USA > Mississippi > History of the upper Mississippi Valley, pt 2 > Part 43
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The first missionary in this county was the Rev. Samuel Spates. He was born in Bourbon county, Kentucky, on the 31st of January, 1815, and sent by the Methodist Episcopal Church into the Northwest, and established a Mission near the
587
MORRISON COUNTY.
mouth of Little Elk river in October, 1839. He was assisted by Revs. Allen Huddleston, George Copway, and John Johnson; the latter being a converted Ojibway Indian. Mr. Spates afterwards moved to Sandy Lake, then to Fond-du-Lac, and in 1856, returned to Little Falls, and after two years removed to Cannon Falls, Minnesota, where he still lives, and is engaged in preaching. Neither of his assistants remained long with him in the good cause, except John Johnson, who soon after 1839, moved to Gull Lake, and subsequently to White Earth, where he engaged in missionary work, having been ordained as an Episcopal clergyman.
William Nicholson, now a resident of the town of Little Falls, is probably the oldest white set- tler in the county. He came to Swan river in the summer of 1847, in company with ten other men. They forded the Mississippi river just below where the Swan river ferry now is located, and made a raft of hewed timber trom pine trees growing on the river bank, for use in the construction of the first dam at St. Anthony Falls. They run the raft but a few miles, then abandoned it on account of low water. Nicholson went below, returning in 1848, and crossed the Mississippi river at the same place, in company with twenty-two men, and cut a road through to Long Prairie, returning, after completing the road, and found William Aitkin, who had made a claim and was building a hotel and store, on the east bank of the Missis- sippi river at the crossing.
William Aitkin located at Swan River, now in the town of Little Falls, in 1848, and conducted an Indian trading post.
Father Pierz, a Catholic missionary, came to Minnesota, among the Chippewa Indians, in 1852, and finding the country well adapted to agricul- ture, he wrote letters describing the beauty of the country and the richness of the soil, and sent them to several of the leading papers in Ger- many and America, which soon caused a large German emigration to this part of the country, a part of which located in Morrison county. A brief account of this noble missionary's acts at the time of the Indian outbreak, will sufficiently illustrate his character. In the fall of 1862, dur- ing the Indian war, the Chippewa Indians under their chief, Hole-in-the-Day, were assembled at Gull Lake, threatening an attack on the white settlers. Father Pierz was in the vicinity of St. Paul at the time, and hearing of the hostile atti-
tude of the Indians, immediately set out alone to go to Gull Lake, traveling day and night. On his way he met the Indian guards, who positively refused to let him pass. He insisted, and unable longer to withstand his importuning, the guards picked him up and carried him over the "dead line," across which they were ordered to let uo white man pass alive. He proceeded to their camp and saw their chief. What effect this inter- view with Hole-in-the-Day had, is not definitely known, but the Indians did not attack the whites as contemplated. Too much cannot be said of Father Pierz in commendation. It is certain the white people had in him a friend who would not desert them in time of great danger. He labored in the mission field till 1874, when he retired on account of old age, going to Germany to spend the remainder of his days. He died in' Germany in January, 1880, having lived to the ripe old age of ninety-two years.
Mr. Frederick Ayer, a native of Stockbridge, Massachusetts, was sent out by the American Board of Foreign Missions, and came to Sandy Lake, Minnesota, in 1831, and to Red Lake in 1842, and finally to Belle Prairie, in this county, in 1848. Being a persevering and energetie man, he soon opened a large farm, doing the first break- ing done in Morrison county, in 1849, with oxen borrowed from Hon. Henry M. Rice. Desiring to continue his work among the Indians and the settlers in the county, he ereeted a large dwelling house in 1850, and a commodious school house, which also served as a church for a number of years. The house is yet standing, after the lapse of more than thirty years, a fit monument to per- petuate the memory of one who spent his whole life in the cause of education and religion.
Mr. O. A. Coe eame to Minnesota in 1838, working on the St. Croix and Snake rivers. He first visited Belle Prairie in 1849, and came to this place in 1853, since which time he has been principally engaged in agricultural pursuits.
Rev. A. B. Adams, a missionary, who went to Red Cedar, or Cass Lake, about 1845, came to this county and settled at Platte River, and prenehed for several years, and then moved to Michigan.
There are other names that might be mentioned here, but are reserved for their respective towns.
ORGANIZATION .- Morrison county was organized by an act of the Territorial Legislature, approved on the 25th of February, 1856.
588
HISTORY OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
The first election was held on the 14th of April, 1856, and the following officers elected: William Trask, Elliot J. Kidder, and W. W. Stebbins County Commissioners; Nathan Richardson, Reg- ister of Deeds; James Fergus, Judge of Probate; Jonathan Pugh, Sheriff; W. B. Fairbanks, Dis- trict Attorney; W. W. Tuttle, and John Fry, As- sessors.
The village of Little Falls was made the county seat by the act providing for the organization of the county, and still retains that distinction. The first meeting of the Board of County Commis- sioners was held at Little Falls on the 1st of May, 1856, at which time the Commissioners divided the county into three electoral precincts; Little F'alls, Platte River, and Swan River. The first term of Court was held on the 15th of May, 1856, and on the 5th of November, the Commissioners voted to pay William Sturgis the sum of eight thousand dollars, to build a Court House for Morrison county, and on the 24th of the same month, bonds to that amount were issued and delivered to Wil- liam Sturgis. There were eight bonds of one thon- sand dollars each, the first falling dne in three years; and one each subsequent year until all became due, interest at twelve per cent. per annum until paid. Mr. Sturgis at once proceeded with the ereetion of the Court House, and after getting it roofed and in- elosed, but still far from completion, failed, leaving the building in an unfinished condition. He had, prior to this, disposed of the bonds to a banker in Washington, D. C., who demanded payment as the bonds fell due, but was refused by the County Com- missioners, because the Court House had not been completed according to contract. After many at- tempts to adjust the bond claim, running through a number of years, in July of 1869, a compromise was effected, nader the administration of William Butler, William Harrison, and Richard L. Trask, then County Commissioners. By the terms of this compromise, the old bonds were surrendered and new ones issued to the amount of eight thousand dollars, bearing seven per cent. interest, one thou- sand dollars falling due each year until paid. These bonds were paid as they became due. In the spring of 1858, the Commissioners organized four townships; Belle Prairie, Granite, Little Falls, and Bellevne, the four organizations comprising all the territory of the county. Subsequently, the town of Granite was added to Belle Prairie, and a number of new towns have since been organized. The present towns of the county are, Bello Prairie,
Bellevue, Buckman, Culdrum, Elmdale, Green Prairie, Little Falls, Motley, Oakwood, Parker, Pierz, Swan River, and Two Rivers.
This county, like others, was visited with the town site mania. Twenty-four town plats were recorded in the office of the Register of Deeds of Morrison county, from 1855 to 1858. Not all of these, however, were located in Morrison county. Many were platted on unsurveyed Government lands. None of these towns ever attained any degree of prominence, except Fergus Falls, in Otter Tail county, and Little Falls. Fergus Falls was located by a company that went from Little Falls in 1856. James Fergus, after whom the place was named, was a member of that company. The same company founded a number of other towns in the western part of the State, but all were short lived. Those located in Morrison county have all disappeared, except Little Falls. A few made strenuous efforts to maintain an ap- pearance, and succeeded for some time. These were Swan River, Belle Prairie, and Granite City. Those established for mere speculation were, Lnlo, Bnekfield, Big Bend, Little Elk, Janesville, and Olean. These have a name only in the annals of the early days of the pioneer fathers.
EARLY SETTLEMENT AND IMPROVEMENT.
It is generally believed that James Green was the first permanent settler of this county. He took a squatter's elaim on the cast bank of the Mississippi river, at the present site of Little Falls, in 1848. He built a saw mill, and seenred water power by building a wing dam to the island above, making a head of about three feet, which was enough to do a good business with the abundant supply of water. He also made a boom by fastening one end on the west bank of the river, near Little Falls ferry landing, and the other to the head of the island below, and by this means managed to run most of the logs into the mill pond. This must have been in the fall of 1849. Soon after its construction, Mr. Green died, when H. M. Rice and Captain Todd bought the mill. They sold to William Sturgis in 1850, who run the mill until ' 1854, when he sold a two-thirds interest to James Fergus and Calvin A. Tuttle, and formed a co- partnership known as the Little Falls Company. The lands on the east side of the Mississippi were surveyed in 1852. Prior to this, John M. Kidder, father-in-law of William Sturgis, had filed a pre- emption claim covering that portion of the cast bank of the Mississippi river, embracing the water power.
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MORRISON COUNTY.
The Little Falls Company purchased the land in- eluded in the Kidder claim, of Mr. Sturgis, he hav- ing purchased it from the heirs of John M. Kidder, deceased, who died before the land came into mar- ket, so that the Little Falls Company purchased the land of the government at the first land sale, in November, 1855. This purchase of the Con- pany included the Kidder claim and the land ad- joining, upon which the village of Little Falls is located, amounting in all to about two thousand acres. This company continued but a short time, and then merged into a joint stock company, in the fall of 1855, known as the Little Falls Manu- facturing Company. This Company issued stock to the amount of one hundred thousand dollars, Fergus, Sturgis, and Tuttle taking half the stock, and the remainder sold readily for fifty thousand dollars, cash. The stoek advanced rapidly until it reached two hundred and fifty per cent., at which price most of the shares changed hands. About seventy-five thousand dollars were expended in improving the water power at this place, and in building a dam, bridge, and mills. While the Manufacturing Company had plenty of money they spent it indiscriminately. It is stated that in constructing their dam on the east side of the island, the water was first shut off by a horse dam, that sand and gravel was hauled in to the depth of two or three feet, to make a level bed on which to place the frame of the principal dam. The bed of the river was rocky and uneven, well fitted to hold the foot of a substantial dam, but some of its con- structors thought a smooth sand bed was prefer- able, and hence it was so constructed. In eonnec- tion with the dam, this Company built a fine Howe truss bridge. This bridge was constructed in the winter of 1857-58, and the main portion stood for many years. After about nine years it was found to be rotting, when the board of County Commissioners had it repaired, but soon afterward it was blown down and never rebuilt. It was af- terward used in buikling the bridge at Sauk Rapids. The Company constructed a large saw mill, and a large two-and-a-half story cabinet shop. Mr. Fletcher built a commodious flonring mill, which was run by this power. In all, not less than sev- enty-five thousand dollars were expended in im- proving the water power, building dams, bridge, and mills at this place.
The dam was broken in 1859, and no one had courage to immediately rebuild it ; and Mr. Fletcher removed his flouring mill to Sauk River.
The dam was repaired in the winter of 1859-60, but during the following summer, a sudden rise in the river destroyed dam, saw-mill, and cabinet shop, so that in a short time there was nothing to show for all the money and labor that had been expended at this place. The stock which had been in great demand, now depreciated rapidly, until in 1860, it was worthless, and the property of the company was insufficient to meet their lia- bilities.
The town of Little Falls was surveyed in 1855, by S. M. Putnam, but not incorporated. Immediately after the town was platted, a few lots were given away, after which, lots sold rapidly, some of those most fevorably located bringing as high as a thousand dollars each, and land near town, for one hundred dollars per acre. But as 1860, with its mill failure came on, the increase and decrease in population, the rise and fall in real estate, nearly corresponded with the fhictua- tion in the price of the stock of the manufactur- ing company. The island known as Mill Island, at the time of constructing the dam, was eut across by a ditch, and the high water from time to time kept enlarging the opening, until the wide channel now existing was plowed out. Within the last few years real estate has steadily advanced, and at present both lots and land are command- ing a fair price. The recent financial movement, the water-power changing hands, and the sale of a steam mill site and boom privileges, just above the water-power, gives to Little Falls the prospect for a bright and prosperous future, for which her citizens have waited long and patiently.
In 1857, three Indians, who were under arrest for the murder of a German peddler, on the road near Gull Lake, were taken from Sheriff Pugh, while enroute for St. Paul, and summarily dis- posed of by a party under the leadership of An- son Northrup and Benjamin Brown, both of whom were then living in this section. The party were overtaken near the present station of Royalton, and the Indians taken back to the southern border of the prairie sonth of Little Falls village, and, still chained together, hung to a pole supported by two trees. They had, on the way back, con- fessed their erime, and made no attempt at resist- ance. Considerable alarm was created among the settlements, in the fear of an uprising among the Indians; but no demonstration occurred, and the excitement soon died away.
The first saw-mill was built in 1849, nt Liitle
590
HISTORY OF THIE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
Falls, by James Green, and afterward passed into the hands of the Little Falls Company, who en- larged it, and soon after, in 1858, it was washed away. Anson Northrup built a steam mill at Swan River in 1856, and run it for two years. William Sturgis built a mill at the month of Little Elk river in 1871, which was swept away by the flood of 1858. He immediately erected a new mill on the same site, which did good service for many years.
This county, in the first years of its settlement, became the rendezvous for a lawless gang of rene- gades, who, when the hard times rendered gam- bling unprofitable, resorted to thett and robbery, and at last, grown desperate by the failure of some cherished schemes, and repeated arrests and pun- ishments, attempted the life of R. L. Barnum, the faithful old Justice whose Court they had learned to dread. On the night of October 1st, 1858, a part of the gang visited the old man's cabin, drag- ged him out, and after terrible maltreatment, left him for dead. He recovered, however, but this crowning outrage led to a general uprising among the law abiding citizens, resulting in the banish- ment from the community, of this obnoxious ele- ment. The details of the series of events alluded to are known among the old settlers as " The Little Falls War."
GRASSHOPPERS .- In the summer of 1856, abont the latter part of July, the grasshoppers made a sndden descent upon this county, coming from a little north of west. Their ravages extended to nearly all parts of the county. Grain was ripen- ing and nearly ready for the harvest, yet about two-thirds of the crop was destroyed. They de- posited their eggs in great quantities that fall, from which, the following spring, an immense swarm appeared, devouring almost every green vegetable substance, but by the first of July were all gone. The people endured this scourge with comparatively little suffering, as there was teaming and other work in abundance at remunerative prices. Since the departure of the grasshoppers in 1857, they have not seriously troubled the county. About 1873, a few appeared in the west- ern part, doing considerable damage to late erops and gardens, since which time the county has es- caped any severe scourge of this character.
RAILROADS .- The history of railroads in Morri- son county is not very extensive. On the 3d of March, 1857, Congress passed an act making a certain grant of land to aid in the construction of
several lines of railroads in the then Territory of Minnesota. One of these lines was to start at Stillwater and rnn via St. Paul and Crow Wing to the Red River of the North, passing through this county. It was surveyed by the Minnesota & Pa- cific Railroad Company, who first undertook to build this line, but failed. The first land grant gave six sections to the mile. In 1864, the grant was increased to ten sections to the mile, taking the odd numbered sections for ten miles on caeli side of the line, and reserving the odd seetions in the next ten miles to make up the deficiency where the odd sections of the land on the first ten miles had previously been sold. By this condition nearly all the odd sections in Morrison county were held to fill the railroad grant.
After the Minnesota and Pacific railroad com- pany had forfeited their rights to this grant, the Legislature of Minnesota, by an act approved on the 10th of March, 1862, turned this grant over to the St. Paul and Pacific company. This com- pany completed the line of road from St. Paul to Sank Rapids, where it stopped for several years. In 1871, the company commeneed this line to Brainerd, to connect with the Northern Pacific, and continued the effort into 1872, when the grading was nearly completed and about three miles of truck laid south from Brainerd. On the failure of Jay Cooke & Co., of New York, the work stopped, and never was resumed by the same company. Atter failing to fulfill a number of promises looking to a completion of the road, the State Legislature, by an act approved March Ist, 1877, dechired the right of the St. Paul and l'a- cifie Railroad Company to build the line from Sauk Rapids to Brainerd forfeited, with all aid appointed for its construction. The same act specified the conditions on which any other com- pany might build the road, and enjoy the emolu- ments arising from the land grant. One seetion of the act provided that persons who had settled upon any portion of the land of the grant, and resided upon the same at the time of the passage of the bill, should have the right to enter their . claims under the homestead, or pre-emption laws. Under this provision, two hundred and twenty-five claims were tiled at the Governor's office in St. Panl, one linndred and fifty-eight of which were allowed; and those who for any canse were not entitled to enter the lands they claimed, and had improved them, were allowed to purchase them of the Railround Company at Government price. On
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BELLE PRAIRIE TOWNSHIP.
the 2d of May, 1877, the Western Railroad Com- pany of Minnesota, informed the Governor of the State that they were ready to construct the road in accordance with the terms named in the aet of March 1st, 1877, and on' receiving his approval, commenced the work, and completed the road in the month of November of that year, establishing three stations in the county, one at Royalton, one at Little Falls, and one at Belle Prairie, sinee which time the road has been in active operation.
The Little Falls and Dakota railroad, a line leading from Little Falls westward by way of Sauk Centre, Glenwood, and Morrison, to Brown's Valley, on the western boundary of the State, was projected in 1872. The Legislature of Min- nesota passed an aet in the latter year authorizing the St. Paul and Paeifie rail- road company to eonstruet this line of road as a branch line. They failed to build the road in the specified time, and no further ac- tion was taken until the tall of 1878, when a eon- vention was called to meet at Sank Centre on the 23d of January, 1879. On the day following, a company called the Little Falls and Dakota Rail- road Company was organized, with J. G. Whitte- more, of Glenwood, President; N. Richardson, of Little Falls, Vice President; E. P. Barninn, of Sauk Contre, Sceretury; and J. M. Moore, of Mor- rison, Treasurer. By speeinl legislation, all the towns and counties along the line, except Mor- rison county, submitted the proposition for aid in construeting the road at the fall eleetion, in No- vember, 1879, which eleetion authorized the issu- ing of bonds. The amount asked wus $200,000. The amount to be raised by Morrison county was $35,000. 'The following spring, Morrison county voted to issue bonds by a majority vote of seven- ty-five. A partial survey of the line was effected during the fall of 1879. The same company re- organized on the 17th of September, 1879, at which time Hon William Crooks, of St. Paul, was chosen President; Charles A. DeGraff, of Janes- ville, Vice President; E. P. Burnum, of Sauk Cen- tre, Secretary; and L. E. Reed, of St. Paul, Treas- urer. By the energy of the President, arrange- ments have been perfected with capitalists whereby the building of the road is assured. In accord- ance with the terms of the contraet, work must be commenced prior to the 1st of July, 1880. In obedience to this requirement ground was broken on this road, at Little Falls, on the 25th of June, 1880.
BELLE PRAIRIE.
CHAPTER CXXXIX.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION - EARLY SETTLEMENT -OR- GANIZATION -- MANUFACTURING -- - RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS -- BIOGRAPHICAL.
Belle Prairie lies in the northern portion of the county, and extends from the Mississippi river to Mille Laes county. It contains upwards of six congressional townships, or 152,320 aeres, 2,102 of which are under cultivation.
A strip of prairie, varying from one and a half to two and a halt miles in width, skirts the river, baek of which, the surface is more rolling, and in places, quite broken. Progressing eastward, heavy timber appears, chiefly of the different varieties of hardwood, excepting in the northern and eastern part, where there is a considerable acreage of pine land.
The first white settler in this part of the county was Frederick Ayer, a native of Stockbridge, Mas- sachusetts. In youth he had studied for the min- istry, but owing to tailing health, he became a missionary among the Indians of the Northwest. In the fall of 1848, he came to this locality in search of a loention for an Indian school. He re- moved his family here the following spring, erected a building, and opened a school for the Winnebago children; remained until after the close of the civil war, when he went to Georgia as a teacher for the freedmen, where his useful life ended in 1867.
Harrison Fleteher made a elaim on section six, township 41 north, range 31 west, but after sev- eral years, removed to Minneapolis where he now lives. He was accompanied by his brother, Ben- jamin, who made a claim near him, but is now dead. Asher Adams settled on section one in the same township in 1851, where he resided until his death in 1864. Dr. William Lewis also settled near the others in 1851, and made it his home for several years.
Prominent among the pioneers who soon fol- lowed were, O. A. Coe, F. J. Farrand, and T. Hamilton. Anton Bisson eame in 1853, and was the first French Canadian to settle in the town. He was soon followed by a number of his country- men, who form a majority of the present popu- lation.
A portion of the western part of this township
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HISTORY OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
was included in the Fort Ripley Reservation until the spring of 1878, when it was thrown open to settlers.
Frank Howard obtained permission from the War Department to open a farm on section three, in 1858, and availed himself of the privilege the same year. This was but a short distance from the Fort, and he remained until 1862.
The first death in the township was a son of Fred- erick Ayer, named Frederick E., who died on the 6th of August, 1849.
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