USA > Mississippi > History of the upper Mississippi Valley, pt 1 > Part 60
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CHARLES F. GEORGE, whose birthplace is Thet- ford, Vermont, was born on the 2d of December, 1833. Came to Minnesota in April, 1856, spent the summer at Sauk Rapids, and the same fall came to Santiago and settled on the farm which he now occupies, on section ten. He is the oldest living settler in the town, being one of the first three families who located here. In 1862, he went to Illinois, remained there two years, and then spent two years in St. Cloud, Minnesota, after which, he returned to his old farm. He went to Kansas in 1877, but again returned to his farm in 1879, and has resided here ever since. Mr. George has been Justice of the Peace for seven years, and is at present Assessor of the township. He has been twice married. His first wife was Harriet E. Bab- coek, of Vermont, to whom he was married in December, 1855; she died on the 23d of April, 1873, leaving tive children; Arthur B., Franklin P., Aliee E., Alonzo R., and Herbert W .; another, named Franklin, died at the age of seven yours. Ilis present wife was Harriet E. Minim, of this township, to whom he was married on the 8th of May, 1874.
WILLIAM W. GOUNDRY dates his birth in Wood
county, Ohio, on the 17th of September, 1834. The family removed to New York in 1840, and in the fall of 1856, the subject of our sketchi came to Minnesota, and engaged in Inmbering at Prince- ton, Mille Lacs county. He afterwards lived at Henderson, Acton, Kandiyohi, and St. Cloud, enlist- ing at the latter place, in 1861, in the First Min- nesota Volunteer Infantry, serving three years. Returning from the army, lie again settled in St. Clond, and resided there until the fall of 1867, when he came to his present farm on section four, and has lived here most of the time since. Mr. Goundry was one of the organizers of Santiago township, and has been Justice of the Peace, Town Clerk, and held other important offices. He has been twice married; first to Jennie Davis, of Maine, the marriage taking place in October, 1866. She died in December, 1876, leaving three chil- dren, Mabel, Inther T., and Gilman. His present wife was Hannah J. Hawkins, of Indiana, to whom he was married on the 15th of December, 1878. They have one child, named Arthur W.
JAMES W. GUILD is a native of Vermont, born on the 18th of October, 1835. He left his native State in the fall of 1856, and coming to Minnesota, was engaged in gardening between St. Paul and St. Anthony until 1860. Then returned to Vermont, but in the spring of 1866, came again to Minnesota, and after residing in Sank Rapids about one year, came to Santiago and took a homestead on section ten, where he now owns two hundred acres of good farming land. He assisted in the organiza- tion of the township, and has held the office of Treasurer since 1869, with the exception of one year. Nine years ago he became u partner with W. L. Babcock in a general store, but in the fall of 1880, purchased Mr. Babcock's interest und has since conducted it alone. During the war, Mr. Guild was a member of the Fourteenth Vermont Volunteer Infantry, and served nine months, par- tieipating in the battle of Gettysburg. He was united in marriage with Miss Mary Bosworth, of Springfield, Massachusetts, on the 30th of Sep- tember, 1868. Their children are, Jessie M., Luey, James W., and Elida.
GEORGE F. HARVEY was born in Herkimer county, New York, on the 30th of Angust, 1860. When but an infant, his parents, necompanied by lis older sister, came to St. Cloud, Minnesota. In 1861, his father, David Harvey, enlisted in the Seventh Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, and his mother returned with the family to New York
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BIOGRAPHICAL.
339
State, where they were joined by the father, after the war. In 1866, the family returned to Minne- sota and settled on their present farm in section four, Santiago township. The first Fourth of July celebration held in the settlement, was in a beautiful grove near Mr. Harvey's residence, and the they need on that occasion is still preserved in the family. George F. carries on his father's farm and resides with the family. He was nuited in marriage with Miss Cora P. Carvell, of Glendorado, Benton county, on the 18th of October, 1880.
BENJAMIN F. NOEL is a native of Brush Creek, Ohio, and was born in December, 1841. When about four years old, his parents removed to Illi- nois, where Benjamin resided ten years. In 1855, he came to Minnesota, and after about six years spent at Sauk Rapids and St. Cloud, enlisted in the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, and served three years, and afterwards, in Hancock's Vet- erans, one year. Returning to Minnesota in 1865, he settled in Santiago township, and has lived here ever since. He was the first Town Clerk, and with the exception of two years, has held some town office ever since. Mr. Noel was married on the 2d of Ang., 1868, to Mrs. Harriet M. Bigelow. They have three children, Adolphus L., Nellie V., and Mary E. Mrs. Noel has two children by her former marriage, named Hattie E. and George A. Bigelow.
JAMES M. REED was born near Logansport, In- diana, on the 5th of November, 1846. When he was four years old, the family removed to Iowa, where James remained until 1866. He then came to Minnesota, and settled in Glendorado, Benton county, being one of the first settlers in thut town- ship, assisted in its organization, and hold the office of Town Clerk for ten years. In April, 1880, he removed to Santiago township, and selected his present farm, on section cight. Mr. Reed was married in September, 1866, to Miss Lizzie H. Willey, of Massachusetts, who died on the 10th of September, 1879, leaving five children; Andrew F., May E., Freemie M., Cora V., who died on the 29th of October, 1880, and James M. His present wife was Miss Minnie Marvin, of St. Cloud, the marriage taking place on the 22d of March, 1881.
CHARLES A. WICKTOR, a native of Sweden, was born in November, 1842. Came to America in 1869; was unsettled for two years, after which, he selected his present farm of one hundred and twenty acres, located on section fourteen. Mr. Wicktor was married in Sweden, in 1866, to Miss Joanna Anderson, who died in 1876, leaving one son, Axel G., now in his fifteenth year. His present wife was Nettie Thompson, of Mille Laes county, the marriage taking place in May, 1881.
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HISTORY OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
BENTON COUNTY.
CHAPTER LXXVI.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION-ORGANIZATION-FIRST SET- TLERS-FIRST COUNTY BUILDING-INDIAN TRAD- ING POSTS-DIVISION OF THE COUNTY-REMOVAL OF THE COUNTY SEAT-COUNTY BONDS-COUNTY SEAT RETURNED TO SAUK RAPIDS-PRESENT EN- COURAGING OUTLOOK.
Benton county lies a little to the east of the central part of the State, and is bounded on the north by Morrison county, on the east by Mille Lacs county, on the south by Sherburne county, and on the west by the Mississippi river, which separates it from Stearns county. It contains an area of 405 square miles, or nearly 200,000 acres, of which 9,043 are under cultivation. 'The county is well timbered, especially in the eastern part, the principal varieties being oak, maple, ash, basswood, and tamarack. It is watered by the St. Francis, Elk, Platte, and Littlo Rock rivers. There are also a member of lakes, the largest being Lit- tle Rock Lake.
"The soil is a dark loam, producing good crops of grain and potatoes, and especially adapted to grazing and stock raising.
ORGANIZATION .--- The act of Congress, establish- ing the territorial government of Minnesota, was ap- proved by the President on the 3d of March, 1849. That portion of the public domain lying west of Michigan, and east of the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers, had been detached from what was known ns the territory of Wisconsin, and admitted to the Union as one of her states, The territory left, after this division, was re-organized under the name of the "Territory of Minnesota." The laws in force under the old territory of Wisconsin, were to be in force in the new territory until a legally constituted legislative assembly should repeal, re-
vise and modify them, or enact others in their stead. A Governor was appointed, and invested with executive power and authority in and over said territory, also a Secretary, Judges, and all other officers necessary to complete the territorial organization.
The first legislative assembly convened in the fall of 1849, and one of their first acts was to di- vide the territory into nine counties. Of these, three, Washington, Ramsey, and Benton, were de- clared to be fully organized counties, "and in- vested with all and singular, the rights, privileges, and immunities, to which all organized counties in this territory shall be, and are by law, entitled."
Benton county originally contained all the ter- ritory bounded by a line " beginning at the month of Rum river, thence up said river and the west brunch thereof to its source, thence due north to its intersection with the Mississippi, and thenee down said river to the place of beginning," being not far from one hundred miles in length, and from thirty to forty miles in width, at the broadest part.
The act declaring Benton to be an organized county, provided that the seat of justice "shall be within one quarter of a mile of a point on the east side of the Mississippi river, directly opposite to the month of the Sauk river."
The first board of County Commissioners, con- sisting of William A. Aitkin and Joseph Brown, inet nt the residence of Jeremiah Russell on the 7th of January, 1850. Mr. Aitkin was Chairman, James Hitchens acted as Clerk, and was also ap- pointed Register of Deeds.
Among other acts of the board at this meeting, was the division of the county into elcetion pre- cincts, as follows:
The First, or Sauk Rapids Precinct, included ull
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BENTON COUNTY.
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that portion of the county from Ramsey county to the Platte river. The Second, or Swan River Precinet, extended from the Platte river north to the Cold Springs. The Third, or Crow Wing Pre- cinet, extended north from the Cold Springs to the limits of the county. These precinets continned imtil the division of the county into townships, on the organization of the State in 1858. The first Board of County Commissioners, under the State organization, met at the office of the Register of Deeds, at Watab, on the 14th of September, 1858, and consisted of Sherman Hall, Henry B. Smart, and Burnam Hanson.
The county seat had been removed to Watab, in July, 1856, but was transferred again to Sank Rapids, in January, 1859.
On the organization of the territory, it was di- vided into three judicial distriets, of which Benton connty, with Pembina, Itasca, and Cass, consti- tuted the third. Hon. B. B. Meeker was ap- pointed Judge of this district. Taylor Dudley was the first Clerk of the District Court, and also held the office of Register of Deeds, and was Clerk of the Board of Supervisors for many years. He recorded the first decd in Benton county on the 21st of October, 1850.
The first session of the District Court was held at the house of Jeremiah Russell, at Sauk Rap- ids, by Judge Aaron Goodrich. William D. Phil- lips was District Attorney. The Hon. Frederick Ayer was the first Judge of Probate.
The first settler in the county was David Gil- man, who made a claim at Watab in 1848, but re- moved to Sauk Rapids the following year. In 1849, Jeremiah Russell settled at Sauk Rapids, and was followed in 1851, by William H. Wood and family.
The same year, Ellis Kling, William Smith, and Georgo V. Mayhew, mado a settlement in what is now Minden township.
Soon after the county was organized, a building of hewed logs was creeted, largely through the munificence of individuals, for a county jail, and was owned and occupied by the county for this purpose, till the removal of the county seat to Watab. It was placed on the bluff at Sank Rap- ids, nearly opposite the month of Sank river, on Iand given for this purpose by Messrs. Jeremiah Russell and George W. Sweet. It was two stories high, the lower story constituting a strong prison, and the upper one, rooms for the jailer and his family.
About the time this county was organized, the United States Government removed the Wine- bago Indians, then residing in the state of Iowa, to this region, assigning them a reservation on the west side of the Mississippi, opposite to what was then Benton county. Prior to 1853, settlements had been made at the mouth of Rum river, Itasca, Elk River, Big Lake, Sank Rapids, Watab, Platte river, Little Lalls, Belle Prairie, and Crow Wing. At Itasca, Watab, Platte river, Swan river, and Crow Wing, were Indian trading posts, the chief business being making Indian payments, and trať- ficking with the Indians. The Chippewas oeen- pied most of Benton county, while the Winne- bagoes were seldom seen cast of the Mississippi river.
Abont this time the Government purchased most of the pine lands east of the Mississippi, as far up as Sandy Lake, and the lands in Benton county had been surveyed and were offered for sale.
Now began the noted speculation in wild lands at the West, which raged so high for several years, previous to the financial crisis of 1857. There was violent strife among the speculators, to get hold of the choicest picees of land, the best town sites and water-powers, and to get a county seat estab- lished on or near their claims. There was almost an insane rage for laying out land into village lots, as if, in a few weeks, there would spring up a flourishing and wealthy village on almost every quarter seetion, while, as yet, there was not a soli- tary inhabitant there. With this idea, came the rage for cutting up this territory into so many small counties, each one hoping to seenre the location of the county seat on the site of his own favorite paper town.
This connty seat speenlation had much to do with the division of old Benton. In 1856, the measure providing for its division passed the Legislature, while a majority of the people to be affected by it were unaware of what was going on, and were very much dissatisfied with the re- sult. The southern part of Benton county, as far north as the line running from the Mississippi to the Rum river between townships thirty-tive and thirty-six, the present southern boundary of Ben- ton county, was cut off, and constituted Sherburne county. The northern part of the old county, ns for down as the line running from one of the above rivers to the other between townships thirty-eight and thirty-nine, the present northern boundary of Benton county, was constituted Mor-
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HISTORY OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
rison county. The remainder, lying between the above described lines, was allowed to retain the old name. The county then extended through three tiers of townships bordering on the Missis- sippi, and east to Rium river, with Watab for its county seat.
But this division did not long satisfy all con- cerned. Mille Lacs wanted a piece of this county, from which to make a capital. Consequently, the Legislature set off to that county the portion of Benton lying east of range twenty-eight, thus cutting Benton county entirely off from Rum river, and leaving the boundaries as now defined.
The changes made by dividing up the territory of the old county and locating the county seat at Watab, were not satisfactory to a portion of its inhabitants. They thought the means used to effeet these changes were not fair and honorable, and that the leaders in this matter were actuated by narrow and selfish designs, rather than by a desire to develop thic resources of the county, and advance its material prosperity. As soon as these changes were made, a Board of Connty Commis- sioners was created, who set about erecting a court-house, a jail, and a building for county offices at the county seat, which involved a heavy expense for such a small and sparsely settled county to bear. Bonds were issued to the con- tractors for these buildings. These bonds were sold to other parties. They bore a heavy rate of interest. No provision was made to pay either the principal or interest. There was not enough collected from taxes, to pay the current expenses of running the county. The county was delin- qnent to the State. Through this style of mis- management, the financial condition of its affairs was deplorable. County orders were fifty per cent., or more, below par. The holders of these bonds demanded their payment. The buildings wero not completed. The officers of the county, then in power, repudiated the bonds on the ground that the contracts were not fulfilled, and that they were not legally executed. The hold- ers of the bonds sned for their pay. The officers resisted the demand, and the case came into the courts for decision, which decided in favor of the holders of the bonds, and the county was com- pelled to pay both the principal and interest in full. As a result, the county has been taxed heavily for many years, to pay off those old jndg- ments and get free of debt. This has been ac- complished, and the financial condition of Benton
county is prosperons, and, profiting by the ex- perience of the past, the people have determined to keep it so.
About the time of the change in the county lim- its, and the removal of the county scat to Watab, several men, possessing capital, came to the place and commenced business, apparently expecting to derive some advantage from the prestige it would give as the county seat. A large steam saw mill was built and put in operation. One respectable store was built, and several other buildings of less pretensions. A printing office was brought there, and a newspaper published for a short time. But this show of success in the building up of a large village ended iu failure. The proprietors broke down and left, and business came to a stand-still.
In 1858, an act was passed by the Legislature, allowing the eitizens to vote at the annual election, on the question of the removal of the county seat back to Sauk Rapids. The order came to the Board of County Commissioners to insert this item in the notices of election. They refused to comply with the order, on the ground that the notices were al- ready posted, and that there was not time now to change them. An application was made to the Judge of the District Court for a mandamus com- pelling them to put this into the notices, and they reluctantly complied. The result was a decided majority at election in favor of removal.
Of course, all that had been expended at Watab for county buildings was lost to the county.
Until within the last year or two, the material progress of Benton county has been slow, owing, chiefly, to a mistaken policy of the first fathers of the county, in having its land surveyed by the government, and placed in market before the "squatters" had selected their claims. This gave speculators a chance to purchase the land, of which many took advantage, and have held.it at a price beyond the reach of most new-comers. This dif- ficulty, however, is now being overcome, and the population is on the inerease. According to the census of 1880, 3,012 persons reside in the conaty.
The present county officers are: Judge of Pro- bate, Joseph Coates; Clerk of the District Court, S. P. Carpenter; Anditor, John Renard; Treasurer, S. W. Wright; Register of Deeds, Wayland Miller; Sheriff, William Scott; County Attorney, J. Q. A. Wood; County Surveyor, Frank Saunders; County Commissioners, A. J. Dementes, C. Galarneault, and II. Webster; Superintendent of Schools, John A Senn; and Corouer, Joseph Moody.
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SAUK RAPIDS.
SAUK RAPIDS.
CHAPTER LXXVIT.
DESCRIPTIVE-EARLY SETTLEMENT -- FIRST IMPROVE-
MENTS -- EARLY MERCHANTS- - THE VILLAGE SUR- VEYED AND PLATTED - BRIDGE ACROSS THIE MISSISSIPPI . BLOWN DOWN - MANUFACTURING - RELIGIOUS - SCHOOL - FREEMASONS - AGRICUL- TURAL STATISTICS --- BIOGRAPIIICAL.
Sauk Rapids lies in the southwestern part of Benton county, of which it is the county seat. It is situated on the east side of the Mississippi river, seventy-eight miles above St. Paul, and contains, according to the last census, 598 persons. The name is derived from the rapids in the Mississippi at this point, which are directly opposite the mouth of Sauk river.
These rapids form one of the finest water-powers in the State, and Sauk Rapids is fast becoming one of its most important manufacturing towns.
The village is unorganized, and is embraced in the township bearing the same name, which con- tains about 8,320 acres, 354 of which are under cultivation.
The first white man to locate in the present township was T. A. Holmes, who made a claim about one and a half miles above the village, in the spring of 1848. He was followed, the same fall, by James Beatty, now a resident of Sauk Rapids, who built a trading post near Holmes' claim. H. M. Rice, now of St. Paul, also built a trading post at the same place soon after. This passed into the hands of the American Fur Company, and Jeremiah Russell, now of Sauk Rapids, became its manager in 1849. He car- ried on the post for about three years, and then moved to the west side of the Mississippi, but soon returned, and has lived here ever since.
In 1851, William H. Wood built the first house on the village site, and named his place "Lynden Terrace." This building was destroyed by fire in 1855, but rebuilt soon afterwards. Others soon followed, and since the return of the county seat, in 1859, the growth has been steady, thongh, owing to causes already mentioned not so rapid as some other localities possessing fewer advan- tages. These hindrances, however, have been re- moved, and Sank Rapids has entered npon an era of prosperity which is truly gratifying to its in- habitants.
Aside from the trading posts before mentioned, the first general store was opened by George W. Sweet, on what is now Broadway, not far from the corner of Broadway and Sweet streets. Among other early merchants were, S. Van Nest, Alex- ander Smith, and Daniel O. Oakes.
The first hotel was kept by a Mr. Roberts in a small log building on Broadway, not far from where the Davis House now stands. The next, a house of superior appointments, was kept by O. B. Day.
The Russell House was built about 1853.
The first white child born was David O. Sweet, son of George W. and Eliza Sweet, on the 22d ot August, 1852.
The first death of a white person was Albert Russell, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Jeremiah Russell, aged sixteen months, in September, 1850.
Rev. Sherman Hall, who is frequently spoken of in these pages, held the first religious services in the village about 1850.
Rev. James Floyd Brech, an Episcopal clergy- man, preached here as early as 1853.
Sank Rapids was surveyed and platted in 1854, by R. B. Chapman. The proprietors were: S. Van Nest, Lafayette Crane, George W. Sweet, William C. Hurd, Jeremiah Russell, Charles W. Borup, Charles H. Oakes, and J. C. Warren.
A bridge was built across the Mississippi at this point in 1876, but was blown from the abutments into the river, in the spring of 1877. It was re- built in 1878-79, at an expense to the county of abont $6,500.00. It is 807 feet long, and is of wood and iron. The first cost was $25,000,00 ; Benton county paying $10,000.00, and Sauk Rap- ids, the balance.
A flouring mill was erected in 1872, by the Northwestern Company, who sold it, in 1877, to J. A. Stanton. Mr. Stanton moved the structure about sixty feet south, and rebuilt and remodeled it, adding one story, and giving it a capacity of 250 barrels per day. The mill contains eight run of stones, six sets of corrugated rolls, three sets of smooth rolls, six purifiers, twenty reels, smutters, cockle machines, etc. In May, 1881, it was leased for four years to W. A. Newton & Co., who now operate it.
A Congregational Church was organized at Sauk Rapids in the fall of 1855, by Rev. Sherman Hall, assisted by Rev. Charles Secomb, of St. An- thony. The congregation consisted of about eight members, and a church was created in 1857, nt a
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HISTORY OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
eost of about $2,000.00. Mr. Hall continued to occupy the pulpit until his death, which occurred in 1879, and there has been no regular pastor sinee. The present ollieers are: Deacons, Jeremiah Rns- sell and Justin Carpenter; Trustees, Justin Car- penter, William Hicks, and Jeremiah Russell.
The first Methodist Episcopal elass was organ- ized in 1858, by Rev. J. L. Thompson, with twelve members. Mr. Thompson was serving as a supply under Rev. D. Brooks, of the Protestant Episcopal Church at the time.
The first minister appointed by the Conference, was Rev. Levi Gleason, who was sueceeded by Rev. J. R. Creighton, and he, by W. W. Satterlee.
Rev. O. MeNiff, of St. Cloud, has held meet- ings here during his residenee at the latter place. The present Trustees are: Erasmus Cross, Lonis Mayo, John Jones, B. K. Knowlton, J. Q. A. Wood, and J. D. Hugh. The Stewards are: John Jones, J. Q. A. Wood, and Erasmus Cross. They have a neat little ehureli, erected in 1870, at a cost of abont $2,200.00
A missionary station was established here in 1856, by the Protestant Episcopal denomination, and through the instrumentality of Revs. Cham- berlin, Brech, and Manny, the three pioneer Epis- copal missionaries in Northern Minnesota, a elmurch was soon after ereeted. The membership steadily increased, and in 1869, was organized m- der the provisions of the general statutes, with the name of "Grace Church." The officers were: Senior Warden, James B. Hoit, and Junior War- den, Geo. W. Sweet; Vestrymen, Rudolphus Bnr- git, J. W. Watson, B. H. Spencer, James Beatty, F. Carlton, H. MeMahon, and George L. Fisk The Rev. Samuel K. Stewart was installed as Ree- tor, who has been superseded by Revs. Chambers und Davis.
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