USA > Mississippi > History of the upper Mississippi Valley, pt 2 > Part 14
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The first birth was a danghter of Dudley French, named Hattie, in February, 1857.
The parties to the first marriage were Josephi Mitchell and Sarah Greeley, in 1858.
The first to cross the dark river was George Snyder, in 1857.
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HISTORY OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
David B. Stanley opened the first store in 1867. J. Farwell built a cheese factory on seetion thir- teen in 1876, but after operating it three years, sold to N. I'. Clarke & Co., who run it one year. It now stands idle.
During the Sioux outbreak of 1862, a fort, or stockade, was built on section thirteen, in which the settlers gathered for safety, some remaining eight or ten weeks.
Moses Ireland surveyed and platted a town on seetion seven, in 1856, and called it Marysville.
Another, named Yarmouth, was also laid out by Mr. Cutter, on sections three and ten, in 1858, but neither rose above the common dignity of paper towns.
Maine Prairie was organized in 1858, and the first election held at the house of John Farwell on the 27th of May. This locality was formerly known as Marysville, but one of the first resolu- tions passed at this election was the adoption of the present name. A large area was then included within its boundaries, but it has been gradually reduced to the present limits.
The first offleers were: Supervisors, G. W. Cnt- ter, Chairman, Daniel Spaulding, and Thomas Part- ridge; Clerk, Martiu Greely; Assessor, H. Staples; Assistant Assessors, J. K. Noyes and T. N. Berlin; Constables, A. B. Greeley and W. H. Day; Justi- ces of the Peace, Orlin Farwell and William Gay- lord; Collector, H. P. Bennett, and Overseer of the Poor, O. S. Senter.
The products of Maine Prairie, according to the agricultural report of 1880, were: wheat, 69,681 bushels; oats, 52.266 bushels; corn, 12,531 bush- els; barley, 290 bushels; rye, 278 bushels; buck- wheat, 2 bushels; potatocs, 7,529 bushels; beans, 98 bushels; sugar cane, 4,838 gallons; cultivated hay, 246 tons; wild hay, 946 tons; apples, 484 bushels; grapes, 100 pounds; tobacco, 214 pounds; wool, 1,938 pounds; butter, 27,920 pounds; cheese, 10,919 pounds, and honey, 742 pounds.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
SOLOMON F. BROWN, a native of Douglas county, Massachusetts, was born in the year 1817. He was brought up by his father as a mechanic, and lived in the State until 1852, when he went to California, remaining three years. While there, he studied medicine, attending lectures and acting as Span- ish interpreter. In 1855, ho returned to his na- tive place, and in 1857, moved to St. Cloud, Min- nesota, and the following year, to Maine Prairie, pre-empting a farm on section nine, where he lived
until 1861. Then enlisted in the Fourth Minne- sota Volunteer Infantry as a private, but was pro- moted from time to time, and when discharged, was First Lieutenant, and in command of his com- pany. He was discharged on account of wounds received at Vicksburg; was in seven battles. Af- ter he was discharged, practiced medicine one year in Memphis, Tennessee, then returned to Maine Prairie in 1865. Ile was the first practicing phy- sician in the town, and is now located on section cighteen where he carries on a farm. Ile married Miss Mary K. Pierce, on the 16th of March, 1840. They have one son; Solomon F.
MARTIN GREELY was born in Waldo county, Maine, in the year 1814. Grew up on a farm, en- joying the advantages of common schools. In early life he engaged in mereantile business in his native State. In the fall of 1856, came to Mar- quette, on the Fox river, Wisconsin, and remained until the summer of 1855, when he came to Min- nesota, locating on section ten, Maine Prairie town- ship. He was the first settler in this part of Maine Prairie. Mrs. Greely was in the town six months before any other white woman. Among the incidents of pioneer life, she tells of an occa- sion, in the absence of Mr. Greely, when a dusky face attempted to enter her house contrary to her desire, when by the skillful use of a pitchfork she compelled him to obey her mandate, and depart. Mr. Greely was the first Town Clerk of Maine Prairie. Has since been Justice of the Peace, Supervisor, County Commissioner, and was one term in the State Legislature. In 1846, he mar- ried Miss Cordelia Ford, of Portland, Maine. Seven children are the fruits of this union, three of whom are living; Martin F., Mary F., wife of W. F. Street, of St. Cloud, and Edward W.
FRY M. KIMBALL, a native of Essex county, Massachusetts, was born on the 15th of Septem- ber, 1824. He worked in a paper mill in Essex connty till 1856, when he moved west and located in Maine Prairie ou scetion twenty-four. After some time he made a change, and now resides on a farm in section thirteen. He was one of the first settlers and took an active part in town inter- ests. He married Ellen Adley, of Oxford county, Maine, on the 3d of August, 1848. They have two children; Ellen M. and Alice A.
MICHAEL L. PATTEN was born in Cherryfield, Washington county, Maine, on the 28th of March, 1805. In early life, he learned the wool carding business, which he followed until 1836. From
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MELROSE TOWNSHIP.
that time till 1858, he was farming and lumbering, with the exception of seven years, which he spent in California, engaged in the mines and lumber- ing. In 1858, came to Fair Haven and remained two years, thien in 1860, removed to Maine Prairie, locating on section two. Mrs. Patton was the only white woman in that neighborhood for a number of years. From the establishing of the Post-office in 1867, till its discoutinuance in 1870, Mr. Patton was Postmaster. He was Treasurer of school dis- triet number eighty from its organization till 1877. He married Miss Amelia Bonney, on the 19th of December, 1839. They have had six children, but one of whom is living; Peres P., residing at home.
DAVID B. STANLEY is a native of the state of Maine, and was born on the 23d of February, 1845. In 1858, the family came to Maine Prairie, where David attended common sehools. After becoming a man, attended school one year at St. Cloud, thence to the business college of Bryant & Strat- ton, of St. Paul, where he graduated in 1866. After completing his studies, was clerk in a fur store in St. Paul for one year, then came to Maine Prairie, in 1867, and engaged in a general mer- chandise trade which he continues till this time. He has been Postmaster for the last thirteen years, and has served several terms as a member of the school board. He is the present Town Clerk and Notary Public, and was a member of the State Legislature in 1878. He married Miss Emma G. Allen, daughter of Barney Allen, one of the carly settlers. Their children are, Gracie A., Ida M., Milton P., Katie A., and Henry M. Mary E. died in infancy.
MELROSE.
CHAPTER CIV.
DESCRIPTIVE-EARLY SETTLEMENT -- ORGANIZATION -AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS-MELROSE VILLAGE
-SCHOOLS -- CHURCHES - SOCIETIES-MANUFAC-
- TURING-BIOGRAPHICAL. .
Melrose is situated in the northeast part of the county, and has an area of 26,880 acres, of which 990 are under cultivation.
The population, according to the last, census, was 611.
The Sank river enters the town at the south- west corner, and flows in an casferly direction,
leaving the town near the southeast corner. This part is mostly a level prairie, having a light sandy soil. The Adley Braneh ruus in a southeasterly direction through the castern part of the town, and forms a junction with the Sauk river on sec- tion thirty-six. Aside from the strip of prairie above mentioned, the surface is covered with tim- ber and brush of the varieties peculiar to the lo- cality.
The first four settlers in Melrose were, Moses W. Adley and his brother Warren M., and the brothers Robert and E. C. Wheeler, all natives of Maine. Moses W. Adley arrived at this place on the 10th of January, 1856, but did not settle until the following year, when he took a claim on section thirty-four which included the greater portion of the present village of Melrose. War- ren M. Adley made a elaim a few months later on section thirty-three. E. C. Wheeler settled near the others the same year, and Robert Wheeler took a elaim on seetion thirty-four in 1859. He still resides there, the only one of the four pio- neers now living in the town. Moses W. Adley resides in Getty township.
Melrose township was organized in 1866, and the first election held on the 22d of January. The first records are very incomplete, and a full list of the first officers eannot be obtained. The Supervisors were: W. Chambers, Chairman, Chas. W. Taylor, and Charles G. Lamb; and Clerk, Au- gustus Lindberg.
The agricultural report for 1880 shows the fol- lowing produets: wheat, 9,645 bushels; oats, 4,746 eorn, 1,920 bushels; rve, 294 bushels; potatoes, 1,251 bushels; beans, 9 bushels; sugar-eane, 50 gallons; cultivated hay, 63 tons; wild hay, 795 tous; apples, 24 bushels; tobacco, 35 pounds; wool, 625 pounds; butter, 16,400 pounds; cheese, 50 pounds; and honey, 150 pounds.
MELROSE VILLAGE.
This village was surveyed and platted by Ed- win aud W. H. Clark in 1872. Two additions have sinee been made, Ayer & Clark's addition in 1873, and Clark's addition in 1874. This was the terminus of the branch of the St. Paul and Pacific, now the St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba Rail- road, from 1871 to 1878, when the brauch was pushed through to form a junction with the main line at Barnesville.
Edwin and W. H. Clark opened the first store in 1868, in a board shanty which was erected as a
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HISTORY OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
temporary convenience pending the completion of their new store building, which was occupied the same fall. This latter building has been used as a residence for a number of years, having been supplanted by a large mercantile establishnnent conducted by Edwin Clark.
The first hotel was opened in 1869, by Joseph Moritz, who still conducts a hostelry on the premises.
The first school in the village was taught by Alfred Townsend in 1868, in the old school house recently removed to give place to the large new building in process of construction. This build- ing is 38x58 feet, and two stories high, containing four large and convenient class rooms. It is built of wood, and brick veneered, resting on a granite foundation, and is surmounted by a lofty belfry which gives to the building quite an imposing appearance. This has been a graded school for a number of years, with two departments, having fifty-three scholars enrolled in each department during the last term. The district is number forty- eight, and includes a portion of Grove township.
According to an aet approved on the 3d of March, 1881, the village of Melrose was incorporated, and the first election held on Tuesday, the 5th of April following. The first officers were: Presi- dent, J. H. Edelbrock; Councilmen, Edwin Clark, A. A. Whitney, G. Richter, and J. Moritz; Justice of the Peace and Recorder, Don B. MeDonald; Marshal, Abram Lent; and Street Commissioner, W. B. Whitney.
RELIGIOUS.
ST. BONIFACE CATHOLIC CHURCH, O. S. B .- This congregation was organized in 1879, by Father Paul Rettenmaier, with a membership of thirteen families. A nent frame church was begin soon after, and vigorously pushed forward to completion. It is 30x50 feet and has a seating capacity of one hundred and fifty persons. Father Rettenmaier remained two years and was succeeded by the present priest, Father P. M. Leuthard. The pres- ent membership consists of about forty families.
ST. PATRICK'S CATHOLIC CHURCH .-- The first priests who visited this place, held mass in the houses of William Chambers and Samnel Brown, but the date cannot be ascertained. "The first priest who made regular visits was Rev. Angustin Burns. The present church was built in 1872, by Father Burns, and dedicated by the Rt. Rev. Ab- bot Seidenbush, now Bishop of this Diocese, in 1873. Father Burns' successors have been, Revs.
Wolfgang Northmann, Beauregard, Antony Kap- ser, Paul Rettenmaier, Norbert Hofbauer, and the present incumbent, Clement V. Gamache. When this church was organized there were but four or five families, now there are over forty families en- cireled within its fold. A parish house for the priest has also just been completed.
PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH .- Services had occasionally been held with a few members, by a minister from Sauk Centre, but no organization formed until Angust, 1879, after which some new members were added, under the ministration of Rev. F. C. Hudson, of Sauk Centre. During the summer of 1880, a handsome little church was erected. Weekly services are held by the Rev. E. C. Lindsley, of Sauk Centre, and the membership has been somewhat increased.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH .-- The first class was formed by the Rev. Mr. MeCumber in 1868, having but five members, and was under the Sauk Centre charge. The present church building was commenced in 1876, under the supervision of Rev. L. Wright. At the conference of 1879, this was made a separate charge, to which the Rev. Mr. Perkins was appointed. He died while located here, and the charge is now supplied by Rev. A. W. Cummings, of Sauk Centre.
SOCIETIES.
MELROSE LODGE, A. F. AND A. M., No. 145 .- This lodge was instituted on the 14th of Febru- ary, 1881, with fourteen members, who had fitted up an elegant hall for the purpose. S. R. Foot is Worshipful Master and Don B. MeDonald, Seere- tary. Regular meetings are held on the first and third Wednesday of each month.
MELROSE LODGE, I. O. of G. T., No. 100 .- This in- stitution was organized on the 15th of May, 1876, with thirty charter members, which has been in- ereased to about sixty. The regular meetings are held every Saturday night.
NEWSPAPER. - Don B. MeDonald began the publication of the "Melrose Record," the first mumber appearing on the 22a of June, 1877. The first volume was a seven column folio, but the year following, it was increased to n six column quarto.
On the 7th of August, 1880, the paper was sold to James I. Hendryx, who continued it's publica- tion until the 1st of November, when it was con- solidated with the "Sauk Centre Herald."
On the 1st of Jannary, 1881, Mr. MeDonald & Son agnin started the " Melrose Record" at Mel-
.
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BIOGRAPHIICAL.
rose, and still continue the publication. It is now a five column quarto, and in politics is Independent Republican.
MILLING.
MELROSE FLOURING MIDI .. - In 1867, Edwin and W. H. Clark bought a tract of land including the water power on the Sank river at this point. They at onee began the construction of a flouring mill, which was completed the same fall and is still in operation. The mill is 40x80 feet, and three stories high. When first started it contained but two run of stones, which has been increased to five run for flour and one run for feed. The capacity is now one hundred barrels per day.
In 1868, this firm also built a saw mill on the opposite side of the river, but discontinued it after a few years, and sold the machinery.
Edwin Clark purchased the entire manufactur- ing and eommereial interests of W. H. Clark; in Melrose, in 1878, and has sinee eoudueted the business alone.
ELEVATOR .- Pillsbury & Hulbert, of Minnea- polis, erected an elevator here in 1879. It is oper- ated by steam power and has a warehouse attached. The elevator is 26x36 feet, and the warehouse, 40x50 feet, with a storage eapaeity of 30,000 bushels. For the year ending on the 1st of July, 1880, 60,000 Inishels of grain had been transferred.
RECAPITULATION .- Melrose is one of the most flourishing villages in this part of the State. It contains six general stores, three hotels, one news- paper, one drug store, one flouring mill, four elurches and one graded sehool, with the usual complement of earriage and blacksmith shops, harness shops, meat market, furniture shops, mil- linery, saloons, billiard halls, etc.
"There are two school houses in the township ontside of the village. The school house on sec- tion ten is in distriet number seventy-three.
'The building on section thirty-two is in district forty-one, part of which lies in Melrose, and part in Grove townships.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
.
.
EDWIN CLARK, for twenty-four years a resident of Minnesota, and one of the proprietors of the town silo of Melrose, is a son of the Rev. John Clark, a Congregational clergyman, and was born in Grafton county, New Hampshire, on the 25th of February, 1834. When he was abont eight years old, the family removed to Caledonia county, Vermont, where Edwin learned the trade of printer,
and also taught school for several terms. In 1854, the family returned to Grafton county, the sub- jeet of our sketch accompanying them, but after a year's stay, he came to Boston, and spent the next two years in a printing and lithographing establishment. In 1857, he came to St. Anthony, Minnesota, and in company with W. A. Croffut, eommeneed the publication of the " Minnesota Republiean "-weekly -- and "The Falls Evening News " -- daily. This was the first daily newspaper published in what is now the city of Minneapolis. At the end of two years the partnership was dis- solved. Uriah Thomas succeeded Mr. Croffut as partner, and the new firm continued the business until 1863, when the office was sold to W. S. King, of Minneapolis. About this time Mr. Clark was appointed to a clerkship in the House of Repre- sentatives, at Washington, and filled the position during the session of the thirty-eighth congress. In April, 1865, he was appointed Indian Agent for the Chippewa Indians of Minnesota and Dakota; the commission being signed by President Lincoln, but two days before his assassination. He was then located at the old Chippewa Ageney, near Crow Wing, but at the end of two years he was politieally decapitated with many others, by Pres- ident Johnson. While stationed at the latter plaee, he built the Leeeh Lake Ageney, now known as White Earth. In 1867, he came to Melrose, and in company with his cousin, W. H. Clark, pur- chased the town site, improved the water-power, built mills, opened stores, etc., and is yet one of the most active business men in this section of country. Sinee coming to Melrose he has not taken a prominent part in politics, but exerts a weiglity influenee in the dircetion of sound loeal government. Mr. Clark was united in marriage with Miss Ellen F. Rowe, daughter of Morrison and Sally B. Rowe, of Belknap county, New Hampshire, on the 1st of January, 1860, the mar- riage taking place at St. Anthony. Of six chil- dren born to them, but three are living; Everett, Mabelle, aud Walter.
B. F. BURRILL is a son of Bela Burrill, a man of considerable prominence, whose birth and dealh took place al China, Maine, where the sub- jeet of our sketch was also born in 1836. Ho ro- ecived his enrly education nt the public school and Academy in his native town. When sixteen years of age, he went to live with his brother-in- law at Chelsea, Massachusetts, where he remained four years. In the fall of 1857, he came to St.
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HISTORY OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
Anthony, Minnesota, where he resided until Au- gust, 1862, and enlisted in the Sixth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, serving three years; he was engaged in the defense of the frontier against the Indians, but afterwards went south with the regi- ment. Sinee his return from the war, he has fol- lowed the cooper business. In December, 1878, he came to Melrose and has since had the man- agement of Mr. Clark's eooper shops.
J. E. CAMPBELL, M. D., a native of Brooklyn, New York, was born on the 25th of. June, 1852, but moved when quite young, with his parents, to Aurora, Illinois, where his early education was ob- tained. In 1869, he commenced the study of medicine with Dr. Brigham, of Anrora, and after- wards attended several courses of lectures at Phil- adelphia, and Ann Arbor, Michigan. After com- pleting his studies, he practiced for a time at Sycamore, Iowa, but in 1875, removed to Melrose where he has since been actively engaged in the practice of his profession.
N. M. FREEMAN was born in Berkshire county, Massachusetts, in May, 1839. When but three years old, his father died, and he afterwards lived with his grandfather. In 1859, he came west and located at Paynesville, Stearns county, and the spring following, went with thousands of others to Pike's Peak, but returned to Minnesota the same fall. He then engaged in mercantile busi- ness at Richmond, but was burned out in 1863, losing his entire stock. Mr. Freeman then visited his native State, and while there, enlisted in the Thirty-seventh Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry and served three years. After his return, he took a course at the Poughkeepsie Commercial College, New York, and in 1868, returned to Minnesota and became a partner in the Freeman and Warner Transportation Company, which did a large busi- ness for the Government at that time. In 1872, he dissolved his connection with the company and moved to Melrose, where he lived on a farm for a number of years. He was then engaged as book- keeper in Mr. Clark's store for a time, but in 1878 opened a Drug store in Melrose, which he still prosperously contines.
GEORGE L. GRINNELL, a native of Broome county, New York, was born in February, 1827. His father was a farmer, and George resided on the old homestead until 1850, when he went to California and was engaged in mining for a num- ber of years. In 1860, he returned to Pennsyl- vania, and the following year, enlisted in the
Forty-fifth Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry and served during the war; was severely wounded at the battle of The Wilderness. At the elose of the war, he settled in Wisconsin, where he resided two and a half years and then came to his pres- ent home in Melrose; he has been engaged in farming most of the time during his residence here. Mr. Grinnell was married in Pennsyl- vania, in 1863, to Miss Eliza Thompson.
D. GREIN was born in Belgium, in 1857. In 1875, he came to America, and settled in St. Cloud the same year. Soon after his arrival, he began to learn the trade of harness-maker, in which bus- iness he has continued most of the time since. In the spring of 1878, he opened a harness shop at Sauk Rapids, but not being satisfied with the location, he removed to Melrose in October, 1879, and has since done a thriving business. Mr. Grein was married on the 11th of March, 1880, to Miss B. Folz, of St. Cloud.
M. GAU, son of Joseph Gan, a physician in the old country, was born in the province of Rhine, Prussia, in Angust, 1824. In 1843, he came to America, and resided in Wisconsin until the breaking ont of the Mexican war, when he en- listed in the United States army and served nine months. Several years were then spent in travel- ing through different portions of America, but at length he settled in Toledo, Ohio, where he re- mained five years, during which time he studied medicine with Drs. Brown and Davis. He came to Minnesota in 1857, residing at Stillwater and Belle Plaine until 1860, when he came to St. Cloud, and after residing there seven years he re- moved to a farm in Spring Hill township, where he tilled the soil and practiced medicine. In 1873, he eume to Melrose, where he has since given his whole attention to the practice of his pro- fession.
REV. C. V. GAMACHE, Pastor of St. Patrick's Church, Melsose, was born in the city of Quebec, Canada, on the 19th of October, 1852. His first studies were prosecuted in the Seminary of Que- bee, until 1868, when he came to the United States and settled with his parents in South Bend, Indiana, where his studies were continued at the University of Notre Dame. He was then en- gaged in teaching from 1873 to 1877, after which he entered the Grand Seminary of Bourbonnais, Illinois, and took a course of Philosophy and Theology. Coming thence to the Vicariate of Northern Minnesota, he completed his Theoligi-
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BIOGRAPHICAL.
cal studies at St. John's College, in Stearns county, and was ordained Priest by Bishop Seidenbush, in the church of the Immaculate Conception, in St. Cloud, on the 19th of September, 1880, and was appointed to his present charge on the 25th of December of the same year. Father Gamache also has charge of St. Benedict's Church, in Roo- ney's settlement, consisting of abont thirty families.
REV. P. M. LEUTHARD, Pastor of St. Boniface Church, was born in the Canton of Argau, Swit- zerland, on the 3d of March, 1849. He came to America in 1866, and soon after entered St. John's College, in Stearn's county, in preparation for the priesthood, receiving his ordination in September, 1874. He held a professorship in the college one year, and was afterwards Assistant Pastor at the Assumption Church, St. Paul, for three years. He was then located at Prairie du Chien one year and a half, and in the fall of 1880, was placed in charge of tlic Sauk Centre and Melrose congrega- tions, with his residence at the latter place.
CHARLES D. LAMB, a native of Wrightstown, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, was born on the 5th of September, 1837. At the age of cighteen years, he came to Wiseonsin and remained in that State until 1860, when he moved to his present farm, which has since been the family residence. On the 11th of October, 1861, he enlisted in Com- pany I, of the Third Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, was taken prisoner at Murfreesboro', and on being exchanged, was ordered north; served through the Sions campaign, and was wounded at the battle of Wood Lake. Mr. Lamb was Assessor for twelve years, besides filling other important local offices. In 1876, lic represented his district in the State Legislature, and discharged his duties cred- itably to himself and constituency. He was Post- master for three years at the now diseontinned Post-office of "Lenghill." Mr. Lamb has prae- tieed surveying to some extent since residing in this county.
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