel was erected by Louis Thiele. The first sawmill and gristmill in the village was that of Reid & Son. The first wagon shop was owned by Reinhold Hummel. followed soon afterward by Jerry P. Patten and Eben Snell in the same business: the first black- smith shop by Henry Hippel; the first drug store by J. W. Barnard: the first shingle mill by R. G Weed: the first brewery by Henry Lump; the first meat market by D. J. Deasy: the first hardware store by John and P. W. Heins. The first banker was Hans Gronnerud: the first physician was Dr. T. H. Sherwin: the first attorney was P. H. Swift. the next George H. Meg- quier: the first postoffice was opened with M. S. Spicer as postmaster. It was dis- continued in 1902 when Philip Meier was postmaster. The first church was the Methodist Episcopal, organized by Elder N. Swift; the next was the Episcopal. The cemetery is controlled by the Beaver Falls ( emetery Association.
The first birth after the outbreak was on February 4. 1866. when Edward Butler was born to James and Jane Butler. August 16. 1866. Ida May Carrothers was born to David and Elizabeth Carrothers.
Before the outbreak Rev. John William- son. son of the missionary. Dr. T. S. Will- iamson, preached at Beaver, but Elder Hall, a Presbyterian clergyman from Redwood Falls. was the first to locate here. He preached regularly every two weeks in
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1866 at Beaver. The first newspaper was the Beaver Falls Gazette, which was estab- lished in 1870 by J. A. Wells. The first justice was N. D. White. The first school was taught by Mrs. J. S. Greely in the fall of ISGs, in a building owned by Hiram Richi.
The business of Beaver Falls in 1883 was as follows: One newspaper, the Ren- ville Times, H. Kelsey, editor; one clergy- man. Rev. John Lamberton, M. E .: one attorney, S. R. Miller: one store with gen- eral merchandise. by Peter Berndgen; one drug store, by Iver S. Gerald: one brewery. by A. Betz; one blacksmith. Gustave Stren- zel: one harness-maker, Herman Zumwin- kle: one shoemaker. Michael Keifer; one wagon-maker. R. Hummel; one hardware and agricultural store, by Heins & MC- Clure; one hotel, the Dakota House, by Carl Holtz; two grist-mills.
The village was incorporated in 1889, but the incorporation was abandoned. The village now consists merely of a small clus- ter of buildings, the removal of the county seat having killed all its business.
Village lots in Beaver Falls were first assessed in 1868. The principal owners were Essler & Carrothers. Those who had already secured lots were: H. Hipple. lots 7. 8, block 11; lot 1, block 13; Hiram Rich, lots 11 and 12, block 11; (. Prignitz. lots 1 and 2, block 14. In 1870, the following names had been added: Andreas Betz, lots 8, 9, block S: Le Ferre, lot 9. block 9; Peter Henry, lot 10, block 9; Heins Bros., lots 11. 12, block 9; C. H. Drew, lot 7. block [0; R. Hummell, lots 8, 9, block 10; R. G. Weed. lot 10, block 11; William McHerron, lot 6. block 13; M. Fuller, lot 5. block 13: Louis Theile, lot 9; block 13: C. Henning, lots 1 and 2, block 14; D. S. Hall, lots 3 and 4, block 14: Michael Keit- fer. lots 9 and 10, block 14; J. and A. Fuller. lots 1 and 2. block 15: H. W. Nelson, lot 3, block 15; Zumwinkle, lot 4. block 15: L. K. Stone. lot 5, block 15; James S. Chapman, lots 6 and 7. block 15: E. M. Snell, lot \, block 15: f. P. Patton, lot 9, block 15: Henry Koelfgen, lot 1. block 18: P. H. Swift, lot 1, block 19; H. Stone. lots 3 and 4. block 21; Almeda Hodgdon. lot 5. block 21.
BROOKFIELD TOWNSHIP.
Brookfield township embraces township 116-32. It is bounded on the north by Mecker county, on the east by Boon Lake township. on the south by Hector township. and on the west by Osceola township.
Brookfield village centers at the corner of sections 6 and 7. Boon Lake township, and sections 1 and 12. Brookfield township. Church Hill is a center at the corner of sec- tions 26, 27. 34. 35.
The first claims in this township were filed in 1865 by Edward K. Hitchcock, E. J. Tremper. David Harrington. Walter G. Horton and James Moore. The first school was taught in 1875 by E. K. Pellett in a building erected for the purpose. The
first marriage was that of Albert Brown and Franc Booth, in November, 1881. The first birth was May, daughter of John Por- ter. born May 1, 1874. July 21. 1874, OC- curred the first death, that of Wilder, son of John Wilt.
Brookfield was organized in 1874 and the first election held April 7 of that year at the home of Charles Foster. Supervisors, E. H. Pellet (chairman). C. E. Porter and Alexander Camp: clerk. C. E. Porter: as- sessor, George Taylor: treasurer, John Wilt: justices. Henry Gerard and Diton Grindal; constables, A. Camp and W. C. Fleet.
The first real estate assessment of Pres- ton Lake township was made in 1869. Those assessed in 116-32, now Brookfield, were: Ezra Cornell. section 10; Ebin Fisher. 15: George W. Fisher, 15; R. H. Rogers, 24.
By 1870 quite a number of people had acquired property in township 116, range 22 (now Brookfield). the real estate as- sessed that year being as follows: E. K. Hitchcock, sections 2, 22: J. G. Todd. 2; Henry Jewett, 4; J. A. Beaver. 6, 30; Charles A. Barkuloo, 6, S: C. H. Pettit. S. 10. 17. 20, 29: Ezra Cornell, 10: Seth Adams, 10; E. J. Temper. 12; W. O. Hor- ton. 12: D. G. Martin, 12: Daniel. Hening. ton. 13: W. C. Horton. 14, 23; W. S. Hor- ton, 14; M. O. Thompson, 14; R. J. Men- denhall, 14: James Moore, 15; E. S. Fisher, 15; G. W. Fisher, 15: Adam Sheiner, 21; Henry Reitz, Jr., 21; R. H. Rogers, 24; Jacob Ritz, 28; Sarah M. Horton, 32.
The first personal property assessment of Brookfield, 116-32 (exclusively Brook- field ), was made in 1874. Those assessed were John Booth, Alexander Camp, Will- iam Fleet, Henry Gerard, D. Grindle, E. H. Pellet, E. C. Porter. W. H. Simmons, Geo. Taylor. John Wilt.
Thomas Simmons' Reminiscences .- On June 3. 1875, in company with Nicholas Haft, and son Henry, I left Loda. Iroquois county, Illinois, with a horse team and a covered wagon, bound for Minnesota. July 12 we reached Albert Lea. and on July 20 we arrived safely at the home of my brother-in-law. James Chapman, in section 30. Boon Lake township, this county. With the Chapman family } remained until the next spring, my wife joining me Novem- ber 25, 1875. On May 11, 1876. I took a homestead in section 25. Brookfield town- ship, and here I have since made my home.
My neighbors in Brookfield were Henry Gerard. Bartimus Case. C. E. Porter, John Wilt. E. K. Pellet: while those in Boon Lake township were James Chapman (my brother-in law ), D. C. Graham. Jonas Post. W. S. Pierce and W. G. Simmons (my brother). W. H. Simmons. W. G. Simmons and James Chapman had settled in Boon Lake township as early as the spring of 1869.
Farming in pioneer times was done on a small scale and in a crude manner. The
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
ground, after being broken, was prepared with the aid of a wooden beam plow and drag which had some twenty-four to thirty-six teeth, and to one corner of which the yoke of oxen were hitched, thus drag- ging it across the plowing, something after the manner of dragging a cat by the tail and doing just about as much good.
Living was not sumptuous in those days. How we really got along it is hard to say. We lived on bran, middlings and flour. But- ter, meat and sugar were luxuries. But in spite of our privations, health and happi- ness prevailed all over this part of Ren- ville eounty.
After we came the prairie tires were not so bad as they had been a few years pre- vious as the settlers had learned to plow fire guards. Grasshoppers, however. did us a great deal of harm and caused us many hardships that we would not other- wise have experienced, for they ate up our garden produce, potatoes and grain. Dur- ing the worst grasshopper year 1 harvested only 55 bushels of wheat. I harvested no oats and barley and corn was almost un- known at that time.
Blizzards were frequent. When we left home we were never sure but what a bliz- zard would for many days prevent our re- turn. Sometimes the snow was from four to twenty feet deep. I remember a trip l look to Beaver Falls October 15, 1881. That night it commenced to snow, and it was more than a week before I could get home. The snow was four and a half feet deep on the prairie, and in some places around Beaver Falls it was said to have drifted fifty feet deep.
BOON LAKE TOWNSHIP.
Boon Lake township is located in the northwestern part of Renville county. It embraces township 116-31, and is bounded on the north by Meeker county, on the east by McLeod county, on the south by Pres- ton Lake township and on the west by Brookfield township. It is rolling prairie, beautified by cultivated groves. Boon Lake. from which the township takes its name, is in the northwestern part. . Hodgdon lake is in sections 20 and 21, and Phare lake is in sections 28 and 29. Allie lake comes into sections 33 and 34 from Preston Lake township.
The first claim was filed in 1856 by George M. Michael in section 34. In 1861 V. P. Kennedy and M. B. Ridsill took claims in sections 7 and 8. The first claim after the Massacre was taken in 1864 by William Fremming. in section 13. In 1865 those who filed on claims were Francis R. Max- well, Augustus T. Perkins, William E. Merrill, E. U. Russell and Ira S. Shephard.
While claims were taken in the town- ship before the Massacre, nothing is now known as to whether any of the claimants actually lived here. The first settler who came after the Massacre was E. U. Russell. who came in 1865. Isa S. Sheppard secured
a claim in 1865, but did not move here with his family until June, 1866. Among other prominent early settlers were Rev. George D. Potter, Orrin Hodgdon, John Booth, Owen Carrigan, G. S. Edner. Frederick Eg- gert, Ernest Koeppe, C. D. McEwen, A. L. Pfeil. Timothy Cornish, William Phare, Thomas Simmons, William Simmons, Wal- ter Simmons, N. II. Shafer, John Merrill and John Tyson.
Boon Lake was created September 6, 1870, and then included Brookfield. It has had its present boundaries since 1874. It is said that an election was held in the fall of 1870. There is no record of the supervisors elected. The other officers elected are said to have been: Clerk. J. W. Post: treasurer, M. T. Cornish; assessor, E. U. Russell; justice, Ira S. Sheppard; constable, Samuel Chilson.
The first real estate assessment of Pres- ton Lake township, then including 116-31, was made in 1869. Those assessed in what is now Boon Lake were: Ithamer Hagen, section 2; George Dye, 4; Ezra Cornell. 6; Charles Barkuloo, 6; A. F. Perkins, 4; W. O. E. Bourne, 7. S, 17, 18; William E. Merrill, 8, 9; Morris Tyler, 10; G. K. Gil- bert, 10; Susan D. Gale, 12, 14, 15: William Fremming, 13: Ira S. Shepard, 28. 33, 34; J. R. Drake, 27: E. U. Russell, 29: H. H. Davis, 34. Olin Gifford, 34; Hattie L. Baker, 34.
The first real estate assessment made in Boon Lake (116-31) as a separate township was in 1871. Those assessed were: E. K. Hitchcock, sections 2, 22; R. P. Johnson. 2; W. P. Allen, 2; Henry Jewett, 4: J. A. Beaver. 6, 29, 30; Charles T. Barkulow. 6. 8: (. II. Pettit, 8, 10, 17, 20, 29; Ezra Cor- nell, 10: Seth Adams, 10; E. J. Temper, 12; W. O. Horton, 12; D. G. Martin, 12: Daniel Herrington. 13; W. C. Horton. 14, 23; W. S. Horton, 14: W. O. Thompson. 14; R. J. Mendenhalt, 14; James Moore, 15: E. S. Fisher, 15: G. W. Fisher, 15: Adam Sheiner. 21; Henry Ritz. Jr., 2]: R. H. Rogers, 24; Jacob Ritz. 28: Sarah M. Horton. 32.
The first personal assessment in Boon Lake township, 116-31, was made in 1871. Those assessed were: Henry H. Battkin. Alonzo M. Bell, Charles Bohn, B. G. Brown, Charles Budrius. M. T. Cornish, Hanne Dallmann, Charles Eggert, Fred Eggert, Sr., Fred Eggert, Jr., G. S. Edner, Gottlieb> Fredertz, Dan Gliddin. Oliver Gliddin. George R. Green, Ira Gleason, George A. Gifford. John Gotteridge. J. C. Hodgdon, Oscar Hodgdon, Orrin Hodgdon, Christoph Jarson, John Jones. Y. M. Keough. Albert Harquardt, Enock (. Nelson, William S. Pierce, G. D. Potter, Albert W. Potter, Will- iam Phare, M. T. Ridont, John Rantmann. Ed. Reindorf, G. D. Staddard, Ira S. Shep- pard. Aug. Seefeldt, Horten Sehmandt, G. W. Slough, Albert Schultz, John Weseloh.
Orrin Hodgdon was one of the early set- tlers of Boon Lake township. In regard to his early experiences he says, "In 1871 1 took a homestead in township 16, section
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
18. range 32 and built a frame house 14 by 22. 1 broke a piece of prairie with four oxen that same year. December 21, 1871, I was married to Louisa Potter and we moved onto my homestead in April, 1872. Ira L. Gleason. M. T. Cornish, James C. Hodgdon, Albert W. Potter and George D. Potter were living in the neighborhood at that time. The grasshoppers came upon us July 5. 1876, nearly destroying the crops and the eggs hatched out in the spring of 1877 destroying the entire crop for that season. But the grasshoppers were hardly any worse than the blizzards and the prai- rie fires, which rolled unhindered over the prairies and sometimes burned not only crops but also farm buildings. After the grasshopper plague of 1877 and 1878 quite a few settlers moved in. I will mention some of the names of people within a mile or two of us: John Merrill, George Frieze. John Mitchell, Charles Mitchell, Byron Woodard. - Palms and John Booth.
"In 1871 school district No. 25 was or- ganized with James Hodgdon, Jonas Post and William Phare as school board and Belle Jewel taught the first public school held in Boon Lake township during the summer of 1870. in one room of a private house. The following spring a shanty roof school house was built, 12 by 16 feet in size, and Louisa Potter (now Mrs. Orrin Hodgdon) taught a four months' school during the summer of 1871. Lucy Pellet. who had just come from Massachusetts and with her father and brother William Pellet settled in Brookfield township, taught the Boon Lake school in the summer of 1872. "During the year 1873 the school was taught in a large log house known to all old settlers as the old 'Russell house,' a building which had been erected in a very early day. Abbie N. Potter taught this school and the same summer married John H. Tyson, an early settler of the district. They lived together on their homestead for twenty-tive years and the district became known as the Tyson district.
"The school of 1874 was taught in the same building by Flora Willson and Julia Graham taught school there during the summer of 1875. In the spring of 1878 a new school building was erected and Katie Washburn taught the school. Some of the pupils of those early schools were: John and Clyde Post, William, Jane and James Phare. Ida, May and Ernest Hodgdon, Ptola and Alice Jones, Nathan C., George D., Charlotte and Eliza Potter, Minerva. lda May and Libbie Greene, Enima and Hattie Chapman and Olive Ridout. Some of these have since become prominent citi- zens, some have moved away, while others have long since gone to the great beyond. On account of the sparse settlements and blizzards no winter schools were held dur- ing those early years.
"Religious services were not neglected during those pioneer days and the Metho- dist Episcopal local ministers came as
often as possible and meetings and Sun- day school were held in the school house and often in the private houses. Those who opened their homes for regular re- ligious worship were: James Hodgdon, Rev. George D. Potter, David Graham and Smith Pierce. Rev. George D. Potter and Rev. Alva Kenedy, both local Methodist preachers, conducted those services. Rev. N. Tainter preached on the circuit in 1875 and 1876, followed by Rev. John McDonald in 1877 and 1878. Rev. Nelson Shafer, a local Methodist preacher, settled here in Boon Lake in 1878 and did much religious work in the community."
John Borden's Reminiscences. James Borden trapped in the vicinity of Bird Is- land before the Indian Massacre. In 1866 he came again to the county and he and his brother Benjamin trapped here, making their camp in a crude log shack in the tim- bers of the island from which the township and village of Bird Island derive their names. The vicinity then abounded in mink, otter, muskrat, fox and other fur- bearing animals.
In the fall of 1866. John Borden came from Ft. Wayne. Ind .. and on October 27. 1866, saw Renville county for the first time. He was unable to reach Bird Island that night as he had intended, so he wandered about on the prairie and finally decided to sleep. The weather was cold and he was unable to get much rest. But in the morn- ing he found a bay stack and by burning some hay managed to get himself a break- fast, after which, with new courage, he made another attempt to get on to the Island. After trying until eleven o'clock in the forenoon to get across the sloughs, lie became discouraged and decided that his brothers were not there. He there- fore was convinced that he would have to return to indiana without seeing his broth- ers. A mile and a half he had gone on his weary return journey, when, meditating on various Bible stories, he thought of the tale of Lot's wife and her great inclination to look back. So like her, though with some- wbat different results, he turned about and looked backward. Over the tops of the trees of the island floated the smoke of a camp fire. The brothers had been out at- tending to their traps and had therefore been away from their camp. Joyfully John Borden went back toward the Island and fired his revolver. One of his brothers an- swered with a shot. But even then it was an hour and a half before one of the broth- ers ventured to come to the spot where Jolin Borden stood. He had not been recog- nized, the fear of the Indians was still strong, and the trappers had thought that the man whom they afterward found to be their brother had been brought there as a decoy. After long and watchful waiting, however, one of the brothers came through the reeds and brakes with an old dug-out canoe. his gun in his hand. on the alert and ready to shoot at the least indication of
CHARLES HEIKKA
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC VIKARY
ASTOR, LANDIA ANB TILDEN MOTINAATIANS
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HISTORY OF RENVILLE COUNTY
danger. When the stranger was rerog- nized, the trappers could scarcely believe their eyes, as they did not know that Jolin had come from Indiana. They speedily made him welcome and he spent a week with them in camp. When he left he traded them a watch, valued at $30, for 200 musk- rat skins, valued at 15 cents each. He took these skins on his shoulder to Carver county, and in due time reached St. Paul with them. That winter he returned to In- diana, but the next year located perma- nently in Minnesota.
He made his home for several years at the old Plato postoffice, three miles from the present village of Plato, in the mean- time doing considerable trapping in Ren- ville county and elsewhere.
One year he secured 1,600 muskrat skins, mostly if not all in Renville county. He took these to Willmar and shipped them to St. Paul. The price at Willmar when he shipped them was fifteen cents and he hoped to secure more in St. Paul. But be- fore his furs reached that city the price had dropped two cents. The dealer. however, paid him thirteen and a half cents, so he received $214.14 for the season's muskrat trapping.
In 1871 John Borden. his brother-in-law; Frank Maddock, and the latter's brother; George Maddock. came to Renville county looking for a suitable place to locate. They stopped at the shack of William Burgess, an eccentric character then living in the heavy timber near Buffalo lake. Burgess, who made much of his living by trapping, did not desire that the wilderness should be settled. He therefore discouraged the three men in every way, his clinching argu- ment being that no railroad would ever be built anywhere near the region. Mr. Bor- den, however, showed the other two the farm produce around the place as an evi- dence of the fertility of the soil, and he finally pursuaded the men that the town- ship was a desirable place in which to live. Accordingly they went on their way, deter- mined to come back and settle. At Fort Ridgely one of their horses died as the result of having been fed too much corn. The Maddocks settled in Preston Lake township that year. John Borden brought his wife to the township and settled in the northeast quarter of section 20 the follow- ing year.
The Borden house was built from an old house which originally stood at Plato post- office, three miles from the present village of Plato. The home in Preston Lake was on the main traveled road, and the home was noted for its hospitality. One night no less than eighteen guests slept in the little shack.
Mrs. John Borden, who was the daughter of John Burton, of Carver county, has many interesting stories to tell of the Indian Massacre. Before the Massacre, when she was a little girl. an Indian known to the whites as Indian Charlie often visited their
home and professed a great friendship for her father. In August, 1862, Indian Charlie put in his appearance, though it was not his custom to visit the place in the sun- mer. He aroused the suspicions of the people by asking how many white people were at home, how many had gone to the Civil war, how the war was coming on, and how much ammunition there was in the settlement. Naturally the people were somewhat frightened at these inquiries, knowing, as they did, their defenseless position, and also having heard something of the dissatisfaction of the Indians.
Indian Charlie had scarcely departed and the family was eating supper, when a physician from Glencoe came through on horseback, urging everyone to flee, and declaring that the Indians had risen and were only eleven miles away. The family jumped up from the supper table, hitched up their oxen and joined a fleeing throng.
Mrs. Borden says: "We first started for Carver. but when about half way there we met a crowd of people coming from that village. They had been told that the In- dians were coming from the direction of .St. Paul. So it was decided that we would seek shelter on Waconia island. A few days later we found that there were no hostile Indians in Carver county, so after leaving the island we stayed a while in Carver village and then went back to the " farm." For protection the neighbors banded together, all staying together, but going from cabin to cabin. In this way the har- vesting in the neighborhood was finished. When the next scare came the following year, Mr. Burton sent his wife and chil- dren to Wisconsin, while he stayed with neighbors. When they finally returned they found that no unfriendly Indians had been within eleven miles, but the white refugees had almost wrecked the liome. Everything of value had been stolen, and while the family did not object to the fact that those in need had helped themselves, nevertheless that had been a wanton waste which seemed without excuse, such as turning over the bee hives and letting a large keg of maple syrup run to waste. Some of the neighbors had buried some of their possessions, but the Burton family did not have time for this.
BANDON TOWNSHIP.
Bandon township embraces township 113, l'ange 33. It is bounded on the north by Palmyra township, on the east by Welling- ton township. on the south by Camp town- ship, and on the east by Birch Cooley township.
It has been said that straggling settlers entered Bandon from Birch Cooley as early as 1865. However, no permanent set- tlers located in that township until late in that decade. The story of the early days in this township is told elsewhere by Nels O. Berge.
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