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JOSEPH KAMPA was born in Prussia, on the 18th of March, 1850. Residing there until the year 1870, the family came to America, and Mr. Kampą purchased the farm where he now lives. He was married on the 15th of November, 1870, to Miss T. Balder. They have six children.
JAMES A. LEWIS, one of the few Americans re- siding in this town, was born in Wyoming county, New York, on the 16th of March, 1843. When about fourteen years of age, the family emme to Jefferson county, Wisconsin, where James resided
until 1862. He then enlisted in Company D, of the Twentieth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, and served for three and a half years. R turning to his former home on the farm, he remained mitil 1878, when he came to his present farm. On the 26th of March, 1877, Mr. Lewis married Miss Elizabeth Rundle, of England. They have been blessed with three daughters; Edith M., Cora Ann, (deceased ) and Jessie Mable.
NATHAN A. LEASE was born in Cayuga county, New York, in 1818. At the age of ten years, he removed to Ohio, and six years later, to Michigan. In 1834, he went to Indiana, where he married Miss Mary Christian, of Tennessee. They had five children; Melvina, John N., William F., Na- than A., Jr. and Margaret A. In July, 1854, his wife died, and the following November the family came to Hastings, Minnesota, where they spent the winter. In 1856, Mr. Lease married Miss Rachel Lightner, who bore him five children; Oliver, Eugene, and Ulysses are living, and two are dead. In March, 1865, Mr. Lcase enlisted in the First United States Engineers, and served as artificer, till the following October. In 1866, he was married to Mrs. Sarah A. Huxton. They have had three children, and two are living. Mr. Lease came to St. George township, in 1880, where he has been engaged at the carpenter trade.
LOUIS LATTERELL, a native of Canada, was born on the 17th of Angust, 1832. When he was seven years of age, the family removed to Port Douglas, New York. In the year 1852, he went to Wiseonsin, but soon returned to New York, where he was engaged in farming and humbering, until 1856, when he came to Benton county, Min- nesota, and took the farm on which he now lives. When Mr. Latterell came, the farm was new and wild, but by good management, there has been a great improvement. Miss P. Nolett became his wife on the 23d of September, 1860. They have ten children living, and one is deceased.
JOHN MARSHALL was born in Belgium, on the 1st of November, 1835. When about nineteen years of age, he came to America. For three years he lived in Maconpin county, Illinois, working in a saw mill. In 1862, he came to St. Paul, and lived for seven years, being on the police force for one year. Then coming to St. Cloud, he acted as policeman for a short time, afterwards, was in the ice business, and later, opened a grocery store, which he carried on nutil the your 1874, when he purchased the farin ou which he has since lived.
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WATAB TOWNSHIP.
Mr. Marshall was married to Miss Josephine Treufler, in 1854. They have had nine children, eight of whom are living.
HARVEY S. NORTON was born in Onondaga county, New York, on the 15th of July, 1828. When young, he came with his parents to Geauga county, Ohio. In 1848, visited New York, where he remained but two years, and again went to Ohio, and remained until 1852, when he came to Minnesota. Until 1859, he was employed on a farm in Hennepin county, then going to Illinois in 1861, he enlisted in Company K, of the Second Illinois Cavalry, serving, however, but a short time. He then returned to Minnesota, and again enlisted, serving till the elose of the war. In 1865, Mr. Norton came to St. George township, took a claim, and in 1872, located on his present farm. On the 15th of June, 1858, he married Miss Sallie A. Finieal. They have had five children; Edwin I., Laura M., Bertha F., Martha A., (deceased ) and William E.
JOSEPH PARENT, JR., a native of Belgium, was born on the 25th of August, 1846. He assisted his father in a store and on the farm, until twenty- three years of age. The family then came to America, and after living for one year in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, they came to this township. Mr. Parent resided with his parents until 1875, when he purchased the farm on which he has since lived. On the 15th of July, 1871, Mr. Parent married Miss Fanny Henry. They have had four children, all of whom are living.
E. H. RENARD was born in France, on the 17th of May, 1835. When young, he learned the ho- siory trade, at which he worked until 1851, when he came to America. Mr. Renard resided on a farm in La Salle county, Illinois, for twelve years before coming to this county. He then purchased the farm where he still lives. On the 11th of No- vember, 1863, he was married to Miss Josephine Simonean. They have two children.
FRANK E. SurRo was born in Canada East, on the 23d of July, 1833. . When he was an infant, the family moved to Essex county, New York, where Frank assisted his father on the farm. In 1865, he came to Minnesota, and the following year, purchased the farm where he has since made his home. Mr. Shero married Miss Eleanor P. Tatro, on the 8th of February, 1855. They have had five children, four of them still living.
C. F. VANMAANEN was born in Amsterdam, in 1811. He came to America in 1868, erming di-
reetly to St. Cloud, Minnesota; but soon after pur- chased a farm in St. George township, where he remained for four years. Then, returning to St. Cloud, he was employed as elerk in the Drug bus- iness. In 1874, he engaged in the same business on his own account. The year following, Mr. Van- Maanen returned to his farm in this town, having sinee made it his home. In the year 1868, he was married to Miss Harriet A. Martin.
HENRY VOERDING, a native of Prussia, was born on the 7th of November, 1818. He enlisted in the Prussian army in 1840, serving for three years. Then resided on a farm until 1852, when he came to America. After living in several counties of Wisconsin, Mr. Voerding eame to what is now known as St. Augusta, Stearns county, where he was one of the pioneers of the town. In 1869, he came to liis present farm, and the year following, was appointed Post-master, at Duelm, and held the position until 1877. Mr. Voerding was mar- ried to Miss Mary Ann Janning, on the 13th of May, 1843. They have had nine children, only four of whom are now living.
JOUN WILSON was born in Canada West, on the 2d of February, 1846. His father died when John was fourteen years of age, after which he and his brother took charge of the farm until 1865, when they came to Wisconsin. Here Mr. Wilson was employed in the limber business, on the river, and later, in a chair factory. In 1870, he came to Min- nesota, and purchased the farm where he has since lived. Was married on the 31st of August, 1870, to Miss Mary E. Lewis. They have four children.
WATAB.
CHAPTER LXXXIV.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION -- EARLY SETTLEMENT -- IN- DIAN TRADING POSTS -- WATAB VILLAGE-ORGANI- ZATION -- AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS - BIOGRAPH- ICAL.
Watab is situated on the Mississippi river, be- tween Sauk Rapids and Langola. It has an arca of about 28,800 acres, 360 being under enltivation. Mayhew creek flows southerly through the castern part of the township, and the western portion is watered by the Little Rock river. The soil varies from a sandy loam near the river, to a clay loam in the eastern part; the former being mostly
368
HISTORY OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
prairie, and the latter, covered with brush and light timber.
The first white man to take up a residence in this town was, undoubtedly, Asa White, who opened a trading post here about 1848. In the spring of 1849, David Gilman opened a trading post two miles above Sauk Rapids, but in the fall of the same year, lie bought Mr. White's interest at Watab, whither he removed, and is still a resi- dent of the town. Mr. Gilman immediately built a hotel and opened a farm, which was, proba- bly, the first farm opened in Benton county. Mr. White then erected a building in which he opened a general store in 1850. Nathan Myriek, now of St. Paul, also opened a store and bakery soon after. This trade was almost exclusively with the Indians.
About this time Dr. Charles W. Borup opened a transportation business from St. Paul, via Watab, to Fort Gaines and the Indian country, and by that means, regular mail communication was estab- lished. In 1851, General Lowry also started a trading post and bakery. Others soon followed, and in 1853, this was the most important business point northwest of St. Paul. The Post-office was established during the latter year and P. Lamb appointed Postmaster. He was succeeded about one year later, by David Gilman, who is the pres- ent ineumbent.
Watab village was surveyed and platted in 1854. The place then contained about 150 inhab- itants. There were a number of stores, three bakeries, Post-office, etc. In 1856, Place, Han- son, and Clark built a steam saw-mill which was run for a time, but removed about 1863. A wooden bridge was built across the Mississippi river in 1856, but it blew down soon after, and was never rebuilt.
The North Star Lodge, Masonie, was established here in 1857, but subsequently removed to St. Cloud.
As before stated, this was the county seat of Benton county for a time, but since its removal to Sauk Rapids the importance of Watab village has gradually diminished.
As early as 1853, there were threo farms oponed in the town. The proprietors were, David Gilmann, Benjamin Bright, and George Goodhue. Aside from these, there was very little agricultural im- provement until 1870, since when the popniation has been steadily inercasing, numbering, in 1880, 131 persons.
The township was organized in 1858, and em- braced, in addition to its own territory, all of the present town of Gilmanton. It was reduced to its prosent limits in 1873. The first records of the town havo been lost, and but a partial list of the first officers can be given. Supervisors, David Gilman, Chairman, George Goodhue, and Thomas Hardan; and Clerk, R. Carlisle Burdick.
In the year 1880, the products of the town were: wheat, 4,650 bushels; oats, 1,625 bushels; corn, 400 bushels; potatoes, 480 bushels; wild hay, 355 tons; wool 48 pounds; and butter, 6,850 pounds.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
DAVID CAMPBELL is one of Minnesota's early settlers, having come to Stearns county in 1856, and the following spring, to Watab, where he has resided ever sinee. He was born in what is now the province of Ontario, Canada, on the 27th of April, 1831. His early days were spent in farm- ing in his native country, until 1855, when he re- moved to Ohio, and thence, to Illinois, where he remained until his final removal to Minnesota. Since coming to Watab, he was engaged in log- ging and lumbering on the river for ten years, and afterwards kept a hotel for some time, but is now exclusively engaged on his farm, which is prin- cipally devoted to stoek-raising. Mr. Campbell was married in 1864, to Mrs. Mary Murphy, of Pennsylvania. Pearl is their only child.
JOSEPH CAMPBELL is also a native of Ontario, and was born on the 17th of October, 1832. His early life in his native country, was spent in lum- bering and hotel business until 1866, when he came to Watab, Minnesota, and has since been engaged in farming and stock-raising. Mr. Campbell has held the office of Town Clerk for six years. He was united in marriage, in 1864, with Mary Lake, who is also a native of Canada.
HON. DAVID GILMAN, for thirty-three years a resident of Minnesota, thirty-two of which have been spent in Watab, was born in Saratoga county, New York, on the 29th of April, 1812. When the subject of onr sketch was bnt six months old, the family removed to Orange county, Vermont, where he grew io manhood. In 1836, he went to Kala- mazoo, Michigan, where he dealt in horses, and kept a livery stable. He was the first City Mar- shall there, holding the office for six years, and was also one of the organizers of the first fire company. In 1848, he entered the employ of the
369
STEARNS COUNTY.
American Fur Company, and came to Minnesota, locating his family at Mendota. In 1849, he re- moved to Watab, and has resided here ever since. In the same year, he was appointed by Gov. Ram- sey, Sheriff of Benton county, and soon after, elected to the same office, which he held for four years. He has been County Commissioner a num- ber of terms, and Chairman of the Board several years. He represented his district in the Terri- torial Legislature in 1850, and was also a member of the Constitutional Convention in 1857, where
he was noted for his strong advocaey of a proper recognition of the school interests of Minnesota. He was appointed Post-muster at Watab, in 1853, and now holds the office, although others have filled the position a portion of the time during those years. The house in which Mr. Gilman re- sides, was the old Watab Indian trading post. He was married in September, 1844, to Nancy W. Lamb, of Woodstock, Vermont. They have had five children, four of whom are living; Ellen R., Sarah B., John D. L., and Frances E.
STEARNS COUNTY.
CHAPTER LXXXV.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION-FIRST SETTLERS-ORGANI- ZATION-LAND OFFICE-FIRST COURT-GRASSHOP- PERS-FORTS.
Stearns eounty was organized in the winter of 1854-55, and derives its name from the Hon. C. T. Stearns, now of New Orleans, Lonisiana, but then a member of the Territorial Conneil from St. Anthony Falls, and who had made himself promi- nent in the passage of the bill providing for its organization.
The bill, as originally introduced, bore the name of Steveus county, in honor of Governor Stevens, then prominently connected with the sur- vey of the Northern Pacific Railroad, and passed both branches of the Legislature in that slmape, but in the enrollment of the bill, the change oo- eurred from Steveus to Stenrus, and when discov- ered, it was concluded best to let the matter stand, as the name was still in the line of honorable men- tion, and Mr. Stearns well entitled to public recog- nition in this way.
The geographical position of the county is a little south of the center of the State, on the west side of the Mississippi river, and about seventy milos northwest of St. Paul.
It is bomided on the north by Morrison nud Todd counties, on the onst, by the Mississippi
river, which separates it from Benton and Sher- burne counties, on the south by Wright, Mecker, and Kandiyohi counties, and on the west by Doug- las and Pope counties. It contains an area of 1,536 square miles, or 983,040 aeres, of which, in 1880, about 104,934 were under cultivation.
The surface is beautifully diversified with groves of timber, lakes, streams, meadows, and gently rolling prairie.
The county is abundantly supplied with timber, the principal varieties being oak, maple, ash, elm, basswood, and tamarack. There are about one hun- dred and twenty of the larger lakes, the most im- portant being Sauk, Birch Bark, Grand, Koronis, Riee, and Pearl lakes, which are beautiful sheets of water.
The principal rivers are the Sauk, which mean- ders through the central part, nud the North Fork of Crow river, which passes through the southwest portion of the county. The Mississippi passes along the entire eastern boundary, and furnishes unsurpassed facilities for obtaining pine huuber from the northern part of the State, and the Clear- water river forms the southeastern boundary for a distance of nearly twenty miles, furnishing a good water-power at Clearwater.
There are also a number of good water-powers in others portions of the county, which are fully described in the local chapters which follow this. A full description of the soil and physical features
370
HISTORY OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
of each township are also given in the following chapters.
The first white man to reside for any length of time in Stearns county, was Gen. S. B. Lowry, who established un Indian trading post, called Winnebago, in the present town of Brockway, about 1849. An Indian blacksmith, named For- ter, also lived at the post.
A man, named Landerdale, established a trad- ing post about the same time at the month of Sauk river. He only remained a short time, how- ever, and moved to Minneapolis, where he now re- sides.
ORGANIZATION.
The act of the Legislature providing for the organization of Stearns county, was approved on the 4th of March, 1855, and the counties of Todd, Davis and Cass, annexed for judicial purposes.
On the 9th of April following, the first Board of County Commissioners met at St. Cloud. The members of the board were, Jolm L. Wilson, David T. Wood, and John Ferschweiler. Charles Ketel- nm was clerk of the board, and also Register of" Deeds. The other county officers were: Judge of Probate, N. N. Smith; Sheriff, L. B. Hammond; Treasurer and Surveyor, Robert B. Blake; and As- sessor, Harvey Wiltzheimer.
The United States Land Office was established at Sank Rapids, Benton county, in Angust, 1853, with George W. Sweet as Register, and William H. Wood, Receiver. On the 1st of June, 1857, Mr. Sweet was succeeded by W. A. Carruthers, and in May following the office was removed to St. Cloud, where it still remains. In May, 1861, T. C. MeClure became Register, and he was succeeded by Henry C. Waite, in May, 1865. The office has since been occupied by H. L. Gordon, J. V. Brow- er, and the present incumbent, D. H. Freeman, who assumed the duties on the 14th of April, 1879. Mr. Wood's successors in the Receiver's office have been, S. B. Hays, C. A. Gilman, W. B. Mitchell, H. C. Burbank, Ole Peterson, and the present officer, W. B. Mitchell, who is serving his second term.
The first United States District Court was held on the fourth Monday in June, 1855, by Judge Moses Sherburne, in n building erected by Joseph Edelbrock.
The first conrt under the State organization was held by Judge E. O. Hamlin.
In 1863, the Court House was built. It is a sub-
stantial brick building, erected at a cost of 20,- 000.00. Expensive additions have since been made, including the county jail, which was built in 1869, at a cost of $10,000.00.
GRASSHOPPERS-In the fall of 1856, grasshop- pers came in a cloud and settled down on this and adjoining counties, destroying the greater portion of the crops. They deposited their larvae and died. Early in the spring of 1857, the young brood came out, and made such havoc that serious fears of famine were entertained by a large portion of the people. They left, however, in July, and many of the -late crops survived, so that, with the full crops of certain localities where they did not ap- pear, there was a large amount of food. But in autumn, it became a question whether, with what the people had the means of purchasing from be- low, there was enough for winter consumption. The German settlers were generally of the opin- ion that the supply would be inadequate, and com- missioners were sent to Dubuque to solicit contri- butions. This, however, seemed unnecessary, as there was no suffering, and the following market qnotations on the 20th of May following, would rather indieate an abundance than a scarcity : po- tatoes, 25 cents per bushel; corn, $1.00 per bushel; wheat, $1.25 per bushel; and oats, 80 cents per bushel. But, many settlers were deterred from coming that spring, on account of the previons famine reports.
During the Indian war of 1862, a Quartermas- ter's department was established at St. Cloud, a fort creeted at Upper Town, and another at Lower Town, and this became a general distributing point for northwestern Minnesota.
Stearns county is mostly settled by Germans, the first representatives of this nationality coming here by the advice of Father Pierz, who wrote glowing descriptions of the beanties and advan- tages of this section, and especially of the Sank Valley, to his castern friends. The Benedictine Fathers were among the " advance gnard," and to their efforts are dne, to a very great extent, the present prosperous condition of the county and the thrift and energy of its German-American cit- izens. In view of the above facts, it is not deemed ont of place to here present a brief chapter, kindly furnished by the President of St. John's College, und devoted to a review of the labors of the Ben- odietines during their first twenty five yours in northern Minnesota.
371
THIE BENEDICTINES.
CHAPTER LXXXVI.
THE BENEDICTINES.
The monks of the Order of St. Benedict did pio- neor work in the territory and state of Minnesota which entitles them to a place in the history of L'etoile du Nord. Of this Order a contemporary writes ;* " The Benedictines owe their origin to St. Benedict, who was born at Nursia, in Italy, in the year 480. He was sent to Rome when very yonng, and there received the first part of his ed- ucation. At the age of fourteen, he retired to the neighboring mountains, with his sister, St. Schol- astica, and her nurse, and shortly after, secluded himself in a cavern at Subjaeo, about fourteen miles from Rome, his place of retirement being known for a long time only to his friend, St. Romanns, the her- mit, who supplied him daily with food, let down the face of the rock by a rope. When the Lord had prepared him sufficiently by sell-knowledge, temp- tation, prayer, and abundant grace for his public ministry, he gathered around him a member of disciples, and in a short time built twelve monas- teries, of which two still exist, and have ever been inhabited by his spiritnal children. About the year 528, he withdrew to Monto Cassino, where idolatry was still practiced in n temple of Apollo. Having converted the pagans to the Catholic faith, he broke the statue of the l'alse God, overthrew his altar, and raised two oratories on the monn- tain. Here he also founded a monastery, which became the most famous in the world, and per- fected the rule of that celebrated Order which has existed longer, und more splendidly flourished than any ofher, and has given more writers, Popes, and Saints of every kind to the Church that all other orders together, and has done more to reclaim Europe from barbarism, and to advance und per- feet Christian civilization than has ever been ac- knowledged, und perhaps, than can possibly be imagined."
Having briefly noted the origin and work of the Order in the Eastern Hemisphere, a few lines about its establishment on this continent are in place.
When Columbus, in 1493, made his second voy- age to the newly discovered world, he was accom- panied by thirteen members of the Benedictine Order, with Rev. Dom. Boil as their leader; these
landed on Montserrat, one of the West India islands, to commence in the New World the great work which the order had so successfully accom- plished in the Old,-the education and civilization of peoples and nutions.
In 1816, Rt. Rev. Abbot Boniface Wimmer, with a second colony of Benedictines, crossed the At- lantie, settled in Pennsylvania, and founded a col- lege whose fame has grown with its years. Abbot Wimmer, at the request of Mgr. Joseph Cretin, late Bishop of St. Paul, sent him three Benedic- tines, Very Rev. Demetrius Morogna, Rev. Corne- lius Wittman, and the Rev. Bruno Riss, who arrived in St. Paul May 2d, 1856. Two weeks after their arrival, the two last named reverend gentlemen were ordained priests by the Bishop of St. Panl; this was the first ordination in the State. From St. Paul the Benedictines went to Stearns county, the former home of the Winnebagoes, and arrived in St. Cloud, May 21st, 1856. At that time this northern country wus sparsely set- tled, tew Catholics had ventured to the fron- tier, and these seldom chanced to see a priest. Father Franz X. Pierz, Chippewa missionary, stationed at Crow Wing, was the only priest then in northern Minnesota. He occasionally vis- ited Benton and Stearns counties, but the Catholic population increased rapidly, the field was large, und he could not minister to all. The arrival of the sons of St. Benedict gave the missionary joy; he transferred to their care the little log chapel recently erected at Sauk Rapids, in which the Ben- edictines officiated for many years.
Catholic migration tended chiefly west of the Mississippi, and thither the shepherds followed the flock; they too settled in Stearns county, on the so-called Rothkopf's claim ubont two and a half miles south of St Cloud. Here the Fathers built a monastery in the fall of 1856, of which Falher Demetrins Morogna was the first prior. From this retreat they attended congregations in St. Cloud, St. Angusta, St. Wendel, and St. Joseph, in Stearns connty, and Sank Rapids, and the Irish settlement at Brennan's place, in Benton county.
All seemed progressing favorably, when trouble arose in an unexpected quarter. George F. Brott laid claim to the premises of William and Lonis Rothkopf-the land on which the monastery stood -and began to nrge his claim nt Washington. Be- tween St. Paul and St. Cloud, Brott had the mail contract which entitled him to select certain lands not yet ocenpied. To the above premises, though
(*Catholic Family Almanae for 1882, page 37.)
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